Application of Stochastic Fracture Network with Numerical Fluid Flow Simulations to Groundwater Flow Modeling in Fractured Rocks

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离散裂隙渗流方法与裂隙化渗透介质建模

流体渗流模拟的连续介质方法通常适用于多孔地质体，并不一定适用于裂隙岩体，由于裂隙分布及其特征与孔隙差异较大。若流体渗流主要受裂隙的控制，对于一定尺寸的裂隙岩体，多孔介质假设则较难刻划裂隙岩体的渗流特征。离散裂隙渗流方法不但可直接用于模拟裂隙岩体非均质性和各向异性等渗流特征，而且可用其确定所研究的裂隙岩体典型单元体及其水力传导（渗透）张量大小。主要讨论了以下问题：（1）饱和裂隙介质中一般的离散流体渗流模拟；（2）裂隙岩体中的REV（典型单元体）及其水力传导（渗透）张量的确定；（3）利用离散裂隙网络流体渗流模型研究裂隙方向几何参数对水力传导系数和REV的影响；（4）在二维和三维离散裂隙流体渗流模型中对区域大裂隙和局部小裂隙的处理方法。调查结果显示离散裂隙流体渗流数学模型可用来评价不同尺度上的裂隙岩体的水力特征，以及裂隙方向对裂隙化岩体的水力特征有着不可忽视的影响。同时，局部小裂隙、区域大裂隙应当区别对待，以便据其所起的作用及水力特征，建立裂隙化岩体相应的流体渗流模型。     

岩体裂隙系统渗流场与应力场耦合模型

岩体系统具有复杂的结构。一般认为，岩体系统是非均质各向异性不连续的多相介质体系。当岩体以裂隙为主，且其分布较密集时，可将岩体系统看作等效连续多相介质体系。本文运用等效连续介质理论，提出了两种岩体裂隙系统渗流场与应力场耦合模型：一是以渗透水压力与隙变形关系、应力与渗透系统数关系为基础，建立渗透系数张量计算公式，进而建立等效效连续介质渗流为数学模型。以裂隙岩体应变张量分析为基础，建立裂隙岩体效应力张量     

裂隙剪胀效应对双重孔隙介质热-水-应力耦合现象影响的有限元分析

为了探讨在法向应力和剪应力的共同作用下裂隙开度的变化对于耦合的温度场、渗流场和应力场的作用,引入裂隙的渗透系数与开度关系的“立方定律”,建立了裂隙渗透系数演化式。应用开发的遍有节理岩体双重孔隙-裂隙介质热-水-应力耦合二维有限元程序,以一个假定的位于非饱和地层中的高放废物地质处置库为算例,分别在2组裂隙斜交和正交的条件下,针对与裂隙开度3种计算方式对应的6种工况进行了数值分析,考察了围岩中的温度、孔隙和裂隙水压力、裂隙开度、裂隙的渗透系数、地下水流速、应力的变化、分布状态。结果显示,当裂隙开度仅取决于法向应力时,裂隙开度受压应力作用产生的闭合量最大,从而裂隙水压力最高;而当裂隙开度是法向应力和剪切位移的函数时,由于“剪胀”效应,裂隙开度闭合量较前述情况为小,裂隙水压力居中;而当裂隙开度是常数时,裂隙水压力最低     

Simulation of groundwater flow in fractured rocks using a coupled model based on the method of domain decomposition

Groundwater flow in fractured rocks is modeled using a coupled model based on the domain decomposition method. In the model, the fractured porous medium is divided into two non-overlapping sub-domains. One is the rock matrix, in which the medium is described using a continuum model. The other consists of deep fractures and fissure zones, where the medium is described using a discrete fracture network (DFN) model. The two models are coupled through the continuity of the hydraulic heads and fluxes on the common boundaries. The coupled model is used to simulate groundwater flow in a hydropower station. The results show that the model simulates groundwater levels that are in agreement with the measured groundwater levels. Furthermore, the model’s parameters relating to deep fractures and fissure zones are verified by comparing three different models (the continuum model, coupled model, and DFN model). The results show that the coupled model can capture and duplicate the hydrogeological conditions in the study domain, whereas the continuum model overestimates and the DFN model underestimates the measured hydraulic heads. A sensitivity analysis shows that fracture aperture has a considerable effect on the groundwater level. So, when the fracture aperture is large, the coupled model or DFN model is more appropriate than the continuum model in the fracture domain.     

