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Engineering Laboratory Report, OCEN 336- Fluid Statics

and Dynamics

Experiment 6: Discharge over Weirs

Austin Macksey, OCEN-336- Sec. 551
Group Member: Worked Alone
Date: 10/20/19
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Table of Contents
1-------------------------------------------------------------------------Title Page
2----------------------------------------------------------------Table of Contents
3-----------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction
4-------------------------------------------------------------------------Apparatus
5----------------------------------------------------------------------------Abstract
6-8---------------------------------------------------------------------------Theory
9-10-------------------------------------------------------------------------Results
11---------------------------------------------------------Discussion/Conclusion
12------------------------------------------------------------------------Appendix
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Introduction
It is common to see dams around our cities and this experiment replicates how water
reacts to different cut outs that it travels through called weirs. For this experiment, the
rectangular weir and triangular weirs are been used. Both weirs are often used in water supply,
wastewater and also sewage systems. They consist of a sharp-edged plate with a rectangular,
triangular or v-notch profile for the water flow. In dam spillways, the broad-crested weirs can be
observed where the broad edge is beneath the water surface across the entire stream. Simulating
this helps us understand how ‘necking’ water flow works and how forces and physics
surrounding it, work.

Apparatus:

4
4
2

3 6
1

Figure 1 : flow over weirs – Figure 2 : flow over weirs –

Vee notch weir rectangular notch weir

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Fig.3
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Abstract
The Flow over Weirs experiment was conducted to investigate the characteristics of flow over a
rectangular notch and triangular notch. The difference in flow rate of water that flows into both
channels was observed. Other than that, the experiment was capable to study the discharge
coefficient of fluid flow that determined by calculation of this experiment. The experiment was
started as follows the procedures; graphs were constructed to analyze the characteristics of the
flow. From the constructed graphs, rectangular notch graph shows the discharge coefficient
decrease slowly before a constant value is reached. Meanwhile, the triangular notch graph shows
the discharge decrease smoothly, but the values are higher than the rectangular notch. To
conclude, triangular notch has a higher discharge coefficient than rectangular notch. The
experiment was successfully accomplished as all the objectives were gained.
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Theory
Figure 4 shows the essential features of flow over rectangular and V-shaped notches. The
approaching flow is assumed to be uniform, with water head 𝐻 measured above the crest level of
the notch. If the crosssectional area of the channel is much larger than that of the area of the flow
over the notch, then the velocity head in the approaching flow will be negligible, and the water
level there will represent the total head 𝐻. Throughout the undisturbed flow upstream, conditions
are effectively hydrostatic, the total head 𝐻 at a typical point 𝑀 being given by:
𝑃𝑀
𝐻= + 𝑧𝑀 (1)
𝜌𝑔
Consider a typical streamline of the flow, from the typical point 𝑀 in the upstream section to the
point 𝑁 in the plane of the notch. In the absence of any loss of total head, according to Bernoulli’s
equation:
𝐻=𝑃 𝑀 + 𝑧𝑀 = 𝑢𝑁2 + 𝑃𝑁 + 𝑧𝑁 (2)
𝜌𝑔 2𝑔 𝜌𝑔
The static pressure at point 𝑁 is now assumed to be atmospheric, i.e. 𝑃𝑁 = 0, so that:

𝑢𝑁2
𝐻= + 𝑧𝑁
2𝑔
Using the substitution:
𝐻 − 𝑧𝑁 = ℎ
where ℎ is the depth of the point 𝑁 below the undisturbed surface level, as shown in Figure 4, we
obtain:
𝑢𝑁 (3)

Figure 4: Diagrammatic sketch of flow over sharp edged notches.

The flow velocity at 𝑁 is thus seen to be that which would be attained by a particle falling freely
from the level of the undisturbed upstream surface. The discharge rate over any notch may now
be found by integration. If 𝑏 is the width of the notch at depth ℎ below the upstream surface level,
then for an element of height 𝛿ℎ, the area is:
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𝛿𝐴 = 𝑏𝛿ℎ
so the discharge of that element is:
𝛿𝑄 = 𝑢𝑁𝛿𝐴
The total flow rate 𝑄, obtained by integration from zero to 𝐻, is then:
𝐻

𝑄 (4)
This result applies to a notch of any shape, and may easily be evaluated for the rectangular and V-
shapes under discussion. For the rectangular notch of breadth 𝐵, Equation (4) becomes:
𝐻
2
= 𝐵 ∫ √ 2𝑔ℎ 𝑑ℎ = √ 2
3
𝑄 0 𝑔𝐵𝐻 (5)
For V-shaped notch of angle 2𝜃, the width 𝑏 is given by:
𝑏 = 2(𝐻 − ℎ)𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃

the total flow rate is therefore given by Equation (4) as:

