Rainfall-Runoff Relationship

Example_Regression method

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Using the data Table:

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

 (ii) Empirical Relations
a) Inglish For Western Ghats, R = 0.85P – 30.5
formula - For Deccan Plateau,
Ganga basin,
Yamuna basin (Delhi),
here, R and P are in cm.
b) Khosla’s Mean
method - monthly loss,
Tm = mean monthly temperature of the catchment in oC
If Pm is the monthly rainfall in cm,
Monthly runoff,

And the annual runoff,

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Example: Khosla’s Method

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

 (iii) Rational method

Depth of rainfall is the

rainfall intensity (cm/hr)
converted to (m/s) times
the duration used in
seconds.
This is the basic equation of the rational method for drainage
basin that assumed completely impervious. Re-writing for field
application,

Where 𝑄p = peak discharge (m3 /s) 𝑖𝑡c.𝑝 = the mean intensity of

precipitation (cm/hr) for a duration equal to tc and an exceedance
probability P. 𝐴 = drainage area in km2.
The time taken for a drop of water from the farthest part of the
catchment to reach the outlet, called time of concentration,

- Kirpich Equation (1940)

Where, L = maximum length of travel of water (m),

S = slope of the catchment = ΔH/L, in which ΔH = difference in elevation
between the most remote point on the catchment and the outlet.
From the rainfall-frequency-duration relationship for the given
catchment area,

Weighted equivalent runoff coefficient,

where 𝐴𝑖 = the areal extent of the sub-area i having a runoff
coefficient Ci and N = number of sub areas in the catchment. This
method is found to be suitable for peak-flow prediction in small
basins up to 50 km2 in area. It finds considerable application in
urban drainage designs; e.g., small culverts and bridges.
 Limitations of Rational Method
i. The formula gives good results only for small
catchments, having area up to 50 km2;
ii. It is applicable only if the duration of rainfall is equal to or
more than the time of concentration (tc);
iii. Rainfall intensity (i) should be constant over the entire
catchment, during the time of concentration;
iv. It assumes constant value of C for a given area, for all
storms, which is not reasonable;
v. Runoff varies linearly with zero intercept; however, nature
does not follow such a linear relationship;
vi. Due to the above limitations, the rational formula is
generally used in the design of urban drainage system,
small culverts, and bridges etc.
Assignment -1
 (IV) Infiltration method
- by deducting the infiltration loss (the area under the
infiltration curve) from the total precipitation, or by the use
of infiltration indices, i.e., w-index, f-index, etc.

Basin Yield
- the quantity of water available from a stream at a given
point over a specified duration of time.
Hydrologic water balance equation,

Basin yield =
If continuous flow measurements are not available,
0, for a specific time in a year

Dr. M Alauddin PET CED, DUET

 Flow-mass Curve/Rippl Curve
A graph of cumulative volume of runoff plotted
against time is known as a flow-mass curve or
simply mass curve.

cumulative runoff volume

Uses of flow-mass curve: S2
H F
•To determine the required G
D
storage capacity for any
uniform rate of demand.
S1
•To determine the maximum
demand rate that can be E
maintained by a given storage C

volume. O
time
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Mass-curve characteristics and analyses
Rate of flow – the slope of the tangent drawn to the mass
curve at any instant is the flow rate at that time.
Demand rate – the rate at which water is required for any
use. The line which explains this rate is known as draft

cumulative runoff volume

line/use line/demand line.

Volume
S2
1. Determining storage
H F
capacity G
Time D
•Difference in the ordinates
between the demand line CD
tangential to the crest segment and S1

the line EF drawn parallel to it E

tangential to the subsequent trough C
segment at E (S1) represents the
O
volume of water needed as storage. time
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 •If there are several such pairs of segments, then the
required S = Maximum of (S1, S2, …..)

cumulative runoff volume

Determining demand rate from a
S, given storage
given storage volume: S2
Several pairs of parallel H F
G
lines of any slope tangential to D
the crest and subsequent trough
segments are drawn. The slope of
S1S
the line for which the vertical
intercept between any pair of E
lines is equal to the given storage C
(S) defines the possible maximum
O
draft rate. time
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Example_Arithmetic method:

Storage reqrd. 1920 cumec.day

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Solution
of the
previous
storage
problem
using
mass
curve:

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

 Sequent Peak Algorithm
- analytical procedure leading to faster determination of
storage requirement.
- If Xi = inflow volume, Di = demand volume in the ith period

Residual mass curve: mass curve of cumulative net-flow volume

against time.
Steps are:
i. Calculate the cumulative net-flow volumes,
 ii. Locate the first and second peaks,
iii. Find the lowest trough T1 between P1 and P2, and
calculate

iv. Repeat the procedure for all the sequent peaks, and find

v. The required reservoir capacity is

Solution: Demand = Avg. of supply = Sum of flow/12 = 37.7 Mm3.

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Water is added
in the reservoir

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Dependable Yield
- annual yield in any year in future is estimated only
with some degree of dependability.
75% dependable yield
-value of the yield expected to be equaled or exceeded
75% times (i.e., 30 times out of 40 years).
Recurrence interval -T can be known as T = 1/P =
1/0.75 = 1.33 years.

Q, cumec
Flow-duration Curve or
Discharge-frequency curve -
a plot of discharge against
the percent of time the flow
was equaled or exceeded.
t, %
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Uses of Flow-duration curve
 In evaluating various dependable flows in the
planning of water resources engineering projects,
 In evaluating the hydropower potential of a
river,
 Designing of drainage systems,
 Flood-control studies,
 Computing the sediment load and dissolved
solids load of a stream.

cumec
Q,

t, %
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Example: Flow Rate
Percentage
Date Flow Rate (arranged
Exceedance
ascending)
April 1st 0.25 m3/s 4.50 m3/s 10%

April 2nd 0.40 m3/s 3.00 m3/s 20%

April 3rd 1.60 m3/s 2.40 m3/s 30%

April 4th 1.00 m3/s 1.90 m3/s 40%

April 5th 0.60 m3/s 1.60 m3/s 50%

April 6th 4.50 m3/s 1.30 m3/s 60%

April 7th 3.00 m3/s 1.00 m3/s 70%

April 8th 2.40 m3/s 0.60 m3/s 80%

April 9th 1.90 m3/s 0.40 m3/s 90%

April 10th 1.30 m3/s 0.25 m3/s 100%

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
*Flow rates between Q0 and Q10 are considered high flow rates;
*Q0 to Q1 would be extreme flood events;
*Flows from Q10 to Q70 would be the ‘medium’ range of flows, and
you would want your hydropower system to operate efficiently right
across these flow rates;
*Flow rates from Q70 to Q100 are the ‘low flows’ when hydropower
systems will just be operating but at a low power output;
*As flow rates move from Q95 towards Q100 you move into the low-
flow drought flows.
Power potential from the streamflow:
If available head (H) is 5.0 m(say), and assuming efficiency (h) of
turbine-generator system is 75% and 80% dependable yield (Q =
0.6m3/s as in Table/graph), the power potential can be expected to be,
P = h g Q H = 0.75*9810*0.6*5 = 22,072.5 = 22.07 kW
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET