Interpretation of well-cell pressures on hexagonal grids in numerical reservoir simulation

Peaceman’s equivalent well-cell radius for 2D square grids has been generalized to 2D grids consisting of regular hexagons. The development consists of the following steps. Firstly, the analytical solution for the pressure drop between injector and producer for wells in a seven-spot pattern is determined. Secondly, this solution is compared with the numerical solution on hexagonal grids for a sixth of a seven-spot pattern. Finally, the equivalent well-cell radius is calculated, and its asymptotic behavior for infinitely fine grids is derived. The results are valid for both steady-state and unsteady-state conditions.     

基于非结构化网格的瞬变电磁2．5维有限元正演模拟

利用Delaunay三角化这种网格非结构化方法。通过编程实现了二维模型的非结构化三角形网格剖分,并编写了中心回线法瞬变电磁2．5维有限元正演程序。与前人计算结果对比,在取得相同计算精度的情况下,与结构化网格相比,非结构化网格所需网格和节点数量大大减少,计算效率更高。通过将非结构化网格法引入到瞬变电磁2．5维正演模拟中,实现了对复杂二维地电模型的有限元数值模拟,提高了现有有限元算法的应用范围。     

Use of Spherical Trigonometry to Compute Near-Well Flow through Irregular Grid Block Boundaries

This paper concerns the computation of near-well flow in numerical reservoir simulation with unstructured grids. In particular, it uses spherical trigonometry to derive analytical expressions for the flow towards a well modeled as either a number of point sources or a constant-flux line source. The expression for the point source representation is based on projections of the grid block boundaries on spheres with unit radius around the sources. The expression for the line source is based on projection on a prolate spheroid. The computation of the surface area is done through transformation to prolate spheroidal coordinates and subsequent projection on a sphere at infinity. The point source expression for a single source is exact for grid block boundaries with straight edges; the line source expression is an approximation. Both representations are fully volume conserving, such that the sum of the fluxes through the grid block boundaries surrounding a source adds up exactly to the total source flow rate. Both representations can be used to accurately model complicated wells in the form of segments. The point source representation is simpler to implement and not necessarily less accurate than the line source representation.     

Horizontal simulation grids as alternative to structure-based grids for thin oil-zone problems: a comparison study on a Troll segment

The layering in reservoir simulation grids is often based on the geology, e.g., structure tops. In this paper we investigate the alternative of using horizontal layers, where the link to the geology model is by the representation of the petrophysics alone. The obvious drawback is the failure to honor the structure in the grid geometry. On the other hand, a horizontal grid will honor the initial fluid contacts perfectly, and horizontal wells can also be accurately represented. Both these issues are vital in thin oil-zone problems, where horizontal grids may hence be a viable alternative. To investigate this question, a number of equivalent simulation models were built for a segment of the Troll Field, both geology-based and horizontal, and various combinations of these. In the paper, it is demonstrated that the horizontal grid was able to capture the essentials of fluid flow with the same degree of accuracy as the geology-based grid, and near-well flow was considerably more accurate. For grids of comparable resolution, more reliable results were obtained by a horizontal grid than a geo-grid. A geo-grid with local grid refinement and a horizontal grid produced almost identical results, but the ratio of computing times was almost 20 in favor of the horizontal grid. In the one-phase regions of the reservoir, relatively coarse cells can be used without significant loss of accuracy.     

Performance of a flux splitting scheme when solving the single-phase pressure equation discretized by MPFA

In this article we present a series of tests to study how well suited the TPFA coefficient matrix is as a preconditioner for the MPFA discrete system of equations in an iterative solver, using a flux splitting method. These tests have been conducted for single-phase flow for a wide range of anisotropy, heterogeneity, and grid skewness (mainly parallelogram grids). We use the K-orthogonal part of the MPFA transmissibilities for a parallelogram grid to govern the TPFA transmissibilities. The convergence of the flux splitting method is for each test case measured by the spectral radius of the iteration matrix.     

