Advanced Hydraulics

Free Surface Flow

Computation of Water Surface Profiles

M1

w M3

Cc*w

The following may be required:

1. Distance between two known depths (e.g. M3
curve)
2. Depth at a given distance from a location of
known depth (e.g. M1 curve)
1. Distance from depths – the Direct Step
Method

dy So  S f y

dx 1  Fr 2
Δy
yi+1
yi
Δx x
xi Xi+1

y S0 S f x 1 Fr
2
 1 Fr 2 
  x y
x 1 Fr 2 y S0 S f  S S 
 0 f mean
Steps of solution:

1. From Gradually Varied Flow Principles, determine the expected water

surface profile, control depth, and depth change Δytotal, which is the
difference between final depth and starting depth (Δytotal = yfinal – yinitial)
2. Determine the control depth as the starting depth (yinitial)
3. Based on the number of steps to be used (n), Δy= (Δytotal)/n
4. Start at initial depth yinitial
5. Calculate the term in brackets at the mean depth ymean = yinitial + Δy/2
6. Calculate Δx
7. Repeat n times
8. Total Distance = Ʃ Δxi, from i = 1 to n
 Example 1: GVF calculation using direct step method
Example 1: Direct Step Method

Rectangular Channel, b = 8 m, So =
1/1000, n = 0.02, Q = 20 m3/sec
Gate with opening = 0.4 m,
coefficient of contraction = 0.67
How far downstream of the gate
does the hydraulic jump occur?
Q 20 m3/sec
n 0.02
So 0.001
b 8m

yo 1.495 m
A 11.957 m2
P 10.989 m
R 1.088 m
Discharge 20 m3/sec
g 9.81 m/sec2
q 2.5 m2/sec

yc 0.8605 < yo mild slope

yconj 0.4405 conjugate depth of yo

w 0.4 gate opening

cc 0.67 coefficient of contraction
yinitial 0.268 initial depth after vena contracta
 yconj 0.4405 conjugate depth of yo

w 0.4 gate opening

cc 0.67 coefficient of contraction
yinitial 0.268 initial depth after vena contracta

dytotal 0.172543

no. of stepsn 3

dy 0.057514

depth calculated based on ymean

y ymean A P R Sf Fr2 f(x,y) dx
0.2680
0.3255 0.297 2.374 8.594 0.276 0.1578 24.4 149.12 8.58
0.3830 0.354 2.834 8.709 0.325 0.0890 14.3 151.49 8.71
0.4405 0.412 3.294 8.824 0.373 0.0548 9.1 150.89 8.68

Total length 25.97

100.450
100.400
100.350
100.300
100.250
bed elev
100.200
WSE
100.150
100.100
100.050
100.000
99.950
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
 2. Depth at a given distance:

1. Euler Method

y
y i’ = dy/dx i = f(xi,yi) = yi’

S 0 S f e

yi+1 = yi + dy/dx i * Δx 1 Fr
2
i
yi+1
yi Δx

xi xi+1 x
Example 2: Euler Method

Rectangular Channel, b = 8 m, So = 1/1000, n = 0.02, Q = 20 m3/sec

Gate with opening = 0.4 m, coefficient of contraction = 0.67
Find water surface elevation at 2000 m upstream knowing that bed elevation at gate is +100

Q 20 m3/sec
n 0.02
So 0.001
b 8m

yo 1.495 m
A 11.957 m2
P 10.989 m
R 1.088 m
Discharge 20 m3/sec
g 9.81 m/sec2
q 2.5 m2/sec

yc 0.8605 < yo mild slope

w 0.4 m gate opening
cc 0.67 coefficient of contraction
yinitial 4.689 m initial depth upstream of gate

distance -2000 m

y1 4.689 m
y2 0.268 m v12/2g
E2 4.703 m
E1 4.703 m
y1 v22/2g

M3 curve

y2

vena contracta
 distance -2000 m

# of steps n 5

dx -400
z0 100

depth
xi yi Ai Pi Ri Sfi Fr2i yi' dy yi+1 zi wsei
0 4.6885 37.5080668 17.37702 2.158487 0.000041 0.00618 0.000965 -0.386079 4.3024 100 104.689
-400 4.3024 34.419437 16.60486 2.072853 0.000051 0.00800 0.000957 -0.382621 3.9198 100.4 104.702
-800 3.9198 31.3584705 15.83962 1.979749 0.000065 0.01058 0.000945 -0.377815 3.5420 100.8 104.720
-1200 3.5420 28.3359471 15.08399 1.878545 0.000086 0.01434 0.000927 -0.37093 3.1711 101.2 104.742
-1600 3.1711 25.3685074 14.34213 1.768811 0.000116 0.01998 0.000902 -0.360718 2.8103 101.6 104.771
-2000 2.8103 22.4827605 13.62069 1.650633 0.000162 0.02870 0.000862 -0.344997 2.4653 102 104.810

106

105
elevation (m)

104
zi
103
wsei
c 102

101

100
-2500 -2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0
distance (m)
Calculation of discharge from lake into horizontal channel
6

y
5
A2 vent 2/(2 g) H2 4

yent3

yent 2

H yc 1
yc 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Emin H E

2
1
Energy at Energy at
Mild sudden entrance
fall
To find Q given H, So = 0, n, cross-section shape and length of channel
1. Assume a value for yc of the channel (which should be less than 2/3 H)
2. From the assumed yc, find q
3. Starting at the sudden fall, calculate the H2 profile up to the channel entrance
4. Calculate the total energy at the channel entrance = yent + vent 2/(2 g) (taking the horizontal bed as
datum)
5. Compare the total energy at the entrance to H, if equal, your assumed yc was correct
6. Otherwise increase or decrease the assumed yc as needed and repeat until H equals to the
calculated total energy at the entrance
(Note that the above solution neglects the losses in the A2 profile)
Assignment 2 GVF – Due date 09/11/2022

1. A wide horizontal channel of length L takes its water from a lake. The static water level in the lake
is 105 m and the level of the channel bed is 100m. Manning’s n = 0.03.
For the values of L = 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000 meters:
• Find the value of flowing discharge and the critical depth.
• For each case, plot to a suitable scale the channel bed, water surface profile and total
energy line along the full length of the channel.

(105)

(100)