𝐻
8
ℎ= √2
𝑄 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 𝑑 15 𝑔𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃𝐻 (6)
Each of the theoretical results given in Equations (5) and (6) ignore the contraction of the flow as
it passes through the notch. This may be seen clearly on the apparatus, both in the vertical plane,
where the upper surface is drawn downwards over the notch and the lower surface springs from
the crest in an upward direction, and in the horizontal plane, where the water springs from the
edges of the notch in a curve which reduces the width of the steam. The contraction has the effect
of reducing the discharge rate and a discharge coefficient 𝐶𝑑 is defined as the ratio of the actual
discharge to the ideal discharge rate. We therefore rewrite the equations as:
2 𝑄 𝑔𝐵𝐻
= 𝐶𝑑 √ 2
3 (7)
8
= 𝐶𝑑 √ 2 𝑄 𝑔𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃𝐻
15
In these, 𝐶𝑑 is not necessarily independent of 𝐻, and which is to be determined by experiment.
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Experimental Procedure
The apparatus is first connected to the supply and then levelled. The point gauge is then read or
set to zero when it is exactly at the level of the crest of the notch. This is done by admitting water
from the bench supply until the level is approximately correct. Water is then carefully baled out
or in, using a small beaker, until the crest of the weir lies exactly in the surface. For the
rectangular notch, this can be checked as illustrated in Figure 5 (a), by placing a steel rule or
straight edge on the crest. For the V-shaped notch, the reflection of the V in the surface serves to
indicate whether or not the level is correct, as indicated in Figure 5 (b). When the correct level
has been obtained, the point gauge is also brought exactly to the water surface, and the calibrated
dial either read or, if adjustment is possible, set to zero.

Figure 5: Method of setting water level to crest height of notch.

Sets of measurement of discharge rate 𝑄 and head 𝐻 are taken for each weir in turn, the flow
being regulated by the bench supply valve. It is recommended that the first reading be taken at
maximum flow rate, and subsequent values with roughly equal decrements in head. Readings
should be discontinued when the level has fallen to the condition at which the stream ceases to
spring clear of the notch plate; this is likely to occur when the head is reduced to about 10mm for
the rectangular notch and about 30mm for the V-shaped notch. As it takes a little time for the
water level to stabilize after changing the flow rate, care should be taken to ensure that
conditions have settled completely before reading to measure the discharge. About 8
experimental points for each notch should be sufficient.
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Results / Analysis
Table1: Rectangle Cut
h1 (mm) h2 (mm) Head H 10^4(Q) 10^2 H(3/2) Cd
(mm) (m^3/s) (m^3/2)
78.69 134.45 55.76 7.50 1.32 0.64
78.69 130.09 51.4 6.67 1.17 0.65
78.69 124.99 46.3 5.83 1.00 0.63
78.69 119.97 41.28 5.00 0.84 0.62
78.69 114.45 35.76 4.17 0.68 0.63
78.69 107.42 28.73 3.33 0.49 0.62
78.69 103.95 25.26 2.50 0.40 0.60
78.69 93.97 15.28 1.67 0.19 0.61

Rectangle Notch
1.40

1.20

1.00
10^-4Q

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
H (m)

Fig.6
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Table2: Triangle Cut

h1 (mm) h2 (mm) Head H 10^4(Q) 10^3 H(5/2) Cd
(mm) (m^3/s) (m^3/2)
80.72 146.99 66.27 5.83 1.13 0.65
80.72 143.91 63.19 5 1.00 0.67
80.72 136.9 56.18 4.17 0.75 0.68
80.72 131.87 51.15 3.33 0.59 0.65
80.72 126.89 46.17 2.5 0.46 0.67
80.72 118.12 37.4 1.67 0.27 0.65
80.72 107.71 26.99 0.83 0.12 0.67

Triangle Notch
0.0007

0.0006 0.000583333

0.0005 0.0005
0.000416667
10^-4 Q

0.0004
0.000333333
0.0003
0.00025
0.0002
0.000166667
0.0001 8.33333E-05
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
10^2 H (m)

Fig.7
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Discussion
A notch is an opening in the side of a measuring tank or reservoir extending above the free
surface. A weir is a notch on large scale. Weirs are structures consisting of an obstruction such as
a dam or bulkhead placed across the open channel with a specially shaped opening or notch. The
weir results an increase in the water level, or head, which is measured upstream of the structure.
For rectangular weir, when the flow approaches the edge of the notch, there is a
contraction because the velocity at the edge is not normal to the plane of the notch. This
produces a reduction in the cross section and some friction in the flow. The volume flow rate, Q
for rectangular weir:
𝟐
Q = Cd 𝟑 b √𝟐𝐠 𝐇 𝟑/𝟐

The volume flow rate Q, for V – notch weir:

𝟐
𝟐 𝟖 𝜽 𝟓 𝟓
𝑸𝟓 = ( 𝑪𝒅 𝐭𝐚𝐧 √𝟐𝒈 𝑯 𝟐 )
𝟏𝟓 𝟐

From the result, we observed that the coefficient of discharge, Cd for rectangular weir is
in variations. This is because of the inconsistent low height increment. For V – notch, we
observed that the higher the height of water level. This resulted in the coefficient of discharge, Cd
as it decreased when the volume of flow rate, Q increased.

Conclusion

From both experiments, it was clearly shown that the coefficient of discharge is
dependent on the volumetric flow rate and its height (head) of water level from the base of notch.
The coefficient of discharge corresponds differently to the height of the water level (head) to the
type of notch used. For triangular notch, the coefficient of discharge also depends on the angle of
the v shape. Then it can be concluded that the experiment is a success.
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Appendix

The geometry of the notch:

Width of rectangular notch 𝐵 = 30𝑚𝑚
Width across top of V-shaped notch 55𝑚𝑚
Depth of V-shaped notch 102𝑚𝑚

Angle of V-shaped notch 𝜃 = 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛 ( ) = 15°