Features of Water Surface Profiles

• M – Curves
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• M1 – Curve

– Occurs when obstructions to flow, such as weirs, dams, control

structures and natural features, or bends, produce
– Backwater curves.
– Sub critical flow with y > y0 > yc and Fr < 1 (1 – Fr2) > 0
– Mild slope channel with Se < S0  S0 - Se >

Water depth will increase

in the flow direction
– water surface for the limit values (∞, y0) are;
a). Y→, V →0, Fr →0, (1-Fr2)= 1 and Y→ , V →0, Se →0 , (So – Se )=So
The water surface meets a very large depth as a horizontal asymptote.

b). Y→Yo , V →Vo, Se →So , (So – Se )=0

The water surface approach the normal depth asymptotically
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• M2 – Curve

– Occurs at sudden drop of the channel, at constriction type of

transitions and at the canal outlet into pools
– Water surface will be in Region 2
– Sub critical flow with y0 >y > yc and Fr < 1 (1 – Fr2) > 0
– Mild slope channel with Se > S0  S0 - Se < 0
dy So  Se 
   Water depth will decrease
dx 1  Fr 2
 in the flow direction
– water surface for the limit values (Y0, Yc) are;
a). Y→Yo , V →Vo, Se →So , (So – Se )=0
The water surface approach the normal depth asymptotically

b). Y→Yc, Fr →1, (1-Fr2)= 0

The water surface meets the critical depth line Vertically .
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• M3 – Curve

– Occurs when supercritical streams enters a mild slope channel .

– The flow is leading from a spillway or a sluice gate to a mild slope forms
– supercritical flow with y0 > yc > y and Fr > 1 (1 – Fr2) < 0
– Mild slope channel with Se > S0  S0 - Se < 0
dy So  Se  Water depth will increase
  
dx 1  Fr 2
 in the flow direction

– water surface for the limit values (Y0, Yc) are;

a). Y→Yc, Fr =1, (1-Fr2)= 0
The water surface meets the critical depth line Vertically .

3
b). Y→0 , V →, Se →So , (So – Se )=  yo 
S o  
The water surface approach the bed with some angel, it may be taken as
 yc 
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• S – Curves
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• S1 – Curve

– produced when flow from steep channel is terminated by deep

pool that created by obstruction like weirs, or dams,
– At the beginning of the curve the flow changes from supercritical to
subcritical flow through a hydraulic
– Supercritical flow with y > yc > y0 and Fr > 1 (1 – Fr2) < 0
– Step slope channel with Se > S0  S0 - Se < 0
dy So  Se 
   Water depth will increase
dx 1  Fr 2
 in the flow direction
– water surface for the limit values (∞, y0) are;
a). Y→, V →0, Fr →0, (1-Fr2)= 1 and Y→ , V →0, Se →0 , (So – Se )=So
The water surface meets a very large depth as a horizontal asymptote.

b). Y→Yc , Fr →1, (1 – Fr2 )=0

The water surface meets the critical depth line Vertically
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• S2 – Curve

– Occurs at entrance region of Steep Channel leading from a

reservoir and a brake grade
– Water surface will be in Region 2
– Sub critical flow with yc >y > yo and Fr > 1 (1 – Fr2) < 0
– Steep slope channel with Se > S0  S0 - Se > 0
dy So  Se 
   Water depth will decrease
dx 1  Fr 2
 in the flow direction
– water surface for the limit values (Y0, Yc) are;
a). Y→Yc, Fr →1, (1-Fr2)= 0
The water surface meets the critical depth line Vertically .

a). Y→Yo , V →Vo, Se →So , (So – Se )=0

The water surface approach the normal depth asymptotically
Features of Water Surface Profiles
• S3 – Curve

– Occurs when free full from a sluice gate

– supercritical flow with yc > yo > y and Fr > 1 (1 – Fr2) < 0
– Steep slope channel with Se > S0  S0 - Se < 0
Water depth will increase
dy So  Se 
   in the flow direction
dx 1  Fr 2 
– water surface for the limit values (Y0, Yc) are; y 
3

Y→0 , V →, Se →So , (So – Se )=

S o  o 
 yc 
The water surface approach the bed with some angel, it may be taken as
 Features of Water Surface Profiles
C – Curves

H – Curves
Features of Water Surface Profiles
Control Sections
• A control section is defined as a section in which a fixed
relationship exists between the discharge and depth of
flow

– Weirs, spillways, sluice gates are some typical examples

of structures which give rise to control sections.

