Hydraulic Conductivity

Groundwater Hydraulics

Daene C. McKinney

Summary
Hydraulic Conductivity
Permeability
Kozeny-Carman Equation
Constant Head Permeameter
Falling Head Permeameter
Heterogeneity and Anisotropy
Layered Porous Media
Flow Nets
Refraction of Streamlines
Generalized Darcys Law




Hydraulic Conductivity
A combined property of the medium and the fluid
Ease with which fluid moves through the medium



k = intrinsic permeability
= density
= dynamic viscosity
g = gravitational constant

g
k K =
Porous medium property
Fluid properties
Hydraulic Conductivity
Specific discharge (q) per unit hydraulic gradient
Ease with which fluid it transorted through porous medium
Depends on both matrix and fluid properties
Fluid properties:
Density , and
Viscosity
Matrix properties
Pore size distribution
Pore shape
Tortuosity
Specific surface area
Porosity
K
A
Q
q = =
flow Vertical

g
k K =
k = intrinsic permeability [L
2
]
Estimating Conductivity
Kozeny Carman Equation
A combined property of the medium and the fluid
Ease with which fluid moves through the medium



k = intrinsic permeability
= density
g = gravitational constant
= dynamic viscosity
d = mean particle size
| = porosity

g
k K =
2
2
3
2
) 1 ( 180
d cd k
|
|
.
|

\
|

= =
|
|
Kozeny Carman eq.
Lab Measurement of Conductivity
Permeameters
Darcys Law is useless unless we can measure the
parameters
Set up a flow pattern such that
We can derive a solution
We can produce the flow pattern experimentally
Hydraulic Conductivity is measured in the lab with a
permeameter
Steady or unsteady 1-D flow
Small cylindrical sample of medium
Lab Measurement of Conductivity
Constant Head Permeameter
Flow is steady
Sample: Right circular cylinder
Length, L
Area, A
Constant head difference (h) is
applied across the sample
producing a flow rate Q
Darcys Law

Continuous
Flow
Outflow
Q
Overflow
A

Q KA
b
L
Lab Measurement of Conductivity
Falling Head Permeameter
Flow rate in the tube must equal that in the column
Outflow
Q

Q
column
r
column
2
K
h
L

Q
tube
r
tube
2
dh
dt

r
tube
r
column






2
L
K






dh
h
dt
Heterogeneity and Anisotropy
Homogeneous aquifer
Properties are the same at
every point
Heterogeneous aquifer
Properties are different at
every point
Isotropic aquifer
Properties are same in every
direction
Anisotropic aquifer
Properties are different in
different directions
Often results from stratification
during sedimentation
vertical horizontal
K K >
www.usgs.gov
Layered Porous Media
(Flow Parallel to Layers)

Q Q
i
i1
3

( b
i
K
i
h
x
)
i1
3

h
2
h
1
W
(b
i
K
i
)
i1
3

b
i
K
i
i1
3
bK

K
Parallel

1
b
b
i
K
i
( )
i1
3

3
K
2
K
1
K
W
b
Q
1
b
2
b
3
b
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q

Q
h
2
h
1
W
bK
Layered Porous Media
(Flow Perpendicular to Layers)

b
K

b
i
K
i






i1
3

K
Perpendicular

b
b
i
K
i






i1
3

Q
3
K
2
K
1
K
W
b
1
b
2
b
3
b
1
h A
2
h A
3
h A
Q
Units
Hydraulic Conductivity
K [L/T]
m/s
gal/(day-ft
2
)

Permeability
k [L
2
]
m
2
ft
2

darcy

1
gal
day ft
2
4.72x10
7
m
s
Boundary Conditions
Specified Head Boundary



Specified Flow Boundary



No-flow boundary

h
boundary
h(t)

q
n
boundary
q(t)

q
n
boundary
0
Constant Head BC
Specified flow BC
No Flow BC
reservoir
dam
Constant Head BC
Simple Flow Net Analysis
Flow Line a line such that the
velocity vector is tangent to it

Flow net the set of Flow lines
and Equipotentials intersect at
right angles

Flow lines terminate on
Equipotentials (delineates
boundaries of flow domain)

Discharge of any Flowtube (area
between two Flow lines) per unit
width is
q K dm
( )
dh
ds

Simple Flow Net Analysis

q K dm
( )
dh
ds

ds dm
q Kdh
dh
h
n
q K
h
n
Q mq Kh
m
n

n = number of head drops

m = number of flow tubes
Flow Net Under a Dam
Flow happens
Head above dam > head below dam
Bottom of reservoir
Equipotential
Flow is down
Impervious boundary,
Streamline
No-flow
Base of dam
Streamline
No flow
Water surface below dam
Equipotential
Constant head


Flowline Equipotential
reservoir
dam
Groundwater Flow Direction
Water level
measurements from
three wells can be used
to determine
groundwater flow
direction
Contour Map of Groundwater Levels
Contours of
groundwater level
(equipotential lines)
and Flowlines
(perpendicular to
equipotiential lines)
indicate areas of
recharge and discharge
Refraction of Streamlines
Vertical component of
velocity must be the same
on both sides of interface



Head continuity along
interface


So
2
K
1
K
Upper Formation
1 2
K K >>
y
x
1
u
2
u
2
q
1
q
Lower Formation

q
y
1
q
y
2
q
1
cos
1
q
2
sin
2

h
1
h
2
@ y 0

K
1
K
2

tan
1
tan
2
Darcys Law
Darcys Law
1-D expression
When flow is not 1-D, q
is a vector with 3
components
L
h
K q
A
=
h KV = q
(
(
(

=
z
y
x
q
q
q
q
1-D expression
vector with 3
components
3-D expression

q
x
q
y
q
z











K
xx
K
xy
K
xz
K
yx
K
yy
K
yz
K
zx
K
zy
K
zz










h
x
h
y
h
z
















Darcys Law
Often we can align the
coordinate axes in the
principale directions of
layering
Horizontal conductivity
often order of
magnitude larger than
vertical conductivity

q
x
K
xx
h
x
q
y
K
yy
h
y
q
z
K
zz
h
z

K
xx
K
yy
>> K
zz

q
x
q
y
q
z











K
xx
0 0
0 K
yy
0
0 0 K
zz










h
x
h
y
h
z
















Summary
Hydraulic Conductivity
Permeability
Kozeny-Carman Equation
Constant Head Permeameter
Falling Head Permeameter
Heterogeneity and Anisotropy
Layered Porous Media
Flow Nets
Refraction of Streamlines
Generalized Darcys Law