BACKWATER CURVES AND

HYDRAULIC JUMP

INSTRUCTED BY : Miss A. G. JAYASHINHA

NAME
COURSE
GROUP
DATE OF PRE
DATE OF SUB

: CHAMARA B.A.V.
: B.Sc. ENGINEERING
: A-3
: 13/ 10 / 2004
: 03 / 11 / 2004

EXPERIMENT: Backwater curves and Hydraulic Jump

OBECTIVE:

To verify the type of water surface profiles.

To draw the actual water surface profile and compare it with the theoretical
profile.
To compare theoretical and experimental values of conjugate depths of a
hydraulic jump.

APPARATUS:
Self contained glass sided tilting flume with a sharp crested weir, adjustable sluice and tail
gate.
THEORY:
1. Backwater curves
A backwater curve is a curve which has a depth greater than both normal and critical depths
and is being retarded, either by a downstream obstruction or after a hydraulic jump.
The Ml profile represents the most well known backwater curve; it is most important of all
flow profile from the practical point of view. This profile occurs when downstream end of a long
mild channel is submerged in a reservoir to greater depths than the normal depth of flow in the
channel.
2. Step method
In general, step method is characterized by dividing the channel into short reaches and
carrying the computation step by step from one end of the reach to the other.
Following figure illustrates a short channel reach of length of L.

Considering the total head and loses at the two end sections 1 and 2, the following may be
written.
Total head difference = H1-H2 = ( z1+d1+v12/2g ) - ( z2+d2+v22/2g )
Friction head loss

Sf = (H1-H2) / L

Therefore

Sf = [( z1+d1+v12/2g ) - ( z2+d2+v22/2g )] /L
= [( d1+v12/2g ) - ( d2+v22/2g )] /L + ( z1- z2 ) / L
= [( d1+v12/2g ) - ( d2+v22/2g )] /L + S0

Solving for L;

L = (d+ v2/2g) /(S0-Sf)

(1)

Where ; d = Depth of flow

v = Mean velocity
S0 = Slope of the channel bed
Sf = Slope of the energy gradient line
Final equation for horizontal distance calculation [ can be obtained from equation (1) ]

Q 1
1

2 gB 2 d 2 m 1 d 2 m

(d m 1 d m )

S0

Q 2 n 2 [ B ( d m 1 d m )]
B

( d m 1 d m )

10

m=1, 2, 3, 9
(2)

Final equation for iteration,

d m1 d m L S 0

Q n [ B (d m 1 d m )]
2

( d m1 d m )

10

Q2
1
1
2
2
2
2 gB d m 1 d m

m=1, 2, 3, 9

(3)

Use Mannings equation to solve for the slope of the energy gradient line, Sf
Mannings equation is;
Where,

V = 1/n R2/3 S1/2

(4)

n : Mannings roughness coefficient

R : Hydraulic radius
S : Slope of the energy gradient line

PROCEDURE:
Ensure the flume bed was levelled and tilted the flume to a mild slope. The Sluice gate was
raised to its maximum opening position. After tailgate was lowered. Water was introduced and
adjusts the inflow rate and tailgate to create a backwater cure. Flow depths and the corresponding
horizontal discharges at chosen sections 1 to 9 and discharges, Q were measured and recorded.
Having completed step 5, by lowering the tailgate remove the water collected to form the
backwater cure at the downstream end of the flume. The sluice gate was lowered with the bottom
dg = 20 mm above the bed. The inflow rate of the flume was adjusted so that d 0 = 230 mm. And
also the tailgate was adjusted to create a hydraulic jump. d 0 and dg values were changed and
observed the variation of conjugate depths of hydraulic jump.

CALCULATIONS:
1)

Critical depth dc
1 = Q2 B / gA3

but A = Bdc

dc = { Q2 / gB2}1/3
Q = 2.5 l /s or 0.0025 m3 / s
g = 9.81 m s-2
B = 0.3 m
dc = 0.019 m
From equation (4)

V = 1/n R2/3 S1/2

Q/ Bdc = (1/n) [Bdc/(B+2dc)] 2/3 Sc1/2

Sc = 0.258
S0 = 0.003
S0 < Sc
mild slope
2)

So1/2 = nQ(B+2do)] 2/3

[Bdc] 5/3
(0.003)1/2 = 0.010.0025(0.3+2do)] 2/3
[0.3do] 5/3
do
= 0.021 m
According to the M1 curve
do > dc and S0 < Sc slope is mild

3)

Q 1
1

2 gB 2 d 2 m1 d 2 m

(d m 1 d m )

S0

Q 2 n 2 [ B (d m 1 d m )]
B

(d m 1 d m )
2

10

m= 1, 2, 3... 9

Therefore,

(dm+1- dm ) + 0.0025

L =

29.810.32

dm+1

0.0025 2 0.012

1
2

dm

0.3 +(

dm+1+ dm)

4/3

0.003
0.3 (dm+1+

dm

10/3

2
For L1 ; d1 = 0.0841 m & d2 = 0.0807 m

L1 = - 1.14 m
For L2 ; d1 = 0.0807 m & d2 = 0.0769 m
Therefore L2 can be calculated similar manner

L2 = - 1.27 m
Similarly,
L3 = -1.07 m ; L4 = - 1.07 m ; L5 = - 0.67 m ; L6 = - 1.01 m ; L7 = - 0.83 m ;
L8 = - 0.43 m
Horizontal5.8
Distance (m)

0.0617
Depth
(m)

Horizontal displacement

9.8

0.0841

-1.14

9.3

0.0807

-1.27

8.8

0.0769

-1.07

8.3

0.0737

-1.07

7.8

0.0705

-0.67

7.3

0.0685

-1.01

6.8

0.0655

-0.83

6.3

0.0630

-0.43

d m1 d m L S 0

Q 2 n 2 [ B (d m1 d m )]
B

(d m1 d m )

10

Q2
2 gB 2

1
1
2
2
d
d
m 1
m

m= 1, 2, 3... 9
st

As for the 1 iteration equation

Let dm = 0.0841

dm+1= dm + (-0.5) 0.003 0.00252 0.012 [ 0.3 + (dm+1 + dm )] 4/3

0.3/2 (dm+1 + dm )10/3

Q2 / 2gB2

1
dm+1

1
2

2
m

By the method of iteration

Horizontal distance

Depth

dm+1

9.8

0.0841

0.0827

9.3

0.0807

0.0792

8.8

0.0769

0.0754

8.3

0.0737

0.0722

7.8

0.0705

0.0690

7.3

0.0685

0.0690

6.8

0.0655

0.0670

6.3

0.0630

0.0615

5.8

0.0617

0.0603

DISCUSSION:
The Manning Equation is the most commonly used equation to analyse open channel flows.
The Manning Equation is utilized in our open channel design calculations - Design of Circular
Culverts, Design of Rectangular Channels, and Design of Trapezoidal Channels. It is a semiempirical equation for simulating water flows in channels and culverts where the water is open to
the atmosphere, i.e. not flowing under pressure, and was first presented in 1889 by Robert
Manning. The channel can be any shape - circular, rectangular, triangular, etc. The units in the
Manning equation appear to be inconsistent; however, the value k has hidden units in it to make
the equation consistent.
The Manning Equation was developed for uniform steady state flow. Uniform means that
the channel is prismatic. Prismatic means the channel has constant dimensions (including depth)
along its length. Steady state means the flow rate, velocity, and everything else are constant with
time. In reality, no flow can be uniform and steady. However, for individual channel reaches
(e.g. one mile of a 200 mile river) the assumptions may be fairly well achieved. The Manning
Equation is also used successfully to simulate "gradually varied flow" where the channel is not
prismatic. In this case, S is the slope of the energy grade line. For prismatic flows, S is the slope

of the hydraulic grade line, which is the slope of the water surface and is the same as the slope of
the channel bottom.
A backwater curve is a curve, which has a depth greater than both normal and critical
depths and is being retarded either by a downstream obstruction or after a hydraulic jump.
In this practical what we have done is, drawn the theoretical water surface (curve) and
compared it with actual water surface (curve). For obtain the theoretical values of backwater
curve we used two methods, as Direct Step Method & Standard Step Method. If we plot
Horizontal distance Vs. Depth of flow for theoretical & actual circumstances in the same graph,
it can be easily seen that theoretical values of depths are quite lower than the actual values for
same horizontal distance of flow. If we notice the values obtained from two methods (according
to graph plotted), it is also seen that the two curves are almost coincide.
The direct step method leads to simpler calculation. How ever when properties of the
channel (cross sectional shape, bed friction, bed slope) along its length, we can apply the
equation to the region where the properties are uniform by choosing L accordingly in the
Standard Step Method. This is not possible in the Direct Step Method and there fore in this
respect to Standard Step Method can give better results than Direct Step Method.

The Hydraulic Jump

It is possible for a water flow in a channel without an obstruction to undergo a spontaneous
increase in level, as seen in following figure. Such a flow is called a hydraulic jump. The region
of transition from the uniform flow upstream to another uniform flow downstream is irregular
and random, being a turbulent flow with small wavelets on the surface that appear to break.
While we cannot describe the flow in this transition region, we can relate the upstream and
downstream conditions in the hydraulic jump by utilizing the linear momentum theorem.

Hydraulic Jump

Out

In

A hydraulic jump in a channel flow is always accompanied by an increase in the stream depth
downstream.
This is always the case for flow beneath the sluice gate. Thus it is possible for a hydraulic
jump to exist downstream of a sluice gate. However, the final stream depth downstream of such a
hydraulic jump is always less than the level upstream of the sluice gate.

REFERENCES:

Lab note in Hydraulic Engineering (CE-303)

Chaudhry, M. H. 1993. Open-Channel Flow. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

French, R. H. 1985. Open-Channel Hydraulics. McGraw-Hill Book Co.

World Wide Web (www) pages relative to Fluid mechanics and Hydraulic engineering