Effect of Unsaturated Flow Modes on Partitioning Dynamics of Gravity-Driven Flow at a Simple Fracture Intersection: Laboratory Study and Three-Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations

Kordilla, Jannes; Noffz, Torsten; Dentz, Marco; Geyer, Tobias; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.

doi:10.1002/2016WR020236

Title: Effect of Unsaturated Flow Modes on Partitioning Dynamics of Gravity-Driven Flow at a Simple Fracture Intersection: Laboratory Study and Three-Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Water Resources Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016WR020236· OSTI ID:1542082

Kordilla, Jannes ^[1]; Noffz, Torsten ^[2]; Dentz, Marco ^[3]; Geyer, Tobias ^[2]; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M. ^[4]

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen
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BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)

In this work, we study unsaturated gravity-driven free-surface flows on a synthetic surface intersected by a horizontal fracture and the importance of flow modes (droplet; rivulet) on the partitioning behavior at the fracture intersection. We present laboratory experiments, three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations using a heavily parallelized code, and an analytical solution. The flow-rate-dependent mode switching from droplets to rivulets is reproduced by the SPH model, and the transition ranges agree with the laboratory experiments. We show that flow modes heavily influence the bypass behavior. Flows favoring the formation of droplets exhibit a much stronger bypass capacity compared to rivulet flows, where nearly the whole fluid mass is initially stored within the horizontal fracture. This behavior is demonstrated for a multi-inlet laboratory setup where the inlet- specific flow rate is chosen so that either a droplet or rivulet flow persists. The effect of fluid buffering within the horizontal fracture is presented in terms of dimensionless fracture in- flow so that characteristic scaling regimes can be recovered. For both cases (rivulets and droplets), the flow within the horizontal fracture transitions into a Washburn regime until a critical threshold is reached and the bypass efficiency increases. For rivulet flows, the initial filling of the horizontal fracture is described by classical plug flow. Meanwhile, for droplet flows, a size-dependent partitioning behavior is observed, and the filling of the fracture takes longer. For the case of rivulet flow, we provide an analytical solution that demonstrates the existence of classical Washburn flow within the horizontal fracture.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1542082

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-122784

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Vol. 53, Issue 11

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Effect of Unsaturated Flow Modes on Partitioning Dynamics of Gravity-Driven Flow at a Simple Fracture Intersection: Laboratory Study and Three-Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations

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