Introduction to FEFLOW

Volker Clausnitzer
DHI Groundwater Modelling Centre

www.dhi-wasy.de

FEFLOW More than Groundwater

FEFLOW handles groundwater flow
and related processes in one
software environment, one user
interface, and one simulation model:

Variably saturated flow

Contaminant transport
Heat transport
Density-affected flow
Chemical reactions
And more ...

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FEFLOW More than Groundwater

Primary development goal:

FEFLOW is intented to be

Easy to use and intuitive

to

quickly master everyday

groundwater projects,
but at the same time

Powerful and comprehensive

to model complex subsurface
processes.

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Complex Processes - Geometry

Finite-element discretization
Triangular or quad elements (2D)
Prisms or cuboids (3D)
3D or 2D horizontal/vertical/axisymmetric projection
1D and 2D for fracture/pipe/borehole flow

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Complex Processes - Physics

Groundwater and vadose-zone flow
Saturated flow (Darcy law)
Unconfined conditions (different approaches)
Unsaturated / variably saturated flow (Richards equation)
Fracture flow
Density- and viscosity-dependent flow

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Complex Processes - Physics

Transport
Heat transport (advection-conduction equation)
Solute transport (advection-diffusion equation)
Combined solute/heat transport
Sorption, Decay
Multispecies simulation
Kinetic reaction systems

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Ease of use

User interface for preprocessing, simulation, and postprocessing

GIS/CAD/ASCII file interfaces for import and export
2D/3D map support
Advanced computational methods
Powerful mesh generators
Automatic time-stepping scheme
Algebraic multigrid solver
Parallelization

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Visualization
2D top / cross-section views
3D views
2D / 3D map support
3D clipping and carving
Live, interactive visualization
during simulation run

Hardware acceleration via

OpenGL

3D stereoscopic
display/projector support
currently in betatesting

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FEFLOW Viewer
Free (no license required)
Works with existing FEFLOW models
Visualization and analysis
Export of figures and animations
Model and results files
Use by modeler
No license necessary for postprocessing
Share your model with colleagues even if licenses are limited

Usage by consulting clients

No need to purchase an additional license
Deliver viewable model files to customers
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Extensibility
Open programming interface
Documented API interface
User can develop plug-ins for
o Additional functionality
o Workflow automation

Application Examples

Groundwater / surface water coupling

Integration of technical installations in geothermal modeling
Import of model properties
Export of model results

Development Services
Plug-in development as a consulting service

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Fields of Application
Regional groundwater management
Mine water management
Construction and tunneling
Groundwater surface water interaction
Agriculture (irrigation, drainage, salinization, nutrient management)
Remediation / natural attenuation
Capture-zone delineation
Saltwater intrusion
Geothermal energy
Industrial porous materials

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FEFLOW Community

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FEFLOW Community

www.feflow.info/forum
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User Support
We help by
Giving advice on FEFLOW
modeling
Analyzing possible model
improvements
Explaining theoretical
background and functionality

FEFLOW Services
Team
Support
Training
Plug-in Solutions

In addition, we offer

Training courses
Solutions
Software customization
Consulting in modeling
projects
Model review

Dipl.-Ing.
Peter Schtzl

Dipl.-Ing.
Alexander Renz

www.dhi-wasy.de

Dipl.-Ing.
Julia Mayer

Dipl.-Ing.
Bastian Rau

Why FEFLOW?
Highly scalable software package
Different feature levels available
Optimal cost efficiency for every application
Upgrades possible at any time
One software for current and future projects
No need for additional software and training
Saves time and money

Commercial software

DHI guarantees consistent services

Close contact to support staff
Software performance benchmarked and documented
Quality assurance
Ongoing development

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Application Examples

1. Optimization of landscape water regime

2. Construction of an underground liquefied natural-gas storage system

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Agricultural Development Planning

Glietzener Polder, Germany

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Objectives
Concept for landscape water regime that accommodates agricultural,
environmental, and general landscape water balance goals:

Improvement of agricultural conditions

Sustainment of low-water discharge, securing of minimum discharge in
low-water periods
Improvement of groundwater and surface water quality
Flood protection
Improvement of the ecological role of water bodies

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Conflicting Objectives

Agriculture

Environment
Potential
for conflict

Landscape water
balance
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Approach
1. Calculation of groundwater and surface water levels applying a coupled
2.
3.
4.

GW-SW model for different system states

Calculation of depth to groundwater using the groundwater levels and a
DEM
Intersection of depth to groundwater with defined target levels, definition
of areas of conflict
Simulation of scenarios lowering the potential for conflict, using the target
levels as goal for future planning

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Coupled Model FEFLOW-MIKE11

FEFLOW

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Target Compliance, Initial State (March)

too dry
too wet
acceptable

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Planned Measures

Modification of target water levels for pumping stations

Adaptation of structures, change of storage levels
Installation of weirs and low weirs (ground sills)
Desludging of ditches
Closure of Altreetz pumping station
Neue Stauer
Gabow

St-07

U
%

Sohlschwelle

U
%

Wehr

U
%

Angepasste Bauwerke
#
S

St-02
241 S#%
U
Paulshof II S
#

St-12

St-09

211

U
%

U
%
#

#
S

S
301
331Bienwerder

#
S

371

#
S

St-11

#
S

St-05 %
U

844 St-03

401

U
%

U
%

Zckericker
St-08
U
%
Loose/ Oder

Paulshof I

Gabow

#
S

843

Zckericker
Loose/ Dorf

St-04

St13 S# 532
U
%

U
%

St-06
U
%

#
S

842
Zollbrcke

611

U
%

U
%

#
S

www.dhi-wasy.de

#
S

St-10

St-01
701

Nasser Polder/
Gsteb. L.

