10/28/2020

Hydraulics Engineering
Lecture 1 : Specific Energy and Critical Depth

Dr. Muhammad Usman Rashid

Department of Civil Engineering
UMT

Books
 Fluid Mechanics with Engineering applications
 By:Roberts L. Duagherty, Joseph B. Franzini, E.
John Finnemore
 Open Channel Flow
 By: Ven te Chow
 Civil Engineering Hydraulics
 By: R.E. Featherstone & C. Nalluri

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Steady Flow in Open Channels

 Specific Energy and Critical Depth

 Surface Profiles and Backwater Curves in

Channels of Uniform sections

 Hydraulics jump and its practical applications.

 Flow over Humps and through Constrictions

 Broad Crested Weirs and Venturi Flumes

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth

Basic Definitions
 Head
 Energy per unit weight
 Energy Line
 Line joining the total head at different positions.
 Hydraulics Grade Line
 Line joining the pressure head at different
positions.

Specific Energy and Critical Depth
Basic Definitions
 Open Channel Flow
V12 EL
2g
HGL V22
2g
y1 Water Level
y2
Z1 So

Z2
Datum

V 2 V 2
Z 1  y1   1  Z 2  y 2   2  hl
2g 2g

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth
Basic Definitions
 Slopes in Open Channel Flow
V12 EL
2g S
V22
HGL
Sw 2g
y1 Water
y2 Level

Z1 So
ΔL Z2 Datum
Δx
 So= Slope of Channel Bed = (Z1-Z2)/(Δx)= -ΔZ/Δx
 Sw= Slope of Water Surface= [(Z1+y1)-(Z2+y2)]/Δx
 S= Slope of Energy Line= [(Z1+y1+V12/2g)-(Z2+y2+V22/2g)]/Δx
= hl/ΔL

Specific Energy and Critical Depth
Basic Definitions
 Slopes in Open Channel Flow

V12 EL
2g S
V22
HGL
y1 Sw 2g
Water
y2 Level

Z1 So
ΔL Z2
Datum

For Uniform Flow Δx

y1=y2 and V12/2g=V 22/2g
Hence the line indicating the bed of the channel, water surface profile and
energy line are parallel to each other.
For θ being very small (say less than 5 degree) i.e Δx=ΔL
So=Sw=S

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Velocity variation 
Velocity Variation in Open Channels

Note:
In fluid dynamics, the no‐slip condition for viscous fluids assumes that at a solid
boundary, the fluid will have zero velocity relative to the boundary. The fluid velocity
at all fluid–solid boundaries is equal to that of the solid boundary.

Note:
The Reynolds number is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces and is a
convenient parameter for predicting if a flow condition will be laminar or turbulent.
The Reynolds number (Re) helps predict flow patterns in different fluid flow
situations. At low Reynolds numbers, flows tend to be dominated by laminar (sheet‐
like) flow, while at high Reynolds numbers flows tend to be turbulent.

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E‐y Diagram

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth
 As it is clear from E~y diagram
 E~y Diagram or E-Diagram drawn for constant discharge
for any given value of E, there
Static Head would be two possible depths,
Line say y1 and y2. These two
depths are called Alternate
depths.
 However for point C
corresponding to minimum
specific energy Emin, there
would be only one possible
depth yc. The depth yc is know
as critical depth.
 The critical Depth may be
defined as depth
corresponding to minimum
specific energy discharge
remaining Constant.

Specific Energy and Critical Depth
 For y>yc , V<Vc Deep Channel
 Sub-Critical Flow, Tranquil Flow, Slow Flow.
 For y<yc , V>Vc Shallow Channel
 Super-Critical Flow, Shooting Flow, Rapid Flow and
Fast Flow.

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth
Basic Definitions
 Froude’s Number (FN)
 It is the ratio of inertial forces
to gravitational forces.
 For a rectangular channel it
may be written as
FN  V
gy
 FN= 1 Critical Flow
> 1 Super-Critical Flow
< 1 Sub-Critical Flow
10/28/2020
William Froude (1810-79)
Born in England and engaged
in shipbuilding. In his sixties
started the study of ship
resistance, building a boat
testing pool (approximately
75 m long) near his home.
After his death, this study
was continued by his son,
Robert Edmund Froude
(1846-1924). For similarity
under conditions of inertial
and gravitational forces, the
non-dimensional number
used carries his name.
Relation between 
critical depth and 
critical velocity for 
rectangular section
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Procedure
 Find the alternate 
depths by using hit & 
trial method and 
Specific energy 
equation.
 Find the alternate 
depths by using 
Froude’s No.

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A sluice gate is provided, in the path of a river or a stream, to regulate the

flow of water. For doing so, the sluice gate is made to move up and down
with the help of rollers fixed to the vertical plates (called skin plates) which
travel on vertical rails called guides.

(a) Sluice gate Front view
Sluice gate Cross‐section

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth
 Since the equation (1)  Discharge~Depth Diagram
can be written as

y
q  y 2g(E  y) Sub-critical flow

y2

yc
 Therefore, Critical Depth
may also be defined as y1
the depth corresponding Super-critical flow
to maximum discharge
specific energy remaining
constant. q1 qmax

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth

 Relationship Between Critical Depth and Specific Energy

dq
dy

 2g y  (E  y)
2 (E y)

dq
 0 for qmax
dy
y
2 (E y)
 (E  y)  0
3 2
E yc or yc  E
2 3

Problem11.43
 Water is released from a sluice gate in a rectangular channel 1.5m
wide such that depth is 0.6 m and velocity is 4.5 m/sec. Find
(a). Critical Depth for this specific energy
(b). Critical Depth for this rate of Discharge
(c). The type of flow and alternate depth by either direct solution or
the discharge Curve.
 Solution
B=1.5 m
y=0.6 m
V= 4.5 m/sec
(a)
V2
Specific Energy  y  1.632m
2g
2
yc  E  1.088m
3

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Problem 11.38
(b) Q  AV  ByV  4.05m3 / sec
V  1.855  1
FN 
q  vy  2.7m / sec per m gy
1/ 3
 q2  Flow is Super  Critical
yc     0.906m  y
 g 
Therefore Flow is Super  Critical

(c)
Q  AV  ByV  4.05m3 /sec
q2 y 3 1.632 y 2  0.37156 0
Ey
2gy 2 y  0.6m
2.72 y  1.46m
1.632  y 
2(9.81)y 2

Specific Energy and Critical Depth (Non Rectangular 
Channels).43

 Hydraulic Depth
T
T

dy
dy
A y
A yh

 The hydraulic depth, yh for non rectangular channel is the depth of a

rectangular channel having flow area and base width the same as
the flow area and top width respectively as for non rectangular
channel.

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Specific Energy and Critical Depth

Relationship between Critical Depth and Specific Energy3
 Froude’s number may be
numerically calculate as
V
FN  Since dA Tdy
gyh
dE Q2
Q2 A  1 3 T
FN2  yh  dy gA
A2 g TA T
dE
for Critical flow 0
Q2T dy
FN 
gA3 Therefore
2
 A3 Q 2 
Eq.(1)  Ey Q   
2gA2 T g  y yc
dE Q 2 dA
 1
dy gA3 dy

Problem # 10.30 11.43

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Assignment # 01

 Problems: 10.9.1, 10.9.3, 10.25, 10.26,

10.27, 10.29
 Problems: 10.11.1, 10.11.4, 10.31
 From book Fluid Mechanics with
Engineering Applications by Finnemore

 Submission Date: 06/11/2020 (Friday)

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