CE 15 Laboratory Experiment #2

HYDRAULIC JUMP

ANGEL U. GACUTAN
2007-16069
CE 15 FL3

October 7, 2011

ABSTRACT
This experiment is done to verify the conjugate depth equation for a hydraulic jump occurring
in a channel with a horizontal bed. Depth readings and weir measurements were measured
and current or pulse reading was taken in five different trials. With these gathered data,
actual values of velocity and theoretical values of depth were calculated. In addition, other
basic characteristics of the hydraulic jump are also determined — Energy Loss, Efficiency,
as well as the height and length of the jump. The formulas used are presented in this
laboratory report. From the gathered and calculated values of the actual and theoretical
downstream depth (Y2), we obtained a percent error of approximately 79.94%. In addition,
we determined the Froude Number (FR1) of the experimented hydraulic jump which is
equivalent to 13.95 and classify it as an example of a strong jump. Furthermore, we also
observed that as the values of the computed FR1 increases, the amount of the energy
dissipated by the jump also increases, however, its efficiency decreases.

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INRODUCTION

When the rapid change in the depth of the flow is from a low stage to high stage, the result is
usually and abrupt rise of water surface. This local phenomenon is known as the hydraulic
jump. It is the sudden increase in depth in the direction of the flow due to the vane found at
the other end which tends to slow down the flow speed.

As hydraulic jump forms, energy is degenerated. Being extremely turbulent and agitated, the
hydraulic jump is a very effective energy dissipator and is a feature of stilling-basin and
spillway applications. A properly designed hydraulic jump can provide for 60-70% energy
dissipation of the energy in the basin itself, limiting the damage to structures and the
streambed. Even with such efficient energy dissipation, stilling basins must be carefully
designed to avoid serious damage due to uplift, vibration, cavitation, and abrasion. Jumps
also mix fluids very effectively and have application to sewage and water treatment designs.

Figure 1. Hydraulic jump formed on a Figure 2. Rapid flow and hydraulic jump
spillway model for the Karna-fuli Dam on a dam
in Bangladesh

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Under proper conditions a rapidly flowing stream of liquid in an open channel suddenly
changes to a slowly flowing stream with a large cross-sectional area and a sudden rise in
elevation of liquid surface. This phenomenon, known as hydraulic jump, is an example of
steady non-uniform flow. The hydraulic jump is the second application of basic equations
that determine losses due to turbulent flow situation. In effect the rapidly flowing liquid jet
expands (Figure 3) and converts kinetic energy into potential energy and losses or
irreversibilities.

Figure 3. Hydraulic Jump in a Rectangular Channel.

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A roller develops on the inclined surface of the expanding liquid jet and draws air into the
liquid. The surface of the jump is very rough and turbulent, the losses being greater as the
jump height is greater.
The relations between the variables for the hydraulic jump in the horizontal rectangular
channel are obtained by the use of continuity, momentum, and energy equations. For
convenience, the width of a channel is taken as unity. The continuity equation (Figure 1) is
(width A1=y1 and A2=y2)

(Equation 1)

Thus, if we want to know the actual downstream velocity,

(Equation 2)

The momentum equation is

(Equation 3)
( ) ( )

and the energy equation is

(Equation 4)

in which represents losses due to the jump, Eliminating in the equations 1 and 3
will lead to:
(Equation 5)

√. /

in which the plus sign has been taken before the radical (a negative has no
physical significance). The depths and are referred to as conjugate depths.

Jump in Horizontal Rectangular Channels

For supercritical flow in a horizontal rectangular channel, the energy of flow is dissipated
through frictional resistance along the channel, resulting in a decrease in velocity and an
increase in depth in the direction of flow. A hydraulic jump will form in the channel if the
Froude’s Number ( ), of the flow, the flow depth ( ), and a downstream depth ( ) satisfy
the equation:

(Equation 6)
(√ )

Wherein the Froude’s Number ( ) is equivalent to:

(Equation 7)
√

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 This parameter is a ratio relating inertia and gravity forces. The jump becomes more
turbulent and more energy is dissipated as Froude’s number increases. A jump can
only occur when the Froude’s Number is greater than 1.0.

