Author(s)

C. Le Potier, E. Mouche, A. Genty, L.V. Benet & F. Plas

Abstract

Mixed Hybrid Finite Element formulation for water flow in unsaturated porous media C. Le Potier, E. Mouche, A. Genty, L. V. Benet*, F. Plas** Commissariat a VEnergie Atomique, C.E. de Saclay, *SOCOTEC-Industrie, 1 Avenue du Pare, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France **ANDRA, Pare de la croix blanche - 7/7, rue JeanMonnet, 92298 Chdtenay-Malabry, France Email: Iepotier@semt2.smts.cea.fr Abstract The Mixed Hybrid Finite Element formulation is applied to the simulation of water flow in unsaturated porous media, especially in clayey media. Two phases are taken into account: water and air. Air is compressible and soluble. The infiltration model is solved numerically using capillary and air head pressures as main variables. The use of head pressures prevents stability problems induced by gravity. The time discretization is fully implicit and the equations are solved within a sequential iterative Picard scheme. The hybridization of the formulation enables the homogeneization of non lin

Keywords