Research papersA novel method for analytically solving a radial advection-dispersion equation

- Exact analytical solution for radial solute transport.
- Laplace and generalized integral transforms are used.
- Excellent agreement between exact and semi-analytical solutions.
- Method can be applied to create more analytical models.

An analytical solution for solute transport in a radial flow field has a variety of practical applications in the study of the transport in push-pull/divergent/convergent flow tracer tests, aquifer remediation by pumping and aquifer storage and recovery. However, an analytical solution for radial advective-dispersive transport has been proven very difficult to develop and relatively few in subsurface hydrology have made efforts to do so, because variable coefficients in the governing partial differential equations. Most of the solutions for radial advective-dispersive transport presented in the literature have generally been solved semi-analytically with the final concentration values being obtained with the help of a numerical Laplace inversion. This study presents a novel solution strategy for analytically solving the radial advective-dispersive transport problem. A Laplace transform with respect to the time variable and a generalized integral transform technique with respect to the spatial variable are first performed to convert the transient governing partial differential equations into an algebraic equation. Subsequently, the algebraic equation is solved using simple algebraic manipulations, easily yielding the solution in the transformed domain. The solution in the original domain is ultimately obtained by successive applications of the Laplace and corresponding generalized integral transform inversions. A convergent flow tracer test is used to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method for deriving an exact analytical solution to the radial advective-dispersive transport problem. The developed analytical solution is verified against a semi-analytical solution taken from the literature. The results show perfect agreement between our exact analytical solution and the semi-analytical solution. The solution method presented in this study can be applied to create more comprehensive analytical models for a great variety of radial advective-dispersive transport problems.