Dr.

APJ Abdul Kalam, IIIT-Ongole Institute

RGUKT AP

Hydraulic ENGINEERING
UNIT-I : OPEN CHANNEL FLOW- I
Lecture – 1.1
Kenchugundu Srikanth
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
International Institute of Information Technology, Ongole
Email: kenchugundusrikanth.ong@rgukt.in
Introduction OCF-1

Open Channel flow:

• An open channel is a conduit in which a liquid flows with a free surface i.e.
liquid flowing at atmospheric pressure through a passage is known as
flow in open channels
• Ex: Flow in rivers, streams, drains, sewer pipes etc.
What is free surface?
• An interface between the moving liquid and an overlying fluid medium
• Free surface is subjected to uniform pressure such as atmospheric pressure
• A free surface has zero shear stress

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 1

Introduction OCF-1

Open Channel flow: • The fluid will flow from Section (1) to
(2) only if the total head at (1) is more
than total head at (2) i.e.
H1 > H2
𝑝1 𝑣12 𝑝2 𝑣22
+ 𝑧1 + 𝑦1 + 2𝑔 > + 𝑧2 + 𝑦2 +
𝛾 𝛾 2𝑔
• Assuming depth of flow over the
channel bed is constant i.e. 𝑦1 =𝑦2
then v1 = v2 therefore the above
equation becomes
𝑧1 > 𝑧2
• It means flow in open channels occurs
from high level to low level. Hence, it
is also called Gravitational flow
Note:
 HGL: Line which gives the sum of pressure head and datum head of a flowing fluid with respect
to some reference line
 TGL: Line which gives the sum of pressure head, datum head and kinetic head of a flowing fluid
with respect to some reference line
 In OCF water surface is the HGL
 TEL is above HGL or water surface with an ordinate of corresponding velocity head
Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 2
Introduction OCF-1

Difference between open channel flow and pipe flow:

Open channel flow
1. Free surface subjected to atmospheric
pressure
2. Non pressure flow
3. Flow is due to gravity i.e. flow
conditions generally influenced by
slope of the channel from high level to
low level, hence it is called gravitation
flow, potential energy gradient flow
4. HGL coincides with the water surface
5. Maximum velocity occurs at a little
distance below the water surface
6. The shape of velocity profile is
dependent on channel roughness
Pipe flow
1. No free surface, not subjected to
atmospheric pressure
2. Pressure flow, closed conduit flow
3. Flow occurs from high Total head
section to low total head section
4. HGL does not coincides with the water
surface
5. Maximum velocity occurs at the pipe
center
6. Velocity distribution is symmetrical
about pipe axis

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 3

Classification of flow OCF-1

Steady flow
Time
Unsteady flow
Classification of flows

Uniform flow
Space Gradually varied flow (GVF)
Non-Uniform flow
Rapidly Varying flow (RVF)
Laminar flow
Reynold’s number
Turbulent flow

Sub-critical

Froude number Critical

Super Critical

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 4

Classification of flows OCF-1

Steady flow:
• A steady flow occurs when the flow properties, such as the depth, velocity,
discharge at a section do not change with time.
Unsteady flow:
• If flow characteristics like depth of flow, velocity of flow, discharge varies with time
then the flow is called unsteady flow
• Ex: Flood flows in rivers and rapidly varying surges in canals

Uniform flow:
• If the flow properties, say the depth of flow, in an open channel remain constant
along the length of the channel, the flow is said to be uniform
• Ex: A prismatic channel carrying a certain discharge with a constant velocity
Non-Uniform flow:
• a flow in which the flow properties vary along the channel is termed as non-
uniform flow or varied flow.
• Ex: Flow in a non-prismatic channel and flow with varying velocities in a prismatic
channel are examples of varied flow

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 5

Classification of flows OCF-1

Varied flow or Non uniform flow classified into two types:

Gradually varied flow:
• If the change of depth in a varied flow is gradual so that the curvature of
streamlines is not excessive, such a flow is said to be a gradually varied flow (GVF)
• Frictionalresistance plays an important role in these flows
• Ex: The backing up of water in a stream due to a dam, drooping of the water
surface due to a sudden drop in a canal bed
Rapidly varied flow:
• If the curvature in a varied flow is large and the depth changes appreciably over
short lengths, such a phenomenon is termed as rapidly varied flow (RVF)
• The frictional resistance is relatively insignificant
• Ex: A hydraulic jump occurring below a spillway or a sluice gate is an example of
steady RVF, A surge moving up a canal

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 6

Classification of flows OCF-1

Based on Reynold’s number:

ρ𝑣𝑅
Reynold’s number Re =
µ
ρ = density of flowing fluid
V = mean velocity of flow of water
R = Hydraulic radius or hydraulic mean depth

Hydraulic radius or 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘
Hydraulic mean depth R = 𝑾𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓

If Re < 500 or 600 Laminar flow

500 < Re < 2000 Transition flow
Re > 5000 Turbulent flow

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 7

Classification of channels OCF-1

Prismatic channels:
• A channel in which the cross-sectional shape and size and also the bottom slope
are constant is termed as a prismatic channel
• Ex: Man made channels, Lined canals, etc.
• The rectangle, trapezoid, triangle and circle are some of the commonly used
shapes in manmade channels

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 8

Classification of channels OCF-1

Non-Prismatic channels:
• A channel in which the cross-sectional shape and size and also the bottom slope
changes from section to section over a length are termed as non prismatic channel
• Ex: All natural channels are generally non prismatic channels like rivers, streams ,
earthen drains etc.

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 9

Classification of channels OCF-1

 On the basis of the nature of the boundary open channels can be broadly classified
into two types:
Rigid channels:
• Rigid channels are those in which the boundary is not deformable in the sense that
the shape and roughness magnitudes are not functions of the flow parameters.
• Ex: Typical examples include lined canals, sewers and non-erodible unlined canals

Mobile boundary channels:

• the boundaries undergo deformation due to the continuous process of erosion and
deposition due to the flow
• The boundary of the channel is mobile in such cases and the flow carries
considerable amounts of sediment through suspension and in contact with the bed
• Ex: unlined channels in alluvium, both man made channels and natural rivers

Civil Engineering Department RGUKT AP-IIIT ONGOLE 10