Canal Outlets

Department of Civil Engineering

UMT Lahore, Pakistan
Components of Irrigation system
• Conveyance of irrigation water
Introduction
• Outlets are the openings constructed in the banks of distributaries
and minors. Field channel takes off from this point and gets
irrigation water through outlet. The field channels below the
outlets are maintained by the cultivators.

• An outlet is a hydraulic structure conveying irrigation water from a

state owned Distributary (or Minor) to privately owned water
course. It is also called as MOGHA in this region, TURNOUT in the
USA.

• The outlets are large in number as compared to other

irrigation structures in an irrigation system and hence their
design and type has maximum bearing on the equitable
distribution of water.

• Thus, proper design of outlet is of utmost importance.

Canal Outlet Tail cluster
(Two or more outlets at the tail of a distributing
channel)
Tail Cluster
• When the discharge of a secondary, tertiary or quaternary canal
diminishes below 150 l/s (about 5 cusecs), it is desirable to
construct structures to end the canal and distribute the water
through two or more outlets, which is called a tail cluster. Each of
these outlets is generally constructed as an open flume outlet

Pakka nakka (Turnouts)

Essential Requirements of an outlet
• An outlet should be strong and be without movable parts to
minimize tampering

• Tampering by cultivators should be readily detectable

• The outlet must carry its fair share of silt from parent channel

• It should be able to work with small working heads

• It should be simple so that construction is easy

• The total cost of installation and maintenance should be

minimum
 Module: is a device to ensure constant discharge of water passing from one channel
to another, irrespective of water level in each, within certain specified limits.

Types of Outlets
• Modular (Rigid) Outlets
– It is one in which the discharge is independent of the water
level in water course and parent channel.
– It can be fixed for any discharge value. This is achieved by
creating a free vortex and destroying any extra head more than
allowed for in the designed discharge
• Semi-Modular (Flexible)
– It is one in which the discharge depends upon the water level in
Canal (distributary) ONLY and is independent of water level in
water course.
– This is achieved by producing hydraulic jump within the flume
length.
• Non-Modular Outlets
– It is one in which the discharge is dependent upon the
difference of head in water course and parent channel.
– Hence, a variation in either affects the discharge.
 Types of Outlets

Semi-Modular Modular
Non-Modular (Rigid)
(Flexible)

Pipe or Barrel Open Flume Orifice-Type With moving parts

Type, with drowned
flow at d/s Type (OSM)

Scratchley outlet Kennedy Gauge Without moving parts

Harvey Stoddard
(a pipe type, with a outlet
Outlet
cistern d/s)

Crumps
Gibbs module
Crumps open adjustable
flume outlet proportional
module (Crumps Khanna module
APM)

Ghafoor rigid flume

Jamrao type open
module
flume
Adjustable
orifice semi
module (AOSM)
Ref: Mahbub SI, Gulhati ND (1944), Irrigation outlets, Paper No 264, Pakistan Engineering
Congress, Lahore.

Current Number of outlets = 58,000 in Punjab, and about 1,07,000 in IBIS.

Pipe outlet (Non-Modular outlet)

Ref:. http://www.scribd.com/doc/113998814/6/CANAL-OUTLETS
Scratchley Type Outlet
Harvey’s Outlet
Gibb’s Module
Ref: IIT Madras, Thandaveswara notes, at http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/105106114/pdfs/Unit15/
Characteristic of Outlets
• Flexibility: It is defined as the ratio of rate of change of
discharge in outlet to the rate of change of discharge in
parent channel. H is head above the crest
F = (dq/q)/(dQ/Q) of outlet
D is depth in Parent
channel (distributary)
= (m/n)(D/H)
(H/D) is the called as “setting of an outlet”
n is exponent of discharge eq (Q=K1Dn) for canal & m is exponent of discharge eq
(q=K2Hm) for outlet. For wide trapezoidal channel (with ½:1 side slope), n is 5/3,
and for open flume outlet m is 3/2. Therefore F =0.9 D/H. If we set the crest of
outlet at 0.9D depth below water level, the F will be 1 & the outlet will be
proportional outlet.
• Flexibility is the capacity of an outlet to vary its discharge with
the change in the discharge of the distributary.
Q is discharge in parent
channel
• If F=1 Proportional
q is discharge in water
course or outlet
• If F>1 Hyper-proportional
• If F<1 Sub-proportional
Proof of Formula for Flexibility
dq
q
F=
dQ
Q
Q = K1 D n
q = K 2 .H m
dQ = K1nD n −1dD dq = K 2 .m.H m −1.dH
nK1 D n dD nQdD m.K 2 .H m .dH m.q.dH
dQ = = dq = =
D D H H
dQ ndD dq m.dH
= =
Q D q H
dq
q
F=
dQ
Q
mdH
mD dH
F= H = .
ndD nH dD
D
dH
for =1
dD
mD
F=
n H
Characteristic of Outlets
• Sensitivity: It is the ratio of rate of change of discharge of
an outlet to the rate of change in the water level of
distributary, i.e. normal depth of channel

