UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY(CoET)

DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING(WRE)
WR 213: HYDRAULICS AND WATER QUALITY PRACTICLES
PRACTICAL NO. P5
FLOW OVER SHARP CRESTED THIN PLATED WEIRS

NAME: MUGYABUSO, RENATUS RICHARD

REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2019-04-08518
DEGREE PROGRAM: BSc. in CIVIL ENGINEERING
YEAR OF STUDY: SECOND YEAR
PRACTICAL VENUE: WATER AND RESOURCES LABORATORY
PRACTICAL DATE: 7th June 2021
INTRODUCTION:
The occurrence of critical depth is put to good use in the design of open channel flow measuring
devices. By creating an obstruction. critical depth is forced to occur and a unique relationship
between depth and discharge results. This is the principle upon which weir design is based. The
very expensive set of experimental results developed for weirs accounts for their continuing
popularity as flow measuring devices.
A weir, of which the ordinary dam is an example, is a channel obstruction over which the flow
must deflect. For simple geometries the channel discharge Q correlates with gravity and with the
blockage height H to which the upstream flow is backed up above the weir elevation. Thus, a
weir is a simple but effective open-channel flowmeter.
In this practical we used sharp crested thin plated wears to measure flow.
OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this experiment was to:
a) Establish graphically the validity of the general discharge equation: Q= kH n
For (1) a sharp crested rectangular weir, and,
(2) a sharp crested vee-notch.
b) Evaluate the coefficient of discharge (Cd) for each of the above weirs.
APPARATUS/EQUIPMENT USED:
 Volumetric bench
 Stopwatch
 Thin rectangular and vee-notch weirs
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
 The rectangular weir was placed in position and the width, B measured.
 The bench supply valve was opened, and the water level manipulated until the crest of the
weir is just in plane of the liquid surface,
 The bench supply valve was then fully opened to get maximum discharge and left for
some time for the conditions to stabilize,
 After the conditions have stabilized, the gauge reading H was started to be taken and the
discharge Q measured by recording the time (t) taken for five (5) liters of water to be
observed,
  The process continued by lowering the discharge through the bench supply valve and for
each case the gauge reading H and the corresponding value of time were recorded. The
process proceed until seven readings were recorded,
 The last H was taken just before the jet fails to spring clear of the weir. The similar
procedures were repeated for the vee notch weir.
 The observations were summarized as shown in the tables below.
RESUSTS AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
TABLE FOR RECTANGULAR WEIR
2
Given: Qth = √ 2 g B( H−Hcrest )3/ 2
3
Where: g = 9.81 m/s2 and B = 0.03m, Hcrest = 0.06 m
2
The equation become: Qth = √ 2 x 9.81 x 0.03 x ( H−Hcrest )3/ 2 = 0.0886 × ( H−Hcrest )3/ 2
3
By substituting the values of H, the values of Q th were obtained and recorded as shown
above.

Volume Time, t Water H-Hcrest Theoretica Actual Log Qact Log(H-

(L) (sec) Height, l Discharge Hcrest)
H(m) Discharge, Qact (m3/s)
Qth (m3/s)

5 10.25 11.1 0.051 0.0004878 0.00102 -3.31175 -1.29243

5 24.65 9.2 0.032 0.0002028 0.000507 -3.69285 -1.49485

5 27.15 9.1 0.031 0.0001842 0.000484 -3.7348 -1.50864

5 32.78 8.7 0.027 0.0001525 0.000393 -3.81664 -1.56864

5 50.97 8.2 0.022 0.0000981 0.000289 -4.00834 -1.65758

7.8
5 81 0.018 0.0000617 0.000214 -4.20952 -1.74473
GRAPHS FOR RECTTANGULAR WEIR

A GRAPH OF LOG Qact AGAINST LOG(Hmax-H)

0
-1.8 -1.7 -1.6 -1.5 -1.4 -1.3 -1.2
-0.5
-1
-1.5
log Qact

-2
-2.5
-3
f(x) = 1.9601290270306 x − 0.768276581338278 -3.5
-4
-4.5
log(Hmax-H)

