Tracer transport patterns in levee seepage inlet

To accurately locate the levee seepage inlet, laboratory model tests and Fluent numerical simulations based on the tracer method were employed, and the effects of tracer dosage, seepage scale, and tracer injection point location on tracer transport pattern were analyzed. The results indicate that increasing the tracer dosage significantly raises the peak tracer mass fraction on the wall, shortens the penetration time, and accelerates tracer transport velocity. Enlarging the seepage scale accelerates the tracer loss rate, reduces the peak tracer mass fraction on the wall, and transforms the tracer distribution shape from circular to elliptical, with its major axis aligning along the line connecting the tracer injection point and the seepage inlet. This alignment can be used to infer the direction of the seepage inlet. Reducing the distance between the tracer injection point and the seepage inlet decreases the peak tracer mass fraction on the wall, prolongs the penetration time, and significantly expands the tracer distribution area.