Dougherty-Babu Slug Test Solution for Confined Aquifers

Description

Well-aquifer cnofiguration for Dougherty and Babu (1984) slug test solution

A mathematical solution by Dougherty and Babu (1984) is useful for determining the hydraulic properties (transmissivity, storage coefficient and hydraulic conductivity anisotropy ratio) of nonleaky confined aquifers. Analysis involves matching a type curve solution to water-level displacement data collected during an overdamped slug test. The solution also includes wellbore skin.

AQTESOLV provides visual and automatic methods for matching the Dougherty and Babu solution to slug test data. This easy-to-use and intuitive software promotes rapid and accurate determination of aquifer properties.

Assumptions

The following assumptions apply to the use of the Dougherty and Babu solution:

  • aquifer has infinite areal extent
  • aquifer is homogeneous and of uniform thickness
  • aquifer potentiometric surface is initially horizontal
  • wells are fully or partially penetrating
  • a volume of water, V, is injected or discharged instantaneously from the control well
  • flow to control well is horizontal
  • aquifer is nonleaky confined
  • flow is unsteady
  • water is released instantaneously from storage with decline of hydraulic head

Solution Options

provides the following options for the Dougherty and Babu solution:

  • partially penetrating wells
  • hydraulic conductivity anisotropy
  • wellbore skin effect
  • observation wells

Benchmark

AQTESOLV benchmark for Dougherty and Babu (1984) type-curve solution using data from an overdamped slug test in a confined aquifer with no wellbore skin. Symbols calculated with a computer program by Liu and Butler (1995) available from KGS.

References

Dougherty, D.E and D.K. Babu, 1984. Flow to a partially penetrating well in a double-porosity reservoir, Water Resources Research, vol. 20, no. 8, pp. 1116-1122.

See also: solution methods, slug tests

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