53:119 Hydrology
Problem #28
Unit Hydrograph Derivation by Optimization

Hydrograph analysis of an extreme flood event on a 6.97 mi2 watershed indicated that the rainfall excess pattern was:

Time (hours)

0-2

2-4

4-6

Pe (in)

0.43

1.77

2.81

and the direct runoff hydrgraph was:

Time (hours)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12
DRH (cfs)

0

105

207

516

852

1700

1851

2538 1673 956 363 169 0

Use this information to determine the 2-hour unit hydrograph for the watershed by optimization (with constaints) using the Excel Solver function.  First set up the set of deconvolution equations in Excel, and then:

  1. Solve for the unit hydrograph values by minimizing the sum of the squared errors (predicted minus observed squared).
  2. Plot the predicted and observed direct runoff hydrograph (in cfs) for the optimized unit hydrograph [one plot].
  3. Plot the 2-hour unit hydrograph (in cfs).

Last changed on 10/28/13 by aab.