Discrete Dual Porosity Modeling of Electrical Current Flow in Fractured Media

Science.gov (United States)

Roubinet, D.; Irving, J.

2013-12-01

The study of fractured rocks is highly important in a variety of research fields and applications such as hydrogeology, geothermal energy, hydrocarbon extraction, and the long-term storage of toxic waste. Fractured media are characterized by a large contrast in permeability between the fractures and the rock matrix. For hydrocarbon extraction, the presence of highly conductive fractures is an advantage as they allow for quick and easy access to the resource. For toxic waste storage, however, the fractures represent a significant drawback as there is an increased risk of leakage and migration of pollutants deep into the subsurface. In both cases, the identification of fracture network characteristics is a critical, challenging, and required step. A number of previous studies have indicated that the presence of fractures in geological materials can have a significant impact on geophysical electrical resistivity measurements. It thus appears that, in some cases, geoelectrical surveys might be used to obtain useful information regarding fracture network characteristics. However, existing geoelectrical modeling tools and inversion methods are not properly adapted to deal with the specific challenges of fractured media. This prevents us from fully exploring the potential of the method to characterize fracture network properties. We thus require, as a first step, the development of accurate and efficient numerical modeling tools specifically designed for fractured domains. Building on the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach that has been widely used for modeling groundwater flow in fractured rocks, we have developed a discrete dual-porosity model for electrical current flow in fractured media. Our novel approach combines an explicit representation of the fractures with fracture-matrix electrical flow exchange at the block-scale. Tests in two dimensions show the ability of our method to deal with highly heterogeneous fracture networks in a highly computationally

Fluid-driven fracture propagation in heterogeneous media: Probability distributions of fracture trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Santillán, David; Mosquera, Juan-Carlos; Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis

2017-11-01

Hydraulic fracture trajectories in rocks and other materials are highly affected by spatial heterogeneity in their mechanical properties. Understanding the complexity and structure of fluid-driven fractures and their deviation from the predictions of homogenized theories is a practical problem in engineering and geoscience. We conduct a Monte Carlo simulation study to characterize the influence of heterogeneous mechanical properties on the trajectories of hydraulic fractures propagating in elastic media. We generate a large number of random fields of mechanical properties and simulate pressure-driven fracture propagation using a phase-field model. We model the mechanical response of the material as that of an elastic isotropic material with heterogeneous Young modulus and Griffith energy release rate, assuming that fractures propagate in the toughness-dominated regime. Our study shows that the variance and the spatial covariance of the mechanical properties are controlling factors in the tortuousness of the fracture paths. We characterize the deviation of fracture paths from the homogenous case statistically, and conclude that the maximum deviation grows linearly with the distance from the injection point. Additionally, fracture path deviations seem to be normally distributed, suggesting that fracture propagation in the toughness-dominated regime may be described as a random walk.

A Two-Scale Reduced Model for Darcy Flow in Fractured Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Chen, Huangxin

2016-06-01

In this paper, we develop a two-scale reduced model for simulating the Darcy flow in two-dimensional porous media with conductive fractures. We apply the approach motivated by the embedded fracture model (EFM) to simulate the flow on the coarse scale, and the effect of fractures on each coarse scale grid cell intersecting with fractures is represented by the discrete fracture model (DFM) on the fine scale. In the DFM used on the fine scale, the matrix-fracture system are resolved on unstructured grid which represents the fractures accurately, while in the EFM used on the coarse scale, the flux interaction between fractures and matrix are dealt with as a source term, and the matrix-fracture system can be resolved on structured grid. The Raviart-Thomas mixed finite element methods are used for the solution of the coupled flows in the matrix and the fractures on both fine and coarse scales. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model for simulation of flow in fractured porous media.

Origin of Permeability and Structure of Flows in Fractured Media

Science.gov (United States)

De Dreuzy, J.; Darcel, C.; Davy, P.; Erhel, J.; Le Goc, R.; Maillot, J.; Meheust, Y.; Pichot, G.; Poirriez, B.

2013-12-01

After more than three decades of research, flows in fractured media have been shown to result from multi-scale geological structures. Flows result non-exclusively from the damage zone of the large faults, from the percolation within denser networks of smaller fractures, from the aperture heterogeneity within the fracture planes and from some remaining permeability within the matrix. While the effect of each of these causes has been studied independently, global assessments of the main determinisms is still needed. We propose a general approach to determine the geological structures responsible for flows, their permeability and their organization based on field data and numerical modeling [de Dreuzy et al., 2012b]. Multi-scale synthetic networks are reconstructed from field data and simplified mechanical modeling [Davy et al., 2010]. High-performance numerical methods are developed to comply with the specificities of the geometry and physical properties of the fractured media [Pichot et al., 2010; Pichot et al., 2012]. And, based on a large Monte-Carlo sampling, we determine the key determinisms of fractured permeability and flows (Figure). We illustrate our approach on the respective influence of fracture apertures and fracture correlation patterns at large scale. We show the potential role of fracture intersections, so far overlooked between the fracture and the network scales. We also demonstrate how fracture correlations reduce the bulk fracture permeability. Using this analysis, we highlight the need for more specific in-situ characterization of fracture flow structures. Fracture modeling and characterization are necessary to meet the new requirements of a growing number of applications where fractures appear both as potential advantages to enhance permeability and drawbacks for safety, e.g. in energy storage, stimulated geothermal energy and non-conventional gas productions. References Davy, P., et al. (2010), A likely universal model of fracture scaling and

Simulation of density-driven flow in heterogeneous and fractured porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grillo, A. [Politecnico di Torino (Italy). DISMA; Logashenko, D. [Steinbeis Research Center, Oelbronn (Germany); Stichel, S.; Wittum, G. [Frankfurt Univ., Frankfurt am Main (Germany). G-CSC

2015-07-01

The study of fractured porous media is an important and challenging problem in hydrogeology. One of the difficulties is that mathematical models have to account for heterogeneity introduced by fractures in hydrogeological media. Heterogeneity may strongly influence the physical processes taking place in these media. Moreover, the thickness of the fractures, which is usually negligible in comparison with the size of the whole domain, and the complicated geometry of fracture networks reduce essentially the efficiency of numerical methods. In order to overcome these difficulties, fractures are sometimes considered as objects of reduced dimensionality (surfaces in three dimensions), and the field equations are averaged along the fracture width. Fractures are assumed to be thin regions of space filled with a porous material whose properties differ from those of the porous medium enclosing them. The interfaces separating the fractures from the embedding medium are assumed to be ideal. We consider two approaches: (i) the fractures have the same dimension, d, as the embedding medium and are said to be d-dimensional; (ii) the fractures are considered as (d-1)-dimensional manifolds, and the equations of density-driven flow are found by averaging the d-dimensional laws over the fracture width. We show that the second approach is a valid alternative to the first one. For this purpose, we perform numerical experiments using a finite-volume discretization for both approaches. The results obtained by the two methods are in good agreement with each other. We derive a criterion for the validity of the simplified representation. The criterion characterizes the transition of a mainly parallel flow to a rotational flow, which cannot be reasonably approximated using a d-1 dimensional representation. We further present a numerical algorithm using adaptive dimensional representation.

Modeling the Impact of Fracture Growth on Fluid Displacements in Deformable Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Santillán, D.; Cueto-Felgueroso, L.; Juanes, R.

2015-12-01

Coupled flow and geomechanics is a critical research challenge in engineering and the geosciences. The flow of a fluid through a deformable porous media is present in manyenvironmental, industrial, and biological processes,such as the removal of pollutants from underground water bodies, enhanced geothermal systems, unconventional hydrocarbon resources or enhanced oil recovery techniques. However, the injection of a fluid can generate or propagate fractures, which are preferential flow paths. Using numerical simulation, we study the interplay between injection and rock mechanics, and elucidate fracture propagation as a function of injection rate, initial crack topology and mechanical rock properties. Finally, we discuss the role of fracture growth on fluid displacements in porous media. Figure: An example of fracture (in red) propagated in a porous media (in blue)

Monte Carlo simulation of radioactive contaminant transport in fractured geologic media: Disorder and long-range correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, S.; Cushman, J.H.

1997-01-01

The geologic media near Yucca mountain site consist of fractured welded tuffs along with less fractured unwelded tuff. Numerical simulation of flow and transport in such media poses a number of challenging problems, due mainly to the heterogeneities and disorder in the media. In addition, because of different dominant transport mechanisms in different regions of the media, investigations need to be carried out at different time-scales. Time-marching will pose a considerable problem in analyzing such multi-scale transient problems. The authors develop a field-scale network model of fractures and study transport of radionuclides through geologic media as a function of disorder and correlated fracture-permeabilities

Computational models of the hydrodynamics of fractured-porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grandi, G.M.

1989-01-01

The prediction of the flow pattern in fractured-porous media has great importance in the assessment of the local thermohydrological effects of the siting of a nuclear waste repository, among many other technological applications. Computational models must be used due to the complexity of the different phenomena involved which restricts the use of analytical techniques. A new numerical method, based on the boundary-fitted finite-difference technique, is presented in this thesis. The boundaries are external (the boundary of the physical domain), and internal (which correspond to the fracture network). The inclusion of the discrete fracture representation in the volume that represents the porous medium is the difference between the usual approach and the present one. The numerical model has been used in the prediction of the flow pattern in several internationally recognized verification cases and to hypothetical problems of our interest. The results obtained proved that the numerical approach considered gives accurate and reliable predictions of the hydrodynamics of fractured-porous media, allowing its use for the above mentioned studies. (Author) [es

Numerical simulation on ferrofluid flow in fractured porous media based on discrete-fracture model

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Tao; Yao, Jun; Huang, Zhaoqin; Yin, Xiaolong; Xie, Haojun; Zhang, Jianguang

2017-06-01

Water flooding is an efficient approach to maintain reservoir pressure and has been widely used to enhance oil recovery. However, preferential water pathways such as fractures can significantly decrease the sweep efficiency. Therefore, the utilization ratio of injected water is seriously affected. How to develop new flooding technology to further improve the oil recovery in this situation is a pressing problem. For the past few years, controllable ferrofluid has caused the extensive concern in oil industry as a new functional material. In the presence of a gradient in the magnetic field strength, a magnetic body force is produced on the ferrofluid so that the attractive magnetic forces allow the ferrofluid to be manipulated to flow in any desired direction through the control of the external magnetic field. In view of these properties, the potential application of using the ferrofluid as a new kind of displacing fluid for flooding in fractured porous media is been studied in this paper for the first time. Considering the physical process of the mobilization of ferrofluid through porous media by arrangement of strong external magnetic fields, the magnetic body force was introduced into the Darcy equation and deals with fractures based on the discrete-fracture model. The fully implicit finite volume method is used to solve mathematical model and the validity and accuracy of numerical simulation, which is demonstrated through an experiment with ferrofluid flowing in a single fractured oil-saturated sand in a 2-D horizontal cell. At last, the water flooding and ferrofluid flooding in a complex fractured porous media have been studied. The results showed that the ferrofluid can be manipulated to flow in desired direction through control of the external magnetic field, so that using ferrofluid for flooding can raise the scope of the whole displacement. As a consequence, the oil recovery has been greatly improved in comparison to water flooding. Thus, the ferrofluid

Dispersion analysis for waves propagated in fractured media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lesniak, A; Niitsuma, H [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1996-05-01

Dispersion of velocity is defined as a variation of the phase velocity with frequency. This paper describes the dispersion analysis of compressional body waves propagated in the heterogeneous fractured media. The new method proposed and discussed here permitted the evaluation of the variation in P wave arrival with frequency. For this processing method, any information about the attenuation of the medium are not required, and only an assumption of weak heterogeneity is important. It was shown that different mechanisms of dispersion can be distinguished and its value can be quantitatively estimated. Although the frequency used in this study was lower than those in most previous experiments reported in literature, the evaluated dispersion was large. It was suggested that such a large dispersion may be caused by the velocity structure of the media studied and by frequency dependent processes in a highly fractured zone. It was demonstrated that the present method can be used in the evaluation of subsurface fracture systems or characterization of any kind of heterogeneities. 10 refs., 6 figs.

Modeling of flow in faulted and fractured media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oeian, Erlend

2004-03-01

The work on this thesis has been done as part of a collaborative and inter disciplinary effort to improve the understanding of oil recovery mechanisms in fractured reservoirs. This project has been organized as a Strategic University Program (SUP) at the University of Bergen, Norway. The complex geometries of fractured reservoirs combined with flow of several fluid phases lead to difficult mathematical and numerical problems. In an effort to try to decrease the gap between the geological description and numerical modeling capabilities, new techniques are required. Thus, the main objective has been to improve the ATHENA flow simulator and utilize it within a fault modeling context. Specifically, an implicit treatment of the advection dominated mass transport equations within a domain decomposition based local grid refinement framework has been implemented. Since large computational tasks may arise, the implicit formulation has also been included in a parallel version of the code. Within the current limits of the simulator, appropriate up scaling techniques has also been considered. Part I of this thesis includes background material covering the basic geology of fractured porous media, the mathematical model behind the in-house flow simulator ATHENA and the additions implemented to approach simulation of flow through fractured and faulted porous media. In Part II, a set of research papers stemming from Part I is presented. A brief outline of the thesis follows below. In Chapt. 1 important aspects of the geological description and physical parameters of fractured and faulted porous media is presented. Based on this the scope of this thesis is specified having numerical issues and consequences in mind. Then, in Chapt. 2, the mathematical model and discretizations in the flow simulator is given followed by the derivation of the implicit mass transport formulation. In order to be fairly self-contained, most of the papers in Part II also includes the mathematical model

Modeling of flow in faulted and fractured media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oeian, Erlend

2004-03-01

The work on this thesis has been done as part of a collaborative and inter disciplinary effort to improve the understanding of oil recovery mechanisms in fractured reservoirs. This project has been organized as a Strategic University Program (SUP) at the University of Bergen, Norway. The complex geometries of fractured reservoirs combined with flow of several fluid phases lead to difficult mathematical and numerical problems. In an effort to try to decrease the gap between the geological description and numerical modeling capabilities, new techniques are required. Thus, the main objective has been to improve the ATHENA flow simulator and utilize it within a fault modeling context. Specifically, an implicit treatment of the advection dominated mass transport equations within a domain decomposition based local grid refinement framework has been implemented. Since large computational tasks may arise, the implicit formulation has also been included in a parallel version of the code. Within the current limits of the simulator, appropriate up scaling techniques has also been considered. Part I of this thesis includes background material covering the basic geology of fractured porous media, the mathematical model behind the in-house flow simulator ATHENA and the additions implemented to approach simulation of flow through fractured and faulted porous media. In Part II, a set of research papers stemming from Part I is presented. A brief outline of the thesis follows below. In Chapt. 1 important aspects of the geological description and physical parameters of fractured and faulted porous media is presented. Based on this the scope of this thesis is specified having numerical issues and consequences in mind. Then, in Chapt. 2, the mathematical model and discretizations in the flow simulator is given followed by the derivation of the implicit mass transport formulation. In order to be fairly self-contained, most of the papers in Part II also includes the mathematical model

Porous media fracturing dynamics: stepwise crack advancement and fluid pressure oscillations

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Toan D.; Hussain, Fazle; Schrefler, Bernhard A.

2018-02-01

We present new results explaining why fracturing in saturated porous media is not smooth and continuous but is a distinct stepwise process concomitant with fluid pressure oscillations. All exact solutions and almost all numerical models yield smooth fracture advancement and fluid pressure evolution, while recent experimental results, mainly from the oil industry, observation from geophysics and a very few numerical results for the quasi-static case indeed reveal the stepwise phenomenon. We summarize first these new experiments and these few numerical solutions for the quasi-static case. Both mechanical loading and pressure driven fractures are considered because their behaviours differ in the direction of the pressure jumps. Then we explore stepwise crack tip advancement and pressure fluctuations in dynamic fracturing with a hydro-mechanical model of porous media based on the Hybrid Mixture Theory. Full dynamic analyses of examples dealing with both hydraulic fracturing and mechanical loading are presented. The stepwise fracture advancement is confirmed in the dynamic setting as well as in the pressure fluctuations, but there are substantial differences in the frequency contents of the pressure waves in the two loading cases. Comparison between the quasi-static and fully dynamic solutions reveals that the dynamic response gives much more information such as the type of pressure oscillations and related frequencies and should be applied whenever there is a doubt about inertia forces playing a role - the case in most fracturing events. In the absence of direct relevant dynamic tests on saturated media some experimental results on dynamic fracture in dry materials, a fast hydraulic fracturing test and observations from geophysics confirm qualitatively the obtained results such as the type of pressure oscillations and the substantial difference in the behaviour under the two loading cases.

Radionuclide transport in fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.M.R.

1993-01-01

Until recently, the classical advective-dispersive transport equation was considered to be an adequate model for describing the motion of a solute (e.g. radionuclides) in porous and fractured media. In this model, the dispersion coefficient is either obtained from a microscopic model of the porous medium or by carefully controlled experiments. As a result of such experiments, a large body of data has been accumulated on the dispersivity. Detailed examination of these data has resulted in a curious phenomenon being discovered; namely, that the longitudinal dispersion length is 'scale-dependent'. That is to say the value deduced depends on the 'size' of the experiment, i.e. on the distance over which measurements are made. Several interesting attempts have been made to develop theories which explain this phenomenon, all based on treating the velocity of the water in the porous medium as a spatially random variable, but retaining the advective-dispersive balance equation. In this work we present an entirely new approach to the problem of solute transport in fractured media based upon an analogy with neutron transport. The new method has several advantages over the previous theories and these will be explained below. Results from the new theory are in agreement with experimental trends and do not require any further adjustment to explain the scale-dependent effect

A single continuum approximation of the solute transport in fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, J.T.; Lee, K.J.

1992-01-01

Solute transport in fractured porous media is described by the single continuum model, i.e., equivalent porous medium model. In this model, one-dimensional solute transport in the fracture and two-dimensional solute transport in the porous rock matrix is considered. The network of fractures embedded in the porous rock matrix is idealized as two orthogonally intersecting families of equally spaced, parallel fractures directed at 45 o to the regional groundwater flow direction. Governing equations are solved by the finite element method, and an upstream weighting technique is used in order to prevent the oscillation of the solution in the case of highly advection dominated transport. Breakthrough curves, similar to those of the one-dimensional solute transport problem in ordinary porous media, are obtained as a function of time according to volume or flux averaging of the concentration profile across the width of the flow region. The equivalent parameters, i.e., porosity and overall coefficient of longitudinal dispersivity, are obtained by a trial-and-error method. Analyses for the non-sorbing solute transport case show that within the range of considered parameters, and except for the region very close to the source, application of the single continuum model in the idealized fracture system is sufficient for modeling solute transport in fractured porous media. This numerical scheme is shown to be applicable to a sorbing solute and radionuclide transport. (author)

Optimization of fracture length in gas/condensate reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, J.; Sharma, M.M.; Pope, G.A. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX (United States)]|[Texas Univ., Austin, TX (United States)

2006-07-01

A common practice that improves the productivity of gas-condensate reservoirs is hydraulic fracturing. Two important variables that determine the effectiveness of hydraulic fractures are fracture length and fracture conductivity. Although there are no simple guidelines for the optimization of fracture length and the factors that affect it, it is preferable to have an optimum fracture length for a given proppant volume in order to maximize productivity. An optimization study was presented in which fracture length was estimated at wells where productivity was maximized. An analytical expression that takes into account non-Darcy flow and condensate banking was derived. This paper also reviewed the hydraulic fracturing process and discussed previous simulation studies that investigated the effects of well spacing and fracture length on well productivity in low permeability gas reservoirs. The compositional simulation study and results and discussion were also presented. The analytical expression for optimum fracture length, analytical expression with condensate dropout, and equations for the optimum fracture length with non-Darcy flow in the fracture were included in an appendix. The Computer Modeling Group's GEM simulator, an equation-of-state compositional simulator, was used in this study. It was concluded that for cases with non-Darcy flow, the optimum fracture lengths are lower than those obtained with Darcy flow. 18 refs., 5 tabs., 22 figs., 1 appendix.

An efficient hydro-mechanical model for coupled multi-porosity and discrete fracture porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xia; Huang, Zhaoqin; Yao, Jun; Li, Yang; Fan, Dongyan; Zhang, Kai

2018-02-01

In this paper, a numerical model is developed for coupled analysis of deforming fractured porous media with multiscale fractures. In this model, the macro-fractures are modeled explicitly by the embedded discrete fracture model, and the supporting effects of fluid and fillings in these fractures are represented explicitly in the geomechanics model. On the other hand, matrix and micro-fractures are modeled by a multi-porosity model, which aims to accurately describe the transient matrix-fracture fluid exchange process. A stabilized extended finite element method scheme is developed based on the polynomial pressure projection technique to address the displacement oscillation along macro-fracture boundaries. After that, the mixed space discretization and modified fixed stress sequential implicit methods based on non-matching grids are applied to solve the coupling model. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy and application of the proposed method to capture the coupled hydro-mechanical impacts of multiscale fractures on fractured porous media.

Evaluation of the conditions imposed by the fracture surface geometry on water seepage through fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, Nestor O.; Faybishenko, B.

2003-01-01

In order to determine the geometric patterns of the fracture surfaces that imposes conditions on the fluid flow through fractured porous media, a series a fracture models have been analyzed using the RIMAPS technique and the variogram method. Results confirm that the main paths followed by the fluid channels are determined by the surface topography and remain constant during water seepage evolution. Characteristics scale lengths of both situations: fracture surface and the flow of water, are also found. There exists a relationship between the scale lengths corresponding to each situation. (author)

Discrete-fracture-model of multi–scale time-splitting two–phase flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2017-11-23

In this article, we consider a two-phase immiscible incompressible flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured heterogeneous porous media. The system of the governing equations consists of water saturation, Darcy’s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat, as well as, porosity and permeability variation due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores. The discrete-fracture model (DFM) is used to describe the flow and transport in fractured porous media. Moreover, multiscale time-splitting strategy has been employed to manage different time-step sizes for different physics, such as saturation, concentration, etc. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multi-scale time splitting approach.

Discrete-fracture-model of multi–scale time-splitting two–phase flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed; Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

2017-01-01

In this article, we consider a two-phase immiscible incompressible flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured heterogeneous porous media. The system of the governing equations consists of water saturation, Darcy’s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat, as well as, porosity and permeability variation due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores. The discrete-fracture model (DFM) is used to describe the flow and transport in fractured porous media. Moreover, multiscale time-splitting strategy has been employed to manage different time-step sizes for different physics, such as saturation, concentration, etc. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multi-scale time splitting approach.

Using Chemicals to Optimize Conformance Control in Fractured Reservoirs; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seright, Randall S.; Liang, Jenn-Tai; Schrader, Richard; Hagstrom II, John; Wang, Ying; Kumar, Ananad; Wavrik, Kathryn

2001-01-01

This report describes work performed during the third and final year of the project, Using Chemicals to Optimize Conformance Control in Fractured Reservoirs. This research project had three objectives. The first objective was to develop a capability to predict and optimize the ability of gels to reduce permeability to water more than that to oil or gas. The second objective was to develop procedures for optimizing blocking agent placement in wells where hydraulic fractures cause channeling problems. The third objective was to develop procedures to optimize blocking agent placement in naturally fractured reservoirs

The effect of a microscale fracture on dynamic capillary pressure of two-phase flow in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Mingming; Lu, Shuangfang; Zhan, Hongbin; Wenqjie, Guo; Ma, Huifang

2018-03-01

Dynamic capillary pressure (DCP) effects, which is vital for predicting multiphase flow behavior in porous media, refers to the injection rate dependence capillary pressure observed during non-equilibrium displacement experiments. However, a clear picture of the effects of microscale fractures on DCP remains elusive. This study quantified the effects of microscale fractures on DCP and simulated pore-scale force and saturation change in fractured porous media using the multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Eighteen simulation cases were carried out to calculate DCP as a function of wetting phase saturation. The effects of viscosity ratio and fracture orientation, aperture and length on DCP and DCP coefficient τ were investigated, where τ refers to the ratio of the difference of DCP and static capillary pressure (SCP) over the rate of wetting-phase saturation change versus time. Significant differences in τ values were observed between unfractured and fractured porous media. The τ values of fractured porous media were 1.1  × 104 Pa ms to 5.68 × 105 Pa ms, which were one or two orders of magnitude lower than those of unfractured porous media with a value of 4 × 106 Pa. ms. A horizontal fracture had greater effects on DCP and τ than a vertical fracture, given the same fracture aperture and length. This study suggested that a microscale fracture might result in large magnitude changes in DCP for two-phase flow.

Ionised media and fractures: application to cartilaginous tissues and oil industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huyghe, J.M.R.J.; Kraaijeveld, F.; Remmers, J.J.C.; Borst, de R.; Denier, J; Finn, M.D.; Mattner, T

2008-01-01

ionized media are ubiquitous in nature. Our body holds onto water through ionised macromolecules that bind water up to a 1000 times their own mass. Clays and shales do a similar trick in the geoworld. Localization of deformation and fractures are very common. Bore hole instability through fracture

Coupled models in porous media: reactive transport and fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amir, L.

2008-12-01

This thesis deals with numerical simulation of coupled models for flow and transport in porous media. We present a new method for coupling chemical reactions and transport by using a Newton-Krylov method, and we also present a model of flow in fractured media, based on a domain decomposition method that takes into account the case of intersecting fractures. This study is composed of three parts: the first part contains an analysis, and implementation, of various numerical methods for discretizing advection-diffusion problems, in particular by using operator splitting methods. The second part is concerned with a fully coupled method for modeling transport and chemistry problems. The coupled transport-chemistry model is described, after discretization in time, by a system of nonlinear equations. The size of the system, namely the number of grid points times the number a chemical species, precludes a direct solution of the linear system. To alleviate this difficulty, we solve the system by a Newton-Krylov method, so as to avoid forming and factoring the Jacobian matrix. In the last part, we present a model of flow in 3D for intersecting fractures, by using a domain decomposition method. The fractures are treated as interfaces between sub-domains. We show existence and uniqueness of the solution, and we validate the model by numerical tests. (author)

Multiscale model reduction for shale gas transport in fractured media

KAUST Repository

Akkutlu, I. Y.

2016-05-18

In this paper, we develop a multiscale model reduction technique that describes shale gas transport in fractured media. Due to the pore-scale heterogeneities and processes, we use upscaled models to describe the matrix. We follow our previous work (Akkutlu et al. Transp. Porous Media 107(1), 235–260, 2015), where we derived an upscaled model in the form of generalized nonlinear diffusion model to describe the effects of kerogen. To model the interaction between the matrix and the fractures, we use Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (Efendiev et al. J. Comput. Phys. 251, 116–135, 2013, 2015). In this approach, the matrix and the fracture interaction is modeled via local multiscale basis functions. In Efendiev et al. (2015), we developed the GMsFEM and applied for linear flows with horizontal or vertical fracture orientations aligned with a Cartesian fine grid. The approach in Efendiev et al. (2015) does not allow handling arbitrary fracture distributions. In this paper, we (1) consider arbitrary fracture distributions on an unstructured grid; (2) develop GMsFEM for nonlinear flows; and (3) develop online basis function strategies to adaptively improve the convergence. The number of multiscale basis functions in each coarse region represents the degrees of freedom needed to achieve a certain error threshold. Our approach is adaptive in a sense that the multiscale basis functions can be added in the regions of interest. Numerical results for two-dimensional problem are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of proposed approach. © 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

The optimal XFEM approximation for fracture analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Shouyan; Du Chengbin; Ying Zongquan

2010-01-01

The extended finite element method (XFEM) provides an effective tool for analyzing fracture mechanics problems. A XFEM approximation consists of standard finite elements which are used in the major part of the domain and enriched elements in the enriched sub-domain for capturing special solution properties such as discontinuities and singularities. However, two issues in the standard XFEM should specially be concerned: efficient numerical integration methods and an appropriate construction of the blending elements. In the paper, an optimal XFEM approximation is proposed to overcome the disadvantage mentioned above in the standard XFEM. The modified enrichment functions are presented that can reproduced exactly everywhere in the domain. The corresponding FORTRAN program is developed for fracture analysis. A classic problem of fracture mechanics is used to benchmark the program. The results indicate that the optimal XFEM can alleviate the errors and improve numerical precision.

Specification of matrix cleanup goals in fractured porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, David J; Kueper, Bernard H

2013-01-01

Semianalytical transient solutions have been developed to evaluate what level of fractured porous media (e.g., bedrock or clay) matrix cleanup must be achieved in order to achieve compliance of fracture pore water concentrations within a specified time at specified locations of interest. The developed mathematical solutions account for forward and backward diffusion in a fractured porous medium where the initial condition comprises a spatially uniform, nonzero matrix concentration throughout the domain. Illustrative simulations incorporating the properties of mudstone fractured bedrock demonstrate that the time required to reach a desired fracture pore water concentration is a function of the distance between the point of compliance and the upgradient face of the domain where clean groundwater is inflowing. Shorter distances correspond to reduced times required to reach compliance, implying that shorter treatment zones will respond more favorably to remediation than longer treatment zones in which back-diffusion dominates the fracture pore water response. For a specified matrix cleanup goal, compliance of fracture pore water concentrations will be reached sooner for decreased fracture spacing, increased fracture aperture, higher matrix fraction organic carbon, lower matrix porosity, shorter aqueous phase decay half-life, and a higher hydraulic gradient. The parameters dominating the response of the system can be measured using standard field and laboratory techniques. © 2012, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

Development of RWHet to Simulate Contaminant Transport in Fractured Porous Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yong; LaBolle, Eric; Reeves, Donald M; Russell, Charles

2012-07-01

Accurate simulation of matrix diffusion in regional-scale dual-porosity and dual-permeability media is a critical issue for the DOE Underground Test Area (UGTA) program, given the prevalence of fractured geologic media on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Contaminant transport through regional-scale fractured media is typically quantified by particle-tracking based Lagrangian solvers through the inclusion of dual-domain mass transfer algorithms that probabilistically determine particle transfer between fractures and unfractured matrix blocks. UGTA applications include a wide variety of fracture aperture and spacing, effective diffusion coefficients ranging four orders of magnitude, and extreme end member retardation values. This report incorporates the current dual-domain mass transfer algorithms into the well-known particle tracking code RWHet [LaBolle, 2006], and then tests and evaluates the updated code. We also develop and test a direct numerical simulation (DNS) approach to replace the classical transfer probability method in characterizing particle dynamics across the fracture/matrix interface. The final goal of this work is to implement the algorithm identified as most efficient and effective into RWHet, so that an accurate and computationally efficient software suite can be built for dual-porosity/dual-permeability applications. RWHet is a mature Lagrangian transport simulator with a substantial user-base that has undergone significant development and model validation. In this report, we also substantially tested the capability of RWHet in simulating passive and reactive tracer transport through regional-scale, heterogeneous media. Four dual-domain mass transfer methodologies were considered in this work. We first developed the empirical transfer probability approach proposed by Liu et al. [2000], and coded it into RWHet. The particle transfer probability from one continuum to the other is proportional to the ratio of the mass entering the other

A residual-based a posteriori error estimator for single-phase Darcy flow in fractured porous media

KAUST Repository

Chen, Huangxin

2016-12-09

In this paper we develop an a posteriori error estimator for a mixed finite element method for single-phase Darcy flow in a two-dimensional fractured porous media. The discrete fracture model is applied to model the fractures by one-dimensional fractures in a two-dimensional domain. We consider Raviart–Thomas mixed finite element method for the approximation of the coupled Darcy flows in the fractures and the surrounding porous media. We derive a robust residual-based a posteriori error estimator for the problem with non-intersecting fractures. The reliability and efficiency of the a posteriori error estimator are established for the error measured in an energy norm. Numerical results verifying the robustness of the proposed a posteriori error estimator are given. Moreover, our numerical results indicate that the a posteriori error estimator also works well for the problem with intersecting fractures.

