A stratified percolation model for saturated and unsaturated flow through natural fractures

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:137703

Pyrak-Nolte, L J ^[1]; Cook, N G.W.; Myer, L R ^[2]

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1. Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (USA). Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
2. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)

The geometry of the asperities of contact between the two surfaces of a fracture and of the adjacent void spaces determines fluid flow through a fracture and the mechanical deformation across a fracture. Heuristically we have developed a stratified continuum percolation model to describe this geometry based on a fractal construction that includes scale invariance and correlation of void apertures. Deformation under stress is analyzed using conservation of rock volume to correct for asperity interpenetration. Single phase flow is analyzed using a critical path along which the principal resistance is a result of laminar flow across the critical neck in this path. Results show that flow decreases with apparent aperture raised to a variable power greater than cubic, as is observed in flow experiments on natural fractures. For two phases, flow of the non-wetting phase is likewise governed by the critical neck along the critical path of largest aperture but flow of the wetting phase is governed by tortuosity. 17 refs., 10 figs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 137703
• Report Number(s): LBL-28334; CONF-900406-60; ON: DE90009217; TRN: 90:010318
• Resource Relation: Conference: 1. international topical meeting on high-level radioactive waste management, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 8-12 Apr 1990; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FLUID FLOW
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
DEFORMATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
CONTAINMENT
STRATIGRAPHY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
PERMEABILITY
PHASE STUDIES
APERTURES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
WETTABILITY
STRESSES
POROUS MATERIALS
TUFF
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
HYDRAULICS
WATER SATURATION
Yucca Mountain Project