On relative permeability of rough-walled fractures
This paper presents a conceptual and numerical model of multiphase flow in fractures. The void space of real rough-walled rock fractures is conceptualized as a two-dimensional heterogeneous porous medium, characterized by aperture as a function of position in the fracture plane. Portions of a fracture are occupied by wetting and non-wetting phase, respectively, according to local capillary pressure and accessibility criteria. Phase occupancy and permeability are derived by assuming a parallel-plate approximation for suitably small subregions in the fracture plane. Wetting and non-wetting phase relative permeabilities are calculated by numerically simulating single phase flows separately in the wetted and non-wetted pore spaces. Illustrative examples indicate that relative permeabilities depend sensitively on the nature and range of spatial correlation between apertures. 30 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 6374691
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-26509; CONF-890114-4; ON: DE89008169
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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