scholarly journals Implementation of a Time-Domain Random-Walk Method into a Discrete Element Method to Simulate Nuclide Transport in Fractured Rock Masses

Geofluids ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuexiu Wu ◽  
Quansheng Liu ◽  
Andrew H. C. Chan ◽  
Hongyuan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Random Walk ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
External Stress ◽  
Matrix Diffusion ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Nuclide Transport ◽  
Fractured Rock Masses

It is essential to study nuclide transport with underground water in fractured rock masses in order to evaluate potential radionuclide leakage in nuclear waste disposal. A time-domain random-walk (TDRW) method was firstly implemented into a discrete element method (DEM), that is, UDEC, in this paper to address the pressing challenges of modelling the nuclide transport in fractured rock masses such as massive fractures and coupled hydromechanical effect. The implementation was then validated against analytical solutions for nuclide transport in a single fracture and a simple fracture network. After that, the proposed implementation was applied to model the nuclide transport in a complex fracture network investigated in the DECOVALEX 2011 project to analyze the effect of matrix diffusion and stress on the nuclide transport in the fractured rock masses. It was concluded that the implementation of the TDRW method into UDEC provided a valuable tool to study the nuclide transport in the fractured rock masses. Moreover, it was found that the total travel time of the nuclide particles in the fractured rock masses with the matrix diffusion and external stress modelled was much longer than that without the matrix diffusion and external stress modelled.

scholarly journals Correlations between Geometric Properties and Permeability of 2D Fracture Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Wang ◽  
Liyuan Yu ◽  
Hanqing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Rock Fracture ◽  
Fractal Dimensions ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Network Structures ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Fracture Networks ◽  
Geometric Properties ◽  
Equivalent Permeability ◽  
Fractured Rock Masses

The equivalent permeability of fractured rock masses plays an important role in understanding the fluid flow and solute transport properties in underground engineering, yet the effective predictive models have not been proposed. This study established mathematical expressions to link permeability of 2D fracture networks to the geometric properties of fractured rock masses, including number density of fracture lines, total length of fractures per square meter, and fractal dimensions of fracture network structures and intersections. The results show that the equivalent permeability has power law relationships with the geometric properties of fracture networks. The fractal dimensions that can be easily obtained from an engineering site can be used to predict the permeability of a rock fracture network. When the fractal dimensions of fracture network structures and intersections exceed the critical values, the effect of randomness of fracture locations is negligible. The equivalent permeability of a fracture network increases with the increment of fracture density and/or fractal dimensions proportionally.

scholarly journals Elastic properties of fractured rock masses

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Davy ◽  
Caroline Darcel ◽  
Romain Le Goc ◽  
Diego Mas Ivars
Keyword(s):  
Elastic Properties ◽  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Fractured Rock Masses
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