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Title: Dispersion and Mixing in Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks: Nonlinear Interplay Between Structural and Hydraulic Heterogeneity: DISPERSION AND MIXING-REGULAR VERSUS DISORDERED NETWORKS

Abstract

We investigate the relative impact of topological, geometric, and hydraulic heterogeneity on transport processes in three-dimensional fracture networks. Focusing on the two largest scales of heterogeneity in these systems, individual fracture and network structure, we compare transport through analogous structured and disordered three-dimensional fracture networks with varying degrees of hydraulic heterogeneity. For the moderate levels of hydraulic heterogeneity we consider, network structure is the dominant control of transport through the networks. Less dispersion, both longitudinal and transverse, is observed in structured networks than in disordered networks, due in part to the higher connectivity in the former, independent of the level of hydraulic heterogeneity. However, increases in dispersion with higher hydraulic heterogeneity are larger in the disordered networks than in the structured networks, thereby indicating that the interplay between structural and hydraulic heterogeneity is nonlinear. Here, we propose a measure of disorder in fracture networks by computing the Shannon entropy of the spectrum of the Laplacian of a weighted graph representation of the networks, where the weights are given by a combination of topological, geometric, and hydraulic properties. Finally, this metric, as a relative indicator by comparison between two networks, is a first approach to the dispersion potential and “mixing capacity”more » of a fracture network.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dubendorf (Switzerland); Federal Inst. of Technology, Zurich (Switzerland). Dept. of Civil,Environmental and Geomatic Engineering; Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1469532
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1436193
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-17-25983
Journal ID: ISSN 0043-1397
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396; 20150763PRD4
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Water Resources Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 54; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0043-1397
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; Earth Sciences

Citation Formats

Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, and Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin. Dispersion and Mixing in Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks: Nonlinear Interplay Between Structural and Hydraulic Heterogeneity: DISPERSION AND MIXING-REGULAR VERSUS DISORDERED NETWORKS. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1029/2018WR022585.
Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, & Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin. Dispersion and Mixing in Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks: Nonlinear Interplay Between Structural and Hydraulic Heterogeneity: DISPERSION AND MIXING-REGULAR VERSUS DISORDERED NETWORKS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022585
Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, and Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin. Tue . "Dispersion and Mixing in Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks: Nonlinear Interplay Between Structural and Hydraulic Heterogeneity: DISPERSION AND MIXING-REGULAR VERSUS DISORDERED NETWORKS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022585. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1469532.
@article{osti_1469532,
title = {Dispersion and Mixing in Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks: Nonlinear Interplay Between Structural and Hydraulic Heterogeneity: DISPERSION AND MIXING-REGULAR VERSUS DISORDERED NETWORKS},
author = {Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven and Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin},
abstractNote = {We investigate the relative impact of topological, geometric, and hydraulic heterogeneity on transport processes in three-dimensional fracture networks. Focusing on the two largest scales of heterogeneity in these systems, individual fracture and network structure, we compare transport through analogous structured and disordered three-dimensional fracture networks with varying degrees of hydraulic heterogeneity. For the moderate levels of hydraulic heterogeneity we consider, network structure is the dominant control of transport through the networks. Less dispersion, both longitudinal and transverse, is observed in structured networks than in disordered networks, due in part to the higher connectivity in the former, independent of the level of hydraulic heterogeneity. However, increases in dispersion with higher hydraulic heterogeneity are larger in the disordered networks than in the structured networks, thereby indicating that the interplay between structural and hydraulic heterogeneity is nonlinear. Here, we propose a measure of disorder in fracture networks by computing the Shannon entropy of the spectrum of the Laplacian of a weighted graph representation of the networks, where the weights are given by a combination of topological, geometric, and hydraulic properties. Finally, this metric, as a relative indicator by comparison between two networks, is a first approach to the dispersion potential and “mixing capacity” of a fracture network.},
doi = {10.1029/2018WR022585},
journal = {Water Resources Research},
number = 5,
volume = 54,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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