Characteristics of free overfall for supercritical flows

The characteristics of supercritical flow at a vertical drop in a rectangular channel are studied experimentally to obtain information that would be valuable to designers of hydraulic structures. The relationship between the ratio of brink depth to the depth of upstream supercritical flow (i.e., end-depth ratio) and the Froude number is determined. Downstream from the vertical drop, the physical characteristics of the falling jet are examined, such as the height of the standing water behind the jet, the maximum horizontal distance of the jet hitting the floor downstream, the height and length of the splashing water, and the horizontal distance where the downstream flow gains uniformity. The energy loss between the drop and stable downstream flow is also studied.Key words: supercritical flow, brink depth, free fall.