Effect of fracture zone on DNAPL transport and dispersion: a numerical approach

Two numerical simulation techniques have been used to identify a suitable method to assist in the characterization of DNAPL movement within fractured porous rock aquifers. Both MODFLOW and UTCHEM software modeling suites were used to simulate different scenarios in fracture dip and hydraulic conductivities. The complexity and the physical structure of fracture characterization were shown to have a significant effect on modeling results, to the extent that fracture zone should be characterized fully before simulation models are used for DNAPL simulations. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on both the hydraulic conductivity and fracture dip values. DNAPL movement in the subsurface showed a high sensitivity to fracture dip variation.     

A finite element method for modeling coupled flow and deformation in porous fractured media

Modeling the flow in highly fractured porous media by finite element method (FEM) has met two difficulties: mesh generation for fractured domains and a rigorous formulation of the flow problem accounting for fracture/matrix, fracture/fracture, and fracture/boundary fluid mass exchanges. Based on the recent theoretical progress for mass balance conditions in multifractured porous bodies, the governing equations for coupled flow and deformation in these bodies are first established in this paper. A weak formulation for this problem is then established allowing to build a FEM. Taking benefit from recent development of mesh‐generating tools for fractured media, this weak formulation has been implemented in a numerical code and applied to some typical problems of hydromechanical coupling in fractured porous media. It is shown that in this way, the FEM that has proved its efficiency to model hydromechanical phenomena in porous media is extended with all its performances (calculation time, couplings, and nonlinearities) to fractured porous media. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

压剪作用下裂隙扩展过程渗流与应力耦合模型研究

裂隙的剪胀特性及扩展演化规律对岩体的渗流特性具有重要影响。为揭示裂隙剪胀及扩展演化对岩体渗流的影响,基于残余强度提出了一种能较好描述岩石硬化-软化特性的全剪切本构关系;结合剪切变形与裂隙开度的关系,利用最小势能原理和立方定律,建立了压剪作用下考虑裂隙剪胀特性的渗流应力耦合模型;假定压剪作用下裂隙发生Ⅰ型扩展,提出了伴有翼型裂纹的渗流模型,该模型不仅考虑了岩石的剪胀特性,更反映了裂隙扩展过程渗流的演化规律。对不同裂隙粗糙度的剪切应力-位移曲线进行分析,全剪切本构模型表现出较高的拟合精度。在剪切应力-位移关系基础上,通过剪切渗流试验数据对压剪作用下渗流模型进行验证,结果表明,该模型能较好地描述岩体剪胀阶段渗透性演化规律。利用等效裂隙简化裂隙网络,并通过试验数据进行验证,证实了裂隙扩展过程渗流-应力耦合模型的准确性与适用性。     

Modeling hydraulic fracture propagation in permeable media with an embedded strong discontinuity approach

The paper presents an embedded strong discontinuity approach to simulate single hydraulic fracture propagation in the poroelastic medium under plane-strain conditions. The method enriches the strain field with the discontinuous deformation mode and allows the fracture to be modeled inside elements. The Mode-I fracture initiation and propagation are described by the trilinear cohesive law, which is implemented by the penalty method. The enhanced permeability inside the fractured elements is dependent on the fracture aperture. Hydraulic fracture propagation is driven by the high pressure gradient near the fracture. Fluid transfer between the fracture and bulk rock is automatically captured within the poroelastic framework. The numerical framework is verified by the comparisons with the asymptotic analytical solutions for single hydraulic fracture propagation.     

Closure of Fracture Due to Cover Stress Re-establishment After Coal Mining

In situ measurements of deformations, stresses, and closure of fractures, affecting water inflow following coal mining, are challenging due to the inaccessibility of fractured rock. In this paper, the authors studied the closure process of the fractured rock mass with the cover stress re-establishment based on a theoretical analysis and a scale model testing. A quantitative analysis is used to study the fracture distribution in the fractured zone. A function to describe a fracture aperture distribution in the fractured zone is proposed, which takes into account the curvature and thickness of the fractured rock. The theoretical analysis and a scale model testing both indicate that the cover stress re-establishment with mining distance increasing and the relationship between the fracture closure and cover stress re-establishment both satisfy a logarithmic function. The scale model test also shows the following features: (1) the fracture ratio (which is the fracture area divided by the total area of fracture and intact rock with a unit width in the vertical or horizontal direction) in the lower part of the fractured rock mass is greater than that in the upper part; (2) the initially fast decreased of fracture ratios is then followed by a slower decrease during the cover stress re-establishment process; (3) in the upper part of the rock mass, the vertical directional fractures with small apertures are being closed with cover stress re-establishment, which indicates an increase in the water resistance reducing the seepage from these parts of the fractured zone. This study improves the general understanding of the fracture closure process and cover stress re-establishment in the fractured rock mass after coal mining ceased, and provides a theoretical basis for water resource protection in case of underground coal mining.     

