Open Channel Flow

Hydraulics
Specific Energy and Froude Number
Bruño Fraga
[email protected]
Learning Outcomes
▪ Understand how water depth and velocity are related
through the specific energy
▪ Understand that two flow regimes are compatible for
the same specific energy
▪ Understand the concept of critical flow and how to
calculate it
▪ Calculate the Froude number and differentiate
between sub and supercritical flows
▪ Calculate alternate depths
Energy-depth relationships

U2/2g
Water surface Energy line

y
𝑈2
𝐻 =𝑧+ 𝑦+
Channel bed 2𝑔

z
Datum
Energy-depth relationships

U2/2g
Water surface Energy line

y
𝐻 =𝑧+𝐸
Channel bed

z
Datum
Energy-depth relationships

𝑈2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔

How does E vary with y?

How do y and U interact?

Energy-depth relationships
𝑈2 𝑄2
𝐸 =𝑦+ 𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔 2𝑔𝐴2
You can only use This is the more
this one if you general form, it
These are all does not make
know U
equivalent any assumption
expressions on the cross-
sectional shape
Assuming an equivalent rectangular channel A=by

𝑄2 𝑄2 𝑞2 This one is useful,

𝐸 =𝑦+ 2
=𝑦+ 2
=𝑦+ but it assumes a
2𝑔𝐴 2𝑔 𝑏𝑦 2𝑔𝑦 2 rectangular
section
Energy-depth relationships
𝑞2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝑦 2

For a constant q

Two asymptotes
at E=y (U=0) and
y=0

A non-physical
negative branch.
Energy-depth relationships

For a constant q

𝑞2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝑦 2

1. For a given E,
we have two
possible
combinations of U
and y
Energy-depth relationships
Energy-depth relationships

Increasing q 2. As q increases,
the value of y for
the same E
increases
Critical Flow 𝑞2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝑦 2
3. There is only
ONE point at which
there is only one y-
U combination

4. This is the point

that requires the
𝑦𝑐 minimum possible
amount of energy to
convey that amount
𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑛 (q) of water: the
critical flow
Critical Flow
At critical depth:
𝑄2 𝑑𝐸
𝐸 =𝑦+ =0
2𝑔𝐴2 𝑑𝑦
0
𝑑𝐸 1 𝑑𝑄 2 𝑄 2 𝑑𝐴−2
=1+ 2
+ =0
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔𝐴 𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝑑𝑦

𝑑𝐸 𝑄2 −3
𝑑𝐴 𝑄 2
𝑑𝐴
=1+ −2𝐴 =1− 3 =0
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝑑𝑦 𝐴 𝑔 𝑑𝑦
Critical Flow
For a triangle:

1 1 T
𝐴 = 𝑇𝑦 = 2𝑠𝑦 ∙ 𝑦 = 𝑠𝑦 2
2 2 y
𝑑𝐴 s
= 2𝑠𝑦 = 𝑇
𝑑𝑦 1

The derivative of the area with respect to the depth is

equal to the top width (T).
This is applicable to
any cross-sectional
geometry!
Critical Flow
For a rectangle: T

𝐴 = 𝑏𝑦 y

𝑑𝐴
=𝑏=𝑇 b
𝑑𝑦

The derivative of the area with respect to the depth is

equal to the top width (T).
Critical Flow
Hence, at critical depth:

𝑑𝐸 𝑄 2 𝑑𝐴 𝑄2
=1− 3 =1− 3 𝑇 =0
𝑑𝑦 𝐴 𝑔 𝑑𝑦 𝐴 𝑔

𝑸 𝟐 𝑨𝟑 This is also a general

= result applicable to any
𝒈 𝑻 channel geometry at
critical flow
Critical Flow in a rectangular channel
𝑞2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝑦 2
▪ Differentiate with respect to y

𝑑𝐸 𝑑 𝑄2 𝑑 𝑞2
=1+ 2 2
=1+
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 2𝑔𝑏 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 2𝑔𝑦 2
𝑑𝐸 1 𝑑𝑞 2 𝑞 2 𝑑𝑦 −2 𝑞2
=1+ 2
+ 2
=1− 3
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔𝑦 𝑑𝑦 2𝑔𝑦 𝑑𝑦 𝑔𝑦
Critical Flow in a rectangular channel
Find the minimum

𝑑𝐸 𝑞2
=1− 3 =0
𝑑𝑦 𝑔𝑦
𝑦𝑐
𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑛

Critical depth Minimum energy

𝟑 𝒒𝟐 𝑔𝑦𝑐 3 3
𝒚𝒄 = 𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑦𝑐 + 2
= 𝑦𝑐
𝒈 2𝑔𝑦𝑐 2
ONLY for a rectangular
channel
Froude number

