Name: ………………………………………..

Student number: …………………

TECHNICAL HYDRAULICS – Exam December 2020

Important notes:
- Most answers to the exam questions need to be filled in directly through the online
TUWEL test (multiple choice or numerical).
- The other, drawing-related questions need to be answered on a separate blank
sheet, which has to be scanned and uploaded through TUWEL at the end of the
exam. Do not forget to write your name and student number on this drawings
answer sheet, and to place your student ID in the upper right corner of the page
during scanning.
- All calculations can be done on scrap paper. Together with the drawings, these notes
should also be scanned and uploaded through TUWEL at the end of the exam. They
will, however, NOT be considered in the assigning of the points.
- In the rest of this exam, assume the gravitational acceleration to be g = 9.81 [m s-2],
water’s kinematic viscosity to be = 1∙10-6 [m2 s-1] and water’s density to be
= 1∙103 [kg m-3].

Question 1 (54/133 points)

3 -1
A discharge of Q = 10.0 [m s ] flows with a normal depth Dn,1 = 2.0 [m] in a rectangular
channel of width b1 = 5.0 [m] wide. In a certain finite, short reach the width is reduced to
b2 = 2.50 [m] and the

cross section 1 cross section 2

D1 D2

1. [MC1] Calculate the critical depth Dc,1 for the unperturbed channel. (3 points)
2. [MC2] Is the normal flow sub- or supercritical? (2 points)
3. [MC3] Is the slope mild or steep? (2 points)
4. Draw the specific energy curve for the upstream reach (section 1).
Represent the points for flow depths of 0.27 [m], 0.35 [m], and 3.0 [m].
Represent also the critical and normal flow depths of the upstream reach
on the specific energy curve. Please make sure that your drawing is on
scale. (5 points)

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Name: ……………………………………….. Student number: …………………

= 0.20 [m].
5. [MC4] Calculate the critical depth above the perturbation Dc,2 (measured
from the top of the perturbation). (3 points)
6. The energy is normally determined with respect to the local bottom level,
and called specific energy. In this case however, it will be determined
with respect to the bottom level of the unperturbed channel for the sake
of easier comparison. Draw the energy curve with respect to the
unperturbed bottom level (section 1) for the reach above the
perturbation (section 2) in the same diagram as question 4. Represent the
points for flow depths of 0.57 [m], 0.72 [m], 2.12 [m] and 3.0 [m].
Represent also the critical flow depth above the perturbation on the
energy curve. (5 points)
7. [MC5] By how much will the upstream (section 1) water surface elevation
rise (+) or drop (-)? (5 points)
8. [MC6] Which backwater curve describes the water surface in the
upstream section 1? (3 points)
9. [MC7] What is the change in water surface elevation in section 2
(compared to the unperturbed state) induced by the perturbation? (5 points)
Assume the second case where the height of the bottom perturbation
= 0.40 [m].
10. [MC8] Calculate the critical depth above the perturbation Dc,2 (measured
from the top of the perturbation). (3 points)
11. The energy is normally determined with respect to the local bottom level,
and called specific energy. In this case however, it will be determined
with respect to the bottom level of the unperturbed channel for the sake
of easier comparison. Draw the energy curve with respect to the
unperturbed bottom level (section 1) for the reach above the
perturbation (section 2) in the same diagram as questions 4 and 6.
Represent the points for flow depths of 0.6 [m], 0.79 [m], 1.9 [m] and 2.8
[m]. Represent also the critical flow depth above the perturbation on the
energy curve. (5 points)
12. [MC9] By how much will the upstream (section 1) water surface elevation
rise (+) or drop (-)? (5 points)
13. [MC10] Which backwater curve describes the water surface in the
upstream section 1? (3 points)
14. [MC11] What is the change in water surface elevation in section 2
(compared to the unperturbed state) induced by the perturbation? (5 points)

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Question 2 (11/133 points)

3 -1
Water flows into a large tank at a rate of Q = 0.06 [m s ] as shown in the figure below. The
water leaves the tank through 25 holes in the bottom of the tank, each of which produces a
jet with a diameter D = 2 [cm]. Energy losses in the system can be neglected.

1. [MC12] Calculate the equilibrium height h for steady state operation. (11 points)

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Name: ……………………………………….. Student number: …………………

Question 3 (42/133 points)

A continuous horizontal jet is generated by pumping water out of a large reservoir through a
pipe (diameter Dpipe = 0.25 [m], total length L = 25 [m]). The outflow velocity of the jet is
Uout = 2 [m s-1] and the jet diameter is Djet = 0.1 [m]. The free surface of the reservoir is
situated H = 10 [m] below the jet axis. Energy losses in the system and the nozzle length can
be neglected.

1. [MC13] Determine the energy head introduced by the pump in the

system. (7 points)
2. [MC14] Determine the inflow velocity of the pipe Uin. (5 points)
3. [MC15] Calculate the x-component of the total force Fflow the flow exerts
on the pipe. (11 points)
4. [MC16] Calculate the z-component of the total force Fflow the flow exerts
on the pipe. (11 points)

5. [MC17] The pipe gets damaged during operation, resulting in a small hole
through which a jet shoots up vertically, without noticeably changing the
flow inside the pipe. Determine the height reached by the jet. (8 points)

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Name: ……………………………………….. Student number: …………………

Question 4 (26/133 points)

The shape of an oil tanker can be simplified as pictured in the figure below. Its width is
W = 50 [m], its length is L = 200 [m], its height is H = 30 [m] and it has a prism shaped
bottom of height B = 5 [m]. Empty, the bottom of the ship sits at Dempty = 10 [m] below the
water surface. The oil tanker can carry a maximum of Voil = 1 ∙ 108 [L] of oil. The density of
this oil is oil = 0.9 [kg/L].

Front view
(not to scale) Side view
(not to scale)
W

L
H

D
B

1. [MC18] Calculate the mass of the empty oil tanker. (10 points)
2. [MC19] When full, how deep below the sea level will the bottom sink? (10 points)
3. Replicate in a sketch the rough shape of the boat cross section on your
answer sheet and sketch the hydrostatic pressure profile on the outside
of the boat (no calculation required). (6 points)