Equivalent Permeability and Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media

The problem of calculating equivalent grid block permeability tensors for heterogeneous porous media is addressed. The homogenization method used involves solving Darcy's equation subject to linear boundary conditions with flux conservation in subregions of the reservoir and can be readily applied to unstructured grids. The resulting equivalent permeability tensor is stable as defined relative to G-convergence. It is proposed to use both conforming and mixed finite elements to solve the local problems and compute approximations from above and below of the equivalent permeability, respectively. Comparisons with results obtained using periodic, pressure and no-flux boundary conditions and the renormalization method are presented. A series of numerical examples demonstrates the effectiveness of the methodology for two-phase flow in heterogeneous reservoirs.     

Interface error analysis for numerical wave propagation

The numerical error associated with finite-difference simulation of wave propagation in discontinuous media consists of two components. The first component is a higher-order error that leads to grid dispersion; it can be controlled by higher-order methods. The second component results from misalignment between numerical grids and material interfaces. We provide an explicit estimate of the interface misalignment error for the second order in time and space staggered finite-difference scheme applied to the acoustic wave equation. Our analysis, confirmed by numerical experiments, demonstrates that the interface error results in a first-order time shift proportional to the distance between the interface and computational grids. A 2D experiment shows that the interface error cannot be suppressed by higher-order methods and indicates that our 1D analysis gives a good prediction about the behavior of the numerical solution in higher dimensions.      

栅格胎体孕镶金刚石钻头的破岩机理分析

从岩石宏观裂纹变化出发,研究孕镶金刚石钻头在钻进过程中由于岩体裂纹的影响而造成的断裂问题。运用岩石断裂力学理论,结合钻头实际工作条件,简化应力、水力及裂纹条件,建立了简化的岩石断裂等效模型,从理论上分析了一种新型栅格胎体孕镶金刚石钻头的破岩机理。研究结果表明:与常规的钻头相比,新型钻头的特殊栅格结构能有效提高钻压,比压由原来的68.03 kgf/cm2增加到了113.33 kgf/cm2,提高了将近67 %,使钻头能更有效地压入岩体,产生破碎穴及裂纹;特殊的栅格结构有利于冲洗液的储存,改善了金刚石颗粒的冷却效果,从而以更加有利的拉裂破坏方式破碎岩石。      

基于角点网格的煤层三维建模与可视化研究

在煤层气排采分析及数值模拟研究中,煤储层结构的三维建模是数值模拟和结果分析的起点,具有关键作用。三维长方体等传统网格,难以表达地层的起伏变化,角点网格具有表达起伏变化地层的优势。从煤层气动态可视化的角度出发,基于角点网格建立了煤储层三维地质模型。研究了角点网格模型的数据特点及生成角点网格的方法,采用C#编程语言并结合OpenGL图形接口,开发了煤储层三维可视化软件模型,利用该模型表达了山西省沁水盆地潘庄区块的煤储层地质构造。结果表明,角点网格适用于煤储层三维模型的构建,能较好的表达煤层的结构特征。      

Equivalent Permeability and Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media

The problem of calculating equivalent grid block permeability tensors for heterogeneous porous media is addressed. The homogenization method used involves solving Darcy's equation subject to linear boundary conditions with flux conservation in subregions of the reservoir and can be readily applied to unstructured grids. The resulting equivalent permeability tensor is stable as defined relative to G-convergence. It is proposed to use both conforming and mixed finite elements to solve the local problems and compute approximations from above and below of the equivalent permeability, respectively. Comparisons with results obtained using periodic, pressure and no-flux boundary conditions and the renormalization method are presented. A series of numerical examples demonstrates the effectiveness of the methodology for two-phase flow in heterogeneous reservoirs.     

Impact of difference accuracy on computational properties of vertical grids for a nonhydrostatic model

Starting from nonhydrostatic Boussinesq approximation equations, a general method is introduced to deduce the dispersion relationships. A comparative investigation is performed on inertia-gravity wave with horizontal lengths of 100, 10 and 1 km. These are examined using the second-order central difference scheme and the fourth-order compact difference scheme on vertical grids that are currently available from the perspectives of frequency, horizontal and vertical component of group velocity. These findings are compared to analytical solutions. The obtained results suggest that whether for the second-order central difference scheme or for the fourth-order compact difference scheme, Charny–Phillips and Lorenz (L) grids are suitable for studying waves at the above-mentioned horizontal scales; the Lorenz time-staggered and Charny–Phillips time staggered (CPTS) grids are applicable only to the horizontal scales of less than 10 km, and N grid (unstaggered grid) is unsuitable for simulating waves at any horizontal scale. Furthermore, by using fourth-order compact difference scheme with higher difference precision, the errors of frequency and group velocity in horizontal and vertical directions produced on all vertical grids in describing the waves with horizontal lengths of 1, 10 and 100 km cannot inevitably be decreased. So in developing a numerical model, the higher-order finite difference scheme, like fourth-order compact difference scheme, should be avoided as much as possible, typically on L and CPTS grids, since it will not only take many efforts to design program but also make the calculated group velocity in horizontal and vertical directions even worse in accuracy.     

