Domain Variations in Channel Seepage Flow

Abstract

A general method is presented to calculate the seepage discharge from a channel of a complex shape. The method is based on use of Hadamard’s formula for the variation of the Green’s function when the shape of the region for which the Green’s function is known has changed. The method is applied to calculate the seepage from channels of a complex shape that may be considered almost trapezoidal (or triangular). A simple geometrical construction yields the trapezoidal (or triangular) equivalent channel from which the same quantity of water is lost. Graphs of seepage discharge in dimensionless form are given for trapezoidal and triangular channels.