Study on Hydraulic Jump

Purpose
The main purpose of this experiment is to study hydraulic jump and to use momentum equation to
describe this phenomenon.

Equipment
1. S16 Armfield Hydraulic Flow Demonstrator
2. Stopwatch

General
In an open channel when a supercritical flow is made to change abruptly to subcritical flow, the
result is usually an abrupt rise of the water surface. This feature is known as the hydraulic jump.
It results when there is a conflict between upstream and downstream controls which influence the
same reach of the channel. For example, if the upstream control causes supercritical flow and
downstream control dictates subcritical flow, then this conflict can be resolved by a hydraulic
jump, which passes the flow from one flow regime to other.

This experiment deals with observation of hydraulic jump in a horizontal rectangular channel and
development of different relationships between height, length, efficiency and energy loss of a
jump. Hydraulic jump is useful in dissipation of excess energy in flows over dams, weirs, spillways
and other hydraulic structures to prevent scouring downstream, maintaining high water levels in
channels for irrigation and other water distribution purposes, increasing discharge of a sluice gate
and thus increasing the effective head across the gate, mixing chemicals for water purification or
wastewater treatment, increasing aeration of flows and dichlorination of waste water, identification
of special flow conditions, etc.

Fig 1. Hydraulic Jump in a horizontal rectangular channel

Objectives
1. To determine the type of the jump according to USBR classification.
2. To measure the initial depth (𝑦1 ), sequent depth (𝑦2 ), length (𝐿) and height (ℎ𝑗 ) of the jump
and compare them with the theoretical values.
3. To determine the total energy loss, kinetic energy loss and efficiency of the jump and
compare them with the theoretical values.
4. To develop the theoretical characteristic curves of the hydraulic jump.

Procedure
1. Open the upstream gate for 10 mm.
2. With a constant value of downstream height of the gate, change the discharge to get a stable
hydraulic jump in the middle of the channel.
3. Measure the depth in upstream of the gate (𝑦0 ), before the jump (𝑦1 ) and after the jump
(𝑦2 ), the length of the jump (𝐿) and the time (𝑡) it takes to have 20 liters of water in inlet
tank.
4. Repeat the experiment for 5 different conditions (discharge and gates’ opening).

Theory

Types of hydraulic jump:

Depending on the Froude number before the jump (F1), the United States Bureau of Reclamation
(USBR) classified the hydraulic jumps in horizontal rectangular channels into the following five
categories:

Type 1: 𝐹1 = 1 ~1.7 Undular jump

Type 2: 𝐹1 = 1.7 ~2.5 Weak jump

Type 3: 𝐹1 = 2.5 ~4.5 Oscillating jump

Type 4: 𝐹1 = 4.5 ~9.0 Steady jump

Type 5: 𝐹1 >9.0 Strong jump

Initial and sequent depths:

The depth of flow before the jump is known as the initial depth (𝑦1 ) and the depth after the jump
is known as the sequent depth (𝑦2 ). Consider a hydraulic jump occurring in a horizontal rectangular
channel (Fig. 1). Since the jump takes place in a short reach of the channel, 𝐹𝑓 ≈ 0 and since the
channel is prismatic, we can assume that 𝛽1 = 𝛽2 = 1. The hydrostatic forces 𝐹𝑝1 and 𝐹𝑝2 may be
expressed as
 𝐹𝑝1 = 𝛾𝑧̅1 𝐴1 and 𝐹𝑝2 = 𝛾𝑧̅2 𝐴2

Where, 𝑧̅1 and 𝑧̅2 are the vertical distances of the centroids of the respective water areas 𝐴1 and 𝐴2
from the free surface. Now applying momentum equation between sections 1 and 2, we obtain

𝑄2 𝑄2
+ 𝑧̅1 𝐴1 = + 𝑧̅2 𝐴2
𝑔𝐴1 𝑔𝐴2

Since for a rectangular channel 𝑄 = 𝐴1 𝑉1 = 𝐴2 𝑉2; 𝐴1 = 𝐵𝑦1 and 𝐴2 = 𝐵𝑦2 𝑧̅1 = 𝑦1 /2 and 𝑧̅2 =
𝑦2 /2 above equation gives

𝑄2 1 1 1 2
2
( − ) = (𝑦2 − 𝑦12 )
𝑔𝐵 𝑦1 𝑦2 2

Using 𝑄 = 𝐵𝑦1 𝑉1 = 𝐵𝑦2 𝑉2 above equation may be recast as

𝑉1 2 1 𝑦2 𝑦2
= 𝐹1 2 = ( + 1)
𝑔𝑦1 2 𝑦1 𝑦1

Which may be solved to yield

𝑦2 1
= (√1 + 8𝐹12 − 1)
𝑦1 2
𝑦
Where, 𝑦2 is known as the ratio between the sequent and the initial depths.
1

Length of the jump (L)

The length of a hydraulic jump is the horizontal distance from the front face of the jump to a point
immediately downstream from the roller. This length cannot be determined by theory. Silvester
(1964) demonstrated that for free hydraulic jumps in horizontal rectangular channels

𝐿
= 9.75(𝐹1 − 1)1.01
𝑦1

Energy loss in the jump

The total loss of energy in the jump is equal to the difference in specific energies before and after
the jump. It can be shown that the total energy loss involved in a hydraulic jump in a horizontal
rectangular channel is given by

(𝑦2 − 𝑦1 )3
∆𝐸 = 𝐸1 − 𝐸2 =
4𝑦1 𝑦2
Where, 𝐸1 is the specific energy before the jump and 𝐸2 is the specific energy after the jump. The
kinetic energy loss in the jump is given by the difference in velocity head before and after the
jump. Thus

1
∆𝐸𝐾.𝐸. = (𝑉 2 − 𝑉22 )
2𝑔 1

Where, 𝑉1 is the velocity before the jump and 𝑉2 is the velocity after the jump.