Monotonicity conditions for control volume methods on uniform parallelogram grids in homogeneous media

Control volume methods are frequently used in porous media flow. This article gives an example on how one method, the Multipoint Flux Approximation method (MPFA), fails to satisfy the maximum principle for strong anisotropies or grid skewnesses, and develops conditions for when the monotonicity property holds for uniform parallelogram grids in homogeneous media. The conditions developed are applicable to any nine-point scheme in 2D or 27-point scheme in 3D, and is useful when the method produces a system matrix which is not an M-matrix.     

横向振动格栅紊流紊动特性试验

建立了一套大尺度格栅紊流试验系统,格栅进行有别于传统垂向模式的横向振动,采用粒子图像测速技术(Particle Image Velocimetry,PIV)测量流速。对瞬时流速的检验表明,该系统产生的紊流场具有较强的随机性和统计规律性。均方根流速在格栅片附近变化较大,在两片格栅中间处趋于稳定,纵向均方根流速明显大于垂向均方根流速,二者比值在1.5~2.0之间,接近天然明渠紊流。雷诺应力在距格栅越近处波动越大,随着距格栅距离的增加而减小,至两片格栅中间处雷诺应力基本为0。时间和长度积分尺度在格栅片处最小,随着距格栅距离的增加而线性增加,至两片格栅中间处达到最大值。流速能谱呈现Kolmogorov理论的-5/3次方规律。本系统生成的紊流场的统计规律与传统的垂向振动格栅紊流较为一致,但纵向和垂向的紊动强度更接近实际,为后续紊流中泥沙和污染物等运动机理的研究奠定了基础。     

复杂矿山地质形体的三维数值网格划分自动化平台

由于Surpac软件本身功能的限制,基于Surpac块体模型的三维数值建模技术在处理复杂矿山地质形体时存在费时、繁琐等缺陷。通过沿用八叉树层层细分的基本思路,研究了多个地质形体的网格批量自动划分技术,针对现有计算机处理能力在解析精度与模型尺度方面存在的矛盾,借用多重网格法概念探讨了网格局部加密和多尺度划分问题。并应用VC++开发了三维数值网格划分自动化软件平台,使复杂矿山地质形体的计算网格划分更加便捷高效,为开挖力学状态数值分析的自动化提供有力支持。该系统在玲珑金矿原始地应力反演数值建模中得到了实际应用,结果表明,该方法是实际可行和有效的。     

基于贴体全交错网格的起伏地表正演模拟影响因素

贴体网格有限差分正演模拟算法不仅能够精确模拟任意起伏地形下的波场特征,且计算效率较高,是一种很有应用前景的处理西部复杂地表问题的方法;然而,目前求解波动方程时常用的同位网格和标准交错网格,在处理贴体网格起伏地表正演模拟时存在诸多问题。为此,将全交错网格引入到曲线坐标系下,避免了标准交错网格的插值误差和同位网格中奇偶失联引起的高频振荡现象,提高了模拟精度,减小了算法实现的复杂度。在自由边界条件实施时,采用牵引力镜像法计算速度分量,速度自由边界条件配合紧致交错差分格式更新应力分量,得到了较好的效果。随后,重点研究了贴体全交错网格正演模拟算法的影响因素,考虑了网格正交性、网格间距和网格拼接等的影响,并取得了如下认识：算法对网格的正交性没有过分要求;网格间距的突变会引起虚假反射的产生;不同类型的网格拼接对模拟结果不会造成明显的影响。     

