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Gradually-varied flow (GVF) occurs when conditions such as surface elevation change slowly along a channel without time variation, often near controls like bridges or water bodies. The GVF equation describes the transition between control and uniform flow, with classifications based on slope and depth conditions. Computation methods for GVF include the Direct Step and Standard Step methods, which help assess flow depths and velocities for environmental impact assessments.

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4 views

274-7

Gradually-varied flow (GVF) occurs when conditions such as surface elevation change slowly along a channel without time variation, often near controls like bridges or water bodies. The GVF equation describes the transition between control and uniform flow, with classifications based on slope and depth conditions. Computation methods for GVF include the Direct Step and Standard Step methods, which help assess flow depths and velocities for environmental impact assessments.

Uploaded by

Maria
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Open channel flow

GRADUALLY-VARIED FLOW (GVF)


Gradually-varied flow
 Gradually-varied flow is where the conditions
(possibly the cross-section, but often just the
surface elevation) vary slowly along the channel
but do not change with time.
Gradually-varied flow
 The most common situation where this arises is

 vicinity of a control in a channel


 Flow entering a water body (lake or reservoir)
 Bridges
 etc..
 The transition

between the control and

uniform flow is

described by the gradually-varied flow equation,


which is an ordinary differential equation for the
water surface height
 In sub-critical flow the flow is relatively slow, and
the effects of any control can propagate back up
the channel,

 in super-critical flow, all disturbances are swept


downstream, so that the effects of a control
cannot be felt upstream,

 In general, the deeper the flow then the smaller


the velocity and friction losses. Qualitatively,

greater depth lower velocity smaller Sf


smaller depth higher velocity greater Sf
 Itis important to know how far
upstream water levels might be
increased, and hence flooding
enhanced, due to downstream
works, such as the installation of
a bridge.
 Critical Depth
1/ 3 1/ 3
q 2
  Q 
2
hc    
2 
 g   gB 
Critical velocity

vc  ghc
Derivation of the gradually-varied flow equation
 Total head at 2 => H2 =z2+h2+(V2/2g)
 Total head at 1 => H1 = H2 − HL,

 and we introduce the concept of the friction


slope Sf (S) which is the gradient of the total
energy line such that HL = Sf × Δx. This gives

 H1 = H2 − Sf Δx,
 discharge at any point is given by, for the
case of Manning:

 where we have used the friction slope Sf


rather than bed slope S0, as in uniform flow.
Solving for Sf : the friction slope is given by

 where K(h) is defined as


 This now means that for a given constant
discharge we can write the differential
equation as

 As we have had to use local depth on the


right side, we have to show the head to be a
function of depth h, so that we write
 Differentiating:

 The derivative dzmin/dx = −S0, where S0 is the bed slope.


 to express the dA(h)/dx in terms of other quantities.
 Any change in depth, Δh,
 ΔA = B Δh, so
 dA(h)/dx = Bdh/dx, substituting these into the above
equation gives
 where the Froude number has entered, shown here as a
function of depth. Finally, substituting into

 we obtain

 These are forms of the gradually-varied flow equation, from


which a number of properties can be inferred
Gradually-varied flow equation
Gradually-varied flow

 The equation and its solutions tell us how far


the effects of a structure or works in or on a
stream extend upstream or downstream.
Classification system for gradually-
varied flows
The differential equation can be used as the
basis for a dual classification system of
gradually-varied flows:

 5 conditions of slope, how the normal depth


compares with critical depth,

 3 conditions for the actual depth, how it


compares with both normal, and critical depths,
as shown below:
 Slope classification
 Steep slope: h < h
n c
 Critical slope: h = h
n c
 Mild slope: h > h
n c
 Horizontal slope: h = ∞
n
 Adverse slope: h does not exist
n

 Depth classification
 Zone 1: h > h and h
n c
 Zone 2: h between h and h
n c
 Zone 3: h < h and h
n c
Water Surface Profiles
Computation of
Gradually Varied Flow
 Dam
 inundation (flooding)
 Computation of flow depth (required)
 knowledge of flow depths and velocities
 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
 water-surface
 Discharge
 flow depth

 cross-section etc.
Computation of
Gradually Varied Flow
 numerical procedures are based on differential
equation for GVF

 or on the direct application of the algebraic


energy equation,
 Direct Step method
 Standard Step Method
Direct Step method
Direct Step method
Direct Step method
Disadvantages of Direct step method

 Interpolations become necessary if the flow


depths are required at specified locations

 It is inconvenient to apply this method to non


prismatic channels because the cross-
sectional shape at the unknown location
should be known a priori.
Example
 A wide rectangular channel having a bottom slope of 0.001 is
carrying a flow of 3 m3/s/m. A control structure is built at the
downstream end which raises the water depth at the downstream
end to 4.5 m. Determine the distance from the control structure at
which the flow depth is equal to 3.8 m. Manning n for the channel
is 0.012.
Solution
 Divide the distance into two reaches as shown in Fig.
 The flow depths at sections 1, 2 and 3 are 3.8 m, 4.0 m
and 4.5 m, respectively.
 Distances Δx1 and Δx2 are determined as follows.
Standard Step Method
Standard Step Method

can be rewritten as
Example
 A wide rectangular channel having a bottom slope of
0.001 is carrying a flow of 3 m3/s/m. A control structure
is built at the downstream end which raises the water
depth at the downstream end to 4.5 m. Determine the
flow depth at a distance of 1000 m upstream of the
control structure. Manning n for the channel is 0.012.
Solution
Divide the distance into two reaches as shown in Fig.
26.3. Section 2 is 500 m upstream of section 3, while
section 1 is 500 m upstream of section 2. Flow depths
Y1 and Y2 are determined as follows.

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Hydraulics/
Gradually Varied Flow Profiles

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