Equipment for Engineering Education

Experiment Instructions
HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir

G.U.N.T. Gerätebau GmbH

P.O. Box 1125
D-22881 Barsbüttel • Germany
Phone (040) 670854-0
Fax (040) 670854-41
 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
02/97
All Rights reserved G.U.N.T. Gerätebau G.m.b.H., Barsbüttel

Experiment Instructions

Please read and follow the safety comments before the first installation!

This apparatus is ment to be used only for Education, Teaching or Research.

Publication-no: 917.00031A160 12 02/97

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume

Table of Contents
1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2 Unit description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2.1 Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2 Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
02/97

3.1 Protection of the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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4 Theory and experiments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4.1 Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.2 Purpose of dams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.3 Weirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.3.1 Transition from overflow weir to underwater weir . . . . . . . . . 5
4.3.2 Design of weirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.3.3 Broad-crested weir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.3.4 Additional experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

5.1 Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
1 Introduction

The HM 160.31 broad-crested weir accessory

unit serves to demonstrate hydraulic processes in
weirs and barrage systems in relation to overflow
weirs (complete overflows) and overflowed under-
water weirs (incomplete overflows). Reproducible
experiments of a qualitative and quantitative natu-
re can be performed.
The broad-crested weir gate has a square edge on
one side and a rounded edge on the other. By
appropriate positioning of the flow, the flow burble
02/97

as a function of the rounding of the edge can be

investigated.
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The HM 160.31 broad-crested weir accessory unit

is designed for installation in the laboratory flow
channel.

The following topics can be covered with the

accessory unit:

• Inflow and outflow processes on the broad-cre-

sted weir
• Comparison of complete and incomplete over-
flow
• Flow burble and cavitation
• Flow metering on the broad-crested weir
• Borderline between subcritical and supercriti-
cal flow states on the broad-crested weir

1 Introduction 1
 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
2 Unit description

The HM 160.31 broad-crested weir accessory

unit is made from robust plastic and can be
inserted very easily into the HM 160 laboratory
flow channel and fixed by a screw. The broad-
crested weir is adapted to the laboratory flow
channel in terms of its shape and size.
2.1 Components

The overflow weir comprises the following compo-

nents:
•
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Weir body with rounded edge and squared edge

(1)
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• Hexagon socket screw M6 (2)

• Plastic sealing tube (3)

Fig. 2.1 3 2 1

2.2 Assembly

• Insert the plastic sealing tube into the two side

2
grooves (4); cut them to size as necessary
• Insert the broad-crested weir (1) in the desired
1
direction relative to the flow in the flow channel
4 (5) and secure it on the channel bed with the
M6 hexagon socket screw (2)
• The weir can be secured at a variety of different
5
positions

Important! Do not perform the assembly when

water is flowing, to prevent the screws from being
swept away by the flow.
direction of flow
Fig. 2.2

2 Unit description 2
 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
3 Safety

3.1 Protection of the unit

- IMPORTANT! After assembly do not leave any

tools or tubes lying in the flow channel!
They will be swept away by the flow and may
get into the pump!

- IMPORTANT! Do not perform assembly and

disassembly when water is flowing!
All Rights reserved G.U.N.T. Gerätebau G.m.b.H., Barsbüttel 02/97

Screws or the like may be swept away by the

flow and get into the pump.

3 Safety 3
 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
4 Theory and experiments

4.1 Terms

The term weir or barraqe system covers all in-

stallations in the bed of a water course intended to
Upstream water bring about an artificial raising of the upstream
Downstream water water level. Upstream water is the segment of the
water course between the barrage system and the
inlet; the segment downstream of the barrage sy-
stem is termed the downstream water.
weir system
A barrier serving primarily to raise the upstream
02/97

water level is termed a weir. If it is constructed to

Fig. 4.1
hold water and to compensate for the outflow, it is
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termed a dam or barrage

4.2 Purpose of dams

• Increase water depth of the natural river course

This is primarily for the benefit of shipping, to
provide sufficient water depth even at low water on
the river.
• concentrate the natural river gradient at one
point
This purpose is important wherever the natural
gradient of the river is to be exploited for power
generation g (e.g. hydroelectric power stations).
• Reduce fluctuation of the water level
If water is conducted away from the course of the
river in artificial channels (e.g. for irrigation purpo-
ses), fluctuations in the natural water level are to
be prevented from affecting the channels, in order
to ensure the amount of water removed is kept
as constant as possible.

4 Theory and experiments 4

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume

• High-water protection
Dams and barrages offer the possibility of equali-
sing the seasonal fluctuations in flow of a river and
storing surplus water (e.g. in reservoirs).

