OPEN CHANNEL HYDRAULICS

(CIE 313)
Specific Energy

Assoc. Prof. Dr./ Mohamed Elsayed Gabr

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 Outline

❑ Open channel flow regimes

❑ Energy principle in open channels

❑ Specific energy curve

❑ Specific discharge curve

❑ Alternate depths

❑ Critical flow
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 Open Channel Flow Regimes

➢ Uniform flow: The velocity at a given time does not change

with a given length of a channel.
➢ Gradually varied: gradual changes in velocity with
distance.

➢ Laminar and turbulent

➢ Laminar: flow appears to be a movement of thin layers on
top of each other.
➢ Turbulent: packets of liquid move in irregular paths.

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 Open Channel Flow Regimes
Subcritical (tranquil) flow:

𝒗
𝑭𝑵 = < 𝟏. 𝟎 𝒚 > 𝒚𝒄 𝒗 < 𝒗𝒄
𝒈𝒚

❑ Is deeper and slower than critical flow.

❑ This is what you usually see in ricers

❑ Relatively slow moving.

Supercritical (Shooting) flow:

𝒗
𝑭𝑵 = > 𝟏. 𝟎 𝒚 < 𝒚𝒄 𝒗 > 𝒗𝒄
𝒈𝒚
❖ Is shallower and faster than critical flow

❖ This is what you see in steep channels (i.e. flow over a weir)

❖ Fast moving.
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 Open channel flow: Energy relations
Total Energy on open channel flow,
𝑽𝟐
𝑬=𝒁+𝒚+
𝟐𝒈

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 Specific Energy
❑ It is defined as energy per unit weight of the liquid with
respect to the bottom of the channel.
❑The sum of the depth of flow and the velocity head is the
specific energy.
Total Energy on open channel flow,

𝑽𝟐
𝑬=𝒁+𝒚+
𝟐𝒈

Considering the channel bed

as datum line, z = 0

𝑽𝟐
Specific Energy, 𝑬 = 𝒚 +
𝟐𝒈 6
 Example 1
A trapezoidal channel having a bed width of 6 m and side slope
1:1 is discharging water at a rate of 8 m3/s. Calculate specific
energy of the water, if the depth of flow in the channel is 2.0 m.

Solution:
Area of flow, A = (6+2) *2 = 16 m2.
Given:
Velocity of water,
Bed width of the channel b = 6 m,
V = Q/A = 8/16 = 0.5 m/s.
Side slope = 1:1,
Using the relation,
Discharge, Q = 8 m3/s,
𝑽𝟐
Depth of flow, y = 2 m. 𝑬=𝒚+ with usual notations.
𝟐𝒈

Let E = Specific Energy of water. 𝟎.𝟓𝟐

E=𝟐+ = 2.013 m.
𝟐(𝟗.𝟖𝟏) 7
 Specific energy curve
Specific energy curve is defined as the curve which shows the variation specific

energy with the depth of flow. The specific energy of flow is

𝑽𝟐
𝑬 = 𝒚 + 𝟐𝒈 = EPo E + EK.E Where: EPo E = Pressure energy = Depth of flow = y
Plotting specific energy curve
Step 1: First EP.E. = y is drawn, which is
Tranquil
a straight line inclined at angle of 45o to or
the x-axis.
𝒒𝟐
Step 2: Draw anther curve, EK.E. =
𝟐𝒈𝒚𝟐
which is parabola is drawn. or
shooting
Step 3: Combining them, specific

energy curve ABC is obtained. 8

From Specific Energy curve, corresponding to the Minimum

specific energy E (min), there is only one depth of flow that is

called the critical depth.

Figure 8. Specific energy through an open channel.

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 Specific energy curve
❑ For values of E greater than Emin, there are two corresponding depth.
One depth is greater than the critical depth and the other is smaller
than the critical depth, for example , 𝑬𝟏 → 𝒚𝟏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝟐
❑ These two depths for a given specific energy are called alternate
depths.
❑ 𝒚𝟏 > 𝒚𝒄 → the flow is subcritical (FN < 1.0). E increases as y
increases.
❑ 𝒚𝟐 < 𝒚𝒄 → the flow is supercritical (FN > 1.0). E decreases as y
increases.

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 Critical Flow

yh is the hydraulic main depth

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Specific Energy Curve

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 Critical Flow
Critical Flow depth
Depth of flow of water at which the specific energy (E) is
minimum is called as critical depth (yc). For rectangular
channel, critical depth,
𝟏/𝟑
𝒒𝟐
𝒚𝒄 =
𝒈

Critical Velocity
The velocity of flow at the critical depth is called critical velocity
𝑽𝒄 .
𝑽𝒄 = 𝒈 𝒚 𝒄
Where, 𝒚𝒄 is the critical depth and g is the acceleration due to
gravity.
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Types of flows
1. Streaming flow,
2. Critical flow, and
3. Shooting flow.
Streaming flow (subcritical flow)
If the depth of water, in a channel is greater than

the critical depth, the flow is called tranquil flow or streaming flow.

Critical flow
If the depth of water, in a channel is critical, the flow is called critical flow.

Shooting flow (supercritical flow)

If the depth of water, in a channel is less than the critical depth, the flow is called
torrential flow or shooting flow (supercritical flow).
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Types of flows

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Specific discharge Curve

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 Specific Energy: Sluice Gate
❑ For values of Q smaller than Qmax, there are two corresponding depth.
One depth is greater than the critical depth and the other is smaller than
the critical depth, for example , 𝑸 → 𝒚𝟏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝟐
❑ These two depths for a given specific energy are called alternate depths.
❑ 𝒚𝟏 > 𝒚𝒄 → the flow is subcritical (FN < 1.0). Q decreases as y
increases.
❑ 𝒚𝟐 < 𝒚𝒄 → the flow is supercritical (FN > 1.0). Q increases as y
increases.

