HEC-ResSim version 3.0 - HEC's New Reservoir System Simulation Program

HEC-ResSim has been designed and developed by the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform Reservoir System Simulation. It is intended to meet the needs of real-time reservoir regulators for a decision support tool, as well as the needs of modelers doing reservoir projects studies.

As HEC’s newest “Next Generation” (NexGen) software package, HEC-ResSim is intended to eventually replace HEC-5 for performing reservoir operation modeling at one or more reservoirs for a variety of operational goals and constraints. The first releases (Versions 1.0 and 2.0) of ResSim were within the water control management community of the Corps. Their reviews, experience, and feature requests have helped make ResSim a powerful tool for reservoir operations modeling.

Features

The features of ResSim 3.0 include:

• A map based schematic development environment.
• A complex reservoir element that can include multiple dams and outlets.
• An operations scheme that can define the reservoir’s operating goals and constraints in terms of pool zones and zone dependent rules.
• A set of operation rule types that include:
  • Release Requirements and Constraints
  • Downstream Control Requirements and Constraints
  • Pool Elevation or Inflow Rate-of-Change Limits
  • Hydropower Requirements
  • Induced Surcharge (Emergency Gate Operation)
• Operation of multiple reservoirs for a common downstream control, including storage
  balancing.
• Powerful alternative builder to allow for a wide range of “what if” analysis.
• Computation timesteps from 15min to 1day.
• Release Overrides of the reservoir’s release decisions timestep by timestep.
• Configurable plots.
• Summary Reports and a Release Decision Report.
• HEC-DSS for storage of input and output data.
• HEC-DSSVue for access to all computed results.
• Familiar Windows look and feel.

Schematic - The network of rivers and streams, called a stream alignment, is created in the watershed setup module, This stream alignment is used as a back bone on which the reservoir network schematic is developed.

Module Elements - The network schematic elements include reservoirs, routing reaches, diversions, and junctions. The reservoirs are complex elements that are made up of the pool, the dam, and one or more outlets.

Operation Scheme - The criteria for reservoir release decisions is called an operation set which is made up of a set of discrete zones and rules. The zones divide the pool by elevation and contain a set of rules that describe the goals and constraints that should be followed when the reservoir's pool elevation is within the zone.

Alternatives - Alternatives are developed to compare results using different model schematics (physical properties), operation sets, inflows, and/or initial conditions.

Analysis Tools - To assist in analyzing simulation results, included within HEC-ResSim are default plots, a variety of summary reports, and HEC-DSSVue.

Operating Systems

HEC-ResSim has been designed and tested primarily on Windows 2000. HEC's release testing included installation, functionality, performance, and verification of results. Installation and functionality tests have been performed on Windows NT 4.0 and XP. Special testing has also been performed on the Sun Solaris 2.8 operating system. Although ResSim may install and run on Windows 95, 98, and ME, performance on these platforms has not been extensively tested.

Documentation

The documentation for HEC-ResSim consists of a Quick Start Guide and a User's Manual. Both documents are in PDF format and can be viewed online or printed by the user. The new version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader is also provided on the program CD.

• Quick Start Guide - An overview of HEC-ResSim and its basic features. The "HayesBasin" example watershed is primarily used for this document.
• User's Manual - Detailed information on how to use the HEC-ResSim interface to develop a reservoir simulation model. The "BaldEagle" example watershed is primarily used for this document.
• Release Notes - Description of the current capabilities of HEC-ResSim and the features currently under development . The HEC-ResSim version 3.0 Release Notes can also be viewed here.

The HEC-ResSim CD contains the program in its entirety, including example watersheds, and documentation (Installation Notes,  Release Notes, Quick Start Guide and User's Manual). The HEC-ResSim program CD is available from WRCS for only $35. HEC-ResSim is also available as part of the HEC-Works CD (along with nine other HEC programs) for only $95. See our What's New and Order Form pages for details.