An optimal design of cluster spacing intervals for staged fracturing in horizontal shale gas wells based on the optimal SRVs

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Lan Ren

2017-09-01

Full Text Available When horizontal well staged cluster fracturing is applied in shale gas reservoirs, the cluster spacing is essential to fracturing performance. If the cluster spacing is too small, the stimulated area between major fractures will be overlapped, and the efficiency of fracturing stimulation will be decreased. If the cluster spacing is too large, the area between major fractures cannot be stimulated completely and reservoir recovery extent will be adversely impacted. At present, cluster spacing design is mainly based on the static model with the potential reservoir stimulation area as the target, and there is no cluster spacing design method in accordance with the actual fracturing process and targets dynamic stimulated reservoir volume (SRV. In this paper, a dynamic SRV calculation model for cluster fracture propagation was established by analyzing the coupling mechanisms among fracture propagation, fracturing fluid loss and stress. Then, the cluster spacing was optimized to reach the target of the optimal SRVs. This model was applied for validation on site in the Jiaoshiba shale gasfield in the Fuling area of the Sichuan Basin. The key geological engineering parameters influencing the optimal cluster spacing intervals were analyzed. The reference charts for the optimal cluster spacing design were prepared based on the geological characteristics of south and north blocks in the Jiaoshiba shale gasfield. It is concluded that the cluster spacing optimal design method proposed in this paper is of great significance in overcoming the blindness in current cluster perforation design and guiding the optimal design of volume fracturing in shale gas reservoirs. Keywords: Shale gas, Horizontal well, Staged fracturing, Cluster spacing, Reservoir, Stimulated reservoir volume (SRV, Mathematical model, Optimal method, Sichuan basin, Jiaoshiba shale gasfield

Correlation Between Fracture Network Properties and Stress Variability in Geological Media

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Qinghua; Gao, Ke

2018-05-01

We quantitatively investigate the stress variability in fractured geological media under tectonic stresses. The fracture systems studied include synthetic fracture networks following power law length scaling and natural fracture patterns based on outcrop mapping. The stress field is derived from a finite-discrete element model, and its variability is analyzed using a set of mathematical formulations that honor the tensorial nature of stress data. We show that local stress perturbation, quantified by the Euclidean distance of a local stress tensor to the mean stress tensor, has a positive, linear correlation with local fracture intensity, defined as the total fracture length per unit area within a local sampling window. We also evaluate the stress dispersion of the entire stress field using the effective variance, that is, a scalar-valued measure of the overall stress variability. The results show that a well-connected fracture system under a critically stressed state exhibits strong local and global stress variabilities.

Simulation of contaminant transport in fractured porous media on triangular meshes

KAUST Repository

Dong, Chen

2010-12-01

A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods, i.e. mixed finite element (MFE) and the finite volume (FV) methods. Adaptive triangle mesh is used for effective treatment of the fractures. A hybrid MFE method is employed to provide an accurate approximation of velocities field for both the fractures and matrix which are crucial to the convection part of the transport equation. The FV method and the standard MFE method are used to approximate the convection and dispersion terms respectively. Numerical examples in a medium containing fracture network illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed numerical model. © 2010 IEEE.

Simulation of contaminant transport in fractured porous media on triangular meshes

KAUST Repository

Dong, Chen; Sun, Shuyu

2010-01-01

A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods, i.e. mixed finite element (MFE) and the finite volume (FV) methods. Adaptive triangle mesh is used for effective treatment of the fractures. A hybrid MFE method is employed to provide an accurate approximation of velocities field for both the fractures and matrix which are crucial to the convection part of the transport equation. The FV method and the standard MFE method are used to approximate the convection and dispersion terms respectively. Numerical examples in a medium containing fracture network illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed numerical model. © 2010 IEEE.

On-line Optimization-Based Simulators for Fractured and Non-fractured Reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milind D. Deo

2005-08-31

Oil field development is a multi-million dollar business. Reservoir simulation is often used to guide the field management and development process. Reservoir characterization and geologic modeling tools have become increasingly sophisticated. As a result the geologic models produced are complex. Most reservoirs are fractured to a certain extent. The new geologic characterization methods are making it possible to map features such as faults and fractures, field-wide. Significant progress has been made in being able to predict properties of the faults and of the fractured zones. Traditionally, finite difference methods have been employed in discretizing the domains created by geologic means. For complex geometries, finite-element methods of discretization may be more suitable. Since reservoir simulation is a mature science, some of the advances in numerical methods (linear, nonlinear solvers and parallel computing) have not been fully realized in the implementation of most of the simulators. The purpose of this project was to address some of these issues. {sm_bullet} One of the goals of this project was to develop a series of finite-element simulators to handle problems of complex geometry, including systems containing faults and fractures. {sm_bullet} The idea was to incorporate the most modern computing tools; use of modular object-oriented computer languages, the most sophisticated linear and nonlinear solvers, parallel computing methods and good visualization tools. {sm_bullet} One of the tasks of the project was also to demonstrate the construction of fractures and faults in a reservoir using the available data and to assign properties to these features. {sm_bullet} Once the reservoir model is in place, it is desirable to find the operating conditions, which would provide the best reservoir performance. This can be accomplished by utilization optimization tools and coupling them with reservoir simulation. Optimization-based reservoir simulation was one of the

Design and construction of an experiment for two-phase flow in fractured porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayala, R.E.G.; Aziz, K.

1993-08-01

In numerical reservoir simulation naturally fractured reservoirs are commonly divided into matrix and fracture systems. The high permeability fractures are usually entirely responsible for flow between blocks and flow to the wells. The flow in these fractures is modeled using Darcy`s law and its extension to multiphase flow by means of relative permeabilities. The influence and measurement of fracture relative permeability for two-phase flow in fractured porous media have not been studied extensively, and the few works presented in the literature are contradictory. Experimental and numerical work on two-phase flow in fractured porous media has been initiated. An apparatus for monitoring this type of flow was designed and constructed. It consists of an artificially fractured core inside an epoxy core holder, detailed pressure and effluent monitoring, saturation measurements by means of a CT-scanner and a computerized data acquisition system. The complete apparatus was assembled and tested at conditions similar to the conditions expected for the two-phase flow experiments. Fine grid simulations of the experimental setup-were performed in order to establish experimental conditions and to study the effects of several key variables. These variables include fracture relative permeability and fracture capillary pressure. The numerical computations show that the flow is dominated by capillary imbibition, and that fracture relative permeabilities have only a minor influence. High oil recoveries without water production are achieved due to effective water imbibition from the fracture to the matrix. When imbibition is absent, fracture relative permeabilities affect the flow behavior at early production times.

Reactive silica transport in fractured porous media: Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jianwen

2012-04-01

A general analytical solution is derived by using the Laplace transformation to describe transient reactive silica transport in a conceptualized 2-D system involving a set of parallel fractures embedded in an impermeable host rock matrix, taking into account of hydrodynamic dispersion and advection of silica transport along the fractures, molecular diffusion from each fracture to the intervening rock matrix, and dissolution of quartz. A special analytical solution is also developed by ignoring the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion term but remaining other conditions the same. The general and special solutions are in the form of a double infinite integral and a single infinite integral, respectively, and can be evaluated using Gauss-Legendre quadrature technique. A simple criterion is developed to determine under what conditions the general analytical solution can be approximated by the special analytical solution. It is proved analytically that the general solution always lags behind the special solution, unless a dimensionless parameter is less than a critical value. Several illustrative calculations are undertaken to demonstrate the effect of fracture spacing, fracture aperture and fluid flow rate on silica transport. The analytical solutions developed here can serve as a benchmark to validate numerical models that simulate reactive mass transport in fractured porous media.

A risk assessment tool for contaminated sites in low-permeability fractured media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia; Binning, Philip John; Jørgensen, Peter R.

2011-01-01

A risk assessment tool for contaminated sites in low-permeability fractured media is developed, based on simple transient and steady-state analytical solutions. The discrete fracture (DF) tool, which explicitly accounts for the transport along fractures, covers different source geometries...... and history (including secondary sources) and can be applied to a wide range of compounds. The tool successfully simulates published data from short duration column and field experiments. The use for risk assessment is illustrated by three typical risk assessment case studies, involving pesticides...

A Multiscale Time-Splitting Discrete Fracture Model of Nanoparticles Transport in Fractured Porous Media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed F.; Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

2017-01-01

Recently, applications of nanoparticles have been considered in many branches of petroleum engineering, especially, enhanced oil recovery. The current paper is devoted to investigate the problem of nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media, numerically. We employed the discrete-fracture model (DFM) to represent the flow and transport in the fractured formations. The system of the governing equations consists of the mass conservation law, Darcy's law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat. The variation of porosity and permeability due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores is also considered. We employ the multiscale time-splitting strategy to control different time-step sizes for different physics, such as pressure and concentration. The cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method is used for the spatial discretization. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multiscale time splitting approach.

A Multiscale Time-Splitting Discrete Fracture Model of Nanoparticles Transport in Fractured Porous Media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed F.

2017-06-06

Recently, applications of nanoparticles have been considered in many branches of petroleum engineering, especially, enhanced oil recovery. The current paper is devoted to investigate the problem of nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media, numerically. We employed the discrete-fracture model (DFM) to represent the flow and transport in the fractured formations. The system of the governing equations consists of the mass conservation law, Darcy\\'s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat. The variation of porosity and permeability due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores is also considered. We employ the multiscale time-splitting strategy to control different time-step sizes for different physics, such as pressure and concentration. The cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method is used for the spatial discretization. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multiscale time splitting approach.

Modeling of 1D Anomalous Diffusion in Fractured Nanoporous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albinali Ali

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Fractured nanoporous reservoirs include multi-scale and discontinuous fractures coupled with a complex nanoporous matrix. Such systems cannot be described by the conventional dual-porosity (or multi-porosity idealizations due to the presence of different flow mechanisms at multiple scales. More detailed modeling approaches, such as Discrete Fracture Network (DFN models, similarly suffer from the extensive data requirements dictated by the intricacy of the flow scales, which eventually deter the utility of these models. This paper discusses the utility and construction of 1D analytical and numerical anomalous diffusion models for heterogeneous, nanoporous media, which is commonly encountered in oil and gas production from tight, unconventional reservoirs with fractured horizontal wells. A fractional form of Darcy’s law, which incorporates the non-local and hereditary nature of flow, is coupled with the classical mass conservation equation to derive a fractional diffusion equation in space and time. Results show excellent agreement with established solutions under asymptotic conditions and are consistent with the physical intuitions.

Measurement of Effect of Chemical Reactions on the Hydrologic Properties of Fractured Glass Media Using a Tri-axial Flow and Transport Apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saripalli, Prasad; Lindberg, Michael J.; Meyer, P. D.

2006-01-01

Understanding the effect of chemical reactions on the hydrologic properties of sub-surface media is critical to many natural and engineered sub-surface systems. Methods and information for such characterization of fractured media are severely lacking. Influence of glass corrosion (precipitation and dissolution) reactions on fractured glass blocks HAN28 and LAWBP1, two candidate waste glass forms for a proposed immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) disposal facility at the Hanford, WA site, was investigated. Flow and tracer transport experiments were conducted in such randomly and multiply fractured ILAW glass blocks, before and after subjecting them to corrosion using Vapor Hydration Testing (VHT) at 200 C temperature and 200 psig (1379 KPa) pressure, causing the precipitation of alteration products. A tri-axial fractured media flow and transport experimental apparatus, which allows the simultaneous measurement of flow and transport properties and their anisotropy, has been designed and built for this purpose. Such apparatus for fractured media characterization are being reported in the literature only recently. Hydraulic properties of fractured blocks were measured in different orientations and along different cardinal directions, before and after glass corrosion reactions. Miscible displacement experiments using a non-reactive dye were also conducted, before and after glass corrosion reactions, to study the tracer transport behavior through such media. Initial efforts to analyze breakthrough curve (BTC) data using a 1D Advection Dispersion Equation (ADE) solution revealed that a different fractured media transport model may be necessary for such interpretation. It was found that glass reactions can have a significant influence on the hydrologic properties of fractured ILAW glass media. The methods and results are unique and useful to better understand the effect of chemical reactions on the hydrologic properties of fractured geomedia in general and glass media in

Efficient and robust compositional two-phase reservoir simulation in fractured media

Science.gov (United States)

Zidane, A.; Firoozabadi, A.

2015-12-01

Compositional and compressible two-phase flow in fractured media has wide applications including CO2 injection. Accurate simulations are currently based on the discrete fracture approach using the cross-flow equilibrium model. In this approach the fractures and a small part of the matrix blocks are combined to form a grid cell. The major drawback is low computational efficiency. In this work we use the discrete-fracture approach to model the fractures where the fracture entities are described explicitly in the computational domain. We use the concept of cross-flow equilibrium in the fractures (FCFE). This allows using large matrix elements in the neighborhood of the fractures. We solve the fracture transport equations implicitly to overcome the Courant-Freidricks-Levy (CFL) condition in the small fracture elements. Our implicit approach is based on calculation of the derivative of the molar concentration of component i in phase (cαi ) with respect to the total molar concentration (ci ) at constant volume V and temperature T. This contributes to significant speed up of the code. The hybrid mixed finite element method (MFE) is used to solve for the velocity in both the matrix and the fractures coupled with the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method to solve the species transport equations in the matrix, and a finite volume (FV) discretization in the fractures. In large scale problems the proposed approach is orders of magnitude faster than the existing models.

Semianalytical Solutions of Radioactive or Reactive Transport in Variably-Fractured Layered Media: 1. Solutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George J. Moridis

2001-01-01

In this paper, semianalytical solutions are developed for the problem of transport of radioactive or reactive solute tracers through a layered system of heterogeneous fractured media with misaligned fractures. The tracer transport equations in the non-flowing matrix account for (a) diffusion, (b) surface diffusion, (c) mass transfer between the mobile and immobile water fractions, (d) linear kinetic or equilibrium physical, chemical, or combined solute sorption or colloid filtration, and (e) radioactive decay or first-order chemical reactions. The tracer-transport equations in the fractures account for the same processes, in addition to advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Any number of radioactive decay daughter products (or products of a linear, first-order reaction chain) can be tracked. The solutions, which are analytical in the Laplace space, are numerically inverted to provide the solution in time and can accommodate any number of fractured and/or porous layers. The solutions are verified using analytical solutions for limiting cases of solute and colloid transport through fractured and porous media. The effect of important parameters on the transport of 3 H, 237 Np and 239 Pu (and its daughters) is investigated in several test problems involving layered geological systems of varying complexity

Semianalytical solutions of radioactive or reactive tracer transport in layered fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moridis, G.J.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

2001-01-01

In this paper, semianalytical solutions are developed for the problem of transport of radioactive or reactive tracers (solutes or colloids) through a layered system of heterogeneous fractured media with misaligned fractures. The tracer transport equations in the matrix account for (a) diffusion, (b) surface diffusion (for solutes only), (c) mass transfer between the mobile and immobile water fractions, (d) linear kinetic or equilibrium physical, chemical, or combined solute sorption or colloid filtration, and (e) radioactive decay or first order chemical reactions. Any number of radioactive decay daughter products (or products of a linear, first-order reaction chain) can be tracked. The tracer-transport equations in the fractures account for the same processes, in addition to advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Additionally, the colloid transport equations account for straining and velocity adjustments related to the colloidal size. The solutions, which are analytical in the Laplace space, are numerically inverted to provide the solution in time and can accommodate any number of fractured and/or porous layers. The solutions are verified using analytical solutions for limiting cases of solute and colloid transport through fractured and porous media. The effect of important parameters on the transport of 3 H, 237 Np and 239 Pu (and its daughters) is investigated in several test problems involving layered geological systems of varying complexity. 239 Pu colloid transport problems in multilayered systems indicate significant colloid accumulations at straining interfaces but much faster transport of the colloid than the corresponding strongly sorbing solute species

Scale dependency of fractional flow dimension in a fractured formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.-C. Chang

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The flow dimensions of fractured media were usually predefined before the determination of the hydraulic parameters from the analysis of field data in the past. However, it would be improper to make assumption about the flow geometry of fractured media before site characterization because the hydraulic structures and flow paths are complex in the fractured media. An appropriate way to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of a fracture system is to determine the flow dimension and aquifer parameters simultaneously. The objective of this study is to analyze a set of field data obtained from four observation wells during an 11-day hydraulic test at Chingshui geothermal field (CGF in Taiwan in determining the hydrogeologic properties of the fractured formation. Based on the generalized radial flow (GRF model and the optimization scheme, simulated annealing, an approach is therefore developed for the data analyses. The GRF model allows the flow dimension to be integer or fractional. We found that the fractional flow dimension of CGF increases near linearly with the distance between the pumping well and observation well, i.e. the flow dimension of CGF exhibits scale-dependent phenomenon. This study provides insights into interpretation of fracture flow at CGF and gives a reference for characterizing the hydrogeologic properties of fractured media.

Multiscale time-splitting strategy for multiscale multiphysics processes of two-phase flow in fractured media

KAUST Repository

Sun, S.; Kou, J.; Yu, B.

2011-01-01

The temporal discretization scheme is one important ingredient of efficient simulator for two-phase flow in the fractured porous media. The application of single-scale temporal scheme is restricted by the rapid changes of the pressure and saturation in the fractured system with capillarity. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale time splitting strategy to simulate multi-scale multi-physics processes of two-phase flow in fractured porous media. We use the multi-scale time schemes for both the pressure and saturation equations; that is, a large time-step size is employed for the matrix domain, along with a small time-step size being applied in the fractures. The total time interval is partitioned into four temporal levels: the first level is used for the pressure in the entire domain, the second level matching rapid changes of the pressure in the fractures, the third level treating the response gap between the pressure and the saturation, and the fourth level applied for the saturation in the fractures. This method can reduce the computational cost arisen from the implicit solution of the pressure equation. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.

Upscaling solute transport in naturally fractured porous media with the continuous time random walk method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geiger, S.; Cortis, A.; Birkholzer, J.T.

2010-04-01

Solute transport in fractured porous media is typically 'non-Fickian'; that is, it is characterized by early breakthrough and long tailing and by nonlinear growth of the Green function-centered second moment. This behavior is due to the effects of (1) multirate diffusion occurring between the highly permeable fracture network and the low-permeability rock matrix, (2) a wide range of advection rates in the fractures and, possibly, the matrix as well, and (3) a range of path lengths. As a consequence, prediction of solute transport processes at the macroscale represents a formidable challenge. Classical dual-porosity (or mobile-immobile) approaches in conjunction with an advection-dispersion equation and macroscopic dispersivity commonly fail to predict breakthrough of fractured porous media accurately. It was recently demonstrated that the continuous time random walk (CTRW) method can be used as a generalized upscaling approach. Here we extend this work and use results from high-resolution finite element-finite volume-based simulations of solute transport in an outcrop analogue of a naturally fractured reservoir to calibrate the CTRW method by extracting a distribution of retention times. This procedure allows us to predict breakthrough at other model locations accurately and to gain significant insight into the nature of the fracture-matrix interaction in naturally fractured porous reservoirs with geologically realistic fracture geometries.

Pneumatic fractures in Confined Granular Media

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Fredrik K.; Toussaint, Renaud; Jørgen Måløy, Knut; Grude Flekkøy, Eirik; Turkaya, Semih

2016-04-01

We will present our ongoing study of the patterns formed when air flows into a dry, non-cohesive porous medium confined in a horizontal Hele-Shaw cell. This is an optically transparent system consisting of two glass plates separated by 0.5 to 1 mm, containing a packing of dry 80 micron beads in between. The cell is rectangular and has an air-permeable boundary (blocking beads) at one short edge, while the other three edges are completely sealed. The granular medium is loosely packed against the semi-permeable boundary and fills about 80 % of the cell volume. This leaves an empty region at the sealed side, where an inlet allows us to set and maintain the air at a constant overpressure (0.1 - 2 bar). For the air trapped inside the cell to relax its overpressure it has to move through the deformable granular medium. Depending on the applied overpressure and initial density of the medium, we observe a range of different behaviors such as seepage through the pore-network with or without an initial compaction of the solid, formation of low density bubbles with rearrangement of particles, granular fingering/fracturing, and erosion inside formed channels/fractures. The experiments are recorded with a high-speed camera at a framerate of 1000 images/s and a resolution of 1024x1024 pixels. We use various image processing techniques to characterize the evolution of the air invasion patterns and the deformations in the surrounding material. The experiments are similar to deformation processes in porous media which are driven by pore fluid overpressure, such as mud volcanoes and hydraulic or pneumatic (gas-induced) fracturing, and the motivation is to increase the understanding of such processes by optical observations. In addition, this setup is an experimental version of the numerical models analyzed by Niebling et al. [1,2], and is useful for comparison with their results. In a directly related project [3], acoustic emissions from the cell plate are recorded during

Groundwater modelling for fractured and porous media: HYDROCOIN Level 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noy, D.J.

1986-01-01

The report describes work carried out as part of the 'Hydrocoin' project to verify some of the models used by the British Geological Survey on its radioactive waste disposal programme. The author's work on Hydrocoin Level 1 concerned groundwater modelling for fractured and porous media. The overall conclusions arising from the work were: a) pressure fields in saturated media can be reliably calculated by existing programmes, b) three techniques for deriving the flow fields are described, and c) severe practical limitations exist as to the ability of current programs to model variably saturated conditions over moderate distances. (U.K.)

Simulation of counter-current imbibition in water-wet fractured reservoirs based on discrete-fracture model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Yueying

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Isolated fractures usually exist in fractured media systems, where the capillary pressure in the fracture is lower than that of the matrix, causing the discrepancy in oil recoveries between fractured and non-fractured porous media. Experiments, analytical solutions and conventional simulation methods based on the continuum model approach are incompetent or insufficient in describing media containing isolated fractures. In this paper, the simulation of the counter-current imbibition in fractured media is based on the discrete-fracture model (DFM. The interlocking or arrangement of matrix and fracture system within the model resembles the traditional discrete fracture network model and the hybrid-mixed-finite-element method is employed to solve the associated equations. The Behbahani experimental data validates our simulation solution for consistency. The simulation results of the fractured media show that the isolated-fractures affect the imbibition in the matrix block. Moreover, the isolated fracture parameters such as fracture length and fracture location influence the trend of the recovery curves. Thus, the counter-current imbibition behavior of media with isolated fractures can be predicted using this method based on the discrete-fracture model.

Study of phenomena of tracer transport and dispersion in fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ippolito, Irene

1993-01-01

The objective of this research thesis is to present some transport phenomena according to two different approaches: firstly, the study of flows and tracing in a natural crack within a granitic site, and secondly, the study of flows of different geometries in model cracks, mainly by using techniques of tracer dispersion. The author first presents some properties of fractured media and elements of the theory of the phenomenon of dispersion. She notably discusses the reversibility of the Taylor dispersion which is the prevailing mechanism for simply connected geometries such as in the case of a flow between two continuous solid surfaces limiting a fracture. In the next chapters, the author reports the analysis of characteristics of local structures (mouths, roughnesses) of a single fracture by using echo dispersion. She reports experiments as well as Monte Carlo simulations performed on well defined geometries. In a parallel way, some characteristics measurements (rate-pressure, distribution of flows and tracing in transmission) and mechanical measurements of fracture deformation have been performed on a natural fracture in a granitic site [fr

Modeling fractures as interfaces for flow and transport in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serres, Ch.; Alboin, C.; Jaffre, J.; Roberts, J.

2002-05-01

We are concerned with flow and transport in a fractured porous medium at a scale where the fractures can be modelled individually. The fractures themselves are porous media with large permeability in comparison with that in the surrounding rock. Contrarily to many studies in which the contrast in permeabilities is of such an order that the flow outside of the fracture is neglected, the purpose of this work is to consider the case where the exchange between the fractures and the surrounding rock is significant. Then it is necessary to take into account this interaction because it has a profound effect on the flow and the transport of a solute. The main idea for this work is to treat fractures as interfaces. Then it will not be necessary to use mesh refinements around the fractures, which is an important drawback of most models. Treating fractures as interfaces leads to non-overlapping domain decomposition methods, using the natural domain decomposition suggested by the fracture network. This paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we present the model, and in Section 3, we show that the corresponding problem has a unique solution. In Section 4, we reduce the approximate problem to a problem with unknowns on the interface. Numerical results are given in Section 5 for the simple case of a domain divided into two sub-domains by one fracture. In Section 6 we extend the formulation to the case of intersecting fractures and in Section 7 to that of a solute transport. (authors)

Numerical investigation and optimization of multiple fractures in tight gas reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, M.Z. [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). ITE; Energie-Forschungszentrum Niedersachsen, Goslar (Germany); Zhou, L. [Energie-Forschungszentrum Niedersachsen, Goslar (Germany)

2013-08-01

The main objective of the project DGMK-680 in phase 2 was to investigate the influence of fractures on each other in a multi-fracture system including their space optimization by using the numerical program FLAC3D with our own developments, which treats all fractures in one 3D geometric model under 3D stress state with fully hydro-mechanical coupling effect. The case study was conducted on a horizontal wellbore at location A, which was stimulated hydraulically with a total of eight transverse fractures in summer 2009. Transverse multiple fractures were simulated using the modified continuum method. In the simulation all fractures were generated in one single model, comprising 22 different rock layers. Each layer was assumed to be homogeneous with regard to its rock and hydromechanical parameters. Thus the influence of the individual fractures on each other can be investigated. The simulation procedure applied, which is a consecutive execution ofa hydraulic and a mechanical computation, is the same for all fractures. The only differences are the primary in-situ stresses, the initial pore pressure, the injection parameters (location, rate, volume, duration), which lead to different patterns of fracture propagations. But there are still some common points, such as irregular patterns of the fracture front, which represents the heterogeneity of the model. All fractures (1 to 8) have their fracture average half-length between 70 m to 115 m, height between 93 m to 114 m and average width between 18 mm to 31 mm. The percentage difference of fracture height for individual fractures is obviously smaller than that of the fracture half-lengths, because the fracture barriers at bottom and top limit the fracture propagation in z-direction. Incomparison with the analytical simulator (FracPro) most results match well. Simulation of multiple fractures at location A, with the newly developed algorithms, shows that individual transverse multiple fractures at distances between 100

Effective media models for unsaturated fractured rock: A field experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholl, M.J.; Glass, R.J.

1995-01-01

A thick unsaturated rock mass at Yucca Mountain is currently under consideration as a potential repository site for disposal of high level radioactive waste. In accordance with standard industry and scientific practices, abstract numerical models will be used to evaluate the potential for radionuclide release through the groundwater system. At this time, currently available conceptual models used to develop effective media properties are based primarily on simplistic considerations. The work presented here is part of an integrated effort to develop effective media models at the intermediate block scale (approximately 8-125m) through a combination of physical observations, numerical simulations and theoretical considerations. A multi-purpose field experiment designed and conducted as part of this integrated effort is described. Specific goals of this experimental investigation were to: (1) obtain fracture network data from Topopah Spring Tuff for use in block scale simulations; (2) identity positions of the network conducting flow under three different boundary conditions; (3) visualize preferential flow paths and small-scale flow structures; (4) collect samples for subsequent hydraulic testing and use in block-scale simulations; and (5) demonstrate the ability of Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) to delineate fluid distribution within fractured rock

Modeling of Multicomponent Diffusions and Natural Convection in Unfractured and Fractured Media by Discontinuous Galerkin and Mixed Methods

KAUST Repository

Hoteit, Hussein; Firoozabadi, Abbas

2017-01-01

Computation of the distribution of species in hydrocarbon reservoirs from diffusions (thermal, molecular, and pressure) and natural convection is an important step in reservoir initialization. Current methods, which are mainly based on the conventional finite difference approach, may not be numerically efficient in fractured and other media with complex heterogeneities. In this work, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method combined with the mixed finite element (MFE) method is used for the calculation of compositional variation in fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. The use of unstructured gridding allows efficient computations for fractured media when the crossflow equilibrium concept is invoked. The DG method has less numerical dispersion than the upwind finite difference (FD) methods. The MFE method ensures continuity of fluxes at the interface of the grid elements. We also use the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method instead of the MFE calculate the diffusion fluxes. Results from several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency, robustness, and accuracy of the model. Various features of convection and diffusion in homogeneous, layered, and fractured media are also discussed.

Modeling of Multicomponent Diffusions and Natural Convection in Unfractured and Fractured Media by Discontinuous Galerkin and Mixed Methods

KAUST Repository

Hoteit, Hussein

2017-12-29

Computation of the distribution of species in hydrocarbon reservoirs from diffusions (thermal, molecular, and pressure) and natural convection is an important step in reservoir initialization. Current methods, which are mainly based on the conventional finite difference approach, may not be numerically efficient in fractured and other media with complex heterogeneities. In this work, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method combined with the mixed finite element (MFE) method is used for the calculation of compositional variation in fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. The use of unstructured gridding allows efficient computations for fractured media when the crossflow equilibrium concept is invoked. The DG method has less numerical dispersion than the upwind finite difference (FD) methods. The MFE method ensures continuity of fluxes at the interface of the grid elements. We also use the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method instead of the MFE calculate the diffusion fluxes. Results from several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency, robustness, and accuracy of the model. Various features of convection and diffusion in homogeneous, layered, and fractured media are also discussed.

