Hydrologic Routing

Reading: Applied Hydrology Sections

 Flow Routing Q

• Procedure to t

determine the flow

hydrograph at a Q
point on a
watershed from a
t
known hydrograph
upstream Q
• As the hydrograph
travels, it
– attenuates t
– gets delayed Q

t
2
 Why 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

3
 Types of flow routing
• Lumped/hydrologic
– Flow is calculated as a function of time alone at a
particular location
– Governed by continuity equation and
flow/storage relationship
• Distributed/hydraulic
– Flow is calculated as a function of space and time
throughout the system
– Governed by continuity and momentum
equations
4
 Hydrologic Routing
Discharge I (t ) Discharge
Inflow
Transfer Q(t )
Function
Outflow

I (t )  Inflow Q(t )  Outflow

Upstream hydrograph Downstream hydrograph

Input, output, and storage are related by continuity equation:

dS
 I (t )  Q (t ) Q and S are unknown
dt
Storage can be expressed as a function of I(t) or Q(t) or both
dI dQ
S  f (I , ,  , Q, , )
dt dt
For a linear reservoir, S=kQ
5
 Lumped flow routing
• Three types
1. Level pool method (Modified Puls)
– Storage is nonlinear function of Q
2. Muskingum method
– Storage is linear function of I and Q
3. Series of reservoir models
– Storage is linear function of Q and its time
derivatives

6
S and Q relationships

7
 Level pool routing
• Procedure for calculating outflow hydrograph
Q(t) from a reservoir with horizontal water
surface, given its inflow hydrograph I(t) and
storage-outflow relationship

8
 Level pool methodology
dS
Discharge
Inflow  I (t )  Q(t )
dt
I j 1
Outflow S j 1 ( j 1) t ( j 1) t
Ij  dS   Idt   Qdt
Q j 1 Sj jt jt

Qj
t S j 1  S j I j 1  I j Q j 1  Q j
 
jt ( j  1) t Time t 2 2
Storage 2 S j 1 2S j
 Q j 1  I j 1  I j  Qj
t t

Unknown Known
S j 1 Need a function relating

Sj 2S
 Q, and Q
t
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Time Storage-outflow function
 Level pool methodology
• Given
– Inflow hydrograph
– Q and H relationship

• Steps
1. Develop Q versus Q+ 2S/t relationship using
Q/H relationship
2 S j 1 2S j
2. Compute Q+ 2S/t using t  Q j 1  I j 1  I j  t  Q j
3. Use the relationship developed in step 1 to get
Q
10
 Example
Given I(t) Given Q/H
Time Inflow Elevation H Discharge Q
(min) (cfs) (ft) (cfs)
0 0 0 0
10 60 400 0.5 3
20 120 1 8
30 180 1.5 17
40 240 300 2 30
50 300
2.5 43
Inflow (cfs)

60 360
70 320
3 60
200
80 280 3.5 78
90 240 4 97
100 200 100 4.5 117
110 160 5 137
120 120 5.5 156
130 80 0 6 173
140 40 0 50 100 150 200 250 6.5 190
150 0 Tim e (m in) 7 205
160 0 7.5 218
170 0 8 231
180 0
8.5 242
190 0
9 253
200 0
210 0
9.5 264
10 275

Area of the reservoir = 1 acre, and outlet diameter

11
= 5ft
 Ex. Step 1
Develop Q versus Q+ 2S/t relationship using Q/H relationship
Elevation H Discharge Q Storage S 2S/ t + Q S  Area  Height  43560  0.5  21,780 ft 3
3
(ft) (cfs) (ft ) (cfs)
0 0 0 0
0.5 3 21780 75.6 2S 2  21780
1 8 43560 153.2 Q   3  75.6 cfs
1.5 17 65340 234.8 t 10  60
2 30 87120 320.4
2.5 43 108900 406
3 60 130680 495.6 300
3.5 78 152460 586.2
4 97 174240 677.8 250
4.5 117 196020 770.4
5 137 217800 863 200
Outflow Q (cfs)

5.5 156 239580 954.6

6 173 261360 1044.2 150
6.5 190 283140 1133.8
7 205 304920 1221.4 100
7.5 218 326700 1307
8 231 348480 1392.6 50
8.5 242 370260 1476.2
9 253 392040 1559.8 0
9.5 264 413820 1643.4 0 500 1000 1500 2000
10 275 435600 1727
12 2S/D t + Q (cfs)
 Step 2
2 S j 1 2S j
Compute Q+ 2S/t using  Q j 1  I j 1  I j  Qj
t t

