Equation of Energy for Open Channel Flow

Total energy head in open channels

Total Energy Head “H”: Consider the longitudinal section of flow down a short length of
channel reach as shown in fig. below .the total energy head (H) at any section is given as:

𝑉2
H = Z+ y + :
2𝑔
Where Z: elevation head
y: depth of flow
V: velocity of flow
𝑉2
: Velocity head
2𝑔

Figure 1 Specific energy Diagram

The specific energy head is defined as total energy head of the fluid measured relative to the
bed of the channel.

Let us consider the energy equation for a steady flow:

2 2
V V
z1 + y1 + 1 = z 2 + y2 + 2 + hr
2g 2g
Specific energy in open channels
Specific energy is the total mechanic energy with respect to the local elevation of the channel.

𝑽𝟐
Total Energy = 𝑬𝑻 = 𝒛 + 𝒚 + 𝟐 𝒈
𝑽𝟐
But, Specific Energy= 𝑬 = 𝒚 + 𝟐 𝒈
Therefore, Specific Energy: total energy at point per unit of weight
𝑽𝟐
𝑬 = 𝒚 + 𝟐 𝒈 , E= Ep +Ek

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Where Q: total quantity of flow.
A: cross sectional area of flow for rectangular channel we have Q = q*b and A = b*y
Where
q: quantity of flow per unit width
b: width of channel
Specific energy eq. for rectangular channel
𝑄 𝑄2
𝑉= → 𝑉2 =
𝐴 (𝑏∗𝑦)2

𝑉2 𝑄2
𝑄2 2
∴→ 𝐸 = 𝑦 + = 𝐸=𝑦+ , (q = 2 )
2𝑔 2 𝑔 ∗ (𝑏 ∗ 𝑦)2 𝑏
𝑞2
∴→ 𝐸 = 𝑦 +
2 𝑔 𝑦2
𝑞2
= 𝐸−𝑦
2 𝑔 𝑦2
𝑞 2 = 2 𝑔 𝑦 2 (𝐸 − 𝑦)
q = √2 𝑔 (𝐸𝑦 2 − 𝑦 3 )

(𝑞 = √2 𝑔 𝑦 2 (𝐸 − 𝑦)

Figure 2 Specific energy diagram E-y curve “constant q”:

2 2
For large value of y the term (q / 2g y ) become small and E approximates to y, the curve is
asymptotic to a line inclined at 45˚ to the horizontal.
2 2
For small value of y, the term (q / 2g y ) become large and as y tends to zero E tends to
infinity, i.e. the curve is asymptotic to horizontal specific energy axis.
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At point C, E is a minimum for particular quantity of q and the depth at this condition is
termed critical depth (y ). Similar to the minimum energy is denoted by (E ). For all other
c c
values of (E) greater than (E ), there exist two real depths y and y at which the flow may
c 1 2
occur, these are termed alternative depths.

• At depth y the flow is said to be subcritical (slow).

1

• At depth y the flow is said to be supercritical (fast).

2

Figure 3 Type of flow in an open-water channel, depending on channel gradient

Example: Channel width (rectangular) = 2m, Depth = 1m Q = 4.0 m3/s Height above datum
= 2m Compute specific and total energy
Solution:

A = b*y = 2.0*1.0 = 2 m2
𝑄2 42
Specific energy = 𝑦 + 2 = 1+ 2 = 1.20m
2 𝑔∗(𝑏∗𝑦) 2 9.81∗(2∗1)
Total energy = Datum height + specific energy
= 2.0 + 1.2 = 3.20 m

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Critical flow condition:
Normally, hydraulic engineers are designing unlined open-channels for sub-critical flow only
and not for super-critical flow. Super-critical flow would lead to excessive scouring and
would require protection of bed and slopes by lining

The critical depth corresponding to minimum specific energy may found as:
𝑞2 𝑞2
𝐸=𝑦+ 2
=𝑦+ 𝑦 −2
2𝑔𝑦 2𝑞
𝑑𝐸 𝑞2 𝑞2 𝑑𝐸
= 1 + (−2 𝑦3 ) = 1 − , For minimum energy = 0 and 𝑦 = 𝑦𝑐
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝑔 𝑦3 𝑑𝑦

𝑞2
= 1 → 𝑞 2 = 𝑔 𝑦 3 𝑐 ………………………………… (1)
𝑔 𝑦3𝑐
𝟑 𝒒𝟐
→ 𝒒 = √ 𝒈 𝒚𝟑 𝒄 → 𝐲𝒄 = √
𝒈
For minimum specific energy corresponding to critical depth 𝒚𝒄 is:

