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Full Equations (FEQ) Model for the Solution of the Full, Dynamic Equations
of Motion for One-Dimensional Unsteady Flow in Open Channels and Through
Control Structures
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS REPORT 96-4240
3.3 A Physical Analogy of the Schematization of the Stream Network
The schematization of a stream network applied in FEQ simulation is analogous to a child's Tinkertoys, a building toy composed of slender, pencil-like sticks and round knobs with holes on the periphery and a hole in the center of each knob. A wide variety of stick structures can be built by inserting the sticks into the holes of the knobs. In a sense, open-channel hydraulics are conceptualized like Tinkertoys in FEQ simulation. The branches, dummy branches, and level-pool reservoirs are like the sticks, and the special features are like the knobs. A model of an open-channel system can be built by use of these parts. Consequently, FEQ has few predefined limits. The limit to the complexity of the simulated stream system is usually set by the memory and computer-time requirements rather than by structure of the program. As a result, various stream systems and conditions can be described without requiring changes to the program.
In keeping with the Tinkertoys analogy, the parts of the system are described in FEQ simulation more or less separately. For example, the branches are completely described in terms of nodes, stations, elevations, and cross sections before any description of the special features is given. Furthermore, the cross sections are described only in terms of a table number, and the contents of the table are input later. All references to functions are given by the table number containing the description of the table. This is done to allow attention to be focused on how the various pieces are connected without concern for the location, size, or shape of the cross sections. This layered approach to describing the system reduces the number of details that must be comprehended simultaneously, simplifying management of the details in the application of FEQ.
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