1 Lecture Notes on Fluid Dynamics (1.63J/2.21J) by Chiang C.

Mei, 2002

CHAPTER 6. SEEPAGE AND THERMAL EFFECTS IN POROUS MEDIA

6-1darcy-EM.tex Applications : Groundwater ow and transport, building insulation, energy storage and recovery, geothermal reservoirs, nuclear waste disposal,etc.

6.1

Empirical basis of Darcys law for seepage ow

[References]: Polubarinova-Kochina: Theory of Groundwater Movement, Princeton University Press The basis of Darcys law for a non-deformable medium is the one dimensional experiment by Darcy, see Figure 6.1.1.

Figure 6.1.1: Darcys experiment for seepage ow The discharge through the tube is measured to be Q = KA H1 H 2 s (6.1.1)

Figure 6.1.2: A one dimensional model of porous medium where P1 P2 + y1 H2 = + y2 g g and K is an empircal coecient called the hydraulic conductivity. The eective (seepage, or ltration) velocity is dened to be the discharge per unit gross area of the porous medium H1 = u = Let us dene the potential to be = K then i = K In the limit of s 0, we get p +y g = KH (6.1.3) Q H2 H 1 = K A s (6.1.2)

pi + yi g u = K

= KHi , i = 1, 2,

(6.1.4)

H = (6.1.5) s s This is Darcys empirical law relating the seepage velocity to the hydraulic heads, both are macro-scale averaged quantities. What aect the conductivity? Let the porosity n be dened as the percentage of pore volume in the gross volume V . If Vs is the volume occupied by solid grains in V , then n= V Vs V (6.1.6)

If the pores are satuarated with uid then Vf = V Vs and n = Vf /V . Consider the idealized porous medium consisting of parallel tubes, Figure 6.1.2. In a cross-section of area A, the net area of pores is nA. The net averaged velocity is u P = Q u = nA n (6.1.7)

3 For a laminar ow through a circular tube, the discharge is Q= R4 (p + y g ) 8s

(Homework). The averaged velocity in the pore (tube) is R2 g (p/g + y ) Q u P = = R2 8 s The seepage velocity through the matrix is nu P = Therefore, the hydraulic conductivity is K= with the dimension nR2 g 8 (6.1.9) nR2 g (p/g + y ) 8 s (6.1.8)

L (6.1.10) T The real pores are, of course, geometrically more complex, but the preceding formula indicates that K is small for small pores and for high viscosity. Darcys law is also often expressed in the form, [K ] = k u = (p + gy ) where k is called the (intrinsic) permeability. Clearly k= For the tubular model we have k= K g nR2 8 (6.1.12) (6.1.11)

(6.1.13)

which is independent of viscosity. From experiments, Kozeny and Carman proposed the following (empirical) formula n3 k = cd (1 n)2
2

(6.1.14)

where c = 0.1 0.8, and d is the eective pore diameter dened as the ratio of the volume of solids to the wetted area in the gross volume.

4 Materials Clays Sandy clays Peat Silt Very ne sands Fine sands Coarse sands Sand with gravel Gravels Hydraulic Conductivity K (m/sec) < 109 109 108 109 107 108 107 106 105 105 104 104 103 103 102 > 102

Table 6.1: The order of magnitude of the conductivity of natural soils

Three-dimensional Darcy law; As a generalization u i = Kij H kij (p + gy ) = xj xj (6.1.15)

where Kij denotes the conductivity tensor and kij the permeability tensor. For an macroscopically isotropic material Kij = Kij , kij = kij (6.1.16) Continuity requires that u =0 Thus xi H xj (6.1.17)

Kij

=0

(6.1.18)

in general, and K = 0 for isotropic media. If further, the material is homogeneous : K = constant. then 2 = 0 (6.1.20) (6.1.19)

Hence, for a nondeformable isotropic and homogeneous porous medium, the ow is potential. In most soils the pore ow is usually laminar. Take the typical values : u = 0.25cm/sec, d 0.4 mm , then uD 0.01cm2 /sec = = 0.1. Re = 0.01 cm2 /sec It is known empirically that for Re < 1 15, the ow is usually laminar. Boundary conditions of a typical seepage problem. Consder an earth dam:

5 On the soil water interface y = H1 (x) AB: p = pa + g (H1 y ) = K Therefore, = constant, y = H1 (x). (6.1.21) On the phreatic surface AE, where y = Y (x) is unknown a priori. The dynamic condition is p = constant. Therefore, + KY (x) = constant, y = Y (x) In addition, we have the kinematic condition, that y = Y (x) is a streamline : = constant, y = Y (x) On the seepage surface ED: p = + Ky = constant = pa , y = H2 (x) (6.1.24) (6.1.23) (6.1.22) p +y g = K pa + H1 y + y g = K pa + H1 g = constant

where H2 (x) is known. Note that just inside the soil, the uid velocity is not tangential to ED. On the impervious boundary (rock or saturated ne clay, etc.), BF: = constant (6.1.25)

Because the phreatic surface is unknown, the boundary-value problem in the earth dam is highly nonlinear and dicult. The prediction of the phreatic surface is useful for the design of the dam thickness and of the size and location of the drainage ditch. To nd the stresses in the dam and on the foundation, one should consider the deformation of soil; this requires soil mechanics.

Figure 6.1.3: A one dimensional model of porous medium