JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Engineering & Technology

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
HYDRAULICS & FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY
EXPERIMENT No :
CALIBRATION OF V-NOTCH
Name :……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Class :………………………………. Section ………………………………. Roll No………………………………………..
Date of Experiment ………………………………………….. Date of Submission ……………………………………………………..
I. OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENT
(a) To calibrate a V-notch weir; (b) To determine the co- efficient of discharge (C d)
II. APPRATUS USED
Open channel tank fitted with V- notch weir, volumetric measuring tank and stop watch
III . THEORY
Weirs are secondary instruments for measuring discharge through an open channel following a process
of calibrating the instrument. Submerged rectangular weir, non-submerged rectangular weir,
trapezoidal weir and triangular weir, also called the V-notch weir, are used to measure discharges in the
order of decreasing range of values. The discharge over a V-notch weir is expressed as
= Cd in terms of and C = ,
where Cd is the coefficient of discharge, Ɵ is the angle of V-notch, g is the acceleration due to gravity and
H is the head over the weir. Over the range of discharge for which C d is nearly constant, the formula can
be approximated by =K in terms of calibration constant K and n nearly equal to 5/2. From the
water level Hi up to Crest C on the notch plate noted as the initial reading for all cases and the final level
Hf for any steady flow condition, the head over the notch is indicated in the schematic drawing of the set
up as H = Hf − Hi.
A wire-mesh screen is used in the weir apparatus to have streamlines up to a certain downstream
distance from it as uniform and parallel to the horizontal bed of the apparatus. Much wider flow area in
this region makes the velocity at any Point A here negligible in comparison to the velocity V at Point B
over the weir plate. Thus, in a vertical flow section through A, nearly hydrostatic variation of pressure
exists. Thus with respect to the horizontal datum through C, the total head at A is given by H. At low
discharges, the spilling water tends to drip down the vertical face of the notch plate causing disruption
of nappe formation. At high flow rates, the free surface tends to dip down prior to reaching the notch
plate. The glass gauge for measuring H is placed nearer to the wire screen for capturing the elevation of
the horizontal free surface prior to it being affected near the notch plate.
Immediately upon clearing the knife edge of the notch plate, the spilling water gets exposed to ambient
pressure both on the top and bottom of the issuing stream called the nappe. For a submerged weir, a
perforated vent pipe is provided to expose the bottom surface to ambient pressure. It is reasonable to
accept uniform pressure equal to the ambient existing across the nappe in view of its small thickness
along z direction containing B. Thus, neglecting flow losses between A and B on a streamline, Bernoulli
equation yields V=√(2g(H-z). It is reasonable to assume V as horizontal in absence of any vertical
gradient of pressure in this flow section. For a triangular notch, the width of the horizontal flow section
is given by b=2z tan(/2). By integrating the elemental discharge dQ=bVdz over z from 0 to H for the
entire flow area over the vertical notch face, the formula for theoretical discharge is obtained.

