Preserving Steady-State in One-Dimensional Finite-Volume Computations of River Flow

Abstract

When using finite-volume methods and the conservative form of the Saint Venant equations in one-dimensional flow computations, it is important to establish the correct balance between the discretized flux vector and the geometric source terms. Over the last few years various improvements to numerical schemes have been presented to achieve this correct balance, focusing on the capability to simulate water at rest on irregular geometries (C-property). In this paper it is shown that common schemes can lead to energy-violating solutions in the case of steady flow. We present developments based on the Roe TVD finite-volume scheme for one-dimensional Saint Venant equations, which results in a method that not only satisfies the C-property, but also preserves the correct steady flow when stationary boundary conditions are used. We also present a totally irregular channel test case for the verification of the method.