裂隙岩体渗透系数确定方法研究

裂隙岩体渗透系数以及渗透主方向的确定对研究岩体渗透性大小及各向异性具有重要意义。高放废物地质处置库介质岩体的渗透性能将直接影响其使用安全性。本文运用离散裂隙网络模拟的方法对我国高放废物处置库甘肃北山预选区3#钻孔附近裂隙岩体进行了渗透性质分析。通过对3#钻孔171.5~178.0m段压水试验数据的反演,标定了离散裂隙网络渗流模型中的裂隙渗透参数(导水系数T)。利用标定的离散裂隙网络模型对场区裂隙岩体进行了渗流模拟,确定了该区域裂隙岩体的渗流表征单元体(REV)的尺寸大小以及渗透主值和主渗透方向。运用离散裂隙网络模型计算得出的渗透主值的几何均值与现场压水试验计算结果较接近,证明了计算结果的有效性。     

Dimensional reduction of a fractured medium for a polymer EOR model

Computational Geosciences - Dimensional reduction strategy is an effective approach to derive reliable conceptual models to describe flow in fractured porous media. The fracture aperture is several...     

Application of MODFLOW for simulating groundwater flow in the Trifilia karst aquifer, Greece

Karst aquifers can have a complex flow as a result of the formation of large conduits from dissolution features. As a result, a three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater flow model (equivalent porous media) may not apply as the dual porosity nature of karst features and the effects of turbulent flow cannot be directly simulated. Statistical analysis of karst hydrographs of the Trifilia aquifer in Greece showed the existence of a slightly karstified mass with high primary porosity that regulates the flow. An equivalent porous media model was developed to simulate the Trifilia karst aquifer using MODFLOW. Steady state and transient state calibration gave encouraging results for the equivalent porous media approach, which does not consider pipe flow or turbulence. Detailed hydrogeological research conducted in the area helped define the aquifer hydraulic conductivity zones and extent; and flux to/from the aquifer. Only hydraulic conductivity and specific yield were adjusted during calibration, as the flux to/from the system was considered known and applied as boundary conditions. Small mean absolute and RMS piezometric head error of the model under both steady and transient state conditions were achieved.     

准饱和多孔介质中圈闭气体对渗透系数的影响

含圈闭气体的地下水流称为准饱和流,准饱和流中的圈闭气体对含水层渗透系数有重大影响。通过柱试验开展了粉砂、细砂、中砂和粗砂4种介质圈闭气体饱和度与准饱和渗透系数关系的研究。结果表明:圈闭气体饱和度明显受介质的粒径影响,在细粒介质中圈闭气体饱和度明显较大;4种介质圈闭气体饱和度在0~15%范围内,准饱和渗透系数与完全饱和相比减少了32.82%~56.38%,且准饱和渗透系数与圈闭气体饱和度之间可表达为一个负线性相关的经验公式;该公式与Faybishenko公式等效,但形式简单,参数较少,使用方便;准饱和渗透系数的变化规律可概化为圈闭气体占据了原有的有效孔隙,造成原有效孔隙度减少,从而使渗透系数减小。利用该理论,Kozeny-Carman方程能较准确地描述准饱和渗透系数的变化规律,而基于哈根-泊肃叶方程的渗透系数公式则存在较大误差,不适用于描述准饱和渗透系数;试验结果证明了室内测定饱和渗透系数时排除圈闭气体的必要性。     

Thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of fracturing porous media with two-phase fluid flow using X-FEM technique

In this paper, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model is presented for two-phase fluid flow and heat transfer in fractured/fracturing porous media using the extended finite element method. In the fractured porous medium, the traction, heat, and mass transfer between the fracture space and the surrounding media are coupled. The wetting and nonwetting fluid phases are water and gas, which are assumed to be immiscible, and no phase-change is considered. The system of coupled equations consists of the linear momentum balance of solid phase, wetting and nonwetting fluid continuities, and thermal energy conservation. The main variables used to solve the system of equations are solid phase displacement, wetting fluid pressure, capillary pressure, and temperature. The fracture is assumed to impose the strong discontinuity in the displacement field and weak discontinuities in the fluid pressure, capillary pressure, and temperature fields. The mode I fracture propagation is employed using a cohesive fracture model. Finally, several numerical examples are solved to illustrate the capability of the proposed computational algorithm. It is shown that the effect of thermal expansion on the effective stress can influence the rate of fracture propagation and the injection pressure in hydraulic fracturing process. Moreover, the effect of thermal loading is investigated properly on fracture opening and fluids flow in unsaturated porous media, and the convective heat transfer within the fracture is captured successfully. It is shown how the proposed computational model is capable of modeling the fully coupled thermal fracture propagation in unsaturated porous media.     

