Chapter Four : UNIFORM FLOW

• Concept of Uniform Flow

• Establishment of Uniform Flow
• CHEZY EQUATION
• MANNING’s EQUATION
• Uniform Flow Computation
• Discharge and Velocity
• Hydraulic Radius
• Normal Depth
• Hydraulically Efficient Cross-section
• Compound section
• Critical slope
• Design of Irrigation Canal
Concept of Uniform Flow
• Uniform flow is referring the steady uniform flow
• Steady flow is characterized by no changes in time.
• Uniform flow is characterized by the water cross section and
depth remaining constant over a certain reach of the channel.
• For any channel of given roughness, cross section and slope,
there exists one and only one water depth, called the normal
depth , at which the flow will be uniform.
• Uniform equilibrium flow can occur only in a straight channel
with a constant channel slope and cross-sectional shape, and a
constant discharge.
• The energy grade line Sf, water surface slope Sw and channel bed
slope S0 are all parallel, i.e. Sf=Sw=So
Concept of Uniform…
 Establishment of Uniform Flow
• When flow occurs in an open channel, resistance is encountered
by the water as it flows downstream
• A uniform flow will be developed if the resistance is balanced by
the gravity forces.
• If the water enters into a channel slowly, the velocity and the
resistance are small, and the resistance is out balanced by the
gravity forces, resulting in an accelerating flow in the upstream
reach.
• The velocity and the resistance will gradually increase until a
balance between resistance and gravity forces is reached. At this
moment and afterward the flow becomes uniform.
• The upstream reach that is required for the establishment of
uniform flow is known as the transitory zone
Establishment of Uniform…
The Chezy Formula

• By definition there is no acceleration in uniform flow

• By applying the momentum equation to control volume

encompassing sections 1 and 2, distance L apart as
shown in the figure
The Chezy …..
 The Chezy …..

The equation expressed in eq (4.3) is called Chezy Equation and

the coefficient also called Chezy coefficient

We know the Darcy –Weisbach equation in the pipe flow expressed as

 The Chezy …..
• For smooth pipes, f is found to be a function of the Reynolds
number (Re= VD/v ) only.

• For rough turbulent flows, f is a function of the relative roughness

(ɛ/D) and types of roughness, which independent of the Reynolds
number.

• Open Channel, we can be considered to be a conduit cut into two

Note that for uniform flow in an open channel hf/L = slope of the
energy line = Sf = S0,
Example 3.1:
A 2.0m wide rectangular channel carries water at 20oc at a depth of
0.5m. The channel is laid on a slope of 0.0004. Find the hydrodynamic
nature of the surface if the channel is made of

A. Very smooth concrete

B. Rough concrete
C. Estimate the discharges in the channel in both case
using chezy formula with Dancy-Weisbach f.
 The MANNING’S Formula
The simplest resistance formula and the most widely used equation for the mean
velocity calculation is the Manning equation which has been derived by Robert
Manning (1890) by analyzing the experimental data obtained from his own
experiments and from those of others. His equation is,
OTHERS RESISTANCE FORMULAE
MANNING’S Roughness Coefficient (n)
Factors Affecting Manning’s Roughness Coefficient
– Surface Roughness

– Vegetation

– Channel Irregularity

– Channel Alignment

– Silting and Scouring

– Obstruction

– Size and Shape of the Channel

– Stage and Discharge

– Seasonal Change
 …….Coefficient (n)
Determination of Manning’s Roughness Coefficient
– Cowan Method

– Empirical Formulae for n

 …….Coefficient (n)
Equivalent Roughness Coefficient
Example 3.2
An earthen trapezoidal channel (n = 0.025) has a bottom
width of 5.0 m, side slopes of 1.5 horizontal: 1 vertical
and a uniform flow depth of 1.10 m. In an economic study
to remedy excessive seepage from the canal two
proposals,

a) to line the sides only and,

b) to line the bed only are considered.

If the lining is of smooth concrete (n = 0.012), calculate

the equivalent roughness in the above two cases.
 UNIFORM FLOW COMPUTATION
• Discharge and Velocity
• Hydraulic Radius
• Normal Depth
• Hydraulically Efficient Cross-section
• Compound section
• Critical slope
 Discharge and Velocity
Chezy Equation
Q  CA RS o

Manning equation
1
Q  AR 2 / 3 S o1/ 2 QK So
n
Where K= 1/nAR2/3 is called Conveyance of the channel
Or
If equating it as, nk= AR2/3 , it is called the section factor
for uniform, flow
 Hydraulic Radius
Deep Channel Wide Channel

for narrow deep cross-sections Wide shallow rectangular cross-sections

R≈ B/2. R≈y
 Normal Depth
Rectangular Channel

wide Rectangular Channel (y0/B < 0.02 )

• Considering a unit width of a wide rectangular channel,
B = 1.0,  A= yo , and Q/B = q
R = yo