Classification of Hydraulic Jump

Hydraulic jumps on a horizontal floor are of several distinct types. These types can be
conveniently classified according to the Froude number ( ) of the incoming flows as
follows is presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Various Types of Hydraulic Jump

Froude’s Energy
Name Characteristics
Number dissipation
Undular Jump 1.0-1.7 <5% Standing waves
Weak Jump 1.7-2.5 5-15% Smooth rise
Oscillating Jump 2.5-4.5 15-45% Unstable; avoid
Steady Jump 4.5-9.0 45-70% Best design range
Strong Jump >9.0 70-85% Choppy, intermittent

Figure 4. Various Types of

Hydraulic Jumps.
a. Undular Jump
b. Weak Jump
c. Oscillating Jump
d. Steady Jump
e. Strong Jump

Basic Characteristics of the Hydraulic Jump

There are several characteristics of the hydraulic jump in horizontal rectangular channels.
These basic characteristics will be shown and computed in the latter part of this laboratory
report. These parameters are as follows:

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Energy Loss. Due to the turbulent flow in hydraulic jump, a dissipation (loss) or energy
occurs. It is characterized by the head loss, ∆H=H1−H2, or the dimensionless head loss,
∆HL/Y1, where H1=Y1+(V12/2g) and H2=Y2+(V22/2g). The derived equation is:
(Equation 8)

Where E = specific energy and for rectangular channels:

(Equation 9)

Hence,
(Equation 10)
( )

After simplifying, we obtain:

( ) (Equation 11)

As you notice, Equations 5 and 9 are identical. Thus, ∆E = HL or simple energy loss is
equivalent to head loss.

Efficiency. The ratio of the specific energy after the jump to that before the jump is defined
as the efficiency of the hydraulic jump.

(Equation 12)
( )
( )
This equation indicates that the efficiency of a jump is a dimensionless function,
depending only on the Froude number of the approaching flow. The relative loss which is
also a dimensionless function of FR1 is equal to (1−E2/E1).

Height of Hydraulic Jump. The difference of depths before and after the jump Is known as
the height of the jump.
(Equation 13)

Length of Hydraulic Jump. The distance between the front face of the jump to a point on
the downstream where the rollers (eddies) terminate and the flow becomes uniform is known
as the length of the hydraulic jump. The length of the jump varies from 5 to 7 times its height.
An average value is usually taken as:

(Equation 14)

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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

The experiment is conducted in the small hydraulic flume. Water is circulated in the channel
using a pump. The flow is regulated from the upstream end by a sluice gate so that a
shallow and rapid ―supercritical flow‖ develops. At the downstream end, an adjustable weir
can be placed to form a barrier which forces the flow in front of the weir to pile up and
becomes ―subcritical‖. A hydraulic jump then forms at the transition from the upstream
supercritical flow to the downstream subcritical flow.
First, measure the needed dimensions of the laboratory flume and the weir — depth of the
bottom bed, channel width of the bed, weir length. Maintain a constant discharge for the
whole duration of the experiment. In the weir, measure the height of the bottom weir and the
depth of the surface water. Using this gathered data, we can compute for the discharge, Q.
The formula for computing the discharge is as follow:
(Equation 15)
√

Adjust the opening of the sluice gate, as well as the tail end gate, for each trial in order to
create a jump. Notice that two different heights will occur in this situation. For the
measurement of these water depths, a depth gage is attached to the instrument carriage
mounted on top of the flume. Using a point gage, measure the depths of water before and
after the jump. These measured depths will be denoted as H1 and H2, respectively. To get
the total value of Y1 and Y2, subtract the height of the free surface from the height of the
bottom bed. Remember that measurements should be performed only when the jump is
already stable.

