Surface Water Hydrology

Professor Rajib Maity

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Lecture 36
Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph

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Today is the last topic that we will cover which is instantaneous unit hydrograph, so it is having
some very special properties, and it is very useful in many applications.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:39)

The concept covered in this today's lecture is the instantaneous unit hydrograph understanding
and its derivation and applications through some example problems.

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The outline for this lecture goes like this, first, we will give some introduction to this IUH,
instantaneous unit hydrograph, and then derivation of this unit hydrograph using S-curve method
lecture and then from there the derivation of D-hour unit hydrograph from the IUH. Some
example problems will be taken and then finally, coming to the summary.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:53)

Introduction: Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph

In a given catchment a number of unit hydrographs of different durations are possible. From the
field, data can get the most accurate estimate of the unit hydrograph. Now, if all the desired
durations are not available, to get the unit hydrograph of different durations using two methods,
method of superposition, S-curve method, all those things are discussed.

The different durations of the unit hydrograph for a specific catchment are there and the shape of
this unit hydrograph depends on the value of the D. In figure1 a typical variation of the shape of
the unit hydrograph for different values of D has been shown.

Fig.1shows a typical variation of the shape of UH for different values of D.

If this is the one-unit hydrograph that corresponds to this rainfall excess hydrograph is shown
there at A. In fig.1 diagram shows all the properties of the unit hydrograph and here also the
rainfall excess is 1 centimeter and only that duration is a specific duration of that 1-centimeter
rainfall excess is shown here. So, far as the unit hydrograph A is concerned.

A is shown here in the excess rainfall and the corresponding unit hydrograph. Now if reduce the
duration as shown in the green color box B there and the excess rainfall remains same 1
centimeter. So, if I reduce the duration intensity is increased that is why the corresponding
typical change in the shape of the unit hydrograph is shown in B.

Typically, the time to peak is lesser, so the peak will occur faster and the peak will be more than
the earlier one that is with respect to A. Now, if I further proceed take another one where the
duration is further less. So, intensity is even more. So, this will go on, so that time to peak will be
even faster and the peak discharge also will be more.

In this way if go ahead and just take that different unit hydrograph of different duration, means
the intensity is increasing from hydrograph A to B to C to D. Similarly, the limiting condition is
that the duration can tend to 0.

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The limiting case of UH of zero duration (D → 0) is known as Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph
(IUH).

Thus, in a nutshell, IUH can be said as a fictitious and conceptual UH having a single peak with
finite base width which represents the surface runoff from the catchment due to instantaneous
precipitation of the excess rainfall (ER) volume of 1 cm.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:43)

Let us consider, 𝑢(𝑡) denotes the ordinates of an IUH at time 𝑡

IUH has the following important properties

(Refer Slide Time: 07:56)

The concept of this unit hydrograph is concerned, now, we can see in this pictorial diagram in
fig.2. Consider an effective rainfall 𝐼(𝜏) of duration 𝑡0 over a catchment as shown in figure 2. 𝜏 is
the intensity varies over the time and it is just changing continuously that is the most practical
thing that it can change at any given time.

Assume one very small infinitesimal small-time unit which is d𝜏 and for the small-time interval,
the intensity is the same. Now, if I know that there is one instantaneous unit hydrograph then the
contribution of this shaded area will come in the form of an instantaneous unit hydrograph like
this.

Each infinitesimal element of this ERH will operate on the IUH to produce a DRH whose
discharge at time 𝑡 is given by

Where,
 Fig.2 shows the convolution of I (𝜏) and IUH

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Mathematical Concept of IUH

The equation is called the convolution integral or Duhamel integral.

The integral of the above equation is essentially the same as the equation obtained for deriving a
DRH from a D-h UH i.e.,

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Properties of Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph

⮚ IUH is independent of the duration of ERH, therefore, has one parameter less than a D-h
UH.

⮚ IUH indicates only the characteristics of the catchment since it is independent of rainfall
characteristics.
These two properties of IUH make it eminently suitable for theoretical analysis of excess
rainfall-runoff relationship for a catchment.
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Derivation of IUH using S-curve

⮚ IUH for a catchment can be derived using the concept of an S-curve of any intensity of
rainfall excess using the following steps.

( )
⮚ Consider an S-curve (S1) 𝑆1 derived from a D-h𝐷 − ℎ UH. Therefore, the intensity of
1 𝑐𝑚
rainfall excess, i =1/D cm/hr𝑖 = 𝐷 ℎ

⮚ Consider another S-curve S2(𝑆2) of the same intensity i𝑖.