Efficiency of the jump

The ratio of the specific energy after the jump to that before the jump (𝐸2 /𝐸1 ) is known as the
efficiency of the jump. It can be shown that the efficiency of the jump is given by

𝐸2 (1 + 8𝐹12 )3/2 − 4𝐹12 + 1

=
𝐸1 8𝐹12 (2 + 𝐹12 )

Height of the jump

The difference between the depths after and before the jump is known as the height of the jump. It
is given by ℎ𝑗 = 𝑦2 − 𝑦1

The ratio of the height of jump to the specific energy before jump is known as the relative height
of the jump and is given by

ℎ𝑗 (1 + 8𝐹12 )1/2 − 3
=
𝐸1 2 + 𝐹12

Typical shapes of graphs

Characteristic graphs of hydraulic jumps are a combination of four graphs shown in Fig. 2.
 Fig 2. Characteristics curves of hydraulic jumps in horizontal rectangular channels

Raw Data

Fig 3. Experimental data measurement

Record the values of 𝑦1 , 𝑦2 , ℎ𝑗 , 𝐿 and 𝑡 in the following table.

Table 1

𝑦1 (mm) 𝑦2 (mm) ℎ𝑗 (mm) L (mm) t (s)

1
2
3
4
5

Analyzed Data
First, having known the time and volume, calculate the discharge and then estimate the following
table:

Table 2

Q 𝑦1 𝑣1 𝐸1 𝑦2 𝑣2 𝐸2 ∆𝐸 = 𝐸1 − 𝐸2
(𝑚𝑚3 /𝑠) (mm) (mm/s) (mm) (mm) (mm/s) (mm) (mm)
1
2
3
4
5
Calculate the theoretical values (i.e. sequent depth, length, energy loss, efficiency and height) for
your observed hydraulic jump in the following table:

Table 3

𝑦1 𝑄 𝑣1
𝑦2 L 𝑦1 𝑦2 ℎ𝑗 𝐸2 ∆𝐸
𝑣1 = 𝑏𝑦 𝐹1 =
(mm) 1 √𝑔𝑦1 (mm) (mm) 𝐸1 𝐸1 𝐸1 𝐸1 (mm)
(mm/s)
1
2
3
4
5

Note. The highlighted columns are values that are measured. So, you have to use them to complete
the rest of the table.

Lab Questions
1. What is the type of your hydraulic jump according to USBR classification?
2. We assume that the loss in two sides of the gate in negligible when we use energy equation.
Does this assumption seem realistic?
3. Do the calculated values for 𝑦2 , agree with the measured values? What can be the reason
for the differences?
4. Plot the curve of 𝐿 versus 𝑦2 − 𝑦1. Using this curve, find the value of α (slope of the straight
line).The value of 𝑦2 − 𝑦1 should be in horizontal axes.
𝐸 ℎ 𝑦 𝑦2
5. Plot 𝐸2 , 𝐸𝑗 , 𝐸1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 vs 𝐹1 to get the characteristics curves?
1 1 1 𝐸1

Note. In order to draw the curves, use “scatter with only markers” chart in excel. To find out the
value of α, you can use “add trendline” option in Excel. The slope of the curve is the value of α.
Report format
Students are expected to submit the lab report in the following format. Report will be evaluated in
100%. The distribution of total marks is shown in bracket in the table below. Please submit a soft
copy (pdf) in the webcourse assignment section. You can send any questions regarding Lab by
webcourses inbox. Please prepare a pdf file in the following format and mention the course number
in the subject line.

“CWR4202CLab-LastName-FirstName-Labno.pdf”(For example, CWR4202CLab-Sarker

Shiblu-Lab03.pdf)

Cover Page Please provide the course number, course name, experiment name,
your name and submission date.
1 Introduction (5%) Not more than 200 words. It may include the background and scope
of the experiment.
2 Objective (5%) Please formulate the main objective (goal, aim) of the experiment.
3 Procedure (5%) Please provide step by step procedure how the experiment can be
done.
4 Experimental data Please present the raw data in tabular format mentioning the proper
(10%) unit and symbol.
5 Sample calculation In this section, please present the calculation of different parameters
(20%) from the experimental data along with mathematical equations
provided in the manual.
6 Results (15%) Please present your results in tabular format. If it is required to
present it by graph, chart etc., please put those in this section.
7 Answer of the lab Please provide the answers of the lab questions. Please try to answer
questions (20%) what is asked for.
8 Discussion (15%) In this part, please discuss your results. If any kind of error, unusual
results etc. are found, please discuss it in this section. Try to be
precise and write to the point which is asked for. Also write the
practical value of the experiment.
9 Conclusions (5%) Please write a short conclusion (not more than 50 words).