Water movement is the key process in open channel flow.

The three basic equation to describe water movement are

that energy and that momentum equation derived from the
three fundamental laws of physics –conservation of mass,
conservation of energy and conservation of momentum. The
conservation of energy says that energy cannot be created
or destroyed, but may be transformed for one from to
another.
The flow in an open channel is, in fact ,three
dimensional and three flow properties like the velocity and
that pressure vary in that longitudinal ,lateral and vertical
directions. since that variations of that flow parameters in
the lateral and vertical directions are small compared to
those in the longitudinal direction a majority of open channel
flow problems are analyzed considering that the flow is one
dimensional.
 Continuity Equation
The principle of conservation of mass implies that during a time interval that mass of
water entering the control volume minus the mass of water leveling and control
volume equals the change of mass with in the control volume. If the flow is steady
there control be any change of mass within the control volume and the mass entering
is equal to the mass leaving .therefore, if there is no lateral addition or withdrawal of
water ,the mass flow rate (mass per unit time) passing various flow sections must be
the same, i.e.
𝝆1Q1=𝝆2Q2 ……………
Where ,𝝆 is the mass density and Q is the discharge and the subscripts designate different channel section.
Since Q=AU and water is practically incompressible(𝝆1=𝝆2)
Q1=Q2=…….
Or U1 A1=U2A2=…………………………….2.2
Where A is that cross sectional area and U is the mean velocity of flow.
In steady flow not only

i.e. the discharge in the channel is constant.

The discharge is Q1 given by
Q2=Q1 q*L
where + sign is to be used for inflow and the – sign is to be used for outflow.
 ENERGY EQUATION
The total energy or head at a channel section is given by

H=Z b+ h+
2

Where zb is the elevation or datum head, h is the depth of flow and

is the velocity or kinetic energy head based on cross –section mean velocity U and
corrected for non –uniform distribution of velocity and
the kinetic coefficient .For a channel of large slope, eq. becomes

H=Z b +h cos2 +
According to the principal of conservation of energy ,the total energy at the upstream section I must be
equal to the total energy at the downstream section 2 plus the frictional loss of energy h f between the
two sections i.e.
H1=H2+Hf
Zb1+h1+ =Zb2+h2+ +hf

Either of these two equation is known as the energy equation. For an ideal fluid

Zb1+h1+ =

This is the well known Bernoulli Equation.

The total head loss hL for flow in a non-prismatic channel can be
considered to be made up of the frictional head loss hf and eddy loss he,
i.e. hL=hf+he
]
Where k is the coefficient which is taken to be 0.1 for gradual contractions, 0.2 for gradual
expansions and 0.5 for abrupt expansion or contractions

Example2.1 Derivation of the low of Torricelli

If a constant level is maintained in a vessel with atmospheric pressure the water
surface and at the discharge point then application of the Bernoulli equation point 1or
2
1. The resultant hydrostatic pressure forces F p1 ands F p2 at the two and sections
2. The force due to gravity w which is that component of the weight of water in the
longitudinal direction and
3. The external frictional force F r due friction on the surface of contact between water
and channel.
 H+0+ =0+0+

For a wide vessel U1<<U2 hence writing a U for U2 it flow that

U= which is the low of Torricelli.
MOMENTUM EQUATION

The momentum equation is based on Newton's second low of motion which states
that the algebraic sum of all external forces acting on fluid mass in any particular
direction is equal to the time rate of moment in the direction
Let us consider that control volume bounded by section 1 and 2. The various forces acting on
control volume in the longitudinal direction are.
 The momentum of flow passing a channel section per unit time based on
the mean velocity U and corrected for non-uniform distribution of velocity= QU
where the momentum coefficient. Then applying the Newton`s second low of motion
,we can write

