Numerical model for saturated--unsaturated flow in deformable porous media. I. Theory

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977 · Water Resour. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/WR013i003p00657· OSTI ID:6029253

Narashimhan, T N; Witherspoon, P A

A theory is presented for numerically simulating the movement of water in variably saturated deformable porous media. The theoretical model considers a general three-dimensional field of flow in conjunction with a one-dimensional vertical deformation field. The governing equation expresses the conservation of fluid mass in an elemental volume that has a constant volume of solids. Deformation of the porous medium may be nonelastic. Permeability and the compressibility coefficients may be nonlinearly related to effective stress. Relationships between permeability and saturation with pore water pressure in the unsaturated zone may be characterized by hysteresis. The relation between pore pressure change and effective stress change may be a function of saturation. In the transition zone where pore water pressure is less than atmospheric but greater than air entry value, soil moisture diffusivity as used in soil physics and coefficient of consolidation as used in soil mechanics are shown to be conceptually equivalent. It is believed that this model will be of practical interest in studying saturated--unsaturated systems undergoing simultaneous desaturation and deformation.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Berkeley
• OSTI ID: 6029253
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Res.; (United States), Vol. 13:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GROUND WATER
FLUID FLOW
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COMPRESSIBILITY
HYDROLOGY
HYSTERESIS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROSTRUCTURE
PERMEABILITY
POROSITY
POROUS MATERIALS
SATURATION
SOILS
SOLIDS
STRESSES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VOLUME
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
WATER
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)
152000 - Geothermal Data & Theory
150200 - Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems