37139 - "Groundwater Engineering T"

Learning outcomes

To provide basic knowledge on the laws governing the motion of water in confined and unconfined underground aquifers. Problems related to soil and water pollution. Laws governing the transport of water-soluble pollutants. Well tests for the measurement of soil parameters. Techniques of construction and management of water wells. Numerical techniques for simulating the behavior of aquifers.

Course contents

Prerequisites
The student who accesses this course is required to know and be able to adequately use the basic mathematical notions of differential calculus. All lectures will be held in Italian. It is therefore necessary to understand the Italian language to successfully follow the course and to be able to use the didactic material provided.

Program
The course is conceptually divided into 2 parts, one of about 45 hours and the other of 15 hours.  The first lays the theoretical foundations while the second applies them through laboratory experiences. But due to pandemic problems, this hourly subdivision can change.

Part 1
Elements of hydrogeology: types of groundwater, types of soils, water in the soil, granulometry of soils, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, wettability, retention curves. Laws of fluid motion in porous media: mass conservation theorem, Darcy's law, two-dimensional (2D) model of confined and phreatic aquifer, model of well in confined and phreatic aquifer. Theis solution of the diffusivity equation for a confined aquifer well. Cooper-Jacob solution for confined and water table wells. Principle of superposition of effects. Solution of the diffusivity equation per well at a predetermined lowering. Parallel flow: confined aquifer with constant thickness in stationary regime, semi-confined aquifer with constant thickness in stationary regime, confined aquifer with variable thickness in stationary regime, semi-Artesian aquifer in steady state, groundwater in transient regime, groundwater in steady state, groundwater with two superimposed layers with different hydraulic conductivity, groundwater with horizontal variation of the hydraulic conductivity, groundwater in stationary regime, groundwater with vertical feeding in stationary regime. Identification of the storage parameters S and transmissivity T of the aquifers by production tests in wells in confined and in groundwater in steady state and in transient regime: methods of Thiem, Theis. Outline of the methods of Chow, Jacob, Jacob-Lohamm, Hantus-Jacob, Stalman-Bower, Neuman. Methods for drilling water wells, completing wells, filters and drains, closing the hole-column cavity, putting into production, well tests, specific capacity and efficiency of a well. Motion in the partially saturated zone of the subsoil: equations for flow model of two non-miscible phases (air, water), retention and relative permeability curves, generalized Darcy's law for polyphase motion, equations for unsaturated flow model when we consider the immobile air phase, Richards equation in 1D. Simplified Green-Ampt model to calculate water infiltration in partially saturated soil. Transport of water-soluble pollutants: transport equation, analytical solutions of the transport equation in 1D and 2D, sources of pollution, types of pollution, preventive measures, emergency measures and methods of investigation, containment and remediation interventions, control of the effectiveness of land reclamation interventions. Introduction to the methodology of studying aquifers by means of numerical simulation.

Part 2
Part 2 of the course includes practical laboratory activities, to be carried out in groups. The following measurements will be performed:
• Absolute permeability to water, at constant load and variable load, on consolidated and non-consolidated samples;
• Absolute gas permeability;
• Evaluation of the granulometric distribution of a sand;
• Density of consolidated samples: bulk density, solid density and as is;
• Porosity of consolidated samples;
• Viscosity and density of drilling muds.
In addition, the basic concepts of error theory for the correct analysis of the measured data will be taught.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes provided by the teacher

Teaching methods

Part 1: the lessons will be traditional with demonstrations carried out on the blackboard and with exercises on the topics covered during the lessons.

Part 2: laboratory experiences are foreseen for which the student is required to create a report that will be the subject of discussion during the exam.

Assessment methods

The method of verifying learning will be implemented through an oral interview to evaluate the critical and methodological skills matured by the student, who will be invited to deal with the issues addressed during the course. Particularly evaluated will be the student's ability to know how to move also within the sources and bibliographic material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information that allows him to illustrate the aspects of the engineering of hydrocarbon fields. The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics dealt with in lecture combined with their critical use, the demonstration of the possession of an expressive mastery and specific language will be evaluated with marks of excellence. The mostly mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, the ability of synthesis and analysis not articulated and / or a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to discrete evaluations; training gaps and / or inappropriate language - albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material - will lead to grades that will not exceed sufficiency. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials offered during the course can only be evaluated negatively.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, Projector, Personal Computer, Laboratory equipment.

Office hours

See the website of Villiam Bortolotti