Have some four trials more. After finishing all the trials, take the height of the weir using the
point gage. Calculate for the theoretical values of V1 and the conjugate depth of the
downstream (Y2, theoretical) using the following formulas:

(Equation 16)
√

(Equation 17)
√. /

We can also determine other basic characteristics of hydraulic jump such as its average
energy loss, efficiency, height and length of the jump. The formulas are presented in the
theoretical background using Equations 11 – 14.

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TEST RESULTS

Table 2. Hydraulic Jump and Weir Data Measurements

cm ft
Channel Width bed 39.000 1.280
Weir Length 43.000 1.411
Height
Bottom weir 0.049 0.160
Surface 0.334 1.097
Total, H 0.286 0.937
Bottom Bed 0.084 0.277

Based from the dimensions shown in Table 1, the computed value of the discharge
of weir is equivalent to Q = 6.843 ft3/s

Table 3. Recorded Readings of Upstream Depth (Y1) and Downstream Depth (Y2)
Actual measurements (ft)
Trial H
H1 Y1 H2 Y2
1 0.277 0.402 0.125 1.000 0.723
2 0.277 0.417 0.140 0.989 0.712
3 0.277 0.450 0.173 0.919 0.642
4 0.277 0.493 0.216 0.839 0.562
5 0.277 0.518 0.241 0.783 0.506

Table 4. Theoretical Values of Upstream Velocity (V1) and Downstream Depth (Y2)
Trial Y1 (ft) V1,theo (ft/s) Y2.theo (ft)
1 0.125 42.784 3.708
2 0.140 38.200 3.493
3 0.173 30.913 3.119
4 0.216 24.759 2.762
5 0.241 22.191 2.597

Table 5. Percentage Error of Theoretical and Actual Values of Downstream Depth, Y2

Trial Y2,theo (ft) Y2,actual (ft) Percent Error, %
1 3.708 0.723 80.501
2 3.493 0.712 79.615
3 3.119 0.642 79.417
4 2.762 0.562 79.651
5 2.597 0.506 80.517
AVEREAGE = 79.940

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Table 6. Froude Number (FR1), Head Loss (HL), & Efficiency
Upstream Froude Head Loss across
Trial Efficiency, E2/E1
Number, FR1 jump, HL (ft)
1 21.325 24.808 0.131
2 17.992 19.270 0.155
3 13.098 11.847 0.211
4 9.388 6.915 0.290
5 7.966 5.224 0.338
AVEREAGE = 13.954 13.613 0.225

Figure 5. Comparison of Computed Values of FR1, HL and Efficiency per Trials

30.00

25.00
Computed Parameters

20.00

Froude
Number
15.00
Head Loss

Efficiency
10.00

5.00

0.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Trials

Table 7. Height and Length of the Hydraulic Jump

Height of Hydraulic Length of Hydraulic

Trial
Jump, HJ (ft) Jump, LJ (ft)
1 0.598 3.588
2 0.572 3.432
3 0.469 2.814
4 0.346 2.076
5 0.265 1.590
AVERAGE = 0.450 2.700

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

As shown in Table 5, the experimental values of Y2 deviate from the computed theoretical
ranging from as high as 79% to 81%, with an average percentage error of approximately
79.94%. This is very large as far as accuracy and precision is concerned. Some possible
sources of these errors might have come from:

Human Errors:
 Miscalculations and relative approximation in reading the measurements
 Errors occurred in operation of sluice gates
 Misinterpretation of the stability of the jump
Instrument Errors:
 Inaccuracy of the devices used in measurement
 Deteriorating condition of the equipment (i.e. leakage from the flume)
 Ideal conditions which prevailed in the theoretical equations were not there and
frictional forces also had some effect on the experiment.