2U2 - 1U1) =F -F +W sin -Ff

p1 p2
Which is the momentum equation for one –dimensional steady flow for the flow
situation shown
 APPLICABILITY OF THE EQUATIONS
For steady one –dimensional open channel flow we have three basic equations that can be used
to compute three unknown quantities.
It may be required to compute flow depth h and flow velocity u at a downstream section in a
channel when the flow conditions at an upstream section are known.
Let us consider the flow under a sluice gate as shown .flow under a sluice gate is an example of
converging flow in which energy losses between sections 1 and 2 are usually small and
negligible .The flow depth h2 and the flow velocity u2 at section 2 can be determined from the
known flow conditions at section 1 and using the continuity and energy equations .Initially the
momentum equation cannot be used for this situation because of the force on the slice gate
that is unknown and not negligible ,although the external friction force Ff is small and negligible
.However ,once h2 and u2 are determined ,the momentum equation can be used to compute
the force on the sluice gate.
For the hydraulic jump downstream of the sluice gate, the energy equation cannot be initially
used because of the significant energy loss hl involved in the jump .However, the momentum
equation can be used without difficulty since the jump takes place in a short distance and
friction force Ff is small and negligible and there is no other external force.
For steady uniform and gradually varied flows, the energy and the momentum
equations give similar results and can be use either of these two equations .However,
the energy equation is preferred because it is easy to understand and use than the
momentum equation, as energy is a scalar quantity and momentum is a velocity
quantity.
 SPECIFIC ENERGY AND CRITICAL FLOW
SPECIFIC ENERGY
Specific energy (E) at a channel section is the energy measured with respect to the
channel bottom. From Eq. (2.4) with Zb = 0, the specific energy at a channel section becomes

E = h+𝝰
Equation (3.1) indicates that the specific energy is the sum of the depth of flow and the
velocity
head. Since U = Q/A, Eq. (3.1) may also be written with a = 1 as

E = h+

Equation (3.2) shows that the specific energy depends on the channel section, the depth
of
flow h and the discharge Q.
The concept of specific energy introduced by Bakhmeteff in 1912 is very useful in the
analysis of many open channel flow problems.
 Specific Energy Curve
he variation o!specific energy with depth for a given section and a constant discharge
using Eq. (3.2) is shown in Fig. 3.1. The resulting curve, which is known as the specific
energy curve or E-h curve, has two limbs CA and CB. As h 0, U2/2g 00, E 00 and the
limb CA approaches the E axis asymptotically toward the right. As h 00, U /2g 0,E h 2

and the limb CB approaches the line OP whose equation is E = h.

For all points on the specific energy curve except point C, there are two values ofh for a
given value ofE, the lower depth h, and the higher depth h2. These are known as the alternate
depths. At point C on the specific energy curve, the specific energy is minimum. The state of
flow represented by point C is obtained by taking the first derivative of E with respect to h from
Eq.(3.2) keeping Q constant, i.e

The elementary water area near the free surface is dA = Bdh, so th~ I dh = B. Since
D= AIB and, we obtain

Now, for minimum specific energy, dE/dh = 0, and hence 1 - Fr2 = 0, i.e. Fr = 1,
which is the
criterion for critical flow. Thus, at the critical state of flow, the specific energy is
minimum for a given discharge.
 Discharge-Depth Curve
So far the variation ofE with h for a given Q has been considered.
It is also of practical interest to study the variation of Q with h for a given E.
Equation (3.2) may be written as Q2=2gA2(E-h)
Clearly, the variation of Q with h will be of the general form shown
in Fig. 3.2. When either h = 0 or h = E, Q = 0 and there will be a maximum value of for
some value off between 0 and E which may be obtained as follows. Differentiating Eq.
h:E

(3.4) with respect to h keeping E constant and using Eq.(3.1), we obtain

h:o

For maximum discharge, dQ/dh = 0, and we obtain Fr = 1, which is the criterion for critical
flow. Thus, at the critical state of flow, the discharge is maximum for a given specific energy.
When the specific energy increases, the discharge also increases and vice versa.