At time interval =1 (j=1), I1 = 0, and therefore Q1 = 0 as the reservoir is empty

Write the continuity equation for the first time step, which can be
used to compute Q2

 2S 2   2S 
  Q2   I 2  I1    1  Q1 
 t   t 

 2S 2   2S 
  Q2   I 2  I1    1  Q1   0  60  60
 t   t 

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 Step 3 300

250

200

Outflow Q (cfs)
Use the relationship between 2S/t + Q versus Q to 150

compute Q 100

 2S 2 
50

  Q2   60 0

 t  0 500 1000
2S/D t + Q (cfs)
1500 2000

Use the Table/graph created in Step 1 to compute Q

Elevation H Discharge Q Storage S 2S/ t + Q
3
(ft) (cfs) (ft ) (cfs)
What is the value of Q if 2S/t + Q = 60 ? 0
0.5
0
3 21780
0 0
75.6
1 8 43560 153.2
(3  0) 1.5 17 65340 234.8
Q 0 (60  0)  2.4 cfs 2 30 87120 320.4
(76  0) 2.5
3
43
60
108900
130680
406
495.6
3.5 78 152460 586.2
4 97 174240 677.8
So Q2 is 2.4 cfs 4.5 117 196020 770.4
5 137 217800 863
5.5 156 239580 954.6
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for j=2, 3, 4… to compute 6
6.5
173
190
261360
283140
1044.2
1133.8
Q3, Q4, Q5….. 7 205 304920 1221.4
7.5 218 326700 1307
8 231 348480 1392.6
8.5 242 370260 1476.2
9 253 392040 1559.8
9.5 264 413820 1643.4
14 10 275 435600 1727
Ex. results 2 S j 1
 Q j 1  I j 1  I j 
2S j
Qj
2S j 2S j t t
 Qj   Q j  2Q j
t t

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 Ex. results

400

350
Inflow
300

Discharge (cfs)
Peak outflow intersects with the receding 250

limb of the inflow hydrograph 200

150

100
Outflow
50

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
TIme (minutes)
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 Q/H relationships

http://www.wsi.nrcs.usda.gov/products/W2Q/H&H/Tools_Models/Sites.html
Program for Routing Flow through
17 an NRCS Reservoir
 Hydrologic river routing (Muskingum
Method)
Wedge storage in reach

Advancing I
S Prism  KQ Flood
Q
Wave
S Wedge  KX ( I  Q) I>Q
I Q
K = travel time of peak through the reach
X = weight on inflow versus outflow (0 ≤ X ≤ 0.5) Q Q
X = 0  Reservoir, storage depends on outflow, no
wedge
X = 0.0 - 0.3  Natural stream
I Q
S  KQ  KX ( I  Q)
Receding
Flood
S  K [ XI  (1  X )Q] Wave QI
Q>I
I I
 Muskingum Method (Cont.)
S  K [ XI  (1  X )Q]

S j 1  S j  K {[ XI j 1  (1  X )Q j 1 ]  [ XI j  (1  X )Q j ]}

Recall:
I j 1  I j Q j 1  Q j
S j 1  S j  t  t
2 2

Combine:
t  2 KX
C1 
2 K (1  X )  t
Q j 1  C1I j 1  C 2 I j  C3Q j
t  2 KX
C2 
2 K (1  X )  t
2 K (1  X )  t
C3 
2 K (1  X )  t

If I(t), K and X are known, Q(t) can be calculated using above

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equations
 Muskingum - Example
• Given:
– Inflow hydrograph
– K = 2.3 hr, X = 0.15, t = 1 hour,
Initial Q = 85 cfs
• Find:
– Outflow hydrograph using
Muskingum routing method
t  2 KX 1  2 * 2.3 * 0.15
C1    0.0631
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1
t  2 KX 1  2 * 2.3 * 0.15
C2    0.3442
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3 * (1  0.15)  1
C3    0.5927
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1
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 Muskingum – Example (Cont.)

Q j 1  C1I j 1  C 2 I j  C3Q j

C1 = 0.0631, C2 = 0.3442, C3 = 0.5927

800

700

600
Discharge (cfs)

500

400

300

200

100

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Time (hr)

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