Optimism, Cynical Hostility, Falls, and Fractures: The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS).

Science.gov (United States)

Cauley, Jane A; Smagula, Stephen F; Hovey, Kathleen M; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Andrews, Christopher A; Crandall, Carolyn J; LeBoff, Meryl S; Li, Wenjun; Coday, Mace; Sattari, Maryam; Tindle, Hilary A

2017-02-01

Traits of optimism and cynical hostility are features of personality that could influence the risk of falls and fractures by influencing risk-taking behaviors, health behaviors, or inflammation. To test the hypothesis that personality influences falls and fracture risk, we studied 87,342 women enrolled in WHI-OS. Optimism was assessed by the Life Orientation Test-Revised and cynical hostility, the cynicism subscale of the Cook-Medley questionnaire. Higher scores indicate greater optimism and hostility. Optimism and hostility were correlated at r = -0. 31, p optimism and hostility with tests for trends; Q1 formed the referent group. The average follow-up for fractures was 11.4 years and for falls was 7.6 years. In multivariable (MV)-adjusted models, women with the highest optimism scores (Q4) were 11% less likely to report ≥2 falls in the past year (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.85-0.90). Women in Q4 for hostility had a 12% higher risk of ≥2 falls (OR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.07-1.17). Higher optimism scores were also associated with a 10% lower risk of fractures, but this association was attenuated in MV models. Women with the greatest hostility (Q4) had a modest increased risk of any fracture (MV-adjusted hazard ratio = 1. 05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09), but there was no association with specific fracture sites. In conclusion, optimism was independently associated with a decreased risk of ≥2 falls, and hostility with an increased risk of ≥2 falls, independent of traditional risk factors. The magnitude of the association was similar to aging 5 years. Whether interventions aimed at attitudes could reduce fall risks remains to be determined. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Modeling of strongly heat-driven flow in partially saturated fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.; Tsang, Y.W.; Wang, J.S.Y.

1985-01-01

The authors have performed modeling studies on the simultaneous transport of heat, liquid water, vapor, and air in partially saturated fractured porous media, with particular emphasis on strongly heat-driven flow. The presence of fractures makes the transport problem very complex, both in terms of flow geometry and physics. The numerical simulator used for their flow calculations takes into account most of the physical effects which are important in multi-phase fluid and heat flow. It has provisions to handle the extreme non-linearities which arise in phase transitions, component disappearances, and capillary discontinuities at fracture faces. They model a region around an infinite linear string of nuclear waste canisters, taking into account both the discrete fractures and the porous matrix. From an analysis of the results obtained with explicit fractures, they develop equivalent continuum models which can reproduce the temperature, saturation, and pressure variation, and gas and liquid flow rates of the discrete fracture-porous matrix calculations. The equivalent continuum approach makes use of a generalized relative permeability concept to take into account the fracture effects. This results in a substantial simplification of the flow problem which makes larger scale modeling of complicated unsaturated fractured porous systems feasible. Potential applications for regional scale simulations and limitations of the continuum approach are discussed. 27 references, 13 figures, 2 tables

Modeling of strongly heat-driven flow in partially saturated fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.; Tsang, Y.W.; Wang, J.S.Y.

1984-10-01

We have performed modeling studies on the simultaneous transport of heat, liquid water, vapor, and air in partially saturated fractured porous media, with particular emphasis on strongly heat-driven flow. The presence of fractures makes the transport problem very complex, both in terms of flow geometry and physics. The numerical simulator used for our flow calculations takes into account most of the physical effects which are important in multi-phase fluid and heat flow. It has provisions to handle the extreme non-linearities which arise in phase transitions, component disappearances, and capillary discontinuities at fracture faces. We model a region around an infinite linear string of nuclear waste canisters, taking into account both the discrete fractures and the porous matrix. From an analysis of the results obtained with explicit fractures, we develop equivalent continuum models which can reproduce the temperature, saturation, and pressure variation, and gas and liquid flow rates of the discrete fracture-porous matrix calculations. The equivalent continuum approach makes use of a generalized relative permeability concept to take into account for fracture effects. This results in a substantial simplification of the flow problem which makes larger scale modeling of complicated unsaturated fractured porous systems feasible. Potential applications for regional scale simulations and limitations of the continuum approach are discussed. 27 references, 13 figures, 2 tables

Modelisation of transport in fractured media with a smeared fractures modeling approach: special focus on matrix diffusion process.

Science.gov (United States)

Fourno, A.; Grenier, C.; Benabderrahmane, H.

2003-04-01

Modeling flow and transport in natural fractured media is a difficult issue due among others to the complexity of the system, the particularities of the geometrical features, the strong parameter value contrasts between the fracture zones (flow zones) and the matrix zones (no flow zones). This lead to the development of dedicated tools like for instance discrete fracture network models (DFN). We follow here another line applicable for classical continuous modeling codes. The fracture network is not meshed here but presence of fractures is taken into account by means of continuous heterogeneous fields (permeability, porosity, head, velocity, concentration ...). This line, followed by different authors, is referred as smeared fracture approach and presents the following advantages: the approach is very versatile because no dedicated spatial discretization effort is required (we use a basic regular mesh, simulations can be done on a rough mesh saving computer time). This makes this kind of approach very promising for taking heterogeneity of properties as well as uncertainties into account within a Monte Carlo framework for instance. Furthermore, the geometry of the matrix blocks where transfers proceed by diffusion is fully taken into account contrary to classical simplified 1D approach for instance. Nevertheless continuous heterogeneous field representation of a fractured medium requires a homogenization process at the scale of the mesh considered. Literature proves that this step of homogenization for transport is still a challenging task. Consequently, the level precision of the results has to be estimated. We precedently proposed a new approach dedicated to Mixed and Hybrid Finite Element approach. This numerical scheme is very interesting for such highly heterogeneous media and in particular guaranties exact conservation of mass flow for each mesh leading to good transport results. We developed a smeared fractures approach to model flow and transport limited to

OPTIMIZATION OF INFILL DRILLING IN NATURALLY-FRACTURED TIGHT-GAS RESERVOIRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawrence W. Teufel; Her-Yuan Chen; Thomas W. Engler; Bruce Hart

2004-05-01

A major goal of industry and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) fossil energy program is to increase gas reserves in tight-gas reservoirs. Infill drilling and hydraulic fracture stimulation in these reservoirs are important reservoir management strategies to increase production and reserves. Phase II of this DOE/cooperative industry project focused on optimization of infill drilling and evaluation of hydraulic fracturing in naturally-fractured tight-gas reservoirs. The cooperative project involved multidisciplinary reservoir characterization and simulation studies to determine infill well potential in the Mesaverde and Dakota sandstone formations at selected areas in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico. This work used the methodology and approach developed in Phase I. Integrated reservoir description and hydraulic fracture treatment analyses were also conducted in the Pecos Slope Abo tight-gas reservoir in southeastern New Mexico and the Lewis Shale in the San Juan Basin. This study has demonstrated a methodology to (1) describe reservoir heterogeneities and natural fracture systems, (2) determine reservoir permeability and permeability anisotropy, (3) define the elliptical drainage area and recoverable gas for existing wells, (4) determine the optimal location and number of new in-fill wells to maximize economic recovery, (5) forecast the increase in total cumulative gas production from infill drilling, and (6) evaluate hydraulic fracture simulation treatments and their impact on well drainage area and infill well potential. Industry partners during the course of this five-year project included BP, Burlington Resources, ConocoPhillips, and Williams.

Development and application of computer assisted optimal method for treatment of femoral neck fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Monan; Zhang, Kai; Yang, Ning

2018-04-09

To help doctors decide their treatment from the aspect of mechanical analysis, the work built a computer assisted optimal system for treatment of femoral neck fracture oriented to clinical application. The whole system encompassed the following three parts: Preprocessing module, finite element mechanical analysis module, post processing module. Preprocessing module included parametric modeling of bone, parametric modeling of fracture face, parametric modeling of fixed screw and fixed position and input and transmission of model parameters. Finite element mechanical analysis module included grid division, element type setting, material property setting, contact setting, constraint and load setting, analysis method setting and batch processing operation. Post processing module included extraction and display of batch processing operation results, image generation of batch processing operation, optimal program operation and optimal result display. The system implemented the whole operations from input of fracture parameters to output of the optimal fixed plan according to specific patient real fracture parameter and optimal rules, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the system. Meanwhile, the system had a friendly interface, simple operation and could improve the system function quickly through modifying single module.

Structural and geochemical techniques for the hydrogeological characterisation and stochastic modelling of fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vela, A.; Elorza, F.J.; Florez, F.; Paredes, C.; Mazadiego, L.; Llamas, J.F.; Perez, E.; Vives, L.; Carrera, J.; Munoz, A.; De Vicente, G.; Casquet, C.

1999-01-01

Safety analysis of radioactive waste storage systems require fractured rock studies. The performance assessment studies of this type of problems include the development of radionuclide flow and transport models to predict the evolution of possible contaminants released from the repository to the biosphere. The methodology developed in the HIDROBAP project and some results obtained with its application in El Berrocal granite batholith are presented. It integrates modern tools belonging to different disciplines. A Discrete Fracture Network model (DFT) was selected to simulate the fractured medium and a 3D finite element flow and transport model that includes the inverse problem techniques has been coupled to the DFT model to simulate the water movement trough the fracture network system. Preliminary results show that this integrated methodology can be very useful for the hydrogeological characterisation of rock fractured media. (author)

Mass transport in fracture media: impact of the random function model assumed for fractures conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capilla, J. E.; Rodrigo, J.; Gomez Hernandez, J. J.

2003-01-01

Characterizing the uncertainty of flow and mass transport models requires the definition of stochastic models to describe hydrodynamic parameters. Porosity and hydraulic conductivity (K) are two of these parameters that exhibit a high degree of spatial variability. K is usually the parameter whose variability influence to a more extended degree solutes movement. In fracture media, it is critical to properly characterize K in the most altered zones where flow and solutes migration tends to be concentrated. However, K measurements use to be scarce and sparse. This fact calls to consider stochastic models that allow quantifying the uncertainty of flow and mass transport predictions. This paper presents a convective transport problem solved in a 3D block of fractured crystalline rock. the case study is defined based on data from a real geological formation. As the scarcity of K data in fractures does not allow supporting classical multi Gaussian assumptions for K in fractures, the non multi Gaussian hypothesis has been explored, comparing mass transport results for alternative Gaussian and non-Gaussian assumptions. The latter hypothesis allows reproducing high spatial connectivity for extreme values of K. This feature is present in nature, might lead to reproduce faster solute pathways, and therefore should be modeled in order to obtain reasonably safe prediction of contaminants migration in a geological formation. The results obtained for the two alternative hypotheses show a remarkable impact of the K random function model in solutes movement. (Author) 9 refs

Optimized CO{sub 2} miscible hydrocarbon fracturing fluids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, R.S.; Funkhouser, G.P.; Fyten, G.; Attaway, D.; Watkins, H. [Halliburton Energy Services, Calgary, AB (Canada); Lestz, R.S. [Chevron Canada Resources, Calgary, AB (Canada); Loree, D. [FracEx Inc. (Canada)

2006-07-01

Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) miscible hydrocarbon fracturing fluids address issues of fluid retention in low-permeability gas reservoirs, including undersaturated and underpressured reservoirs. An optimized surfactant gel technology using carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) hydrocarbon fracturing fluids applicable to all gas-well stimulation applications was discussed in this paper. The crosslinked surfactant gel technology improved proppant transport, leakoff control, and generation of effective fracture half-length. Tests indicated that application of the surfactant cooled the fracture face, which had the effect of extending break times and increasing viscosity during pumping periods. Rapid recovery of the fracturing fluid eliminated the need for swabbing in some cases, and the fluid system was not adversely affected by shear. However, rheological test equipment capable of mixing liquid CO{sub 2} and viscosified hydrocarbons at downhole temperatures is required to determine rheology and required chemical concentrations. It was recommended that to achieve an effective methane-drive cleanup mechanism, treatments should be designed so that the gellant system can be effective with up to 50 per cent CO{sub 2} dissolved in oil. It was concluded that it should be possible to apply the technology to low permeability gas reservoirs. Viscosity curves and friction data were presented. Issues concerning the selection of tubulars and flowback procedures were also discussed. It was suggested that the cost of the hydrocarbon fracturing fluid can be recovered by the sale of recovered load fluid. 6 refs., 4 figs.

Modelling of fluid flow in fractured porous media by the singular integral equations method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, M.N.

2012-01-01

This thesis aims to develop a method for numerical modelling of fluid flow through fractured porous media and for determination of their effective permeability by taking advantage of recent results based on formulation of the problem by Singular Integral Equations. In parallel, it was also an occasion to continue on the theoretical development and to obtain new results in this area. The governing equations for flow in such materials are reviewed first and mass conservation at the fracture intersections is expressed explicitly. Using the theory of potential, the general potential solutions are proposed in the form of a singular integral equation that describes the steady-state flow in and around several fractures embedded in an infinite porous matrix under a far-field pressure condition. These solutions represent the pressure field in the whole body as functions of the infiltration in the fractures, which fully take into account the fracture interaction and intersections. Closed-form solutions for the fundamental problem of fluid flow around a single fracture are derived, which are considered as the benchmark problems to validate the numerical solutions. In particular, the solution obtained for the case of an elliptical disc-shaped crack obeying to the Poiseuille law has been compared to that obtained for ellipsoidal inclusions with Darcy law.The numerical programs have been developed based on the singular integral equations method to resolve the general potential equations. These allow modeling the fluid flow through a porous medium containing a great number of fractures. Besides, this formulation of the problem also allows obtaining a semi-analytical infiltration solution over a single fracture depending on the matrice permeability, the fracture conductivity and the fracture geometry. This result is the important key to up-scaling the effective permeability of a fractured porous medium by using different homogenisation schemes. The results obtained by the self

Diffusion Dominant Solute Transport Modelling in Fractured Media Under Deep Geological Environment - 12211

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwong, S. [National Nuclear Laboratory (United Kingdom); Jivkov, A.P. [Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Modelling and Simulation Centre, University of Manchester (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

Deep geologic disposal of high activity and long-lived radioactive waste is gaining increasing support in many countries, where suitable low permeability geological formation in combination with engineered barriers are used to provide long term waste contaminant and minimise the impacts to the environment and risk to the biosphere. This modelling study examines the solute transport in fractured media under low flow velocities that are relevant to a deep geological environment. In particular, reactive solute transport through fractured media is studied using a 2-D model, that considers advection and diffusion, to explore the coupled effects of kinetic and equilibrium chemical processes. The effects of water velocity in the fracture, matrix porosity and diffusion on solute transport are investigated and discussed. Some illustrative modelled results are presented to demonstrate the use of the model to examine the effects of media degradation on solute transport, under the influences of hydrogeological (diffusion dominant) and microbially mediated chemical processes. The challenges facing the prediction of long term degradation such as cracks evolution, interaction and coalescence are highlighted. The potential of a novel microstructure informed modelling approach to account for these effects is discussed, particularly with respect to investigating multiple phenomena impact on material performance. The GRM code is used to examine the effects of media degradation for a geological waste disposal package, under the combined hydrogeological (diffusion dominant) and chemical effects in low groundwater flow conditions that are typical of deep geological disposal systems. An illustrative reactive transport modelling application demonstrates the use of the code to examine the interplay of kinetic controlled biogeochemical reactive processes with advective and diffusive transport, under the influence of media degradation. The initial model results are encouraging which show the

Coupled processes in single fractures, double fractures and fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, C.F.

1986-12-01

The emplacement of a nuclear waste repository in a fractured porous medium provides a heat source of large dimensions over an extended period of time. It also creates a large cavity in the rock mass, changing significantly the stress field. Such major changes induce various coupled thermohydraulic, hydromechanic and hydrochemical transport processes in the environment around a nuclear waste repository. The present paper gives, first, a general overview of the coupled processes involving thermal, mechanical, hydrological and chemical effects. Then investigations of a number of specific coupled processes are described in the context of fluid flow and transport in a single fracture, two intersecting fractures and a fractured porous medium near a nuclear waste repository. The results are presented and discussed

A modeling and numerical algorithm for thermoporomechanics in multiple porosity media for naturally fractured reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Sonnenthal, E. L.; Rutqvist, J.

2011-12-01

Rigorous modeling of coupling between fluid, heat, and geomechanics (thermo-poro-mechanics), in fractured porous media is one of the important and difficult topics in geothermal reservoir simulation, because the physics are highly nonlinear and strongly coupled. Coupled fluid/heat flow and geomechanics are investigated using the multiple interacting continua (MINC) method as applied to naturally fractured media. In this study, we generalize constitutive relations for the isothermal elastic dual porosity model proposed by Berryman (2002) to those for the non-isothermal elastic/elastoplastic multiple porosity model, and derive the coupling coefficients of coupled fluid/heat flow and geomechanics and constraints of the coefficients. When the off-diagonal terms of the total compressibility matrix for the flow problem are zero, the upscaled drained bulk modulus for geomechanics becomes the harmonic average of drained bulk moduli of the multiple continua. In this case, the drained elastic/elastoplastic moduli for mechanics are determined by a combination of the drained moduli and volume fractions in multiple porosity materials. We also determine a relation between local strains of all multiple porosity materials in a gridblock and the global strain of the gridblock, from which we can track local and global elastic/plastic variables. For elastoplasticity, the return mapping is performed for all multiple porosity materials in the gridblock. For numerical implementation, we employ and extend the fixed-stress sequential method of the single porosity model to coupled fluid/heat flow and geomechanics in multiple porosity systems, because it provides numerical stability and high accuracy. This sequential scheme can be easily implemented by using a porosity function and its corresponding porosity correction, making use of the existing robust flow and geomechanics simulators. We implemented the proposed modeling and numerical algorithm to the reaction transport simulator

RESEARCH PROGRAM ON FRACTURED PETROLEUM RESERVOIRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbas Firoozabadi

2002-04-12

Numerical simulation of water injection in discrete fractured media with capillary pressure is a challenge. Dual-porosity models in view of their strength and simplicity can be mainly used for sugar-cube representation of fractured media. In such a representation, the transfer function between the fracture and the matrix block can be readily calculated for water-wet media. For a mixed-wet system, the evaluation of the transfer function becomes complicated due to the effect of gravity. In this work, they use a discrete-fracture model in which the fractures are discretized as one dimensional entities to account for fracture thickness by an integral form of the flow equations. This simple step greatly improves the numerical solution. Then the discrete-fracture model is implemented using a Galerkin finite element method. The robustness and the accuracy of the approach are shown through several examples. First they consider a single fracture in a rock matrix and compare the results of the discrete-fracture model with a single-porosity model. Then, they use the discrete-fracture model in more complex configurations. Numerical simulations are carried out in water-wet media as well as in mixed-wet media to study the effect of matrix and fracture capillary pressures.

Continuous time random walk analysis of solute transport in fractured porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cortis, Andrea; Cortis, Andrea; Birkholzer, Jens

2008-06-01

The objective of this work is to discuss solute transport phenomena in fractured porous media, where the macroscopic transport of contaminants in the highly permeable interconnected fractures can be strongly affected by solute exchange with the porous rock matrix. We are interested in a wide range of rock types, with matrix hydraulic conductivities varying from almost impermeable (e.g., granites) to somewhat permeable (e.g., porous sandstones). In the first case, molecular diffusion is the only transport process causing the transfer of contaminants between the fractures and the matrix blocks. In the second case, additional solute transfer occurs as a result of a combination of advective and dispersive transport mechanisms, with considerable impact on the macroscopic transport behavior. We start our study by conducting numerical tracer experiments employing a discrete (microscopic) representation of fractures and matrix. Using the discrete simulations as a surrogate for the 'correct' transport behavior, we then evaluate the accuracy of macroscopic (continuum) approaches in comparison with the discrete results. However, instead of using dual-continuum models, which are quite often used to account for this type of heterogeneity, we develop a macroscopic model based on the Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) framework, which characterizes the interaction between the fractured and porous rock domains by using a probability distribution function of residence times. A parametric study of how CTRW parameters evolve is presented, describing transport as a function of the hydraulic conductivity ratio between fractured and porous domains.

FEFLOW finite element modeling of flow, mass and heat transport in porous and fractured media

CERN Document Server

Diersch, Hans-Jörg G

2013-01-01

Placing advanced theoretical and numerical methods in the hands of modeling practitioners and scientists, this book explores the FEFLOW system for solving flow, mass and heat transport processes in porous and fractured media. Offers applications and exercises.

Optimizing fracture and completion design in the Westerose field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn-Norman, S. [Missouri Univ., Rolla, MO (United States); Griffiths, E.; Barnhart, W. [Pan-Canadian Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Aunger, D.; Kenny, L.; Halvaci, M.

1998-12-31

An experimental study was conducted to determine the feasibility of developing additional gas reserves in the tight sands located between the main bar trends in the Westerose gas field, located 75 km south of Edmonton, Alberta. As part of the study, fracturing and completion alternatives in the Glauconitic `bar` and `interbar` sands were analyzed and compared. Optimal fracture designs for vertical wells were determined for each type of sand. Vertical well performance was compared to stimulated and unstimulated horizontal wells drilled either parallel or perpendicular to the minimum in-situ stress. Results indicated that in-situ permeabilities in the interbar sands were lower than anticipated. It was also shown that over the permeability ranges studied, predicted rates matched actual rates for both vertical fractured and multifractured horizontal wells, suggesting that analytical models can be used to assess anticipated well performance. A further conclusion drawn from the study was that by stimulating a wide variety of permeability ranges, well orientations, anisotropy, fracture orientations and completion options can be determined. 12 refs., 7 tabs., 4 figs.

Hydrologic behavior of fracture networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, J.C.S.; Endo, H.K.; Karasaki, K.; Pyrak, L.; MacLean, P.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1984-10-01

This paper reviews recent research on the nature of flow and transport in discontinuous fracture networks. The hydrologic behavior of these networks has been examined using two- and three-dimensional numerical models. The numerical models represent random realizations of fracture networks based on statistical field measurements of fracture geometry and equivalent hydraulic aperture. We have compared the flux and mechanical transport behavior of these networks to the behavior of equivalent continua. In this way we are able to determine whether a given fracture network can be modeled as an equivalent porous media in both flux and advective transport studies. We have examined departures from porous media behavior both as a function of interconnectivity and heterogeneity. Parameter studies have revealed behavior patterns such as: given a fracture frequency that can be measured in the field, porous media like behavior and the magnitude of permeability are both enhanced if the fractures are longer and the standard deviation of fracture permeabilities is smaller. Transport studies have shown that the ratio between flux and velocity is not necessarily constant when the direction of flow is changed in systems which do behave like a porous media for flux. Thus the conditions under which porous media analysis can be used in transport studies are more restrictive than the condition for flux studies. We have examined systems which do not behave like porous media and have shown how the in situ behavior varies as a function of scale of observation. The behavior of well tests in fractured networks has been modeled and compared to a new analytical well test solution which accounts for the early time dominance of the fractures intersecting the well. Finally, a three-dimensional fracture flow model has been constructed which assumes fractures are randomly located discs. 13 references, 12 figures

Parallel numerical modeling of hybrid-dimensional compositional non-isothermal Darcy flows in fractured porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, F.; Masson, R.; Lopez, S.

2017-09-01

This paper introduces a new discrete fracture model accounting for non-isothermal compositional multiphase Darcy flows and complex networks of fractures with intersecting, immersed and non-immersed fractures. The so called hybrid-dimensional model using a 2D model in the fractures coupled with a 3D model in the matrix is first derived rigorously starting from the equi-dimensional matrix fracture model. Then, it is discretized using a fully implicit time integration combined with the Vertex Approximate Gradient (VAG) finite volume scheme which is adapted to polyhedral meshes and anisotropic heterogeneous media. The fully coupled systems are assembled and solved in parallel using the Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) paradigm with one layer of ghost cells. This strategy allows for a local assembly of the discrete systems. An efficient preconditioner is implemented to solve the linear systems at each time step and each Newton type iteration of the simulation. The numerical efficiency of our approach is assessed on different meshes, fracture networks, and physical settings in terms of parallel scalability, nonlinear convergence and linear convergence.

Hierarchical multiscale modeling for flows in fractured media using generalized multiscale finite element method

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.

2015-06-05

In this paper, we develop a multiscale finite element method for solving flows in fractured media. Our approach is based on generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM), where we represent the fracture effects on a coarse grid via multiscale basis functions. These multiscale basis functions are constructed in the offline stage via local spectral problems following GMsFEM. To represent the fractures on the fine grid, we consider two approaches (1) discrete fracture model (DFM) (2) embedded fracture model (EFM) and their combination. In DFM, the fractures are resolved via the fine grid, while in EFM the fracture and the fine grid block interaction is represented as a source term. In the proposed multiscale method, additional multiscale basis functions are used to represent the long fractures, while short-size fractures are collectively represented by a single basis functions. The procedure is automatically done via local spectral problems. In this regard, our approach shares common concepts with several approaches proposed in the literature as we discuss. We would like to emphasize that our goal is not to compare DFM with EFM, but rather to develop GMsFEM framework which uses these (DFM or EFM) fine-grid discretization techniques. Numerical results are presented, where we demonstrate how one can adaptively add basis functions in the regions of interest based on error indicators. We also discuss the use of randomized snapshots (Calo et al. Randomized oversampling for generalized multiscale finite element methods, 2014), which reduces the offline computational cost.

Numerical modeling of contaminant transport in fractured porous media using mixed finite-element and finitevolume methods

KAUST Repository

Dong, Chen; Sun, Shuyu; Taylor, Glenn A.

2011-01-01

A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods; i.e., the mixed finite-element (MFE) method and the finite-volume method. Adaptive

XFEM modeling of hydraulic fracture in porous rocks with natural fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tao; Liu, ZhanLi; Zeng, QingLei; Gao, Yue; Zhuang, Zhuo

2017-08-01

Hydraulic fracture (HF) in porous rocks is a complex multi-physics coupling process which involves fluid flow, diffusion and solid deformation. In this paper, the extended finite element method (XFEM) coupling with Biot theory is developed to study the HF in permeable rocks with natural fractures (NFs). In the recent XFEM based computational HF models, the fluid flow in fractures and interstitials of the porous media are mostly solved separately, which brings difficulties in dealing with complex fracture morphology. In our new model the fluid flow is solved in a unified framework by considering the fractures as a kind of special porous media and introducing Poiseuille-type flow inside them instead of Darcy-type flow. The most advantage is that it is very convenient to deal with fluid flow inside the complex fracture network, which is important in shale gas extraction. The weak formulation for the new coupled model is derived based on virtual work principle, which includes the XFEM formulation for multiple fractures and fractures intersection in porous media and finite element formulation for the unified fluid flow. Then the plane strain Kristianovic-Geertsma-de Klerk (KGD) model and the fluid flow inside the fracture network are simulated to validate the accuracy and applicability of this method. The numerical results show that large injection rate, low rock permeability and isotropic in-situ stresses tend to lead to a more uniform and productive fracture network.

Numerical modeling of contaminant transport in fractured porous media using mixed finite-element and finitevolume methods

KAUST Repository

Dong, Chen

2011-01-01

A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods; i.e., the mixed finite-element (MFE) method and the finite-volume method. Adaptive triangle mesh is used for effective treatment of the fractures. A hybrid MFE method is employed to provide an accurate approximation of velocity fields for both the fractures and matrix, which are crucial to the convection part of the transport equation. The finite-volume method and the standard MFE method are used to approximate the convection and dispersion terms, respectively. The temporary evolution for the pressure distributions, streamline fields, and concentration profiles are obtained for six different arrangements of fractures. The results clearly show the distorted concentration effects caused by the ordered and disordered (random) patterns of the fractures and illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed numerical model. © 2011 by Begell House Inc.

Optimizing the design of vertical seismic profiling (VSP) for imaging fracture zones over hardrock basement geothermal environments

Science.gov (United States)

Reiser, Fabienne; Schmelzbach, Cedric; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart; Hellwig, Olaf

2017-04-01

A primary focus of geothermal seismic imaging is to map dipping faults and fracture zones that control rock permeability and fluid flow. Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is therefore a most valuable means to image the immediate surroundings of an existing borehole to guide, for example, the placing of new boreholes to optimize production from known faults and fractures. We simulated 2D and 3D acoustic synthetic seismic data and processed it through to pre-stack depth migration to optimize VSP survey layouts for mapping moderately to steeply dipping fracture zones within possible basement geothermal reservoirs. Our VSP survey optimization procedure for sequentially selecting source locations to define the area where source points are best located for optimal imaging makes use of a cross-correlation statistic, by which a subset of migrated shot gathers is compared with a target or reference image from a comprehensive set of source gathers. In geothermal exploration at established sites, it is reasonable to assume that sufficient à priori information is available to construct such a target image. We generally obtained good results with a relatively small number of optimally chosen source positions distributed over an ideal source location area for different fracture zone scenarios (different dips, azimuths, and distances from the surveying borehole). Adding further sources outside the optimal source area did not necessarily improve the results, but rather resulted in image distortions. It was found that fracture zones located at borehole-receiver depths and laterally offset from the borehole by 300 m can be imaged reliably for a range of the different dips, but more source positions and large offsets between sources and the borehole are required for imaging steeply dipping interfaces. When such features cross-cut the borehole, they are particularly difficult to image. For fracture zones with different azimuths, 3D effects are observed. Far offset source positions

A nonequilibrium model for reactive contaminant transport through fractured porous media: Model development and semianalytical solution

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Nitin; Ojha, C. S. P.; Sharma, P. K.

2012-10-01

In this study a conceptual model that accounts for the effects of nonequilibrium contaminant transport in a fractured porous media is developed. Present model accounts for both physical and sorption nonequilibrium. Analytical solution was developed using the Laplace transform technique, which was then numerically inverted to obtain solute concentration in the fracture matrix system. The semianalytical solution developed here can incorporate both semi-infinite and finite fracture matrix extent. In addition, the model can account for flexible boundary conditions and nonzero initial condition in the fracture matrix system. The present semianalytical solution was validated against the existing analytical solutions for the fracture matrix system. In order to differentiate between various sorption/transport mechanism different cases of sorption and mass transfer were analyzed by comparing the breakthrough curves and temporal moments. It was found that significant differences in the signature of sorption and mass transfer exists. Applicability of the developed model was evaluated by simulating the published experimental data of Calcium and Strontium transport in a single fracture. The present model simulated the experimental data reasonably well in comparison to the model based on equilibrium sorption assumption in fracture matrix system, and multi rate mass transfer model.