Finite-difference strategy for elastic wave modelling on curved staggered grids

Waveform modelling is essential for seismic imaging and inversion. Because including more physical characteristics can potentially yield more accurate Earth models, we analyse strategies for elastic seismic wave propagation modelling including topography. We focus on using finite differences on modified staggered grids. Computational grids can be curved to fit the topography using distribution functions. With the chain rule, the elasto-dynamic formulation is adapted to be solved directly on curved staggered grids. The chain-rule approach is computationally less expensive than the tensorial approach for finite differences below the 6th order, but more expensive than the classical approach for flat topography (i.e. rectangular staggered grids). Free-surface conditions are evaluated and implemented according to the stress image method. Non-reflective boundary conditions are simulated via a Convolutional Perfect Matching Layer. This implementation does not generate spurious diffractions when the free-surface topography is not horizontal, as long as the topography is smoothly curved. Optimal results are obtained when the angle between grid lines at the free surface is orthogonal. The chain-rule implementation shows high accuracy when compared to the analytical solution in the case of the Lamb’s problem, Garvin’s problem and elastic interface.     

复杂电性结构大地电磁二维响应特征

为了改进计算区域离散化问题,本文利用自适应非结构化网格有限单元法求解二维地电结构下大地电磁场满足的加权余量表达式。在有限元求解电磁场的过程中,网格剖分越精细、计算精度越高,计算量也会越大。此外,结构化网格难以适应任意地形以及复杂地质构造。而自适应非结构化网格在电性变化剧烈的区域会自动加密,在电性缓变的区域则生成粗疏的网格,从而优化网格质量与数量。因此,文中引入COMSOL Multiphysics软件,以实现若干地电模型的构建及非结构化自由四边形单元网格化。将网格数据信息导入本文算法,计算大地电磁场响应,并与解析解及数值解对比。结果表明,基于非结构化网格的正演模拟精度高、适应性强,为计算区域网格化提供了新的方法。     

A Finite-Volume Method with Hexahedral Multiblock Grids for Modeling Flow in Porous Media

This paper presents a finite-volume method for hexahedral multiblock grids to calculate multiphase flow in geologically complex reservoirs. Accommodating complex geologic and geometric features in a reservoir model (e.g., faults) entails non-orthogonal and/or unstructured grids in place of conventional (globally structured) Cartesian grids. To obtain flexibility in gridding as well as efficient flow computation, we use hexahedral multiblock grids. These grids are locally structured, but globally unstructured. One major advantage of these grids over fully unstructured tetrahedral grids is that most numerical methods developed for structured grids can be directly used for dealing with the local problems. We present several challenging examples, generated via a commercially available tool, that demonstrate the capabilities of hexahedral multiblock gridding. Grid quality is discussed in terms of uniformity and orthogonality. The presence of non-orthogonal grid and full permeability tensors requires the use of multi-point discretization methods. A flux-continuous finite-difference (FCFD) scheme, previously developed for stratigraphic hexahedral grid with full-tensor permeability, is employed for numerical flow computation. We extend the FCFD scheme to handle exceptional configurations (i.e. three- or five-cell connections as opposed to the regular four), which result from employing multiblock gridding of certain complex objects. In order to perform flow simulation efficiently, we employ a two-level preconditioner for solving the linear equations that results from the wide stencil of the FCFD scheme. The individual block, composed of cells that form a structured grid, serves as the local level; the higher level operates on the global block configuration (i.e. unstructured component). The implementation uses an efficient data structure where each block is wrapped with a layer of neighboring cells. We also examine splitting techniques [14] for the linear systems associated with the wide stencils of our FCFD operator. We present three numerical examples that demonstrate the method: (1) a pinchout, (2) a faulted reservoir model with internal surfaces and (3) a real reservoir model with multiple faults and internal surfaces.     

泄洪洞整体三维紊流数值模拟

利用实用、高效的泄洪洞整体三维紊流数值模型,对滩坑水电站泄洪洞进行了数值模拟,该模型采用引入VOF方法的k-ε紊流模型,结合通用性强、易扩展的非结构混合网格。为克服网格扭曲给计算精度带来的影响,用一种改进精度的格心格式计算通量,使之具有非结构网格剖分的灵活性,程序的通用性和可扩展性,又有较高的计算精度。数值模拟结果和模型试验数据的对比分析表明,该模型是实用可靠的。