Flood Routing

( Reservoir and Channel flow )

Flood Routing
• Flow routing is a procedure to find out the
time and magnitude of flow (i.e the flow
hydrograph) at a point on the watercourse
from known or assumed hydrographs at one
or more upstream points.
•
In reservoir Routing:
• The effect of a flood wave entering a reservoir is
studied.
required:
oVolume-elevation information
oThe outflow-elevation relationship for spillways
In Channel Routing:
Outflow in the d/s section is computed.
required:
oChannel reach information
oThe inflow hydrograph
 Routing methods
• Hydrologic (lumped) routing method

 I t   Qt 
dS
dt

- Both inflow I(t) and storage information is

required to solve for Q(t).
- eg. Level pool routing , Muskingum method, Runge-
Kutta Method
Hydraulic (distributed) routing method
• Flow rate, velocity depth etc varies in space
and time.
• Employs equations of continuity and equation
of motion for unsteady flow (Saint-Venant
eqn.)
• Solved by the method of partial differential
equations – Saint Venant’s equation for one-
dimensional flow.
• Computes the flow rate and water level as a
function of space and time.
 Level Pool Routing (reservoir Routing)
• Storage is considered as a non-linear function
of outflow (Q) only.
• Given the reservoir’s inflow hydrograph and
storage outflow characteristics, its outflow is
computed.
S j 1  j 1t  j 1t


Sj
dS   I t  dt   Qt  dt
j t j t

 I t   Qt 
dS
dt
dS  I t  . t  Qt  . t
I j  I j 1 Q j  Q j 1 Unknowns: Sj+1 and Q j+1
S j 1  S j  t  t
2 2
.
 I j  I j 1  2  Q j  Q j 1  2
S j 1  S j  
2
 t    t 
t  2  t  2  t
 2S j 1   2S j 
  Q j 1   I j  I j 1     Q j 
 t   t 

In order to calculate the outflow, Q j 1 a storage-outflow

 2S 
function relating   Q  and Q is required.
 t 
  2S 
Example: Elevation (H) Discharge (Q) Storage (S)   Q
 t 
(1) (2) (3) (4)
Reservoir of Area = 43,560 ft2 0.0 0 0 0
Storage= Area * Elevation 0.5 3 21,780 76
1.0 8 43,560 153
1.5 17 65,340 235
S = A*H 2.0 30 87,120 320
2.5 43 108,900 406
eg. S1 = 43,560*0.5=21,780
3.0 60 130,680 496
3.5 78 152,460 586
Units: A = ft2 4.0 97 174,240 678
4.5 117 196,020 770
S = ft3
5.0 137 217,800 863
5.5 156 239,580 955
H = ft 6.0 173 261,360 1044
6.5 190 283,140 1134
Q = ft3/s 7.0 205 304,920 1221
7.5 218 326,700 1307
Time interval = 10 min.= 600 seconds 8.0 231 348,480 1393
8.5 242 370,260 1476
9.0 253 392,040 1560
9.5 264 413,820 1643
10.0 275 435,600 1727
Ti me i nterva l = 10 mi nutes =600 Seconds
 Solutions:
• Column (1) and (2): Time index and time steps for every 10
minutes respectively.
• Column (3) and (4): The inflow hydrograph and successive sum.
• Column (6): computed using eqn. (5)
• Column (5) estimated using the eqn.
 2S 2   2S 
  Q2    2  Q2   2Q2 … Simple manipulation
 t   t 
 60 - 2 * 2.4  55.2

S1  Q1  0  2S j 1


 Q j 1   I  I  
 2S j
  Q

j
j 1  t 
 t
j
  
 2 S1   2S 2   2S 
  Q1   0   Q2   I 1  I 2    1  Q1 
 t   t   t 
 60  0  60
2S j 1
The value of Q j 1 is found by linear interpolat ion given the  Q j 1
t
 Qi
 2S 2   2S 
  Q2   I 1  I 2    1  Q1  Time index Time inflow Ij + Ij+1 (2Sj /Δt)-Qj (2Sj+1/Δt)+Qj+1 Outflow
 t   t  (ft3/s) (ft3/s) (ft3/s) (ft3/s) (ft3/s)
j (min)
 60  0  60
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
1 0 0 - 0 - 0
 2S 2   2S 
  Q2    2  Q2   2Q2 2 10 60 60 55.2 60 2.4
 t   t  3 20 120 180 201.0 235.2 17.1
 60 - 2 * 2.4  55.2 4 30 180 300 378.8 501 61.1
5 40 240 420 552.4 798.8 123.2
6 50 300 540 728.0 1092.4 182.2
7 60 360 660 927.4 1388 230.3
8 70 320 680 1088.8 1607.4 259.3
9 80 280 600 1148.8 1688.8 270
10 90 240 520 1134.0 1668.8 267.4
11 100 200 440 1064.2 1574 254.9
12 110 160 360 953.8 1424.2 235.2
13 120 120 280 820.0 1233.8 206.9
14 130 80 200 683.0 1020 168.5
15 140 40 120 554.8 803 124.1
16 150 0 40 435.2 594.8 79.8
17 160 0 338.0 435.2 48.6
18 170 272.6 338 32.7
19 180 227.0 272.6 22.8
20 190 194.6 227 16.2
21 200 169.4 194.6 12.6
22 210 169.4 9.8
 Modified Puls Method (hydrologic)
• From continuity equation we have,
 I1  I 2   Q  Q2 
  t -  1   t  S 2  S1
 2   2 
 I1  I 2   Q1 t   Q2  t 
   t   1
S  
  2 S  
 2   2   2 

At the beginning of flood routing, the initial storage and outflow

discharge are known.

