Geometric properties

of a parabolic section

Jhonath W. Mejía and Víctor M. Ponce

210221

ABSTRACT

T he purpose of this article is to formulate the equations for the

calculation of the geometric properties of a parabolic section, in
open-channel hydraulics. These equations are compared with
those presented in Chapter 2 of Ven Te Chow's book "Open-
channel Nydraulics" (1959).

1.   INTRODUCTION

T he calculation of the geometric properties of a parabolic channel section is

accomplished by applying normal and line integrals, making use of the parameters
that characterize a parabola.

2.  GEOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A PARABOLIC SECTION

T he Manning equation is:

             A
 2/3 1/2
  Q  =  ____  R   So (1)
             n

in which Q = flow rate; A = flow area; R = hydraulic radius; So = bottom slope; and n

= Manning's roughness. Therefore:

2/3
   Q n              A
  _____  =  A  _____ (2)
1/2 2/3
  So             P

in which the section factor Fs is given as follows:

5/3
              A
  Fs  =  ______ (3)
2/3
             P

Therefore:

5
               A
3
  Fs   =  _____ (4)
2
               P

The area and perimeter of a parabolic section corresponding to a flow depth yo and

top width T are shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1  Definition sketch of a parabolic section.

To calculate the area, the following integral is used:

                    T/2

  A  =  2 ∫  (fx2 - fx1) dx (5)
                   0

                    T/2                          T/2
 2
  A  =  2 ∫  (y ) dx  -  2 ∫  (4Fx ) dx (6)
o
                   0                              0

 3
                                          x
T/2 ___ T/2 (7)
  A  =  2yo [ x ] 0   -  8F [   ] 0
                                          3

 3
                      FT
  A  =  yoT -  _____ (8)
                       3

in which 4F is a parameter of the parabola defined as follows:

               yo            4yo
  4F  =  ______  =  _____ (9)
 2  2
            (T/2)         T

Therefore:

             yo
  F  =  _____ (10)
 2
            T

Substituting Eq. 10 in Eq. 8:

 3
                         yo       T                     yoT

  A  =  yoT  -   _____  _____  =  yoT  -  _____ (11)

 2
                        T        3                       3

Therefore:

            2yoT
  A  =  ______ (12)
               3

For the wetted perimeter, a line integral is used:

                    T/2
 2  1/2
  P  =  2 ∫  [1 + (f 'x1) ]  dx (13)
                   0

                    T/2
 2  2  1/2 (14)
  P  =  2 ∫  [1 + (8F) x ]  dx
                   0

2 2 1/2
Equation 14 has the form of a known integral:   ∫ (a +x ) dx, and its solution is:

-1
                 x                                  sinh  (8Fx)
___  2  2  1/2 _______________ T/2 (15)
  P  =  2 [   [1 + (8F) x ]  +   ] 0
                 2                                        2 (8F)

-1
                  T/2                                         sinh  (8FT/2)
______ 2  2  1/2 _________________ (16)
  P  =  2 {   [1 + (8F) (T/2) ]  +   }
                    2                                                  2(8F)

Substituting Eq. 10 in Eq. 16:

-1  2
                  T/2                                                   sinh  (8(yo/T )(T/2))
 2  2  2  1/2 ________________________
  P  =  2 { ______ [1 + (8(y /T ))  (T/2) ] o  +   } (17)

 2
                    2                                                            2(8(yo/T ))

 2  2
             T            16yo               T                    4yo
 1/2 ______ -1
  P  =  ____ ( 1 + ______ )  +   sinh  ( ______ ) (18)
 2
             2              T                 8yo                    T

             T                  4yo                     T                     4yo
____ ______  2  1/2 ______ -1 ______ (19)
  P  =    [ ( 1 + (   )  )  +   sinh  (   ) ]
             2                   T                      4yo                    T

Equation 19 may be expressed in terms of logarithms as follows:

-1  2  1/2
 sinh θ = ln [θ+ (1+θ ) ] (20)

Therefore:

             T                  4yo                   T            4yo                  4yo
 2  1/2 _____  2  1/2
  P  =  _____ { [1 + ( _____ )  ]  +   ln [ _____ + ( 1 + ( _____ )  ) ] } (21)
             2                   T                    4yo           T                     T

Equation 21 is the same formula that appears in Table 2-1 of Ven Te Chow's 1959
book: “Open-channel Hydraulics”.

Figure 2 shows Eq. 19 in graphical form: P = f (T,yo), for 0 < T < 10; 0 < yo < 5:

Fig. 2  Wetted perimeter versus flow depth and top width.

Equation 19 is used to construct the geometric properties of the parabola.

The free surface width T is:

            3A
  T  =  _____ (22)
            2yo

The hydraulic radius R is:

             A
  R  =  _____ (23)
             P

                                                  2yoT
                                                ______
                                                     3
  R  =  ____________________________________________________ (24)
             T                  4yo                    T                     4yo
____ ______  2  1/2 ______ -1 ______
             { [ 1 + (   )  ]  +   sinh  (   ) }
             2                   T                      4yo                   T

            4yo                 4yo                     T                    4yo
 2  1/2 ______ -1
  R  =  _____ { [ 1 + ( ______ )  ]  +   sinh  ( ______ ) } -1 (25)
              3                    T                      4yo                  T

The hydraulic depth D is:

             A          A
  D  =  ____  =  ____
             T         3A (26)
                       ____
                        2yo

Therefore:

            2yo
  D  =  _____ (27)
              3

Table 1 summarizes the properties of a parabolic section. The properties may be

calculated online using Online geometric elements parabolic.

Table 1.   Geometric properties of a parabolic section.

Property Equation Formula

          2yoT
Area Eq. 12   A  =  ______
           3

    T                 4yo                     T                     4yo
 2  1/2 ______ -1
Wetted perimeter Eq. 19   P  =  ___ { [ 1 + ( ______ )  ]  +   sinh  ( ______ ) }
   2                  T                     4yo                    T

           3A
Top
Eq. 22   T  =  ______
width
            2yo

   4yo                  4yo                    T                    4yo
Hydraulic  2  1/2 ______ -1
radius
Eq. 25   R  =  _____ { [ 1 + ( ______ )  ]  +   sinh  ( _____ ) } -1
  3                    T                      4yo                   T

           2yo
Hydraulic depth Eq. 27   D  =  ______
            3

APPENDIX I.   REFERENCES

Chow, V. T. 1959. Open Channel Hydraulics. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Leithold, L. 1998. Calculus, Seventh Edition, Oxford University Press - Harla México, S.A.

APPENDIX II.  NOTATION

The following notation is used in this document:

Q = flow rate;

n = Manning's coefficient;

So = bottom slope;

yo = (center) flow depth;

Fs = section factor;

A = flow area;

P = wetted perimeter;

T = top width;

R = hydraulic radius; and

D = hydraulic depth.

210502 04:30

Documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view;
download Adobe Acrobat Reader.