The calculated values of Froude Number (FR1) range from 7.97 to 21.33, with an average
value of approximately 13.95. Based from Table 1, we can classify the hydraulic jump as an
example of an strong jump. This jump becomes increasingly rough. It has a good
performance and can dissipate about 70% to 85% fraction of its energy. In reality, for a
strong jump, the FR1 should not exceed 12.00; otherwise, the structure requires large and
massive stilling basins.

In addition, as presented in Figure 5, as the value of FR1 increases, the computed values of
the head loss (HL) also increases. As stated before, head loss is relatively equivalent to the
energy loss. Thus, we may infer that as FR1 increases, more amount of energy can be
dissipated by the hydraulic jump. Furthermore, in the same graph, FR1 is inversely
proportional to the efficiency of the jump. Thus, if FR1 increases, efficiency decreases.

Other basic characteristics of hydraulic jump are presented in Table 7. The average height of
the hydraulic jump has an approximate elevation of 0.45 ft. while its length has a span of
2.70 ft.

For future experiments, the group recommends to be cautious in measuring the readings
and using the laboratory equipment to ensure more accurate and precise data
measurements. Furthermore, we may also investigate the effect of varying the discharge of
water and/or varying the area of the weir.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Frank M. White. "Fluid Mechanics", 5th Ed. McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., pg. 678-681.
2. R. L. Daugherty and J. B. Franzini, ―Fluid Mechanics”, 6th Ed, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1965
3. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, ―Research Studies on Stilling Basins, Energy Dissipators,
& Associated Appurtenances,‖ Hydraulic Laboratory Report Hyd-399, June 1, 1955.
4. Victor L. Streeter, E. Benjamin Wylie, Keith Bedford. "Fluid Mechanics", 9th Ed.
McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., pg. 149-151.
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_jump
6. http:// www.civilceg.files.wordpress.com/.../hydraulic-jump
7. http://www.coastal.udel.edu/~thsu/course/Chap_5_HJ.pdf
8. http://www.most.gov.mm/techuni/media/CE_04016_chap8.pdf

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APPENDIX A. Figures / Illustrations

Experimental Set-up

Figure 1. The hydraulic jump phenomenon observed in the laboratory flume

Where: h1 = depth of upstream flow, equivalent to y1

h2 = depth of downstream flow, equivalent to y2
v1 = velocity of upstream flow
v2 = velocity of downstream flow

Figure 2. Cross section of the Weir

Where: L = length of weir
H = height of water flow in the weir

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APPENDIX B. Sample Computations

The following sample computations are based from the gathered data of the first trial. Same
computations are done with the other trials.

From Table 2. Hydraulic Jump and Weir Data Measurements

cm ft
Channel Width bed 39.000 1.280
Weir Length 43.000 1.411
Height
Bottom weir 0.049 0.160
Surface 0.334 1.097
Total, H 0.286 0.937
Bottom Bed 0.084 0.277

The discharge of the water is maintained all throughout the experiment. Using Equation 15,
the total discharge (Q) is equivalent to:

√ √ ( ) ( ) ( )

Note: The gravitational acceleration, g = 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2

Given: H = 0.277 ft, H1, trial 1=0.402 ft, and H2, trial 2=1.000 ft, the values of Y1 and Y2:

To compute for the theoretical value of the upstream velocity (V1), use Equation 16:

To calculate for the theoretical value of the downstream depth (Y2), use Equation 17:

( ) ( )
√. / √( )

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To calculate for the percent error of the downstream depth, Y2:
( )

To determine the Froude Number (FR1), use Equation 7:

√ √( ) ( )

To determine the head loss across the hydraulic jump (HL) which is equivalent to the energy
dissipated (loss) of the jump, use Equation 11:
( ) ,( ) ( )-
( ) ( )

To evaluate the efficiency of the hydraulic jump, use Equation 12:

( ) *, ( )- + , ( ) -
( ) ( ) , ( ) -

To define the height (Hj) and length (Lj) of the hydraulic jump, use Equations 13 and 14,
simultaneously:

( ) ( )

( )

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