2
3 𝑞2 𝑞
𝑦𝑐 = ֜ 𝑦𝑐3 =
𝑔 𝑔

𝑞2
𝑞2 𝑦𝑐2 𝑈2
1= 3 = 𝑔𝑦 = 𝑔𝑦
𝑔𝑦𝑐 𝑐 𝑐

𝑼 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅
𝑭𝒓 = =
𝒈𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅
Froude number

𝑞2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝑦 2
Fr < 1
Fr > 1

Fr at the
critical depth is
always 1
 Subcritical vs supercritical flow
Still water (U=0) Subcritical (U<c)
flow speed (U)

wave speed (c) c+U

c-U

Critical (U=c) Supercritical (U>c)

U
U+c=2c U

U+c
Subcritical vs supercritical flow

Waves go upstream Waves carried downstream

Subcritical vs supercritical flow

1:00 to 1:15
Open Channel Flow
Hydraulics
Examples on critical flow and Fr
Bruño Fraga
[email protected]
Example 7
A rectangular channel 2.5 m wide has a specific
energy of 1.5 m when carrying a discharge of 6.48
m3/s. Calculate the alternate depths and
corresponding Froude numbers.
What would be the critical depth for such flow rate?
Example 7

𝑄2
𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔𝐴2

6.482 0.343
1.5 = 𝑦 + 2
=𝑦+
2𝑔(2.5𝑦) 𝑦2
Example 7
0.343
1.5 = 𝑦 +
𝑦2 y

E=1.5 m
 Example 7
That is the subcritical depth
1. Isolate the linear variable
0.343 y
1.5 = 𝑦 +
𝑦2
𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑏 = 1.296 𝑚
0.343
𝑦 = 1.5 −
𝑦2
y (guess) y (LHS) Diff (%)
1.000 1.157 15.7% E
1.157 1.244 7.5%
1.244 1.278 2.8%
1.278 1.290 0.9%
E=1.5 m
1.290 1.294 0.3%
1.294 1.295 0.1%
1.295 1.296 0.0%
 Example 7
That is the supercritical
2. Isolate the quadratic variable depth
0.343 y
1.5 = 𝑦 + 2
𝑦
0.343
𝑦=±
1.5 − 𝑦 𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑝 = 0.627 𝑚
y (guess) y (LHS) Diff (%) 𝑦𝑛𝑝 = −0.627 𝑚
1.000 0.828 -17.2% E
0.828 0.715 -13.7%
0.715 0.661 -7.5%
0.661 0.639 -3.3% E=1.5 m
0.639 0.631 -1.3%
0.631 0.628 -0.5%
0.628 0.627 -0.2%
0.627 0.627 -0.1%
0.627 0.627 0.0%
…and the non-physical
solution
Example 7
Calculate the alternate Froude numbers and critical depth
𝑄 6.48
𝑈
𝐹𝑟1 = = 𝐴 = 2.5 ∙ 1.296 = 0.561 < 1
𝑔𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑏 𝑔𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑏 9.81 ∙ 1.296
𝑄 6.48
𝑈
𝐹𝑟2 = = 𝐴 = 2.5 ∙ 0.627 = 1.675 > 1
𝑔𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑝 𝑔𝑦𝑠𝑢𝑝 9.81 ∙ 0.627

3 6.48 2 Notice how yc

3 𝑞2 2.5
𝑦𝑐 = = = 0.882 𝑚 sits inbetween
𝑔 9.81 ysub and ysup
Example 8
Derive a general expression for the critical depth in
a channel with a triangular cross section as shown
in the figure.

y
s
1
Example 8
T

At critical depth: y
s
1
𝑑𝐸 𝑄2 𝑑𝐴 𝑄 2
=1+ −2𝐴−3 =1+ −2𝐴−3 𝑇 = 0
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝑑𝑦 2𝑔
𝑄 2 𝐴3
=
𝑔 𝑇
1 1
𝑇 = 2𝑠𝑦 𝐴 = 𝑇𝑦 = 2𝑠𝑦 ∙ 𝑦 = 𝑠𝑦 2
2 2
Example 8
𝑄2 𝑠𝑦𝑐2 3
=
𝑔 2𝑠𝑦𝑐

𝑄 2 𝑠 3 𝑦𝑐 6
𝑄 2 𝐴3 =
= 𝑔 2𝑠𝑦𝑐
𝑔 𝑇
𝑄 2 𝑠 2 𝑦𝑐 5
=
𝑔 2
𝟏
𝟐𝑸𝟐 𝟓
𝒚𝒄 =
𝒈𝒔𝟐