HEC-RAS

Introduction to Unsteady flow

Jon Fripp
NDCSMC
2016
 Module: 1-D Unsteady Flow
Introduction
• Steady vs Unsteady
• Why use unsteady flow
• Introduction to 1-D Unsteady HECRAS
modeling
– Data Input
• Geometry
• Boundary conditions
• Flow
– Calibration
• Run a Unsteady file
• View the Output
What is unsteady flow?
 Steady Flow
• Q is constant
• Constant boundary conditions

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 Unsteady Flow

• Q can vary
• Constant boundary
can vary

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NRCS watershed program?
 HEC-RAS
Steady vs. Unsteady
• Difference in handling boundary friction and
other losses
• Difference in numerical solution algorithm
• Difference in handling non-flow areas
• Difference in flow and boundary condition
data requirements
• Difference in calibration strategy
• Difference in application strategy
Keep in mind that finely tuned steady flow data sets may not be
optimal for unsteady flow modeling of the same physical setting. 6
 Why use HEC-RAS Unsteady
Flow?

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 Large amounts
of storage
behind roads

More Storage

Culvert

In a steady flow analysis, the inflow is equal to the outflow. But this is not
necessarily accurate if there is significant storage behind the road. 8
 Tidal/estuary
fluctuation

High Tide

Low tide

Starting Water Surface Elevation

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 Channels with flat
slopes - Looped
Rating Curves

• Loops in a rating curve at a given cross section

can be caused by the following:
– Unsteady flow effects of the hydrograph
– Shifts in channel bed forms
– Flat slopes – in which backwater will have a more
significant effect. Flatter sloping channels have larger
loops
– Generally, the lower stages are associated with the rising
side of a flood wave, and the higher stages are associated
with the falling side of the flood wave.
For slopes less than 5 ft/mile – a rating curve assumption that is based on steady flow may
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be poor. In Mississippi (1 ft per mile) the loop can be 6 ft in places in places
 Levee overtopping

Water flows into the flood plain through the breach

•Changes flow in the channel until levels equalize
•Flow inundation into the flood plain
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 Dam Breach Routing
The dam breach hydrograph flattens and lengthens because the
celerity (velocity at which the variation travels) of the wave front is
faster than the velocity.
Kinematic wave equations are a problem here because the discharge
is not a function of depth alone – both Q and Y at the wave crest do
not remain constant.

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So why not use unsteady flow
modeling for all applications?
A: It is hard – debug, very theoretical, bombs, unstable, etc.

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 St Venant Equations

• Conservation of Mass
• Conservation of Momentum

V y y
Continuity A  VB  B q
x x t
y V V 1 V
Momentum S f  S0   
x g x g t

HECRAS unsteady uses the St Venant Equations. These describe 1-D unsteady open
channel flow - Equations provide a very simple model of a very complex situations.
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Approximations of the full dynamic wave equations are
created by combining the continuity equation with the
various simplifications of the momentum equation.
V y y
Continuity A  VB  B q
x x t
y V V 1 V
Momentum S f  S0   
x g x g t
• Steady Uniform Flow
Kinematic Wave Approximation

• Steady Nonuniform Flow

Diffusive Wave Approximation

• Steady Nonuniform Flow

Quasi-Steady State Dynamic Wave Approximation

• Unsteady Nonuniform Flow

Full Dynamic Wave Equation
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(from Henderson,1966):
 Momentum Equation

 y V V   1 V 
S f  So       
 x g x   g t 
Channel slope = Friction
slope (Mannings)

Add losses due to depth & velocity head changes (y + v2/2g) (Steady
Non-Uniform Flow)