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 Specific Energy: Sluice Gate
Example 2

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 Example 2

Show that the discharge passing through a sluice gate is given

by:

𝑸 = 𝑪𝒅 𝒃𝒂 𝟐 𝒈 (𝑬 − 𝑪𝒄 𝒂)

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Specific Energy: Sluice Gate

𝑸 = 𝑪𝒅 𝒃𝒂 𝟐 𝒈 (𝑬 − 𝑪𝒄 𝒂)

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Example 3
A cement lined rectangular channel 6 m wide carries water at the rate of 10
m3/s. Calculate the critical depth and velocity.

Solution:
Given: discharge, Q = 10 m3/s
Width of the channel, b = 6 m.
∴ Discharge /unit width = q = Q/b
= 10/6 = 1.67 m3/s.
Critical velocity
Critical depth
Let, 𝒚𝒄 = Critical depth. Let, Vc = Critical velocity.
𝟏/𝟑
𝒒𝟐
𝒚𝒄 = with usual notations.
𝒈
Using the relation,

𝟏/𝟑
𝟏.𝟔𝟕𝟐 Vc = q/yc = 1.67/0.657 = 2.54 m/s.
𝒚𝒄 = = 0.657 m.
𝟗.𝟖𝟏
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Example 4
A channel of rectangular section 7.5 m wide is discharged water at the rate
of 12 m3/s with an average velocity of 1.5 m/s. find:

(a) Specific energy of the flowing water

(b) Depth of water, when specific energy is minimum.
(c) Velocity of water, when specific energy is minimum.
(d) Minimum specific energy of the flowing water
(e) Type of flow.

Solution.

Given: discharge, Q = 12 m3/s

Width of the channel, b = 7.5 m.

∴ Discharge /unit width = q = Q/b = 12/7.5 = 1.6 m3/s.

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Average velocity of water, V = 1.5 m/s

Depth of flowing water,

y = q/V = 1.6/1.5 = 1.067 m.

Specific energy of the flowing water

Let, E = Specific energy of the flowing water.

𝑽𝟐 𝟏.𝟓𝟐
Using the relation, 𝑬 = 𝒚 + = 𝟏. 𝟎𝟔𝟕 + = 1.182 m.
𝟐𝒈 𝟐(𝟗.𝟖𝟏)

Depth of water, when specific energy is minimum.

Let, yc = Depth of water, when specific energy is minimum (critical depth).

Using the relation,
𝟏/𝟑
𝒒𝟐
𝐲𝒄 = with usual notations.
𝒈
𝟏/𝟑
𝟏.𝟔𝟐
𝐲𝒄 = 𝟗.𝟖𝟏
= 0.639 m.
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Velocity of water, when specific energy is minimum.
Let Vc , the velocity of water, when specific energy is minimum (i.e. critical
velocity).

Using the relation, Vc = q/yc = 1.6/0.639 = 2.5 m/s.

Minimum specific energy of the flow water

Let, 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒏 is the Minimum specific energy of the flow water

𝑽𝟐𝒄
Using the relation, 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒏 = 𝒚𝒄 + with usual notations.
𝟐𝒈

𝟐.𝟓𝟐
E = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟑𝟗 + = 0.958 m.
𝟐(𝟗.𝟖𝟏)

Type of flow
Since the depth of water is 1.067 m is more than the critical depth (0.639),
therefore the flow is streaming. 24
 Specific Energy: Example 5

A discharge of 500 cfs is carried by a trapezoidal channel 10 ft

wide, 1:1 side slope. Evaluate the Froude’s Number when the
specific energy is 8.7 ft.

Solution

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Specific Energy: Example

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Specific Energy: Example

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 Exercise
1. Write True (√) or False (X) without rewriting the questions.

i- Uniform flow occurs in a prismatic channel when the depth and other flow
characteristics are constant everywhere along the length of the channel ( ).

ii- In uniform flow computations, there are six variables (Q, V, yn, N, S, and
geometrical elements). Any two unknowns can be computed using the
continuity equation and the Manning’s formula. ( )

iii- Specific energy of flow at channel section is the energy per unit weight of
water measured from the channel bed as the datum. ( )

𝒒𝟐
iv- Specific energy for rectangular channel, 𝑬 = 𝒚 + ( )
𝟐𝒈𝒚𝟐

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v- The depth of flow for a given discharge when the specific energy is
minimum is called the critical depth. ( )
vi- The critical depth is equal to the depth of flow when the discharge is
maximum for a given specific energy ( )

𝑸𝟐 𝑨𝟑
vii- for critical depth, = , where T is the width of channel at the free
𝒈 𝑻
surface. ( ).

viii- when the flow is critical, the Froude number (Fn), with the hydraulic
𝑽
depth as the characteristic length, is unity, i.e. 𝒈𝒚 = 1 ( )
ix- When the depth of flow is greater than the critical depth, the flow is
subcritical. ( )

xi- The specific energy increases with increase in depth ( )

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 Exercise
A rectangular channel 8 m wide conveys water at a rate of

15 m3/s. if the velocity in the channel is 1.5 m/s, determine;

a) E

b) yc

c) Vc

d) Emin

e) Type of flow

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 Exercise
Determine the critical depth in a trapezoidal channel of
0.6 m wide, 1:1 side slope, and discharge of 0.34 m3/s.

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 Exercise
Determine the critical depth in a triangular channel
conveying water at a velocity of 2.75 m/s and at a depth
of 1.255 m. the channel has side slope of 1:2.

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 Exercise

Determine the critical depth in a trapezoidal channel of

0.6 m wide, and side sloping 45o. When the discharge is
20 m3/min. [Ans. 0.27 m]

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Thank you

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