A GRAPH OF Qact AGAINST Qth

0.0006000

0.0005000
f(x) = 0.530123044102606 x − 5.89841106967777E-05
0.0004000

0.0003000
Qact

0.0002000

0.0001000

0.0000000
0.0001 0.0002 0.0003 0.0004 0.0005 0.0006 0.0007 0.0008 0.0009 0.001 0.0011
Qth
TABLE FOR VEE NOTCH WEIR
8 5
Given: Qth = √ 2 g x tan θ x ( H−Hcrest ) 2
15
Where: g = 9.81 m/s2 and θ = 15.1o, Hcrest = 0.067 m
8 5 5
The equation become: Qth = √ 2 x 9.81 x tan15.1 0 x ( H ) 2 = 0.63742 × ( H−Hcrest ) 2
15
By substituting the values of H, the values of Q th were obtained and recorded as shown
below:

Volume Time, t Water H-Hcrest Theoretical Actual Log Qact Log(H-Hcrest)

(L) (sec) Height, Discharge, Discharge
H(m) Qth (m3/s) Qact (m3/s)

5 9.57 14 0.073 0.0005225 0.00091776 -3.28194 -1.13668

5 12.52 12.6 0.059 0.0003994 0.00053896 -3.39863 -1.22915

5 28.96 11.3 0.046 0.0001727 0.00028928 -3.76283 -1.33724

5 41.19 10.5 0.038 0.0001214 0.00017942 -3.91582 -1.42022

5 170.22 9.8 0.031 0.0000294 0.00010785 -4.53204 -1.50864

5 224.54 9 0.023 0.0000223 0.00005114 -4.65232 -1.63827

GRAPHS FOR VEE NOTCH WEIR

A GRAPH OF LOG Qact AGAINST LOG(Hmax-H)

0
-1.7 -1.6 -1.5 -1.4 -1.3 -1.2 -1.1
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-2
log Qact

-2.5
-3
f(x) = 3.01442088939014 x + 0.231042528502891 -3.5
-4
-4.5
-5
log(Hmax-H)

A GRAPH OF Qact AGAINST Qth

0.0006000

f(x) = 0.613327956965434 x − 1.82002510368991E-06

0.0005000

0.0004000

0.0003000
Qact

0.0002000

0.0001000

0.0000000
0.00000000 0.00020000 0.00040000 0.00060000 0.00080000 0.00100000
Qth
CALCULATIONS OF Kact , n and Cd.
FOR RECTANGULAR WIER
From the graphs of rectangular weir, the value n, Kact and Cd can be obtained:
Qact = kact × Hn applying log both sides
Log Qact =log(kact) + nlogH
From the graph of Log Qact Vs Log (H-Hcrest)
y = 1.9601x - 0.7683
By comparing the two equations above we get:
Ka = antilog (- 0.7683)
ka = 0.1705 n = 1.9601

Also, From the graph of Qact against Qth the value of Cd can be obtained:

Qact = CdQth
Y = 0.53x
By comparing the equations above
Cd = 0.53

FOR VEE NOTCH WIER

From the graphs of Vee notch weir, the value n, Kact and Cd are obtained:
Qact = kact × Hn by applying log both side
Log Qact = log kact + nlogH
From the graph of Log Qact Vs Log (H-Hcrest)
y = 3.0144x + 0.231
By comparing the two equations above we get:
Ka = antilog (0.231)
Ka =1.702 n = 3.0144

Also, From the graph of Qact against Qth the value of Cd can be obtained:
Qact = CdQth
y = 0.6133x
 Comparing the equations above we get:
Cd = 0.6133

DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS.

The values of Cd, Ka, and n for rectangular weir are slightly different from those of vee notch weir
obtained from the potted graphs of experiment results above this is since these values depend up
on the shape of the weir, the length of weir, the height and the position of the weir wall with
respect to the sides and the bottom of the channel.
Also, the value of Cd for both weirs are slightly different from actual value (Actual value of C d is
0.62 for rectangular weir) this is due to the errors committed during the experimental procedures
and recording of the results. Also, from the graph show discharge is proportional to the H n as
indicated in the graph.

SOURCE OF ERRORS
 Leakage of water through the fixed points of the weir and the channel.
 Parallax and approximation errors when reading the heights of water.
 Stopwatch timing in measuring volume.
 Unsteady flow of water through the channel since the buffer tend to lose when the
pressure of water increases.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Conclusion:
The aim of this experiment was successively performed since the value of the coefficient of the
discharge for the rectangular weir and the vee notch was directly obtained from the graph but due
to experimental errors the value might not exactly equal to the actual value due to the errors.
Recommendation:
The practical was successively conducted but the buffer for maintaining the stability of flow
through the channel should be modernized or advanced one rather using the local materials
which can cause the accumulation error.