Representing pump-capacity relations in groundwater simulation models

Ground Water
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Abstract

The yield (or discharge) of constant-speed pumps varies with the total dynamic head (or lift) against which the pump is discharging. The variation in yield over the operating range of the pump may be substantial. In groundwater simulations that are used for management evaluations or other purposes, where predictive accuracy depends on the reliability of future discharge estimates, model reliability may be enhanced by including the effects of head-capacity (or pump-capacity) relations on the discharge from the well. A relatively simple algorithm has been incorporated into the widely used MODFLOW groundwater flow model that allows a model user to specify head-capacity curves. The algorithm causes the model to automatically adjust the pumping rate each time step to account for the effect of drawdown in the cell and changing lift, and will shut the pump off if lift exceeds a critical value. The algorithm is available as part of a new multinode well package (MNW2) for MODFLOW.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Representing pump-capacity relations in groundwater simulation models
Series title Ground Water
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00619.x
Volume 48
Issue 1
Year Published 2010
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) National Research Program - Eastern Branch, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 5 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Ground Water
First page 106
Last page 110
Country United States
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