Reactive transport modeling of the interaction between water and a cementitious grout in a fractured rock. Application to ONKALO (Finland)

Grouting of water-conducting fractures with low-alkali cement is foreseen for the potential future repository for spent nuclear fuel in Finland (ONKALO). A possible consequence of the interaction between groundwater and grout is the formation of high-pH solutions which will be able to react with the host rock (gneisses) and alter its mineralogy and porosity. A reactive transport modeling study of this possible alteration has been conducted. First, the hydration of the low-alkali cementitious grout has been modeled, using results from the literature as a guide. The hydrated cement is characterized by the absence of portlandite and the presence of a C-S-H gel with a Ca/Si ratio about 0.8 after tens of years (Ca/Si is about 1.7 in Ordinary Portland Cement). Second, calculations have simulated the interaction between flowing water and grout and the formation of an alkalinity plume, which flows beyond the grouted section of the fracture. The calculations include the hydration and simultaneous leaching of the grout through diffusive exchange between the porewater in the grout and the flowing water in the fracture. The formation of an alkaline plume is extremely limited when the low-pH grout is used. Even when using a grout with a lower silica fume content, the extent and magnitude of the alkaline plume is quite minor. These results are in qualitative agreement with monitoring at ONKALO.     

Convergence of iterative coupling of geomechanics with flow in a fractured poroelastic medium

We consider an iterative scheme for solving a coupled geomechanics and flow problem in a fractured poroelastic medium. The fractures are treated as possibly non-planar interfaces. Our iterative scheme is an adaptation due to the presence of fractures of a classical fixed stress-splitting scheme. We prove that the iterative scheme is a contraction in an appropriate norm. Moreover, the solution converges to the unique weak solution of the coupled problem.     

Application of seepage flow models to a drainage project in fractured rock

Summary Various theoretical approaches are used to model groundwater flow in fractured rock. This paper presents the application of several approaches to the restoration of the drainage of Rofla tunnel, Grisons, Switzerland. In this tunnel it became necessary to take measures against the washing out of calcium carbonates from the tunnel lining cement, because the calcium carbonate clogged up the existing drainage tubes leading to increased rock water pressures on the inside arch of the tunnel. Drainage boreholes were drilled on a section of the tunnel and their influence on the water pressures was monitored. On the basis of the geological survey different seepage flow models were established to reproduce the measured water pressures. The models were then used to predict the future water pressures acting on the tunnel lining after restoration. Thus, the efficacy of the different drainage proposals could be predicted and therefore optimised. Finally, the accuracy of the predictions is discussed and illustrated using the measurements in the test section.     

The role of hydromechanical coupling in fractured rock engineering

This paper provides a review of hydromechanical (HM) couplings in fractured rock, with special emphasis on HM interactions as a result of, or directly connected with human activities. In the early 1960s, the coupling between hydraulic and mechanical processes in fractured rock started to receive wide attention. A series of events including dam failures, landslides, and injection-induced earthquakes were believed to result from HM interaction. Moreover, the advent of the computer technology in the 1970s made possible the integration of nonlinear processes such as stress–permeability coupling and rock mass failure into coupled HM analysis. Coupled HM analysis is currently being applied to many geological engineering practices. One key parameter in such analyses is a good estimate of the relationship between stress and permeability. Based on available laboratory and field data, it was found that the permeability of fractured rock masses tends to be most sensitive to stress changes at shallow depth (low stress) and in areas of low in-situ permeability. In highly permeable, fractured rock sections, fluid flow may take place in clusters of connected fractures which are locked open as a result of previous shear dislocation or partial cementation of hard mineral filling. Such locked-open fractures tend to be relatively insensitive to stress and may therefore be conductive at great depths. Because of the great variability of HM properties in fractured rock, and the difficulties in using laboratory data for deriving in-situ material properties, the HM properties of fractured rock masses are best characterized in situ. Electronic Publication     

