1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof.
Charles Harvey Lecture Packet #3: Hydraulic Head and Fluid Potential
What makes water flow? Consider pressure
po
Water Level A
Water Level
po
po + p
Pressure at A = atmospheric (po)
Pressure at B > atmospheric (po + p)
Pressure at C = atmospheric (po)
But flow is not from A to B to C.
Flow is not down pressure gradient.
Hubbert (1940) Potential
A physical quantity capable of measurement at every point in a flow system, whose properties are such that flow always occurs from regions in which the quantity has less higher values to those in which it has lower values regardless of the direction in space. Examples:
Heat conducts from high temperature to low temperature
Temperature is a potential Electricity flows from high voltage to low voltage Voltage is a potential Fluid potential and hydraulic head Fluids flow from high to low fluid potential Flow direction is away from location where mechanical energy per unit mass of fluid is high to where it is low. How does this relate to measurable quantity?
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 1 of 9
Groundwater flow is a mechanical process forces driving fluid must overcome frictional forces between porous media and fluid. (generates thermal energy) Work mechanical energy per unit mass required to move a fluid from point z to point z.
Elevation: z Pressure: p Velocity: v Density: Volume: V
Fluid potential is mechanical energy per unit mass = work to move unit mass
Elevation: z=0 Pressure: p=po Velocity: vo Density: o Volume: Vo
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 2 of 9
Which way does water flow (function of Z and P) ? hp1
hp1
hp2
Q Q z1 z2 z1
hp2
z2
hp1 Q z1
hp1 hp2 Q z2 z1 z2 hp2
Fluid potential is the mechanical energy per unit mass of fluid potential at z = fluid potential at datum + work from z to z. The work to move a unit mass of water has three components: 1) Work to lift the mass (where z = 0)
w2 = mgz'
2) Work to accelerate fluid from v=0 to v
mv 2 w2 = 2
3) Work to raise fluid pressure from p=po to p
V dp w3 = Vdp = m dp = m m p po po po
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey Lecture Packet 3 Page 3 of 9
Note that a unit mass of fluid occupies a volume V = 1/ The Fluid Potential (the mechanical energy per unit mass, m=1)
v2 dp = gz + + + 2 po p
v 2 p p0 = gz + + 2 p
for incompressible fluid ( is constant)
This term is almost always unimportant in groundwater flow, with the possible exception of where the flow is very fast, and Darcys Law begins to break down.
How does potential relate to the level in a pipe?
At a measurement point pressure is described by:
P = g(depth) + po p = g + po p = g(h-z) + po
z h
Return to fluid potential equation
v 2 p p0 = gz + + 2 p
Neglect velocity (kinetic) term, and substitute for p
= gz +
So,
g (h z ) + p0 p0
or
= gh
h = / g
Thus, head h is a fluid potential. 1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey Lecture Packet 3 Page 4 of 9
Flow is always from high h to low h. H is energy per unit weight. H is directly measurable, the height of water above some point. h=z+
Thermal Potential
t = Thermal Potential
Temperature can be an important driving force for groundwater and soil moisture. Volcanic regions Deep groundwater Nuclear waste disposal Can cause heat flow and also drive water. Chemical Potential Adsorption Potential Total Potential is the sum of these, but for saturated conditions for our initial cases we will have:
= g + p
q * = L1
h T c L
L3 2 l l l
Derivation of the Groundwater Flow Equation Darcys Law in 3D Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Isotropic vs. Anisotropic Isotropy Having the same value in all directions. K is a scalar. K
qx = K
h x
q y = K
h y
q z =
K
h z
Anisotropic having directional properties. K is really a tensor in 3D Gradient K Flow
The value that converts one vector to another vector is a tensor. 1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey Lecture Packet 3 Page 5 of 9
q
x =
K
xx
h h h
K
xz
K
xy z y x
q y =
K
yx
q z =
K
zx
h h h K
yy
K
yz x y z
h
h h
K
zy
K zz x
z y
The first index is the direction of flow The second index is the gradient direction
Interpretation - Kxx is a coefficient along the x-direction that contributes a component of flux along the x-axis due to the coefficient along the z-direction that contributes a component of flux along the z-axis due to the component of the gradient in the y-direction. The conductivity ellipse (anisotropic vs. isotropic)
K yy
Flow
K yy K xx
Gradient
Flow
K xx
Gradient x
If Kyy = Kxx then the media is isotropic and ellipse is a circle. It is convenient to describe Darcys law as:
r q = K h
Where is called del and is a gradient operator, so h is the gradient in all three directions (in 3D). K is a matrix.
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 6 of 9
qx =
Kxx
Kxy
Kxz
h x h y h z
qy =
Kyx
Kyy
Kyz
qz =
Kzx
Kzy
Kzz
The magnitudes of K in the principal directions are known as the principal conductivities. If the coordinate axes are aligned with the principal directions of the conductivity tensor then the cross-terms drop out giving:
qx =
Kxx
h x
Kyy
qy =
h y
Kzz
qz =
h z
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 7 of 9
Effective Hydraulic Conductivity Htot
Q1 Qtot Q2 Q3 Q4
Ltot
Qtot
= = =
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4
H H H H L1 K 1 + L2 K 2 + L3 K 3 + L4 K 4 x x x x
H x
Li K
H Ltot K eff x
K eff =
L K
i i
L
i
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 8 of 9
Q Htot
H1 H2 Ltot H3 H4
Htot = H1 + H2 + H3 + H4 q=
H 3 H tot H 4 H 1 H 2 K eff = K1 = K2 = K3 = K4 Ltot L1 L2 L3 L4
n qLtot qL = i K eff i Ki
K eff =
L
i n i
Li
i
1.72, Groundwater Hydrology Prof. Charles Harvey
Lecture Packet 3 Page 9 of 9
