Open Channel

Flow
Lecture No : 34 to 43

CONTENT:
 Introduction to Open channel flow
 Types of Channel
 Types of Flow in channel
 Definitions regarding Open channel flow
 Open channel formulas for Uniform flow (Chezy’s and Manning’s formula)
 Most Economical Sections of Channel
 Conditions for Maximum Velocity
 Conditions for Maximum Discharge
 Measurement of River Discharge
Open Channel Flow:
 An open channel is a passage through which the water flows under
the force of gravity and atmospheric pressure.
 Or in other words, when the free surface of the flowing water is in
contact with the atmosphere as in case of a canal, a sewer or an
aqueduct, the flow is said to be through an open channel.
 A channel may be covered or open at the top. As a matter of fact, the
flow of water in an open channel, is not due to the pressure flow as in
case of a pipe flow. But it is a gravity flow due to the slope of the bed
of the channel. Therefore, the flow conditions are generally influenced
by the slope of the channel.
Open Channel Flow:
 It has been found experimentally that the velocity of
flow is different in different points in the cross-section
of a channel.
 But all the calculations are based on the mean velocity
of flow.
 While discussing this chapter, assume the flow is
steady and uniform.
Open Channel Flow:
■ Open-channel flow is a flow of liquid (basically
water) in a conduit with a free surface.
■ That is a surface on which pressure is equal to local
atmospheric pressure.

Free surface
Patm

Patm
Classification of Open-Channel
Flows
Open-channel flows are characterized by the
presence of a liquid-gas interface called the free
surface.
■ Natural flows: ■ Human-made
rivers, creeks, fresh-water
systems:
floods, etc. aquaducts,
irrigation, sewers,
drainage ditches,
etc.

p=patm
 Open channels

Natural channels Artificial channels

Open cross section Covered cross section

 Comparison of Open Channel Flow & Pipe Flow
1) OCF must have a free surface 1) No free surface in pipe flow

2) A free surface is subject to 2) No direct atmospheric pressure,

atmospheric pressure hydraulic pressure only.
3) The driving force is mainly the
component of gravity along the flow 3) The driving force is mainly the
direction. pressure force along the flow
direction.
4) HGL is coincident with the free surface.
4) HGL is (usually) above the conduit
5) Flow area is determined by the
geometry of the channel plus
the level of free surface, which is 5) Flow area is fixed by the pipe
likely to change along dimensions The cross section of a
the flow direction and with as well as pipe is usually circular..
time.
Comparision of Open Channel Flow & Pipe Flow

6) The cross section may be of

any from circular to irregular 6) The cross section of a pipe is
forms of natural streams, usually circular.
which may change along the
flow direction and as well as
with time. 7) The relative roughness is a fixed
quantity.
7) Relative roughness changes
with the level of freesurface

8) The depth of flow, discharge

and the slopes of channel
bottom and of the free surface 8) No such dependence.
are interdependent.
Types of Channel:
 Natural Channel: It is the one which has irregular sections of
varying shapes, developed in a natural way.
Example: River, streams etc.
 Artificial Channel: It is the one which is built artificially for
carrying water for various purposes. They have cross-sections
with regular geometrical shapes (which usually remain same
throughout the length of the channel).
Example: Rectangular channel, trapezoidal channel, parabolic
channel etc.
Types of Channel:
 Open Channel: A channel without any cover at the top is known as
open channel.
Examples: Irrigation canals, rivers, streams, flume, and water falls.
 Covered or Closed Channels: The channel having a cover at the top
is known as a covered or closed channel.
Examples: Partially filled conduits carrying public water supply such as
sewerage lines, under ground drains, tunnels etc. not running full of
water.
Types of Channel:
 Prismatic Channel: A channel with constant bed slope and the same
cross-section along its length is known as a prismatic channel.
The prismatic channel can be further sub-divided as:
i. Exponential Channel: It is the one in which area of cross-section
of flow is directly proportional to any power of depth of flow in
channel.
Examples: Rectangular, triangular and parabolic channels.
ii. Non-Exponential Channel: Trapezoidal and circular channels are
non-exponential channels.
Types of Flow in Channel:
1. Steady and Unsteady Flow:

2. Uniform and Non-Uniform Flow:

3. Laminar and Turbulent Flow:

4. Subcritical, Critical and Supercritical Flow

 DEFINITIONS:
1. Depth of Flow (y): It is the vertical
distance of the lowest point of the
channel section (bed of the channel)
from the free surface.
2. Depth of Flow section (d): It is the
depth of flow normal to the bed of the
channel.
d = y cosθ
Where; θ is the angle which the channel
bed makes with the horizontal.
Since the slope is very small
Cosθ = 1 and
d=y
DEFINITIONS continued…
3. Top width (T): It is the width of the channel section at the free surface.
4. Wetted Area (A): It is the cross-sectional area of the flow section of
the channel.
5. Wetted Perimeter (P): It is the length of the channel boundary in
contact with the flowing water at any section.
6. Hydraulic radius (R): It is the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the
flow to wetted perimeter. It is also known as hydraulic mean depth.
R = A / P
7. Hydraulic Depth (D): It is the ratio of the wetted area A to the top
width T.
D= A / T
Open Channel Formula for Uniform Flow
Or Chazy’s Formula:

For Uniform flow in open channels, the following

formulae will be discussed:

1. Chezy’s formula
2. Manning’s formula
Chazy’s Formula:
Values of Chazy’s constant in the formula for
Discharge in Open channel:
 The earliest formula for flow in open channels was given by
Chezy in 1775 is:
V=C Or

 where C is known as chezy’s constant, and its value depends

upon the roughness of the inside surface of the channel.
 If the surface is smooth, there will be less frictional resistance to
the motion of water, and as such the value of C will be more. It
results in more velocity or discharge and vise versa.
Values of Chazy’s constant in the formula for
Discharge in Open channel:
 Later on, other scientists and engineers conducted a series of
experiments and proposed many relations for the values of C in
chezy’s formula, out of which the following relations are
important from the subject point of view:

1. Bazin’s formula,
2. Kutter’s formula and
3. Manning’s formula
Bazin’s formula for C value:
 A French hydraulician H. Bazin (1897) proposed following empirical
formula for Chezy’s constant:
Kutter’s formula for C value:
 Two Swiss engineers, Ganguillet and Kutter proposed the following
empirical formula for the determination of Chezy’s constant C:
Manning’s formula for C value:

 Rober Manning (an Irish engineer) gave the following empirical

relation for determination of Chezy’s constant C (1889), which is
simplest of all used for uniform open channel flow:
Example:1
Example:2
Example:3
Example:4
Example:5
Example:5
Example:6
Example:6
Example:7
Example:7
Example:8
Example:8
Example:9
Example:10
Example:11
Example:12
Example:13
Example:14
Most Economical Channel Sections:
 A channel, which gives maximum discharge for a given cross-
sectional area and bed slope is called a channel of most economical
cross-section.
 Or in other words, it is a channel which involves least excavation for
a designed amount of discharge.
 A channel of most economical cross-section is sometimes defined as
a channel which has a minimum wetted perimeter; so that there is a
minimum resistance to flow.
 Thus resulting in a maximum velocity and from the continuity
equation, it is evident that discharge is maximum when the velocity is
maximum, the cross-sectional area of the channel remaining constant.
 From Chezy’s and Manning’s formula it can be seen that for a given
value of slope and surface roughness the velocity of flow will be
maximum if hydraulic radius R = A / P is maximum.
 Further, the area being constant, so, the hydraulic radius is maximum
when the wetted perimeter is minimum.
The relation between depth and breadth of the section is found out to
give the maximum discharge.
 The conditions for maximum discharge for the following sections
will be dealt.
 Rectangular section,
 Triangular Section,
 Trapezoidal section and
 Circular section.
Condition for Maximum Discharge through a
Rectangular Channel Section :
Example:15
Example:16
Example:17
Example:18
Example:19
Condition for Maximum Discharge through a
Triangular Channel Section :
Condition for Maximum Discharge through a
Trapezoidal Channel Section :
Example:20
Example:21
Example:22
Example:22
Example:23
Example:23
Example:24
Example:24
Condition for Maximum Velocity through a
Circular Channel Section :
Example:25
Example:26
Condition for Maximum Discharge through a
Circular Channel Section :
Example:27
Example:28
Example:29
Measurement
of A
River
Discharge
Measurement of River Discharge:
THANK YOU!!