Sample problems

Sample Problem 1

A rectangular channel 12 m. wide and a depth of 1.2 m. carries a discharge of 14

Coefficient of roughness is 0.017.
(a) Calculate the slope of the channel.
(b) Calculate the critical depth.
(c) Calculate the critical slope.

Solution
(a) Slope of the channel bed:

( )

( )

( )

Sample Problem 2

A discharge of 4.53 in a rectangular open channel 1.82 m. wide with a slope 0.002
and 0.012.If the channel ends in a free outfall.
(a) Calculate the depth at the brink .
(b) Calculate the critical depth.
(c) Indicate the type of flow.

Solution

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(a) Depth at the brink

( ) ( )

( )

(b) Critical depth:

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 ( ) ( )

Check:

( )
√

(c) Type of Flow:

When (subcritical)
When (critical)
When (super critical)

(subcritical)
Therefore the flow is subcritical

Sample Problem 3

A 4.88 m. clean-earth river (n = 0.030) has a flow rate q = 13.01 per meter.

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(a) Calculate the critical depth.
(b) Compute the Froude Number.
(c) Compute the depth at which the specific energy is equal to that at the bottom
deep of 4.88 m.

Solution

(a) Critical Depth

( )
√

(b) Froude Number

( )

√ ( )

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(c) Depth at which the specific energy is equal to that at the bottom:

( )
( )

( )

( )
( )( )

( )
( )( )

(trial and error)

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Sample Problem 4

A rectangular channel having a width of 8m. carries a discharge of 18 at the normal

depth of 2.25 m.

(a) What should be the minimum width to which the channel can be contracted smoothly
without causing any choking of flow assuming that the bed of the channel is level all
through.
(b) Compute the critical slope of this new section if n =0.012.
(c) How long should this channel be if there is a drop of 4m. at the end of its length.

Solution

(a) Min. width without causing any choking of flow:

( )

( )
( )

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 18

( )
( )

( )

( )

(b) Slope of the new section

( )

( )

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 ( )

( )

(c) Length of channel

meters long

Sample Problem 5

A trapezoidal channel has a bottom width of 6 m. and side slope of 2 horizontal to 1 vertical.
When the depth of flow is 1.2 m., the flow is 20.40 .

(a) Calculate the specific energy.

(b) Calculate the slope of the channel if n = 0.014.

(c) Compute the average shearing stress at the boundary.

Solution

(a) Specific energy

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 ( )( )

Specific energy =

( )
Specific energy = ( )
= 1.41 m.

(b) Slope of channel

( )

( )

(c) Average shearing stress

( )( )

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Sample Problem 6

A trapezoidal canal having side sloping at an angle of degrees with the horizontal is to carry
a discharge of 25 with an average velocity of 1 m/s.

(a) Compute the depth of the canal if it will have a minimum seepage and .

(b) Calculate the depth of the canal if it will have a most efficient section.

(c) If the width of the base is twice as its depth, compute the depth of the canal for
.

Solution

(a) Depth of canal for min. seepage

( )

( )

For min. Seepage

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(b) Depth of canal for most efficient section

( )

(c) Depth of channel if width of channel is twice its depth.

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tan

( )

( )d

( )

( )

Sample Problem 7

Water flows in an earthen canal, trapezoidal section, bottom width 3 m., side slopes 3
horizontal to 1 vertical at a depth of 0.60 m.

The canal is on a slope of 0.0006. Mannings "n" and the seepage rate are estimated to have
values of 0.022 and 0.50 m per day respectively.

(a) What is the seepage loss in a 3000 m. length of the canal in litres per second?

(b) What is the rate of flow of the canal?

(c) What percentage is the seepage loss compare to the flow in the canal?

Solution

(a) Seepage loss in a 3000 m. length of canal

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Total Width = 1.80+3+1.80 = 6.6 m.

Seepage loss = 0.50(6.6)(3000) = 9900

Seepage loss = ( )
= 0.1145

(b) Rate of Flow

( )( )

√( ) ( )

( )

( ) ( )

(c) Percentage of seepage loss to rate of flow

( )

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Sample Problem 8

A trapezoidal concrete-lined channel of bed width 3.5 m. has a bed slope of 0.005 with side
slopes of 45 to the horizontal when conveying 36 of water. Mannings roughness
coefficient = 0.014.

(a) Compute the depth of uniform flow.

(b) Calculate the maximum shear stress on the sides of the channel.

(c) Compute the maximum critical shear stress due to water flow on the sides if the critical
tractive force that will not cause erosion of the material on the horizontal surface is 2.4
N/ and the angle of repose of the material is 48 .

Solution

(a) Depth of uniform flow

( )

( )

( )

( )
( )

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 ( ) ( )
[ ] ( )
( )

Try d = 2.74

( )( )

( )

( ) ( )

Use

(b) Max. shear stress on the side of the channel

( )( )( )

(c) Max. critical shear stress on the sides

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Sample Problem 9

Water flows in the triangular steel channel at a velocity of 0.88 m/s with an angle at the vertex
of 55 . The channel bed has a slope of 0.0015 and a roughness coefficient of 0.014.

(a) Find the depth of flow.

(b) Find the rate of flow.

(c) Find the average depth of flow

Solution

(a) Depth of flow

Cos 27.5

( )

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 ( ) ( )

(b)Rate of flow

( )

( )

(c) Average depth

( )

( )( )

Sample Problem 10

An open channel having a slope of 0.0065 is to carry 1.0 . The channel material has an
"n" value of 0.011. For a most efficient section of a triangular section.

(a) Calculate the depth of water.

(b) Compute the Froude Number.

(c) Calculate the hydraulic mean depth.

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Solution

(a) Depth of water

For most efficient section, the triangular channel has a vertex angle of 90 .

( ) ( )

(b) Froude Number

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 √

( ) .377

( )

√ ( )

(c) Hydraulic mean depth

( )

√ ( )

( )

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