2
5 
3 5
3 3
V b
× z H
B
3 C
A 34 Hf Hi
12 × 6 4
3 1

1: V-notch apparatus
2: Supply line
3: Screen 9
4: Notch plate with knife edge
I II III
5: Glass gauge in notch apparatus
8 3
6: Water nappe
7: Volumetric tank
8: Diverter 10
9: Diverter handle
10: Glass gauge in volumetric tank t=T
11: Wooden planks hf
t=0
12: Valve 11 hi
I: Submerged rectangular weir
7
II: Rectangular weir
III: Trapezoidal weir
PROCEDURE Schematic of V-Notch Calibration Set Up
(1) Water is allowed to flow through V-notch apparatus (1) by opening the valve at the supply line (2).
Inside the apparatus, the water flows through a screen (3). Upon acquiring a steady state, the water
spills over the notch plate (4) displaying a constant height H f in a glass gauge fitted with a scale (5).
The spilling water forms a nappe (6) on its way to the volumetric tank (7).
(2) Place the diverter (8) by using its handle (9) to direct water to the measuring part of the volumetric
tank fitted with a the glass gauge and scale (10) to allow collection so as it make the wooden planks
(11) placed in this compartment float. These planks ensure quick decay of the water ripples after the
collection towards this side is stopped.
(3) Divert the discharge from the weir to the drain part of the volumetric tank and note from the glass
gauge (10) the water level hi under the initial column of the volumetric tank.
(4) Note the reading Hf under the final column for V-notch from glass gauge (5).
(5) Divert the discharge to the measuring part of the tank and start the stop watch simultaneously.
Collect water for some time and then divert the discharge to the drain side of the volumetric tank
and at the same time stop the stopwatch. Note the time T recorded by the stopwatch and the water
 level hf under the final column of the volumetric tank. This reading is also noted under the initial
column for the next reading, if to be taken.
(6) Repeat the procedure for 5 or 6 times at different openings of the valve (12).
(7) Close the valve and allow water spilling over the notch plate to stop. Rub the dry portion of a towel
over the front face of the notch plate from time to time to check if water dripping down the face has
stopped. Then note the initial reading Hi under the initial column for V-notch from glass gauge (4).
Observations and Results
Area of the volumetric tank (A): 1m×0.75m; Angle of V-notch (Ɵ): 90 0; C= =2.363m1/2s
READING OF V- READING OF
RESULTS
NOTCH VOLUMETRIC TANK
Run Initial Final Initial Final Time Water height Height of Actual Theoretical Discharge
No. Reading Reading Reading Reading T above notch collected water discharge discharge coefficient
Hi Hf hi hf (sec) crest, in tank, Cd
Qth=C
(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) H = (Hf - Hi)/100 h =(hf - hi)/100 Qac=
(m) (m) (m3/s) (m3/s)
1 12.8 18.1 9.0 12.0 30
2 12.8 18.8 12.0 18.1 30
3 12.8 19.1 18.1 24.2 30
4 12.8 19.7 24.2 32.1 30
5 12.8 20.4 32.1 42.2 30
6 12.8 20.9 42.2 53.0 30
Plot : (1) Q vs H in log–log scale and obtain K by choosing a point on the best-fit straight line
(2) Cd vs H in normal scale to find Cd,mean the in the range of H over which C d is nearly constant

Observation made by……………………………………………………..…

Class :…………… Section……… Roll No…………………..………..
Class Teacher ……………………………………………..………………..….
Prepare this plot below on an ordinary graph paper by using the log of corresponding data
of Table 1. The labeled values against each axis are only representative.
y= log10Qac
This plot should have lower
n=(log10Q2 − log10Q1)/ (log10H2 − log10H1) = ……… deviation from the experimental
10-2 points, where variation of Cd with
K=Q2/H2n =………….. m(n-0.5)s
H is low revealed in the next
Qac 2 × figure. The deviation n from 5/2 in
×
this plot can be seen as a ploy of
Q=KHn × achieving extended validity of the
calibration with respect to that of
×
nearly constant Cd.
1 ×

× x=log10H
10-3
10-4 10-3 10-2
H (in m)
Calibration curve for V-notch weir

Prepare the plot below on an ordinary graph paper by using the corresponding data of Table 1.

0.8
×
Cd,mean × × ×
0.6 ×

Cd ×
0.4 Cd,mean=
Kth =Cd,mean/C =………m1/2s, for n=5/2
0.2

0.0
0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.10
H (in m)
Determination of mean discharge coefficient
*

Common labels for

2
Views A, B and C

4 1 1: V-notch apparatus
5 2: Supply line
9 3: Screen
4: Notch plate
5: Glass gauge in notch
8 apparatus
6: Water nappe
7: Volumetric tank
7 8: Diverter
9: Diverter handle
10 10: Glass gauge in volumetric
tank

A: Set-Up View

1
3 4
6 5
4
9

7
8

B: Weir plate and screen with water C: Nappe of spilling water above weir-
level up to crest yielding Hi plate up to a level Hf