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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #231906

Title: Uniform head in horizontal and vertical wells

Author
item STEWARD, DAVID - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item JIN, WEI - KANSAS STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Ground Water
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004
Publication Date: 1/1/2006
Citation: Steward, D., Jin, W. 2006. Uniform head in horizontal and vertical wells. Ground Water. 44(1):86-90. [doi:10.111/j.1745-6584.2005.00174x]

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The steady-state head within a fully penetrating well may be estimated by evaluating the Thiem equation at the radius of the well. A method is presented here to extend results from the Thiem equation to horizontal wells and to partially penetrating wells. The particular model used in this investigation is based upon the analytic element method; it accurately reproduces a boundary condition of uniform head along the cylindrical surface at the perforated face of the well. This model is exercised over a representative range of parameters including the well's length, radius, and pumping rate, and the aquifer's hydraulic conductivity and thickness. Results are presented in a set of figures and tables that compare the well's drawdown to the drawdown that would have been obtained using the Thiem solution with the same pumping rate and radius. A methodology is presented to estimate the head within a horizontal or partially penetrating well by adding a correction term to results that can be readily obtained from computer models of vertical fully penetrating wells. This approach may also be used to contrast the differences in head between horizontal and vertical wells of various lengths, radii, and placement elevations.