Hydrologic Routing

Reading: Applied Hydrology Sections

8.1, 8.2, 8.4
 Flow Routing Q

t
• Procedure to
determine the flow Q
hydrograph at a
point on a
watershed from a t
known hydrograph Q
upstream
• As the hydrograph
travels, it t
– attenuates Q
– gets delayed
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/Hydrologic 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
Time Storage-outflow function
9
 Level pool methodology
• Given
– Inflow hydrograph
– Q and H relationship

• Steps
1. Develop Q versus Q+ 2S/Dt relationship using
Q/H relationship
2 S j 1 2S j
2. Compute Q+ 2S/Dt using  Q j 1  I j 1  I j  Qj
t t
3. Use the relationship developed in step 1 to get Q

10
 Ex. 8.2.1
Given I(t) Given Q/H
Time Inflow
(min) (cfs) Elevation H Discharge Q
0 0
10 60
(ft) (cfs)
20 120 0 0
30 180 0.5 3
40 240 400 1 8
50 300 1.5 17
60 360 2 30
300
70 320 2.5 43
80 280
Inflow (cfs)

3 60
90 240 200
3.5 78
100 200
4 97
110 160
120 120 100 4.5 117
130 80 5 137
140 40 0 5.5 156
150 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 6 173
160 0 Tim e (m in) 6.5 190
170 0 7 205
180 0 7.5 218
190 0 8 231
200 0
8.5 242
210 0
9 253
Area of the reservoir = 1 acre, and outlet diameter = 5ft
9.5 264
10 275
11
 Ex. 8.2.1
Step 1

Develop Q versus Q+ 2S/Dt 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
2S/D t + Q (cfs)

12
 Step 2
2 S j 1 2S j
Compute Q+ 2S/Dt 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   2S1 
  Q2  I 2  I1     Q1
  t    t 

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

13
 300

Step 3 250

Outflow Q (cfs)
200

150

Use the relationship between 2S/Dt + Q 100

versus Q to compute Q 50

 2S 2  0

  Q2   60 0 500 1000 1500 2000

 t  2S/D t + Q (cfs)

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)
0 0 0 0
What is the value of Q if 2S/Dt + Q = 60 ? 0.5
1
3
8
21780
43560
75.6
153.2
1.5 17 65340 234.8
(3  0) 2 30 87120 320.4
Q 0 (60  0)  2.4 cfs 2.5 43 108900 406
(76  0) 3 60 130680 495.6
3.5 78 152460 586.2
4 97 174240 677.8
4.5 117 196020 770.4
So Q2 is 2.4 cfs 5 137 217800 863
5.5 156 239580 954.6
6 173 261360 1044.2
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for j=2, 3, 4… to compute 6.5 190 283140 1133.8
Q3, Q4, Q5….. 7
7.5
205
218
304920
326700
1221.4
1307
8 231 348480 1392.6
8.5 242 370260 1476.2
9 253 392040 1559.8
9.5 264 413820 1643.4
10 275 435600 14
1727
Ex. 8.2.1 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

15
 12.0
Ex. 8.2.1 results
10.0

Outflow
8.0
hydrograph
Storage (acre-ft)

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0 400
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
350
Time (minutes)
Inflow
300

250
Discharge (cfs)

200

150

Peak outflow intersects with 100 Outflow

the receding limb of the 50

inflow hydrograph 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
TIme (minutes) 16
 Q/H relationships

http://www.wsi.nrcs.usda.gov/products/W2Q/H&H/Tools_Models/Sites.html
Program for Routing Flow through an NRCS Reservoir 17
 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

19
equations
 Muskingum - Example
Period Inflow
• Given: (hr) (cfs)
1 93
– Inflow hydrograph 2 137
3 208
– K = 2.3 hr, X = 0.15, Dt = 1 hour, 4 320
Initial Q = 85 cfs 5 442
6 546
• Find: 7 630
– Outflow hydrograph using 8 678
9 691
Muskingum routing method 10 675
11 634
t  2 KX 1  2 * 2.3 * 0.15 12 571
C1    0.0631
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1 13
14
477
390
t  2 KX 1  2 * 2.3 * 0.15 15 329
C2    0.3442 16 247
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1 17 184
18 134
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3 * (1  0.15)  1 19 108
C3    0.5927 20 90
2 K (1  X )  t 2 * 2.3(1  0.15)  1
20
 Muskingum – Example (Cont.)

Q j 1  C1I j 1  C 2 I j  C3Q j
Period Inflow C1Ij+1 C2Ij C3Qj Outflow
(hr) (cfs) (cfs)

C1 = 0.0631, C2 = 0.3442, C3 = 0.5927

1 93 0 0 0 85
2 137 9 32 50 91
3 208 13 47 54 114
4 320 20 72 68 159
5 442 28 110 95 233
6 546 34 152 138 324
7 630 40 188 192 420
800 8 678 43 217 249 509
9 691 44 233 301 578
10 675 43 238 343 623
700
11 634 40 232 369 642
12 571 36 218 380 635
600 13 477 30 197 376 603
14 390 25 164 357 546
Discharge (cfs)

500 15 329 21 134 324 479

16 247 16 113 284 413
17 184 12 85 245 341
400
18 134 8 63 202 274
19 108 7 46 162 215
300 20 90 6 37 128 170

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)

21