Surface Water Hydrology

Professor Rajib Maity

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Lecture 42
Reservoir Routing: Modified Pul’s Method

Today's lecture will discuss one of the popular desirable routing methods it is called the
Modified Pul's method.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:32)

Under this concept cover, it is one of the Hydrological methods of reservoir routing. This
reservoir routing is also known as the Level Pool Routing. And the method that we are
discussing today is the Modified Pul's method.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:55)

The outline goes like this, first, we will give some introduction to the Hydrologic Routing
categories and their methods. The second Hydrologic method of Reservoir Routing in this
category we will discuss is also known as the Level Pool Routing. And one of the methods is
Modified Pul's method will be discussed with a solved example before we go to the summary.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:32)

Introduction: Hydrologic Routing Categories and Methods

The hydrologic method of flood routing can be broadly categorized as:

 i. Reservoir Routing

Under this Reservoir Routing, the 3 methods that we will discuss are the Modified Pul's method
Goodrich method and the Standard Fourth-Order Runge-Kutta method.

ii. Channel Routing

Under this Channel Routing also the popular method is the Muskingum method that all these
methods will take upon after another in the subsequent lectures.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:24)

Hydrologic Method of Reservoir Routing

It is a procedure to calculate the outflow hydrograph of a reservoir with a horizontal water

surface, given its inflow hydrograph and storage-outflow characteristics. In this method, the
reservoir level is assumed to be horizontal. Therefore, it is also known as Level Pool Routing.

For reservoirs with a horizontal water surface, the storage (S) and outflow discharge (Q) is a
function of water surface elevation (H), i.e., S=𝑆 (𝐻) and Q=𝑄 (𝐻). From these, time-invariant,
single-valued storage vs. discharge relation, 𝑆=𝑓 (𝑄) is obtained.

The water level in a reservoir change with time when a flood wave travels through it. Thus,
storage and outflow also alter with time. So, it is required to find the variation of 𝑆, 𝐻, and 𝑄
with time, i.e., 𝑆 = 𝑆 (𝑡), 𝑄 = 𝑄 (𝑡), and 𝐻 = 𝐻 (𝑡), given the inflow 𝐼 = 𝐼 (𝑡).
(Refer Slide Time: 04:38)

The basic equation of hydrologic routing i.e. can be expressed in the infinite-
difference form to express the change in storage over a time interval as

Inflow at the beginning and at end of the jth time interval are Ij and Ij+1, respectively, and their
corresponding values of outflow are Qj and Qj+1.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:46)

An uncontrolled spillway in a reservoir, typically

where,

H = Head over the spillway

Le = Effective length of the spillway crest

Cd = Coefficient of discharge

For reservoir routing, the following data are required

➢ Storage versus elevation relationship,

➢ Outflow versus elevation relationship.

The above two things are known and that gives the relationship the storage versus outflow.

➢ Inflow hydrograph, I = I (t)

➢ Initial values S, I, and Q at time t=0

(Refer Slide Time: 07:43)

Modified Pul’s Method

It is a semi-graphical method to solve the level pool routing problem. The continuity equation
for hydrologic routing, discussed in the previous lecture is given as,
For this method, the continuity equation can be rearranged as,

At the start of flood routing, the initial storage and outflow discharges are known.

The time interval Δt is chosen in such a way that it is sufficiently short to assume linear inflow
and outflow hydrographs between the interval. The value is approximately 20% to 40% of the
time of the rise of the inflow hydrograph.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:06)

The procedure of Modified Pul’s Method

1. From the known Storage vs. Elevation and Discharge vs Elevation data, prepare a plot
of (𝑆+𝑄∆𝑡/2) vs. H.

2. On the same plot prepare a Q vs. H curve.

3. The information on the storage, elevation and outflow discharge at the start of routing
are known (initial conditions).

Hence, for the first-time interval Δt, using the known values of and, the
value of is determined.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:35)

𝑄2 ∆𝑡
4. The water-surface elevation H corresponding to the (𝑆2 + ) is obtained from the
2

plot of step 1. The outflow discharge value Q2 corresponding to the obtained H value
is determined from the plot of step 2.

𝑄2 ∆𝑡 𝑄2 ∆𝑡
5. By deducting 𝑄2 Δ𝑡 from(𝑆2 + ), the value of (𝑆2 − ) is obtained that is used
2 2
in the next time step.

The procedure from step 3 to step 5 is repeated till the entire inflow hydrograph is routed.

(Refer Slide Time: 12:18)

Example 42.1:

A reservoir has the following elevation, discharge, and storage relationships.

When the reservoir level was at 98.5 m, the following flood entered the reservoir.

i) Route the flood using Modified Pul’s method.

ii) Plot the following:

a) The inflow and outflow hydrograph.

b) The reservoir elevation vs time curve during the passage of the flood wave

(Refer Slide Time: 14:15)

Solution

First, a time interval Δt = 6 h = 6×60×60 = 21600 sec is chosen.

𝑸∆𝒕
The value (𝑺 + ) is calculated from the given data and the following table is prepared.
𝟐
 𝑸∆𝒕
Then the Q vs H and (𝑺 + ) vs H graph is prepared in the same plot.
𝟐

(Refer Slide Time: 15:39)

At the start of routing,

H = 98.5 m
Q = 15 m3/s (can be obtained from the Q vs. H graph).

𝑸∆𝒕
Then, calculate the value (𝑺 + ) at the end of Δ𝑡 = 6 ℎ using the following expression
𝟐

𝑸∆𝒕 𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐 𝑸∆𝒕
(𝑺 + )=( ) ∆𝒕 + (𝑺 − )
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
 Figure 3: Modified Pul’s Method of Storage routing

(Refer Slide Time: 17:00)

𝑸∆𝒕
From the (𝑺 + ) vs. H graph find the H and Q value corresponding to 4.39 Mm3 for the
𝟐

next time step which is 98.60 m and 18.26 m3/s, respectively.

(Refer Slide Time: 18.35)

For the next time step the value of

𝑸∆𝒕
Likewise, another set of values of(𝑺 + ), H and Q are obtained, which are 4.81 Mm3, 98.96
𝟐

m, and 30.79 m3/s, respectively.

(Refer Slide Time: 19:02)

(Refer Slide Time: 20:53)

A. Plot of the inflow (col 2) and B. Plot of reservoir elevation (col 7)

outflow (col 8) hydrograph against against time (col 1) during the passage of
time (col 1) flood.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:27)

Summary

In summary, we learned the following points from this lecture:

➢ In this lecture, the hydrologic routing categories and methods are discussed.
➢ The concept of reservoir routing, also known as level pool routing, is discussed.
➢ Modified Pul’s method, a semi-graphical approach to solving level pool routing
problems is discussed.
➢ The detailed procedure for obtaining an outflow hydrograph with the help of a known
inflow hydrograph of a flood using Modified Pul’s method is demonstrated.
➢ In the next lecture, two other methods for hydrologic reservoir routing, i.e., the
Goodrich method and the Standard Fourth-Order Runge-Kutta method will be
discussed.