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- Title
An Analytical Solution for Variable Viscosity Flow in Fractured Media: Development and Comparative Analysis With Numerical Simulations.
- Authors
Younes, Anis; Rajabi, Mohammad Mahdi; Rezaiezadeh Roukerd, Fatemeh; Fahs, Marwan
- Abstract
Explicit fracture models often use analytical solutions for predicting flow in fractured media, usually assuming uniform fluid viscosity for simplicity. This assumption, however, can be inaccurate as fluid viscosity varies due to factors like composition, temperature, and dissolved substances. Our study, recognizing these discrepancies, abandons this uniform viscosity assumption for a more realistic model of variable viscosity flow, focusing on viscous displacement scenarios. This includes instances like injecting viscous surfactants for hydrocarbon recovery in fractured reservoirs or soil decontamination. This presents a significant challenge, enhancing our understanding of transport within fractures, mainly governed by advection. Our study centers on a low‐permeability rock matrix intersected by two fractures with variable apertures. We employ two methods: an analytical approach with a new solution and numerical simulations with two distinct in‐house codes, discretizing both the rock matrix and fractures with two‐dimensional triangular elements. The first code uses a Discontinuous Galerkin finite element method, while the second utilizes a finite‐volume method, allowing a comprehensive comparison of solutions. Additionally, we investigate parameter identifiability, like fracture apertures and viscosity ratios, using breakthrough curves from our analytical solution, applying the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. Key Points: Analytical model developed for variable viscosity flow in fractured media, overcoming the common uniform viscosity assumptionAnalytical and numerical solutions demonstrate overall consistency, with minor discrepancies observedBreakthrough curves from the analytical solution, using Markov Chain Monte Carlo, enable confident estimation of fracture apertures
- Subjects
NUMERICAL analysis; ANALYTICAL solutions; MONTE Carlo method; VISCOSITY solutions; SOIL remediation; MARKOV chain Monte Carlo; CURVES; MEASUREMENT of viscosity
- Publication
Water Resources Research, 2024, Vol 60, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
0043-1397
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023WR035741