Wetted perimeter

Cross sectional area of a trapezoidal open channel, red highlights wetted perimeter

The wetted perimeter is the perimeter of the cross sectional area that is "wet." The term wetted perimeter is common in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and heat transfer applications; it is associated with the hydraulic diameter. Engineers commonly cite the cross sectional area of a river.

This can be defined mathematically:

Where l_i is the length of each surface in contact with the aqueous body.

In open channel flow, the wetted perimeter is defined as the surface of the channel bottom and sides in direct contact with the aqueous body. Friction losses typically increase with an increasing wetter perimeter, resulting in a decrease in head. In a practical experiment, one is able to measure the wetted perimeter with a tape measure weighted down to the river bed to get a more accurate measurement.

See also

• Hydrological transport model
• Manning formula
• Hydraulic radius

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