A fractured roman glass block altered for 1800 years in seawater: Analogy with nuclear waste glass in a deep geological repository

Fractured archaeological glass blocks altered 1800 years in seawater are investigated because of their morphological analogy with vitrified nuclear waste. They provide an opportunity for understanding glass alteration in variable confined media (cracks), by studying an actual ancient system in a known stable natural environment. Characterization of the crack network from two-dimensional trace maps (length, alteration thickness, orientation) allows us to determine the three-dimensional geometric parameters (crack density, fracture ratio) and the percentage of alteration, using stereological relations. This methodology could be applied to nuclear glass. From a representative archaeological glass block, we showed that the surface developed by the cracks is 86 ± 27 times greater than the geometric surface but the volumetric alteration is 12.2 ± 4.1%, which is only 12 times greater than the volumetric alteration of the block periphery (about 1 vol%). This unexpected low value is explained by the large variation of the alteration thicknesses in the different types of cracks in relation with their location in the block. The alteration thickness is usually smaller in the internal zone than in the border zone. The alteration layers resulted from three main mechanisms (interdiffusion, glass dissolution, and secondary phase precipitation) leading to two different alteration products (a sodium-depleted layer and mainly a Mg-smectite). Geometric parameters such as the glass surface area/solution volume ratio and transport parameters (renewal of the alteration solution) strongly affected the glass dissolution kinetics. The confined conditions and the diffusive transport of reactive species favor low alteration kinetics. The precipitation of secondary phases also results in sealing of the cracks. Consequently, although it is not known if subcritical crack growth occurred, internal cracks account for only a minor contribution to the overall alteration. These results improve our understanding of alteration in cracks for assessing the predominant physical and chemical parameters that must be considered in long-term nuclear glass modeling.     

断层破裂带附近采场采动效应的流固耦合分析

矿井底板突水是一个复杂的多物理场耦合问题,结合含断层破裂带条件下采场开采的工程背景,通过离散元流固耦合分析,研究了采场工作面推进过程中断层带的变形与受力情况以及底板支承压力、渗流矢量和渗流速度的动态发展规律和分布特征。相关模拟结果表明,采场中煤层的开采与断层破裂带之间是相互影响的,以支承压力为代表的采动应力是底板破坏形成导水裂隙带及断层“活化”突水的一个主要诱因,而断层的存在也使得工作面与断层带范围内的围岩应力更加集中,增大了底板破坏突水的危险性。采动过程中,底板破坏所形成的导水裂隙带主要集中在工作面前方及下方围岩中,这些区域渗流速度较大,是形成突水的主要通道。     

Reactive transport modeling of the interaction between a high-pH plume and a fractured marl: the case of Wellenberg

In the context of the proposed low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste repository at Wellenberg (Switzerland), calculations simulating the interaction between hyperalkaline solutions and a fractured marl, at 25 °C, have been performed. The aim of these calculations is to evaluate the possible effects of mineral dissolution and precipitation on porosity and permeability changes in such a fractured marl, and their impact on repository performance. Solute transport and chemical reaction are considered in both a high-permeability zone (fracture), where advection is important, and the wall rock, where diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism. The mineral reactions are promoted by the interaction between hyperalkaline solutions derived from the degradation of cement (a major component of the engineered barrier system in the repository) and the host rock. Both diffusive/dispersive and advective solute transport are taken into account in the calculations. Mineral reactions are described by kinetic rate laws. The fluid flow system under consideration is a two-dimensional porous medium (marl, 1% porosity), with a high-permeability zone simulating a fracture (10% porosity) crossing the domain. The dimensions of the domain are 6 m per 1 m, and the fracture width is 10 cm. The fluid flow field is updated during the course of the simulations. Permeabilities are updated according to Kozeny's equation. The composition of the solutions entering the domain is derived from modeling studies of the degradation of cement under the conditions at the proposed underground repository at Wellenberg. Two different cases have been considered in the calculations. These 2 cases are representative of 2 different stages in the process of degradation of cement (pH 13.5 and pH 12.5). In both cases, the flow velocity in the fracture diminishes with time, due to a decrease in porosity. This decrease in porosity is caused by the precipitation of calcite (replacement of dolomite by calcite) and other secondary minerals (brucite, sepiolite, analcime, natrolite, tobermorite). However, the decrease in porosity and flow velocity is much more pronounced in the lower pH case. The extent of the zone of mineral alteration along the fracture is also much more limited in the lower pH case. The reduction of porosity in the fractures would be highly beneficial for repository performance, since it would mean that the solutions coming from the repository and potentially carrying radionuclides in solution would have to flow through low-conductive rock before they would be able to get to higher-conductive features. The biggest uncertainty in the reaction rates used in the calculations arises from the surface areas of the primary minerals. Additional calculations making use of smaller surface areas have also been performed. The results show that the smaller surface areas (and therefore smaller reaction rates) result in a smaller reactivity of the system and smaller porosity changes.     

