Politecnico di Milano

Dipartimento D.I.I.A.R. - Sezione Idraulica

Note integrative degli insegnamenti di:

Groundwater

Exercises
DR P. Ackerer

1
Nota Bene:
We consider only 1D steady state flow.

Most of the information (boundary conditions, …) are

given in the figures.

Do not forget:

Physics is easy, it is only conservation (Lavoisier,

1789) and continuity … plus creativity and
intuition.

Think first, write after (Ackerer, personal

communication, 2017)… A. Lavoisier
(born 1743,
decapitated 1794)

2
 EXERCISE 1

We consider a confined aquifer (assume 1D flow). The hydraulic conductivities

of the porous materials are:
K1 = 8,5 10-2 cm/s ; K2 = 6,5 10-3 cm/s ; K 3 = 3,0 10-2 cm/s.
The piezometric heads are prescribed at the two boundaries: 18m upstream,
12m downstream.
Q  1,13 105 m3 / s / m
What are the head values at piezometer A and B ? H A  17,75 m
Compute the flow rate in the aquifer H B  13,39 m
3
 EXERCISE 1
Darcy’s law leads to
hi  h j
Q  mqD  mK i
Lij
Conservation and continuity
h1  hA Q L1
Q  K1m h1  hA  Q L1
L1 m K1 hA  h1 
m K1
hA  hB Q L2
Q  K2m hA  hB  Q L2
L2 m K2 hB  hA 
m K2
hB  h2 Q L3
Q  K3m hB  h2 
L3 m K3

Q  L1 L2 L3 
h1  h2     
m  K1 K 2 K 3 

Q  1,13 105 m3 / s / m
m  h1  h2 
Q H A  17,75 m
 L1 L2 L3 
    H B  13,39 m
 1
K K 2 K 3  4
 EXERCISE 2
Water infiltrates from a channel into a free aquifer which supplies a river.
The hydraulic conductivities are K1 = 5  10-3 m/s over a length of L1 = 170 m
and K2 = 1.7  10-4 m/s over a length of L2 = 45 m.

What is the piezometric head at A ?

What is the flow rate which supplies the river ?
H A  6, 44 m
Q  4,96 105 m3 / s / m

5
 EXERCISE 2
Darcy’s law
dh
qD   K ( x )
dx
Conservation
Q  x  dx   Q  x   0
dQ
Q  x  dx   Q  x  
dx
dQ
0
dx

Q  x   q D ( x )  h ( x )  zb ( x ) 

Change variable

H ( x )  h ( x )  zb ( x )
dH 1 dH 2 ( x)
Q   K ( x) H ( x)   K ( x)
dx 2 dx
6
 EXERCISE 2
dQ
0
dx
d 2H 2
2
0
dx
dH 2
 c1
dx 1 dH 2 K
H 2 ( x)  c1 x  c2 Q  K   c1
2 dx 2
K1 H C2  H A2
Q
 H C2  c2 2 L1
 2
 H A  c1 L1  c2 Nota bene
H A2  H C2 Q
K1 H C2  H A2
c1  2 L1
L1
 K1
H C  H A   HC  H A 
(free)
2 L1
hA  hB
Q  mK (Confined)
L 7
 EXERCISE 2

K1 H C2  H A2
Q
2 L1
K 2 H A2  H R2
Q
2 L2

L1
H  H  2Q
2
C
2
A
K1
L2
H A2  H R2  2Q
K2

1  HC  H R  Q  4,96 105 m3 / s / m
2 2

Q
2  L1 L2  H A  6, 44 m
  
 1
K K 2 

8
Alternative EXERCISE 2

K1 H C2  H A2
Q
2 L1

K 2 H A2  H R2
Q
2 L2

K1 H C2  H A2 K 2 H A2  H R2

2 L1 2 L2
K1 2 K 2 2 2  K1 K2 
HC  HR  H A   
L1 L2  1
L L2 

 K1 2 K 2 2 
 HC  HR  H A  6, 44 m
HA 
2  L1 L2 
Q  4,96 105 m3 / s / m
 K1 K 2 
  
 1
L L2 

9
EXERCISE 3

The aquifer is supplied by a lake and a river. To decrease the piezometric

level inside the aquifer, a drainage system has been installed.
The hydraulic conductivity is equal to 5  10-3 m/s.

What is the flow rate in the drainage system (per meter) ?

10
EXERCISE 3

K H A2  H B2 K H C2  H B2
Q 
2 L1 2 L2

5  10 (80.5  72.3)   73.5  72.3

2
3 2

Q 
2 120
5  10 (80.5  72.3)   78.6  72.3
2
3 2

2 80

Q  2,56 103 m3 / s / m

11
EXERCISE 4
A drainage system has been built between a channel and a river. The flow rate in
the drainage system is 14 l/s/km.
The hydraulic conductivity of the porous material is 1.3  10-2 cm/s.
What is the value of the recharge, w ?
W  76 mm / year
Estimate the flow rate coming from the channel. 6 3
Q  7.75 10 m / s / m

12
EXERCISE 4

L K  H0  H L 
2 2

Q  W (x  ) 
2 2 L
Q  QR  QC
K H  H D2 
2
L1
QR  W 
R

2 2 L1
L2 K  H C  H D 
2 2

QC  W 
2 2 L2

 L1 L2  K
Q W    
  H 2
R  H 2
D  
 H 2
C  H D
2


 2 2  2  L1 L2 

 L1 L2  K   H R2  H D2   H C2  H D2  
Q W      
2 2 2  L1 L2 

13
EXERCISE 4

L1 K  R  D
2 2
H H L1
QR  W   W  5.22  106
2 2 L1 2
K H  H D2 
2 W  76 mm / year
L2 L2
QC  W  W  7.09  106
C
Q  7.75 106 m3 / s / m
2 2 L2 2