S = (dq/q)/(dG/D)

• Here, S is the sensitivity and G is the gauge reading of a

gauge which is so set that G = 0 corresponds to the condition
of no discharge through the outlet (i.e., q = 0).

• Sensitivity can also be defined as the ratio of the rate of

change of discharge of an outlet to the rate of change of
depth of flow in the distributary channel.

S = nF
where n is coefficient for discharge equation for parent channel, and n =
5/3 for wide trapezoidal channel with side slope ½:1
Proof of Flexibility and Sensitivity
relation (S=nF)
dq dq
q q
S= =
dG dD
D D
dq
q
and F =
dQ
Q Q = K1 D n
dQ ndD dQ = K1nD n −1dD
but =
Q D nK1 D n dD nQdD
dQ = =
dq D D
q S dQ ndD
F = = =
ndD n Q D
D
 S = nF
Characteristic of Outlets
• Efficiency: It is equal to the ratio of the head recovered (or
the residual head after the losses in the outlet) to the input
head of the water flowing through the outlet.

• Minimum Modular Head: it is the necessary minimum

difference of water level (head) between the parent channel
and water course to enable the module or semi module to
work as per design. It should be more than the available
working head.
• MMH is 0.1 to 0.2 G for Open Fume type modules

– Modular Limits: The extreme values of any parameter at which a

module or a semi module ceases to be capable of acting as such.

– Modular Range: The range of conditions between the modular limits within
which a module or semi module works as designed.
Characteristic of Outlets

• Coefficient of Discharge: In order to use the outlet as a

measuring device the coefficient of discharge should remain
constant in the full modular range.

• Silt Drawing Capacity: It is vital that the outlets should draw

their fair share of silt. This avoids silting or scouring and
consequently remodeling of distributary.

• In a distributary system the absorportion losses are generally taken

as 10-15% and therefore the silt conducting power of outlets should
be around 110-115% as compared to 100% of distributary to
enable them to draw their proportional share.
• Silt drawing capacity enhances as the setting of outlet is lowered
(crest is close to bed of channel).
Selection of Type of Outlet
• If the discharge and the water levels are constant in the
distributary and in watercourse, also necessary working head
is available, a rigid module (Modular) as well as a Flexible
module (Semi-modular, with a constant coefficient of
discharge), both are suitable option.

• Problem of choice becomes quite complex when both the

discharge and levels are likely to change.

– For a temporary discharge variation, a proportional semi

module is desirable to distribute both excess or deficiency
in the parent channel.
– Seasonal variation in the slope require the use of outlets of
low flexibility, i.e., sub-proportional.
Selection of Type of Outlet
– For channels running with full supply for a certain period
and remaining closed for certain other periods, i.e.
rotational running, it is desirable to have hyper-
proportional or high flexibility outlets in the head reaches.

– The silt drawing capacity of outlet must be 110-115% assuming

a 10-15% loss in parent channel.

– In general rigid modules are desirable in the following

circumstances
• Direct outlets on a branch canal subject to variation in supply
• In channels which sometimes carry extra discharge for
specific reasons like leaching.

