TOUGH-RFPA: Coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical Rock Failure Process Analysis with application to deep geothermal wells

Li, Tianjiao; Tang, Chun'an; Rutqvist, Jonny; Hu, Mengsu

doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104726

TOUGH-RFPA: Coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical Rock Failure Process Analysis with application to deep geothermal wells

Journal Article · Sat Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104726· OSTI ID:1865863

^[1]; Tang, Chun'an ^[2]; Rutqvist, Jonny ^[3]; Hu, Mengsu ^[3]

Dalian Univ. of Technology (China); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Dalian Univ. of Technology (China)
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

This paper presents a coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) model for simulating failure processes in geological media. The coupling between stress/strain and heat transfer describing how thermal expansion affects stress is based on the theory of thermo-elasticity. Additionally, the coupling between stress/strain and fluid flow describing how pore-pressure affects stress is governed by Biot's consolidation theory. Stress/strain-dependent porosity/permeability/capillary-pressure defines the influence of stress on fluid flow and thermal fields. The THM model is implemented in the solver module that links the multiphase, multicomponent fluid flow simulator TOUGH2 with the geomechanical simulator RFPA (Rock Failure Process Analysis), which is based on the concept that heterogeneity leads to non-linearity and progressive failure behavior. Capability of TOUGH-RFPA simulator was verified by two benchmark problems related to hydraulic-mechanical and thermal-mechanical response in a hollow cylinder. Then the applicability of TOUGH-RFPA was demonstrated for modeling cooling-induced damage around a very deep geothermal well with mesoscopic heterogeneous properties, which showed complex damage evolution and fracturing during well cooling and fluid pressurization.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Natural Science Foundation of China

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1865863

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1782888

Journal Information:: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Journal Name: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences Vol. 142; ISSN 1365-1609

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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58 GEOSCIENCES
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TOUGH-RFPA: Coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical Rock Failure Process Analysis with application to deep geothermal wells

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