⮚ If S2𝑆2 is separated from S1𝑆1 by a time interval dt𝑑𝑡 and the ordinates are subtracted, A DRH
𝑑𝑡
due to a rainfall excess of duration dt𝑑𝑡 and magnitude i dt=dt/D𝑖 𝑑𝑡 = 𝐷
is obtained.

⮚ A UH of dt𝑑𝑡-h is then obtained by dividing the above DRH by i dt𝑖 𝑑𝑡

(Refer Slide Time: 16:28)

The 𝑑𝑡-h UH will have ordinates equal to

Now, as per the definition of IUH,

IUH results as 𝑑𝑡→0

Therefore, for an IUH, the ordinate at any time 𝑡 is

If 𝑖=1, then

'
𝑑𝑆
𝑢(𝑡) = 𝑑𝑡

Where 𝑆′ represents an S-curve of intensity 1 𝑐𝑚/ℎ.

(Refer Slide Time: 17:36)

Thus, the ordinate of IUH at any time instant 𝑡 is the slope of the S-curve, derived from UH of
1-h duration, of intensity 1 𝑐𝑚/ℎ at the corresponding time.

In general, IUH can be approximately derived using the obtained equation i.e.,

𝑢(𝑡) = ( )=
𝑆2−𝑆1
𝑖 𝑑𝑡
1 𝑑𝑆
𝑖 𝑑𝑡

IUHs can also be derived in many other ways, such as

i. Harmonic analysis

ii. Laplace transform

iii. Conceptual models

(Refer Slide Time: 19:09)

Example 36.1:

The ordinates of an S-curve of a catchment with rainfall intensity of 2 cm/h are as follows

Derive the IUH for this catchment.

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Solution

The ordinates of the IUH can be found from the following Eqn.

1 𝑑𝑆(𝑡)
𝑢(𝑡) = 𝑖 𝑑𝑡

Where, 𝑖 is 2 cm/h (given)

𝑑𝑆(𝑡)
𝑑𝑡
is the slope of the S-curve at 𝑡, which can be approximated as,

,
𝑑𝑆(𝑡) 𝑆𝑡+∆𝑡−𝑆𝑡−∆𝑡 𝑆𝑡+∆𝑡−𝑆𝑡−∆𝑡
𝑑𝑡
= (𝑡+∆𝑡)−(𝑡−∆𝑡)
= 2∆𝑡

Where ∆𝑡=0.5-h (as per the question)

 Fig.3 shows the ordinates of the S-curve of example 36.1

(Refer Slide Time: 20:58)

The ordinates the IUH are calculated as,

 Fig.4 shows the ordinates of IUH of example 36.1

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(𝑡2−𝑡1 ) = Area under the curve between t 1 and t2

(𝑆2′−𝑆1′)/ (𝑡2−𝑡1 ) =Ordinates of a UH of duration 𝐷1= (𝑡2−𝑡1 ).

(Refer Slide Time: 23:50)

Thus, in general terms, for small values of 𝐷1, the ordinates of a 𝐷1-h UH are obtained by the
equation

Therefore, if two IUHs are lagged by 𝐷1-h, where 𝐷1 is small and their corresponding ordinates
are averaged, the resulting hydrograph will be a 𝐷1-h UH.

It may be noted that from the obtained UH we can derive any D-h, UH using the method of
superposition or S-curve method discussed earlier.

(Refer Slide Time: 24:48)

Example 36.2:

The ordinates of the IUH of a catchment are as follows

Derive the DRH for this catchment due to a storm of 2-h and having a rainfall excess of 5 cm.

(Refer Slide Time: 25:09)

The process starts by calculating the 1-h UH ordinates using the equation

⮚ Using the 1-h UH, the ordinates of the S-curve are obtained as discussed earlier.

⮚ Next, by lagging the ordinates of the S-curve by 2-h, ordinates of 2-h UH are obtained.

⮚ Thereafter, DRH due to 5 cm ER is obtained by multiplying the ordinate of 2-h UH by 5

cm.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:33)

(Refer Slide Time: 28:42)
Summary

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

⮚ The theoretical concept and mathematical formulation of Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph

(IUH) are discussed.

⮚ The procedure for deriving IUH from S-curve is discussed in detail and illustrated
through a real-life example.

⮚ Derivation of D-h UH (for small values of D) from IUH is also covered along with an
example.

⮚ In the next lecture, a few conceptual models of developing IUH for a catchment will be
discussed.