(for detail read Iqbal Ali, pp330-331)

Open Flume Outlets
• This is a smooth weir with a throat constricted sufficiently long to
ensure that the controlling section remains with in the parallel
throat for all discharges up to the maximum

• Since a hydraulic jump forms at the control section, the water level
of the watercourse does not affect the discharge through this type
of outlet. Hence this is a semi-modular outlet.

• This type of structure is built in masonry, but the controlling section

is generally provided with cast iron or steel bed and check plates.
Open Flume Outlets
(DIMENSIONS IN CENTIMETERS TILL SPECIFIED OTHERWISE)
Open Flume Outlets
• The discharge formula for the open flume outlet is given as:

Q = C Bt H3/2

• Where: Q is related to the coefficient of discharge, C, as given

in the table below; Bt is the width of the throat; and H is the
height of the full supply level of the supply channel above the
crest level of the outlet in ft.
Bt C
0.2 ft – 0.29 ft (2.5”-3.49”), 2.90
0.3 ft – 0.39 ft (3.5”-4.7”) 2.95
Over 0.4 ft (>4.7”) 3.00
Crump’s Open Flume Outlet Design
• Data:
• Outlet Discharge = q = 4 cfs
• Full Supply Depth = D = 3.5 ft
• Working Head = Hw = 1.0 ft (difference of head in parent channel and water course)

• Discharge of Distributary = Q = 60 cfs

• Design
– 1. Canal Section
– According to Lacey’s theory, design of distributary comes out to
be

Side Slope D=3.5’

1:0.5

B=38’
Crump’s Open Flume Outlet Design
• Flexibility: (m=3/2, n=5/3)
F=(m/n) (D/G)
=(3/2/5/3)(1/0.9)
=1
• Sensitivity:
S = nF
= 5/3 F = 5/3

• Setting:
G= Setting of outlet = 0.9 D
= 3.15 ft
Head above crest of outlet = 3.15 ft
Crump’s Open Flume Outlet Design
• Throat Width:
• q= CdBtG3/2
• q= 2.9BtG3/2 Assuming Cd = 2.9
• 4=2.9Bt(3.15)3/2
• Bt= 0.2462 = 0.25 ft
Note: The value of Bt lies in between 0.2 to 0.29 ft.
(min. is 0.2ft)

• Length of Crest:
Length of Crest = 2.5 G
= 2.5x3.15= 7.875=7.9 ft
• Radius of U/S Transition:
R = 2 G=6.30 ft
Crump’s Open Flume Outlet Design
• Transition in bed:

The transition in bed is given by curve of radius= 2 G

= 2x3.15=6.3 ft

• D/S Transition:
The slope of d/s glacis (1:10 to 1:15) is not defined as it depend
upon the bed level of the water course.

• Minimum Modular Head:

MMH = 0.2G =0.2x3.15

= 0.63 ft < working head=1.0 ft (OK)
Crump’s Open Flume Outlet Design
• Efficiency:

=100xHead recovered/Head put in

=100x(Head put in-Working head)/Head put in
=100 x (3.15-1)/3.15= 68.25%
Adjustable Proportional Module (APM)
• In this type of outlet, a cast iron base, a cast iron roof block
and check plates on either side are used to adjust the flow
and is set in a masonry structure
• This outlet works as a semi-module since it does not depend
upon the level of water in the watercourse.
• The roof block is fixed to the check plates by bolts which can
be removed and depth of the outlet adjusted after the
masonry is dismantled.
• This type of outlet cannot be easily tampered with, and at the
same time be conveniently adjusted at a small cost.
• The APM is the best type of outlet if the required working
head (MMH) is available and is the most economical in
adjustment either by raising or lowering the roof block or
crest. However, it is generally costlier than the other types of
outlets and also requires more working head.
Schematic Diagram of Outlet
Outlet discharge = q
= Cd Y Bt (Hs)1/2
FSL

Roof Block
Full supply depth in parent
channel = D Hm
Working head = Hw Hs
D G J
Discharge of canal = Q
Width of throat = Bt V
Y
Depth of water above crest u/s =
G = 0.6 D
Flexibility = F
Min. Modular Head = Hm
Distance from tip of roof block to
FSL = Hs
Hs+Y = G, Hs=Y,
G = 0.6 D for proportional
module