An average rainfall of 16 cm occurs over a catchment during a period o...
To calculate the direct runoff hydrograph, we need to convolve the unit hydrograph with the rainfall excess.
Step 1: Calculate the rainfall excess
Total rainfall = 16 cm
Time period = 12 hours
Average rainfall intensity = Total rainfall / Time period = 16 cm / 12 hours = 1.33 cm/hour
Duration of the unit hydrograph = 6 hours
Time of concentration (Tc) = 0.6 x (Catchment length in km)^0.6 = assumed to be 1 hour
Time of concentration (Tc) is less than the duration of the unit hydrograph (Tc < t),="" therefore,="" the="" rainfall="" excess="" can="" be="" calculated="" />
Rainfall excess = (Rainfall intensity - Losses) x Duration
Losses = 0.2 x Square root of Tc = 0.2 x Square root of 1 = 0.2 cm
Rainfall excess = (1.33 - 0.2) x 6 = 6.78 cm
Step 2: Normalize the unit hydrograph
The area under the unit hydrograph is 1 cm x 6 hours = 6 cm-hours. To normalize the unit hydrograph, we need to divide each ordinate by the total area.
Normalized unit hydrograph = Unit hydrograph / Total area
Total area = 6 cm-hours
Normalized unit hydrograph = (0, 0), (5, 0.5/6), (10, 1/6), (15, 1.5/6), (20, 1/6), (25, 0.5/6), (30, 0)
Step 3: Convolve the rainfall excess with the normalized unit hydrograph
To convolve the rainfall excess with the normalized unit hydrograph, we need to shift the normalized unit hydrograph by the time of concentration (1 hour) and multiply each ordinate by the rainfall excess (6.78 cm).
Direct runoff hydrograph = Convolution of rainfall excess and normalized unit hydrograph
Time (hours) = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Rainfall excess (cm) = 6.78, 6.78, 6.78, 6.78, 6.78, 6.78, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Normalized unit hydrograph (cumecs) = 0, 0, 0.083, 0.25, 0.417, 0.583, 0.75, 0.583, 0.417, 0.25, 0.083, 0, 0
Direct runoff hydrograph (cumecs) = 0, 0, 0.566, 1.697, 2.825, 3.961, 4.95, 4.074, 2.998, 2.07, 1.269, 0.283, 0
Therefore, the direct runoff hydrograph peaks at 4.95 cumecs after 6 hours from the start of the rainfall excess. The total direct runoff volume is calculated by finding the