Differential Heat Flux Probe for Measurement of Groundwater Velocity

这是一个奖项，旨在为开发可用于测量地下含水层中水流速度的仪器的研究提供支持。仪器运行的基础是在加热的探头附近产生和观察到迁移的热羽。拟议的仪器将配备成通过监测从等温加热的圆柱体向周围土壤排放的热量作为探头表面位置的函数来感知地下水的运动。与目前可用的设备不同，地下水流动是绕着探头流动的，而不是通过探头。这为仪器提供了从地下水环境中分离组分的优点。因此，预计探测器将保持良好的长期稳定性(年)。随着对我们可用的地下水资源施加更大的压力，需要对地下水运动的准确知识。只有在了解地下水流动特征的情况下，才能预测地下水供应的枯竭和补给以及污染物“羽流”在地下水中的迁移。这主要需要对感兴趣地区的地下水流动速度和方向有全面的了解。该奖项是根据美国国家科学基金会-85《探索性研究小额助学金》中概述的标准颁发的。

This is an award to provide support for research on the development of an instrument that can be used to measure the velocity of water flowing in subsurface aquifers. The basis of instrument operation is the generation and observation of a migrating thermal plume in the vicinity of the heated probe. The proposed instrument will be equipped to sense the motion of groundwater by monitoring the discharge of heat from the isothermally heated cylinder to the surrounding soil as a function of location on the probe surface. Unlike presently available devices, groundwater flow is directed around rather than through the probe. This provides the instrument with the advantage of component isolation from the groundwater environment. Hence, the probe is expected to maintain excellent long term stability (years). An accurate knowledge of groundwater movement is needed as greater pressures are exerted on our available groundwater resources. The depletion and recharge of groundwater supplies as well as the migration of contaminant "plumes" through groundwater can only be predicted given a knowledge of groundwater flow characteristics. This primarily entails a complete knowledge of groundwater flow speed and direction for the zone of interest. This award was made in accord with criteria outlined in NSF 89-85, Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER).