A two-dimensional finite volume method for transient simulation of time-and scale-dependent transport in heterogeneous aquifer systems

Abstract

In this paper, solute transport in heterogeneous aquifers using a modified Fokker-Plauck equation (MFPE) is investigated. This newly developed mathematical model is characterised with a time-, scale-dependent dispersivity. A two-dimensional finite volume quadrilateral mesh method (FVQMM) based on a quadrilateral background interpolation mesh is developed for analysing the model. The FVQMM transforms the coupled non-linear partial differential equations into a system of differential equations, which is solved using backward differentiation formulae of order one through five in order to advance the solution in time. Three examples are presented to demonstrate the model verification and utility. Henry's classic benchmark problem is used to show that the MFPE captures significant features of transport phenomena in heterogeneous porous media including enhanced transport of salt in the upper layer due to its parameters that represent the dependence of transport processes on scale and time. The time and scale effects are investigated. Numerical results are compared with published results on the same problems.