6  L1  L2  6 6
14  10  W    5.22  10  7.09  10
 2 
W  2.41 109 m / s  76 mm / y

QR  6.25  106 m3 / s / m
QC  7.75  106 m3 / s / m

14
EXERCISE 5
The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer is K=10-4 m/s. The infiltration rate
is 684 mm/year. The net recharge is 35% of the infiltration.
Find: location of the highest piezometric head and the value of such head.
What is the infiltration rate in each river?
Compute the recharge rate that sets the infiltration rates in the upstream
river equal to 0.
xmax  842.8 m

Q  6.39 106 m3 s 1m 1

Q  7.26 106 m3 s 1m 1

W  4.811010 m / s
 15.2 mm / year
15
 EXERCISE 5
Darcy’s law
dh
qD   K ( x )
dx

Conservation
dQ
W
dx
dh
Q    h ( x )  zb ( x )  K ( x )
dx

Change variable

H ( x )  h ( x )  zb ( x )
dH 1 dH 2 ( x)
Q   K ( x) H ( x)   K ( x)
dx 2 dx

16
 EXERCISE 5
dQ
W
dx
d  1 dH 2 ( x) 
 K  W
dx  2 dx 
d 2H 2 2W
 
dx 2 K
c2  H 02   h0  z 
2

W 2
dH 2
W H 2 ( L)   L  c1 L  H 02
 2 x  c1 K
dx K
W 2 c1 
 H 2
L  H 0 
2
W
 L
H ( x)   x  c1 x  c2
2
L K
K

17
 EXERCISE 5
W 2
H ( x)   x  c1 x  c2
K
The maximum is reached when

d d W 2
H ( x)   x  c1 x  c2  0
dx dx K

Think first, write after (Ackerer, perso. communication, 2017)

dH 1 dH 2
Q   KH ( x)  K Kc1
dx 2 dx x
2W
1 W  W  0.35  0.684 / 86400 / 365
  K  2 x  c1   0
2 K   7.59 109 m / s
L K 0  L
2 2
H H
Q  W (x  ) 
2 2 L xmax  842.8 m

18
 EXERCISE 5

Flow rates
L K 0  L
2 2
H H
Q  W (x  ) 
2 2 L
K
Q(0)   c1
2
K Q(0)  6.39 106 m3 / s / m
Q( L)  WL  c1
2
Q( L)  7.26 106 m3 / s / m

To avoid recharge of the left river, we have

K
Q(0)  c1  0
2
c1  0
W  4.811010 m / s
W  K
 H 2
L  H 02   15.2 mm / year
L2

19
EXERCISE 6
Groundwater flow in the aquifer is partly unconfined and partly confined. The
hydraulic conductivity is 2.5  10-3 cm/s.
The recharge is limited to the unconfined part of the aquifer.

Compute the recharge rate (w) and the flow rate.

W  156 mm / year
Q  1,83 106 m3 / s / m

20
For the zone with recharge, we have EXERCISE 6

dH 1 dH 2
Q   KH ( x)  K
dx 2 dx
dQ
W
dx
L1 K
Q  W (x  ) 
 H 2
0  H 1 
2

2 2 L1
For the zone without recharge, we have
dQ
0  H12  c1 L1  c2
dx 1 dH 2 K
 2 Q  K   c1
d 2H 2  H 2  c1 ( L1  L2 )  c2 2 dx 2
0
dx 2
H 22  H12 K H12  H 22
c1  Q
dH 2 L2 2 L2
 c1
dx H 22  H12
c2  H  2
L1
H 2 ( x)  c1 x  c2 1
L2

21
In the recharge area at x=L1, we have EXERCISE 6

L1 K  H 0  H1 
2 2

Q  W ( L1  )   WL1
2 2 L1
K H  H12 
2
WL1

0

2 2 L1 WL 2
2WL1 L2
H 02  1  H 22 
WL12 K K
 H 02  H12 2
K WL 2WL1 L2
H 02  H 22  1 
WL12 K K
H1  H 0 
2 2

K
In the area without recharge at x=L1, we have
W 2
K
 L1  2 L1 L 2   H 2
0  H 2
2

Q
K H12  H 22
 WL1
W K 2
 H 2
0  H 2 
2

2
2WL1 L2
L2
 L1  2 L1 L2 
 H12  H 22
K W  156 mm / year
2WL1 L2   6 3
H1  H 2 
2 2 Q 1,83 10 m /s/m
K 22
 EXERCISE 7
A channel is supplying a drainage system trough an aquifer. Groundwater flow is
partly confined and partly unconfined. Hydraulic conductivity is K = 4.5  10-4 m/s.

Compute the flow rate in the aquifer and the location where the groundwater
changes from confined to unconfined state.

x1  202,70 m
Q  2, 22 104 m3 / s / m

23
 EXERCISE 7
For x<x1 (confined system) Darcy’s law leads to
h1  hA
Qc  mqD  mK
x1

For x>x1 (free system), we have

dh
Q f   h( x ) K ( x )
dx
L
L L
 h2 
x Q f dx   x Kh( x)dh   K  2 
1 1 x1

Q f  L  x1    hA  h2 
K 2 2
2
K A 2
 
2 2
h h
Qf 
2  L  x1 

24
 EXERCISE 7
Continuity at x=x1

QC  Q f

K h  h22 
2
h1  hA

A
mK
x1 2  L  x1 

At x=x1, hA=m=10m

2m(h1  hA )  L  x1   x1  hA2  h22 

2mL(h1  hA )
x1 
 hA2  h22   2m(h1  hA ) 
 

x1  202,70 m
h1  hA Q  2, 22 104 m3 / s / m
Q  mK
x1

25
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