Flow/Flood Routing:

Lumped Flow Routing

Taken from: Chapter 8, Chow et al.

Flow Routing
• Determine the time and magnitude of flow (i.e., flow hydrograph) at a point

on a watercourse from known or assumed hydrographs at one or more points

upstream

• If the flow is flood → Flood Routing

• Flow routing means tracing the flow through a hydrologic system, given the

input

• Lumped system routing: Flow is calculated as a function of time alone at a

particular location → Hydrologic Routing

• Distributed system routing: Flow is calculated as a function of space and

time throughout the system → Hydraulic Routing

Lumped System Routing
• For a hydrologic system

------------ (1)
• If the inflow hydrograph is known, Eqn. (1) cannot be solved directly to
obtain the outflow hydrograph, since S and Q are unknown.
• A storage function is needed to relate S, I and Q
• In general, the storage function can be expressed as

------------ (2)

• A finite difference method will be used here to solve eqns. (1) and (2)
Lumped System Routing
• Storage function depends on the nature of the system under
consideration
• Three particular systems are considered:

1. Reservoir Routing → Level Pool method : Storage is a nonlinear

function of Q only

S = f (Q) → f (Q) is determined by relating S and Q

2. Channel Flow Routing → Muskingum method : Storage is linearly

related to I and Q

3. Several linear reservoir models are analysed when eqn. (2) becomes a
function of Q and its time derivatives.
Relationship b/w storage and outflow
• Relationship may be invariable or variable

Invariable relationship:
• Reservoir with a horizontal water surface → Reservoirs with wide pool and
deep compared to the length in the direction of flow; Velocity of flow is very
low
• Storage function then is a function of its water surface elevation or depth in
the pool
• Likewise, outflow discharge is also a function of the water surface elevation
or head

• Combining these two functions, reservoir storage and discharge can be

related to produce an invariable, single valued storage function S = f (Q)
Relationship b/w storage and outflow
Invariable relationship:

• For such reservoirs, the peak

outflow occurs when the

outflow hydrograph intersects
the inflow hydrograph → since
the maximum storage occurs
when dS/dt = I – Q = 0; and S
= f (Q)
Relationship b/w storage and outflow
Variable relationship:

• Occurs in long, narrow reservoirs and open

channels or streams, where water surface

profile may be significantly curved due to
backwater effects

• S-Q relationship will be single or twisted

loop

• Peak outflow, P occurs after the

intersection, R
Effect of Storage: Attenuation and Translation
• Purpose of storage is to attenuate and

translate the flood wave

Level Pool Routing
• Reservoir with a horizontal water surface

• Given its inflow and storage-outflow characteristics

• In a small time interval Δt, between jth and (j+1)th interval, the continuity
equation can be written as,

• Knowns: Ij , Ij +1 , Qj , Sj ,

• Unknowns: Qj +1 , Sj+1

• One way of rearrangement – Goodrich’s method

Level Pool Routing – Goodrich’s method

Steps:
1. Storage-Outflow function relating is needed →

• Can be derived from Elevation –

Outflow relationship and

Elevation – Storage relationship
Level Pool Routing – Goodrich’s method

Steps:

2. For the time j, : Ij , Ij +1 , Qj , Sj are known → LHS of the equation can be

computed → Value of RHS, i.e., is computed hence.

3. From the graph , compute the corresponding Q j +1

4. To continue to the next interval, compute

5. Computation is then repeated for subsequent routing periods

Example:
• Elevation-Storage &
Elevation – Discharge
information are given
• Inflow details are given
• Find the outflow
hydrograph
Example:
Solution:
Reservoir routing – Level Pool Routing
Pul’s Method
 I1 + I 2   O1 + O2 
  t −   t = S 2 − S1
 2   2 
• Rearranging,

 I1 + I 2   O t   O t 
  t +  S1 − 1  =  S 2 + 2 
 2   2   2 

• At start initial storage, elevation and outflow discharge is known.

• I1, S1, O1 known and ∆t is known.

• I2 is also known from inflow hydrograph

 O t 
 S 2 + 2  can be calculated
 2 
Reservoir routing – Level Pool Routing
Pul’s Method
• Since S = f(h) and O = f(h), the RHS is a function of elevation h for a chosen

time interval Δt.

