Theoretical Development of Stage-Discharge Ratings for Subcritical Open-Channel Flows
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 9
Abstract
Ratings relating stage and flow discharge have been traditionally established through measurements of discharge and concurrent stage. Inherent in this approach are several difficulties and shortcomings that have resulted in widely recognized problems in developing and applying ratings, such as looped ratings. Purely empirical methods that attempt to improve the agreement between ratings and measurements have met with limited success. This paper suggests a theoretical basis for discharge ratings that reflects the hydraulics of unsteady, nonuniform, subcritical flow. Simplification of the Saint-Venant equations for rating applications results in an approximation of the dynamics of flow that is summarized in the hydraulic performance graph, from which discharge ratings can be developed and updated theoretically. The resulting ratings apply a quasi-steady approximation of the flow, along with semiempirical correction factors developed for the site to estimate the discharge using the same information that is needed for “stage-fall-discharge ratings,” while addressing some of the shortcomings of this type of rating. Comparison of ratings developed using the resulting procedure against laboratory and field observations yields encouraging results.
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Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. NSF0098835. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The first writer would like to gratefully acknowledge the input and guidance provided by Professor Marcelo H. Garcia, Chester and Helen Siess Professor, and Director of the V. T. Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Garcia’s support following the untimely death of Professor Ben Yen was invaluable in completing this research. Data in support of this work were provided by the Surface Water Section of the Illinois State Water Survey and the Illinois District of the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 9 • September 2008
Pages: 1245 - 1256
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 3, 2004
Accepted: Sep 27, 2007
Published online: Sep 1, 2008
Published in print: Sep 2008
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