𝑞2
𝐸𝐶 =𝑦𝐶 + ……………………………………………….(2)
2 𝑔 𝑦𝐶 2
𝑔 𝑦3𝑐 y𝑐 3
By subs. (3) in (4) in → 𝐸𝑐 = 𝑦𝐶 + ∴→ 𝐸𝑐 = 𝑦𝐶 + = 𝑦𝐶
2𝑔 𝑦2 𝑐 2 2
𝟐
∴→ 𝒚𝑪 = 𝑬𝒄 ,
𝟑
I.e. critical flow conditions exist when the specific energy head is (1.5 * depth of flow)
Example 2: Channel width (rectangular) = 5m, Q = 50 m3/s Height above datum Compute
𝟑 𝟓𝟎 𝟐
𝟑 𝒒𝟐 ( ) 𝟑 (𝟏𝟎) 𝟐
critical depth𝒚𝒄 .Solution: 𝐲𝒄 = √ = √ 𝟓 =√ = 2.16 m
𝒈 𝟗.𝟖𝟏 𝟗.𝟖𝟏
Froude Number: is gravity
versus inertial forces
𝑞2
𝑞2 = 𝑔 𝑦 3𝑐 → 𝑦 3𝑐 =
𝑔
𝑞2 𝑦 2 𝑐 ∗𝑉 2
If = 1.0 =
𝑔∗𝑦 3 𝑐 𝑔∗𝑦 3 𝑐
𝑉2
→ = 1.0 = 𝐹𝑟 2
𝑔∗y𝑐

𝟐 𝑽𝟐
∴→ 𝑭𝒓 =
𝒈 ∗ 𝐲𝒄
𝑽
→ 𝑭𝒓 =
√𝒈∗𝐲𝒄
This is an extremely useful non- Figure 4 Sub and Supper flow
dimensional number in open-channel
hydraulics

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If 𝐹𝑟 < 1 flow is sub-critical
𝐹𝑟 = 1 Flow is critical
𝐹𝑟 > 1 Flow is super critical (see figure 4)

Example 3: water flows through a rectangular channel at rate of 1000 ft3/sec. if channel
width is 8 ft; and flow depth is 5 ft. Determine:
1- Type of flow
2- The specific energy
3- Min. specific energy
Solution:
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝟐 𝟏
𝟑 𝒒𝟐 𝒒𝟐 𝟏 (
𝟖
)
1- 𝐲𝒄 = √ = ( )𝟑 = ( 𝟑 ) [ g = 9.81m/ s2 = 32.174 ft/s2]
𝒈 𝒈 𝟑𝟐.𝟏𝟕𝟒
𝐲𝒄 = 𝟕. 𝟖𝟔 𝒇𝒕
Form above y = 5 ft <𝐲𝒄 = 𝟕. 𝟖𝟔 ∴→ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍
𝑉2 𝑉2 𝑄 1000
2- 𝐸 = 𝑦 + =5+ ,𝑉= = = 25𝑓𝑡/𝑠𝑒𝑐
2𝑔 2𝑔 𝑏∗𝑦 8∗5
252
→ 𝐸 =5+ = 14.7 Ft
2∗32.174
𝟐 𝟑
3- A/ 𝒚𝑪 = 𝑬 𝒄 → 𝑬𝒄 = 𝒚𝑪 = 𝟏. 𝟓 ∗ 𝟕. 𝟖𝟔 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟗 𝒇𝒕
𝟑 𝟐
1000 2
𝑉2 ( )
8∗7.86
Or B/𝐸𝐶 =𝑦𝐶 + = 7.86 + = 7.86+3.93 =11.79 ft
2𝑔 2∗32.174∗

Example 4: A rectangular Channel 15 ft wide carries a flow of 320 cfs Find

the critical depth and critical velocity. Find also the critical slope if n= 0.015
Solution:
𝑄 320 𝑐𝑓𝑠
𝑞= = = 21.33 ;
𝑏 15 𝑓𝑡
1 1
𝑞2 3 21.332 3
𝑦𝑐 = ( ) = ( ) = 2.42 𝑓𝑡
𝑔 32.174
1 𝑓𝑡
𝑉𝑐 = (𝑔 ∗ 𝑦𝑐 )2 = 8.823
𝑠𝑒𝑐
2
1.49
𝑄= ∗ 𝐴 ∗ 𝑅 3 ∗ 𝑆 ( 𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑦 = 𝑦𝑐, 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑐 , 𝑆 = 𝑆𝑐)
𝑛
2
1.49 2.42 ∗ 15 3 0.5
320 = (2.42 ∗ 15) ∗ ( ) 𝑆
0.015 2.42 + 15
1
→ 𝑆 = 0.002959 ≈ 338 = critical slope

