A Fundamental Approach to the Simulation of Flow and Dispersion in Fractured Media
Fracture systems may be generalized in terms of number and orientation of sets of parallel fractures and the distribution of length, width, thickness and separation. Borehole measurements may be used to particularize these parameters for a specific site. Global flow and dispersion in an aquifer occur in the interconnected fractures and may be related to specific fracture elements. A fluid dynamics code named SALE has been used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for laminar flow in these elemental geometries. A marker particle calculation has been added to characterize longitudinal dispersion due to the velocity profile across the fracture and lateral dispersion due to flow disturbances at junctions. Local flow and dispersion in the matrix occur in the finer fracture structure and are evaluated using porous media approaches. These results or models are integrated in a 2D isothermal reservoir simulator named FRACSL. Discrete fractures are superimposed on the edges or diagnoals of rectangular grid elements. Water may flow from node to node through the matrix or through the fracture. The heads are found by iterating for the distribution which conserves the appropriate local mass. Marker particles are used to monitor the tracer dispersion due to motion in the fractures, in the matrix and between the two. Results are given showing flow and dispersion in an orthogonal junction and in a sample fractured reservoir.
- Research Organization:
- EG&G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT03-80SF11459
- OSTI ID:
- 889744
- Report Number(s):
- SGP-TR-74-50; TRN: US200620%%157
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings, Ninth Workshop Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford Calif., December 13-15, 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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