ABE Review 2022

Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

WEIRS, ORIFICE, AND OTHER

FLOW MEASUREMENTS

Problem 1

Determine the flow rate over a suppressed rectangular weir if the

weir crest is 24 in. long and the head is 6 in. The discharge
coefficient is 3.16.

Solution
Q = CLh3/2

Where:
C = discharge coefficient, 3.16
L = length of weir crest, ft = 24 in. = 2 ft
h = head on weir, ft = 6 in. = 0.5 ft

Q = (3.16)(2 ft)(0.5 ft)3/2 = 2.4 cu ft/s

ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Problem 2

A trapezoidal weir has crest length of 18 in. Determine the

discharge over the weir if the head is 5 in.

Solution
Q = CLh3/2

Where:
L = 18 in. = 1.5 ft
h = 5 in. = 0.42 ft
assume 4:1 side slope, therefore C = 3.37

Q = 3.37Lh3/2
Q = (3.37)(1.5 ft)(0.42 ft)3/2 = 1.38 cu ft/s
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Problem 3

Determine the discharge over a 90-degree V-notch weir if the head

is 0.6 ft.

Solution
Q = Ch3/2

Where:
h = 0.6 ft
assume C = 2.47 for 90-degree V-notch

Q = 2.47h3/2
Q = (2.47)(0.6 ft)5/2 = 0.7 cu ft/s
 
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Problem 4

A rectangular weir of 8m long is to be built across a rectangular

channel to discharge a flow of 9m3/s. If the maximum depth of
water on the upstream side of weir is to be 2m, what should be the
height of the weir? Adopt Cd = 0.62.

Solution

Where:
L=8m
Q = 9 m3/s
Depth of water = 2m
Cd = 0.62
Let, H = Height of water above the sill of the weir.
So, the discharge over the weir,
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Problem 5

Water is flowing over a trapezoidal weir of 4 meters long under a

head of 1 meter. Compute the discharge if the coefficient of
discharge for the weir is 0.6.

Solution

Where:
L = 4m
H = 1m

Problem 6
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Determine the discharge of an orifice with 2-in. cross-sectional

area if C = 0.7 and the head on the orifice is 12 in.

Solution
q = Ca(2gh)1/2
where:
q = discharge, cu ft/s
C = discharge coefficient = 0.7
a = cross-sectional area of orifice, sq ft = Pi * r2 = 3.142 * (2 in./12
in./ft)2 = 0.087 sq ft
g = acceleration of gravity = 32.2 ft/s2
h = static head above center of orifice, ft = 12 inches

q = (0.7)(0.087 sq ft)[(2)(32.2 ft/s2)(12 inches)(1 ft/12 inches)]1/2

= 0.49 cu ft/s

Problem 7
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Determine the discharge of a stream having a cross-sectional area

of 50 sq ft and a wetted perimeter of 16 ft, using the slope-area
method. The roughness coefficient is 0.035 with channel gradient
of 0.0006.

Solution
q = Av
A = 50 sq ft
v= c/n * R2/3 * S1/2

where:
C = Constant = 1.49
n = roughness coefficient = 0.035
R = hydraulic radius, ft = A/P = 50 sq ft/16 ft = 3.13 ft
S = channel gradient, 0.0006
v = (1.49/0.035) (3.13 ft)2/3 (0.0006 ft/ft)1/2 = 2.24 ft/s
q = (50 sq ft)(2.24 ft/s) = 112.1 cu ft/s
ABE Review 2022
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Problem 8

A velocity of 2 ft/s is measured with a current meter placed 0.4 ft

above the bottom of a small stream. The estimated cross-sectional
area of the stream is 2 sq ft, and the flow depth is 1 ft. What is the
estimated flow rate?

Solution
q = Av
q = (2 sq ft)(2 ft/s) = 4 cu ft/s