• Graphs can be prepared for h vs O, h vs S and h vs (S + Ot / 2)

 I1 + I 2   O1 t   O2 t 
  t +  1
S − =
  2
S + 
 2   2   2 

• Determine the reservoir elevation and hence the outflow discharge at the end

of the time step.

• Procedure is repeated to cover the full inflow hydrograph.
 Reservoir routing – Level Pool Routing
Pul’s Method: Example data Inflow Hydrograph

Time (hr) Inflow m3/s The initial

Elevation discharge storage
0 10 reservoir level is
relationship
6 20 100.50 m when the
Elevn Storage Outflow
(m) (*106 m3) discharge (m3) 12 55
inflow hydrograph
18 80
100 3.35 0 entered.
24 73
100.5 3.472 10
30 58
101 3.88 26
36 46 Route the flood
101.5 4.383 46
42 36 and obtain the
102 4.882 72
48 27.5 outflow
102.5 5.37 100
54 20
102.75 5.527 116 hydrograph
60 15
103 5.856 130
66 13
72 11
Reservoir routing – Level Pool Routing
Pul’s Method: Example data Inflow Hydrograph

 I1 + I 2   O t   O t  Time Inflow m3/s

  t +  S1 − 1  =  S 2 + 2 
 2   2   2  0 10
Δt = 6 hr = 21600 sec 6 20
12 55
Elevn Storage Outflow  Ot 
S +  18 80
(m) (*106 m3) discharge (m3)  2 
24 73
100 3.35 0 3.35 30 58
100.5 3.472 10 3.58 36 46
101 3.88 26 4.16 42 36
101.5 4.383 46 4.88 48 27.5
102 4.882 72 5.66 54 20
102.5 5.37 100 6.45 60 15
102.75 5.527 116 6.78 66 13
103 5.856 130 7.26 72 11
 Inflow Hydrograph
Pul’s Method: Example data Time Inflow m3/s

Elevn S O  Ot  0 10
S +  6 20
 2 
12 55
100 3.35 0 3.35 18 80
24 73
100.5 3.472 10 3.58
30 58
101 3.88 26 4.16
36 46
101.5 4.383 46 4.88 42 36
102 4.882 72 5.66  I1 + I 2   O t 
  t +  S1 − 1  48 27.5
102.5 5.37 100 6.45  2   2  54 20
 O t  60 15
102.75 5.527 116 6.78 =  S2 + 2 
 2  66 13
103 5.856 130 7.26
72 11

At the start of routing, elevation = 100.5 m; from table

O1t
O1 =10 m3; S1 = 3.472 Mm3; S1 − = 3.362 Mm3 ; I1 = 10 m3/s; I2 = 20 m3/s
2
I +I O t O t
Now, from  1 2  t +  S1 − 1  =  S 2 + 2  ;
O2 t
S2 + = 3.683 Mm3
 2   2   2  2
Ot
For this S+ , find the elevation for next time step from table and repeat
2
  I1 + I 2   O t   O t 
  t +  S1 − 1  =  S 2 + 2 
Pul’s Method  2   2   2 
 Ot   Ot  elevation
Time inflow −   S +  discharge
I It  S
2 1  2 2 O
hours m3/s m3/s M m3 M m3 M m3 m m3/s
0 10 100.5 10

15 0.324 3.362 3.636

6 20 100.62 13

37.5 0.81 3.405 4.215

12 55 101.04 27

67.5 1.458 3.632 5.09

18 80 101.64 53

76.5 1.652 3.945 5.597

4
24 73 101.96 69
Pul’s Method  I1 + I 2   O1 t   O2 t 
  t +  1
S − =
  2
S + 
 2   2   2 

Time Inflow (I1+I2)/2 * Δt S - OΔt/2 S + OΔt/2 Elvation O

0 10 100.5 10
6 20 15 3.362 3.636 100.62 13
12 55 37.5 3.405 4.215 101.04 27
18 80 67.5 3.632 5.090 101.64 53
24 73 76.5 3.945 5.597 101.96 69
30 58 65.5 4.107 5.522 101.91 66
36 46 52 4.096 5.219 101.72 57
42 36 41 3.988 4.874 101.48 48
48 27.5 31.75 3.902 4.588 101.3 37
54 20 23.75 3.789 4.302 101.1 25
60 15 17.5 3.676 4.054 100.93 23
66 13 14 3.557 3.859 100.77 18
72 11 12 3.470 3.729 100.65 14
3.427
Channel routing
• Reservoir: Storage was a unique function of the outflow discharge S = f(O).