– The critical depth is also a control point. However, it is

effective in a flow profile which changes from subcritical
to supercritical flow.

– In the reverse case of transition from supercritical flow to

subcritical flow, a hydraulic jump is usually formed by
passing the critical depth as a control point.
Features of Water Surface Profiles
Features of Water Surface Profiles
Analysis of Flow Profile
• To determine the resulting water surface profile in a given case,
one should be in a position to analyze the effects of various
channel sections and controls connected in series.
– A break in grade from a mild channel to a milder channel
• It is necessary to first draw the critical-depth line (CDL) and the normal-depth line
(NDL) for both slopes.
• Since yc does not depend upon the slope for a taken Q = discharge, the CDL is at a
constant height above the channel bed in both slopes.
• The normal depth y01 for the mild slope is lower than that of the milder slope (y02).

– Serial Combination of Channel Sections

• Draw the longitudinal section of the system.
• Calculate the critical depth and normal depths of various reaches and draw the CDL
and NDL in all reaches.
• Mark all the controls, both the imposed as well as natural controls.
• Identify the possible profiles.
Features of Water Surface Profiles
Analysis of Flow Profile
 Computation of GVF
• The major activities of hydraulic engineers in free-
surface flow involve in the
• computation of GVF profiles
– Determination of the effect of a hydraulic structure on the flow
pattern in the channels
– Inundation of lands due to a dam or weir construction
– Estimation of flood zone
• Historically it is a topic for the last 150 years
• The various available procedures for computing GVF profiles can
be classified as
– Direct integration (mainly use for academic interest)
– Numerical method (only to solve practical problems in natural
channels)
– Graphical method (obsolete)
 Direct Integration
• We know the basic differential equation of GVF

• If K= conveyance at any depth y and K0 = conveyance to

the normal depth y0, then

• Similarly , if Z= section factor at depth y and Zc= section factor at

critical depth yc, then

• By substituting these two equations to the basic GVF equation

 Direct Integration
• Let it be required to find y = f(x) in the depth range y1 to y2.
• The following two assumptions are made
– The conveyance at any depth y is given by K = C2 y N then we can
compute the K value for normal depth and critical depth as
K0 = C2 y0 N Kc = C2 yc N
– The section factor Z at any depth y is given by
 Numerical Analysis
• Simple Numerical Methods
– Direct step method
– Standard step method
• Advanced Numerical Methods
• Direct Step Method
– Characterized by dividing the channel into equal section distance is
calculated from the depth
– It is limited to prismatic channels so that the velocity depend on depth
only
– We remember that our basic GVF equation write in the form of

write it in finite difference form

Where Se = average friction slope in the reach x; And if we solve it for Δx

We have to remind
 Numerical Analysis
• Procedure for direct Step method
– identify type profile and flow
– choose Δy and thus yn+1 , then fix the depth y at each end of the reach
up to yn+1
– calculate hydraulic radius, velocity, friction slope for each depth ( yn
and yn+1 )
– calculate Δx and the then cumulative x which is the distance of the
assumed depth from control section
• Note
– if the flow is subcritical the step computation should be upstream, but
for supercritical it is downstream
– If one of the depth is uniform depth for the section under
consideration, then 1% off value of normal depth y0 must be taken.
• for profiles M1 and S2, where normal depth is approached
asymptotically from above 1.01 y0,
• for profiles M2 and S3, where normal depth is approached
asymptotically from below 0.99 y0
– Start from a control section.
Example 4.2
A trapezoidal channel has a bed width B=5.0m, S0=
0.0004, side slope m=2H:1V and n=0.02. The
normal depth of flow y0=3.0m. If the channel
empties into a pool at downstream end and the
pool elevation is 1.25m higher than the channel
bed at the downstream end,
a) calculate the GVF profile from section having
critical depth up to a section having a depth of
2.96m by direct step method
b) calculate the distance between two sections
having depths of 2.30m and 2.80m respectively
 Summary of GVF
• It is mainly/ practically use in Backwater effect of a dam
• Remember the basic assumptions of GVF Computation
– Steady flow
– Gradually Varied water surface (Hydrostatic pressure
distribution)
– One-dimensional analysis
– Small channel slope
– Rigid boundary Constant (averaged) friction slope between
adjacent sections
• Basic Data requirement
– Complete cross-sectional properties
– Discharge that selected for 5-year, 25-year, or 100-year flood
analysis obtained from the hydrological analysis
– Channel roughness coefficient
– The termination depth of the computation
• Major steps for the Computation
– Compute the critical and normal depths of flows
– Define the water surface profile
– Compute the profile