1.3 Configurations

Given its construction philosophy, TUFLOW CATCH can be set up and executed in the following core supported configurations:

  1. Hydrology. The most basic configuration of TUFLOW CATCH is to simulate water movement (without generated pollutants) through surface (and optionally subsurface) catchment flows, and to automatically route these into a downstream receiving hydrodynamic (only) waterway model. At the point of routing, constant/timeseries salinity and temperature may be assigned to allow baroclinic TUFLOW FV receiving water modelling. Use cases might include investigation of velocity fields in receiving waterways under a range of separate or continuous catchment inflow regimes, or modification of these fields in response to changes in catchment conditions, such as urbanisation. In this instance, the computational engines would be configured as follows:
    • TUFLOW HPC: Simulate surface (and optionally subsurface) hydrology, and optionally constant or timeseries temperature and salinity. In addition to map outputs, write inflow boundary condition files for TUFLOW FV. These only contain water flows with optionally temperature and salinity, without associated generated pollutant concentrations
    • TUFLOW FV: Simulate and report 2D or 3D hydrodynamics, optionally including temperature and salinity
  2. Pollutant Export. The next level of functionality offered by TUFLOW CATCH is the addition of pollutant export within the catchment simulation, without the explicit and subsequent simulation of the fate and transport of these pollutants in a downstream receiving model. Use cases might include investigation of pollutant export properties of a catchment under differing rainfall conditions, or the variation of this export in response to the implementation of intervention measures or land use changes. In this instance, the computational engines would be configured as follows:
    • TUFLOW HPC: Simulate surface (and optionally subsurface) hydrology, with pollutant export and transport. In addition to map outputs, write summary timeseries of total flows and pollutant export at a user defined catchment outlet. This outlet is defined by a user specified GIS polygon rather than a TUFLOW FV mesh
    • TUFLOW FV: No simulation
  3. Integrated. This level represents the full functionality offered by TUFLOW CATCH. It augments the Pollutant Export configuration above by including the explicit 2D or 3D simulation of the fate and transport of all catchment derived flows and pollutants within the downstream waterway model. Use cases might include the investigation of the efficacy of catchment intervention works on downstream water quality over multiannual periods. In this instance, the computational engines would be configured as follows:
    • TUFLOW HPC: Simulate surface (and optionally subsurface) hydrology, with pollutant export and transport. In addition to map outputs, write summary timeseries of total flow and pollutant export at catchment outlet, as well as fully formatted inflow and concentration boundary condition files for TUFLOW FV
    • TUFLOW FV: Direct simulation of 2D or 3D baroclinic hydrodynamics, with sediment transport and/or water quality (and optionally other TUFLOW FV modules such as particle tracking)

Whilst not core to TUFLOW CATCH’s ultimate functionality, other configurations are also available:

  1. TUFLOW HPC calibration only. This covers the use case where a TUFLOW HPC modeller wishes to progress catchment hydraulic model calibration independently of pollutant export simulation and TUFLOW FV activities

  2. TUFLOW FV calibration only. This covers the use case where a TUFLOW FV modeller wishes to progress receiving model calibration independently of TUFLOW HPC activities. Inflows for this configuration would likely be turned off, with associated tasks therefore being undertaken during largely dry periods

If only the simulation of surface and subsurface water flows (and not pollutants) are of interest, and with no intended linkage between TUFLOW HPC and TUFLOW FV (i.e. the Hydrology configuration above but with no linkage to TUFLOW FV), then TUFLOW HPC can be run in isolation without the need for TUFLOW CATCH. Simply setting up and running TUFLOW HPC with appropriate results outputs at bottom of catchment (via PO or similar outputs) would suffice. If either linkage with TUFLOW FV or simulation of pollutant export is of interest, then TUFLOW CATCH is required.

TUFLOW CATCH supports one-way linking of flows and concentrations from TUFLOW HPC to TUFLOW FV.