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Critical flow in non- rectangular section

Figure 5 Cross section for non- rectangular

𝑉2 𝑄2
𝐸=𝑦+ → 𝐸 =𝑦+
2𝑔 2 𝑔 𝐴2
𝑑𝐸 𝑄2 −3 𝑑𝐴
= 1+ ( −2𝐴 ) ∗
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝜕𝑦
𝑑𝐴
But, 𝑑𝐴 = 𝑏. 𝜕𝑦 → =𝑏
𝜕𝑦
𝑑𝐸 𝑄2 ∗𝐴−3 𝑑𝐸
∴→ =1− .𝑏 For critical depth =0
𝑑𝑦 2𝑔 𝑑𝑦
𝑄2 ∗ 𝐴 −3
𝑄2 ∗ 𝐴−3
∴→ 1 − 2 .𝑏 = 0 → .𝑏 = 1
2𝑔 2𝑔
𝑸𝟐 𝑨𝟑
∴→ =
𝒈 𝒃
Example 5 : for the channel shown: 1V:1H
Q=14m3/sec, Bed slope = 0.0006
n = manning constant = 0.012, determine type of flow?
Solution:
1
A= 2 (𝑦 ) ∗ 2 𝑦 = 𝑦 2
𝑃 = 2 ∗ √2 𝑦 2 = 2.83 𝑦
𝐴 𝑦2
𝑅= = = 0.353 𝑦
𝑃 2.83 𝑦
2 1
1.49
Manning formula: 𝑄 = 𝐴 ∗ 𝑛 ∗ 𝑅 3 ∗ 𝑆 2
1.49 2 1
→ 14 = 𝑦 2 ∗ ∗ (0.353𝑦)3 ∗ 0.006 2 → 𝑦 = 1.073 𝑓𝑡
0.012
𝑸𝟐 𝑨𝟑 𝟏𝟒𝟐 (𝒚𝒄 𝟐 )𝟑
= → = → 𝒚𝒄 = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 𝒇𝒕
𝒈 𝒃 𝟑𝟐. 𝟏𝟕𝟒 𝟐 ∗ 𝒚𝒄
→ 𝒚 < 𝒚𝒄 ∴ → Flow is super critical
𝟏𝟒
𝑽 𝟏.𝟎𝟕𝟑 𝟐
𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒓 = = = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟔 > 𝟏 ∴ → Flow is super critical
√𝒈∗𝒚𝒄 √𝟑𝟐.𝟏𝟕𝟒∗𝟏.𝟔𝟓

Page 6 of 7
 Example 6: A Trapezoidal canal with side slopes 1:2 has a bottom width of 3m and carries a
flow of 20 m3/s.
a). Find the Critical Depth and Critical velocity.
b). If the canal is lined with Brick (n=0.015), find the critical slope for the same rate of
discharge.

Solution:

A/ Q=20 m3/s x= 2
A= (B+xy)y
P= B+2y (1+z2)1/2
T= B+2xy

𝑸𝟐 𝑨𝟑
=
𝒈 𝑻

2 y A T 3
Q /g A /T
40.775 1 5 7 17.85
2 14 11 249.45
1.2 6.48 7.8 34.88
1.25 6.883 8.004 40.74
1.2512 6.885 8.0048 40.77

B/
𝟐 𝟐
𝑨 𝑨 𝟑 𝟔.𝟖𝟖𝟓 𝟔.𝟖𝟖𝟓 𝟑
𝑸 = ∗ (𝑷) ∗ 𝑺𝒄𝟎.𝟓 → 𝟐𝟎 = ∗ (𝟖.𝟓𝟗𝟓) ∗ 𝑺𝒄𝟎.𝟓 → 𝑺𝒄 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟓𝟓
𝒏 𝟎.𝟎𝟏𝟓

Example 7: The 50o triangular channel in Fig. below has a flow rate Q =16 m3/s. Compute
(a) yc, (b) Vc, and (c) Sc if n=0.018.

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