4.3 Weirs

As already mentioned, the main purpose of a weir

is to raise the upstream water level.
Weir crest
A distinction is made between a number of diffe-
DW rent kinds of weir. An important differentiation be-
02/97

tween weirs is their classification according to the

height of the crest of the weir relative to the
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downstream water (DW) level. A distinction is

Underwater weir (incomplete overflow) made between overflow weirs and underwater
weirs.
Overflow weir (complete overflow) Depending on the outflow volume, one and the
UW same weir may in fact be of both categories. With
a low outflow the weir acts as a overflow weir, but
when the outflow is high it acts as a underwater
weir, because as the outflow increases the water
depth in the downstream water can rise much
more quickly than in the upstream water(UW).
Fig. 4.2
In a overflow weir complete overflow occurs; in
a underwater weir incomplete overflow.

4.3.1 Transition from overflow weir to underwater weir

The description "underwater weir" in regard to

weirs of which the crest is below the downstream
water level cannot always be sustained in practical
operation. Rather, a overflow weir becomes a un-
derwater weir at the moment when a damming
effect in the downstream water becomes noticeab-
le in the upstream water.
In the case of the broad-crested weir being exa-
mined here, this "transformation point" can be

4 Theory and experiments 5

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
investigated if an artificial damming effect is crea-
ted by inserting plastic panels in the groove provi-
ded on the outflow segment (see Operating
Instructions, HM 160 multi-purpose teaching flu-
me).
First establish a complete overflow, and then du-
ring operation insert the panels from above into the
groove. Pay attention to the water level mark abo-
ve the broad-crested weir.
4.3.2 Design of weirs

In an actual case, the decisive factor in construc-

02/97

ting a fixed weir in a river course will be the

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overflow height h of the weir (always measured

from the upstream water level UW). h must be
measured at a sufficient distance l from the weir
(l>4h). If the structure height w and the weir ope-
ning width b are fixed, the hydraulic calculation is
reduced to the equation h = f(Q). The through-flow
Q indicates the efficiency of the overflow at an
Complete overflow overflow height h.
An incomplete overflow is very difficult to represent
Q mathematically, because of the damming effect
h
(backpressure).
For the complete overflow, neglecting the inflow
w
speed in the upstream water, an overflow formula
is produced which indicates the through-flow Q
l Width b (estimation formula)
2
 ⋅h ⁄2
3
Fig. 4.3 Q = µb√
2g (4.1)
3

In this, the symbols have the following meanings:

µ Overflow coefficient, dependent on shape of
structure
b Width of the weir(in m!)
g Acceleration due to gravity g=9,81 m/s2
h Overflow height(in m!)

4 Theory and experiments 6

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume

4.3.3 Broad-crested weir

The broad-crested weir, as a special form of weir,

has already been quite thoroughly investigated by
researchers. The top (opposed to the direction of
flow) of the weir corresponds to a channel inlet,
while the bottom corresponds to an overflow.
The object of the following is to ascertain the
through-flow of the broad-crested weir, assuming
a complete overflow (downstream water level
below weir crest), by applying the overflow formu-
la.
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Q For this, it is necessary to determine the overflow

h
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coefficients µ for the weir geometry under obser-

vation. Fig. 4.4 shows values ascertained by ex-
µ=0,49 to 0,51 perimentation.
Example:
h Q A value of Qsystem=3 m3/h was set on the system
flowmeter. On the broad-crested weir with a squa-
re edge on the upstream water side the following
µ=0,50 to 0,55
water levels were measured:
Height of weir crest: w = 120 mm
h
Q UW 156 mm over channel bed:
therefore h = 156 mm- 120 mm =>h = 36 mm
Width of weir: b = 86 mm
Fig. 4.4 µ=0,65 to 0,73
(We recommend gauging the water levels with the
HM 160.52 level gauge.)
In the present case we expect an overflow coeffi-
cient of µ=0.5. The resulting theoretical through-
flow calculated according to the overflow formula
(4.1) is:
Qtheo=2.95 ⋅ 0.5 ⋅ 0.086 ⋅ 0.036 1,5 =

= 0.00087 m3/s

or Qtheo = 3.1 m3/h

4 Theory and experiments 7

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume

The deviation from the displayed value is

Qtheo−QSystem
Dev=   ⋅100% = 4%.
Qtheo

This is a good value! Remember, when analysing

errors, that the apparently so simple hydraulic
problem conceals many imponderables, and that
is why equation (4.1) is only an estimation formula!
So do not be disappointed if you produce large
deviations!
4.3.4 Additional experiments
02/97

• In both weir states - complete and incomplete

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overflow - take a look at the respective surface

curves and compare them!
• Observe the flow burble in complete and in-
complete overflow with a square-edged weir
gate on the downstream water side

4 Theory and experiments 8

 HM 160.31 Broad Crested Weir
for Multi-Purpose Teaching Flume
5 Appendix

5.1 Technical data

Material: PVC

Dimensions:
(L x W x H) 300 x 120 x 84 mm

Radius of the round edge: 40 mm

Fixing hole for: M6

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5 Appendix 9