Computer Simulation of the Volga River Hydrological Regime: Problem of Water-Retaining Dam Optimal Location

Abstract

We investigate of a special dam optimal location at the Volga river in the area of the Akhtuba left sleeve beginning (7 km to the south of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station dam). We claim that a new water-retaining dam can resolve the key problem of the VolgaAkhtuba oodplain related to insuffcient water amount during spring oodings due to the overregulation of the Lower Volga. Using a numerical integration of Saint-Vanant equations we study the water dynamics across the northern part of the Volga-Akhtuba ffoodplain taking into account its actual topography. As the result we found an amount of water VA passing to the Akhtuba during spring period for a given water ow through the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station (so-called hydrograph which characterises the water ow per unit of time). By varying the location of the water-retaining dam xd, yd we obtained various values of VA(xd, yd) as well as various ow spatial structure on the territory during the ood period. Gradient descent method provides the dam coordinated with the maximum value of VA. Such approach to the dam location choice let us nd the best solution, that the value VA increases by a factor of 2. Our analysis demonstrates a good potential of the numerical simulations in the eld of hydraulic works.