 Qt 
The relation S  S ( h ) and Q  Q(h) are known,  S  
 2 

will enable one to determine the reservoir elevation and hence

the discharge at the end of the time step.
Modified Puls Method- Computational Steps
 Q versus H and Q versus 
S 
Qt 
 Curve
 2 
Q

 Q t 
H 
El evati on S  
 2 

 Q t 
 S  
 2 
Goodrich’s Method – Lumped (hydrologic)
• From Continuity equation:
2S 2 2S1
I 1  I 2  Q1  Q2  
t t

I1  I 2    2S1  Q1   2S 2
 

 Q2 
 t   t 

Known values Solved/Determined

From the known storage-elevation-discharge data, the function

 2S 
  Q  is established as a function of elevation.
 t 2 

Hence the discharge, elevation and storage at the end of the

time step are obtained
 • For the next time step:
 2S   2S 
  Q   2Q2    Q
 t 2  t 
Q

 2S 
H 
El evati on   Q
 t 

 2S 
  Q
 t 
Compare to the Modified Pul’s method.
 Channel Routing
• In channel routing the storage is a function
of both outflow and inflow discharges.
• The water surface in a channel reach is not
only parallel to the channel bottom but
also varies with time.
• In reservoir, the storage is a unique
function of the outflow discharge , S = f (Q)
 Muskingum Method
• Hydrologic (lumped) routing method.
• Handles variable storage-discharge relationship.
• Applies wedge and prism storage to model flood
volume in a river channel.
Prism Storage:
• The volume that would exist if the uniform flow occurred at
the downstream depth.
• The volume formed by an imaginary plane parallel to the
channel bottom drawn at the outflow section water surface.
Wedge storage:
• The volume formed between the actual water surface profile
and the top surface of the prism storage.
• During the advance phase of flood wave,
inflow exceeds outflow producing a wedge of
storage.
• During the recession, outflow exceeds inflow,
resulting in a negative wedge.
• Prism of storage which is formed by a volume
of constant cross-section along the length of
prismatic channel.
Prism and Wedge Storage elaborated
• Total Storage = Prism storage + Wedge storage

S  KQ  KX I  Q
where k = a proportionality coefficient
= time of travel for flood wave through the channel reach
X = a weighting factor having the range 0  X  0.5

S  K XI  1  X Q
When X= 0 , S = K Q …. The case for linear reservoir model
 
S j  K XI j  1  X  Q j  ......... (1)

S j 1  K XI j 1 
 1  X  Q j 1 .......(2)
  
S j 1  S j  K  XI j 1  1  X  Q j 1  XI j  1  X  Q j   ...(3)
• The change in storage can also be expressed as :

 I j  I j 1   Q j  Q j 1 
S j 1  S j    t -    t ... (4)
 2   2 

• Combining (3) and (4)

Q j 1  C1 I j 1  C2 I j  C3Q j .... (5)
 KX  0.5  t
C1 
K 1  X   0.5  t
KX  0.5 t
C2 
K 1  X   0.5 t
K 1  X   0.5 t
C3 
K 1  X   0.5 t

Note that C1  C2  C3  1.00 .... (6)

 Estimation of of K and X
t t
S  I 1  I 2   Q1  Q2 
2 2
•If an inflow and outflow hydrograph is available for given reach ,
values of S at various time intervals can be determined by the
above techniques . By choosing a trial value of X, values of S at
any time t are plotted against the corresponding
[ XI + (1-X) Q ] values.

•If the value of X is chosen correctly a straight line relationship

will result. If an incorrect value of X is used , the plotted points
will trace a looping curve.

• By trial and error a value of X is so chosen that the data values

nearly describe a straight line relationship. The slope of this
straight line will result K- value.
 Determination of K and X
X=
X=
X=

X for natural streams

varies from 0 – 0.3

( X + (1-X)Q )
Example: Route the following flood hydrograph through a river
reach for which K=24 and X=0.2. Take the outflow at the
beginning of the routing period is equal to the inflow (14 m3/s).

Solutions: K= 24 and X= 0.2 Δt = 12 hrs

 KX  0.5t - 24 * 0.2  0.5 * 12
C1    0.0476
K 1  X   0.5t 241 - 0.2   0.5 * 12
KX  0.5t 24 * 0.2  0.5 * 12
C2    0.4286
K 1  X   0.5t 241 - 0.2   0.5 * 12
K 1  X   0.5t 241 - 0.2   0.5 * 12
C3    0.5238
K 1  X   0.5t 241 - 0.2   0.5 * 12
 C1  C2  C3  0.0476  0.4286  0.5238  1.00
 Q j 1  C1 I j 1  C2 I j  C3Q j .... (5)
Solutions (Muskingum Method of Routing)
Table: Muskingum method of routing
Time I C1 Ij+1 C2 I j C2 Q j Q
(h) (m3/s) C1=0.0476 C2=0.4286 C3=0.5238 (m3/s)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
12 14 - 6.00 7.33 14.00
24 22 1.05 9.43 7.33 14.38
36 36 1.71 15.43 7.53 18.48
48 93 4.43 39.86 9.68 27.39
60 141 6.71 60.43 14.35 56.25
72 102 4.86 43.72 29.46 79.63
84 86 4.09 36.86 41.71 77.27
96 73 3.47 31.29 40.48 82.05
108 61 2.90 26.14 42.98 74.67
120 50 2.38 21.43 39.11 71.50
132 38 1.81 16.29 37.45 62.35
144 26 1.24 11.14 32.66 54.98
156 20 0.95 8.57 28.80 44.75
168 16 0.76 6.86 23.44 38.13
• Kinematic wave routing
(Reading Assignment)