History matching of large scale fractures to production data; Calage de la geometrie des reseaux de fractures aux donnees hydrodynamiques de production d'un champ petrolier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenni, S.

2005-01-01

Object based models are very helpful to represent complex geological media such as fractured reservoirs. For building realistic fracture networks, these models have to be constrained to both static (seismic, geomechanics, geology) and dynamic data (well tests and production history). In this report we present a procedure for the calibration of large-scale fracture networks to production history. The history matching procedure includes a realistic geological modeling, a parameterization method coherent with the geological model and allowing an efficient optimization. Fluid flow modeling is based on a double medium approach. The calibration procedure was applied to a semi-synthetic case based on a real fractured reservoir. The calibration to water-cut data was performed. (author)

Acute cognitive dysfunction after hip fracture: frequency and risk factors in an optimized, multimodal, rehabilitation program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bitsch, Martin; Foss, Nicolai Bang; Kristensen, Billy Bjarne

2006-01-01

hip fracture surgery in an optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen. METHODS: One hundred unselected hip fracture patients treated in a well-defined, optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen were included. Patients were tested upon admission and on the second......BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hip fracture surgery often experience acute post-operative cognitive dysfunction (APOCD). The pathogenesis of APOCD is probably multifactorial, and no single intervention has been successful in its prevention. No studies have investigated the incidence of APOCD after......, fourth and seventh post-operative days with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. RESULTS: Thirty-two per cent of patients developed a significant post-operative cognitive decline, which was associated with several pre-fracture patient characteristics, including age and cognitive function...

Cohesive phase-field fracture and a PDE constrained optimization approach to fracture inverse problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tupek, Michael R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-06-30

In recent years there has been a proliferation of modeling techniques for forward predictions of crack propagation in brittle materials, including: phase-field/gradient damage models, peridynamics, cohesive-zone models, and G/XFEM enrichment techniques. However, progress on the corresponding inverse problems has been relatively lacking. Taking advantage of key features of existing modeling approaches, we propose a parabolic regularization of Barenblatt cohesive models which borrows extensively from previous phase-field and gradient damage formulations. An efficient explicit time integration strategy for this type of nonlocal fracture model is then proposed and justified. In addition, we present a C++ computational framework for computing in- put parameter sensitivities efficiently for explicit dynamic problems using the adjoint method. This capability allows for solving inverse problems involving crack propagation to answer interesting engineering questions such as: 1) what is the optimal design topology and material placement for a heterogeneous structure to maximize fracture resistance, 2) what loads must have been applied to a structure for it to have failed in an observed way, 3) what are the existing cracks in a structure given various experimental observations, etc. In this work, we focus on the first of these engineering questions and demonstrate a capability to automatically and efficiently compute optimal designs intended to minimize crack propagation in structures.

Mechanical design optimization of bioabsorbable fixation devices for bone fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovald, Scott T; Khraishi, Tariq; Wagner, Jon; Baack, Bret

2009-03-01

Bioabsorbable bone plates can eliminate the necessity for a permanent implant when used to fixate fractures of the human mandible. They are currently not in widespread use because of the low strength of the materials and the requisite large volume of the resulting bone plate. The aim of the current study was to discover a minimally invasive bioabsorbable bone plate design that can provide the same mechanical stability as a standard titanium bone plate. A finite element model of a mandible with a fracture in the body region is subjected to bite loads that are common to patients postsurgery. The model is used first to determine benchmark stress and strain values for a titanium plate. These values are then set as the limits within which the bioabsorbable bone plate must comply. The model is then modified to consider a bone plate made of the polymer poly-L/DL-lactide 70/30. An optimization routine is run to determine the smallest volume of bioabsorbable bone plate that can perform and a titanium bone plate when fixating fractures of this considered type. Two design parameters are varied for the bone plate design during the optimization analysis. The analysis determined that a strut style poly-L-lactide-co-DL-lactide plate of 690 mm2 can provide as much mechanical stability as a similar titanium design structure of 172 mm2. The model has determined a bioabsorbable bone plate design that is as strong as a titanium plate when fixating fractures of the load-bearing mandible. This is an intriguing outcome, considering that the polymer material has only 6% of the stiffness of titanium.

Unified fluid flow model for pressure transient analysis in naturally fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babak, Petro; Azaiez, Jalel

2015-01-01

Naturally fractured reservoirs present special challenges for flow modeling with regards to their internal geometrical structure. The shape and distribution of matrix porous blocks and the geometry of fractures play key roles in the formulation of transient interporosity flow models. Although these models have been formulated for several typical geometries of the fracture networks, they appeared to be very dissimilar for different shapes of matrix blocks, and their analysis presents many technical challenges. The aim of this paper is to derive and analyze a unified approach to transient interporosity flow models for slightly compressible fluids that can be used for any matrix geometry and fracture network. A unified fractional differential transient interporosity flow model is derived using asymptotic analysis for singularly perturbed problems with small parameters arising from the assumption of a much smaller permeability of the matrix blocks compared to that of the fractures. This methodology allowed us to unify existing transient interporosity flow models formulated for different shapes of matrix blocks including bounded matrix blocks, unbounded matrix cylinders with any orthogonal crossection, and matrix slabs. The model is formulated using a fractional order diffusion equation for fluid pressure that involves Caputo derivative of order 1/2 with respect to time. Analysis of the unified fractional derivative model revealed that the surface area-to-volume ratio is the key parameter in the description of the flow through naturally fractured media. Expressions of this parameter are presented for matrix blocks of the same geometrical shape as well as combinations of different shapes with constant and random sizes. Numerical comparisons between the predictions of the unified model and those obtained from existing transient interporosity ones for matrix blocks in the form of slabs, spheres and cylinders are presented for linear, radial and spherical flow types for

Optimal age of commencing and discontinuing thiazide therapy to protect against fractures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, C; Eiken, P; Vestergaard, P

2016-01-01

subjects. Ten-year crude and adjusted age-grouped hazard ratios (HRs) of fracture occurrence were stratified by age of commencing thiazides compared to non-exposure. Separate analyses were done on Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC) codes C03AA and C03AA + C03AB compiled. Ten...... occurrence. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine the optimal age for commencing and discontinuing thiazide therapy to protect from osteoporotic fractures. METHODS: A population-based, retrospective matched cohort study was done using national data of 2.93 million Danish......-year crude HRs of fracture occurrence for discontinuing vs. continuing thiazides were estimated and stratified by age for the two groups. RESULTS: For C03AB alone (97.1 % of thiazide prescriptions), adjusted 10-year HRs of fracture occurrence were significantly increased for thiazide commencement after age...

Optimal Treatment of Malignant Long Bone Fracture: Influence of Method of Repair and External Beam Irradiation on the Pathway and Efficacy of Fracture Healing

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

stiffness, or a partial snap with lower yield force and stiffness (Figure 4). Three dimensional micro CT analysis around fracture Figure 3. (a-b... fractures with plate fixation on both sides and irradiation on the left while the contralateral limb serves as a non-radiated internal control. The...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-1-0430 TITLE: Optimal Treatment of Malignant Long Bone Fracture : Influence of Method of Repair and External Beam

Anatomical Thin Titanium Mesh Plate Structural Optimization for Zygomatic-Maxillary Complex Fracture under Fatigue Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Tzu Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study performs a structural optimization of anatomical thin titanium mesh (ATTM plate and optimal designed ATTM plate fabricated using additive manufacturing (AM to verify its stabilization under fatigue testing. Finite element (FE analysis was used to simulate the structural bending resistance of a regular ATTM plate. The Taguchi method was employed to identify the significance of each design factor in controlling the deflection and determine an optimal combination of designed factors. The optimal designed ATTM plate with patient-matched facial contour was fabricated using AM and applied to a ZMC comminuted fracture to evaluate the resting maxillary micromotion/strain under fatigue testing. The Taguchi analysis found that the ATTM plate required a designed internal hole distance to be 0.9 mm, internal hole diameter to be 1 mm, plate thickness to be 0.8 mm, and plate height to be 10 mm. The designed plate thickness factor primarily dominated the bending resistance up to 78% importance. The averaged micromotion (displacement and strain of the maxillary bone showed that ZMC fracture fixation using the miniplate was significantly higher than those using the AM optimal designed ATTM plate. This study concluded that the optimal designed ATTM plate with enough strength to resist the bending effect can be obtained by combining FE and Taguchi analyses. The optimal designed ATTM plate with patient-matched facial contour fabricated using AM provides superior stabilization for ZMC comminuted fractured bone segments.

Flow and contaminant transport in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bear, J.; Tsang, C.F.; Marsily, G. de

1993-01-01

This book is a compilation of nine articles dealing with various aspect of flow in fractured media. Articles range from radionuclide waste to multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs to practical field test methods. Each chapter contains copious figures to aid the reader, but is also a detailed in-depth analysis of some major flow problem. The subjects covered are as follows: an introduction to flow and transport models; solute transport in fractured rock with application to radioactive waste repositories; solute transport models through fractured networks; theoretical view of stochastic models of fracture systems; numerical models of tracers; multiphase flow models in fractured systems and petroleum reservoirs; unsaturated flow modeling; comparative analysis of various flow modeling techniques in fractured media; and, a summary of field methods for measuring transfers of mass, heat, contaminant, momentum, and electrical charge in fractured media

SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE HYDRAULIC FRACTURING OPERATION IN A HEAVY OIL RESERVOIR IN SOUTHERN IRAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

REZA MASOOMI

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Extraction of oil from some Iranian reservoirs due to high viscosity of their oil or reducing the formation permeability due to asphaltene precipitation or other problems is not satisfactory. Hydraulic fracturing method increases production in the viscous oil reservoirs that the production rate is low. So this is very important for some Iranian reservoirs that contain these characteristics. In this study, hydraulic fracturing method has been compositionally simulated in a heavy oil reservoir in southern Iran. In this study, the parameters of the fracture half length, the propagation direction of the cracks and the depth of fracturing have been considered in this oil reservoir. The aim of this study is to find the best scenario which has the highest recovery factor in this oil reservoir. For this purpose the parameters of the length, propagation direction and depth of fracturing have been optimized in this reservoir. Through this study the cumulative oil production has been evaluated with the compositional simulation for the next 10 years in this reservoir. Also at the end of this paper, increasing the final production of this oil reservoir caused by optimized hydraulic fracturing has been evaluated.

Numerical Evaluation and Optimization of Multiple Hydraulically Fractured Parameters Using a Flow-Stress-Damage Coupled Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Multiple-factor analysis and optimization play a critical role in the the ability to maximizethe stimulated reservoir volume (SRV and the success of economic shale gas production. In this paper, taking the typical continental naturally fractured silty laminae shale in China as anexample, response surface methodology (RSM was employed to optimize multiple hydraulic fracturing parameters to maximize the stimulated area in combination with numerical modeling based on the coupled flow-stress-damage (FSD approach. This paper demonstrates hydraulic fracturing effectiveness by defining two indicesnamelythe stimulated reservoir area (SRA and stimulated silty laminae area (SLA. Seven uncertain parameters, such as laminae thickness, spacing, dip angle, cohesion, internal friction angle (IFA, in situ stress difference (SD, and an operational parameter-injection rate (IR with a reasonable range based on silty Laminae Shale, Southeastern Ordos Basin, are used to fit a response of SRA and SLA as the objective function, and finally identity the optimum design under the parameters based on simultaneously maximizingSRA and SLA. In addition, asensitivity analysis of the influential factors is conducted for SRA and SLA. The aim of the study is to improve the artificial ability to control the fracturing network by means of multi-parameteroptimization. This work promises to provide insights into the effective exploitation of unconventional shale gas reservoirs via optimization of the fracturing design for continental shale, Southeastern Ordos Basin, China.

Naturally fractured tight gas reservoir detection optimization. Annual report, September 1993--September 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-10-01

This report is an annual summarization of an ongoing research in the field of modeling and detecting naturally fractured gas reservoirs. The current research is in the Piceance basin of Western Colorado. The aim is to use existing information to determine the most optimal zone or area of fracturing using a unique reaction-transport-mechanical (RTM) numerical basin model. The RTM model will then subsequently help map subsurface lateral and vertical fracture geometries. The base collection techniques include in-situ fracture data, remote sensing, aeromagnetics, 2-D seismic, and regional geologic interpretations. Once identified, high resolution airborne and spaceborne imagery will be used to verify the RTM model by comparing surficial fractures. If this imagery agrees with the model data, then a further investigation using a three-dimensional seismic survey component will be added. This report presents an overview of the Piceance Creek basin and then reviews work in the Parachute and Rulison fields and the results of the RTM models in these fields.

Correcting underestimation of optimal fracture length by modeling proppant conductivity variations in hydraulically fractured gas/condensate reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akram, A.H.; Samad, A. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX (United States)]|[Schlumberger, Houston, TX (United States)

2006-07-01

A study was conducted in which a newly developed numerical simulator was used to forecast the productivity of a hydraulically fractured well in a retrograde gas-condensate sandstone reservoir. The effect of condensate dropout was modeled in both the reservoir and the proppant pack. The type of proppant and the stress applied to it are among the factors that determine proppant conductivity in a single-phase flow. Other factors include the high velocity of gas and the presence of liquid in the proppant pack. It was concluded that apparent proppant permeability in a gas condensate reservoir varies along the length of the hydraulic fracture and depends on the distance from the wellbore. It will increase towards the tip of the fracture where liquid ratio and velocity are lower. Apparent proppant permeability also changes with time. Forecasting is most accurate when these conditions are considered in the simulation. There are 2 problems associated with the use of a constant proppant permeability in a gas condensate reservoir. The first relates to the fact that it is impossible to obtain a correct single number that will mimic the drawdown of the real fracture at a particular rate without going through the process of determining the proppant permeability profile in a numerical simulator. The second problem relates to the fact that constant proppant permeability yields an optimal fracture length that is too short. Analytical modeling does not account for these complexities. It was determined that the only way to accurately simulate the behaviour of a hydraulic fracture in a high rate well, is by advanced numerical modeling that considers varying apparent proppant permeability in terms of time and distance along the fracture length. 10 refs., 2 tabs., 16 figs., 1 appendix.

Hydrologic behavior of fracture networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, J.C.S.; Endo, H.K.; Karasaki, K.; Pyrak, L.; MacLean, P.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1985-01-01

This paper reviews recent research on the nature of flow and transport in discontinuous fracture networks. The hydrologic behavior of these networks has been examined using two- and three-dimensional numerical models. The numerical models represent random realizations of fracture networks based on statistical field measurements of fracture geometry and equivalent hydraulic aperture. The authors have compared the flux and mechanical transported behavior of these networks to the behavior of equivalent continua. In this way they were able to determine whether a given fracture network could be modeled as an equivalent porous media in both flux and advective transport studies. They have examined departures from porous media behavior both as a function of interconnectivity and heterogeneity. Parameter studies have revealed behavior patterns such as: given a fracture frequency that can be measured in the field, porous media like behavior and the magnitude of permeability are both enhanced if the fractures are longer and the standard deviation of fracture permeabilities is smaller. The behavior of well tests in fractured networks has been modeled and compared to a new analytical well test solution which accounts for the early time dominance of the fractures intersecting the well. Finally, a three-dimensional fracture flow model has been constructed which assumes fractures are randomly located discs. This model has been constructed which assumes fractures are randomly located discs. This model uses a semi-analytical solution for flow such that it is relatively easy to use the model as a tool for stochastic analysis. 13 references, 12 figures

Optimizing the productivity of acid-fracture treatments in horizontal wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, E.

1995-12-31

Existing prediction methods are inadequate for unstable radial displacement, with prediction errors of up to 500%. This work provides a new theoretical basis for understanding unstable displacements in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, based on a detailed analysis of the fingering morphology and a new derivation using fractional flow theory for radial flow. Design guidelines are given to assist in optimizing the design of fingered acid-fracture treatments for horizontal wells in carbonate formations. Unstable radial displacement creates power-law (fractal) displacement patterns, for a wide range of mobility ratios, and the displacement efficiency can be expressed as a function of the mobility ratio M. The finger wavelength is a function of the Peclet number and the fracture aperture, and the detailed morphology can be understood in terms of the fluid theology. The size of the fingering zone can be predicted from the mobility ratio and Peclet number. A productivity index factor PIF can be used to compare different treatment scenarios, and thus optimise the productivity of acid-fracture treatments.

Approaches to large scale unsaturated flow in heterogeneous, stratified, and fractured geologic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ababou, R.

1991-08-01

This report develops a broad review and assessment of quantitative modeling approaches and data requirements for large-scale subsurface flow in radioactive waste geologic repository. The data review includes discussions of controlled field experiments, existing contamination sites, and site-specific hydrogeologic conditions at Yucca Mountain. Local-scale constitutive models for the unsaturated hydrodynamic properties of geologic media are analyzed, with particular emphasis on the effect of structural characteristics of the medium. The report further reviews and analyzes large-scale hydrogeologic spatial variability from aquifer data, unsaturated soil data, and fracture network data gathered from the literature. Finally, various modeling strategies toward large-scale flow simulations are assessed, including direct high-resolution simulation, and coarse-scale simulation based on auxiliary hydrodynamic models such as single equivalent continuum and dual-porosity continuum. The roles of anisotropy, fracturing, and broad-band spatial variability are emphasized. 252 refs

Coupled Flow and Mechanics in Porous and Fractured Media*

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, M. J.; Newell, P.; Bishop, J.

2012-12-01

Numerical models describing subsurface flow through deformable porous materials are important for understanding and enabling energy security and climate security. Some applications of current interest come from such diverse areas as geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO2, hydro-fracturing for stimulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and modeling electrochemistry-induced swelling of fluid-filled porous electrodes. Induced stress fields in any of these applications can lead to structural failure and fracture. The ultimate goal of this research is to model evolving faults and fracture networks and flow within the networks while coupling to flow and mechanics within the intact porous structure. We report here on a new computational capability for coupling of multiphase porous flow with geomechanics including assessment of over-pressure-induced structural damage. The geomechanics is coupled to the flow via the variation in the fluid pore pressures, whereas the flow problem is coupled to mechanics by the concomitant material strains which alter the pore volume (porosity field) and hence the permeability field. For linear elastic solid mechanics a monolithic coupling strategy is utilized. For nonlinear elastic/plastic and fractured media, a segregated coupling is presented. To facilitate coupling with disparate flow and mechanics time scales, the coupling strategy allows for different time steps in the flow solve compared to the mechanics solve. If time steps are synchronized, the controller allows user-specified intra-time-step iterations. The iterative coupling is dynamically controlled based on a norm measuring the degree of variation in the deformed porosity. The model is applied for evaluation of the integrity of jointed caprock systems during CO2 sequestration operations. Creation or reactivation of joints can lead to enhanced pathways for leakage. Similarly, over-pressures can induce flow along faults. Fluid flow rates in fractures are strongly dependent on the

Head and bit patterned media optimization at areal densities of 2.5 Tbit/in2 and beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashir, M.A.; Schrefl, T.; Dean, J.; Goncharov, A.; Hrkac, G.; Allwood, D.A.; Suess, D.

2012-01-01

Global optimization of writing head is performed using micromagnetics and surrogate optimization. The shape of the pole tip is optimized for bit patterned, exchange spring recording media. The media characteristics define the effective write field and the threshold values for the head field that acts at islands in the adjacent track. Once the required head field characteristics are defined, the pole tip geometry is optimized in order to achieve a high gradient of the effective write field while keeping the write field at the adjacent track below a given value. We computed the write error rate and the adjacent track erasure for different maximum anisotropy in the multilayer, graded media. The results show a linear trade off between the error rate and the number of passes before erasure. For optimal head media combinations we found a bit error rate of 10 -6 with 10 8 pass lines before erasure at 2.5 Tbit/in 2 . - Research Highlights: → Global optimization of writing head is performed using micromagnetics and surrogate optimization. → A method is provided to optimize the pole tip shape while maintaining the head field that acts in the adjacent tracks. → Patterned media structures providing an area density of 2.5 Tbit/in 2 are discussed as a case study. → Media reliability is studied, while taking into account, the magnetostatic field interactions from neighbouring islands and adjacent track erasure under the influence of head field.

ogs6 - a new concept for porous-fractured media simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Naumov, Dmitri; Bilke, Lars; Fischer, Thomas; Rink, Karsten; Wang, Wenqing; Watanabe, Norihiro; Kolditz, Olaf

2015-04-01

OpenGeoSys (OGS) is a scientific open-source initiative for numerical simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical/chemical (THMC) processes in porous and fractured media, continuously developed since the mid-eighties. The basic concept is to provide a flexible numerical framework for solving coupled multi-field problems. OGS is targeting mainly on applications in environmental geoscience, e.g. in the fields of contaminant hydrology, water resources management, waste deposits, or geothermal energy systems, but it has also been successfully applied to new topics in energy storage recently. OGS is actively participating several international benchmarking initiatives, e.g. DECOVALEX (waste management), CO2BENCH (CO2 storage and sequestration), SeSBENCH (reactive transport processes) and HM-Intercomp (coupled hydrosystems). Despite the broad applicability of OGS in geo-, hydro- and energy-sciences, several shortcomings became obvious concerning the computational efficiency as well as the code structure became too sophisticated for further efficient development. OGS-5 was designed for object-oriented FEM applications. However, in many multi-field problems a certain flexibility of tailored numerical schemes is essential. Therefore, a new concept was designed to overcome existing bottlenecks. The paradigms for ogs6 are: - Flexibility of numerical schemes (FEM#FVM#FDM), - Computational efficiency (PetaScale ready), - Developer- and user-friendly. ogs6 has a module-oriented architecture based on thematic libraries (e.g. MeshLib, NumLib) on the large scale and uses object-oriented approach for the small scale interfaces. Usage of a linear algebra library (Eigen3) for the mathematical operations together with the ISO C++11 standard increases the expressiveness of the code and makes it more developer-friendly. The new C++ standard also makes the template meta-programming technique code used for compile-time optimizations more compact. We have transitioned the main code development to

Poroelastic Response of Orthotropic Fractured Porous Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berryman, James G. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Earth Sciences Division

2011-12-16

In this paper, an algorithm is presented for inverting either laboratory or field poroelastic data for all the drained constants of an anisotropic (specifically orthotropic) fractured poroelastic system. While fractures normally weaken the system by increasing the mechanical compliance, any liquids present in these fractures are expected to increase the stiffness somewhat, thus negating to some extent the mechanical weakening influence of the fractures themselves. The analysis presented in this article quantifies these effects and shows that the key physical variable needed to account for the pore-fluid effects is a factor of (1 - B), where B is Skempton’s second coefficient and satisfies 0 ≤ B < 1. This scalar factor uniformly reduces the increase in compliance due to the presence of communicating fractures, thereby stiffening the fractured composite medium by a predictable amount. One further aim of the discussion is to determine the number of the poroelastic constants that needs to be known by other means to determine the rest from remote measurements, such as seismic wave propagation data in the field. Quantitative examples arising in the analysis show that, if the fracture aspect ratio a_f ≃ 0.1 and the pore fluid is liquid water, then for several cases considered, Skempton’s B ≃ 0.9, and so the stiffening effect of the pore-liquid reduces the change in compliance due to the fractures by a factor 1-B ≃ 0.1, in these examples. The results do, however, depend on the actual moduli of the unfractured elastic material, as well as on the pore-liquid bulk modulus, so these quantitative predictions are just examples, and should not be treated as universal results. Attention is also given to two previously unremarked poroelastic identities, both being useful variants of Gassmann’s equations for homogeneous—but anisotropic—poroelasticity. Relationships to Skempton’s analysis of saturated soils are also noted. Finally, the article concludes

A new media optimizer based on the mean-variance model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Jesus Fernandez

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the financial markets, there is a well established portfolio optimization model called generalized mean-variance model (or generalized Markowitz model. This model considers that a typical investor, while expecting returns to be high, also expects returns to be as certain as possible. In this paper we introduce a new media optimization system based on the mean-variance model, a novel approach in media planning. After presenting the model in its full generality, we discuss possible advantages of the mean-variance paradigm, such as its flexibility in modeling the optimization problem, its ability of dealing with many media performance indices - satisfying most of the media plan needs - and, most important, the property of diversifying the media portfolios in a natural way, without the need to set up ad hoc constraints to enforce diversification.No mercado financeiro, existem modelos de otimização de portfólios já bem estabelecidos, denominados modelos de média-variância generalizados, ou modelos de Markowitz generalizados. Este modelo considera que um investidor típico, enquanto espera altos retornos, espera também que estes retornos sejam tão certos quanto possível. Neste artigo introduzimos um novo sistema otimizador de mídia baseado no modelo de média-variância, uma abordagem inovadora na área de planejamento de mídia. Após apresentar o modelo em sua máxima generalidade, discutimos possíveis vantagens do paradigma de média-variância, como sua flexibilidade na modelagem do problema de otimização, sua habilidade de lidar com vários índices de performance - satisfazendo a maioria dos requisitos de planejamento - e, o mais importante, a propriedade de diversificar os portfólios de mídia de uma forma natural, sem a necessidade de estipular restrições ad hoc para forçar a diversificação.

A permeability model for coal and other fractured, sorptive-elastic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robertson, E.P.; Christiansen, R.L. [Marathon Oil Co., Houston, TX (United States). Research & Development Facility

2008-09-15

This paper describes the derivation of a new equation that can be used to model the permeability behavior of a fractured, sorptive-elastic medium, such as coal, under variable stress conditions. The equation is applicable to confinement pressure schemes commonly used during the collection of permeability data in the laboratory. The model is derived for cubic geometry under biaxial or hydrostatic confining pressures. The model is designed to handle changes in permeability caused by adsorption and desorption of gases onto and from the matrix blocks in fractured media. The model equations can be used to calculate permeability changes caused by the production of methane (CH{sub 4}) from coal as well as the injection of gases, such as carbon dioxide, for sequestration in coal. Sensitivity analysis of the model found that each of the input variables can have a significant impact on the outcome of the permeability forecast as a function of changing pore pressure, thus, accurate input data are essential. The permeability model also can be used as a tool to determine input parameters for field simulations by curve fitting laboratory-generated permeability data. The new model is compared to two other widely used coal-permeability models using a hypothetical coal with average properties.

Migration of Water Pulse Through Fractured Porous Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finsterle, S.; Fabryka-Martin, J. T.; Wang, J. S. Y.

2001-01-01

Contaminant transport from waste-disposal sites is strongly affected by the presence of fractures and the degree of fracture-matrix interaction. Characterization of potential contaminant plumes at such sites is difficult, both experimentally and numerically. Simulations of water flow through fractured rock were performed to examine the penetration depth of a large pulse of water entering such a system. Construction water traced with lithium bromide was released during the excavation of a tunnel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which is located in an unsaturated fractured tuff formation. Modeling of construction-water migration is qualitatively compared with bromide-to-chloride (Br/CI) ratio data for pore-water salts extracted from drillcores. The influences of local heterogeneities in the fracture network and variations in hydrogeologic parameters were examined by sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results are qualitatively consistent with the observed Br/CI signals, although these data may only indicate a minimum penetration depth, and water may have migrated further through the fracture network

Light Focusing through Scattering Media by Particle Swarm Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Hui-Ling; Chen Zi-Yang; Sun Cun-Zhi; Liu Ji-Lin; Pu Ji-Xiong

2015-01-01

We demonstrate light focusing through scattering media by introducing particle swarm optimization for modulating the phase wavefront. Light refocusing is simulated numerically based on the angular spectrum method and the circular Gaussian distribution model of the scattering media. Experimentally, a spatial light modulator is used to control the phase of incident light, so as to make the scattered light converge to a focus. The influence of divided segments of input light and the effect of the number of iterations on light intensity enhancement are investigated. Simulation results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical analysis for light refocusing. (paper)

Optimization the initial weights of artificial neural networks via genetic algorithm applied to hip bone fracture prediction

OpenAIRE

Chang, Y-T; Lin, J; Shieh, J-S; Abbod, MF

2012-01-01

This paper aims to find the optimal set of initial weights to enhance the accuracy of artificial neural networks (ANNs) by using genetic algorithms (GA). The sample in this study included 228 patients with first low-trauma hip fracture and 215 patients without hip fracture, both of them were interviewed with 78 questions. We used logistic regression to select 5 important factors (i.e., bone mineral density, experience of fracture, average hand grip strength, intake of coffee, and peak expirat...

Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) - A Technology for Managing Flow and Transport in Porous and Fractured Media

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, A. J.; Hiebert, R.; Kirksey, J.; Lauchnor, E. G.; Rothman, A.; Spangler, L.; Esposito, R.; Gerlach, R.; Cunningham, A. B.

2014-12-01

Certain microorganisms e.g., Sporosarcina pasteurii contribute enzymes that catalyze reactions which in the presence of calcium, can create saturation conditions favorable for calcium carbonate precipitation (microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP)). MICP can be used for a number of engineering applications including securing geologic storage of CO2 or other fluids by sealing fractures, improving wellbore integrity, and stabilizing fractured and unstable porous media. MICP treatment has the advantage of the use of small microorganisms, ~2μm, suggesting applicability to treatment of small aperture fractures not accessible to traditional treatments, for example the use of fine cement. The promotion of MICP in the subsurface is a complex reactive transport problem coupling microbial, abiotic (geochemical), geomechanical and hydrodynamic processes. In the laboratory, MICP has been demonstrated to cement together heavily fractured shale and reduce the permeability of fractures in shale and sandstone cores up to five orders of magnitude under both ambient and subsurface relevant pressure conditions (Figure 1). Most recently, a MICP fracture treatment field study was performed at a well at the Southern Company Gorgas Steam Generation Plant (Alabama) (Figure 1). The Fayetteville Sandstone at approximately 1120' below ground surface was hydraulically fractured prior to MICP treatment. After 4 days of injection of 24 calcium pulses and 6 microbial inoculations, injectivity of brine into the formation was significantly reduced. The experiment also resulted in a reduction in pressure decay which is a measure of improved wellbore integrity. These promising results suggest the potential for MICP treatment to seal fractured pathways at the field scale to improve the long-term security of geologically-stored carbon dioxide or prevent leakage of shale gas or hydraulic fracturing fluids into functional overlying aquifers, reducing environmental impacts.

Nonlinear dynamics in flow through unsaturated fractured porous media: Status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faybishenko, Boris

2002-01-01

The need has long been recognized to improve predictions of flow and transport in partially saturated heterogeneous soils and fractured rock of the vadose zone for many practical applications, such as remediation of contaminated sites, nuclear waste disposal in geological formations, and climate predictions. Until recently, flow and transport processes in heterogeneous subsurface media with oscillating irregularities were assumed to be random and were not analyzed using methods of nonlinear dynamics. The goals of this paper are to review the theoretical concepts, present the results, and provide perspectives on investigations of flow and transport in unsaturated heterogeneous soils and fractured rock, using the methods of nonlinear dynamics and deterministic chaos. The results of laboratory and field investigations indicate that the nonlinear dynamics of flow and transport processes in unsaturated soils and fractured rocks arise from the dynamic feedback and competition between various nonlinear physical processes along with complex geometry of flow paths. Although direct measurements of variables characterizing the individual flow processes are not technically feasible, their cumulative effect can be characterized by analyzing time series data using the models and methods of nonlinear dynamics and chaos. Identifying flow through soil or rock as a nonlinear dynamical system is important for developing appropriate short- and long-time predictive models, evaluating prediction uncertainty, assessing the spatial distribution of flow characteristics from time series data, and improving chemical transport simulations. Inferring the nature of flow processes through the methods of nonlinear dynamics could become widely used in different areas of the earth sciences

Nonlinear dynamics in flow through unsaturated fractured-porous media: Status and perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faybishenko, Boris

2002-11-27

The need has long been recognized to improve predictions of flow and transport in partially saturated heterogeneous soils and fractured rock of the vadose zone for many practical applications, such as remediation of contaminated sites, nuclear waste disposal in geological formations, and climate predictions. Until recently, flow and transport processes in heterogeneous subsurface media with oscillating irregularities were assumed to be random and were not analyzed using methods of nonlinear dynamics. The goals of this paper are to review the theoretical concepts, present the results, and provide perspectives on investigations of flow and transport in unsaturated heterogeneous soils and fractured rock, using the methods of nonlinear dynamics and deterministic chaos. The results of laboratory and field investigations indicate that the nonlinear dynamics of flow and transport processes in unsaturated soils and fractured rocks arise from the dynamic feedback and competition between various nonlinear physical processes along with complex geometry of flow paths. Although direct measurements of variables characterizing the individual flow processes are not technically feasible, their cumulative effect can be characterized by analyzing time series data using the models and methods of nonlinear dynamics and chaos. Identifying flow through soil or rock as a nonlinear dynamical system is important for developing appropriate short- and long-time predictive models, evaluating prediction uncertainty, assessing the spatial distribution of flow characteristics from time series data, and improving chemical transport simulations. Inferring the nature of flow processes through the methods of nonlinear dynamics could become widely used in different areas of the earth sciences.

Characterisation of hydraulically-active fractures in a fractured ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-01-07

Jan 7, 2015 ... injection and recovery tests were conducted for verification of the ... Keywords: self-potential method, hydraulically-conductive fractures, constant pressure injection and recovery ...... porous media 1: theory of the zeta potential.

Onset of density-driven instabilities in fractured aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari Raad, Seyed Mostafa; Hassanzadeh, Hassan

2018-04-01

Linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of density-driven convection involved in solubility trapping of C O2 in fractured aquifers. The effect of physical properties of a fracture network on the stability of a diffusive boundary layer in a saturated fractured porous media is investigated using the dual porosity concept. Linear stability analysis results show that both fracture interporosity flow and fracture storativity play an important role in the stability behavior of the system. It is shown that a diffusive boundary layer under the gravity field in fractured porous media with lower fracture storativity and/or higher fracture interporosity flow coefficient is more stable. We present scaling relations for the onset of convective instability in fractured aquifers with single and variable matrix block size distribution. These findings improve our understanding of density-driven flow in fractured aquifers and are important in the estimation of potential storage capacity, risk assessment, and storage site characterization and screening.

Mechanics of Hydraulic Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Detournay, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Hydraulic fractures represent a particular class of tensile fractures that propagate in solid media under pre-existing compressive stresses as a result of internal pressurization by an injected viscous fluid. The main application of engineered hydraulic fractures is the stimulation of oil and gas wells to increase production. Several physical processes affect the propagation of these fractures, including the flow of viscous fluid, creation of solid surfaces, and leak-off of fracturing fluid. The interplay and the competition between these processes lead to multiple length scales and timescales in the system, which reveal the shifting influence of the far-field stress, viscous dissipation, fracture energy, and leak-off as the fracture propagates.

A three-dimensional multiphase flow model for assesing NAPL contamination in porous and fractured media, 1. Formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Huyakorn, P. S.; Panday, S.; Wu, Y. S.

1994-06-01

A three-dimensional, three-phase numerical model is presented for stimulating the movement on non-aqueous-phase liquids (NAPL's) through porous and fractured media. The model is designed for practical application to a wide variety of contamination and remediation scenarios involving light or dense NAPL's in heterogeneous subsurface systems. The model formulation is first derived for three-phase flow of water, NAPL and air (or vapor) in porous media. The formulation is then extended to handle fractured systems using the dual-porosity and discrete-fracture modeling approaches The model accommodates a wide variety of boundary conditions, including withdrawal and injection well conditions which are treated rigorously using fully implicit schemes. The three-phase of formulation collapses to its simpler forms when air-phase dynamics are neglected, capillary effects are neglected, or two-phase-air-liquid, liquid-liquid systems with one or two active phases are considered. A Galerkin procedure with upstream weighting of fluid mobilities, storage matrix lumping, and fully implicit treatment of nonlinear coefficients and well conditions is used. A variety of nodal connectivity schemes leading to finite-difference, finite-element and hybrid spatial approximations in three dimensions are incorporated in the formulation. Selection of primary variables and evaluation of the terms of the Jacobian matrix for the Newton-Raphson linearized equations is discussed. The various nodal lattice options, and their significance to the computational time and memory requirements with regards to the block-Orthomin solution scheme are noted. Aggressive time-stepping schemes and under-relaxation formulas implemented in the code further alleviate the computational burden.

Mechanical transport in two-dimensional networks of fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endo, H.K.

1984-04-01

The objectives of this research are to evaluate directional mechanical transport parameters for anisotropic fracture systems, and to determine if fracture systems behave like equivalent porous media. The tracer experiments used to measure directional tortuosity, longitudinal geometric dispersivity, and hydraulic effective porosity are conducted with a uniform flow field and measurements are made from the fluid flowing within a test section where linear length of travel is constant. Since fluid flow and mechanical transport are coupled processes, the directional variations of specific discharge and hydraulic effective porosity are measured in regions with constant hydraulic gradients to evaluate porous medium equivalence for the two processes, respectively. If the fracture region behaves like an equivalent porous medium, the system has the following stable properties: (1) specific discharge is uniform in any direction and can be predicted from a permeability tensor; and (2) hydraulic effective porosity is directionally stable. Fracture systems with two parallel sets of continuous fractures satisfy criterion 1. However, in these systems hydraulic effective porosity is directionally dependent, and thus, criterion 2 is violated. Thus, for some fracture systems, fluid flow can be predicted using porous media assumptions, but it may not be possible to predict transport using porous media assumptions. Two discontinuous fracture systems were studied which satisfied both criteria. Hydraulic effective porosity for both systems has a value between rock effective porosity and total porosity. A length-density analysis (LDS) of Canadian fracture data shows that porous media equivalence for fluid flow and transport is likely when systems have narrow aperture distributions. 54 references, 90 figures, 7 tables

Diagnosis of scaphoid fracture: optimal imaging techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geijer M

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Mats Geijer Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital and Lund University, Lund, Sweden Abstract: This review aims to provide an overview of modern imaging techniques for evaluation of scaphoid fracture, with emphasis on occult fractures and an outlook on the possible evolution of imaging; it also gives an overview of the pathologic and anatomic basis for selection of techniques. Displaced scaphoid fractures detected by wrist radiography, with or without special scaphoid views, pose no diagnostic problems. After wrist trauma with clinically suspected scaphoid fracture and normal scaphoid radiography, most patients will have no clinically important fracture. Between 5% and 19% of patients (on average 16% in meta-analyses will, however, have an occult scaphoid fracture which, untreated, may lead to later, potentially devastating, complications. Follow-up imaging may be done with repeat radiography, tomosynthesis, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, or bone scintigraphy. However, no method is perfect, and choice of imaging may be based on availability, cost, perceived accuracy, or personal preference. Generally, MRI and bone scintigraphy are regarded as the most sensitive modalities, but both are flawed by false positive results at various rates. Keywords: occult fracture, wrist, radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radionuclide imaging

Power Optimization of Wireless Media Systems With Space-Time Block Codes

OpenAIRE

Yousefi'zadeh, Homayoun; Jafarkhani, Hamid; Moshfeghi, Mehran

2004-01-01

We present analytical and numerical solutions to the problem of power control in wireless media systems with multiple antennas. We formulate a set of optimization problems aimed at minimizing total power consumption of wireless media systems subject to a given level of QoS and an available bit rate. Our formulation takes in to consideration the power consumption related to source coding, channel coding, and transmission of multiple-transmit antennas. In our study, we consider Gauss-Markov and...

FRACTURED PETROLEUM RESERVOIRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbas Firoozabadi

1999-06-11

The four chapters that are described in this report cover a variety of subjects that not only give insight into the understanding of multiphase flow in fractured porous media, but they provide also major contribution towards the understanding of flow processes with in-situ phase formation. In the following, a summary of all the chapters will be provided. Chapter I addresses issues related to water injection in water-wet fractured porous media. There are two parts in this chapter. Part I covers extensive set of measurements for water injection in water-wet fractured porous media. Both single matrix block and multiple matrix blocks tests are covered. There are two major findings from these experiments: (1) co-current imbibition can be more efficient than counter-current imbibition due to lower residual oil saturation and higher oil mobility, and (2) tight fractured porous media can be more efficient than a permeable porous media when subjected to water injection. These findings are directly related to the type of tests one can perform in the laboratory and to decide on the fate of water injection in fractured reservoirs. Part II of Chapter I presents modeling of water injection in water-wet fractured media by modifying the Buckley-Leverett Theory. A major element of the new model is the multiplication of the transfer flux by the fractured saturation with a power of 1/2. This simple model can account for both co-current and counter-current imbibition and computationally it is very efficient. It can be orders of magnitude faster than a conventional dual-porosity model. Part II also presents the results of water injection tests in very tight rocks of some 0.01 md permeability. Oil recovery from water imbibition tests from such at tight rock can be as high as 25 percent. Chapter II discusses solution gas-drive for cold production from heavy-oil reservoirs. The impetus for this work is the study of new gas phase formation from in-situ process which can be significantly

Hydraulic Fracturing and Production Optimization in Eagle Ford Shale Using Coupled Geomechanics and Fluid Flow Model

Science.gov (United States)

Suppachoknirun, Theerapat; Tutuncu, Azra N.

2017-12-01

With increasing production from shale gas and tight oil reservoirs, horizontal drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing processes have become a routine procedure in unconventional field development efforts. Natural fractures play a critical role in hydraulic fracture growth, subsequently affecting stimulated reservoir volume and the production efficiency. Moreover, the existing fractures can also contribute to the pressure-dependent fluid leak-off during the operations. Hence, a reliable identification of the discrete fracture network covering the zone of interest prior to the hydraulic fracturing design needs to be incorporated into the hydraulic fracturing and reservoir simulations for realistic representation of the in situ reservoir conditions. In this research study, an integrated 3-D fracture and fluid flow model have been developed using a new approach to simulate the fluid flow and deliver reliable production forecasting in naturally fractured and hydraulically stimulated tight reservoirs. The model was created with three key modules. A complex 3-D discrete fracture network model introduces realistic natural fracture geometry with the associated fractured reservoir characteristics. A hydraulic fracturing model is created utilizing the discrete fracture network for simulation of the hydraulic fracture and flow in the complex discrete fracture network. Finally, a reservoir model with the production grid system is used allowing the user to efficiently perform the fluid flow simulation in tight formations with complex fracture networks. The complex discrete natural fracture model, the integrated discrete fracture model for the hydraulic fracturing, the fluid flow model, and the input dataset have been validated against microseismic fracture mapping and commingled production data obtained from a well pad with three horizontal production wells located in the Eagle Ford oil window in south Texas. Two other fracturing geometries were also evaluated to optimize

Characterisation of hydraulically-active fractures in a fractured ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... in the initial stage of a site investigation to select the optimal site location or to evaluate the hydrogeological properties of fractures in underground exploration studies, such as those related geothermal reservoir evaluation and radioactive waste disposal. Keywords: self-potential method, hydraulically-conductive fractures, ...

Connectivity, flow and transport in network models of fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.C.

1984-10-01

In order to evaluate the safety of radioactive waste disposal underground it is important to understand the way in which radioactive material is transported through the rock to the surface. If the rock is fractured the usual models may not be applicable. In this work we look at three aspects of fracture networks: connectivity, flow and transport. These are studied numerically by generating fracture networks in a computer and modelling the processes which occur. Connectivity relates to percolation theory, and critical densities for fracture systems are found in two and three dimensions. The permeability of two-dimensional networks is studied. The way that permeability depends on fracture density, network size and spread of fracture length can be predicted using a cut lattice model. Transport through the fracture network by convection through the fractures and mixing at the intersections is studied. The Fickian dispersion equation does not describe the resulting hydrodynamic dispersion. Extensions to the techniques to three dimensions and to include other processes are discussed. (author)

Optimizing Fracture Treatments in a Mississippian "Chat" Reservoir, South-Central Kansas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

K. David Newell; Saibal Bhattacharya; Alan Byrnes; W. Lynn Watney; Willard Guy

2005-10-01

This project is a collaboration of Woolsey Petroleum Corporation (a small independent operator) and the Kansas Geological Survey. The project will investigate geologic and engineering factors critical for designing hydraulic fracture treatments in Mississippian ''chat'' reservoirs. Mississippian reservoirs, including the chat, account for 159 million m3 (1 billion barrels) of the cumulative oil produced in Kansas. Mississippian reservoirs presently represent {approx}40% of the state's 5.6*106m3 (35 million barrels) annual production. Although geographically widespread, the ''chat'' is a heterogeneous reservoir composed of chert, cherty dolomite, and argillaceous limestone. Fractured chert with micro-moldic porosity is the best reservoir in this 18- to 30-m-thick (60- to 100-ft) unit. The chat will be cored in an infill well in the Medicine Lodge North field (417,638 m3 [2,626,858 bbls] oil; 217,811,000 m3 [7,692,010 mcf] gas cumulative production; discovered 1954). The core and modern wireline logs will provide geological and petrophysical data for designing a fracture treatment. Optimum hydraulic fracturing design is poorly defined in the chat, with poor correlation of treatment size to production increase. To establish new geologic and petrophysical guidelines for these treatments, data from core petrophysics, wireline logs, and oil-field maps will be input to a fracture-treatment simulation program. Parameters will be established for optimal size of the treatment and geologic characteristics of the predicted fracturing. The fracturing will be performed and subsequent wellsite tests will ascertain the results for comparison to predictions. A reservoir simulation program will then predict the rate and volumetric increase in production. Comparison of the predicted increase in production with that of reality, and the hypothetical fracturing behavior of the reservoir with that of its actual behavior, will serve as tests of

In situ immobilization of uranium in structured porous media via biomineralization at the fracture/matrix interface (FRC Area 2 field project)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timothy D. Scheibe; Eric E. Roden; Scott C. Brooks; John M. Zachara

2004-01-01

The original hypothesis: 'Radionuclides in low-permeability porous matrix regions of fractured saprolite can be effectively isolated and immobilized by stimulating localized in-situ biological activity in highly-permeable fractured and microfractured zones within the saprolite'. The revised hypothesis: 'In heterogeneous porous media, microbial activity can be stimulated at interfaces between zones of high and low groundwater flow rates in such a manner as to create a local, distributed redox barrier. Such a barrier will inhibit the transfer of contaminants from the low-flow zones that serve as long-term contaminant sources into the high-flow zones that transport contaminants to receptors'.

Wrist Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Wrist Fractures Email to a friend * required fields ...

Shoulder Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Shoulder Fractures Email to a friend * required fields ...

Optimization the Initial Weights of Artificial Neural Networks via Genetic Algorithm Applied to Hip Bone Fracture Prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Tzu Chang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to find the optimal set of initial weights to enhance the accuracy of artificial neural networks (ANNs by using genetic algorithms (GA. The sample in this study included 228 patients with first low-trauma hip fracture and 215 patients without hip fracture, both of them were interviewed with 78 questions. We used logistic regression to select 5 important factors (i.e., bone mineral density, experience of fracture, average hand grip strength, intake of coffee, and peak expiratory flow rate for building artificial neural networks to predict the probabilities of hip fractures. Three-layer (one hidden layer ANNs models with back-propagation training algorithms were adopted. The purpose in this paper is to find the optimal initial weights of neural networks via genetic algorithm to improve the predictability. Area under the ROC curve (AUC was used to assess the performance of neural networks. The study results showed the genetic algorithm obtained an AUC of 0.858±0.00493 on modeling data and 0.802 ± 0.03318 on testing data. They were slightly better than the results of our previous study (0.868±0.00387 and 0.796±0.02559, resp.. Thus, the preliminary study for only using simple GA has been proved to be effective for improving the accuracy of artificial neural networks.

Tuning Fractures With Dynamic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Mengbi; Chang, Haibin; Li, Xiang; Zhang, Dongxiao

2018-02-01

Flow in fractured porous media is crucial for production of oil/gas reservoirs and exploitation of geothermal energy. Flow behaviors in such media are mainly dictated by the distribution of fractures. Measuring and inferring the distribution of fractures is subject to large uncertainty, which, in turn, leads to great uncertainty in the prediction of flow behaviors. Inverse modeling with dynamic data may assist to constrain fracture distributions, thus reducing the uncertainty of flow prediction. However, inverse modeling for flow in fractured reservoirs is challenging, owing to the discrete and non-Gaussian distribution of fractures, as well as strong nonlinearity in the relationship between flow responses and model parameters. In this work, building upon a series of recent advances, an inverse modeling approach is proposed to efficiently update the flow model to match the dynamic data while retaining geological realism in the distribution of fractures. In the approach, the Hough-transform method is employed to parameterize non-Gaussian fracture fields with continuous parameter fields, thus rendering desirable properties required by many inverse modeling methods. In addition, a recently developed forward simulation method, the embedded discrete fracture method (EDFM), is utilized to model the fractures. The EDFM maintains computational efficiency while preserving the ability to capture the geometrical details of fractures because the matrix is discretized as structured grid, while the fractures being handled as planes are inserted into the matrix grids. The combination of Hough representation of fractures with the EDFM makes it possible to tune the fractures (through updating their existence, location, orientation, length, and other properties) without requiring either unstructured grids or regridding during updating. Such a treatment is amenable to numerous inverse modeling approaches, such as the iterative inverse modeling method employed in this study, which is

A customized fixation plate with novel structure designed by topological optimization for mandibular angle fracture based on finite element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yun-Feng; Fan, Ying-Ying; Jiang, Xian-Feng; Baur, Dale A

2017-11-15

The purpose of this study was to design a customized fixation plate for mandibular angle fracture using topological optimization based on the biomechanical properties of the two conventional fixation systems, and compare the results of stress, strain and displacement distributions calculated by finite element analysis (FEA). A three-dimensional (3D) virtual mandible was reconstructed from CT images with a mimic angle fracture and a 1 mm gap between two bone segments, and then a FEA model, including volume mesh with inhomogeneous bone material properties, three loading conditions and constraints (muscles and condyles), was created to design a customized plate using topological optimization method, then the shape of the plate was referenced from the stress concentrated area on an initial part created from thickened bone surface for optimal calculation, and then the plate was formulated as "V" pattern according to dimensions of standard mini-plate finally. To compare the biomechanical behavior of the "V" plate and other conventional mini-plates for angle fracture fixation, two conventional fixation systems were used: type A, one standard mini-plate, and type B, two standard mini-plates, and the stress, strain and displacement distributions within the three fixation systems were compared and discussed. The stress, strain and displacement distributions to the angle fractured mandible with three different fixation modalities were collected, respectively, and the maximum stress for each model emerged at the mandibular ramus or screw holes. Under the same loading conditions, the maximum stress on the customized fixation system decreased 74.3, 75.6 and 70.6% compared to type A, and 34.9, 34.1, and 39.6% compared to type B. All maximum von Mises stresses of mandible were well below the allowable stress of human bone, as well as maximum principal strain. And the displacement diagram of bony segments indicated the effect of treatment with different fixation systems. The

Internal Medicine Hospitalists' Perceived Barriers and Recommendations for Optimizing Secondary Prevention of Osteoporotic Hip Fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Eng Keong; Loh, Kah Poh; Goff, Sarah L

2017-12-01

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern affecting an estimated 10 million people in the United States. To the best of our knowledge, no qualitative study has explored barriers perceived by medicine hospitalists to secondary prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures. We aimed to describe these perceived barriers and recommendations regarding how to optimize secondary prevention of osteoporotic hip fracture. In-depth, semistructured interviews were performed with 15 internal medicine hospitalists in a tertiary-care referral medical center. The interviews were analyzed with directed content analysis. Internal medicine hospitalists consider secondary osteoporotic hip fracture prevention as the responsibility of outpatient physicians. Identified barriers were stratified based on themes including physicians' perception, patients' characteristics, risks and benefits of osteoporosis treatment, healthcare delivery system, and patient care transition from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. Some of the recommendations include building an integrated system that involves a multidisciplinary team such as the fracture liaison service, initiating a change to the hospital policy to facilitate inpatient care and management of osteoporosis, and creating a smooth patient care transition to the outpatient setting. Our study highlighted how internal medicine hospitalists perceive their role in the secondary prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures and what they perceive as barriers to initiating preventive measures in the hospital. Inconsistency in patient care transition and the fragmented nature of the existing healthcare system were identified as major barriers. A fracture liaison service could remove some of these barriers.

Modeling Transport in Fractured Porous Media with the Random-Walk Particle Method: The Transient Activity Range and the Particle-Transfer Probability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehua Pan; G.S. Bodvarsson

2001-01-01

Multiscale features of transport processes in fractured porous media make numerical modeling a difficult task, both in conceptualization and computation. Modeling the mass transfer through the fracture-matrix interface is one of the critical issues in the simulation of transport in a fractured porous medium. Because conventional dual-continuum-based numerical methods are unable to capture the transient features of the diffusion depth into the matrix (unless they assume a passive matrix medium), such methods will overestimate the transport of tracers through the fractures, especially for the cases with large fracture spacing, resulting in artificial early breakthroughs. We have developed a new method for calculating the particle-transfer probability that can capture the transient features of diffusion depth into the matrix within the framework of the dual-continuum random-walk particle method (RWPM) by introducing a new concept of activity range of a particle within the matrix. Unlike the multiple-continuum approach, the new dual-continuum RWPM does not require using additional grid blocks to represent the matrix. It does not assume a passive matrix medium and can be applied to the cases where global water flow exists in both continua. The new method has been verified against analytical solutions for transport in the fracture-matrix systems with various fracture spacing. The calculations of the breakthrough curves of radionuclides from a potential repository to the water table in Yucca Mountain demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method for simulating 3-D, mountain-scale transport in a heterogeneous, fractured porous medium under variably saturated conditions

Fracture characteristics in Japanese rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ijiri, Yuji; Sawada, Atsushi; Akahori, Kuniaki

1999-11-01

It is crucial for the performance assessment of geosphere to evaluate the characteristics of fractures that can be dominant radionuclide migration pathways from a repository to biosphere. This report summarizes the characteristics of fractures obtained from broad literature surveys and the fields surveys at the Kamaishi mine in northern Japan and at outcrops and galleries throughout the country. The characteristics of fractures described in this report are fracture orientation, fracture shape, fracture frequency, fracture distribution in space, transmissivity of fracture, fracture aperture, fracture fillings, alteration halo along fracture, flow-wetted surface area in fracture, and the correlation among these characteristics. Since granitic rock is considered the archetype fractured media, a large amount of fracture data is available in literature. In addition, granitic rock has been treated as a potential host rock in many overseas programs, and has JNC performed a number of field observations and experiments in granodiorite at the Kamaishi mine. Therefore, the characteristics of fractures in granitic rock are qualitatively and quantitatively clarified to some extent in this report, while the characteristics of fractures in another rock types are not clarified. (author)

Slug flow model for infiltration into fractured porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, M.J.

1999-01-01

A model for transient infiltration into a periodically fractured porous layer is presented. The fracture is treated as a permeable-walled slot and the moisture distribution is in the form of a slug being an advancing meniscus. The wicking of moisture from the fracture to the unsaturated porous matrix is a nonlinear diffusion process and is approximately by self-similar solutions. The resulting model is a nonlinear Volterra integral equation with a weakly singular kernel. Numerical analysis provides solutions over a wide range of the parameter space and reveals the asymptotic forms of the penetration of this slug in terms of dimensionless variables arising in the model. The numerical solutions corroborate asymptotic results given earlier by Nitao and Buscheck (1991), and by Martinez (1988). Some implications for the transport of liquid in fractured rock are discussed

Poromechanical response of naturally fractured sorbing media

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Hemant

The injection of CO2 in coal seams has been utilized for enhanced gas recovery and potential CO2 sequestration in unmineable coal seams. It is advantageous because as it enhances the production and significant volumes of CO2 may be stored simultaneously. The key issues for enhanced gas recovery and geologic sequestration of CO2 include (1) Injectivity prediction: The chemical and physical processes initiated by the injection of CO2 in the coal seam leads to permeability/porosity changes (2) Up scaling: Development of full scale coupled reservoir model which may predict the enhanced production, associated permeability changes and quantity of sequestered CO2. (3) Reservoir Stimulation: The coalbeds are often fractured and proppants are placed into the fractures to prevent the permeability reduction but the permeability evolution in such cases is poorly understood. These issues are largely governed by dynamic coupling of adsorption, fluid exchange, transport, water content, stress regime, fracture geometry and physiomechanical changes in coals which are triggered by CO 2 injection. The understanding of complex interactions in coal has been investigated through laboratory experiments and full reservoir scale models are developed to answer key issues. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Implicit fracture modelling in FLAC3D: Assessing the behaviour of fractured shales, carbonates and other fractured rock types

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Osinga, S.; Pizzocolo, F.; Veer, E.F. van der; Heege, J.H. ter

2016-01-01

Fractured rocks play an important role in many types of petroleum and geo-energy operations. From fractured limestone reservoirs to unconventionals, understanding the geomechanical behaviour and the dynamically coupled (dual) permeability system is paramount for optimal development of these systems.

Influence of fracture networks on radionuclide transport from solidified waste forms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seetharam, S.C., E-mail: suresh.seetharam@sckcen.be [Performance Assessments Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol (Belgium); Perko, J.; Jacques, D. [Performance Assessments Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol (Belgium); Mallants, D. [CSIRO Land and Water, Waite Road – Gate 4, Glen Osmond, SA 5064 (Australia)

2014-04-01

Highlights: • Magnitude of peak radionuclide fluxes is less sensitive to the fracture network geometry. • Time of peak radionuclide fluxes is sensitive to the fracture networks. • Uniform flow model mimics a limiting case of a porous medium with large number of fine fractures. • Effect of fracture width on radionuclide flux depends on the ratio of fracture to matrix conductivity. • Effect of increased dispersivity in fractured media does not always result in a lower peak flux for specific fracture networks due to higher concentrations adjacent to the fracture plane. - Abstract: Analysis of the effect of fractures in porous media on fluid flow and mass transport is of great interest in many fields including geotechnical, petroleum, hydrogeology and waste management. This paper presents sensitivity analyses examining the effect of various hypothetical fracture networks on the performance of a planned near surface disposal facility in terms of radionuclide transport behaviour. As it is impossible to predict the initiation and evolution of fracture networks and their characteristics in concrete structures over time scales of interest, several fracture networks have been postulated to test the sensitivity of radionuclide release from a disposal facility. Fluid flow through concrete matrix and fracture networks are modelled via Darcy's law. A single species radionuclide transport equation is employed for both matrix and fracture networks, which include the processes advection, diffusion, dispersion, sorption/desorption and radioactive decay. The sensitivity study evaluates variations in fracture network configuration and fracture width together with different sorption/desorption characteristics of radionuclides in a cement matrix, radioactive decay constants and matrix dispersivity. The effect of the fractures is illustrated via radionuclide breakthrough curves, magnitude and time of peak mass flux, cumulative mass flux and concentration profiles. For the

Influence of fracture networks on radionuclide transport from solidified waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seetharam, S.C.; Perko, J.; Jacques, D.; Mallants, D.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Magnitude of peak radionuclide fluxes is less sensitive to the fracture network geometry. • Time of peak radionuclide fluxes is sensitive to the fracture networks. • Uniform flow model mimics a limiting case of a porous medium with large number of fine fractures. • Effect of fracture width on radionuclide flux depends on the ratio of fracture to matrix conductivity. • Effect of increased dispersivity in fractured media does not always result in a lower peak flux for specific fracture networks due to higher concentrations adjacent to the fracture plane. - Abstract: Analysis of the effect of fractures in porous media on fluid flow and mass transport is of great interest in many fields including geotechnical, petroleum, hydrogeology and waste management. This paper presents sensitivity analyses examining the effect of various hypothetical fracture networks on the performance of a planned near surface disposal facility in terms of radionuclide transport behaviour. As it is impossible to predict the initiation and evolution of fracture networks and their characteristics in concrete structures over time scales of interest, several fracture networks have been postulated to test the sensitivity of radionuclide release from a disposal facility. Fluid flow through concrete matrix and fracture networks are modelled via Darcy's law. A single species radionuclide transport equation is employed for both matrix and fracture networks, which include the processes advection, diffusion, dispersion, sorption/desorption and radioactive decay. The sensitivity study evaluates variations in fracture network configuration and fracture width together with different sorption/desorption characteristics of radionuclides in a cement matrix, radioactive decay constants and matrix dispersivity. The effect of the fractures is illustrated via radionuclide breakthrough curves, magnitude and time of peak mass flux, cumulative mass flux and concentration profiles. For the

A comparison between two global optimization algorithms (genetic and differential evolution) to calculate the reflection coefficients in fractured media; Uma comparacao entre dois algoritmos de otimizacao global (algoritmo genetico e evolucao diferencial) para inversao de coeficientes de reflexao em meios fraturados

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanzeler, Francisco Joclean Alves

1999-06-01

In this work, we extract the elastic stiffness and mass density from an multi azimuthal qP-wave reflection coefficients at an interface separating two anisotropic media with monoclinic symmetry with at least one of its planes of symmetry parallel to the interface. This objective was reach by forward and inverse modeling. We calculate the q-P-wave reflection for three models (I, II, III) of anisotropic equivalent medium: isotropic medium above a TIH medium; TIV medium above a TIH medium; and orthorhombic medium above a TIH medium. The TIH medium is equivalent an isotropic fractured medium with equivalent elastic stiffness and mass density calculated by the Hudson formulation. The reflection coefficients used was on its exact form and was generated for models I, II and III in multi-azimuthal/incidence angles and contaminated by gaussian noise. In the inverse modeling we work with GA and with DE algorithms to calculate the inversion parameter (5 elastic stiffness and mass density for bottom media and Vs of upper isotropic media) by minimization of 12 norm of difference between the true and synthetic reflection coefficient. We assume that we know the parameter of the upper media of the three models, except Vs for model one in especial case of inversion of upper media.The parameter to be determined by inverse modeling are parametrized in model space for values that is in according with the value of the observed velocity of propagation of elastic waves in the earth crust, and the resolution of measure, and constraints of elastic stability of the solid media. The GA and DE algorithms reached good inversion to the models with at least three azimuthal angles, (0 deg C, 45 deg C and 90 deg C) and incidence angles of 34 deg C for model I, and 50 deg C inverted only by GA for models II and III; and the especial case take by DE that need at least 44 deg C to invert the model I with the Vs of the upper media. From this results we can see the potential to determine from q

Tracer transport in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, C.F.; Tsang, Y.W.; Hale, F.V.

1988-07-01

Recent interest in the safety of toxic waste underground disposal and nuclear waste geologic repositories has motivated many studies of tracer transport in fractured media. Fractures occur in most geologic formations and introduce a high degree of heterogeneity. Within each fracture, the aperture is not constant in value but strongly varying. Thus for such media, tracer tends to flow through preferred flowpaths or channels within the fractures. Along each of these channels, the aperture is also strongly varying. A detailed analysis is carried out on a 2D single fracture with variable apertures and the flow through channels is demonstrated. The channels defined this way are not rigidly set pathways for tracer transport, but are the preferred flow paths in the sense of stream-tubes in the potential theory. It is shown that such variable-aperture channels can be characterized by an aperture probability distribution function, and not by the exact deterministic geometric locations. We also demonstrate that the 2D tracer transport in a fracture can be calculated by a model of a system of 1D channels characterized by this distribution function only. Due to the channeling character of tracer transport in fractured rock, random point measurements of tracer breakthrough curves may give results with a wide spread in value due to statistical fluctuations. The present paper suggests that such a wide spread can probably be greatly reduced by making line/areal (or multiple) measurements covering a few spatial correlation lengths. 13 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

Improving estimates of subsurface gas transport in unsaturated fractured media using experimental Xe diffusion data and numerical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, J. P.; Ortega, A. D.; Harp, D. R.; Boukhalfa, H.; Stauffer, P. H.

2017-12-01

Gas transport in unsaturated fractured media plays an important role in a variety of applications, including detection of underground nuclear explosions, transport from volatile contaminant plumes, shallow CO2 leakage from carbon sequestration sites, and methane leaks from hydraulic fracturing operations. Gas breakthrough times are highly sensitive to uncertainties associated with a variety of hydrogeologic parameters, including: rock type, fracture aperture, matrix permeability, porosity, and saturation. Furthermore, a couple simplifying assumptions are typically employed when representing fracture flow and transport. Aqueous phase transport is typically considered insignificant compared to gas phase transport in unsaturated fracture flow regimes, and an assumption of instantaneous dissolution/volatilization of radionuclide gas is commonly used to reduce computational expense. We conduct this research using a twofold approach that combines laboratory gas experimentation and numerical modeling to verify and refine these simplifying assumptions in our current models of gas transport. Using a gas diffusion cell, we are able to measure air pressure transmission through fractured tuff core samples while also measuring Xe gas breakthrough measured using a mass spectrometer. We can thus create synthetic barometric fluctuations akin to those observed in field tests and measure the associated gas flow through the fracture and matrix pore space for varying degrees of fluid saturation. We then attempt to reproduce the experimental results using numerical models in PLFOTRAN and FEHM codes to better understand the importance of different parameters and assumptions on gas transport. Our numerical approaches represent both single-phase gas flow with immobile water, as well as full multi-phase transport in order to test the validity of assuming immobile pore water. Our approaches also include the ability to simulate the reaction equilibrium kinetics of dissolution

Media optimization for elevated molecular weight and mass production of pigment-free pullulan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiaoliu; Wang, Yulei; Wei, Gongyuan; Dong, Yingying

2012-07-01

In this study, an Aureobasidium pullulans SZU 1001 mutant, deficient in pigment production, was screened by complex UV and γ-ray mutagenesis. Medium composition optimization for increased pullulan molecular weight and production was conducted using this mutant. Six nutrients: yeast extract, (NH4)2SO4, K2HPO4, NaCl, MgSO4·7H2O and CaCl2 were detected within pullulan production in flasks. It is shown that NaCl and K2HPO4 have significant influences on molecular weight of pullulan, while yeast extract and (NH4)2SO4 significantly affect pullulan yield. To achieve a higher molecular weight and more efficient pullulan production, a response surface methodology approach was introduced to predict an optimal nutrient combination. A molecular weight of 5.74 × 10(6) and pullulan yield on glucose of 51.30% were obtained under batch pullulan fermentation with the optimized media, which increased molecular weight and pullulan production by 97.25% and 11.04%, respectively compared with the control media. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Naturally fractured tight gas reservoir detection optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-04-30

In March, work continued on characterizing probabilities for determining natural fracturing associated with the GGRB for the Upper Cretaceous tight gas plays. Structural complexity, based on potential field data and remote sensing data was completed. A resource estimate for the Frontier and Mesa Verde play was also completed. Further, work was also conducted to determine threshold economics for the play based on limited current production in the plays in the Wamsutter Ridge area. These analyses culminated in a presentation at FETC on 24 March 1999 where quantified natural fracture domains, mapped on a partition basis, which establish ''sweet spot'' probability for natural fracturing, were reviewed. That presentation is reproduced here as Appendix 1. The work plan for the quarter of January 1, 1999--March 31, 1999 comprised five tasks: (1) Evaluation of the GGRB partitions for structural complexity that can be associated with natural fractures, (2) Continued resource analysis of the balance of the partitions to determine areas with higher relative gas richness, (3) Gas field studies, (4) Threshold resource economics to determine which partitions would be the most prospective, and (5) Examination of the area around the Table Rock 4H well.

Radionuclide transport in fractured porous media -- Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures with a constant inlet flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.T.; Li, S.H.

1997-01-01

Analytical solutions are developed for the problem of radionuclide transport in a system of parallel fractures situated in a porous rock matrix. A constant flux is used as the inlet boundary condition. The solutions consider the following processes: (a) advective transport along the fractures; (b) mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion along the fractures; (c) molecular diffusion from a fracture to the porous matrix; (d) molecular diffusion within the porous matrix in the direction perpendicular to the fracture axis; (e) adsorption onto the fracture wall; (f) adsorption within the porous matrix, and (g) radioactive decay. The solutions are based on the Laplace transform method. The general transient solution is in the form of a double integral that is evaluated using composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature. A simpler transient solution that is in the form of a single integral is also presented for the case that assumes negligible longitudinal dispersion along the fractures. The steady-state solutions are also provided. A number of examples are given to illustrate the effects of various important parameters, including: (a) fracture spacing; (b) fracture dispersion coefficient; (c) matrix diffusion coefficient; (d) fracture width; (e) groundwater velocity; (f) matrix retardation factor; and (g) matrix porosity

Serum-free media formulations are cell line-specific and require optimization for microcarrier culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Kah Yong; Teo, Kim Leng; Lim, Jessica F Y; Chen, Allen K L; Choolani, Mahesh; Reuveny, Shaul; Chan, Jerry; Oh, Steve Kw

2015-08-01

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being investigated as potential cell therapies for many different indications. Current methods of production rely on traditional monolayer culture on tissue-culture plastic, usually with the use of serum-supplemented growth media. However, the monolayer culturing system has scale-up limitations and may not meet the projected hundreds of billions to trillions batches of cells needed for therapy. Furthermore, serum-free medium offers several advantages over serum-supplemented medium, which may have supply and contaminant issues, leading to many serum-free medium formulations being developed. We cultured seven MSC lines in six different serum-free media and compared their growth between monolayer and microcarrier culture. We show that (i) expansion levels of MSCs in serum-free monolayer cultures may not correlate with expansion in serum-containing media; (ii) optimal culture conditions (serum-free media for monolayer or microcarrier culture) differ for each cell line; (iii) growth in static microcarrier culture does not correlate with growth in stirred spinner culture; (iv) and that early cell attachment and spreading onto microcarriers does not necessarily predict efficiency of cell expansion in agitated microcarrier culture. Current serum-free media developed for monolayer cultures of MSCs may not support MSC proliferation in microcarrier cultures. Further optimization in medium composition will be required for microcarrier suspension culture for each cell line. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the development and benchmarking of an approach to model gas transport in fractured media with immobile water storage

Science.gov (United States)

Harp, D. R.; Ortiz, J. P.; Pandey, S.; Karra, S.; Viswanathan, H. S.; Stauffer, P. H.; Anderson, D. N.; Bradley, C. R.

2017-12-01

In unsaturated fractured media, the rate of gas transport is much greater than liquid transport in many applications (e.g., soil vapor extraction operations, methane leaks from hydraulic fracking, shallow CO2 transport from geologic sequestration operations, and later-time radionuclide gas transport from underground nuclear explosions). However, the relatively immobile pore water can inhibit or promote gas transport for soluble constituents by providing storage. In scenarios with constant pressure gradients, the gas transport will be retarded. In scenarios with reversing pressure gradients (i.e. barometric pressure variations) pore water storage can enhance gas transport by providing a ratcheting mechanism. Recognizing the computational efficiency that can be gained using a single-phase model and the necessity of considering pore water storage, we develop a Richard's solution approach that includes kinetic dissolution/volatilization of constituents. Henry's Law governs the equilibrium gaseous/aqueous phase partitioning in the approach. The approach is implemented in a development branch of the PFLOTRAN simulator. We verify the approach with analytical solutions of: (1) 1D gas diffusion, (2) 1D gas advection, (3) sinusoidal barometric pumping of a fracture, and (4) gas transport along a fracture with uniform flow and diffusive walls. We demonstrate the retardation of gas transport in cases with constant pressure gradients and the enhancement of gas transport with reversing pressure gradients. The figure presents the verification of our approach to the analytical solution of barometric pumping of a fracture from Nilson et al (1991) where the x-axis "Horizontal axis" is the distance into the matrix block from the fracture.

Photon storage in ¿-type optically dense atomic media. IV. Optimal control using gradient ascent

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorshkov, Alexey V.; Calarco, Tomasso; Lukin, Mikhail D.

2008-01-01

We use the numerical gradient ascent method from optimal control theory to extend efficient photon storage in -type media to previouslyinaccessible regimes and to provide simple intuitive explanations for our optimization techniques. In particular, by using gradient ascent to shape classical....... We also demonstrate that the often discussed connection between time reversal andoptimality in photon storage follows naturally from gradient ascent. Finally, we discuss the optimization of controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening....

Fractured Petroleum Reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Firoozabadi, Dr. Abbas

2000-01-18

In this report the results of experiments of water injection in fractured porous media comprising a number of water-wet matrix blocks are reported for the first time. The blocks experience an advancing fracture-water level (FWL). Immersion-type experiments are performed for comparison; the dominant recovery mechanism changed from co-current to counter-current imbibition when the boundary conditions changed from advancing FWL to immersion-type. Single block experiments of co-current and counter-current imbibition was performed and co-current imbibition leads to more efficient recovery was found.

Streaming potential modeling in fractured rock: Insights into the identification of hydraulically active fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Roubinet, D.; Linde, N.; Jougnot, D.; Irving, J.

2016-05-01

Numerous field experiments suggest that the self-potential (SP) geophysical method may allow for the detection of hydraulically active fractures and provide information about fracture properties. However, a lack of suitable numerical tools for modeling streaming potentials in fractured media prevents quantitative interpretation and limits our understanding of how the SP method can be used in this regard. To address this issue, we present a highly efficient two-dimensional discrete-dual-porosity approach for solving the fluid flow and associated self-potential problems in fractured rock. Our approach is specifically designed for complex fracture networks that cannot be investigated using standard numerical methods. We then simulate SP signals associated with pumping conditions for a number of examples to show that (i) accounting for matrix fluid flow is essential for accurate SP modeling and (ii) the sensitivity of SP to hydraulically active fractures is intimately linked with fracture-matrix fluid interactions. This implies that fractures associated with strong SP amplitudes are likely to be hydraulically conductive, attracting fluid flow from the surrounding matrix.

Mixing induced reactive transport in fractured crystalline rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Landa, Lurdes; Carrera, Jesus; Dentz, Marco; Fernàndez-Garcia, Daniel; Nardí, Albert; Saaltink, Maarten W.

2012-01-01

In this paper the solute retention properties of crystalline fractured rocks due to mixing-induced geochemical reactions are studied. While fractured media exhibit paths of fast flow and transport and thus short residence times for conservative solutes, at the same time they promote mixing and dilution due to strong heterogeneity, which leads to sharp concentration contrasts. Enhanced mixing and dilution have a double effect that favors crystalline fractured media as a possible host medium for nuclear waste disposal. Firstly, peak radionuclide concentrations are attenuated and, secondly, mixing-induced precipitation reactions are enhanced significantly, which leads to radionuclide immobilization. An integrated framework is presented for the effective modeling of these flow, transport and reaction phenomena, and the interaction between them. In a simple case study, the enhanced dilution and precipitation potential of fractured crystalline rocks are systematically studied and quantified and contrasted it to retention and attenuation in an equivalent homogeneous formation.

A Two-Scale Reduced Model for Darcy Flow in Fractured Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Chen, Huangxin; Sun, Shuyu

2016-01-01

scale, and the effect of fractures on each coarse scale grid cell intersecting with fractures is represented by the discrete fracture model (DFM) on the fine scale. In the DFM used on the fine scale, the matrix-fracture system are resolved

Unified pipe network method for simulation of water flow in fractured porous rock

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Feng; Ma, Guowei; Wang, Yang; Li, Tuo; Zhu, Hehua

2017-04-01

Rock masses are often conceptualized as dual-permeability media containing fractures or fracture networks with high permeability and porous matrix that is less permeable. In order to overcome the difficulties in simulating fluid flow in a highly discontinuous dual-permeability medium, an effective unified pipe network method is developed, which discretizes the dual-permeability rock mass into a virtual pipe network system. It includes fracture pipe networks and matrix pipe networks. They are constructed separately based on equivalent flow models in a representative area or volume by taking the advantage of the orthogonality of the mesh partition. Numerical examples of fluid flow in 2-D and 3-D domain including porous media and fractured porous media are presented to demonstrate the accuracy, robustness, and effectiveness of the proposed unified pipe network method. Results show that the developed method has good performance even with highly distorted mesh. Water recharge into the fractured rock mass with complex fracture network is studied. It has been found in this case that the effect of aperture change on the water recharge rate is more significant in the early stage compared to the fracture density change.

Investigation of fracture-matrix interaction: Preliminary experiments in a simple system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foltz, S.D.

1992-01-01

Paramount to the modeling of unsaturated flow and transport through fractured porous media is a clear understanding of the processes controlling fracture-matrix interaction. As a first step toward such an understanding, two preliminary experiments have been performed to investigate the influence of matrix imbibition on water percolation through unsaturated fractures in the plane normal to the fracture. Test systems consisted of thin slabs of either tuff or an analog material cut by a single vertical fracture into which a constant fluid flux was introduced. Transient moisture content and solute concentration fields were imaged by means of x-ray absorption. Flow fields associated with the two different media were significantly different owing to differences in material properties relative to the imposed flux. Richards' equation was found to be a valid means of modeling the imbibition of water into the tuff matrix from a saturated fracture for the current experiment

The optimal dose of the contrast media for spiral CT portography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jiansheng; Xiao Peiyu; Meng Xiaochun; Xu Chuan

2007-01-01

Objective: To investigate the optimal dose of the contrast media in SCTP. Methods: 40 healthy patients were divided into 2 groups according to their body weight (20 cases in group A with weight below 60kg, 20 cases in group B with weight over 70kg). They all received 90ml contrast media at a rate of 4.0 ml/sec in the contrast-enhanced CT ex- amination. And non-cirrhosis cases, liver cirrhosis without ascites cases and liver cirrhosis with ascites cases were selected respectively, 60 patients in each group. Then, the patients of each group were randomly divided into 3 sub-groups, 20 cases in each of them, which respectively received 1.5ml/kg, 2.0ml/kg, 2.5ml/kg contrast media at a rate of 4.0 ml/sec in the contrast-enhanced CT examination. The effect of the dose of the contrast material on the imaging quality of portal vein system in patients with different weight and different state of illness was analyzed. Results: In 40 healthy patients, the density difference between portal vein and hepatic parenchyma was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (P 0.05), and both of them showed significant difference while using 1.5ml/kg contrast media (P 0.05), and they both had significant difference when using 1.5ml/kg contrast media (P< 0.05). Besides these, the imaging quality of portal vein branches and collateral vessels were better in 2.0ml/kg group than others. Conclusion: The patient's body weight and the state of liver disease influenced the extent of portal vein enhancement. To calculate the dose of contrast media according to patient's weight is crucial for ensuring the imaging quality of portal vein system. 2.0ml/kg contrast media can provide a better effect. (authors)

Pore-fluid effects on seismic waves in vertically fractured earth with orthotropic symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berryman, J.G.

2010-05-15

For elastically noninteracting vertical-fracture sets at arbitrary orientation angles to each other, a detailed model is presented in which the resulting anisotropic fractured medium generally has orthorhombic symmetry overall. Some of the analysis methods and ideas of Schoenberg are emphasized, together with their connections to other similarly motivated and conceptually related methods by Sayers and Kachanov, among others. Examples show how parallel vertical-fracture sets having HTI (horizontal transversely isotropic) symmetry transform into orthotropic fractured media if some subsets of the vertical fractures are misaligned with the others, and then the fractured system can have VTI (vertical transversely isotropic) symmetry if all of the fractures are aligned randomly or half parallel and half perpendicular to a given vertical plane. An orthotropic example having vertical fractures in an otherwise VTI earth system (studied previously by Schoenberg and Helbig) is compared with the other examples treated and it is finally shown how fluids in the fractures affect the orthotropic poroelastic system response to seismic waves. The key result is that fracture-influence parameters are multiplied by a factor of (1-B), where 0 {le} B < 1 is Skempton's second coefficient for poroelastic media. Skempton's B coefficient is itself a measurable characteristic of fluid-saturated porous rocks, depending on porosity, solid moduli, and the pore-fluid bulk modulus. For heterogeneous porous media, connections between the present work and earlier related results of Brown and Korringa are also established.

Contaminant transport in fractured porous media: analytical solution for a two-member decay chain in a single fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudicky, E.A.; Frind, E.O.

1984-01-01

An analytical solution is presented for the problem of radionuclide chain decay during transport through a discrete fracture situated in a porous rock matrix. The solution takes into account advection along the fracture, molecular diffusion from the fracture to the porous matrix, adsorption on the fracture face, adsorption in the rock matrix, and radioactive decay. The solution for the daughter product is in the form of a double integral which is evaluated by Gauss-Legendre quadrature. Results show that the daughter product tends to advance ahead of the parent nuclide even when the half-life of the parent is larger. This is attributed to the effect of chain decay in the matrix, which tends to reduce the diffusive loss of the daughter along the fracture. The examples also demonstrate that neglecting the parent nuclide and modeling its daughter as a single species can result in significant overestimation of arrival times at some point along the fracture. Although the analytical solution is restricted to a two-member chain for practical reasons, it represents a more realistic description of nuclide transport along a fracture than available single-species models. The solution may be of use for application to other contaminants undergoing different types of first-order transformation reactions

The understanding of the R7T7 glass blocks long term behavior: chemical and transport coupling in fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chomat, L.

2008-04-01

The long term behavior of nuclear waste glass blocks depends highly on chemical reactions which occur at the surface in contact with water. Studies carried out on inactive fractured glass blocks show that fracture networks play a significant part in reactive surface area. Nevertheless, the complexity of results interpretation, due to a weak knowledge of fracture networks and local lixiviation conditions, does not allow us to comprehend the physical and chemical mechanisms involved. Model cracks are a key step to study chemical and transport coupling in fractured media. Crack lixiviation in aggressive conditions (pH≥11) show that the crack's position (horizontal or vertical) determines the dominant transport mechanism (respectively diffusion or convection induced by gravity). This gravity driven flow seems to be negligible in lower pH conditions. The convective velocity is estimated by a 1D model of reactive transport. Two other parameters are studied: the influence of thermal gradient and the influence of interconnected cracks on alteration. A strong retroactive effect of convection, due to thermal gradient, on the alteration kinetic is observed inside the crack. These works lead to a complete alteration experiment of a 163 crack network subject to a thermal gradient. The use of the geochemical software, HYTEC, within the framework of this study shows the potential of the software which is however limited by the kinetics law used. (author)

Some probabilistic aspects of fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, J.M.

1982-01-01

Some probabilistic aspects of fracture in structural and mechanical components are examined. The principles of fracture mechanics, material quality and inspection uncertainty are formulated into a conceptual and analytical framework for prediction of failure probability. The role of probabilistic fracture mechanics in a more global context of risk and optimization of decisions is illustrated. An example, where Monte Carlo simulation was used to implement a probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis, is discussed. (orig.)

Seismic Characterizations of Fractures: Dynamic Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Pyrak-Nolte, L. J.

2017-12-01

Fracture geometry controls fluid flow in a fracture, affects mechanical stability and influences energy partitioning that affects wave scattering. Our ability to detect and monitor fracture evolution is controlled by the frequency of the signal used to probe a fracture system, i.e. frequency selects the scales. No matter the frequency chosen, some set of discontinuities will be optimal for detection because different wavelengths sample different subsets of fractures. The select subset of fractures is based on the stiffness of the fractures which in turn is linked to fluid flow. A goal is obtaining information from scales outside the optimal detection regime. Fracture geometry trajectories are a potential approach to drive a fracture system across observation scales, i.e. moving systems between effective medium and scattering regimes. Dynamic trajectories (such as perturbing stress, fluid pressure, chemical alteration, etc.) can be used to perturb fracture geometry to enhance scattering or give rise to discrete modes that are intimately related to the micro-structural evolution of a fracture. However, identification of these signal features will require methods for identifying these micro-structural signatures in complicated scattered fields. Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Geosciences Research Program under Award Number (DE-FG02-09ER16022).

An Efficient XFEM Approximation of Darcy Flows in Arbitrarily Fractured Porous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumagalli Alessio

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Subsurface flows are influenced by the presence of faults and large fractures which act as preferential paths or barriers for the flow. In literature models were proposed to handle fractures in a porous medium as objects of codimension 1. In this work we consider the case of a network of intersecting fractures, with the aim of deriving physically consistent and effective interface conditions to impose at the intersection between fractures. This new model accounts for the angle between fractures at the intersections and allows for jumps of pressure across the intersection. This latter property permits to describe more accurately the flow when fractures are characterised by different properties, than other models that impose pressure continuity. The main mathematical properties of the model, derived in the two-dimensional setting, are analysed. As concerns the numerical discretization we allow the grids of the fractures to be independent, thus in general non-matching at the intersection, by means of the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM, to increase the flexibility of the method in the case of complex geometries characterized by a high number of fractures.

Role of geomechanically grown fractures on dispersive transport in heterogeneous geological formations

KAUST Repository

Nick, H. M.

2011-11-04

A second order in space accurate implicit scheme for time-dependent advection-dispersion equations and a discrete fracture propagation model are employed to model solute transport in porous media. We study the impact of the fractures on mass transport and dispersion. To model flow and transport, pressure and transport equations are integrated using a finite-element, node-centered finite-volume approach. Fracture geometries are incrementally developed from a random distributions of material flaws using an adoptive geomechanical finite-element model that also produces fracture aperture distributions. This quasistatic propagation assumes a linear elastic rock matrix, and crack propagation is governed by a subcritical crack growth failure criterion. Fracture propagation, intersection, and closure are handled geometrically. The flow and transport simulations are separately conducted for a range of fracture densities that are generated by the geomechanical finite-element model. These computations show that the most influential parameters for solute transport in fractured porous media are as follows: fracture density and fracture-matrix flux ratio that is influenced by matrix permeability. Using an equivalent fracture aperture size, computed on the basis of equivalent permeability of the system, we also obtain an acceptable prediction of the macrodispersion of poorly interconnected fracture networks. The results hold for fractures at relatively low density. © 2011 American Physical Society.

Role of geomechanically grown fractures on dispersive transport in heterogeneous geological formations

KAUST Repository

Nick, H. M.; Paluszny, A.; Blunt, M. J.; Matthai, S. K.

2011-01-01

A second order in space accurate implicit scheme for time-dependent advection-dispersion equations and a discrete fracture propagation model are employed to model solute transport in porous media. We study the impact of the fractures on mass transport and dispersion. To model flow and transport, pressure and transport equations are integrated using a finite-element, node-centered finite-volume approach. Fracture geometries are incrementally developed from a random distributions of material flaws using an adoptive geomechanical finite-element model that also produces fracture aperture distributions. This quasistatic propagation assumes a linear elastic rock matrix, and crack propagation is governed by a subcritical crack growth failure criterion. Fracture propagation, intersection, and closure are handled geometrically. The flow and transport simulations are separately conducted for a range of fracture densities that are generated by the geomechanical finite-element model. These computations show that the most influential parameters for solute transport in fractured porous media are as follows: fracture density and fracture-matrix flux ratio that is influenced by matrix permeability. Using an equivalent fracture aperture size, computed on the basis of equivalent permeability of the system, we also obtain an acceptable prediction of the macrodispersion of poorly interconnected fracture networks. The results hold for fractures at relatively low density. © 2011 American Physical Society.

Microstructural characterization, petrophysics and upscaling - from porous media to fractural media

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, J.; Liu, K.; Regenauer-Lieb, K.

2017-12-01

We present an integrated study for the characterization of complex geometry, fluid transport features and mechanical deformation at micro-scale and the upscaling of properties using microtomographic data: We show how to integrate microstructural characterization by the volume fraction, specific surface area, connectivity (percolation), shape and orientation of microstructures with identification of individual fractures from a 3D fractural network. In a first step we use stochastic analyses of microstructures to determine the geometric RVE (representative volume element) of samples. We proceed by determining the size of a thermodynamic RVE by computing upper/lower bounds of entropy production through Finite Element (FE) analyses on a series of models with increasing sizes. The minimum size for thermodynamic RVE's is identified on the basis of the convergence criteria of the FE simulations. Petrophysical properties (permeability and mechanical parameters, including plastic strength) are then computed numerically if thermodynamic convergence criteria are fulfilled. Upscaling of properties is performed by means of percolation theory. The percolation threshold is detected by using a shrinking/expanding algorithm on static micro-CT images of rocks. Parameters of the scaling laws can be extracted from quantitative analyses and/or numerical simulations on a series of models with similar structures but different porosities close to the percolation threshold. Different rock samples are analyzed. Characterizing parameters of porous/fractural rocks are obtained. Synthetic derivative models of the microstructure are used to estimate the relationships between porosity and mechanical properties. Results obtained from synthetic sandstones show that yield stress, cohesion and the angle of friction are linearly proportional to porosity. Our integrated study shows that digital rock technology can provide meaningful parameters for effective upscaling if thermodynamic volume averaging

A review on hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quanshu Li

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Hydraulic fracturing is widely accepted and applied to improve the gas recovery in unconventional reservoirs. Unconventional reservoirs to be addressed here are with very low permeability, complicated geological settings and in-situ stress field etc. All of these make the hydraulic fracturing process a challenging task. In order to effectively and economically recover gas from such reservoirs, the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fracturing in the heterogeneous fractured/porous media under such complicated conditions should be mastered. In this paper, some issues related to hydraulic fracturing have been reviewed, including the experimental study, field study and numerical simulation. Finally the existing problems that need to be solved on the subject of hydraulic fracturing have been proposed.

Numerical research of two-phase flow in fractured-porous media based on discrete fracture fetwork model

Science.gov (United States)

Pyatkov, A. A.; Kosyakov, V. P.; Rodionov, S. P.; Botalov, A. Y.

2018-03-01

In this work was the study of the processes of isothermal and non-isothermal flow of high viscosity oil in a fractured-porous reservoir. The numerical experiment was done using our own reservoir simulator with the possibility of modeling of fluid motion in conditions of non-isothermal processes and long fractures in the formation.

Acute cognitive dysfunction after hip fracture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bitsch, M S; Foss, N B; Kristensen, B B

2006-01-01

hip fracture surgery in an optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen. METHODS: One hundred unselected hip fracture patients treated in a well-defined, optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen were included. Patients were tested upon admission and on the second......BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hip fracture surgery often experience acute post-operative cognitive dysfunction (APOCD). The pathogenesis of APOCD is probably multifactorial, and no single intervention has been successful in its prevention. No studies have investigated the incidence of APOCD after......, fourth and seventh post-operative days with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. RESULTS: Thirty-two per cent of patients developed a significant post-operative cognitive decline, which was associated with several pre-fracture patient characteristics, including age and cognitive function...

Reduced Fracture Finite Element Model Analysis of an Efficient Two-Scale Hybrid Embedded Fracture Model

KAUST Repository

Amir, Sahar Z.

2017-06-09

A Hybrid Embedded Fracture (HEF) model was developed to reduce various computational costs while maintaining physical accuracy (Amir and Sun, 2016). HEF splits the computations into fine scale and coarse scale. Fine scale solves analytically for the matrix-fracture flux exchange parameter. Coarse scale solves for the properties of the entire system. In literature, fractures were assumed to be either vertical or horizontal for simplification (Warren and Root, 1963). Matrix-fracture flux exchange parameter was given few equations built on that assumption (Kazemi, 1968; Lemonnier and Bourbiaux, 2010). However, such simplified cases do not apply directly for actual random fracture shapes, directions, orientations …etc. This paper shows that the HEF fine scale analytic solution (Amir and Sun, 2016) generates the flux exchange parameter found in literature for vertical and horizontal fracture cases. For other fracture cases, the flux exchange parameter changes according to the angle, slop, direction, … etc. This conclusion rises from the analysis of both: the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) and the HEF schemes. The behavior of both schemes is analyzed with exactly similar fracture conditions and the results are shown and discussed. Then, a generalization is illustrated for any slightly compressible single-phase fluid within fractured porous media and its results are discussed.

Reduced Fracture Finite Element Model Analysis of an Efficient Two-Scale Hybrid Embedded Fracture Model

KAUST Repository

Amir, Sahar Z.; Chen, Huangxin; Sun, Shuyu

2017-01-01

A Hybrid Embedded Fracture (HEF) model was developed to reduce various computational costs while maintaining physical accuracy (Amir and Sun, 2016). HEF splits the computations into fine scale and coarse scale. Fine scale solves analytically for the matrix-fracture flux exchange parameter. Coarse scale solves for the properties of the entire system. In literature, fractures were assumed to be either vertical or horizontal for simplification (Warren and Root, 1963). Matrix-fracture flux exchange parameter was given few equations built on that assumption (Kazemi, 1968; Lemonnier and Bourbiaux, 2010). However, such simplified cases do not apply directly for actual random fracture shapes, directions, orientations …etc. This paper shows that the HEF fine scale analytic solution (Amir and Sun, 2016) generates the flux exchange parameter found in literature for vertical and horizontal fracture cases. For other fracture cases, the flux exchange parameter changes according to the angle, slop, direction, … etc. This conclusion rises from the analysis of both: the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) and the HEF schemes. The behavior of both schemes is analyzed with exactly similar fracture conditions and the results are shown and discussed. Then, a generalization is illustrated for any slightly compressible single-phase fluid within fractured porous media and its results are discussed.

Multi-Scale Thermal Heat Tracer Tests for Characterizing Transport Processes and Flow Channelling in Fractured Media: Theory and Field Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

de La Bernardie, J.; Klepikova, M.; Bour, O.; Le Borgne, T.; Dentz, M.; Guihéneuf, N.; Gerard, M. F.; Lavenant, N.

2017-12-01

The characterization of flow and transport in fractured media is particularly challenging because hydraulic conductivity and transport properties are often strongly dependent on the geometric structure of the fracture surfaces. Here we show how thermal tracer tests may be an excellent complement to conservative solute tracer tests to infer fracture geometry and flow channeling. We performed a series of thermal tracer tests at different scales in a crystalline rock aquifer at the experimental site of Ploemeur (H+ observatory network). The first type of thermal tracer tests are push-pull tracer tests at different scales. The temporal and spatial scaling of heat recovery, measured from thermal breakthrough curves, shows a clear signature of flow channeling. In particular, the late time tailing of heat recovery under channeled flow is shown to diverge from the T(t) α t-1,5 behavior expected for the classical parallel plate model and follow the scaling T(t) α 1/t(logt)2 for a simple channel modeled as a tube. Flow channeling is also manifested on the spatial scaling of heat recovery as flow channeling affects the decay of the thermal breakthrough peak amplitude and the increase of the peak time with scale. The second type of thermal tracer tests are flow-through tracer tests where a pulse of hot water was injected in a fracture isolated by a double straddle packer while pumping at the same flow rate in another fracture at a distance of about 10 meters to create a dipole flow field. Comparison with a solute tracer test performed under the same conditions also present a clear signature of flow channeling. We derive analytical expressions for the retardation and decay of the thermal breakthrough peak amplitude for different fracture geometries and show that the observed differences between thermal and solute breakthrough can be explained only by channelized flow. These results suggest that heat transport is much more sensitive to fracture heterogeneity and flow

Water infiltration into exposed fractured rock surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, T.C.; Evans, D.D.

1993-01-01

Fractured rock media are present at many existing and potential waste disposal sites, yet characterization data and physical relationships are not well developed for such media. This study focused on water infiltration characteristics of an exposed fractured rock as an approach for defining the upper boundary condition for unsaturated-zone water percolation and contaminant transport modeling. Two adjacent watersheds of 0.24 and 1.73 ha with slopes up to 45% were instrumented for measuring rainfall and runoff. Fracture density was measured from readily observable fracture traces on the surface. Three methods were employed to evaluate the rainfall-runoff relationship. The first method used the annual totals and indicated that only 22.5% of rainfall occurred as runoff for the 1990-1991 water year, which demonstrates a high water intake rate by the exposed fracture system. The second method employed total rainfall and runoff for individual storms in conjunction with the commonly used USDA Soil Conservation Service curve number method developed for wide ranges of soils and vegetation. Curve numbers between 75 and 85 were observed for summer and winter storms with dry antecedent runoff conditions, while values exceeded 90 for wet conditions. The third method used a mass-balance approach for four major storms, which indicated that water intake rates ranged from 2.0 to 7.3 mm h -1 , yielding fracture intake velocities ranging from 122 to 293 m h -1 . The three analyses show the complexity of the infiltration process for fractured rock. However, they contribute to a better understanding of the upper boundary condition for predicting contaminant transport through an unsaturated fractured rock medium. 17 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Inclusion of Topological Measurements into Analytic Estimates of Effective Permeability in Fractured Media

Science.gov (United States)

Sævik, P. N.; Nixon, C. W.

2017-11-01

We demonstrate how topology-based measures of connectivity can be used to improve analytical estimates of effective permeability in 2-D fracture networks, which is one of the key parameters necessary for fluid flow simulations at the reservoir scale. Existing methods in this field usually compute fracture connectivity using the average fracture length. This approach is valid for ideally shaped, randomly distributed fractures, but is not immediately applicable to natural fracture networks. In particular, natural networks tend to be more connected than randomly positioned fractures of comparable lengths, since natural fractures often terminate in each other. The proposed topological connectivity measure is based on the number of intersections and fracture terminations per sampling area, which for statistically stationary networks can be obtained directly from limited outcrop exposures. To evaluate the method, numerical permeability upscaling was performed on a large number of synthetic and natural fracture networks, with varying topology and geometry. The proposed method was seen to provide much more reliable permeability estimates than the length-based approach, across a wide range of fracture patterns. We summarize our results in a single, explicit formula for the effective permeability.

Gas transport in porous media

CERN Document Server

Ho, Clifford K

2006-01-01

This book presents a compilation of state-of-the art studies on gas and vapor transport processes in porous and fractured media. A broad set of models and processes are presented, including advection/diffusion, the Dusty Gas Model, enhanced vapor diffusion, phase change, coupled processes, solid/vapor sorption, and vapor-pressure lowering. Numerous applications are also presented that illustrate these processes and models in current problems facing the scientific community. This book fills a gap in the general area of transport in porous and fractured media; an area that has historically been dominated by studies of liquid-phase flow and transport. This book identifies gas and vapor transport processes that may be important or dominant in various applications, and it exploits recent advances in computational modeling and experimental methods to present studies that distinguish the relative importance of various mechanisms of transport in complex media.

Analysis of radionuclide migration through fractures using the stream tube approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong Soon Song; Kun Jai Lee

1988-01-01

An analytical solution for the radionuclide migration in the heterogeneous geologic media is developed by using the Green's function techniques. To take into account the non-homogeneous geologic formation and non-uniform groundwater flow field effectively, a combined fracture/porous media model (in series network) is introduced. The stream tube approach is suggested as an efficient method to analyze groundwater hydrology occurring primarily along the fractures. With this approach, three-dimensional heterogeneous media may be approximated as a network of one-dimensional flow paths (fractures) and the corresponding subsurface transport equations can be solved more easily and efficiently by using the Green's function technique within each unit stream tubes. Also a method of combining the corresponding separate Green's functions to derive an overall Green's function for the flow path network is developed. Analytical solutions with various time-dependent radionuclide release modes for heterogeneous geologic media are obtained and sample calculations are performed for the parametric studies. Comparison with other model shows the validity of the present model. 22 refs.; 11 figs.; 5 tabs

Systematic optimization of human pluripotent stem cells media using Design of Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Marinho, Paulo A.; Chailangkarn, Thanathom; Muotri, Alysson R.

2015-05-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) are used to study the early stages of human development in vitro and, increasingly due to somatic cell reprogramming, cellular and molecular mechanisms of disease. Cell culture medium is a critical factor for hPSC to maintain pluripotency and self-renewal. Numerous defined culture media have been empirically developed but never systematically optimized for culturing hPSC. We applied design of experiments (DOE), a powerful statistical tool, to improve the medium formulation for hPSC. Using pluripotency and cell growth as read-outs, we determined the optimal concentration of both basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and neuregulin-1 beta 1 (NRG1β1). The resulting formulation, named iDEAL, improved the maintenance and passage of hPSC in both normal and stressful conditions, and affected trimethylated histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) epigenetic status after genetic reprogramming. It also enhances efficient hPSC plating as single cells. Altogether, iDEAL potentially allows scalable and controllable hPSC culture routine in translational research. Our DOE strategy could also be applied to hPSC differentiation protocols, which often require numerous and complex cell culture media.

Minimizing the Fluid Used to Induce Fracturing

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, E. J.

2015-12-01

The less fluid injected to induce fracturing means less fluid needing to be produced before gas is produced. One method is to inject as fast as possible until the desired fracture length is obtained. Presented is an alternative injection strategy derived by applying optimal system control theory to the macroscopic mass balance. The picture is that the fracture is constant in aperture, fluid is injected at a controlled rate at the near end, and the fracture unzips at the far end until the desired length is obtained. The velocity of the fluid is governed by Darcy's law with larger permeability for flow along the fracture length. Fracture growth is monitored through micro-seismicity. Since the fluid is assumed to be incompressible, the rate at which fluid is injected is balanced by rate of fracture growth and rate of loss to bounding rock. Minimizing injected fluid loss to the bounding rock is the same as minimizing total injected fluid How to change the injection rate so as to minimize the total injected fluid is a problem in optimal control. For a given total length, the variation of the injected rate is determined by variations in overall time needed to obtain the desired fracture length, the length at any time, and the rate at which the fracture is growing at that time. Optimal control theory leads to a boundary condition and an ordinary differential equation in time whose solution is an injection protocol that minimizes the fluid used under the stated assumptions. That method is to monitor the rate at which the square of the fracture length is growing and adjust the injection rate proportionately.

Radionuclide transport in fractured porous media -- Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures with a kinetic solubility-limited dissolution model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, S.H.; Chen, C.T.

1997-01-01

Analytical solutions are developed for the problem of radionuclide transport in a system of parallel fractures situated in a porous rock matrix. A kinetic solubility-limited dissolution model is used as the inlet boundary condition. The solutions consider the following processes: (a) advective transport in the fractures, (b) mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion along the fractures, (c) molecular diffusion from a fracture to the porous matrix, (d) molecular diffusion within the porous matrix in the direction perpendicular to the fracture axis, (e) adsorption onto the fracture wall, (f) adsorption within the porous matrix, and (g) radioactive decay. The solutions are based on the Laplace transform method. The general transient solution is in the form of a double integral that is evaluated using composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature. A simpler transient solution that is in the form of a single integral is also presented for the case that assumes negligible longitudinal dispersion along the fractures. The steady-state solutions are also provided. A number of examples are given to illustrate the effects of the following important parameters: (a) fracture spacings, (b) dissolution-rate constants, (c) fracture dispersion coefficient, (d) matrix retardation factor, and (e) fracture retardation factor

Hybrid-dimensional modelling of two-phase flow through fractured porous media with enhanced matrix fracture transmission conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Konstantin; Hennicker, Julian; Masson, Roland; Samier, Pierre

2018-03-01

In this work, we extend, to two-phase flow, the single-phase Darcy flow model proposed in [26], [12] in which the (d - 1)-dimensional flow in the fractures is coupled with the d-dimensional flow in the matrix. Three types of so called hybrid-dimensional two-phase Darcy flow models are proposed. They all account for fractures acting either as drains or as barriers, since they allow pressure jumps at the matrix-fracture interfaces. The models also permit to treat gravity dominated flow as well as discontinuous capillary pressure at the material interfaces. The three models differ by their transmission conditions at matrix fracture interfaces: while the first model accounts for the nonlinear two-phase Darcy flux conservations, the second and third ones are based on the linear single phase Darcy flux conservations combined with different approximations of the mobilities. We adapt the Vertex Approximate Gradient (VAG) scheme to this problem, in order to account for anisotropy and heterogeneity aspects as well as for applicability on general meshes. Several test cases are presented to compare our hybrid-dimensional models to the generic equi-dimensional model, in which fractures have the same dimension as the matrix, leading to deep insight about the quality of the proposed reduced models.

Multi-zone coupling productivity of horizontal well fracturing with complex fracture networks in shale gas reservoirs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyao Zhu

2018-02-01

best. Therefore, it is necessary to control fracturing degree reasonably and optimize fracturing parameters, so as to provide a theoretical support for the optimization design of shale gas reservoir fracturing. Keywords: Shale gas, Reservoir, Fracturing, Horizontal well, Complex fracture network, Multi-zone coupling, Multi-scale, Interference, Productivity capacity

The use of synthetic colloids in tracer transport experiments in saturated rock fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, P.W.

1995-08-01

Studies of groundwater flow and contaminant transport in saturated, fractured geologic media are of great interest to researchers studying the potential long-term storage of hazardous wastes in or near such media. A popular technique for conducting such studies is to introduce tracers having different chemical and physical properties into a system and then observe the tracers at one or more downstream locations, inferring flow and transport mechanisms from the breakthrough characteristics of the different tracers. Many tracer studies have been conducted in saturated, fractured media to help develop and/or refine models capable of predicting contaminant transport over large scales in such media

A Numerical Study of Factors Affecting Fracture-Fluid Cleanup and Produced Gas/Water in Marcellus Shale: Part II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seales, Maxian B.; Dilmore, Robert; Ertekin, Turgay; Wang, John Yilin

2017-04-01

Horizontal wells combined with successful multi-stage hydraulic fracture treatments are currently the most established method for effectively stimulating and enabling economic development of gas bearing organic-rich shale formations. Fracture cleanup in the Stimulated Reservoir Volume (SRV) is critical to stimulation effectiveness and long-term well performance. However, fluid cleanup is often hampered by formation damage, and post-fracture well performance frequently falls below expectations. A systematic study of the factors that hinder fracture fluid cleanup in shale formations can help optimize fracture treatments and better quantify long term volumes of produced water and gas. Fracture fluid cleanup is a complex process influenced by multi-phase flow through porous media (relative permeability hysteresis, capillary pressure etc.), reservoir rock and fluid properties, fracture fluid properties, proppant placement, fracture treatment parameters, and subsequent flowback and field operations. Changing SRV and fracture conductivity as production progresses further adds to the complexity of this problem. Numerical simulation is the best, and most practical approach to investigate such a complicated blend of mechanisms, parameters, their interactions, and subsequent impact on fracture fluid cleanup and well deliverability. In this paper, a 3-dimensional, 2-phase, dual-porosity model was used to investigate the impact of multiphase flow, proppant crushing, proppant diagenesis, shut-in time, reservoir rock compaction, gas slippage, and gas desorption on fracture fluid cleanup, and well performance in Marcellus shale. The research findings have shed light on the factors that substantially constrains efficient fracture fluid cleanup in gas shales, and provided guidelines for improved fracture treatment designs and water management.

Optimal implicit 2-D finite differences to model wave propagation in poroelastic media

Science.gov (United States)

Itzá, Reymundo; Iturrarán-Viveros, Ursula; Parra, Jorge O.

2016-08-01

Numerical modeling of seismic waves in heterogeneous porous reservoir rocks is an important tool for the interpretation of seismic surveys in reservoir engineering. We apply globally optimal implicit staggered-grid finite differences (FD) to model 2-D wave propagation in heterogeneous poroelastic media at a low-frequency range (differentiation involves solving tridiagonal linear systems of equations through Thomas' algorithm.

Application of probabilistic fracture mechanics to optimize the maintenance of PWR steam generator tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitner, P.; Riffard, T.

1993-09-01

This paper describes the COMPROMIS code developed by Electricite de France (EDF) to optimize the tube bundle maintenance of steam generators (SG). The model, based on probabilistic fracture mechanics, makes it possible to quantify the influence of in-service inspections and maintenance work on the risk of an SG tube rupture, taking all significant parameters into account as random variables (initial defect size distribution, reliability of nondestructive detection and sizing, crack initiation and propagation, critical sizes, leak before risk of break, etc). (authors). 14 figs., 4 tabs., 12 refs

Internal fracture heterogeneity in discrete fracture network modelling: Effect of correlation length and textures with connected and disconnected permeability field

Science.gov (United States)

Frampton, A.; Hyman, J.; Zou, L.

2017-12-01

Analysing flow and transport in sparsely fractured media is important for understanding how crystalline bedrock environments function as barriers to transport of contaminants, with important applications towards subsurface repositories for storage of spent nuclear fuel. Crystalline bedrocks are particularly favourable due to their geological stability, low advective flow and strong hydrogeochemical retention properties, which can delay transport of radionuclides, allowing decay to limit release to the biosphere. There are however many challenges involved in quantifying and modelling subsurface flow and transport in fractured media, largely due to geological complexity and heterogeneity, where the interplay between advective and dispersive flow strongly impacts both inert and reactive transport. A key to modelling transport in a Lagrangian framework involves quantifying pathway travel times and the hydrodynamic control of retention, and both these quantities strongly depend on heterogeneity of the fracture network at different scales. In this contribution, we present recent analysis of flow and transport considering fracture networks with single-fracture heterogeneity described by different multivariate normal distributions. A coherent triad of fields with identical correlation length and variance are created but which greatly differ in structure, corresponding to textures with well-connected low, medium and high permeability structures. Through numerical modelling of multiple scales in a stochastic setting we quantify the relative impact of texture type and correlation length against network topological measures, and identify key thresholds for cases where flow dispersion is controlled by single-fracture heterogeneity versus network-scale heterogeneity. This is achieved by using a recently developed novel numerical discrete fracture network model. Furthermore, we highlight enhanced flow channelling for cases where correlation structure continues across

Fractal analysis of fracture increasing spontaneous imbibition in porous media with gas-saturated

KAUST Repository

Cai, Jianchao; Sun, Shuyu

2013-01-01

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) of wetting liquid into matrix blocks due to capillary pressure is regarded as an important recovery mechanism in low permeability fractured reservoir. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed for characterizing SI horizontally from a single plane fracture into gas-saturated matrix blocks. The presented model is based on the fractal character of pores in porous matrix, with gravity force included in the entire imbibition process. The accumulated mass of wetting liquid imbibed into matrix blocks is related to a number of factors such as contact area, pore fractal dimension, tortuosity, maximum pore size, porosity, liquid density and viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, as well as height and tilt angle of the fracture. The mechanism of fracture-enhanced SI is analyzed accordingly. Because of the effect of fracture, the gravity force is positive to imbibition process. Additionally, the farther away from the fracture top of the pore, the more influential the hydrostatic pressure is upon the imbibition action. The presented fractal analysis of horizontal spontaneous imbibition from a single fracture could also shed light on the scaling study of the mass transfer function between matrix and fracture system of fractured reservoirs. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Fractal analysis of fracture increasing spontaneous imbibition in porous media with gas-saturated

KAUST Repository

Cai, Jianchao

2013-08-01

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) of wetting liquid into matrix blocks due to capillary pressure is regarded as an important recovery mechanism in low permeability fractured reservoir. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed for characterizing SI horizontally from a single plane fracture into gas-saturated matrix blocks. The presented model is based on the fractal character of pores in porous matrix, with gravity force included in the entire imbibition process. The accumulated mass of wetting liquid imbibed into matrix blocks is related to a number of factors such as contact area, pore fractal dimension, tortuosity, maximum pore size, porosity, liquid density and viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, as well as height and tilt angle of the fracture. The mechanism of fracture-enhanced SI is analyzed accordingly. Because of the effect of fracture, the gravity force is positive to imbibition process. Additionally, the farther away from the fracture top of the pore, the more influential the hydrostatic pressure is upon the imbibition action. The presented fractal analysis of horizontal spontaneous imbibition from a single fracture could also shed light on the scaling study of the mass transfer function between matrix and fracture system of fractured reservoirs. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

A new efficient mixture screening design for optimization of media.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, Fred; Shah, Vishal

2009-01-01

Screening ingredients for the optimization of media is an important first step to reduce the many potential ingredients down to the vital few components. In this study, we propose a new method of screening for mixture experiments called the centroid screening design. Comparison of the proposed design with Plackett-Burman, fractional factorial, simplex lattice design, and modified mixture design shows that the centroid screening design is the most efficient of all the designs in terms of the small number of experimental runs needed and for detecting high-order interaction among ingredients. (c) 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009.

Naturally fractured tight gas reservoir detection optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-06-01

Building upon the partitioning of the Greater Green River Basin (GGRB) that was conducted last quarter, the goal of the work this quarter has been to conclude evaluation of the Stratos well and the prototypical Green River Deep partition, and perform the fill resource evaluation of the Upper Cretaceous tight gas play, with the goal of defining target areas of enhanced natural fracturing. The work plan for the quarter of November 1-December 31, 1998 comprised four tasks: (1) Evaluation of the Green River Deep partition and the Stratos well and examination of potential opportunity for expanding the use of E and P technology to low permeability, naturally fractured gas reservoirs, (2) Gas field studies, and (3) Resource analysis of the balance of the partitions.

A geometrically based method for predicting stress-induced fracture aperture and flow in discrete fracture networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisdom, Kevin; Bertotti, Giovanni; Nick, Hamid

2016-01-01

networks, digitized from outcropping pavements. These networks cover a wide range of possible geometries and spatial distributions. The geometrically based method predicts the average hydraulic aperture and equivalent permeability of fractured porous media with error margins of less than 5%....

1-D DC Resistivity Modeling and Interpretation in Anisotropic Media Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Pekşen, Ertan; Yas, Türker; Kıyak, Alper

2014-09-01

We examine the one-dimensional direct current method in anisotropic earth formation. We derive an analytic expression of a simple, two-layered anisotropic earth model. Further, we also consider a horizontally layered anisotropic earth response with respect to the digital filter method, which yields a quasi-analytic solution over anisotropic media. These analytic and quasi-analytic solutions are useful tests for numerical codes. A two-dimensional finite difference earth model in anisotropic media is presented in order to generate a synthetic data set for a simple one-dimensional earth. Further, we propose a particle swarm optimization method for estimating the model parameters of a layered anisotropic earth model such as horizontal and vertical resistivities, and thickness. The particle swarm optimization is a naturally inspired meta-heuristic algorithm. The proposed method finds model parameters quite successfully based on synthetic and field data. However, adding 5 % Gaussian noise to the synthetic data increases the ambiguity of the value of the model parameters. For this reason, the results should be controlled by a number of statistical tests. In this study, we use probability density function within 95 % confidence interval, parameter variation of each iteration and frequency distribution of the model parameters to reduce the ambiguity. The result is promising and the proposed method can be used for evaluating one-dimensional direct current data in anisotropic media.

Simulation of quasi-static hydraulic fracture propagation in porous media with XFEM

Science.gov (United States)

Juan-Lien Ramirez, Alina; Neuweiler, Insa; Löhnert, Stefan

2015-04-01

Hydraulic fracturing is the injection of a fracking fluid at high pressures into the underground. Its goal is to create and expand fracture networks to increase the rock permeability. It is a technique used, for example, for oil and gas recovery and for geothermal energy extraction, since higher rock permeability improves production. Many physical processes take place when it comes to fracking; rock deformation, fluid flow within the fractures, as well as into and through the porous rock. All these processes are strongly coupled, what makes its numerical simulation rather challenging. We present a 2D numerical model that simulates the hydraulic propagation of an embedded fracture quasi-statically in a poroelastic, fully saturated material. Fluid flow within the porous rock is described by Darcy's law and the flow within the fracture is approximated by a parallel plate model. Additionally, the effect of leak-off is taken into consideration. The solid component of the porous medium is assumed to be linear elastic and the propagation criteria are given by the energy release rate and the stress intensity factors [1]. The used numerical method for the spatial discretization is the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) [2]. It is based on the standard Finite Element Method, but introduces additional degrees of freedom and enrichment functions to describe discontinuities locally in a system. Through them the geometry of the discontinuity (e.g. a fracture) becomes independent of the mesh allowing it to move freely through the domain without a mesh-adapting step. With this numerical model we are able to simulate hydraulic fracture propagation with different initial fracture geometries and material parameters. Results from these simulations will also be presented. References [1] D. Gross and T. Seelig. Fracture Mechanics with an Introduction to Micromechanics. Springer, 2nd edition, (2011) [2] T. Belytschko and T. Black. Elastic crack growth in finite elements with minimal

Hydraulic fracture propagation modeling and data-based fracture identification

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jing

Successful shale gas and tight oil production is enabled by the engineering innovation of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulically induced fractures will most likely deviate from the bi-wing planar pattern and generate complex fracture networks due to mechanical interactions and reservoir heterogeneity, both of which render the conventional fracture simulators insufficient to characterize the fractured reservoir. Moreover, in reservoirs with ultra-low permeability, the natural fractures are widely distributed, which will result in hydraulic fractures branching and merging at the interface and consequently lead to the creation of more complex fracture networks. Thus, developing a reliable hydraulic fracturing simulator, including both mechanical interaction and fluid flow, is critical in maximizing hydrocarbon recovery and optimizing fracture/well design and completion strategy in multistage horizontal wells. A novel fully coupled reservoir flow and geomechanics model based on the dual-lattice system is developed to simulate multiple nonplanar fractures' propagation in both homogeneous and heterogeneous reservoirs with or without pre-existing natural fractures. Initiation, growth, and coalescence of the microcracks will lead to the generation of macroscopic fractures, which is explicitly mimicked by failure and removal of bonds between particles from the discrete element network. This physics-based modeling approach leads to realistic fracture patterns without using the empirical rock failure and fracture propagation criteria required in conventional continuum methods. Based on this model, a sensitivity study is performed to investigate the effects of perforation spacing, in-situ stress anisotropy, rock properties (Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and compressive strength), fluid properties, and natural fracture properties on hydraulic fracture propagation. In addition, since reservoirs are buried thousands of feet below the surface, the

Mimetic Finite Differences for Flow in Fractures from Microseismic Data

KAUST Repository

Al-Hinai, Omar; Srinivasan, Sanjay; Wheeler, Mary F.

2015-01-01

We present a method for porous media flow in the presence of complex fracture networks. The approach uses the Mimetic Finite Difference method (MFD) and takes advantage of MFD's ability to solve over a general set of polyhedral cells. This flexibility is used to mesh fracture intersections in two and three-dimensional settings without creating small cells at the intersection point. We also demonstrate how to use general polyhedra for embedding fracture boundaries in the reservoir domain. The target application is representing fracture networks inferred from microseismic analysis.

Mimetic Finite Differences for Flow in Fractures from Microseismic Data

KAUST Repository

Al-Hinai, Omar

2015-01-01

We present a method for porous media flow in the presence of complex fracture networks. The approach uses the Mimetic Finite Difference method (MFD) and takes advantage of MFD\\'s ability to solve over a general set of polyhedral cells. This flexibility is used to mesh fracture intersections in two and three-dimensional settings without creating small cells at the intersection point. We also demonstrate how to use general polyhedra for embedding fracture boundaries in the reservoir domain. The target application is representing fracture networks inferred from microseismic analysis.

DEVELOPMENT OF RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTION MODELS FOR EXPLOITING NATURALLY FRACTURED RESERVOIRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael L. Wiggins; Raymon L. Brown; Faruk Civan; Richard G. Hughes

2002-12-31

For many years, geoscientists and engineers have undertaken research to characterize naturally fractured reservoirs. Geoscientists have focused on understanding the process of fracturing and the subsequent measurement and description of fracture characteristics. Engineers have concentrated on the fluid flow behavior in the fracture-porous media system and the development of models to predict the hydrocarbon production from these complex systems. This research attempts to integrate these two complementary views to develop a quantitative reservoir characterization methodology and flow performance model for naturally fractured reservoirs. The research has focused on estimating naturally fractured reservoir properties from seismic data, predicting fracture characteristics from well logs, and developing a naturally fractured reservoir simulator. It is important to develop techniques that can be applied to estimate the important parameters in predicting the performance of naturally fractured reservoirs. This project proposes a method to relate seismic properties to the elastic compliance and permeability of the reservoir based upon a sugar cube model. In addition, methods are presented to use conventional well logs to estimate localized fracture information for reservoir characterization purposes. The ability to estimate fracture information from conventional well logs is very important in older wells where data are often limited. Finally, a desktop naturally fractured reservoir simulator has been developed for the purpose of predicting the performance of these complex reservoirs. The simulator incorporates vertical and horizontal wellbore models, methods to handle matrix to fracture fluid transfer, and fracture permeability tensors. This research project has developed methods to characterize and study the performance of naturally fractured reservoirs that integrate geoscience and engineering data. This is an important step in developing exploitation strategies for

Enhancing in situ bioremediation with pneumatic fracturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.B.; Peyton, B.M.; Liskowitz, J.L.; Fitzgerald, C.; Schuring, J.R.

1994-04-01

A major technical obstacle affecting the application of in situ bioremediation is the effective distribution of nutrients to the subsurface media. Pneumatic fracturing can increase the permeability of subsurface formations through the injection of high pressure air to create horizontal fracture planes, thus enhancing macro-scale mass-transfer processes. Pneumatic fracturing technology was demonstrated at two field sites at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tests were performed to increase the permeability for more effective bioventing, and evaluated the potential to increase permeability and recovery of free product in low permeability soils consisting of fine grain silts, clays, and sedimentary rock. Pneumatic fracturing significantly improved formation permeability by enhancing secondary permeability and by promoting removal of excess soil moisture from the unsaturated zone. Postfracture airflows were 500% to 1,700% higher than prefracture airflows for specific fractured intervals in the formation. This corresponds to an average prefracturing permeability of 0.017 Darcy, increasing to an average of 0.32 Darcy after fracturing. Pneumatic fracturing also increased free-product recovery rates of number 2 fuel from an average of 587 L (155 gal) per month before fracturing to 1,647 L (435 gal) per month after fracturing

Risk assessment in fractured porous media with particular reference to water catchments

Science.gov (United States)

Enzenhoefer, R.; Helmig, R.; Nowak, W.; Binning, P. J.

