Open-channel flow

Open-channel flow, a branch of hydraulics and fluid mechanics, is a type of liquid flow within a conduit with a free surface, known as a channel. The other type of flow within a conduit is pipe flow. These two types of flow are similar in many ways but differ in one important respect: the free surface. Open-channel flow has a free surface, whereas pipe flow does not. Open-channel flow, a branch of hydraulics and fluid mechanics, is a type of liquid flow within a conduit with a free surface, known as a channel. The other type of flow within a conduit is pipe flow. These two types of flow are similar in many ways but differ in one important respect: the free surface. Open-channel flow has a free surface, whereas pipe flow does not.