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Courses/Engineering/Stormwater Engineering

Open Channel Flow: Supercritical and Non-uniform Flow

Non-uniform flow calculations are needed in some open channel flow situations, where the flow is clearly non-uniform.

Created byHarlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
5.0
(45 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Jan 3, 2025
Open Channel Flow: Supercritical and Non-uniform Flow

What You'll Learn

check_circleUnderstand the concepts of critical, subcritical, and supercritical flow in open channels.
check_circleLearn to calculate critical depth, critical slope, and the type of flow (critical, subcritical, or supercritical) in various channel configurations.
check_circleExplore hydraulic jump calculations and their applications in flow analysis.
check_circleGain skills in identifying surface profile types and performing stepwise calculations for gradually varied non-uniform flow.

About This Course

Many examples of open channel flow can be approximated as uniform flow allowing the Manning equation to be used. Non-uniform flow calculations are needed, however, in some open channel flow situations, where the flow is clearly non-uniform. The concepts of supercritical, subcritical and critical flow, and calculations related to those three regimes of flow, are needed for non-uniform open channel flow analysis and calculations. Hence, in this course, the parameter called specific energy are first used to introduce the concepts of critical, subcritical, and supercritical flow. Various calculations related to critical, subcritical and supercritical flow conditions are presented, including hydraulic jump calculations. The thirteen possible types of gradually varied non-uniform flow surface profiles are then be presented and discussed. Also, the procedure and equations for step-wise calculation of gradually varied non-uniform surface profiles are presented and illustrated with examples.

Topics: At the conclusion of this course, the student will: Be able to determine the critical depth for a specified volumetric flow rate through a rectangular channel of specified bottom width. Be able to determine the critical slope for a specified volumetric flow rate through an open channel of specified shape, size, & Manning roughness coefficient, with known critical depth. Be able to determine whether a specified volumetric flow rate through an open channel of given shape & size, with known depth of flow will be critical, subcritical or supercritical flow. Be able to calculate the depth of flow after a hydraulic jump if given the depth before the hydraulic jump, the volumetric flow rate and the shape and dimensions of the open channel. Be able to identify which type of surface profile (e.g. M1, M2, M3, S1, S2, S3, etc.) is present in a specified gradually varied flow situation. Be able to carry out a stepwise calculation of the surface profile for a specified, gradually varied, non-uniform open channel flow. Topics Covered in this Course Specific Energy as an Introduction to Supercritical, Subcritical and Critical Flow The Froude Number for Rectangular Channels The Froude Number for Non-rectangular Channels Calculation of Critical Slope The Hydraulic Jump Gradually Varied Open Channel Flow Gradually Varied Flow Surface Profile Classifications Gradually Varied Flow Surface Profiles by Stepwise Calculations Publication Source: Harlan H. Bengtson, PhD, PE

Your Instructor

Harlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
Harlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
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star2,706 reviews

Dr. Harlan Bengtson is an online PDH course provider of continuing education courses for professional engineers. Dr. Bengtson is a graduate of Iowa State University with B.S. and M.S. degrees and of the University of Colorado with a PhD. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri. Dr. Bengtson has spent 30 years in engineering education in teaching and administrative positions, including six years as Dean of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Dr. Harlan H. Bengtson, PE 33 Grainey Drive Glen Carbon, IL 62034 Phone: (618) 406-6892 E-mail: hnkbengtson@yahoo.com PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Dr. Bengtson is a graduate of Iowa State University with B.S. and M.S. degrees and of the University of Colorado with a PhD. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri. He has spent 30 years in engineering education in teaching and administrative positions, including six years as Dean of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His areas of expertise are environmental engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, engineering science and renewable energy systems. He has done regular consulting work while holding the academic positions. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Bengtson worked for Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing as a Product Development Engineer and for E. I. duPont deNemours as a Process Development Engineer. Dr. Bengtson has authored numerous publications, presentations and technical reports. He is currently active as a freelance technical writer, author of continuing education courses for Professional Engineers, and is the founder of www.engineeringexceltemplates.com and www.EngineeringExcelSpreadsheets.com, sites with the objective of providing inexpensive, easy to use Excel spreadsheets for a variety of engineering calculations.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
45 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.