Parameters affecting maximum fluid transport in large aperture fractures

Dragila, M. I.; Weisbrod, Noam

doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2003.09.002

Cited by 34 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Previous studies addressing similar problems have attributed the origins of this force to modification of the capillary pressure acting on the menisci, whereas the main source of friction remains the Poiseuille-like viscous dissipation in the bulk liquid. [13][14][15]24 We argue, however, that the presence of menisci bends streamlines in a region close to the interface, thereby affecting the form of viscous dissipation, which will differ from Poiseuille's.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Previous studies addressing similar problems tacitly assume that friction is essentially due to Poiseuille viscous dissipation. [13][14][15] This implies that the additional drag force is only due to the altered meniscus shapes that modify the applied pressure. However, the presence of an interface also modifies the flow field ͑bending streamlines in the vicinity of the meniscus͒ and increases viscous dissipation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gravity-driven slug motion in capillary tubes

Lunati

2009

Physics of Fluids

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The velocity of a liquid slug falling in a capillary tube is lower than predicted for Poiseuille flow due to presence of menisci, whose shapes are determined by the complex interplay of capillary, viscous, and gravitational forces. Due to the presence of menisci, a capillary pressure proportional to surface curvature acts on the slug and streamlines are bent close to the interface, resulting in enhanced viscous dissipation at the wedges. To determine the origin of drag-force increase relative to Poiseuille flow, we compute the force resultant acting on the slug by integrating Navier-Stokes equations over the liquid volume. Invoking relationships from differential geometry we demonstrate that the additional drag is due to viscous forces only and that no capillary drag of hydrodynamic origin exists ͑i.e., due to hydrodynamic deformation of the interface͒. Requiring that the force resultant is zero, we derive scaling laws for the steady velocity in the limit of small capillary numbers by estimating the leading order viscous dissipation in the different regions of the slug ͑i.e., the unperturbed Poiseuille-like bulk, the static menisci close to the tube axis and the dynamic regions close to the contact lines͒. Considering both partial and complete wetting, we find that the relationship between dimensionless velocity and weight is, in general, nonlinear. Whereas the relationship obtained for complete-wetting conditions is found in agreement with the experimental data of Bico and Quéré ͓J. Bico and D. Quéré, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 243, 262 ͑2001͔͒, the scaling law under partial-wetting conditions is validated by numerical simulations performed with the Volume of Fluid method. The simulated steady velocities agree with the behavior predicted by the theoretical scaling laws in presence and in absence of static contact angle hysteresis. The numerical simulations suggest that wedge-flow dissipation alone cannot account for the entire additional drag and that the non-Poiseuille dissipation in the static menisci ͑not considered in previous studies͒ has to be considered for large contact angles.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gravity-driven slug motion in capillary tubes

Lunati

2009

Physics of Fluids

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“…13). The fluid dynamics in this type of fracture junction has recently been investigated experimentally [6,7].…”

Section: Fluid Motion Through An Unsaturated Fracture Junctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The physics of fluid flows in unsaturated fractures is still poorly understood due to the complexity of multiple phase flow dynamics [5]. Experimental studies of fluid flow in fractures are limited [6,7], and in computer simulations it is usually difficult to take into account the fracture surface properties and microscopic roughness. Predictive numerical models can be divided into two general classes: volume-averaged continuum models (such as those based on Richard's equation) [8] and discrete mechanistic models [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of fluid motion through an unsaturated fracture and fracture junction

Liu

Meakin

Huang

2007

Journal of Computational Physics

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Effect of Unsaturated Flow Modes on Partitioning Dynamics of Gravity‐Driven Flow at a Simple Fracture Intersection: Laboratory Study and Three‐Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations

Kordilla

Noffz

Dentz

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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In this work, we study gravity‐driven flow of water in the presence of air on a synthetic surface intersected by a horizontal fracture and investigate the importance of droplet and rivulet flow modes on the partitioning behavior at the fracture intersection. We present laboratory experiments, three‐dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations using a heavily parallelized code, and a theoretical analysis. The flow‐rate‐dependent mode switching from droplets to rivulets is observed in experiments and reproduced by the SPH model, and the transition ranges agree in SPH simulations and laboratory experiments. We show that flow modes heavily influence the “bypass” behavior of water flowing along a fracture junction. Flows favoring the formation of droplets exhibit a much stronger bypass capacity compared to rivulet flows, where nearly the whole fluid mass is initially stored within the horizontal fracture. The effect of fluid buffering within the horizontal fracture is presented in terms of dimensionless fracture inflow so that characteristic scaling regimes can be recovered. For both cases (rivulets and droplets), the flow within the horizontal fracture transitions into a Washburn regime until a critical threshold is reached and the bypass efficiency increases. For rivulet flows, the initial filling of the horizontal fracture is described by classical plug flow. Meanwhile, for droplet flows, a size‐dependent partitioning behavior is observed, and the filling of the fracture takes longer. For the case of rivulet flow, we provide an analytical solution that demonstrates the existence of classical Washburn flow within the horizontal fracture.

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Parameters affecting maximum fluid transport in large aperture fractures

Cited by 34 publications

References 36 publications

Gravity-driven slug motion in capillary tubes

Gravity-driven slug motion in capillary tubes

Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of fluid motion through an unsaturated fracture and fracture junction

Effect of Unsaturated Flow Modes on Partitioning Dynamics of Gravity‐Driven Flow at a Simple Fracture Intersection: Laboratory Study and Three‐Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations

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