A simple approach using Bouwer and Rice's method for slug test data analysis

Slug test data obtained from tests performed in an unconfined aquifer are commonly analyzed by graphical or numerical approaches to determine the aquifer parameters. This paper derives three fourth-degree polynomials to represent the relationship between Bouwer and Rice's coefficients and the ratio of the screen length to the radius of the gravel envelope. A numerical approach using the nonlinear least squares and Newton's method is used to determine hydraulic conductivity from the best fit of the slug test data. The method of nonlinear least squares minimizes the sum of the squares of the differences between the predicted and observed water levels inside the well. With the polynomials, the hydraulic conductivity can be obtained by simply solving the nonlinear least squares equation by Newton's method. A computer code, SLUGBR, was developed from the derived polynomials using the proposed numerical approach. The results of analyzing two slug test datasets show that SLUGBR can determine hydraulic conductivity with very good accuracy.     

Modification of the Bouwer and Rice Method to a Cutoff Wall with a Filter Cake

The Bouwer and Rice method is a line-fitting method used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of an aquifer by means of a slug test. When considering a relatively impermeable layer, called a filter cake, which may form at the interface between a cutoff wall and the natural soil formation, the assumptions of the Bouwer and Rice method are violated. A modification of the Bouwer and Rice method is proposed that incorporates the concept of a flow net, whereby the geometry of the cutoff wall and filter cake is effectively considered in estimating the hydraulic conductivity of a vertical cutoff wall.     

Improvement on the estimation of constant-rate drawdown in large-diameter wells

Abstract

Papadopulos and Cooper's (PC) solution can be used to describe the drawdown resulting from pumping with a constant rate at a large-diameter well. However, this solution is too complicated to be accurately evaluated due to the oscillatory nature of the Bessel functions. The PC approach resulted in tabulated values of dimensionless drawdown at the well with an accuracy of four or fewer digits for selected values of dimensionless storage coefficient versus dimensionless time. Some researchers have fitted the tabulated values with interpolation formulas that are easy to use in engineering applications. Those formulas may be more accurate if the tabulated values are computed with greater accuracy. In this study, we propose an efficient numerical procedure, including a root search scheme, to find the roots of the integrand, Gaussian quadrature for numerical integration, and Shanks transform to accelerate convergence of infinite series. The proposed procedure can evaluate the dimensionless drawdown with greater accuracy and is useful in practice if there is a need for high accuracy for the observation either at the well or in the aquifer at some distance from the pumping well

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Chang, Y.C., Yeh, H.D., and Wang, C.T., 2013. Improvement on the estimation of constant-rate drawdown in large-diameter wells. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 716–727.     

A tracer dilution method for fracture characterization in bedrock wells

This investigation was undertaken to develop an integrated method of downhole fracture characterization using a tracer. The method presented can be used to locate water-bearing fractures that intersect the well, to determine the ambient fracture flow rate and hydraulic head, and to calculate fracture transmissivity. The method was tested in two fractured crystalline bedrock wells located at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The method entails injecting a tracer (uranine dye) into the well, while at the same time water is pumped out of the well. After steady-state conditions are reached, a borehole tracer concentration profile is developed. The dilution of the tracer is used to locate the inflowing fractures and to determine their flow rate. The fracture flow rate, plus the drawdown in the well, is then used to determine the fracture hydraulic head, transmissivity, and ambient flow rate.     

A simple method to hide data loggers safely in observation wells

Submersible data loggers are widely used for groundwater monitoring, but their application often runs the risk of hardware and data loss through vandalism or theft. During a field study in India, the authors of this article experienced that well locks attract the attention of unauthorized persons and do not provide secure protection in unattended areas. To minimize the risk of losing data loggers, a cheap and simple solution has been invented to hide the instruments and associated attachments below the ground surface, inside observation wells. It relies on attaching the logger to a length of small-diameter pipe that is submerged at the bottom of the well, instead of attaching it to the top of the well. The small-diameter pipe with the logger is connected to a small bottle containing a magnet that floats on the water surface of the well and can be recovered using another bottle also with a magnet. A logger that is concealed in this way is difficult to detect and access without knowledge of the method and adequate removal tools. The system was tested and successfully applied for monitoring shallow observation wells at three field sites in Greater Delhi, India.     

Simultaneous evaluation of drawdown data from several observation wells by means of a modification of the Walton method

A modification of the Walton method is presented, in which drawdown data from several observation wells are fitted simultaneously to the curves of a standard graph. The use of this modified method permits a more balanced evaluation of the drawdown data to be made. It is also shown that the length of time, over which the drawdown must be measured, can be shortened appreciably when modified evaluation method is applied.     

