Design of Open Channels
• Open-channel systems are usually designed to
transport a liquid to a location at a lower
elevation at a specified rate under the
influence of gravity at the lowest possible
cost.
• no energy input is required, the cost of an
open-channel system consists primarily of the
initial construction cost, which is proportional
to the physical size of the system.
Manning’s Formula
V = R2/3*Sf1/2 (metric) V = 1.486 R2/3*Sf1/2
n n
where:
V = mean velocity (m/sec or ft/sec)
R = hydraulic radius (m, ft) = area of the cross section of flow
(m2, ft2) divided by wetted perimeter (m,f)
Sf = slope of water surface profile
n = Manning’s roughness coefficient
best hydraulic cross section
• Adequate hydraulic capacity for a minimum cost of
construction and maintenance
• Minimum wetted perimeter with maximum conveyance
• The best hydraulic cross section for an open channel is
the one with the maximum hydraulic radius or,
equivalently, the one with the minimum wetted
perimeter for a specified cross section.
best hydraulic cross section
• The shape with the minimal perimeter per unit area is a circle.
• Therefore, on the basis of minimum flow resistance, the best
cross section for an open channel is a semicircular one.
• However, it is usually cheaper to construct an open channel
with straight sides (such as channels with trapezoidal or
rectangular cross sections) instead of semicircular ones.
Methods for channel design
• If the channel bottom or sides are erodible, then the
design requires that the channel size and bottom slope
are selected so that channel is not eroded.
• Two methods are used:
• In the permissible velocity method, the channel size is
selected such that the mean flow velocity for the design
discharge under uniform flow conditions
• In the tractive force method, forces acting on a particle
lying on the channel bottom or on the channel sides are
considered. The channel is eroded if the resultant of
forces tending to move the particle is greater than the
resultant of forces resisting the motion; otherwise, it is
stable.
CHANNEL DESIGN using
permissible velocity
• 1. For the specified material, select value of
Manning n, side slope s , and the permissible
velocity, V .
• 2. Determine the required hydraulic radius, R,
from Manning formula, and the required flow
area, A, from the continuity equation, A = Q/V.
• 3. Compute the wetted perimeter, P = A/R.
• 4. Determine the channel bottom width, Bo, and
the flow depth, y, for which the flow area A is
equal to that computed in step 2 and the wetted
perimeter, P, is equal to that computed in step 3.
• 5. Add a suitable value for the freeboard.
Flow Velocity
• Depends on lining type
• Typically 1 to 5% slopes used
• Should be high enough to prevent deposit of
transported material (sedimentation)
• For most linings, problem if S < 1%
• Should be low enough to prevent erosion (scour)
• For most types of linings, problem if S > 5%
Manning n
Permissible Velocities & Appropriate Side Slopes
Free Board: The freeboard f is the vertical distance from
the water surface at the design condition to the top of the
channel.
-allowable depth for waves f=0.2(1+y)
TRACTIVE FORCE METHOD
• The forces acting on the soil particles at the channel bottom
and sides are considered.
• Flow in a channel exerts tractive forces (or shear forces) on
the channel bed that are equal in magnitude but opposite in
direction to the friction forces exerted by the channel bed on
the flow.
• Tractive forces tend to move the particles on the channel bed
in the flow direction. Erosion will occur if the tractive forces
exceed the resistive forces preventing the movement of these
particles. We should design so that the particles will not move
under the design flow conditions.
CHANNEL DESIGN using
Tractive force Method
• 1. For the channel material, select a side slope, the angle of repose
and the critical shear stress . Determine the permissible shear stress.
• 2. For the noncohesive material, compute the reduction factor, K,
then determine the permissible shear stress for the sides by
multiplying by K the permissible stress determined in step 1. For
cohesive material no reduction is considered.
• 3. Equate the permissible stress for the sides determined in step 2 to
0.76γySo and determine y from the resulting equation.
• 4. For y determined in step 3 and for the selected values of the
Manning n and the side slope, s, compute the bottom width, Bo,
from Manning equation for the design discharge.
• 5. Now, check that the shear stress on the bottom, γySo, is less than
the permissible shear stress of step 1.
• 6. Add a freeboard to y.
Shear stress distribution on channel bottom and sides
Angle of repose : the steepest angle of descent relative to the horizontal plane to which a
material can be piled without slumping.
Reduction for only
noncohesive material
K is the reduction factor for the critical
(permissible) stress ( on the channel sides
Permissible shear stress for noncohesive materials
1 lb/ft2= 47.88N/m2
Permissible shear stress for cohesive materials
