Fluid Mechanics 2

기계공학과
이경은
CLASSIFICATION OF OPEN-CHANNEL FLOWS
Open-channel flow: Refers to the flow of liquids in channels open to the atmosphere or in
partially filled conduits and is characterized by the presence of a liquid–gas interface called the
free surface.
Examples: Most natural flows encountered in practice, such as the flow of water in creeks,
rivers, and floods, as well as the draining of rainwater off highways, parking lots, and roofs are
open-channel flows. Human-made open-channel flow systems include irrigation systems, sewer
lines, drainage ditches, and gutters, and the design of such systems is an important application
area of engineering.
In an open channel, the flow velocity is zero at the side and bottom surfaces because of the
no-slip condition, and maximum at the midplane for symmetric geometries, typically somewhat
below the free surface.

2
 Chap. 10
- The One-Dimensional Approximation

3
Laminar and Turbulent Flows in Channels

Like pipe flow, open-channel flow can be laminar, transitional, or turbulent,

depending on the value of the Reynolds number.

V is the average liquid velocity

 is the kinematic viscosity
Rh is the hydraulic radius

Laminar: Re  500, Turbulent for Re  2500

Transitional for 500  Re  2500
Laminar flow is encountered when a thin layer of water flows at a low velocity.
4
Hydraulic radius
relations for various
open-channel
geometries.

5
Uniform and Varied Flows
Uniform flow: If the flow depth (and thus the average velocity) remains constant.
Nonuniform or Varied flow: The flow depth varies with distance in the flow direction.
Uniform flow conditions are commonly encountered in practice in long straight sections of
channels with constant slope, constant roughness, and constant cross section.
The flow depth in uniform flow is called the normal depth yn, which is an important
characteristic parameter for open-channel flows.

For uniform flow in an open channel, the flow depth y

and the average flow velocity V remain constant.
6
The presence of an obstruction in the channel, such as a gate or a change in slope or cross
section, causes the flow depth to vary (varied or nonuniform flow).
Such varied flows are common in both natural and human-made open channels such as rivers,
irrigation systems, and sewer lines.
Rapidly varied flow (RVF): If the flow depth changes markedly over a relatively short
distance in the flow direction (such as the flow of water past a partially open gate or over a
falls), and
Gradually varied flow (GVF): If the flow depth changes gradually over a long distance along
the channel.
A gradually varied flow region typically occurs between rapidly varied and uniform flow regions.

Uniform flow (UF), gradually varied flow

(GVF), and rapidly varied flow (RVF) in
an open channel. 7
Chap. 10

8
Chap. 10
Flow Classification by Froude Number

9
FROUDE NUMBER AND WAVE SPEED
Open-channel flow is also classified as subcritical, critical, or supercritical,
depending on the value of the dimensionless Froude number:
Lc is taken to be the flow
depth y for wide
rectangular channels

Analogy between the Mach

number for compressible flow
and the Froude number for open-
channel flow.
Speed of Surface Waves
An important parameter in the study of open-channel flow is the wave speed c0, which is the
speed at which a surface disturbance travels through a liquid.

The generation
and analysis of a
wave in an open
channel.

11
 Hydraulic jump Fr>1

Subcritical or tranquil flow: At low flow velocities (Fr < 1), a small disturbance travels
upstream (with a velocity c0 - V relative to a stationary observer) and affects the upstream
conditions.
Supercritical or rapid flow: At high flow velocities (Fr > 1), a small disturbance cannot
travel upstream and thus the upstream conditions cannot be influenced by the
downstream conditions. The flow in this case is controlled by the upstream conditions.

A liquid can accelerate from subcritical to supercritical flow. It can also decelerate from
supercritical to subcritical flow, and it can do so by undergoing a shock. The shock in
this case is called a hydraulic jump, which corresponds to a normal shock in
compressible flow.

12
Hydraulic jump Fr>1

Supercritical flow through a sluice gate.

13
SPECIFIC ENERGY

z is the elevation head

P/g = y is the gage pressure head
V2/2g is the velocity or dynamic head

Specific energy Es: The sum of the

pressure and dynamic heads of a liquid in an
open channel.

The specific energy Es of a liquid in

an open channel is the total
mechanical energy (expressed as a
head) relative to the bottom of the
channel.

14