Transient analysis of the source of water to wells: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

A transient flow modeling analysis for potential public-supply wells on western Cape Cod, Massachusetts, demonstrates the difference between transient and steady-state recharge areas can have important implications for wellhead protection. An example of a single pumping well illustrates that commonly used steady-state time-related capture areas do not represent the recharge area and travel times of water being pumped from the well until sufficient time has elapsed for steady-state flow conditions to be established. Until that time, transient recharge areas are needed to account for the portion of water discharging from the well that entered the aquifer before pumping started. An example of two pumping wells demonstrates the same area at the water table cannot supply water to more than one well under steady-state flow conditions. Transient recharge areas to multiple wells can overlap, however, until steady-state flow conditions are established. The same area can, therefore, be a source of water to more than one well during early pumping times, and the water pumped from a given well may derive from source areas, including contaminated areas, that do not lie within the well's steady-state recharge area.     

A modification of the dynamic method for determining the diffusion coefficient of aerosols

Summary The modification of the dynamic method suggested permits determining the diffusion coefficient of an aerosol from two concentration measurements (Z _v ) at the exit of a diffusion battery with different air-flows instead of measuring the concentration (Z) at the entrance and that (Z _v ) at the exit as originally employed.

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Zusammenfassung Die vorgeschlagene Modifikation der dynamischen Methode gestattet die Bestimmung des Diffusionskoeffizienten eines Aerosols aus zwei Konzentrationsmessungen (Z _v ) am Ausgange der Diffusionbatterie mit verschiedenen Luftstromgeschwindigkeiten anstatt der Messung der Konzentrationen am Eingang (Z) und Ausgang (Z _v ), wie in der ursprünglichen, Methode benützt.

     

A procedure for automated analysis of brief pumping tests of domestic wells

A new computer program has been developed to automate analysis of brief single-well pumping tests. Adapted from a procedure developed by Picking (1994) that does not require measurement of the pumping rate, this new program is menu-driven and eliminates one significant source of imprecision in Picking's original method, namely, selection of "well function of u" values by interpolation in a lookup table. This new program has been applied to tests of 25 domestic wells penetrating bedrock, each pumped for <2 min.     

A modification to the Soil Conservation Service curve number method for steep slopes in the Loess Plateau of China

The Soil Conservation Service curve number (CN) method is widely used for predicting direct runoff from rainfall. However, despite the extent of cultivation on hillslope areas, very few attempts have been made to incorporate a slope factor into the CN method. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate existing approaches integrating slope in the CN method, and (2) to develop an equation incorporating a slope factor into the CN method for application in the steep slope areas of the Loess Plateau of China. The dataset consisted of 11 years of rainfall and runoff measurements from two experimental sites with slopes ranging from 14 to 140%. The results indicated that the standard CN method underestimated large runoff events and overestimated small events. For our experimental conditions, the optimized and non‐optimized forms of the slope‐modified CN method of the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator model improved runoff prediction for steep slopes, but large runoff events were still underestimated and small ones overpredicted. Based on relationships between slope and the observed and theoretical CN values, an equation was developed that better predicted runoff depths with an R² of 0·822 and a linear regression slope of 0·807. This slope‐adjusted CN equation appears to be the most appropriate for runoff prediction in the steep areas of the Loess Plateau of China. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A nested rediscretization method to improve pathline resolution by eliminating weak sinks representing wells

This paper discusses a method for overcoming the problem of weak sinks representing wells that result from spatial discretization effects when using MODPATH, the particle-tracking postprocessor for the ground water flow model MODFLOW. Weak sink cells are model cells that represent a well that does not discharge at a sufficiently large rate to capture all of the flow entering the cell; therefore, flowpaths within these cells cannot be uniquely defined because it is impossible to know whether a given water particle discharges to the well or passes through the cell. Creating a submodel of the well cell by using the nested rediscretization method can eliminate this ambiguity by converting the weak sink cell into a strong sink cell. The method is designed to be run manually for each well and for steady-state conditions. Other advantages, disadvantages, technical considerations, and limitations of the method are presented. Software created for the method consists of five Fortran programs that are operated using a set of instructions. A practical application of the method is presented by using an example wellhead-protection problem that demonstrates that nested rediscretization can provide more accurate particle-tracking results than those obtained by using a coarsely discretized model alone.     

A modeling framework for the design of collector wells

We present results of a design study performed for the Saylorville Wellfield in Iowa, which is owned and operated by the Des Moines Water Works. The purpose of this study was to estimate wellfield capacity and provide a preliminary design for two radial collector wells to be constructed in the outwash aquifer along the Des Moines River near Saylorville, Iowa. After a field investigation to characterize the aquifer, regional two-dimensional and local three-dimensional, steady-state groundwater flow modeling was performed to locate and design the wells. This modeling was the foundation for design recommendations based on the relative performance of 12 collector well designs with varying lateral numbers, elevations, screen lengths, and orientations. For each site, alternate designs were evaluated based on model estimates of the capacity, the percent of surface water captured, and the production per unit length of screen. Many of our results are consistent with current design practices based on experience and intuition, but our methods allow for a quantitative approach for comparing alternate designs. Although the results are site-specific, the framework for evaluating the hydraulic design of the Saylorville radial collector wells is broadly applicable and could be used at other riverbank filtration sites. In addition, many of the conclusions from this design study may apply at other sites where construction of radial collector wells is being considered.     

