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Satiated Relative Permeability of Variable-Aperture Fractures

Conference ·
; ; ;
The relative permeability of a variable-aperture fracture under satiated conditions (wetting phase spans the fracture, non-wetting phase is completely entrapped) is controlled by the distribution of the entrapped phase within the fracture plane. We use simulations to investigate the combined influence of capillary forces and aperture variability on satiated relative permeability and demonstrate the effectiveness of a dimensionless perturbation curvature number (C') for predicting entrapped-phase structure. C' combines the relative influence of in-plane and out-of-plane interface curvature and the aperture coefficient of variation ({sigma}{sub a}/<a>) on local capillary forces. Results suggest that C' provides a single parameter that can be used to estimate satiated relative permeability.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
15005689
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-146600
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
APERTURES
DISTRIBUTION
FRACTURES
PERMEABILITY