2.

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Overview of Model Output

for Unsteady Flow

Mark Jensen

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Introduction
z Unsteady Flow Output
„ Stage and Flow
Hydrographs
„ Log File Output
z Post Processor
„ Detailed output
– Max Stage
– Selected Time Intervals
z Computation Level
Output

The output from an unsteady flow run are stage hydrographs, flow hydrographs,
and basic stage profiles. These hydrographs and profiles are stored in DSS.

For more detailed output you must run the post processor. The post processor reads
the hydrograph and profile information in the DSS file and creates detailed output
data for the maximum stage computed and series of snap shots in time on a selected
“Detailed Output Interval”.

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Program Output Flow Chart

Unsteady Stage & Flow

Simulation Hydrographs
Log File
DSS Viewer
DSS
File
Computation
level output XS Plots
(optional)

Post PF Plots
Processor Output
Computation level File
PF & XS
plots/tables
Tables
The log file is a text file, and can be viewed with any text file viewer such as
Notepad.

DSS files are a special binary format that requires a program specifically designed
to work with it.

The output files from the post processor are in the same format as the output files
from the steady flow computation engine. These files can only be accessed from
the HEC-RAS interface.

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Stage and Flow Hydrographs

z Only created at certain locations
„ Virtually no limit on how many locations – limited
by computer memory
z Default Locations
„ Upper and Lower XS of all Reaches
„ Upstream and Downstream XS of internal
boundaries
„ Observed DSS data connections
z User Selected Locations
„ Can be selected from the “Options” menu on the
unsteady flow analysis window

Stage and flow hydrographs are written by the usteady computation engine at some
default locations, but user’s have the option to request hydrographs at any cross
sections desired.

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Stage and Flow Hydrographs

User Selected Locations

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Stage and Flow Plot

Stage

Flow

The stage and flow plotter is opened from the main RAS window. “Stage and Flow
Hydrographs” can be selected from under the “View” menu of the button
highlighted above can be pressed to open the window.

Data can be viewed graphically or in table form by selecting the desired tab. By
default, both stage and flow are plotted. When there are both stage and flow on the
plot, a second Y axis is displayed.

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Stage and Flow Plot

z Cross Sections
z Bridge/Culverts
z Inline Structures
z Lateral Structures
z Storage Areas
z Storage Area Connections
z Pump Stations
z Ground Water Interaction

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Stage and Flow Plot - Cross Sections

Stage and Flow verses Time
z Default Locations
z User Selected

Cross sections hydrographs plots are available for the default locations and the user
defined locations as discussed previously.

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Stage and Flow Plot - Cross Sections

Stage verses Flow
z Default Locations
z User Selected

Cross sections hydrographs plots are available for the default locations and the user
defined locations as discussed previously.

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Stage and Flow Plot - Bridge/Culverts

Stage and Flow verses Time

z Stage Headwater
z Stage Tailwater
z Flow

HW
Bridge/Culvert
TW

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Stage and Flow Plot - Bridge/Culverts

Internal Boundary Curves

z Stage Headwater
z Stage Tailwater
z Flow

HW
Bridge/Culvert
TW

The internal boundary family of curves is shown with the headwater rating curve
plotted on top. This shows the region of the curves that were used in the simulation.

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Stage and Flow Plot - Inline Structures

z Stage Headwater
z Stage Tailwater
z Flow Total
z Flow in Gates

HW
Inline Structure
TW

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Stage and Flow Plot - Lateral Structure

z Stage - HW (up & dn)
TW
z Flow – HW (up, dn) &
leaving

HW up
Lateral Weir

TW

HW dn

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Stage and Flow Plot - Storage Areas

z Stage
z Net Inflow

Qin
Qin

Qin

Qout

The only flow information saved for a storage area is the net inflow. This is a sum
of all flows into a storage area (flows leaving are considered negative). For
information about the individual links to a storage area, go to the links specific
output. For example if a lateral weir is connected to a storage area, go to the lateral
weir output.

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Stage and Flow Plot - SA Connection

z Stage Headwater
z Stage Tailwater
z Flow

HW SA Conn

TW

The output for a hydraulic connection is two stage hyrographs and a flow
hyrdrograph.

