Distributed Flow Routing

Reading: Sections 9.1 9.4,

10.1-10.2

Distributed 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 ( S o 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.
Mannings equation is used to describe
resistance effects
The fluid is incompressible

Continuity Equation
Q = inflow to the control volume
q = lateral inflow
Q
x
Q

Rate of change of flow

with distance

Q
dx
x

( Adx)
t
Elevation View

Change in mass

Reynolds transport theorem

Plan View

Outflow from the C.V.

d
d V .dA

dt c.v.
c.s .

Continuity Equation (2)

Q A

0
x t

(Vy ) y

0
x
t

y
V y
y

0
x
x t

Conservation form

Non-conservation form (velocity is dependent

variable)

Momentum Equation
From Newtons 2nd Law:
Net force = time rate of change of momentum
d
F dt Vd VV .dA
c .v .
c.s.
Sum of forces
on the C.V.
Momentum stored
within the C.V

Momentum flow
across the C. S.

Forces acting on the C.V.

Elevation View

Plan View

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
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

Momentum Equation
d
F dt Vd VV .dA
c .v .
c.s.
Sum of forces
on the C.V.
Momentum stored
within the C.V

Momentum flow
across the C. S.

1 Q 1 Q 2
y

g g ( S o S f ) 0

A t A x A
x

Momentum Equation(2)
2

1 Q 1 Q
y

g g ( S o S f ) 0

A t A x A
x
Local
acceleration
term

Convective
acceleration
term

Pressure
force
term

Gravity
force
term

Friction
force
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

Dynamic Wave Routing

Flow in natural channels is unsteady, nonuniform with junctions, tributaries, variable

cross-sections, variable resistances, variable
depths, etc etc.

Obtaining river cross-sections

Traditional methods

Depth sounder and GPS

Cross-sections are also extracted from a contour map, DEM,
and TIN

Triangulated Irregular Network

Edge
Node

Face

3D Structure of a TIN

Real TIN in 3D!

TIN for UT campus

TIN as a source of cross-sections

CrossSections

Channel and Cross-Section

DirectionofFlow

Channel
CrossSection

HEC GeoRAS
A set of ArcGIS tools for processing of
geospatial data for
Export of geometry HEC-RAS
Import of HEC-RAS output for display in GIS

Available from HEC at

http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ras/hec-georas_downloads.html

Hydraulic Modeling with Geo-RAS

GIS data

HEC-RAS
Geometry

HEC-RAS Flood
Profiles
Flood display in GIS

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

Finite Difference Approximations

Explicit
uij 1 uij 1 uij

t
t
Temporal derivative

uij uij1 uij1

x
2x
Spatial derivative
Spatial derivative is written using
terms on known time line

Implicit
u uij 1 uij11 uij uij1

t
2t
Temporal derivative

u
uij11 uij 1
uij1 uij

(1 )
x
x
x
Spatial derivative
Spatial and temporal derivatives use
unknown time lines for computation

Example