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 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.

A NUMERICAL STUDY OF EQUIVALENT PERMEABILITY OF 2D FRACTAL ROCK FRACTURE NETWORKS

Fractals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050014
Author(s):  
XIAOSHAN WANG ◽  
YUJING JIANG ◽  
RICHENG LIU ◽  
BO LI ◽  
ZAIQUAN WANG
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Rock Fracture ◽  
Least Square Method ◽  
Site Investigation ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Fracture Density ◽  
Equivalent Permeability ◽  
Dfn Model

This paper presents a numerical study on the equivalent permeability of a fractured rock. A series of two-dimensional discrete fracture network (DFN) models for the calculation of equivalent permeability are generated based on discrete element method (DEM). A sufficient large “parent” DFN model is generated based on the data obtained from a site investigation result of Three Gorges Project in China. Smaller DFN models are extracted from the large “parent” DFN model to calculate the equivalent permeability with an interval of rotation angle of [Formula: see text]. Fluid flow through fractures in both horizontal and vertical directions is simulated. The results show that when the side length of DFN models are larger than 40[Formula: see text]m, the equivalent permeability of both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] become stable, indicating that a DFN model size of 40[Formula: see text]m can be approximated as a representative elementary volume (REV) for those studied rocks. Penetration ellipses are fitted using the least square method on the basis of the calculated equivalent permeability tensor and the main seepage directions of this fractured rock were determined as 63–67[Formula: see text]. Fractal characteristics of DFN models are analyzed with box-counting method by changing the fracture trace length and fracture density, and the results show that equivalent permeability exhibits a logarithmic increasing trend with the increment of fractal dimension.

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