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DSS View of Hydrographs

z DSS Viewer can be used for comparisons

The DSS Viewer in HEC-RAS can also be viewed to look at the same data in the
Stage and Flow Plotter. It is a little more laborious to find the desired paths, but in
the DSS View, users have more options for comparisons. In the plot above, the
inflow and outflow hydrograph for a long reach are compared.

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Log File Output

z Can be generated during computations

z Information about progression of
simulation
z Can make a large, large file
„ Are you sure you want to open it?

The log file can easily get into the hundreds of megabytes. If your simluation is
crashing a long way into it, consider creating a restart file before things go unstable.
Then restart the simulation nearer the point where it crashes.

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Log File Output

In addition to the DSS output, the unsteady flow computation engine can write
detailed output to a text log file. The log file contains a detailed information about
the progression of computations and can be of assistance in finding errors that cause
the unsteady flow program to crash.

This output option is turned on from the “options” menu on the Unsteady Flow
Analysis window. Select “Output Options” and a dialog will appear (upper right)
with the option to turn on the detailed output. When this option is on, the unsteady
flow computation engine will write a text file that can be accessed from the options
menu again with “View Computation Log File”.

The range of times can be specified or left blank for all.

The input and output hydrographs can be echoed to the file if desired.

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Post Processor

z Can be run after the unsteady simulation

is completed
z Provides profiles for the maximum stage
and at regular intervals
z All regular graphics and tables can be
used to view the post process results
z Graphics can “animate” the simulation

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Profile Animation

The cross sections plot, profile and 3d plots can animate the simulation. Under the
options menu of the profile plot, select animate, and the animation bar will be
displayed. Select the button with an arrow to the right for an animation. The
animation will affect all graphics loaded, so if a cross section and profile plot are
opened, the water surface will be animated in both windows.

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Profile Animation (AVI)

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Creating AVI’s

z Save a bunch of bitmap images

z Stitch them together and compress them
into a standard format

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Create an AVI – Make the images

z Click red dot button

z Dialog will ask if you
want to do this
z Animate/Zoom/Pan
z Frame count shown
in caption
z Click red dot again

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Create an AVI – Stitch bitmaps

together with Bmp2avi
z Bmp2avi
z Write AVI …
z Recommend
using “Microsoft
Video 1”
z Uncompressed
file is 32 MB,
Video 1 -> 2 MB

BMP2AVI

Takes a buffer of bitmap files and compresses them into and AVI
file. This file can be inserted into PowerPoint presentations or played with standard
media players.

This will load with the files saved from the simulation in the list box.
Select “Write AVI..” to generate the AVI file. A dialog will load that prompts for
the target AVI filename. This dialog will be followed by the “Video Compression”
window. It is recommended that users select the “Microsoft Video 1” option, as this
has shown to have good compression and wide player support.

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Unsteady Profile Tables

z Lateral Structures
z Junctions
z Storage Areas
z Pump Stations

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Unsteady Profile Tables

Lateral Structures

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Unsteady Profile Tables

Junctions

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Unsteady Profile Tables

Storage Areas

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Node Specific Tables

z Cross Section
z Culvert
z Bridge
z Conveyance
z Inline Structure
z Lateral Structure
z Storage Areas
z Storage Area Connections
z Pump Stations
z Flow Distribution

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Node Specific Table

Storage Area

The lateral weir table displays information for each gate in the lateral weir. The
different gates are accessed with the Gate ID drop down box. In the above example,
the lateral weir does not have any gates so the Gate ID box is empty and the gate
variables are blanked out.

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Node Specific Table

Storage Area Connections

The output data for a storage area connection depends on the connection type. The
view above, the output is shown for a connection with a culvert, if it had gates, the
table would look more like the inline structure table.

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Node Specific Table

Pump Stations

The lateral weir table displays information for each gate in the lateral weir. The
different gates are accessed with the Gate ID drop down box. In the above example,
the lateral weir does not have any gates so the Gate ID box is empty and the gate
variables are blanked out.

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Computation Level Output

z Output at the User
specified computation
interval
„ WSEL
„ Flow
„ WSEL error
„ Flow error
„ Depth
„ Vel Channel & total
„ Courant # channel and
total

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Viewing Computation Level Output

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Computation Level Spatial Plot

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Computation Level Time Series Plot

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