考虑卸荷作用的裂隙岩体渗流应力耦合研究

大量试验证明,裂隙岩体在加载和卸荷的条件下其渗流与应力特性是不完全相同的。近年来,加载条件下的裂隙岩体渗流应力耦合研究得到了长足的发展,但卸荷作用下的水岩耦合分析还处于初始阶段。基于现有裂隙变形曲线的研究结果,建立了渗透系数与卸荷应力、应变间的本构关系,在此基础上,根据算例分析了各种工况下的渗流和应力特征,其计算结果表明,考虑卸荷后应力场的改变增加了临近坡面的岩体渗透系数,降低了地下水浸润线,增加了边坡的稳定性;考虑渗流后,边坡的位移场和应力场有较大改变,但考虑耦合后位移和应力分布和大小与不耦合时的相差不大;边坡开挖后应力场改变对渗流的影响远大于渗流对位移、应力等的影响。     

Fluid flow modeling of a coastal fractured karstic aquifer by means of a lumped parameter approach

Fluid flow and solute transport phenomena in fractured and karstic aquifers remain an open issue that calls the attention of numerous researchers belonging to different disciplinary fields as far as the aspects linked both to shallow and to deep phenomena are concerned. The hydrogeologic knowledge of these phenomena proves to be of high importance especially if considered in relationship with water resource exploitation, with the problems linked to contamination and the ones linked to urban and industrial development of the territory. In the examined area, characterized by a dismissed contaminated site, the realization of the landfill has required the development of a 3D flow model supported by a detailed local scale geologic model in order to evaluate the effects on groundwater flow and subsequently on contaminant propagation. The results of the flow model prove to be coherent with the fractured and karstic nature of the site in that they show at higher depths the presence of a subterranean stream channel that would speed up pollutant propagation. The obtained results represent the fundamental basis to implement a transport model that will permit to achieve a more in depth knowledge of the subsoil transport phenomena, and therefore to optimize any anthropic intervention that can involve the site.     

土的三维破坏准则在颗粒流模型中的应用

Savage-Hutter(S-H)颗粒流模型用一个只与材料参数相关的土压力系数来描述颗粒流内部的应力状态,不能很好地反映颗粒体在运动时的本构关系。通过引入颗粒体应力与速度梯度之间的关系,得到了一个能够反映颗粒流本构模型的崩塌动力学模型。另外,为解除S-H模型中对横向应力大小的假定,通过引入Von Mises、Drucker-Prager、Mohr-Coulomb和Matsuoka-Nakai等土的三维破坏准则,得到了广义摩擦系数的4种表达形式。该模型的主要优势是通过引入颗粒流的本构关系,能较好地体现颗粒流体在运动中的内在机制,并且材料强度参数简单易知。分析了由Drucker-Prager准则和Mohr-Coulomb准则所得到的材料强度参数,并探讨了广义摩擦系数与应力洛德角等物理量之间的关系。用所建议的模型来模拟颗粒流的运动过程,并将数值计算与试验结果进行对比,发现两者能够较好吻合。     

