notes and Excel spreadsheet link

Here is the link to the excel spreadsheet:

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?page=view&resid=F8BD0C19DC8D099F!720&authkey=!ALi0lJ-I93ewPhY


The glass wool filter worked well, however, due to ease of use, safety, and cost efficiency, there was a switch to 100% cotton filters. They are uniform in size and shape having a diameter of 5.8 cm.

There seemed to be even less resistance with the cotton, as the flow rate increased, albeit not to a huge extent. This then required a change in the testing time, decreasing from 20 seconds to 15 seconds and finally down to 10 seconds in order to ensure the precision of the readings by allowing use of the smallest graduated cylinder, the most precise measuring tool available.

The clay appeared to be sufficiently permeable and will be incorporated into the sand after 3 days of readings using 100% sand. The clay will be weighed and height approximated to attempt in decreasing the sand height by 5% initially or 0.0177 m. The new sand height will then be 0.336 m which is easily determinable.

If the amount of mixture between the clay and sand is significant, and excessive sand is unusable after the initial clay sand mix test, a cotton filter will be placed between the sediment layers to avoid unnecessary waste.

Clay/sand layering will commence on Mon 23 Mar for initial testing of layered sediment.

Permeameter (fully functional)

Basic Procedure

• Water reservoir will be filled prior to starting the pump.
• After a 1-2 minute waiting period, the remaining visible air bubbles will be removed from the tubing connections 
• An additional running time of 1-2 minutes will ensue before taking readings.
• Using a 600 mL beaker, the runoff from the head low water will be collected for 20 seconds.
• The sample will then be transferred to a 25 mL graduated cylinder and the volume will be recorded. 
• This process will be repeated 10 times per trial.
• After a designated waiting period of (??) hours, another ten readings will be taken in the same manner. This will help determine if sand settlement causes fluctuation.
• The process will be repeated in its entirety for each sediment variation using identical parameters.

Methods and Materials Outline

[Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity]

Methods and Materials
            - variables
                  -- sediment type, amount, location (what layer)
            - manipulation
            - timetable


Sediment

• Natural 
•   Collection points
•  River, Creek, Lake
• Lab samples
• Sand
• Grain size
• Clay
• Makeup/components (if known)
• Amount 
• Varying
• Proportions
• Fixed
• Position 
• Varying
• Layered
• Mixed
• Fixed

Testing - Permeameter

• construction
• process
• pictures
• materials
• purpose for choices
• relative cost analysis
• function
• materials breakdown
• overall 

Analysis Methods

• Darcy's Law
• equation
• purpose

Hydraulic Conductivity: Permeameter

This is a design from the MIT course, thought it was interesting that they don't have a constant water source.



Currently I am working on the Introduction/Background for the lab report/presentation.
The powerpoint is also underway.

 --will post as sections are organized and cohesive

Groundwater Books

Freeze, R. A. & Cherry, J. A. (1979). Groundwater. Prentice-Hall: New Jersey.     (978-0133653120) 
(still on the hunt, only found for purchase thus far)

http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/2220/report.pdf
(this was a free download published by the Dept of the Interior and US Geologic Survey) 

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/civil-and-environmental-engineering/1-72-groundwater-hydrology-fall-2005/index.htm
 (- this is the same information/materials as the MIT online course on Groundwater Hydrolog in Fall 2005 available from their Open CourseWare program)
 - could be promising, I plan to go through the materials and narrow down which aspects are most pertinent to this study

Here is an outline of the syllabus.

Outline

1. Background
   • Hydrologic Cycle
   • Water Budgets
2. Groundwater
   • Darcy's Law and Hydraulic Potential
   • The Steady-state Groundwater Flow Equation
   • Streamlines and Flow Nets
   • Regional Flow and Geologic Controls on Flow
   • Transient Flow, Aquifer Storage and Compressibility
   • Unconfined Flow
   • Groundwater Interaction with Streams and Lakes
   • Numerical Methods
   • Flow in Fractured Rock
3. Well Hydraulics
   • Thiem and Theis Equations
   • Pump Tests and Slug Tests
4. Contaminant Transport
   • Advection and Dispersion
   • Sorption and Diffusive Mass Transfer
   • Aquifer Remediation
5. Vadose Zone Hydrology
   • Unsaturated Flow, Retention Curves and Richard's Equation
   • Infiltration and Evapotranspiration
6. Couples Flow and Transport
   • Density Driven Flow, Freshwater/Saltwater Interaction
   • Heat Transport and Groundwater Flow
7. The Role of Groundwater in Large-scale Water and Chemical Budgets

Started the construction process, still investigating filter options but proposed ideas include: coffee filter, florist foam, sponge/sponge-like foam.  A rough sketch is shown below:

The PVC connectors already procured may work, but will be gathering additional ones that are closer to the appropriate size as some were too large. 

Clay is a potential obstacle, however, we can make our own following some instructions found online. I will do more research and post links later, as time may be a factor with the process.