CHAP 3-3-1: HYDRAULICS OF GRADUALLY VARIED FLOW

(NON-UNIFORM FLOW)
The flow in a channel is termed gradually varied flow (GVF), if the flow depth changes gradually over a
large length of the channel. This condition occurs when the motivating, and drag forces are not balanced
𝛅𝐲
with the result that the depth varies gradually along the length of the channel i.e. when (𝛅𝐱 ≪≪≪ 𝟏).

Figure 1 Non-Uniform Flows

Figure 2 Figure 3 Gradually Varied Flow

Analysis of gradually varied flow assumes the following:

(I) The channel is prismatic

𝛿𝑦 𝛿𝑦
(II) The flow in channel is steady ( 𝛿𝑡 = 0)and non-uniform(𝛿𝑥 ≠ 0)
1
(III) The channel bed slope is small (𝑇𝑎𝑛𝜃 << 10)

(IV) Pressure distribution at any section of the channel is hydrostatic

(V) The resistance to flow at any depth is assumed to be given by the corresponding uniform flow
equation such as the Manning’s formula, with the condition that the slope term to be used in the
𝟏
equation is the energy slope and not the bed slope.(𝑽 = 𝒏 𝑹𝟐⁄𝟑 𝑺𝒇 𝟏⁄𝟐 )

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Figure 4 Energy gradients

The equation for gradually varied flow is obtained by differentiating the energy equation [1] w.r.t distance
along the channel in X-direction.

𝒗𝟐
• 𝑯 = 𝒛 + 𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ``𝝋 + 𝟐𝒈 … … … … … … … … … … . . [𝟏]

𝒅𝑯 𝒅𝒛 𝒅𝒅 𝒅 𝒗𝟐
= 𝒅𝒙 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝝋 𝒅𝒙 + 𝒅𝒙 (𝟐𝒈) … … … … … … … . . [𝟐]
𝒅𝒙

𝒅𝑯
• But S𝒇 = − 𝒅𝒙
𝒅𝒛
• For small slopes − 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝝋 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝝋 = S𝒐 .
• Also by considering, that velocity varies with depth along the direction of a gradually varied flow and
𝒅 𝒗𝟐
that 𝒅𝒙 (𝟐𝒈) can be written as:

𝒅 𝒗𝟐 𝒅𝒅 𝒅 𝒗𝟐 𝒅𝒅 𝒅 𝒗𝟐
( ) = . ( )= . ( )
dx 𝟐𝒈 𝒅𝒅 𝒅𝒙 𝟐𝒈 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒅 𝟐𝒈

𝒅𝒅 𝒅 𝒗𝟐
5. By substitution in [2], 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇 = (𝑪𝒐𝒔𝝋 + 𝒅𝒅 (𝟐𝒈)).
𝒅𝒙

𝒅𝒅 𝑺𝒐 −𝑺𝒇 𝒅 𝒗𝟐 𝒅 𝑸𝟐 𝑸𝟐 𝒅 −𝟐𝑸𝟐 𝒅𝑨
• Therefore 𝒅𝒙 = 𝒅 𝒗𝟐
. But 𝒅𝒅 (𝟐𝒈) = 𝒅𝒅 (𝑨𝟐 ) = (𝟐𝒈) 𝒅𝒅 (𝑨−𝟐 ) = ( 𝟐𝒈𝑨𝟑 ) 𝒅𝒅.
𝑪𝒐𝒔𝝋+ ( ) 𝟐𝒈
𝒅𝒅 𝟐𝒈

dA 𝒅 𝒗𝟐 𝑸𝟐
• By referring to the channel flow-section in Figure 3, B = ∴ ( ) = − (𝒈𝑨𝟑 𝑩).
dd dd 𝟐𝒈

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 Elemental Area
dA
B dd

d
Area A

` Section of Channel
Figure 5 Channel Cross-section

• Since the channel slope is small the Cos  1 and taking into consideration the kinetic energy
correction factor for velocity, then:

𝒅𝒅 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇
= … … … … … … … … [𝟑].
𝒅𝒙 𝜶𝑸𝟐
𝟏− 𝑩
𝒈𝑨𝟑

Equation [3] is the basic form of differential equation of GVF and is known as dynamic equation of GVF.
The quantity α is the kinetic energy correction factor normally assumed equal to 1.

