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Darcys Law
Darcys law provides an accurate
description of the flow of ground
water in almost all hydrogeologic
environments.
Flow in Aquifers
Darcys Law
Henri Darcy established empirically that the
flux of water through a permeable formation
is proportional to the distance between top
and bottom of the soil column.
The constant of proportionality is called the
hydraulic conductivity (K).
V = Q/A, V h, and V 1/L
Darcys Law
V = K (h/L)
and since
Q = VA (A = total area)
Q = KA (dh/dL)
Hydraulic Conductivity
K represents a measure of the ability for
flow through porous media:
Gravels -
0.1 to 1 cm/sec
Sands -
Silts -
Clays -
Conditions
Darcys Law holds for:
1. Saturated flow and unsaturated flow
2.
Steady-state and transient flow 3. Flow in
aquifers and aquitards
4. Flow in
homogeneous and
heterogeneous systems
5. Flow in isotropic or anisotropic media
6.
Flow in rocks and granular media
Darcy Velocity
V is the specific discharge (Darcy velocity).
() indicates that V occurs in the direction of
the decreasing head.
Specific discharge has units of velocity.
The specific discharge is a macroscopic
concept, and is easily measured. It should be
noted that Darcys velocity is different .
Darcy Velocity
...from the microscopic velocities
associated with the actual paths if
individual particles of water as they
wind their way through the grains of
sand.
The microscopic velocities are real, but
are probably impossible to measure.
A=totalarea
Q = A vD = AV Vs
Where:
Q = flow rate
A = total cross-sectional area of
material
AV = area of voids
Vs = seepage velocity
VD = Darcy velocity
V S = VD / n
Vx
Vx
x
Vx
Vx Vy Vz 0
x
y
z
2h 2h 2h
2 2 2 0
x
y
z
2 h 0calledLaplaceEqn.
Vx Vy Vz n
x
y
z
t
A change in h will produce change in and n, replaced
with specific storage Ss = g( + n). Note, is the compressibility of aquifer
and B is comp of water,
therefore,
h
h h
h
K x
Ss
K y
K z
x
x y
y z
z
t
2h 2h 2h
2 2 2 0
x
y
z
2 h 0calledLaplaceEqn.
h0
h1
2 h 2 h 2 h Ss h
2 2 2
x
y
z
K t
S h
2
h
fromJacob,Theis
T t
Qx, y
h h
2
2
x
y
T
2
Compute:
a) the rate of flow through the aquifer
(b) the average time of travel from the head of the
aquifer to a point 4 km downstream
*assume no dispersion or diffusion
The solution
Cross-Sectional area= 30(5)(1000) =
15 x 104 m2
Hydraulic gradient =
= 5 x 10-3
(55-50)/1000
V = Q/A =
x 104 m2) =
And
Seepage Velocity:
Vs = V/n = (0.25) / (0.2) =
1.25 m/day (about 4.1 ft/day)
Time to travel 4 km downstream:
T = 4(1000m) / (1.25m/day) =
3200 days or 8.77 years
This example shows that water moves
very slowly underground.
Limitations of the
Darcian Approach
1. For Reynolds Number, Re, > 10 or where the flow
is turbulent, as in the immediate vicinity of pumped
wells.
Darcys Law:
Example 2
A channel runs almost parallel to a river, and they are 2000 ft
apart.
The water level in the river is at an elevation of 120 ft and 110ft in
the channel.
A pervious formation averaging 30 ft thick and with K of 0.25 ft/hr
joins them.
Determine the rate of seepage or flow from the river to the
channel.
Confined Aquifer
ConfiningLayer
30ft
Aquifer
Example 2
Consider a 1-ft length of river (and channel).
Q = KA [(h1 h2) / L]
Where:
A = (30 x 1) = 30 ft2
= (0.25 ft/hr) (24 hr/day) = 6 ft/day
Therefore,
Q = [6 (30) (120 110)] / 2000
= 0.9 ft3/day/ft length =
0.9 ft2/day
Permeameters
ConstantHead
FallingHead
Constant head
Permeameter
t = time of flow