Accurate Diffusive Wave Routing
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 123, Issue 3
Abstract
The diffusive wave simplification of the unsteady, open-channel flow equations is a commonly used approach for flood routing applications. Among the many routing methods, except for those based on the De Saint-Venant equations, it may be considered to be the one that most closely complies with the physics of open-channel hydraulics. However, common implementations of the diffusive wave approach (linear diffusion, variable parameter diffusion) involve additional approximations that diminish its physical significance and accuracy. A new formulation for the nonlinear diffusive wave is presented that better respects conservation principles through close consistency with the fundamental flow equations. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed model are shown on test cases consisting both of a hypothetical, regular channel, and of an actual river reach. Simulated discharges are compared to those obtained by a full De Saint-Venant model and by ordinary diffusion methods, as well as to observed hydrographs in the real-world test case. This model, based on hydraulic theory, can be safely applied to a wide range of flow conditions, while complying with the practical constraints of flow routing applications, including the usual nonavailability of adequate channel geometry data.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Bocquillon, C. (1978). “Propagation des écoulements transitoires intermittents dans les systèmes hydrauliques à surface libre.”Rep. Laboratoire d'Hydrologie Mathematique (L.H.M.) 44/78, Universite des Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, Montpellier, France (in French).
2.
Bocquillon, C., and Moussa, R. (1988). “COMOD: Logiciel de choix de modèles d'ondes diffusantes et de leur caractéristiques.”La Houille Blanche, Paris, France, 5(6), 433–437 (in French).
3.
Cunge, J. A.(1969). “On the subject of a flood propagation method.”J. Hydr. Res., Delft, The Netherlands, 7(2), 205–230.
4.
Fread, D. L. (1985). “Chapter 14: Channel routing.”Hydrological forecasting, M. G. Anderson and T. P. Burt, eds., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., 437–503.
5.
Hayami, S. (1951). “On the propagation of flood waves.”Bulletin No. 1, Disaster Prevention Res. Inst., Kyoto Univ., Japan.
6.
Lighthill, M. J., and Whitham, G. B.(1955). “On kinematic waves, I. Flood movement in long rivers.”Proc., Ser. A: Math. and Phys. Sci., Royal Society of London, London, England, 229(1178), 281–316.
7.
Morel-Seytoux, H. J., Fahmy, H., and Lamagat, J. P.(1993). “A composite hydraulic and statistical flow-routing method.”Water Resour. Res., 29(2), 413–418.
8.
Nash, J. E., and Sutcliffe, J. V.(1970). “River flow forecasting through conceptual models. Part I, a discussion of principles.”J. Hydro., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 10(3), 282–290.
9.
Ponce, V. M., Li, R. M., and Simmons, D. B.(1978). “Applicability of kinematic and diffusion models.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 104(3), 353–360.
10.
Price, R. K. (1973). “Variable parameter diffusion method for flood routing.”Rep. N. INT 115, Hydr. Res. Station, Wallingford, U.K.
11.
Price, R. K. (1975). “Flood routing studies”Flood Studies Rep. Vol. III, Natural Envir. Res. Council, London, U.K.
12.
Price, R. K. (1985). “Chapter 4 Flood Routing.”Development in hydraulic engineering: 3, P. Novak, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London, U.K.
13.
Usseglio, J. M., and Chenin, M. I. (1988). “Fractional steps and process splitting methods for industrial codes.”Proc., 7th Conf. on Computational Methods in Water Resour., Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., New York, N.Y.
14.
Weinmann, E., and Laurenson, E. M. (1979). “Approximate flood routing methods A review.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 105(12).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 123 • Issue 3 • March 1997
Pages: 174 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Mar 1, 1997
Published in print: Mar 1997
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.