Omdurman Islamic University

UNESCO Chair in Water Resources

MSC. Program in Water Resources

Development & Management

Hydraulic structures & Reservoir operation

Chapter 5

CONCEPTUAL MODELING TECHNIQUES

Prepared by:
1-Mahmoud Ahmed Breama - 0123494521
2- Nagla Abdalla Ibrahim
3- Nasreen Ibrahim Elzen

Date: 09 April 2019

 Significant and applications
I. The significant
The significant of chapter 5 (CONCEPTUAL MODELING TECHNIQUES)
resulting from the following:

 Define the system concept generally in addition to the hydrologic

system model.

 Classification of the hydrologic models types.

 The cconceptual models depend on specific variables to get the best

results.

 Showing the tools which enable us to treat with the main components
of the hydrological cycle as subsystems to analyze the whole system.

II. APPLICATIONS:
1. Simulate the complete hydrologic processes of watershed systems at
large spatial and temporal scale.

2. The preliminary study, planning, and design of water resources

Projects.

3. Represent the storm rainfall-runoff processes on a watershed.

4. Predicting future changes in the hydrologic system as a whole.

5. Evaluating alternatives to development and management of the

watershed (flood protection., etc.).

6. Management and operation of hydraulic structures.

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 Equations
III. THE SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION: -
Q t  1
     7
I t  1  kD
Where:

 = Transfer function between input and output.

k = Constant with dimension (T), time.

dS
D = Differential operator dt .

I t  = Inflow (input).

Q t  =Out flow (output).

t  = Belongs to time range (T), time.

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IV. LINEAR RESERVOIR MODEL IN SERIES: -

M Q2  M I 2  n  n  1 k 2  2nkM I1     44
Where:
M Q2
= the second moment of (DRH) about the time origin divided by the
total direct runoff.
M I2
is the first moment of the (ERH) about the time origin divided by the
total excess rainfall.
M I1
= the first moment of the (ERH) about the time origin divided by the
total effective rainfall.
n = number of series linear reservoirs

k = The same storage coefficient for series linear reservoirs.

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 Figures
I. Figure (1): -

Fig. (4): Hydrologic Models Classification

II. Figure (2): -

Fig. (7): Impulse Response Function

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 Problems
I. EXAMPLE 1:
Represent the storm rainfall- runoff processes on a watershed as a
hydrologic system?

SOLUTION; -
 Watershed = The area draining into a system at a given location.
 Watershed Divide = Line dividing land whose drainage flows towards
the given stream from land whose drainage flows away from that
stream.
 The system boundary = Drawn around the watershed by projecting the
watershed divide vertically upwards and downwards to horizontal
planes at the top and bottom as shown in figure (3).
 Rainfall = Input (Distributed in space over the upper plane).
 Stream flow = Output (Concentrated in space at the watershed outlet),
It may include evaporation and subsurface flow.
 The Structure = The set of flow path through soil, including tributaries it
merges to become stream flow at outlet.

Fig. (3): Water Shed Hydrologic System

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 II. 5.7.EXAMPLE: -
Given the ERH and DRH shown in figure (12), determine n and k for the IUH.

Fig. (12) Excess Rainfall hyetograph ERH and Direct Runoff

Hydrograph for Determination of and IUH

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SOLUTION; -

Determine the moments of the excess rainfall hydrograph and the direct
runoff hydrograph. Each block in the ERH and DRH has duration of

6  hours  6  3600  21600  sec.    1

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The rainfall has been converted to units of m / sec by multiplying by the
watershed area to be dimensionally consistent with the runoff. The sum of
the ordinates of ERH a RH is: -

DRH  ERH  700  m 3 / sec.     2

700  6  4200  m 3 / sec.    3

So the area under each graph =

 Incremental  area  Moment  arm 

M I1         4
 Total  area 
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M I1  100  3  300  9  200 15  100  21  11.57 h    5 
4200
The second moment of area is calculated using the parallel axis theorem.

 Incremental  area  Moment  arm 2 

M I2    Total  area     6 
  Second  moment  about  centroid  of  each  increment 

6 

 100  32  300  92  200 152  100  212  


M I2   1  6 3
  166.3h 2     7 
4200
 100  300  200  100 
 12 

By a similar calculation for the direct runoff hydrograph.

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M Q1  28.25  h    8

M Q2  882.8  h 2    9
Solving for n and k using equation (43)

n.k  M Q1  M I1    10

n.k  28.25 11.57  16.68    11

Solve for n and k using equation (44).

M Q2  M I 2  n  n  1 k 2  2nkM I1     44    12

M Q2  M I 2  n 2k 2  nk 2  2nkM I1    13
Hence: -

882.8 166.3  16.682  16.68k  2 16.6811.57    14

Solving gives

k  3.14  h    15

16.68 16.68
n   5.31    16 
k 3.14