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Flow Nets: Prepared By: Eng. Hayder M. Jasem AL-Mosawey Supervisor: Dr. Mohamed Shaker

1. Flow nets can be used to model groundwater flow through porous media or seepage through dams. They involve drawing intersecting lines of constant head (equipotential lines) and flow (streamlines). 2. The equations governing flow net solutions are derived from Darcy's Law. Flow nets provide a graphical representation of the governing flow equations for uniform, isotropic conditions. 3. Examples show how to construct flow nets and use them to calculate seepage rates through dams by dividing the head loss between the number of equipotential lines. Boundary conditions, layering, and anisotropy can impact the shape of flow nets.

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167 views23 pages

Flow Nets: Prepared By: Eng. Hayder M. Jasem AL-Mosawey Supervisor: Dr. Mohamed Shaker

1. Flow nets can be used to model groundwater flow through porous media or seepage through dams. They involve drawing intersecting lines of constant head (equipotential lines) and flow (streamlines). 2. The equations governing flow net solutions are derived from Darcy's Law. Flow nets provide a graphical representation of the governing flow equations for uniform, isotropic conditions. 3. Examples show how to construct flow nets and use them to calculate seepage rates through dams by dividing the head loss between the number of equipotential lines. Boundary conditions, layering, and anisotropy can impact the shape of flow nets.

Uploaded by

khaleel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Flow Nets

Prepared By:
Eng. Hayder M. Jasem AL- Mosawey
Supervisor :
Dr. Mohamed Shaker
Flow Net Theory
1. Streamlines Y and Equip. lines are .
2. Streamlines Y are parallel to no flow
boundaries.
3. Grids are curvilinear squares, where
diagonals cross at right angles.
4. Each stream tube carries the same flow.

2
Flow Net Theory

3
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
Portion of a flow net is shown below

4
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
The equation for flow nets originates from
Darcys Law.

Flow Net solution is equivalent to solving the


governing equations of flow for a uniform
isotropic aquifer with well-defined boundary
conditions.

5
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
Flow through a channel between
equipotential lines 1 and 2 per unit
width is:
q = K(dm x 1)(h1/dl)

n
F1
m F2
Dq F3

Dq Dh1
Dh2
dm
dl

6
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
Flow through equipotential lines 2 and 3 is:

q = K(dm x 1)(h2/dl)
The flow net has square grids, so the head
drop is the same in each potential drop:
h1 = h2
If there are nd such drops, then:
h = (H/n) where H is
the total head loss between the first and last
equipotential lines.

7
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
Substitution yields:

q = K(dm /dl)(H/n)

This equation is for one flow channel. If there


are m such channels in the net, then total flow
per unit width is:

q = (m/n)K(dm/dl)H

8
Flow Net in Isotropic Soil
Since the flow net is drawn with squares, then
dm dl, and:

q = (m/n)KH [L2T-1]

where:
q = rate of flow or seepage per unit width
m= number of flow channels
n= number of equipotential drops
h = total head loss in flow system
K = hydraulic conductivity(Permeability)
9
Drawing Method:
1. Draw to a convenient scale the cross
sections of the structure, water elevations,
and aquifer profiles.

2. Establish boundary conditions and draw one


or two flow lines Y and equipotential lines F
near the boundaries.

10
Drawing Method:
3. Sketch intermediate flow lines and equipotential
lines by smooth curves adhering to right-angle
intersections and square grids. Where flow
direction is a straight line, flow lines are an equal
distance apart and parallel.

4. Continue sketching until a problem develops. Each


problem will indicate changes to be made in the
entire net. Successive trials will result in a
reasonably consistent flow net.

11
Method:
5. In most cases, 5 to 10 flow lines are usually
sufficient. Depending on the no. of flow lines
selected, the number of equipotential lines
will automatically be fixed by geometry and
grid layout.

6. Equivalent to solving the governing


equations of GW flow in 2-dimensions.

12
Seepage Under Dams
Flow nets for
seepage through
earthen dams
Seepage under
concrete dams
Uses boundary
conditions (L & R)
Requires curvilinear
square grids for
solution
13
Two Layer Flow System with
Sand Below

14
Ku / Kl = 1 / 50
Two Layer Flow System with
Tight Silt Below

Flow nets for seepage from one side of a channel through two different
anisotropic two-layer systems. (a) Ku / Kl = 1/50. (b) Ku / Kl = 50.. Source: Todd & 15
Bear, 1961
Effects of Boundary Condition
on Shape of Flow Nets

16
Radial Flow:

Contour map of the piezometric surface near Savannah, Georgia,


1957, showing closed contours resulting from heavy local 17
groundwater pumping (after USGS Water-Supply Paper 1611).
Flow Net in a Corner:

Streamlines Y
are at right
angles to
equipotential
F lines

18
Flow Nets: an example
A dam is constructed on a permeable stratum
underlain by an impermeable rock. A row of
sheet pile is installed at the upstream face. If
the permeable soil has a hydraulic
conductivity of 150 ft/day, determine the rate
of flow or seepage under the dam.

19
Flow Nets: an example
Posit ion: A B C D E F G H I J
Dist ance 0 3 22 3 7 .5 50 6 2 .5 75 86 94 100
f ro m
f ront t oe
( f t)
n 1 6 .5 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. 2

The flow net is drawn with: m = 5 n = 17

20
Flow Nets: the solution
Solve for the flow per unit width:

q = (m/n) K h

= (5/17)(150)(35)

= 1544 ft3/day per ft

21
Flow Nets: An Example
There is an earthen dam 13 meters across
and 7.5 meters high.The Impounded water is
6.2 meters deep, while the tail water is 2.2
meters deep. The dam is 72 meters long. If
the hydraulic conductivity is 6.1 x 10-4
centimeter per second, what is the seepage
through the dam if n = 21

K = 6.1 x 104cm/sec = 0.527 m/day

22
Flow Nets: the solution
From the flow net, the total head loss, H, is
6.2 -2.2 = 4.0 meters.
There are 6 flow channels (m) and 21 head
drops along each flow path (n): Q=
(KmH/n) x dam length =
(0.527 m/day x 6 x 4m / 21) x
(dam length) =
0.60 m3/day per m of dam

= 43.4 m3/day for the entire 72-meter


length of the dam
23

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