CEHYRD1L – HYDRAULICS LABORATORY

2ND TERM AY 2022-2023

LABORATORY MANUAL

EXPERIMENT 2
FLUID FLOW MEASUREMENT IN OPEN CHANNELS

I. EQUIPMENT
a. Teaching flume
b. Stopwatch/timer (mobile phone timers are recommended)
c. Weighing scale
d. Pail/bucket
e. Plastic bottle cap (or any available small floating device)
f. Ruler
g. Tape measure
h. Level bar
i. Whiteboard marker

II. PROCEDURES

Open channels are those natural and man-made structures through which water flows
with a free surface. Several different and varied methods have been developed to measure
the flow of water in open channels. Some of the more common methods currently in use to
measure open channel flows are:
• Volumetric method
• Area-Velocity method
• Manning’s Equation / (Gauckler-Manning-Strickler Formula)
• Hydraulic Structures (Flumes & Weirs)

VOLUMETRIC METHOD
The complete flow stream is to be collected in a container (pail/bucket) for a fixed
length of time. The contents of the container are then weighed to determine the volume of
water. This method is also called as timed gravimetric flow method, and sometimes referred
to as the “bucket and stopwatch” method.

The flow rate is then computed using the formula:

𝑽
𝑸=
𝒕
Q – flow rate (m3/s)
V – volume of liquid (m3) collected at time t
t – collection period (s)

Procedure:
1. Make sure that the teaching flume is properly levelled. Remove all attachments if
necessary.
 2. Turn-on the motor pump and wait for at least 1 minute to allow water to completely
flow in the channel.
3. Adjust the knob for a specific flow rate. Record the flow rate reading in the teaching
flume.
4. Obtain the empty weight of the pail/bucket (mb) that will be used.
5. TIMING IS CRUCIAL: Setup the timer and place the bucket near the drain (See
item #10 in the diagram) of the teaching flume. The timer shall start when the
bucket starts collecting water and will be stopped simultaneously when sufficient
volume of water is collected. Make sure to minimize spillage and avoid overflow in
the bucket. Record the time of collection (t).
6. Weigh the bucket with water (ms) and then return the contents in the tank. Repeat
step 5-6 two more times for a total of three trials.
7. Once completed, change the rate in the teaching flume (step 3) and record the flow
rate reading. You will be doing step 3-6 three times (Q1, Q2, Q3).

AREA-VELOCITY METHOD
It is the most common method of estimating open channel flow. It is the measurement
of the mean flow velocity over a determined cross-sectional area yields the stream flow rate.
As the term implies, the flow is the product of the average velocity and the cross-sectional
area of flow.

The flow rate is then computed using the formula:

𝑸 = ⃗𝑽
⃗ ×𝑨
Q – flow rate (m3/s)
V – velocity of flow (m/s)
A – cross-sectional area of flow (m2)

Procedure:
1. Make sure that the teaching flume is properly levelled. Remove all attachments if
necessary.
2. Turn-on the motor pump and wait for at least 1 minute to allow water to completely
flow in the channel.
3. Adjust the knob for a specific flow rate (using the same flow rate in volumetric
method, Q1, Q2, Q3). Record the flow rate reading in the teaching flume.
4. Measure the cross-sectional area of the flow (h x w, h is the height of flow
measured from the bottom surface, w is the width of flow).
5. Measure a length (L) of flow in the flume and mark the start and end points. Start
point is upstream (near inlet) and end point is downstream (near outlet).
SETUP (STEP 4-5)

6. TIMING IS CRUCIAL: Setup the timer and ready the floating device right before
the start point mark (DO NOT PLACE EXACTLY AT THE START MARK). Carefully
drop the floater and once it reaches the start mark, start the timer. Watch the
floater move downstream (make sure that it does not touch the side walls of the
flume) and once it passes through the end mark, stop the timer. Record the total
time (t).
(Note: Have someone ready to catch the floater once it passes the end mark)
7. Repeat step 6 three times (total of 3 trials).
8. Once completed, change the rate in the teaching flume (step 3) and record the flow
rate reading. You will be doing step 3-6 three times (Q1, Q2, Q3).

III. EXPERIMENT QUESTIONS

1. Which of the two methods is more convenient in measuring flow rate?

2. Which of the two methods is more accurate in measuring flow rate?
3. In terms of fluid properties, what can you say about the flow rate of the water in
the flume?
IV. RESULTS

1. For the volumetric method, compute for the flow rate of all the trials performed.
Use density of water equal to 1000kg/m3 to compute for the volume of water.
Obtain their average and compare with the flow rate reading in the teaching flume.
Discuss the comparison and speculate as to what causes the difference in the
computed flow rate (if any).
2. For the area-velocity method, compute for the flow rate of all the trials performed.
Compute for the velocity of flow by dividing the length of flow (L) with the floater
travel time (t). Obtain their average and compare with the flow rate reading in the
teaching flume. Discuss the comparison and speculate as to what causes the
difference in the computed flow rate (if any).
3. Compare the results using the two methods. Identify which method gives a more
accurate flow rate and discuss how can we apply this flow measurement method
in open channel flow analysis.
VOLUMETRIC METHOD

Q1 = _________
Bucket empty Weight of bucket Time, t Weight of Volume of Flow
weight, mb + water, ms (s) water, mw Water, Vw rate, Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Q2 = _________
Bucket empty Weight of bucket Time Weight of Volume of Flow
weight, mb + water, ms (s) water, mw Water, Vw rate, Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Q3 = _________
Bucket empty Weight of bucket Time Weight of Volume of Flow
weight, mb + water, ms (s) water, mw Water, Vw rate, Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

AREA-VELOCITY METHOD

Q1 = _________
Height of Width of Length of Time, t Area of Velocity, Flow rate,
flow, h flow, w flow, L flow, A ⃗𝑽
⃗ Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Q2 = _________
Height of Width of Length of Time, t Area of Velocity, Flow rate,
flow, h flow, w flow, L flow, A ⃗𝑽
⃗ Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Q3 = _________
Height of Width of Length of Time, t Area of Velocity, Flow rate,
flow, h flow, w flow, L flow, A ⃗⃗
𝑽 Q
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Note: Record data/measurements in two decimal places.