Numerical modeling of stress effects on solute transport in fractured rocks

The effects of stress/deformation on fluid flow and contaminant transport in fractured rocks is one of the major concerns for performance and safety assessments of many subsurface engineering problems, especially radioactive waste disposal and oil/gas reservoir fields. However, very little progress has been made to study this issue due to difficulties in both experiments and numerical modeling. The objective of this study is to systematically investigate the influence of stress on solute transport in fractured rocks for the first time, considering different stress and hydraulic pressure conditions. A hybrid approach combining discrete element method (DEM) for stress-flow simulations and a particle tracking algorithm is developed. The impact of matrix diffusion (diffusion of molecular size solutes in and out of the rock matrix, and sorption onto the surface of micropores in rock matrix) is also included. The numerical results show that stress not only significantly changes the solute residence time through the fracture networks, but also changes the solute travel paths. Matrix diffusion plays a dominant role in solute transport when the hydraulic gradient is small, which is often encountered in practice.     

随机与确定耦合的裂隙岩体结构面三维网络模拟

离散裂隙随机网络模型中结构面的分布特征仅代表其统计规律,并非地质成因、结构模式、构造形迹的客观反映,以致后续力学计算及渗流模拟结果可信度偏低。针对国家高放废物处置库甘肃北山预选区出露良好的花岗岩体,基于实测结构面统计规律、内在成生关系及水力联系,在前期纯随机模型关键部位修正特征参数,并融入人工辨识的确定结构模式而构建“随机-确定”耦合模型。图形和渗流模拟两种定量检验结果表明：耦合模型结构面数量更接近客观实际,模型准确度提升约48.8%;耦合模型渗流路径与流量较之前更显客观真实,模拟结果与试验数据的接近程度比随机模型大约1/3。另外,不同孔位渗流结果显示：相比于随机结构面,确定性结构面对区域渗流控制作用更加明显,在渗流模拟中扮演更为重要角色。此耦合模型有益于拓宽结构面网络模拟的发展方向。     

米尺度裂隙岩体模型水流-传热试验的数值模拟分析

为了研究高放射性核废物地下处置库近场的水流-传热耦合问题,采用国内高放废物地下处置库预选场址--甘肃北山地区的花岗岩石块体,加工组合成米尺度的规则裂隙岩体模型,设置边界热源和裂隙水流,试验模拟裂隙水水流与传热之间的相互作用。作为该室内模型试验的前期理论研究,采用等效孔隙介质数值模型,着重分析了裂隙开度、裂隙流量和热源功率对流场和温度场的影响。在设定条件下,计算分析表明：热传导和裂隙水水流由热源作用初期的不耦合很快转化为耦合;不流动的裂隙水主要表现为热存储和热传导,而流动的裂隙水还引起流动传热和水与岩石之间的对流换热,使岩体温度场明显不同于单纯热传导的情况;如果保持裂隙水流量不变,则裂隙开度的变化对水流-传热影响不大;如果保持裂隙水流速不变,则裂隙开度的变化对水流-传热影响显著;热源功率越大,通过裂隙水的热流量越大,裂隙水压强越大,而当温度超过100 ℃时,裂隙水会因汽化而压强显著增大;加热7 d时,热量的输入和输出几乎相等,裂隙水流带走的热量接近热源供给的热量,模型系统基本达到了热平衡。     

陆气耦合模型在实时暴雨洪水预报中的应用

采用加拿大区域性中尺度大气模式MC2(Canadian Mesoscale Compressible Community)和新安江模型单向耦合模型系统,对2005年7月4～15日发生在淮河流域的一场暴雨洪水,进行了实时预报.采用王家坝以上流域的实测降水和王家坝断面的实测洪水资料,对MC2预报降水的时空分布和陆气耦合模型预报的洪水过程进行了分析.结果表明,MC2对该场强降水过程具有很好的预报能力,陆气耦合模型有效地增长了洪水预报的预见期,具有很好的应用前景.     