含水层的一种普遍规律:渗透系数随深度衰减

国内外多个含水层的研究都发现渗透系数具有随深度衰减的规律。给出了多孔介质和裂隙介质中渗透系数随深度衰减的一般模型及简化模型,并用该简化模型分析了多个含水层的渗透系数随深度衰减的规律。研究发现,随着渗透系数测试深度的增大,衰减系数明显变小;渗透系数测试深度相近的含水层,岩性对衰减系数有一定程度影响。渗透系数随深度衰减的规律应该在地下水科学的相关研究中引起重视。     

Normal-stress dependence of fracture hydraulic properties including two-phase flow properties

A systematic approach has been developed for determining relationships between normal stress and fracture hydraulic properties, including two-phase flow properties. The development of a relationship between stress and fracture permeability (or fracture aperture and fracture closure) is based on a two-part Hooke’s model (TPHM) that captures heterogeneous elastic-deformation processes at a macroscopic scale by conceptualizing the rock mass (or a fracture) into two parts with different mechanical properties. The developed relationship was verified using a number of datasets in the literature for fracture closure versus stress, and satisfactory agreements were obtained. TPHM was previously shown to be able to accurately represent testing data for porous media as well. Based on the consideration that fracture–aperture distributions under different normal stresses can be represented by truncated-Gaussian distributions, closed-form constitutive relationships were developed between capillary pressure, relative permeability and saturation, for deformable horizontal fractures. The usefulness of these relationships was demonstrated by their consistency with a laboratory dataset.     

Permeability and stress in crystalline rocks

Groundwater from crystalline rocks is a significant resource in many areas of the world. It is also an important medium for contaminant transport from, for example, deep nuclear waste repositories. Stress distributions in fractured rocks are important in controlling groundwater flow in several ways: (i) palaeostress fields are responsible for the evolution of fracture systems which transmit groundwater; (ii) current in situ stress fields will influence the shape and aperture of fractures; (iii) humans can influence the natural stress field in a rock mass to enhance fracture flows. The significance of stresses for groundwater flow can be investigated by field techniques (hydraulic fracturing), laboratory techniques (stress cells) or by numerical modelling.     

Semi-empirical equations for the systematic decrease in permeability with depth in porous and fractured media

Permeability loss with depth is a general trend in geological media and plays an essential role in subsurface fluid flow and solute transport. In the near surface zone where groundwater movement is active, the decrease in permeability with depth is dominated by the mechanical compaction of deformable media caused by the increase in lithostatic stress with depth. Instead of using empirical equations from statistical analysis, by considering the well-defined relationships among permeability, porosity, fracture aperture and effective stress under lithostatic conditions, new semi-empirical equations for the systematic depth-dependent permeability are derived, as well as the equations for the depth-dependent porosity in a porous medium and the depth-dependent fracture aperture in a fractured medium. The existing empirical equations can be included in the new equations as special cases under some simplification. These new semi-empirical equations perform better than previous equations to interpret the depth-dependent permeability of the Pierre Shale (with a maximum depth of approximately 4,500 m) and the granite at Stripa, Sweden (with a maximum depth of about 2,500 m).     

Constraining the uncertainty in fracture geometry using tracer tests

In fractured-rock aquifers, the geometric and hydraulic properties of the fractures commonly have a dominant influence on transport. Tracer tests are often used to estimate directly the gross transport properties of a fractured rock mass. The prospects for understanding characteristics of the heterogeneities in a fractured porous medium were explored from evidence provided by tracer experiments. The approach was to simulate flow and transport on a large set of prescribed fracture networks in a two-dimensional homogeneous permeable medium, thus generating synthetic tracer test data. The fracture orientation, aperture, spacing and network geometry were systematically altered from one case to the next. A classification scheme was devised for the tracer breakthrough curves using principal component analysis and this classification was linked to the fracture pattern properties. Even under highly simplified and controlled conditions, quite different fracture patterns can produce very similar breakthrough curves. The classification scheme thus demonstrates that a single breakthrough curve cannot reveal the fracture geometry with any precision. However, the scheme provided a methodology for rejecting geometric properties that do not belong to the fracture pattern under investigation, thus reducing the uncertainty in fracture geometry.