Abstract
This paper aims to develop an accurate and efficient numerical model for three-dimensional transient thermal groundwater flow problems. The modified Richards equation and heat transport equation are considered to govern the thermal groundwater flows. For modeling water flows in the subsurface saturated-unsaturated porous media, we combined the method of characteristics (MOC) and a meshless localized radial basis function collocation method (LRBFCM). In order to implement the MOC scheme, the modified Richards equation is reformulated to an advection form and then computed by the particle tracking technique via MOC. We will then solve the heat equation and remaining terms of the temporal Richards equation by the LRBFCM. Seven benchmark subsurface flow problems with and without temperature effects are simulated and discussed to verify the feasibility and efficiency of this novel three-dimensional (3D) numerical model.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This project was financially supported by the Ministry of Sciences and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan under the Grant No. MOST 108-2221-E-002-007-MY2 and 107-2221-E-002-023-MY2, it is greatly appreciated.
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History
Received: Aug 6, 2021
Accepted: Jul 18, 2022
Published online: Sep 21, 2022
Published in print: Dec 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Feb 21, 2023
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