Growth rate of a penny-shaped crack in hydraulic fracturing of rocks

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:5138861

Abe, H; Keer, L M; Mura, T

The deformation and growth of a crack, fractured hydraulically, is investigated when fluid is injected from an inlet into the crack at a constant flow rate. The total flow rate at the inlet is divided as follows: flow rate extracted from an outlet hole; fluid loss rate from the crack surface; and total fluid mass change in the crack. Two cases are considered: (1) inlet flow rate is initially greater than the sum of the outlet flow and fluid loss rates; and (2) the reverse holds true. Ranges are shown for which the crack attains stationary states for given inlet flow rate and outlet pressure. For these two cases reasonable outlet flow rates are obtained when the outlet pressure is less than or equal to the difference between the tectonic stress and the fluid head at the inlet. Results are expected to be of use in considerations of heat extraction from hot, dry rock.

• Research Organization: Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
• OSTI ID: 5138861
• Report Number(s): PB-80-128184
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
58 GEOSCIENCES
CRACKS
GROWTH
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
ROCKS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
HEAT EXTRACTION
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
ROCK MECHANICS
COMMINUTION
FAILURES
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
MECHANICS
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