A contribution to risk analysis for leakage through abandoned wells in geological CO2 storage

The selection and the subsequent design of a subsurface CO₂ storage system are subject to considerable uncertainty. It is therefore important to assess the potential risks for health, safety and environment. This study contributes to the development of methods for quantitative risk assessment of CO₂ leakage from subsurface reservoirs. The amounts of leaking CO₂ are estimated by evaluating the extent of CO₂ plumes after numerically simulating a large number of reservoir realizations with a radially symmetric, homogeneous model. To conduct the computationally very expensive simulations, the ‘CO₂ Community Grid’ was used, which allows the execution of many parallel simulations simultaneously. The individual realizations are set up by randomly choosing reservoir properties from statistical distributions. The statistical characteristics of these distributions have been calculated from a large reservoir database, holding data from over 1200 reservoirs. An analytical risk equation is given, allowing the calculation of average risk due to multiple leaky wells with varying distance in the surrounding of the injection well. The reservoir parameters most affecting risk are identified. Using these results, the placement of an injection well can be optimized with respect to risk and uncertainty of leakage. The risk and uncertainty assessment can be used to determine whether a site, compared to others, should be considered for further investigations or rejected for CO₂ storage.     

A replacement for the srss method in seismic analysis

It is well-known that the application of the Square-Root-of-Sum-of-Squares (SRSS) method in seismic analysis for combining modal maxima can cause significant errors. Nevertheless, this method continues to be used by the profession for significant buildings. The purpose of this note is to present an improved technique to be used in place of the SRSS method in seismic analysis. A Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) method is proposed which reduces errors in modal combination in all examples studied. The CQC method degenerates into the SRSS method for systems with well-spaced natural frequencies. Since the CQC method only involves a small increase in numerical effort, it is recommended that the new approach be used as a replacement for the SRSS method in all response spectrum calculations.     

A simple method for the collection and analysis of volcanic gas samples

Investigations into the chemistry of volcanic gases depend on the availability of complete and accurate analyses of volcanic exhalations. The wide variety of sampling and analysis methods hitherto used, often supplying only partial analyses of low precision, made intercomparison, and thus a systematic study of volcanic gases, difficult. With the method proposed here, complete volcanic gas samples are obtained permitting the accurate determination of all major species by standard analytical methods without the need for highly specialised ancillary equipment. The samples are collected in evacuated 300 ml pyrex flasks through titanium tubes deeply inserted into the gas vent. Two types of flask are used, a single compartment flask allowing the easy determination of the major constituents and containing 50 ml 4 N NaOH, and a double compartment flask for the separate analysis of the sulfur species and containing 25 ml 0.1 N As₂O₃ in 1 N HClO₄ in the first, and 50 ml 4 N NaOH in the second compartment. Non-absorbed gases are determined by gas chromatography, the rest by standard analytical procedures. The determination of H₂O, CO₂, SO₂, SO₂, S₂, H₂S, HCl, HF, H₂, N₂, O₂, CH₄, CO and NH₂ is described.     

阿尔奇公式的适用性分析及其拓展

阿尔奇年代的储层孔隙结构简单,岩石孔隙可以被实验电解质完全充填,随着油气田勘探开发的逐步深入,对储层孔隙结构复杂程度的认识更加深入.发现岩石孔隙不仅有有效孔隙,也有无效孔隙.不仅有效孔隙导电,无效孔隙也导电,某些岩石骨架同样也导电.如何去除无效孔隙和其他各类岩石附加导电现象的影响,正确评价有效孔隙的贡献往往令人困惑.笔者发现：通过岩石电阻率计算地层因数只是在没有岩石附加导电环境下的特殊应用,在更为普适的条件下,地层因数实质是借助岩石电阻变化率反映孔隙连通性的重要参数.与物理学位移、速度的关系类似,电阻率和电阻变化率之间同样有着密切关系.这一观点的提出为在复杂孔隙结构条件下评价储层孔隙有效性提供了手段.

     

A fuzzy-Markov-chain-based analysis method for reservoir operation

In this study, a fuzzy-Markov-chain-based stochastic dynamic programming (FM-SDP) method is developed for tackling uncertainties expressed as fuzzy sets and distributions with fuzzy probability (DFPs) in reservoir operation. The concept of DFPs used in Markov chain is presented as an extended form for expressing uncertainties including both stochastic and fuzzy characteristics. A fuzzy dominance index analysis approach is proposed for solving multiple fuzzy sets and DPFs in the proposed FM-SDP model. Solutions under a set of α-cut levels and fuzzy dominance indices can be generated by solving a series of deterministic submodels. The developed method is applied to a case study of a reservoir operation system. Solutions from FM-SDP provide a range of desired water-release policies under various system conditions for reservoir operation decision makers, reflecting dynamic and dual uncertain features of water availability simultaneously. The results indicate that the FM-SDP method could be applicable to practical problems for decision makers to obtain insight regarding the tradeoffs between economic and system reliability criteria. Willingness to obtain a lower benefit may guarantee meeting system-constraint demands; conversely, a desire to acquire a higher benefit could run into a higher risk of violating system constraints.