Rectangular Channel with y0/B > 0.02 )

 Normal Depth
Trapezoidal Channel
 Normal Depth
Lined Channel
Indian Standards (IS: 4745 -1968) consists of two
standardized lined canal section
• Trapezoidal > 55m3/sec
• Triangular < 55m3/sec).
Example 3.3
A standard lined trapezoidal cannel section is to be designed to
convey 100m3/sec of flow. The side slope is to be 1.5H:1V and the
manning’s coefficient n= 0.016. The longitudinal slope of the bed is 1
in 5000m. If a bed width of 10m is preferred what would be the
normal depth?
The Hydraulic Efficient Channel Section
The best hydraulic (the most efficient) cross-section for a given Q,
n, and S0 is the one with a minimum excavation and minimum
lining cross-section.
A = Amin  P = Pmin.

In other case the best hydraulic cross-section for a given A, n, and

S0 is the cross-section that conveys maximum discharge.

Thus the cross-section with the minimum wetted perimeter for a

given discharge Q and area A is consider the best hydraulic cross-
section
 The Hydraulic Efficient …..

Rectangular channel section

The Hydraulic Efficient …..
Compound Sections

• combination of elementary
sections

• Natural channels, such as

rivers, have flood plains
 Compound Sections …

• divided into subsections by arbitrary lines, extensions of the

deep channel boundaries
• longitudinal slope to be same for all subsections
• subsections will have different mean velocities depending upon
the depth and roughness of the boundaries
• If the depth of flow is confined to the deep channel only (y < h),
calculation of discharge by using Manning’s equation is very
simple. However, when the flow spills over the flood plain (y >
h), the problem of discharge calculation is complicated
 Compound Sections …
Thus to compute the discharge when Y > h
– Calculate wetted perimeter for each sub-areas, but the
imaginary divisions (FJ and CK in the Figure) are considered
as boundaries for the deeper portion only

– Calculate the discharge as the sum of the partial discharges

in the sub-areas

– The discharge is also calculated by considering the whole

section as one unit, (ABCDEFGH area in Figure), say Qw

– The larger of the above discharges, Qp and Qw, is adopted as

the discharge at the depth y
 Critical slope (Sc)
Critical slope is the slope of a specified channel necessary to have
uniform flow of a given discharge with critical depth as normal
depth
1
Q  Ac Rc2 / 3 S c1/ 2
n If we consider rectangular

n 2Q 2 channel
Sc  2 4 / 3 n 2 g 10/ 9
Sc  2 / 9
Ac Rc q
If Sc > So  Yo > Yc  Subcritical flow  mild slope channel

If Sc < So  Yo < Yc  Supercritical flow  Steep slope channel

If Sc = So  Yo = Yc  Critical flow  Critical slope channel

 Design of Irrigation Canal
• Designed based on rules and equations uniform flow

• A and R the geometric elements that have to consider in the

design process

• General the design of the canal governed with the relation

below which has six variables one dependent and other
independent.

• Each variables should be known either explicitly or implicitly, or

as inequalities, mostly in terms of empirical relationships
 Design of Irrigation …
• Roughness coefficient ( n )
– Procedures for selecting n are discussed and values of n can be
taken from Table (4.4)
• Longitudinal Slope (So)
– The longitudinal slope is fixed on the basis of topography to
command as much area as possible with the limiting velocities
acting as constraints. Usually the slopes are of the order of
0.0001.
• Canal Section (m)
– Normally a trapezoidal section is adopted. The side slope,
expressed as m horizontal: 1 vertical, depends on the type of
canal, (i.e. lined or unlined, nature and type of soil through
which the canal is laid).
– m can be in the range of 0.25 -2 based on the material it is
recommended 1.0 -1.5 for natural soil.
 Design of Irrigation …
• Width to Depth Ratio (B/y)
– The relationship between width and depth varies widely
depending upon the design practice. If the hydraulically most-
efficient channel cro ss-section is adopted,

– For other section B

 2( 1  m 2  m)
yo
– Usually depths higher than 4.0 m is not recommended
unless it is it is absolutely necessary.

• Free Board
 Design of Irrigation …
• Procedures
 Start with B/y ratio and compute width (B), area (A), and
hydraulics radius (R) , interims of depth (y)
 substitute the values in discharge equation
 Solve the equation for y, if the value of y < 4 acceptable
 Compute the area and the velocity, if the V < Vp acceptable
If not take the maximum
permissible velocity and then
compute the area.
Using the area compute the
depth if it in the acceptable
range

Compute the width and the side slope to fix the design elements
If not proceed to adjust the side slop of the canal
If doesn’t work test on the longitudinal slope
 ASSIGMENT
Design a trapezoidal Irrigation channel to carry 75m3/sec. The
maximum permissible slope is 0.0005.

a. If it lined with brick-in-cement mortar (n=0.013)

b. Unlined canal (n=0.02)

Take canal side slope m=1