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A three‐dimensional boundary element method for steady unsaturated quasi‐linear flow in porous media
Author(s) -
Subia S. R.,
Ingber M. S.,
Martinez M. J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/94wr00753
Subject(s) - porous medium , richards equation , boundary element method , nonlinear system , infiltration (hvac) , vadose zone , groundwater , mathematical analysis , mathematics , porosity , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , finite element method , geology , physics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics , water content
A three‐dimension boundary element method is developed to study unsaturated groundwater flows in heterogeneous porous media. The method is based on the Kirchhoff transformation of variables which transforms the nonlinear Richards equation into the Fokker‐Planck equation. Several benchmark problems are considered involving cavity infiltration and exclusion to demonstrate the reliability of the boundary element formulation. As an example application problem, the effective conductivity of a porous medium containing randomly positioned impermeable spherical inclusions is considered.