A Conductivity Relationship for Steady-state Unsaturated Flow Processes under Optimal Flow Conditions

doi:10.2172/991746

GSTDTAP > 地球科学

DOI	10.2172/991746
报告编号	LBNL-3977E
来源ID	OSTI ID: 991746
	A Conductivity Relationship for Steady-state Unsaturated Flow Processes under Optimal Flow Conditions
	Liu, H. H.
	2010-09-15
出版年	2010
语种	英语
国家	美国
领域	地球科学
英文摘要	Optimality principles have been used for investigating physical processes in different areas. This work attempts to apply an optimal principle (that water flow resistance is minimized on global scale) to steady-state unsaturated flow processes. Based on the calculus of variations, we show that under optimal conditions, hydraulic conductivity for steady-state unsaturated flow is proportional to a power function of the magnitude of water flux. This relationship is consistent with an intuitive expectation that for an optimal water flow system, locations where relatively large water fluxes occur should correspond to relatively small resistance (or large conductance). Similar results were also obtained for hydraulic structures in river basins and tree leaves, as reported in other studies. Consistence of this theoretical result with observed fingering-flow behavior in unsaturated soils and an existing model is also demonstrated.
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来源平台	US Department of Energy (DOE)
引用统计
文献类型	科技报告
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/4710
专题	地球科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Liu, H. H.. A Conductivity Relationship for Steady-state Unsaturated Flow Processes under Optimal Flow Conditions,2010.