•

4.2 STEADY RADIAL FLOW TO A WELL

When a well is pumped, water is removed from the aquifer surrounding the well, and the water
table or piezometric surface, depending on the type of aquifer, is lowered. The drawdown at a
given point is the distance the water level is lowered. A drawdown curve (or cone) shows the
variation of drawdown with distance from the well (see Figure 4.2.1). In three dimensions, the
drawdown curve describes a conic shape known as the cone of depression, as shown in Figure
4.2.2. Also, the outer limit. of the cone of depression (zero drawdown) defines the area of influ·
ence of the well,

4.2.1 Confined Aquifer

To derive the radial flow equation (which relates the well discharge to drawdown) for a well
completely penetrating a confined aquifer, referring to Figure 4.2.1 will prove helpful. The
flow is assumed two-dimensional to a well centered on a circular island and penetrating a
homogeneous and isotropic aquifer. Because the flow is everywhere horizontal, the Dupuit
assumptions apply without error. Using plane polar coordinates with the well as the origin, we
obtain the well discharge Q at any distance r as

dh
Q = Av = -21trbK- (4.2.1)
. dr

Ground surface 0

~----~t~----~ Original piezometric

-"-----="-t- .....•.
=c- - - - - - - - - - - __
L !U~~c~__ :::;-~!-"i'-=-=----'''-
r-j

ho

-
.-
~l -
-
Confined
aquifer
I 1
••
~
==
-
- Figure 4.2.1. Steady
radial flow to a well
penetrating a confined
Impermeable I.•.• --ro-- ·I
...•. aquifer on an island.
 4.2 Steady Radial Flow to a Well 153

for steady radial flow to the well. Rearranging and integrating 4.2.1 for the boundary condi-
tions at the well, h = hw and r = rw' and at the edge of the island, h = ho and r = ro, yield

ho-h =~ln ro (4.2.2)

w 21tKb rw

or

(4.2.3)

with the negative sign neglected.

In the more general case of a well penetrating an extensive confined aquifer, as in Figure
4.2.2, there is no external limit for r. From the above derivation at any given value of r,

Q=21tKb h-hw (4.2.4)

In(rlrw)

which shows that h increases indefinitely with increasing r. Yet, the maximum h is the initial
uniform head ho. Thus, from a theoretical aspect, steady radial flow in an extensive aquifer
does not exist because the cone of depression must expand indefinitely with time. However,
from a practical standpoint, h approaches ho with distance from the well, and the drawdown
varies with the logarithm of the distance from the well.. .
The flow net in Figure 4.2.3 illustrates the distribution of flow in a confined aquifer for a
fully penetrating well and a 100 percent open hole. Figure 4.2.4 illustrates the flow distribution
to a discharging well in a confined aquifer. The well is a fully penetrating, 100 percent open
hole. Figure 4.2.5 illustrates the flow net for a well that penetrates 50 percent of the confined
aquifer with an open hole. The flow net in Figure 4.2.6 illustrates the distribution of flow in a
confined aquifer for a well that penetrates through the upper confining bed but not into the
artesian aquifer.
Equation 4.2.4, known as the equilibrium, or Thiem,fIJ equation. enables the hydraulic
conductivity or the transmissivity of a confined aquifer to be determined from a pumped well

Ground surface
Original piezometric surface

s,
Drawdown
curve (cone)
Observation
wells

Impermeable

-
-
-
Confined
aquifer

.C'~·.--~,.,,~,."';'.:;>'.;f-"'i"~t~".."-',~",,;~~;.,,,,"·,,.'-;.
";;;"~":'~,,".~
.. oot.;1';.': Figure 4.2.2. Radial flow to a well penetrating
Impermeable an extensive confined aquifer.
154 Chapter 4 Groundwater and Well Hydraulics

Drawdown cone (curve)

--.--0_--
---------.
'- -'
---
",/
. Upper confining bed

r ---
Artesian
aquifer
- --
_
---

---
-I+{:=::::$-+l-

-1+i:::3-+l-
---

---
---
---
---
---
I ---
L---
- - -

---

---
-1+-I::=1-+l -

-I+-I:=::::$-+l-

-1+i~+I-
- - -

---

---
---
--- Figure 4.2.3. Distribution of flow to a discharging
well in an artesian aquifer-a fully penetrating and
100 percent open hole (from the U.S. Bureau of
Lower confining bed Reclamation'S).

that fully penetrates the aquifer. Because
curve, the method consists. of measuring
distances from a well pumped at a constant
as one measurement point; however, well
inside the well introduce errors so that hw
any two points define the logarithmic drawdown
drawdowns in two observation wells at different
rate. Theoretically, hw at the pumped well can serve
losses caused by flow through the well screen and
should be avoided. The transmissivity is given by

T= Kb = Q In r2 (4.2.5)
21t(~ -hi) 1j

b = Thickness of aquifer
ho = Undisturbed artesian head
h1.h2 = Undisturbed artesian heads at 'tt,
'2 respectively when weli
is discharging
51 .52 = Drawdown at '1 and
. '2 respectively when weli
is discharging
0••= 01 = O2
A •• = 21T, ••b
Al = 21T'lb
A2 = 21T'2b
V•• =O ••IA ••
V1 = 011Al
V2=02/A2 Figure 4.2.4. Flow
distribution to a
discharging well in an
artesian aquifer-a
fully penetrating and
100 percent open hole
(from the U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation=).