Simulation numérique d’écoulements en milieu poreux avec l’équation de Richards
Keywords:
porous media, unsaturated flow, Richards’ equation, finite element, seepage faceAbstract
The theory of saturated and unsaturated flow in porous media is based on Richards’ equation, a highly non-linear partial differential equation. Richards’ equation can be solved using a Picard iterative method modified to be mass conservative. A numerical resolution by the finite element method allows Richards’ equation to be solved in complex geological domains. The boundary conditions in nature are not always replicable using only the mathematical boundary conditions defined for Richards’ equation, for instance when simulating infiltration or seepage. An iterative technique developed to deal with this type of boundary condition is introduced and validated with measures from a physical model.
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