Add losses due to changes in velocity over time (acceleration

(dv/dt)) (Unsteady Non-Uniform Flow)
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 Many models are based on different
simplifications of these equations.
• HECRAS, DAMBRK and UNET are based on the complete
1-D St Venant Eqns.
• HEC-2: Steady non uniform flow, standard step
backwater
• HEC-1: Kinematic Wave, Muskinggum-Cunge
• HEC-HMS: Kinematic Wave, Lag Modified Puls,
Muskingum,
• Muskingum Cung
• TR-20: Modified Att-Kin (attenuation-kinematic)
• TR-66: Att-Kin (attenuation-Kinematic)
• SITES: Att-Kin, Convex
• RMA-2: 2-D flow
• HEC-6: scour and deposition
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Kinematic Wave Approximation: Occurs when gravitational and frictional forces are
in balance. The equations do not allow for hydrograph diffusion, just simple translation
of the hydrograph in time. The application of the kinematic wave equation is limited to
flow conditions that do not demonstrate appreciable hydrograph attenuation. The
kinematic wave approximation works best when applied to steep (10 ft/mi or greater),
well defined channels, where the flood wave is gradually varied. The kinematic wave
equations cannot handle backwater effects.
Diffusive Wave Approximation: Allows the diffusion model to describe the
attenuation (diffusion effect) of the flood wave. It also allows the specification of a
boundary condition at the downstream extremity of the routing reach to account for
backwater effects. It does not use the inertial terms and is thus limited to slow to
moderately rising flood waves in flat channels.
Muskingum-Cunge: Accounts for hydrograph diffusion based on physical channel
properties and the inflowing hydrograph. The parameters of the model are more
physically based and the solution is independent of the user-specified computation
interval. It cannot account for backwater effects and the method begins to diverge from
the full unsteady flow solution when very rapidly rising hydrographs are routed through
flat channel sections.
Quasi-Steady Dynamic Wave Approximation: This is not often used in flood routing.
Dynamic Wave Equations: Can be applied to a wide range of one dimensional flow
problems, such as: dam break flood wave routing; tidal fluctuations, canal distribution,
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and forecasting water surface elevations and velocities in a river system during a flood.
 HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow
Computations
•HEC-RAS uses a 4 point implicit finite difference scheme using
the Newton Raphson iterative technique.
•The unsteady flow equation solver was adapted from the UNET
model.
•The hydraulic calculations for bridges, culverts, and other
hydraulic structures that were developed for the steady flow
model have been incorporated into the unsteady flow module.
•The unsteady flow module
has the capability to model
storage areas as well as
hydraulic connections
between storage areas.

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 Numerical Solution
Algorithms used -
Steady – Compute exact hydraulic properties at a
section for each trial water surface elevation from
the elevation/station points, n-values. Iterative
convergence section-by-section for each flow.
Unsteady – Hydraulic properties are pre-computed
for all possible water surface elevations at each
cross section (hydraulic table) Matrix solution for
flow and stage simultaneously at all sections each
time step. 20
Distance vs Time Solution Grid

• X = distance, feet
• t = time, seconds 1,2 2,2

t
1,1 x 2,1

HECRAS solves a matrix of equations simultaneously. This simultaneous solution is an important aspect since it allows
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information from the entire reach to influence the solution at any one point.
 Bottom Line
• Equations used in unsteady modeling are time
dependent
• A matrix of equations for continuity and
momentum are solved simultaneously

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 Geometry Preprocessor
• For unsteady flow, geometry is pre-
processed into tables and rating curves
– Cross sections are processed into tables of area,
conveyance, and storage
– Bridges and culverts are processed into a family
of rating curves for each structure
– Weirs and gated structures are calculated on
the fly during unsteady flow calculations
– Pre-processor results can be viewed in graphs
and tables
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 Geometry Preprocessor
Q: Why do we use it for unsteady flow?
A: Instead of calculating hydraulic variables for
each cross-section during each iteration, the
program interpolates the hydraulic variables
from the tables.

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 Hydraulic Table
Processing

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 Hydraulic Geometry
Plot

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 Boundary Conditions
• Must be established at all ends
of the river system
•Flow Hydrograph
•Stage Hydrograph
•Flow and Stage
Hydrograph
•Rating Curve
•Normal Depth
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Boundary Conditions - Flow

Steady: Discharge (Q) at each

cross section.
Unsteady: Inflow hydrograph(s)
which are routed by the model.

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Unsteady Flow Data Editor

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Flow Hydrograph

• Read from DSS

– Select DSS file
– Select Pathname

• Enter in Table
– Select time interval
– Select start date/time
– Enter flow data - or
cut & paste

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 Sources of Time-Series
Data
• Historic Records (USGS)
– Stage Hydrographs
– Flow Hydrographs
• Computed Synthetic Floods
• Rainfall-runoff modeling
• Peak Discharge with
assumed time distribution
• Others?