• Equation [3] can be written in terms of slope and velocity:

𝒅𝒅 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇
= 𝟐 = 𝟐 = ----[𝟒.
𝒅𝒙 𝑸 𝑽 𝑩 𝑽𝟐
𝟏− 𝑩 𝟏− 𝒈 𝑨 𝟏−
𝒈𝑨𝟑 𝒈𝒅

• Equation [4] gives the slope of the water surface relative to the channel bed.

9. Considering a rectangular channel section Equation [3] may be represented in different forms:
• In terms of the actual, normal and critical depths;

𝑽𝟐 𝟏 𝑸 𝟐 𝟏 𝑸 𝟐 𝟏 𝑸𝟐 𝑸 𝟐 𝟏 𝒒𝟐
• = gd (𝑨) = gd (𝑩𝒅) = gd = [𝑩 ] [ 𝟑 ] = 𝒈𝒅𝟑 .
𝒈𝒅 𝑩𝟐 𝒅𝟐 gd

• But for critical depth 𝒒𝟐 = 𝒈 d𝟑𝒄 . Therefore equation [3] can be written as:

𝒅𝒅 (𝑺𝟎 − 𝑺𝒇 ) 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇 𝑺𝒐 − 𝑺𝒇
= = = … … … … … … [𝟓]
𝒅𝒙 𝒒𝟐 𝒈𝒅𝟑𝒄 𝒅𝒄 𝟑
𝟏− 𝟏 − 𝟏−[ ]
𝒈𝒅𝟑 𝒈𝒅𝟑 𝒅
10. Also from Manning’s equation for normal flow in very wide channels compared to depth, the
hydraulic mean depth:

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Figure 6 Very Wide Channel section

a) Considering energy slope and Manning’s equation:

𝟐⁄ 𝟏⁄𝟐
𝑸 = 𝟏⁄𝒏 𝑨𝑹 𝟑𝑺
𝒇
… … … … … . (𝟓)
𝑨 b.d 𝒃.d
b) Hydraulic Radius 𝑹 = 𝑷 = 𝒃+𝟐𝒅 ≈ = 𝒅.
𝒃
c) Discharge equation Q = 𝑨. V = b.d.v.
𝑸
d) But discharge per unit width 𝒒 = ∴ Q = b . q.
𝒃
e) Squaring both sides of equation (5)
𝟐 𝟏⁄ 𝟐
𝑸𝒏
(𝑨𝑹𝟐⁄𝟑 ) = (𝑺𝒇 𝟐 )
𝒒𝟐 . n𝟐
∴ 𝑺𝒇 = 𝟏𝟎 …………..……….[6.a].
𝒅 ⁄𝟑
f) For normal flow and considering very wide Channels and from the Manning’s equation:
𝟐 𝟐
𝟏⁄ 𝟐 𝑸.n
𝟐
𝑸 .𝒏 𝒒.n
(𝑺𝟎 𝟐 ) =( 𝟐 ) =( 𝟐⁄ ) =( 𝟓⁄ ) .
𝑹 ⁄𝟑 𝑨 𝒅𝒏 𝟑 𝒃 𝒅𝒏 𝒅𝒏 𝟑

𝒒𝟐 . n𝟐
∴ 𝑺𝒐 = ⁄ 𝟏𝟎 … … … … [𝟔. 𝒃].
𝒅𝒏 𝟑
𝑺𝒇
(𝟏− )𝑺
𝒅𝒅 𝑺𝟎 𝒐
• From equations [4] and [6] = 𝒅 𝟑
.
𝒅𝒙
[𝟏−( 𝒄 ) ]
𝒅

𝒅𝒅 𝟏−〈[𝒒𝟐 𝒏𝟐 ⁄𝒅𝟏𝟎⁄𝟑 ]⁄[𝒒𝟐 𝒏𝟐 ⁄𝒅𝟏𝟎⁄𝟑 ]〉

• = 𝑺𝒐 { 𝟑 }
𝒅𝒙 𝒅
(𝟏−( 𝒄 ) )
𝒅

𝟏𝟎⁄
𝒅 𝟑
[𝟏−( 𝒏 ) ]
𝒅𝒅 𝒅
• Therefore 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑺𝟎 𝒅 𝟑 … … . [𝟕]
[𝟏−( 𝒄 ) ]
𝒅

Where:
d = Actual depth
dc= Critical depth
dn= Normal depth or Manning’s depth

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