River Mechanics

River Mechanics and
Introduction to Unsteady
Flow Equations
Objective: Present key items for
switching from HEC-RAS steady flow
analysis to HEC-RAS unsteady flow
simulation.
US Army Corps
of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
Michael Gee, Ph.D, PE
Senior Hydraulic Engineer
Steady vs. Unsteady
Difference in handling friction and other
losses
Difference in numerical solution algorithm
Difference in computation of X-Sec properties
Difference in handling non-flow areas
Difference in flow and boundary condition
data requirements
Difference in calibration strategy
Difference in application strategy
Energy Principles
e
h
g
V
Y Z
g
V
Y Z + + + = + +
2 2
2
1 1
1 1
2
2 2
2 2
o o
Datum
Z
1

Y
2

Z
2

Y
1
h
e
Momentum Equation
EF
x
= m a
Datum
L
P
1

P
2

W
W
x

u
F
f

Z
1

Z
2
1
2
u
Momentum Equation
P
2
- P
1
+ W
x
- F
f
= Q V
x

Where: P = Hydrostatic Pressure
W
x
= Force due to weight of water in X direction
F
f
= Force due to external friction from 2 to 1
Q = Discharge
= Density of water
V
x
= Change in velocity from 2 to 1 in X direction

Momentum Equation Forces
Y A P =
Pressure:
Weight:
u sin W W
x
=
0
2 1
2
S L
A A
W
x
|
.
|
\
|
+
=
Friction:
L p F
f
t =
f
S R t =
Where:
L S
A A
F
f f
|
.
|
\
|
+
=
2
2 1
Mass x acceleration:
( )
2 2 1 1
V V
g
Q
ma | |
=
Energy vs. Momentum
Energy Internal energy dissipation
represented by loss term, S
f
(Mannings n)

Momentum External boundary shear forces
represented by friction term, S
f
(Mannings n)
2
o f
( /A)
Q Q
h
gA( ) 0
S S
t x x
c
c
c
+ + + =
c c c
Momentum Equation:
Continuity Equation:
Q
A
+ = 0
x t
c
c
c c
Unsteady Flow Equations
2
o f
( /A)
Q
h
+ gA( - S + S ) = 0
x x
c
c
c c
Energy (momentum) Equation:
Continuity Equation:
Q = VA
Steady Flow Equations
Numerical Solution
Friction slope averaging -
Steady: Average conveyance
Unsteady: Average friction slope
2
1 2
1 2
f
Q Q
S
K K
| |
+
=
|
+
\ .
Average conveyance Eq.
Average friction slope Eq.
1 2
2
f f
f
S S
S
+
=
Numerical Solution
Algorithms used -
Steady: Iterative convergence
section-by-section for each flow.
Unsteady: Matrix solution for flow
and stage simultaneously at all
sections each time step.
CONVERGENCE The state of tending to a unique solution.
A given scheme is convergent if an increasingly finer
computational grid leads to a more accurate solution.

STABILITY (NUMERICAL or COMPUTATIONAL) The ability
of a scheme to control the propagation or growth of small
perturbations introduced in the calculations. A scheme is
unstable if it allows the growth of error to eventually obliterate
the true solution.
Ref: River Hydraulics EM

Numerical Solution of the
Unsteady Flow Equations
x
T
B
gA
Cr
A
A
|
.
|
\
|
=
2 / 1
For best results, the Cr should be near
1.0
Depth ~ 10 ft.
Cross section spacing (Ax) of ~ 1000 ft.
Requires computational time step (At) about
1 minute

Finite Difference Modeling
Considerations
1.Stability of the computations.
2. Numerical accuracy of the
computations.
3. Resolution of input hydrographs.
Steady Compute exact hydraulic
properties at a section for each trial
water surface elevation from the
GR points, n-values,etc.
Unsteady Hydraulic properties
are pre-computed for all possible
water surface elevations at each
cross section (HTAB)
Pre-Computation of
Hydraulic Properties
(CSECT or HTAB)
Steady ineffective areas may or
may not be occupied by water.
Unsteady All areas containing
water (even if not moving) must be
included.
Non-Flow Areas
Expansion/Contraction Coeffs.
Not used in the momentum formulation
(RAS-unsteady)
Should be in the data, however, for use
with steady flow analysis
Data Requirements
(Flow and Boundary Conditions)
Steady: Discharge (Q) at each cross
section.
Unsteady: Inflow hydrograph(s) which
are routed by the model.
Calibration Strategy Targets
Steady: Match observed water surface (or
EGL) elevations.
Unsteady: As above, along with timing,
hydrograph shape, computed flow
distribution in networks.
Calibration Strategy -
Adjustments
Steady: Mannings n
Unsteady: n and volume (storage); make
adjustments throughout range of flows in
hydrograph. Add/subtract flows if
necessary.
Q
Time

Observed
outflow 1

Inflow
Computed
outflow

Observed
outflow 2
Flow Accounting
Application Strategy
1. Check with range of steady flows
Rough stage calibration.
Possible supercritical flow locations.
Modeling of hydraulic structures.

2. Prepare hydrographs (boundary
conditions)
Upstream flows
Tributary (local flows)
Ungaged/unmodeled flows
Downstream (rating curve?)

3. Calibration
Mannings n affects both stage and timing.
Storage areas can be very important.
Fine tuning via conveyance adjustment.

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