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A model for water flow through rock fractures based on friction factor

journal contribution
posted on 2024-11-16, 08:28 authored by Zhenyu Zhang, Jan NemcikJan Nemcik, Qiuqiu Qiao, Xueyu Geng
Rock fracture roughness and tortuosity caused by contact asperities produce extra resistance for fluid flow in comparison with the channel consisting of two smooth parallel plates. To characterise the role of roughness and tortuosity in water flow through rock fractures, the existing studies of the effect of fracture roughness and contact area (tortuosity) on fluid flow through rock fractures were firstly reviewed. Then, an explicit flow model was derived using the friction factor predictor previously proposed according to the flow data of sandstone fractures. Regarding the introduced relative roughness of rock fracture as the correction variable, the developed flow model can be considered as a corrected form of classic cubic law, where the relative roughness is defined as the ratio of the averaged peak asperity height to equivalent hydraulic aperture. Sensitivity analysis shows that the cubic law can overestimate the flow rate by 10 % when the relative roughness increases to 70.7. With further increase in relative roughness up to 300, which usually represents tight rock fractures, the flow rate is only approximately 64 % of that predicted by cubic law. The verification of this friction factor to granite and limestone fractures shows that the used friction factor predictor is in good accordance with the experimental data.

Funding

Study of Coupled Water-Gas-Sediment (three-phase) Flows through Jointed and Stratified Rock

Australian Research Council

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History

Citation

Zhang, Z., Nemcik, J., Qiao, Q. & Geng, X. (2015). A model for water flow through rock fractures based on friction factor. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 48 (2), 559-571.

Journal title

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

Volume

48

Issue

2

Pagination

559-571

Language

English

RIS ID

90743

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