Distributed Flow Routing

Venkatesh Merwade,
Center for Research in Water Resources

Surface Water Hydrology, Spring 2005

Reading: 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2
 Outline
• Flow routing
• Flow equations for Distributed Flow
Routing (St. Venant equations)
– Continuity
– Momentum
• Dynamic Wave Routing
– Finite difference scheme
 Flow Routing
• Definition: procedure to determine the flow
hydrograph at a point on a watercourse
from a known hydrograph(s) upstream

• Why do we route flows?

– Account for changes in flow
hydrograph as a flood
wave passes downstream
• This helps in
– Accounting for storages
– Studying the attenuation of
flood peaks
 Flow Routing Types
• Lumped (Hydrologic)
– Flow is calculated as function of time, no
spatial variability
– Governed by continuity equation and
flow/storage relationship
• Distributed (Hydraulic)
– Flow is calculated as a function of space and
time
– Governed by continuity and momentum
equations
 Flow routing in channels
• Distributed Routing
• St. Venant equations
– Continuity equation
Q A
 0
x t
– Momentum Equation
1 Q 1   Q 2  y
    g  g ( So  S f )  0
A t A x  A  x

What are all these terms, and where are they coming from?
 Assumptions for St. Venant Equations

• Flow is one-dimensional
• Hydrostatic pressure prevails and vertical
accelerations are negligible
• Streamline curvature is small.
• Bottom slope of the channel is small.
• Manning’s equation is used to describe
resistance effects
• The fluid is incompressible
Continuity Equation
Q = inflow to the control volume
q = lateral inflow

Q Rate of change of flow

x with distance
Q
Q dx Outflow from the C.V.
x

 ( Adx) Change in mass

t

Elevation View
Reynolds transport theorem

d
0 
dt c.v.
d   V .dA
c. s .

Plan View
 Continuity Equation (2)
Q A
 q 0 Conservation form
x t

 (Vy) y
 0
x t
Non-conservation form (velocity is dependent
variable)
y V y
V y  0
x x t
 Momentum Equation
• From Newton’s 2nd Law:
• Net force = time rate of change of momentum
d
 F  dt  Vd   VV .dA
c .v . c. s .

Sum of forces on
the C.V.

Momentum stored Momentum flow

within the C.V across the C. S.
Forces acting on the C.V.
• Fg = Gravity force due to
weight of water in the C.V.
• Ff = friction force due to
shear stress along the
bottom and sides of the C.V.
• Fe = contraction/expansion
force due to abrupt changes
in the channel cross-section
• Fw = wind shear force due to
frictional resistance of wind at
the water surface
Elevation View • Fp = unbalanced pressure
forces due to hydrostatic
forces on the left and right
hand side of the C.V. and
pressure force exerted by
banks

Plan View
 Momentum Equation
d
 F  dt  Vd   VV .dA
c .v . c. s .

Sum of forces on
the C.V.

Momentum stored Momentum flow

within the C.V across the C. S.

1 Q 1   Q 2  y
 
 
  g  g ( So  S f )  0
A t A x  A  x
 Momentum Equation(2)

1 Q 1  Q  2
y
    g  g ( So  S f )  0
A t A x  A  x
Local Convective Pressure Gravity Friction
acceleration acceleration force force force
term term term term term

V V y
V  g  g (So  S f )  0
t x x
Kinematic Wave

Diffusion Wave

Dynamic Wave
 Momentum Equation (3)
1 V V V y
    So  S f
g t g x x
Steady, uniform flow

Steady, non-uniform flow

Unsteady, non-uniform flow

Applications of different forms of momentum
equation
V V y
V  g  g (So  S f )  0
t x x

• Kinematic wave: when gravity forces and friction forces

balance each other (steep slope channels with no back
water effects)
• Diffusion wave: when pressure forces are important in
addition to gravity and frictional forces
• Dynamic wave: when both inertial and pressure forces
are important and backwater effects are not negligible
(mild slope channels with downstream control)
 Dynamic Wave Routing

Flow in natural channels is unsteady,

nonuniform with junctions, tributaries, variable
cross-sections, variable resistances, variable
depths, etc etc.
 Solving St. Venant equations
• Analytical
– Solved by integrating partial differential equations
– Applicable to only a few special simple cases of kinematic waves

• Numerical
– Finite difference
approximation
– Calculations are performed
on a grid placed over the (x,t)
plane
– Flow and water surface
elevation are obtained for
incremental time and
distances along the channel
x-t plane for finite differences calculations
 i-1, j+1 i-1, j+1 i+1, j+1

∆t
i-1, j i, j i+1, j

∆x ∆x
Cross-sectional view in x-t plane

x-t plane
h0, Q0, t1 h1, Q1, t1 h2, Q2, t2

∆t h0, Q0, t0 h1, Q1, t0 h2, Q2, t0

∆x ∆x
 Finite Difference Approximations

• Explicit
• Implicit
uij 1 uij 1  uij u uij 1  uij11  uij  uij1
 
t t t 2t
Temporal derivative
Temporal derivative
uij uij1  uij1
 u uij11  uij 1 uij1  uij
x 2x   (1   )
x x x
Spatial derivative
Spatial derivative

Spatial derivative is written using Spatial and temporal derivatives use

terms on known time line unknown time lines for computation
Example