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Title: Development of an empirical model relating permeability and specific stiffness for rough fractures from numerical deformation experiments: Fracture Permeability and Stiffness

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013004· OSTI ID:1387950
 [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences
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The coupling between hydraulic and mechanical properties of porous and fractured geologic media are critical for many geophysical processes and practical applications. Thus, the prediction of this linkage between these properties is broadly important. Here we present a potentially predictive model that links fracture permeability and specific stiffness with empirical coefficients dependent on fracture roughness, correlation length of aperture field, and rock mechanical properties. The equation was developed empirically from results of modeling the deformation and flow through synthetic fractures with aperture fields that follow a normal distribution. The fractures were subjected to increasing normal stress and deformed following an elastic model. Specific stiffness was directly quantified from these numerical deformation experiments. Permeability was estimated through calculation of the local flow field while considering effects of local fracture roughness and tortuosity. The empirical model roughly captures the transition from effective medium to percolation flow regimes with increasing specific stiffness.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001114
OSTI ID:
1387950
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Vol. 121, Issue 7; Related Information: CFSES partners with University of Texas at Austin (lead); Sandia National Laboratory; ISSN 2169-9313
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 47 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

Scale‐dependent Poiseuille flow alternatively explains enhanced dispersion in geothermal environments journal December 2018
Numerical Simulations and Validation of Contact Mechanics in a Granodiorite Fracture journal May 2018
A Review of Critical Conditions for the Onset of Nonlinear Fluid Flow in Rock Fractures journal July 2017
Quantitative Study of the Geometrical and Hydraulic Characteristics of a Single Rock Fracture journal July 2019

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