• Channel: Storage is a function of both outflow and inflow discharges

• A different routing method is needed

• Total volume in storage for a channel reach having a flood wave can be

considered as prism storage + wedge storage

• Prism storage: Volume if flow

was uniform
• Wedge storage: Wedge like

volume formed between the actual

water surface profile and the top
surface of the prism storage.
Channel routing KX (I – O)

• Volume of prism storage = KO

where K is a proportionality coefficient

• Volume of the wedge storage = K X (I – O) KO
where X is a weighing factor having the range 0 < X < 0.5.
• Total storage
S = K ( XI + (1 − X )O) Muskingum storage equation

• Value of X depends on the shape of the modeled wedge storage

• X = 0 for reservoir type storage X = 0.5 for a full wedge

• In natural streams mean value of X is near 0.2

• K = storage time constant : Time of travel of the flood wave through the

channel reaches; Dimensions of time.

Channel routing
From the Muskingum storage equation, the values of storage at time j and j+1
can be written as
S j = K (XI j + (1 − X )O j ) and S j +1 = K (XI j +1 + (1 − X )O j +1 )

So change in storage over time interval t is

S j +1 − S j = K (X (I j +1 − I j ) + (1 − X )(O j +1 − O j )) (1)

From the continuity equation the change in storage for the same time interval t
 I j + I j +1   O + O j +1 
  t −  j  t = S j +1 − S j (2)
 2   2 
Equating these two equations,
 I j + I j +1   O + O j +1 
K (X (I j +1 − I j ) + (1 − X )(O j +1 − O j )) =   t −  j  t
 2   2 
Collecting similar terms and simplifying
Muskingum’s routing
O j +1 = C1 I j +1 + C 2 I j + C 3O j equation for channels
Channel routing
• Muskingum’s routing equation for channels O j +1 = C1 I j +1 + C 2 I j + C 3O j

0.5t − KX 0.5t + KX
C1 = C2 =
K (1 − X ) + 0.5t K (1 − X ) + 0.5t

K (1 − X ) − 0.5t
C3 =
K (1 − X ) + 0.5t
C1 + C2 + C3 = 1

• For best results the routing interval t should be

K > t > 2KX

• If t < 2KX, the coefficient C1 will be negative

Channel routing
• The procedure is

1. knowing K and X, select an appropriate value of t

2. calculate C1, C2, and C3

3. starting from the initial conditions of known inflow, outflow calculate

the outflow for the next time step. O j +1 = C1 I j +1 + C 2 I j + C 3O j

4. Repeat the calculations for the entire inflow hydrograph.

Channel routing
• Route the following hydrograph for K = 12 hr; X = 0.2. At the start of the

inflow flood, outflow discharge = 10 m3/s

Time 0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54
Inflow 10 20 50 60 55 45 35 27 20 15

Solution:
• K = 12 hr; 2KX = 2*12*0.2 = 4.8hr ; K > t > 2KX ; hence t = 6 hr

0.5t − KX 0.5t + KX K ( 1 − X ) − 0.5t

C1 = = 0.048 ; C2 = = 0.429 ; C3 = = 0.523
K ( 1 − X ) + 0.5t K ( 1 − X ) + 0.5t K ( 1 − X ) + 0.5t

• Muskingam routing eqn: O j +1 = 0.048 I j +1 + 0.429 I j + 0.523 O j

• Time interval 0 – 6hr :

O2 = 0.048  20 + 0.429 10 + 0.52310 = 10.48

• Repeat for various time intervals

Time Inflow Outflow

0 10 10

6 20 10.48

12 50 16.46 Outflow hydrograph

18 60 32.94

24 55 45.61

30 45 49.61

36 35 46.93

42 27 40.87

48 20 33.92

54 15 27.04
Channel Routing: Determination of K

eqns. (1) and (2)

(3)

(3)