BASIC SUBSURFACE FLOW

(Steady State Condition)

Group 4 (H₂O)
Compiled by:
ENGR. EMELIE E. ALVAREZ
 HENRY PHILIBERT
GASPARD DARCY
A distinguished engineer and scientist who has many
contributions in hydraulics, including Darcy’s Law for
flow in porous media. He understood both the
significance and the relationship of the broader fields
of hydraulics and groundwater hydrology. He was the
first to show that significant flow resistance occurs
within aquifers, the first to recognize the law’s
similarity to Poiseuille flow, and the first to combine
law with continuity to obtain a solution for unsteady
flow.
HENRY DARCY
AND
THE MAKING
OF A LAW
A small city Dijon had a
problem of very less water
supply and the available
water was very polluted
due to industries. Cholera
and typhoid were very
frequent in the town. City
administration tried many
solutions for centuries but
failed. A kid named Darcy
was very disappointed by
this situation and decided
that if given a chance he
graduated from an elite
school for civil engineers
and started working in
construction field. The
major of Dijon, seeing his
skills, requested him to
solve the water problem of
Dijon. Darcy accepted the
challenge and surveyed
whole town to find the
sources of water.
HENRY DARCY
AND
THE MAKING
OF A LAW
Darcy looked the problem
from people point of view. In September 1814,
He divided the water townspeople gathered and
source such that people in cheered as the spring
the village got twice as waters first bubbled into
much water per person as the city's reservoir. Four
people in Dijon. years later, a vast system
People were happy with of underground pipes and
his generosity but a 120 public fountains were
problem arose. Land was completed, having free
required to build an and clean water.
aqueduct.
To avoid legal disputes, he
HENRY DARCY
AND
THE MAKING
OF A LAW
Darcy became the his education. Darcy
hometown hero and was doesn't only solve the
awarded a bonus of more problem technically but
than a million and a half also generously and
dollars for solving the diplomatically.
city's water problem. It shows capability of
young engineers when
Darcy refused the offer as they're given a big project.
it was his way of thanking
back the city for paying for
 DARCY’S LAW FORMULA
𝒉𝟏 +𝒛𝟏 −(𝒉𝟐+ 𝒛𝟐 )
Q=AK
𝑳
Where:
Q= Volume Flow Rate
A= Area of Porous media normal to the Flow
K= Hydraulic Conductivity (cm/sec)
Z= Elevation
L= Length of flow path
H= Pressure head (pressure head divided by specific weight)
Example:
A channel runs almost parallel to a river, and they are 2000ft apart.
The water level in the river is at elevation of 120ft and 110ft in the
channel. A pervious formation averaging 30ft thick and with K of
0.25ft/hr. joins them. Determine the Flow rate (ft^3/day).
Solution: media
From the equation; 6. Flow in granular and rock media
ℎ1 +𝑧1 −(ℎ2+ 𝑧2 )
Q=AK Darcy’s law is valid for laminar flow
𝐿
Since the pressure head; ℎ1 and ℎ2 through sediments.
are not stated therefore ℎ1 and
ℎ2 = 0.
A= 30ft x 1ft
A= 30𝒇𝒕𝟐
𝑓𝑡 24ℎ𝑟
K= 0.25 ( ) X ( )
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑑𝑎𝑦
K= 6ft/day

120+0 − 110+0
Q= 30X6 ( )
2000
Q=180X0.005
Q=0.9𝒇𝒕𝟑 /𝒅𝒂𝒚
 AQUIFER
aquiˑfer/ˈäkwəfər,ˈakwəfər/

: a body of saturated rock through which water can easily move

: become useful sources of drinking water when production wells are drilled
into their water-bearing layers. A well pump draws the water from the
subsurface to the surface and feeds it into a water-distribution system.

Etymology for aquifer

borrowed from French aquifère "water-bearing," from aqui- (from Latin aqua "water"
+ -i- -I-) + -fère "bearing"
An aquifer has areas (or zones) that influence the movement of
contaminants in groundwater. Recognition of these locations promotes
understanding of the possible location of contaminants and the technology
needed for treatment.
Unsaturated zone: It is located between the land surface and the water table and
sometimes called the vadose zone.
 Groundwater table: The boundary between the saturated and unsaturated zones beneath the
earth’s surface. It is typically the level to which water will rise in a well. The level of the water
table may change based on rainfall levels and seasonal variations.
Capillary fringe: The zone immediately above the water table, serving as the “line” between
the unsaturated and saturated portions of the aquifer. Capillary force is the tendency of water
to be drawn upward towards “drier” areas.
Saturated zone: The zone in which voids in rock or soil are filled with water.
Confining layer: A body of material next to an aquifer with little room between particles for
liquid to flow through. For example, dense clays often act as confining layer. Material that
slows down the flow is called a semi-confining layer, while material that stops any flow from
passing through is a confining layer.
TYPES OF AQUIFERS
• Confined Aquifer
• Unconfined Aquifer
Confined. Basically a layer of water that is under pressure and is held between two
layers of clay. The recharge area is limited to the land surface where the aquifer's geologic
materialisexposed tothelandsurface.
When a well is drilled into a confined aquifer, the water that is under pressure in it will rise
in the well casing and may reach the surface. Wells with water flowing to the surface are
oftencalledfree-flowingartesianwells.Inmostcases,wellsdrilledintoartesianaquifersdo
notflow.

