Coping with geometric discontinuities in porosity-based shallow water models

The use of classic two-dimensional (2D) shallow water equations (SWE) for flooding simulation in complex urban environments is computationally expensive, due to the need of refined meshes for the representation of obstacles and building. Aiming to reduce the computational burden, a class of sub-grid SWE models, where small-scale building features are preserved on relatively coarse meshes by means of macroscale porosity parameters, has been recently introduced in the literature. Among the other porosity-based models, the single porosity (SP) model is relevant because the corresponding one-dimensional (1D) Riemann problem is the building block for the construction of many porosity-based numerical schemes. Like the Riemann problem connected to mathematical models such as the SWE with variable bed elevation and the 1D Euler equations in contracting pipes, the SP Riemann problem may exhibit multiple solutions for certain initial conditions. This ambiguity can be solved by restoring the microscale information of the 2D SWE model that is lost at the SP macroscale. In the present paper, we disambiguate the solutions' multiplicity by systematically comparing the solution of the SP Riemann problem at local porosity discontinuities with the corresponding 2D SWE numerical solutions in contracting channels. An additional result of this comparison is that the SP Riemann problem should incorporate an adequate amount of head loss when strongly supercritical flows past sudden porosity reductions occur. An approximate Riemann solver, able to pick the physically congruent solution among the alternatives and equipped with the required head loss amount, shows promising results when implemented in a 1D single porosity finite volume scheme.

Automated summary

The use of classic 2D shallow water equations for flooding simulation in urban areas is computationally expensive. To reduce the computational burden, a sub-grid shallow water equation model has been introduced. The single porosity model is relevant because it is used as the building block for many numerical schemes. However, the single porosity model may have multiple solutions for certain initial conditions. In this paper, the authors compare the single porosity model with the 2D shallow water equation model and disambiguate the solutions' multiplicity and find that an adequate amount of head loss should be incorporated in the single porosity model.