裂隙岩体流-热耦合传热的三维数值模拟分析

通过对潘西煤矿水文地质条件的分析,基于裂隙岩体的流-热耦合数学模型,描述了裂隙岩体渗流场分布和水流及岩体的温度场分布,并结合边界条件及计算参数对裂隙岩体的流-热耦合传热进行了数值模拟和分析。数值模拟结果表明,岩体内裂隙水流所引发的热量迁移,对裂隙岩体的温度场分布有重要影响。断裂带及地下水流的存在改变了岩体的原有温度场分布。在渗流初期,温度梯度矢量沿渗流方向向两侧岩体方向流动,由于两侧岩体的渗透性系数低于断裂带处的渗透性系数,右侧等温线及温度梯度矢量方向逐渐向渗流方向移动,改变了两侧岩体的温度场分布。通过对断裂带内裂隙水流渗透性系数的折减,分析渗透性系数发生变化时对岩体温度场分布的影响,渗透性系数越大,伴随的热量迁移增大,对岩体的温度场分布的影响也越大。     

Embedded discontinuity finite element modeling of fluid flow in fractured porous media

In many geomaterials, particularly rocks and clays, permeability is greatly enhanced by the presence of fractures. Fracture sets create an overall permeability that is anisotropic, enhanced in the directions of the fractures. In modeling the fractures via a finite element method, for example, meshing around these fractures can become quite difficult and result in computationally intensive systems. In this article, we develop a relatively simple method for including the fractures within the elements. Flow through the bulk medium is assumed to be governed by Darcy’s law, and the flow on the fracture by a generalization of the law. This model is embedded in a finite element framework, with the fractures passing through the elements. In this formulation, elements with fractures are given an enhanced permeability in the direction of the fractures. With these enhancements, the material essentially becomes anisotropically more permeable in the direction of fracture sets.     

iTOUGH2反演模型在地下水模拟中的应用

模型参数快速校准是地下水数值模型应用中非常重要和困难的工作,反演模型提高了该工作的效率。在阐述i TOUGH2反演模型流程和TOUGH2/EOS9模块原理的基础上,介绍了i TOUGH2关于敏感性分析、参数估计和不确定性分析的原理。以FEFLOW软件中含三个观测井信息的Breyell抽水试验为例,利用i TOUGH2进行了敏感性分析、参数估计和不确定性分析,发现渗透率和孔隙度为敏感参数,而且通过加权最小二乘法的目标函数和优化算法获得了参数的估计值,最后使用一次二阶矩法和蒙特卡罗法分别进行了不确定性分析。将i TOUGH2反演的参数估计值与FEFLOW反演结果对比,发现两者接近,说明i TOUGH2的反演结果是可靠的。i TOUGH2对应的功能全,包括参数反演,敏感性分析,不确定性分析,可作为地下水模型反演模型的选择之一。     

Numerical modeling of stress-permeability coupling in rough fractures

A numerical model is described for coupled flow and mechanical deformation in fractured rock. The mechanical response of rock joints to changes in hydraulic pressure is strongly influenced by the geometric characteristics of the joint surfaces. The concept of this work is to combine straightforward finite element solutions with complex and realistic fracture surface geometry in order to reproduce the non-linear stress-deformation-permeability coupling that is commonly observed in fractures. Building on the numerous studies that have expanded the understanding of the key parameters needed to describe natural rough-walled fractures, new methods have been developed to generate a finite element mesh representing discrete fractures with realistic rough surface geometries embedded in a rock matrix. The finite element code GeoSys/Rockflow was then used to simulate the coupled effects of hydraulic stress, mechanical stress, and surface geometry on the evolving permeability of a single discrete fracture. The modeling concept was experimentally verified against examples from the literature. Modeling results were also compared to a simple interpenetration model.