Computationally efficient modelling of tidal rivers using conceptual reservoir-type models
Meert, P.; Pereira, F.; Willems, P. (2015). Computationally efficient modelling of tidal rivers using conceptual reservoir-type models, in: E-proceedings of the 36th IAHR World Congress 28 June – 3 July, 2015, The Hague, the Netherlands. pp. [1-12]
Detailed hydrodynamic models are very important tools for various types of water management activities. For trans boundary basins or basins covering catchments managed by different authorities, different types of models may be applied, which will lead to problems of compatibility and, hence, complicate the integrated catchment modelling and management process. Another problem are the huge calculation times. A possible solution for this problem lies in the transformation of the existing detailed models into conceptual reservoir-type models, with an explicit calculation scheme. This approach does not only simplify the process of model integration, but does also achieve an important reduction of the model calculation times. However, one well-known problem is that conceptual models have difficulties to account for backwater effects. For this reason, their application to tidally influenced river reaches so far was non-existent.
This paper introduces an extension of the existing grey-box reservoir modelling technique to incorporate tidally influenced river reaches. The presented methodology is demonstrated for the downstream part of the rivers Zenne and Rupel in Belgium. Calibration of the grey-box model was done based on the results of a detailed hydrodynamic model that solves the full de Saint-Venant equations. Results show a minor loss of accuracy when the detailed model is replaced by the surrogate conceptual model. Also, the tidal effects are well represented.
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