8.3.6. Domain definition helpers

8.3.6.1. Introduction

One of ParFlow’s strengths is its customizability; you can practically define any type of hydrologic problem with it. One of the downsides of that, however, is that setting all the keys can be cumbersome, especially when starting a run from scratch. With the new DomainBuilder, Python-PFTools helps condense the setting of keys for many common problem definitions.

8.3.6.2. Usage of `DomainBuilder`

First, we’ll show some usage examples of loading tables of parameters within a ParFlow Python script:

from parflow import Run
from parflow.tools.builders import DomainBuilder

LW_Test = Run("LW_Test", __file__)

# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

bounds = [
    0.0, 41000.0,
    0.0, 41000.0,
    0.0, 100.0
]

domain_patches = 'x_lower x_upper y_lower y_upper z_lower z_upper'
zero_flux_patches = 'x_lower x_upper y_lower y_upper z_lower'

DomainBuilder(LW_Test) \
    .no_wells() \
    .no_contaminants() \
    .water('domain') \
    .variably_saturated() \
    .box_domain('box_input', 'domain', bounds, domain_patches) \
    .homogeneous_subsurface('domain', specific_storage=1.0e-5, isotropic=True) \
    .zero_flux(zero_flux_patches, 'constant', 'alltime') \
    .slopes_mannings('domain', slope_x='LW.slopex.pfb', slope_y='LW.slopey.pfb', mannings=5.52e-6) \
    .ic_pressure('domain', patch='z_upper', pressure='press.init.pfb')

In this example, the 10 lines associated with the instantiation of the DomainBuilder class generate about 70 keys! As is possible with any other key setting, you can always overwrite the keys as necessary; the DomainBuilder is designed to help you get started. Once you instantitate the DomainBuilder object on a Run object, each method will set various keys with the given arguments, which are described below.

8.3.6.3. Full API

DomainBuilder(run, name='domain')
Instantiates the DomainBuilder object on the Run object run.

param run

A Run object

param name

Defines the below key:
run.Domain.GeomName = name
The following examples of the method usage assume that the name of the Run object is run. All arguments for methods that are passed in as tokens in keys are denoted by {argument}.
no_wells()
Sets the key run.Wells.Names = ''
no_contaminants()
Sets the key run.Contaminants.Names = ''

water(self, geom_name=None)

param geom_name: Value for run.PhaseSources.water.GeomNames key.

The following keys are set by this function:

run.Gravity = 1.0
run.Phase.Names = 'water'
run.Phase.water.Density.Type = 'Constant'
run.Phase.water.Density.Value = 1.0
run.Phase.water.Viscosity.Type = 'Constant'
run.Phase.water.Viscosity.Value = 1.0
run.Phase.water.Mobility.Type = 'Constant'
run.Phase.water.Mobility.Value = 1.0
run.PhaseSources.water.Type = 'Constant'

# if geom_name is provided, it will set these keys:
run.PhaseSources.water.GeomNames = geom_name
run.PhaseSources.water.Geom.{geom_name}.Value = 0.0

variably_saturated()