Finite Element Techniques In Groundwater Flow Studies

The finite element method (FEM) is one of those modern numerical methods whose rise and development was incited by the rapid development of computers. This method has found applications in all the technical disciplines as well as in the natural sciences.One of the most effective applications of the finite element method is its use for the solution of groundwater flow problems encountered in the design and maintenance of hydraulic structures and tailing dams, in soil mechanics, hydrology, hydrogeology and engineering geology.The stimuli to write this book came from the results obtained in the solution of practical problems connected both with the construction and maintenance of fill-type dams and tailing dams and the utilization of groundwater in Czechoslovakia, and on the other hand from the experience gained in teaching hydraulic structures theory at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Prague. All the experience so far obtained shows markedly the advantages of the finite element method and the great possibilities of its further development as well as its considerable demands on the algorithmization, programming and use of computer possibilities. The reader will find an explanation of the fundamentals of the finite element method directed mainly toward isoparametric elements having an exceptional adaptability and numerical reliability. The finite element method application to groundwater flow concerns mainly two-dimensional problems, which occur most frequently in practice. Considerable attention is given to non-linear and non-stationary problems, which are most important in application.A computer program (based on the eight-noded isoparametric elements) is included and fully documented.The book will be useful to civil engineers, hydrogeologists and engineering geologists who need the finite element method as a solution tool for the complex problems encountered in engineering practice.

The dramatic advances in the efficiency of digital computers during the past decade have provided hydrologists with a powerful tool for numerical modeling of groundwater systems. Introduction to Groundwater Modeling presents a broad, comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and applications of computerized groundwater modeling. The book covers both finite difference and finite element methods and includes practical sample programs that demonstrate theoretical points described in the text. Each chapter is followed by problems, notes, and references to additional information. This volume will be indispensable to students in introductory groundwater modeling courses as well as to groundwater professionals wishing to gain a complete introduction to this vital subject. Key Features * Systematic exposition of the basic ideas and results of Hilbert space theory and functional analysis * Great variety of applications that are not available in comparable books * Different approach to the Lebesgue integral, which makes the theory easier, more intuitive, and more accessible to undergraduate students

This book is the edited proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Finite Elements in Water Resources, held at the University of Vermont, USA in June 1984. This Conference cont inues the successful series started at Princeton University in 1976, followed by the Conference in Imperial College, London, UK in 1978, the third Conference at the University of Mississippi, USA in 1980 and the fourth at the University of Hannover, Germany in 1982. The objective of this Conference is to provide engineers and scientists interested in water resources with the state-of-t- art on finite element modelling. The Proceedings review the basic theory and applications of the technique in groundwater and seepage, transport phenomena, viscous flow, river, lake and ocean modelling. The fundamentals of the numerical techniques employed in finite elements are also discussed. Many applications illus trate the versatility and generality of the Finite Element Method for the simulation of a wide range of problems in water resources. More recent schemes, in particular, boundary elements, are also presented, together with a series of advanced numerical techniques. The Conference has become an internationally accepted forum for the presentation of new developments of finite elements in water resources techniques. Because of this, a large number of abstracts were submitted to the Organizing Committee and it is our only reg ret that it was impossible to accept all these contributions. The overwhelming response to our Call for Papers has ensured the high quality of these proceedings.

Finite Element Simulation in Surface and Subsurface Hydrology provides an introduction to the finite element method and how the method is applied to problems in surface and subsurface hydrology. The book presents the basic concepts of the numerical methods and the finite element approach; applications to problems on groundwater flow and mass and energy transport; and applications to problems that involve surface water dynamics. Computational methods for the solution of differential equations; classification of partial differential equations; finite difference and weighted residual integral techniques; and The Galerkin finite element method are discussed as well. The text will be of value to engineers, hydrologists, and students in the field of engineering.

In this book the application of the boundary element method to the solution of the Laplace equation is examined. This equation is of fundamental importance in engineering and science as it describes different types of phenomena, inclu- ding the groundwater flow applications highlighted in this book. Special subjects such as numerical integration, subdi- visionof the domain into regions and other computational aspects are discussed in detail in the first chapters. To demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the boundary ele- ment method, results obtained when solving the Laplace equa- tion have been compared against known analytical solutions. Other chapters deal with problems such as steady and unstea- dy flow in addition to infiltration problems. The applica- tions demonstrate that the boundary element method provides a powerful solution technique which can be effectively ap- plied to solve this type of problem.

Computational Methods in Subsurface Flow explores the application of all of the commonly encountered computational methods to subsurface problems. Among the problems considered in this book are groundwater flow and contaminant transport; moisture movement in variably saturated soils; land subsidence and similar flow and deformation processes in soil and rock mechanics; and oil and geothermal reservoir engineering. This book is organized into 10 chapters and begins with an introduction to partial differential and various solution approaches used in subsurface flow. The discussion then shifts to the fundamental theory of the finite element method, with emphasis on the Galerkin finite element method and how it can be used to solve a wide range of subsurface problems. The subjects treated range from simple problems of saturated groundwater flow to more complex ones of moisture movement and multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs. The chapters that follow focus on fluid flow and mechanical deformation of conventional and fractured porous media; point and subdomain collocation techniques and the boundary element technique; and the applications of finite difference techniques to single- and multiphase flow and solute transport. The final chapter is devoted to other alternative numerical methods that are based on combinations of the standard finite difference approach and classical mathematics. This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students in geoscience and engineering, as well as for professional groundwater hydrologists, engineers, and research scientists who want to solve or model subsurface problems using numerical techniques.

These proceedings contain the papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Finite Elements in Water Resources, held in June, 1982, at the University of Hannover, Federal Re public of Germany. This Conference continued the successful series of previous conferences held at Princeton University in 1976, at Imperial College in 1978, and at the University of Mississippi in 1980. Since Finite Elements have proved to be a powerful means for analysing water resource problems, the principal objective of the Conference was to provide an exchange of experiences in practical applications of the finite element method and to establish a forum for discussion regarding accuracy, economy, limitations and improvements. Related discretization methods were included within the scope of the Conference. New develop ments in numerical and computational techniques, basic mathe matical formulations, and soft- and hardware aspects were considered to be equally important topics for an exchange of ideas between both theoretically and practically oriented re searchers. The Conference Organizing Committee is very grateful to the many distinguished scientists who attended the Conference, and for their contributions towards the proceedings. This collection of papers in being made available to a wider audience of en gineers and scientists by CML Publications in Southampton, U.K.