#
S

631

Predicted Change in Water Level

Mrz (Plan - Ist)
[m]
> 0.3
0.25 - 0.30
0.20 - 0.25
0.15 - 0.20
0.10 - 0.15
0.05 - 0.10
-0.10 - -0.05
-0.15 - -0.10
-0.20 - -0.15
-0.25 - -0.20
< -0.25

Neue Stauer
Gabow

St-07

U
%

Sohlschwelle

U
%

Wehr

U
%

Angepasste Bauwerke
#
S

St-02
241 #S%
U

Paulshof II #
S

St-12

U
%

St-09

211
#
S

U
%
#
S

#
S

371

331Bienwerder
301

Z
St-11

#
S

St-05

844 St-03

#
S
%
U

401

U
%

U
%

Zckericker
St-08
U
%
Loose/ Oder

Schpfwerke

ZZ

Paulshof I

Gabow

#
S

843

Zckericker
Loose/ Dorf

St-04

St13

Z
#
S

532

U
%

U
%

Entschlammungsstrecken
St-06
U
%

#
S

842
Zollbrcke

#
S

St-10

St-01

611

U
%

U
%

#
S

701

www.dhi-wasy.de

Nasser Polder/
Gst eb. L.

#
S

631

Target Compliance
SW -Gebiet
Paulshof
I Paulshof I
Area Controlled
by Pumping
Station
Ist-Zustand
Initial

Plan-Zustand
Predicted

50

Fraction
of Total Area
Flchenanteil
[%] [%]

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Jan
Jan

Feb
Feb Mrz
Mar

AApr
pr

Mai
Jun
May Jun

Jul

M onat

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A
ug
Aug

Sept
Sep

Okt
Oct

Nov
Dez
Nov Dec

2000
1500
1000
500
0
-500
-1000
-1500
-2000
-2500
-3000

SW-Ge bie te

Reduction of pumped water quantity by 8%

~1.7 million m/yr

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A
ltr
ee
tz

N
as
se
rP
ol
de
r

P
au
ls
ho
fI
I

oo
se
rL

ow
Z
ck
er
ic
ke

G
ab

nw
er
de
r
B
ie
ne

P
au
ls
ho
fI

lb
r
ck
e

-3500

Zo
l

3
/d]
[m
[m/d]

Change
from initial
pumping rate
Differenz
(berechnet
[Plan]-gemessen
[Ist])

Modification of Pumping Rates

Cavern Construction for LNG Storage

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Principle

Stainless
Steel

LNG
Cavern
-162 C

Insulation

Ice Ring

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Simulation Objectives

Represent the dewatering process over a 4-year construction period with

a complex construction schedule

Inflow/drainage for all parts of the underground structure
Impact on groundwater level in the surrounding area
Seawater intrusion potential

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Physical Processes

Density-dependent variably saturated flow

Advective-dispersive transport of dissolved constituents

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Model Domain

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Model Domain

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Spatial Discretization
Superelement mesh
253 polygons
463 lines

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Spatial Discretization
Finite-element mesh
956,125 elements
498,914 nodes

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Spatial Discretization
Finite-element mesh Cavern structures

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Spatial Discretization
Finite-element mesh Cavern structures

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Material Properties
Saturated
conductivity

Porosity

Granitic Gneiss

10-910-8 m/s

1%

Mica Schist

10-7 m/s

1%

Altered zone

12 x 10-6 m/s

5%

Insulation

10-11 m/s

1%

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Material Properties

Effective saturation vs. Pressure head

Seff = (1 + ||-n)-m
= 0.1 m-1

n = 1.964

m = 0.509

Relative conductivity vs. Effective saturation

Kr = Seff
=2
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Boundary Conditions
Groundwater recharge

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Boundary Conditions
Flow (Hydraulic head)
Dirichlet condition along coastline
No-flow (zero-value Neumann) condition elsewhere
Transport (Solute concentration)
Dirichlet (fixed-concentration) condition for
infiltrating seawater along coastline
Zero-value Neumann condition for fluid leaving
domain along coastline
Impermeability condition elsewhere
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Boundary Condtions

Internal surfaces of the structure are treated as

Seepage face
Dirichlet condition of fixed atmospheric pressure
for outwarding-pointing head gradient
No-flow (zero-value Neumann) condition otherwise

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Transient Boundary Conditions

Simulation requires successive activation of seepageface B.C.s as construction progresses.
New B.C.s must continuously be
introduced during the simulation.
Solution:
Seepage-face activation via a separate module using
the FEFLOW Open Programming Interface:
arbitrary node groups and activation intervals
arbitrary pressure
import capability from ASCII files
saves all information with the problem file

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Initial Condition

Steady-state head and solute-concentration

distributions obtained for undisturbed conditions

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Simulation Results
Pressure

00 dd

360
360 dd

720
720 dd

1080
1080 dd

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Simulation Results
Pressure

0d

360 d

720 d

1080 d

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Simulation Results
Solute concentration

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Simulation Results
Groundwater table

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