Unconfined. A layer of water that has a confining layer on the bottom and a layer of
permeable soil above it. The recharge area is all of the land area above the unconfined
aquifer. The water level in wells drilled into an unconfined aquifer will be at the same
elevation as the water table. The water table will rise or fall in response to recharge and
pumping.
CONFINED AQUIFER VS. UNCONFINED AQUIFER
Radial Flow to a Well

Groundwater resources in a confined aquifer with a nonsteady-

state flow can be evaluated for the consideration of the
construction of wells.

Confined aquifer is an aquifer bound between two aquitards

(a formation of low-permeability materials), and whose
groundwater is under pressure greater than atmospheric.
WHAT IS RADIAL FLOW ?
RADIAL GROUNDWATER FLOW
How do it works?
Radial ground water flow in
unconfined aquifer
Radial groundwater flow

In unconfined aquifer

Are usually recharged by

rain or stream water
infiltrating directly
through the overlying soil
Where can we located unconfined aquifer

Unconfined
aquifer
Travel time of Groundwater
in Confined Aquifer
Groundwater is stored in rocks, known as
aquifers, beneath the ground.
Groundwater usually moves inches per day,
whereas rivers move more swiftly— feet per
second (ft/sec). In sandy soils, however, ground-
water moves a bit more quickly, between one to
five feet per day. Even at this
rate, groundwater and substances dis- solved in it
may take five years to travel about one mile
Travel time of
Groundwater in
Confined Aquifer
Generally, water seeping down in the unsaturated
zone moves very slowly. Assuming a typical depth to
water table of 10 to 20 metres, the seepage
time could be a matter of minutes in the case of
How long does it take for coarse boulders, to months or even years if there is a
groundwater to go lot of clay in fine sediment.
down?A
Travel time of
Groundwater in
Confined Aquifer
After entering an aquifer, water moves slowly
toward lower lying places and eventually is
discharged from the aquifer from springs,
seeps into streams, or is withdrawn from the
How does water get into ground by wells. Groundwater
a confined aquifer? in aquifers between layers of poorly permeable
rock, such as clay or shale, may
be confined under pressure
 Confined aquifers are permeable rock units that are usually
Travel time of deeper under the ground than unconfined aquifers. They are
Groundwater in overlain by relatively impermeable rock or clay that limits
Confined Aquifer groundwater movement into, or out of, the confined aquifer.

Groundwater in a confined aquifer is under pressure and will

rise up inside a borehole drilled into the aquifer. The level to
which the water rises is called the potentiometric surface. An
artesian flow is where water flows out of the borehole under
Confined Aquifers natural pressure.

Confined aquifers may be replenished, or recharged by rain

or streamwater infilitrating the rock at some considerable
distance away from the confined aquifer. Groundwater in
these aquifers can sometimes be thousands of years old.
Travel time of General Formula
Groundwater in 𝑄 = 𝐾𝐴 (
𝐷𝐻
)
𝐷𝐿
Confined Aquifer

If there is a steady movement of

groundwater in a confined aquifer,
N = VOLUME OF VOIDS/TOTAL VOLUME
there will be a gradient or slope to the
where;
potentiometric surface of the aquifer,
the gradiant, again, will be K = HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY, LENGTH/TIME

decreassing in the direction of flow. DH/DL = HUDRAULIC GRADIENT, UNITLESS

A = CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, SQUARE METER
For flow of this type, Darcy’s Law may
Q = FLOW OF DISCHARGE
be used directly.
A confined Aquifer has a source of recharge. K for the aquifer is 50m/day, and porosity n is 0.2. The piezometric
head in two wells 1000 apart is 55m and 50 m, respectively, from common datum. The average thickness of the
aquifer is 30m, and the average width of aquifer is 5km. A piezometer is a small-diameter observation will used to
measure the piezometer head of groundwater in aquifer. Piezometer head is a measured as a water surface
elevation, expressed in unit length.
Compute (a) the rate of flow through the aquifer, k
(B) the average time of travel from the head of the aquifer to a point 4 km downstream.
Given:
• A confined aquifer has a source of
recharge.
• K for the aquifer is 50 m/day, and
porosity n is 0.2.
• The piezometric head in two wells
1000 m apart is 55 m and 50 m respectively,
from a common datum.
• The average thickness of the aquifer is
30 m, and the average width of the aquifer is
5 km = 5000m.
SOLUTION

Compute (a) the rate of flow through the
aquifer,
• Cross-Sectional area= 30(5000) = 150000 m2
• Hydraulic gradient dh/dL= 5/1000 =5𝑥10−3
• Find Rate of Flow for K = 50 m/day Q = (50
m/day) (150000 m2 ) (5𝑥10−3 ) Q = 37,500 m3
/day
• Darcy Velocity: V = Q/A
• = (37,500m3 /day) / (1.5 x 105 m2 ) =
0.25m/day –ANS.
SOLUTION
Compute (a) the rate of flow through the
aquifer, k
(B) the average time of travel from the
head of the aquifer to a point 4 km
downstream.
• Seepage Velocity:
Vs = VD /n = (0.25) / (0.2)
= 1.25 m/day (about 4.1 ft/day)
• Time to travel 4 km downstream:
T = (4000m) / (1.25m/day)
= 3200 days or 8.77 years –ANS.
“A hot-tempered person
starts fight;
a cool-tempered person
stops them.”
Proverbs 15:18