de Saint Venant equation

Luca Chistè, 2009

Riccardo Rigon & Niccolò Tubini

Simplifying

“A rigorous description of flow in networks of open channels would

require a knowledge of detailed three-dimensional velocity patterns”.* …
The most general equation for treating the problem is the Navier-Stokes
equation.
“However it is generally accepted that the hydrological response of the
channels maybe adequately represented by a greatly simplified
description in terms of mean flow velocities and depths in one or two
directions.”

*Beven, K. and Wood, E.F., Flow routing and the hydrologic response of channel networks, in
Channel Networks Hydrology, Beven, K. and Kirkby, J.M. (Eds), John Wiley and Sons, 1992 2

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Hypotheses

Simplifying hypotheses:

• Water is incompressible and of constant density and viscosity;

• The pressure distribution within any vertical is approximately
hydrostatic, so that the streamlines are straight in the downstream
direction;
• The flow is gradually varied in both time and space so that the
amplitude of surface waves is very much smaller than the wavelength;
• The bed slope is small and the bed is fixed
• (For the 1d case) The addition of momentum associated with the laterla
inflow is small relative to that of the main channel flow

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Continuity equation

Here we derive the simplified 1D de Saint Venant equations

lateral inflow

discharge section area

mean velocity

For a general (and concise) treatment of the matter see, for instance: Casulli, V. (2017). Advanced numerical methods for free-surface
hydrodynamics (pp. 1–80).
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Continuity equation

Here we derive the simplified 1D de Saint Venant equations

lateral inflow

discharge section area

mean velocity

For a general (and concise) treatment of the matter see, for instance: Casulli, V. (2017). Advanced numerical methods for free-surface
hydrodynamics (pp. 1–80).
5

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Continuity equation

Here we derive the simplified 1D de Saint Venant equations

lateral inflow

discharge section area

mean velocity

For a general (and concise) treatment of the matter see, for instance: Casulli, V. (2017). Advanced numerical methods for free-surface
hydrodynamics (pp. 1–80).
6

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Rewind on continuity equation

is the volume of surface water present between x and x+dx

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Rewind on continuity equation

is the volume of surface water present between x and x+dx

the variation of volume of water

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Rewind on continuity equation

is the volume of surface water present between x and x+dx

the variation of volume of water

Continuity equation then reads:

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Rewind on continuity equation

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Rewind on continuity equation

If

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Rewind on continuity equation

If

then:

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Rewind on continuity equation

Continuity equation

This is only the first of the equation we need

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Newton’s law

We said that Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations are the one to look for the general momentum
conservation equation of a Newtonian fluid. De Saint Venant (dSV) equations can be obtaine
by N-S integration over the vertical axis (usually z).

We derive dSV equations in the 1D case from a different route here. For a volume of a fluid,
dV, the momentum is:

velocità media
Momentum of water fluid
dell’acqua
densità dell’acqua

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for our 1D system

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Newton’s law

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Newton’s law parts

cambiamento locale forze di superficie

della quantità di moto (cambiamento spaziale
della pressione)

cambiamento spaziale forza di gravità

della quantità di moto
perdite dovute
all’attrito
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Newton’s law parts

cambiamento locale forze di superficie

della quantità di moto (cambiamento
spaziale della

forza di gravità
cambiamento spaziale
della quantità di moto
perdite dovute
all’attrito
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Newton’s law parts

cambiamento locale forze di superficie

della quantità di moto (cambiamento
spaziale della
pressione)
forza di gravità
cambiamento spaziale
della quantità di moto
perdite dovute
all’attrito
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Newton’s law parts

cambiamento locale forze di superficie

della quantità di moto (cambiamento
spaziale della
pressione)
forza di gravità
cambiamento spaziale
della quantità di moto
perdite dovute
all’attrito
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Newton’s law parts

cambiamento locale forze di superficie

della quantità di moto (cambiamento
spaziale della
pressione)
forza di gravità
cambiamento spaziale
della quantità di moto
perdite dovute
all’attrito
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Newton’s law insides

area della sezione

pressione

velocità media
dell’acqua pendenza del fondo
densità dell’acqua
shear stress

perimetro bagnato

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Algebraic manipulations

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Algebraic manipulations

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Algebraic manipulations

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 Il primo membro dell’equazione può allora essere scritto:

notando che:

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 per quanto riguarda il secondo membro:

pendenza di attrito

tirante raggio idraulico

tiranteidrico
idricomedio
medio
nell’ipotesi
nell’ipotesididiDupuit
Dupuit

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 per quanto riguarda il secondo membro:

pendenza di attrito

tirante raggio idraulico

tiranteidrico
idricomedio
medio
nell’ipotesi
nell’ipotesididiDupuit
Dupuit

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 per quanto riguarda il secondo membro:

pendenza di attrito

tirante idrico medio raggio idraulico

nell’ipotesi di Dupuit

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 plus continuity equation

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Resitence formulas

To solve the equation, we have to give the friction slope expression.

For instance we can use, the Darcy-Weisbach formulation:

Darcy-Weißbach coefficient

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Initial and boudary conditions

As in the other cases we have to understand how to set the initial conditions
and the boundary condition.
However, for today, is enough.

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Domande ?

Find this presentation at

Ulrici, 2000 ?

Other material at
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http://abouthydrology.blogspot.com 33

Rigon et al.