A canal has uniform width and a bottom that is horizontal apart from a localised slowly-varying hump of height D(x) whose maximum value is Dmax . Far upstream the water has depth h1 and velocity u1. Show that the depth h(x) of the water satisfies the following equation:
h1D(x)=1−h1h−2F(h2h12−1)
where F=u12/gh1.
Describe qualitatively how h(x) varies as the flow passes over the hump in the three cases
(i) F<1 (ii) F>1 (iii) Dmax and Dmax<D∗ and Dmax<D∗=D∗,
where D∗=h1(1−23F1/3+21F).
Calculate the water depth far downstream in case (iii) when F<1.