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 Boundary Conditions -
continued

• Upstream Boundary Options:

– Stage Hydrograph
– Flow Hydrograph
– Stage & Flow Hydrograph 32
 Boundary Conditions -
continued

• Downstream Boundary Options:

– Stage Hydrograph
– Flow Hydrograph
– Stage & Flow Hydrograph
– Rating Curve
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– Normal Depth
 Initial Conditions
• Initial conditions must be established for
the entire system
• Initial Flow data
– Should be nearly steady-state conditions
– Starting flow from upstream hydrograph
– Flow distribution from Steady Flow profile
– Flows should be consistent
• Initial Elevation in Storage areas
– Stage from historic data
– Initial early in event, dry conditions
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 Calibration Strategy –
Targets
Steady: Match observed water surface
(or EGL) elevations.
• Survey debris lines, mud marks,
water stains, etc
• Gage data
 Calibration Strategy –
Targets

Steady: Match observed water surface

(or EGL) elevations.
Unsteady: As above, along with timing,
hydrograph shape, computed flow
distribution in networks.
 Flow Accounting
Q

Observed
outflow 2
Inflow
Observed
outflow 1

Computed
outflow

Time
In this hypothetical circumstance, if the observed outflow hydrograph looked like #1, calibration via adjustments to
Manning’s n and perhaps adjustment of the cross section properties would work for the discharge, and associated stage,
hydrograph. If we have circumstance #2 however, we need to look first at the hydrology in the reach – i.e. ungaged lateral
flows (tributary and distributed) – perhaps storage issues.
 Procedure
1. Develop a Steady Flow Model
2. Calibrate it to steady flow
3. Develop the unsteady flow
model
4. Calibrate it to unsteady flow

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 Perform the Hydraulic Computations
Enter the Steady Flow Analysis window from the main menu

or select the Unsteady Flow

Analysis button:
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 Unsteady Flow Simulation
Manager
1. Define a
Plan

2. Select which
programs to run

3. Enter a starting and

ending date and time
4. Set the
computation settings

5. Press the Compute

button
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 Unsteady Programs
1. Geometric Preprocessor: Processes
the geometric data into a series of
hydraulic property tables
2. Unsteady Flow Simulation: Uses the
Barkau matrix solver to perform
unsteady flow calculations. Can also
perform unsteady sediment analysis
3. Post Processor: Computes detailed
hydraulic info per user specifications
4. Floodplain Mapping: Computation of
static flood inundation maps (Depth
Grid). Requires Static Map Layer in
HEC-RAS Mapper
 Viewing Unsteady Flow
Results

• All of the output that was available for

steady flow computations is available for
unsteady flow (cross sections, profile, and
3D plots and tables).
• Stage and flow hydrographs
• Time series tables
• Animation of cross section, profile and 3-
dimensional graphic

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Stage and Flow Plot

Stage

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Profile Output Table

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Profile Animation

Good to look for time and locations of computation instability45

…also kinda fun…
 Model Accuracy
• Accuracy can be defined as the degree of closeness
of the numerical solution to the true solution.

• Accuracy depends upon the following:

– Assumptions and limitations of the model (i.e. one
dimensional model, subcritical flow only for unsteady flow)
– Accuracy of the geometric Data (cross sections, Manning’s
n values, bridges, culverts, etc…)
– Accuracy of the flow data and boundary conditions
– Numerical Accuracy of the solution scheme
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 Limitations
 No lateral secondary
circulation
 Dominant flows in x direction
(1-D)
 Channel slopes less than
1:10H
 Velocity and WS constant
across XS
 XS’s do not change (no
erosion or deposition)
 Water is uniform density and
resistance described by
empirical relationships, such
as Manning’s equation. 47
Unsteady modeling can be difficult…

Be careful 48
 Unsteady Flow
Documentation

• Technical/theoretical - Chapters 2 and 5 from EM

1110-2-1416
• http://www.hnd.usace.army.mil - click on
TECHINFO, then Engineering Publications, then
Engineering Manuals, scroll for manual
• HEC-RAS User’s Manual - Chapter 8 (data input
and window operations)
• HEC-RAS Application Guide - Chapter 17
(example application)

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 The End

You may need some help

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