2009-04-01

will later be transferred to a study area, which is located on the Swabian Alb northeast of Ulm at the border to Bavaria. The project partner "Landeswasserversorgung" supplies approx. 60 million m³ groundwater per year for about 3 million inhabitants in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, including Stuttgart. Most of the aquifer is Upper Jurassic (Malm) and some parts are Quaternary. For a better understanding of the geological setting and the validation of the model, field tests (tracer tests etc.) can be suggested and optimized by optimal design techniques. Literature: Frind, E.O., Molson, J.W., and Rudolph D.L., "Well Vulnerability: A Quantitative Approach for Source Water Protection", Groundwater, Vol. 44, 2006 Harvey and Gorelick, "Temporal moment-generating equations: Modeling transport and mass transfer in heterogeneous aquifers", Water Resources Research, Vol. 31, No.8, Pages 1895-1911, 1995 Hemminger, A., Neunhäuserer, L. and R. Helmig, "The Reliability of a Stochastic Fracture Generator", ModelCARE 99: International Conference on Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modeling - Coping with uncertainty (20. - 23. September 1999, ETH Zurich, Switzerland). IAHS Redbook, Zürich, Schweiz, 2000 World Health Organisation (WHO), „Water Safety plans: Managing drinking-water quality from catchment to consumer", prepared by Annette Davison, Guy Howard, Melita Stevens, Phil Callan, Lorna Fewtrell, Dan Deere and Jamie Bartram, 2005 http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/wsp0506/en/index.html

On the accuracy of Rüger's approximation for reflection coefficients in HTI media: implications for the determination of fracture density and orientation from seismic AVAZ data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Aamir; Jakobsen, Morten

2011-01-01

We have investigated the accuracy of Rüger's approximation for PP reflection coefficients in HTI media (relative to an exact generalization of Zoeppritz to anisotropy derived by Schoenberg and Protazio) within the context of seismic fracture characterization. We consider the inverse problem of seismic amplitude-versus-angle and azimuth (AVAZ) inversion with respect to fracture density and azimuthal fracture orientation, as well as the forward problem of calculating PP reflection coefficients for different contrasts and anisotropy levels. The T-matrix approach was used to relate the contrast and anisotropy level to the parameters of the fractures (in the case of a single set of vertical fractures). We have found that Rüger's approximation can be used to recover the true fracture density with small uncertainty if, and only if, the fracture density and contrast are significantly smaller than the values that are believed to occur in many practically interesting cases of fractured (carbonate) reservoirs. In one example involving a minimal contrast and a fracture density in the range 0.05–0.1, Rüger's approximation performed satisfactorily for inversion, although the forward modelling results were not very accurate at high incident angles. But for fracture densities larger than 0.1 (which we believe may well occur in real cases), Rüger's approximation did not perform satisfactorily for forward or inverse modelling. However, it appears that Rüger's approximation can always be used to obtain estimates of the azimuthal fracture orientation with small uncertainty, even when the contrast and anisotropy levels are extremely large. In order to illustrate the significance of our findings within the context of seismic fracture characterization, we analysed a set of synthetic seismic AVAZ data associated with a fault facies model where the fracture density decreases exponentially with distance from the fault core, and a set of real seismic AVAZ data involving offset

Dispersion of Nanomaterials in Aqueous Media: Towards Protocol Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Inder; Ellis, Laura-Jayne; Romer, Isabella; Tantra, Ratna; Carriere, Marie; Allard, Soline; Mayne-L'Hermite, Martine; Minelli, Caterina; Unger, Wolfgang; Potthoff, Annegret; Rades, Steffi; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2017-12-25

The sonication process is commonly used for de-agglomerating and dispersing nanomaterials in aqueous based media, necessary to improve homogeneity and stability of the suspension. In this study, a systematic step-wise approach is carried out to identify optimal sonication conditions in order to achieve a stable dispersion. This approach has been adopted and shown to be suitable for several nanomaterials (cerium oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon nanotubes) dispersed in deionized (DI) water. However, with any change in either the nanomaterial type or dispersing medium, there needs to be optimization of the basic protocol by adjusting various factors such as sonication time, power, and sonicator type as well as temperature rise during the process. The approach records the dispersion process in detail. This is necessary to identify the time points as well as other above-mentioned conditions during the sonication process in which there may be undesirable changes, such as damage to the particle surface thus affecting surface properties. Our goal is to offer a harmonized approach that can control the quality of the final, produced dispersion. Such a guideline is instrumental in ensuring dispersion quality repeatability in the nanoscience community, particularly in the field of nanotoxicology.

Streaming Potential Modeling to Understand the Identification of Hydraulically Active Fractures and Fracture-Matrix Fluid Interactions Using the Self-Potential Method

Science.gov (United States)

Jougnot, D.; Roubinet, D.; Linde, N.; Irving, J.

2016-12-01

Quantifying fluid flow in fractured media is a critical challenge in a wide variety of research fields and applications. To this end, geophysics offers a variety of tools that can provide important information on subsurface physical properties in a noninvasive manner. Most geophysical techniques infer fluid flow by data or model differencing in time or space (i.e., they are not directly sensitive to flow occurring at the time of the measurements). An exception is the self-potential (SP) method. When water flows in the subsurface, an excess of charge in the pore water that counterbalances electric charges at the mineral-pore water interface gives rise to a streaming current and an associated streaming potential. The latter can be measured with the SP technique, meaning that the method is directly sensitive to fluid flow. Whereas numerous field experiments suggest that the SP method may allow for the detection of hydraulically active fractures, suitable tools for numerically modeling streaming potentials in fractured media do not exist. Here, we present a highly efficient two-dimensional discrete-dual-porosity approach for solving the fluid-flow and associated self-potential problems in fractured domains. Our approach is specifically designed for complex fracture networks that cannot be investigated using standard numerical methods due to computational limitations. We then simulate SP signals associated with pumping conditions for a number of examples to show that (i) accounting for matrix fluid flow is essential for accurate SP modeling and (ii) the sensitivity of SP to hydraulically active fractures is intimately linked with fracture-matrix fluid interactions. This implies that fractures associated with strong SP amplitudes are likely to be hydraulically conductive, attracting fluid flow from the surrounding matrix.

A Fracture Decoupling Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Stroujkova, A. F.; Bonner, J. L.; Leidig, M.; Ferris, A. N.; Kim, W.; Carnevale, M.; Rath, T.; Lewkowicz, J.

2012-12-01

Multiple observations made at the Semipalatinsk Test Site suggest that conducting nuclear tests in the fracture zones left by previous explosions results in decreased seismic amplitudes for the second nuclear tests (or "repeat shots"). Decreased seismic amplitudes reduce both the probability of detection and the seismically estimated yield of a "repeat shot". In order to define the physical mechanism responsible for the amplitude reduction and to quantify the degree of the amplitude reduction in fractured rocks, Weston Geophysical Corp., in collaboration with Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, conducted a multi-phase Fracture Decoupling Experiment (FDE) in central New Hampshire. The FDE involved conducting explosions of various yields in the damage/fracture zones of previously detonated explosions. In order to quantify rock damage after the blasts we performed well logging and seismic cross-hole tomography studies of the source region. Significant seismic velocity reduction was observed around the source regions after the initial explosions. Seismic waves produced by the explosions were recorded at near-source and local seismic networks, as well as several regional stations throughout northern New England. Our analysis confirms frequency dependent seismic amplitude reduction for the repeat shots compared to the explosions in un-fractured rocks. The amplitude reduction is caused by pore closing and/or by frictional losses within the fractured media.

A New Method for Fracturing Wells Reservoir Evaluation in Fractured Gas Reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchun Guo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Natural fracture is a geological phenomenon widely distributed in tight formation, and fractured gas reservoir stimulation effect mainly depends on the communication of natural fractures. Therefore it is necessary to carry out the evaluation of this reservoir and to find out the optimal natural fractures development wells. By analyzing the interactions and nonlinear relationships of the parameters, it establishes three-level index system of reservoir evaluation and proposes a new method for gas well reservoir evaluation model in fractured gas reservoir on the basis of fuzzy logic theory and multilevel gray correlation. For this method, the Gaussian membership functions to quantify the degree of every factor in the decision-making system and the multilevel gray relation to determine the weight of each parameter on stimulation effect. Finally through fuzzy arithmetic operator between multilevel weights and fuzzy evaluation matrix, score, rank, the reservoir quality, and predicted production will be gotten. Result of this new method shows that the evaluation of the production coincidence rate reaches 80%, which provides a new way for fractured gas reservoir evaluation.

The Parabolic Variational Inequalities for Variably Saturated Water Flow in Heterogeneous Fracture Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuyang Ye

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Fractures are ubiquitous in geological formations and have a substantial influence on water seepage flow in unsaturated fractured rocks. While the matrix permeability is small enough to be ignored during the partially saturated flow process, water seepage in heterogeneous fracture systems may occur in a non-volume-average manner as distinguished from a macroscale continuum model. This paper presents a systematic numerical method which aims to provide a better understanding of the effect of fracture distribution on the water seepage behavior in such media. Based on the partial differential equation (PDE formulations with a Signorini-type complementary condition on the variably saturated water flow in heterogeneous fracture networks, the equivalent parabolic variational inequality (PVI formulations are proposed and the related numerical algorithm in the context of the finite element scheme is established. With the application to the continuum porous media, the results of the numerical simulation for one-dimensional infiltration fracture are compared to the analytical solutions and good agreements are obtained. From the application to intricate fracture systems, it is found that water seepage flow can move rapidly along preferential pathways in a nonuniform fashion and the variably saturated seepage behavior is intimately related to the geometrical characteristics orientation of fractures.

Numerical modelling of coupled fluid, heat, and solute transport in deformable fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, T.; Reid, J.A.K.

1987-01-01

This paper reports on a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element code, MOTIF (model of transport in fractured/porous media), developed to model the coupled processes of groundwater flow, heat transport, brine transport, and one-species radionuclide transport in geological media. Three types of elements are available: a 3D continuum element, a planar fracture element that can be oriented in any arbitrary direction in 3D space or pipe flow in 3D space, and a line element for simulating fracture flow in 2D space or pipe flow in 3D space. As a quality-assurance measure, the MOTIF code was verified by comparison of its results with analytical solutions and other published numerical solutions

Role of geomechanically grown fractures on dispersive transport in heterogeneous geological formations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nick, H.M.; Paluszny, A.; Blunt, M.J.; Matthai, S.K.

2011-01-01

A second order in space accurate implicit scheme for time-dependent advection-dispersion equations and a discrete fracture propagation model are employed to model solute transport in porous media.We study the impact of the fractures on mass transport and dispersion. To model flowand transport,

Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. State of the Art Simulation des réservoirs naturellement fracturés. État de l’art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lemonnier P.

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Naturally fractured reservoirs contain a significant amount of the world oil reserves. The production of this type of reservoirs constitutes a challenge for reservoir engineers. Use of reservoir simulators can help reservoir engineers in the understanding of the main physical mechanisms and in the choice of the best recovery process and its optimization. Significant progress has been made since the first publications on the dual-porosity concept in the sixties. This paper and the preceding one (Part 1 present the current techniques of modeling used in industrial simulators. The optimal way to predict matrix-fracture transfers at the simulator cell scale has no definite answer and various methods are implemented in industrial simulators. This paper focuses on the modeling of physical mechanisms driving flows and interactions/ exchanges within and between fracture and matrix media for a better understanding of proposed flow formula and simulation methods. Typical features of fractured reservoir numerical simulations are also described with an overview of the implementation of geomechanics effects, an application of uncertainty assessment methodology to a fractured gas reservoir and finally a presentation of a history matching methodology for fractured reservoirs. Les réservoirs naturellement fracturés contiennent une partie significative des réserves en huile mondiales. La production de ce type de réservoirs constitue un défi pour les ingénieurs de réservoir. L’utilisation des simulateurs de réservoir peut aider l’ingénieur de réservoir à mieux comprendre les principaux mécanismes physiques, à choisir le procédé de récupération le mieux adapté et à l’optimiser. Des progrès sensibles ont été réalisés depuis les premières publications sur le concept double-milieu dans les années soixante. Cet article et le précédent (Partie 1 présentent les techniques actuelles de modélisation utilisées dans les simulateurs

Non-Darcy interfacial dynamics of air-water two-phase flow in rough fractures under drainage conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chun; Ju, Yang; Xie, Heping; Zhou, Quanlin; Gao, Feng

2017-07-04

Two-phase flow interfacial dynamics in rough fractures is fundamental to understanding fluid transport in fractured media. The Haines jump of non-Darcy flow in porous media has been investigated at pore scales, but its fundamental processes in rough fractures remain unclear. In this study, the micron-scale Haines jump of the air-water interface in rough fractures was investigated under drainage conditions, with the air-water interface tracked using dyed water and an imaging system. The results indicate that the interfacial velocities represent significant Haines jumps when the meniscus passes from a narrow "throat" to a wide "body", with jump velocities as high as five times the bulk drainage velocity. Locally, each velocity jump corresponds to a fracture aperture variation; statistically, the velocity variations follow an exponential function of the aperture variations at a length scale of ~100 µm to ~100 mm. This spatial-scale-invariant correlation may indicate that the high-speed local velocities during the Haines jump would not average out spatially for a bulk system. The results may help in understanding the origin of interface instabilities and the resulting non-uniform phase distribution, as well as the micron-scale essence of the spatial and temporal instability of two-phase flow in fractured media at the macroscopic scale.

Epidemiology of extremity fractures in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beerekamp, M. S. H.; de Muinck Keizer, R. J. O.; Schep, N. W. L.; Ubbink, D. T.; Panneman, M. J. M.; Goslings, J. C.

2017-01-01

Insight in epidemiologic data of extremity fractures is relevant to identify people at risk. By analyzing age- and gender specific fracture incidence and treatment patterns we may adjust future policy, take preventive measures and optimize health care management. Current epidemiologic data on

Hydraulic properties of fracture networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreuzy, J.R. de

1999-12-01

Fractured medium are studied in the general framework of oil and water supply and more recently for the underground storage of high level nuclear wastes. As fractures are generally far more permeable than the embedding medium, flow is highly channeled in a complex network of fractures. The complexity of the network comes from the broad distributions of fracture length and permeability at the fracture scale and appears through the increase of the equivalent permeability at the network scale. The goal of this thesis is to develop models of fracture networks consistent with both local-scale and global-scale observations. Bidimensional models of fracture networks display a wide variety of flow structures ranging from the sole permeable fracture to the equivalent homogeneous medium. The type of the relevant structure depends not only on the density and the length and aperture distributions but also on the observation scale. In several models, a crossover scale separates complex structures highly channeled from more distributed and homogeneous-like flow patterns at larger scales. These models, built on local characteristics and validated by global properties, have been settled in steady state. They have also been compared to natural well test data obtained in Ploemeur (Morbihan) in transient state. The good agreement between models and data reinforces the relevance of the models. Once validated and calibrated, the models are used to estimate the global tendencies of the main flow properties and the risk associated with the relative lack of data on natural fractures media. (author)

An efficient fully-implicit multislope MUSCL method for multiphase flow with gravity in discrete fractured media

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jiamin; Younis, Rami M.

2017-06-01

The first-order methods commonly employed in reservoir simulation for computing the convective fluxes introduce excessive numerical diffusion leading to severe smoothing of displacement fronts. We present a fully-implicit cell-centered finite-volume (CCFV) framework that can achieve second-order spatial accuracy on smooth solutions, while at the same time maintain robustness and nonlinear convergence performance. A novel multislope MUSCL method is proposed to construct the required values at edge centroids in a straightforward and effective way by taking advantage of the triangular mesh geometry. In contrast to the monoslope methods in which a unique limited gradient is used, the multislope concept constructs specific scalar slopes for the interpolations on each edge of a given element. Through the edge centroids, the numerical diffusion caused by mesh skewness is reduced, and optimal second order accuracy can be achieved. Moreover, an improved smooth flux-limiter is introduced to ensure monotonicity on non-uniform meshes. The flux-limiter provides high accuracy without degrading nonlinear convergence performance. The CCFV framework is adapted to accommodate a lower-dimensional discrete fracture-matrix (DFM) model. Several numerical tests with discrete fractured system are carried out to demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the numerical model.

[Fractures of the lower leg in professional skiers].

Science.gov (United States)

Mückley, T; Kruis, C; Schütz, T; Brucker, P; Bühren, V

2004-03-01

Fractures of the lower leg due to skiing accidents remain an important concern. Few studies have focussed on the special demands of professional athletes who sustain these injuries. We present our experience with three cases of lower leg fractures in competitive professional downhill skiers and discuss management and treatment concepts. We performed limited reamed compression nailing in all the patients presented because it offers the advantages of high mechanical stability and optimized fragment apposition. Plate osteosynthesis of the fibula is not required in most typical fractures. All patients resumed ski training. Two of them returned to World Cup. Only one achieved her pre-injury World Cup level of performance and success. In conclusion, a successful return for professional skiers with lower leg fractures is feasible using an optimized treatment strategy.

Anomalous Transport in Natural Fracture Networks Induced by Tectonic Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, P. K.; Lei, Q.; Lee, S.; Dentz, M.; Juanes, R.

2017-12-01

Fluid flow and transport in fractured rock controls many natural and engineered processes in the subsurface. However, characterizing flow and transport through fractured media is challenging due to the high uncertainty and large heterogeneity associated with fractured rock properties. In addition to these "static" challenges, geologic fractures are always under significant overburden stress, and changes in the stress state can lead to changes in the fracture's ability to conduct fluids. While confining stress has been shown to impact fluid flow through fractures in a fundamental way, the impact of confining stress on transportthrough fractured rock remains poorly understood. The link between anomalous (non-Fickian) transport and confining stress has been shown, only recently, at the level of a single rough fracture [1]. Here, we investigate the impact of geologic (tectonic) stress on flow and tracer transport through natural fracture networks. We model geomechanical effects in 2D fractured rock by means of a finite-discrete element method (FEMDEM) [2], which can capture the deformation of matrix blocks, reactivation of pre-existing fractures, and propagation of new cracks, upon changes in the stress field. We apply the model to a fracture network extracted from the geological map of an actual rock outcrop to obtain the aperture field at different stress conditions. We then simulate fluid flow and particle transport through the stressed fracture networks. We observe that anomalous transport emerges in response to confining stress on the fracture network, and show that the stress state is a powerful determinant of transport behavior: (1) An anisotropic stress state induces preferential flow paths through shear dilation; (2) An increase in geologic stress increases aperture heterogeneity that induces late-time tailing of particle breakthrough curves. Finally, we develop an effective transport model that captures the anomalous transport through the stressed fracture

Computed tomography of tibial plateau fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafii, M.; Firooznia, H.; Golimbu, C.; Bonamo, J.

1984-01-01

Twenty patients with tibial plateau fractures were studied by conventional tomography and computed tomography (CT) in order to determine the role and feasibility of CT in management of such patients. CT resulted in less discomfort to the patient and provided optimal visualization of the plateau defect and the split fragments. It proved more accurate than conventional tomography in assessing depressed and split fractures when they involved the anterior or posterior border of the plateau and in demonstrating the extent of fracture comminution. Split fragments with an oblique plane of fracture also were seen better by CT. The degree of fracture depression and separation as measured by the computerized technique was often more accurate than measurements obtained from conventional tomograms

Permeability and dispersivity of variable-aperture fracture systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, Y.W.; Tsang, C.F.

1990-01-01

A number of recent experiments have pointed out the need of including the effects of aperture variation within each fracture in predicting flow and transport properties of fractured media. This paper introduces a new approach in which medium properties, such as the permeability to flow and dispersivity in tracer transport, are correlated to only three statistical parameters describing the fracture aperture probability distribution and the aperture spatial correlation. We demonstrate how saturated permeability and relative permeabilities for flow, as well as dispersion for solute transport in fractures may be calculated. We are in the process of examining the applicability of these concepts to field problems. Results from the evaluation and analysis of the recent Stripa-3D field data are presented. 13 refs., 10 figs

Hydraulic fracture diagnostic: recent advances and their impact; Analyses de la fracturation hydraulique: progres recents et leur impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolhart, St.L. [GRI, United States (United States)

2000-07-01

The use of hydraulic fracturing has grown tremendously since its introduction over 50 years ago. Most wells in low permeability reservoirs are not economic without hydraulic fracture stimulation. Hydraulic fracturing is also seeing increasing use in high permeability applications. The success of this technology can be attributed to the great strides made in three areas: hydraulic fracture theory and modeling, improved surface and subsurface equipment and advanced fluid systems and proppers. However, industry still has limited capabilities when it comes to determining the geometry of the created hydraulic fracture. This limitation, in turn places limits on the continued improvement of hydraulic fracturing as a means to optimize productivity and recovery. GRI's Advanced Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics Program has developed two new technologies, microseismic hydraulic fracture mapping and downhole tilt-meter hydraulic fracture mapping, to address this limitation. These two technologies have been utilized to improve field development and reduce hydraulic fracturing costs. This paper reviews these technologies and presents case histories of their use. (author)

Transport of radionuclides in stochastic media. Pt. 1: The quasi-asymptotic approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devooght, J.; Smidts, O.F.

1996-01-01

A three-dimensional quasi-asymptotic approximate equation is developed for the transport of radionuclides in a stochastic velocity field. This approximation is derived from an integro-differential equation of transport in stochastic media, commonly encountered in hydrogeology. The quasi-asymptotic equation turns out to be a generalised Telegrapher's equation as found by Williams in the particular context of fractured media. We obtain the Telegrapher's equation without specifying the causes responsible for the random velocity field. Our model may thus be applied in porous media as well as in fractured media. We give the developments leading to the analytical solution of the three-dimensional Telegrapher's equation for constant parameters. This solution is then visualised for a source in the form of a square wave. (Author)

Optimal design of mixed-media packet-switching networks - Routing and capacity assignment

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, D.; Kuo, F. F.; Kobayashi, H.

1977-01-01

This paper considers a mixed-media packet-switched computer communication network which consists of a low-delay terrestrial store-and-forward subnet combined with a low-cost high-bandwidth satellite subnet. We show how to route traffic via ground and/or satellite links by means of static, deterministic procedures and assign capacities to channels subject to a given linear cost such that the network average delay is minimized. Two operational schemes for this network model are investigated: one is a scheme in which the satellite channel is used as a slotted ALOHA channel; the other is a new multiaccess scheme we propose in which whenever a channel collision occurs, retransmission of the involved packets will route through ground links to their destinations. The performance of both schemes is evaluated and compared in terms of cost and average packet delay tradeoffs for some examples. The results offer guidelines for the design and optimal utilization of mixed-media networks.

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in the fractured rock: effects of decay chain and limited matrix diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. B.; Park, J. W.; Lee, E. Y.; Kim, C. R.

2002-01-01

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in the fractured rock is studies by considering radioactive decay chain and limited matrix diffusion into surrounding porous media. Semi-analytical solution in the Laplace domain is obtained from the mass balance equation of radionuclides and colloid particles. Numerical inversion of the Laplace solution is used to get the concentration profiles both in a fracture and in rock matrix. There issues are analyzed for the radionuclide concentration in a fracture by 1) formation constant of pseudo-colloid, 2) filtration coefficient of radio-colloid and 3) effective diffusion depth into the surrounding porous rock media

Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canamon Valera, I.

2006-11-01

This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of the rock matrix is not

Hydrological and thermal issues concerning a nuclear waste repository in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.S.Y.

1991-12-01

The characterization of the ambient conditions of a potential site and the assessment of the perturbations induced by a nuclear waste repository require hydrological and thermal investigations of the geological formations at different spatial and temporal scales. For high-level wastes, the near-field impacts depend on the heat power of waste packages and the far-field long-term perturbations depend on the cumulative heat released by the emplaced wastes. Surface interim storage of wastes for several decades could lower the near-field impacts but would have relatively small long-term effects if spent fuels were the waste forms for the repository. One major uncertainty in the assessment of repository impacts is from the variation of hydrological properties in heterogeneous media, including the effects of fractures as high-permeability flow paths for containment migration. Under stress, a natural fracture cannot be represented by the parallel plate model. The rock surface roughness, the contact area, and the saturation state in the rock matrix could significantly change the fracture flow. In recent years, the concern of fast flow through fractures in saturated media has extended to the unsaturated zones. The interactions at different scales between fractures and matrix, between fractured matrix unites and porous units, and between formations and faults are discussed

Numerical simulation of pollutant transport in fractured vuggy porous karstic aquifers

KAUST Repository

Sun, S.

2011-01-01

This paper begins with presenting a mathematical model for contaminant transport in the fractured vuggy porous media of a species of contaminant (PCP). Two phases are numerically simulated for a process of contaminant and clean water infiltrated in the fractured vuggy porous media by coupling mixed finite element (MFE) method and finite volume method (FVM), both of which are locally conservative, to approximate the model. A hybrid mixed finite element (HMFE) method is applied to approximate the velocity field for the model. The convection and diffusion terms are approached by FVM and the standard MFE, respectively. The pressure distribution and temporary evolution of the concentration profiles are obtained for two phases. The average effluent concentration on the outflow boundary is obtained at different time and shows some different features from the matrix porous media. The temporal multiscale phenomena of the effluent concentration on the outlet are observed. The results show how the different distribution of the vugs and the fractures impacts on the contaminant transport and the effluent concentration on the outlet. This paper sheds light on certain features of karstic groundwater are obtained.

Numerical Simulation of Pollutant Transport in Fractured Vuggy Porous Karstic Aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaolin Fan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper begins with presenting a mathematical model for contaminant transport in the fractured vuggy porous media of a species of contaminant (PCP. Two phases are numerically simulated for a process of contaminant and clean water infiltrated in the fractured vuggy porous media by coupling mixed finite element (MFE method and finite volume method (FVM, both of which are locally conservative, to approximate the model. A hybrid mixed finite element (HMFE method is applied to approximate the velocity field for the model. The convection and diffusion terms are approached by FVM and the standard MFE, respectively. The pressure distribution and temporary evolution of the concentration profiles are obtained for two phases. The average effluent concentration on the outflow boundary is obtained at different time and shows some different features from the matrix porous media. The temporal multiscale phenomena of the effluent concentration on the outlet are observed. The results show how the different distribution of the vugs and the fractures impacts on the contaminant transport and the effluent concentration on the outlet. This paper sheds light on certain features of karstic groundwater are obtained.

Transport of synthetic colloids through single saturated fractures: A literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, P.W.

1995-07-01

Colloids having the same surface charge sign as the bulk of the geologic media in a groundwater system may be able to travel through the system faster than soluble species because they will follow fluid streamlines more closely and they should have less tendency to diffuse into pores or dead spaces in the media than soluble species. Synthetic colloids with uniform, controlled properties may be ideal for serving as open-quotes worst-caseclose quotes tracers that provide lower-bound estimates of contaminant travel times in hydrologic systems. This report discusses a review of the literature pertaining to colloid transport in single saturated natural fractures. After a brief background discussion to put the literature review in perspective, the phenomenon of colloid transport in saturated fractures is divided into three major topics, each of which is reviewed in detail: (1) saturated fluid flow through fractures; (2) colloid transport by convection, diffusion, and force fields; and (3) colloid interactions with surfaces. It is suggested that these phenomena be accounted for in colloid transport models by using (1) lubrication theory to describe water flow through fractures, (2) particle tracking methods to describe colloid transport in fractures, and (3) a kinetic boundary layer approximation to describe colloid interactions with fracture walls. These methods offer better computational efficiency and better experimental accessibility to model parameters than rigorously solving the complete governing equations

Flow visualization and relative permeability measurements in rough-walled fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persoff, P.; Pruess, K.

1993-01-01

Two-phase (gas-liquid) flow experiments were done in a natural rock fracture and transparent replicas of natural fractures. Liquid was injected at constant volume flow rate, and gas was injected at either constant mass flow rate or constant pressure. When gas was injected at constant mass flow rate, the gas inlet pressure, and inlet and outlet capillary pressures, generally did not reach steady state but cycled irregularly. Flow visualization showed that this cycling was due to repeated blocking and unblocking of gas flow paths by liquid. Relative permeabilities calculated from flow rate and pressure data show that the sum of the relative permeabilities of the two phases is much less than 1, indicating that each phase interferes strongly with the flow of the other. Comparison of the relative permeability curves with typical curves for porous media (Corey curves) show that the phase interference is stronger in fractures than in typical porous media

Statistical media and process optimization for biotransformation of rice bran to vanillin using Pediococcus acidilactici.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Baljinder; Chakraborty, Debkumar

2013-11-01

An isolate of P. acidilactici capable of producing vanillin from rice bran was isolated from a milk product. Response Surface Methodology was employed for statistical media and process optimization for production of biovanillin. Statistical medium optimization was done in two steps involving Placket Burman Design and Central Composite Response Designs. The RSM optimized vanillin production medium consisted of 15% (w/v) rice bran, 0.5% (w/v) peptone, 0.1% (w/v) ammonium nitrate, 0.005% (w/v) ferulic acid, 0.005% (w/v) magnesium sulphate, and 0.1% (v/v) tween-80, pH 5.6, at a temperature of 37 degrees C under shaking conditions at 180 rpm. 1.269 g/L vanillin was obtained within 24 h of incubation in optimized culture medium. This is the first report indicating such a high vanillin yield obtained during biotransformation of ferulic acid to vanillin using a Pediococcal isolate.

Mathematical modelling of fracture hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rae, J.; Hodgkinson, D.P.; Robinson, P.C.; Herbert, A.W.

1984-04-01

This progress report contains notes on three aspects of hydrological modelling. Work on hydrodynamic dispersion in fractured media has been extended to transverse dispersion. Further work has been done on diffusion into the rock matrix and its effect on solute transport. The program NAMSOL has been used for the MIRAGE code comparison exercise being organised by Atkins R and D. (author)

Evaluation of Fibular Fracture Type vs Location of Tibial Fixation of Pilon Fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Busel, Gennadiy A; Watson, J Tracy; Israel, Heidi

2017-06-01

Comminuted fibular fractures can occur with pilon fractures as a result of valgus stress. Transverse fibular fractures can occur with varus deformation. No definitive guide for determining the proper location of tibial fixation exists. The purpose of this study was to identify optimal plate location for fixation of pilon fractures based on the orientation of the fibular fracture. One hundred two patients with 103 pilon fractures were identified who were definitively treated at our institution from 2004 to 2013. Pilon fractures were classified using the AO/OTA classification and included 43-A through 43-C fractures. Inclusion criteria were age of at least 18 years, associated fibular fracture, and definitive tibial plating. Patients were grouped based on the fibular component fracture type (comminuted vs transverse), and the location of plate fixation (medial vs lateral) was noted. Radiographic outcomes were assessed for mechanical failures. Forty fractures were a result of varus force as evidenced by transverse fracture of the fibula and 63 were due to valgus force with a comminuted fibula. For the transverse fibula group, 14.3% mechanical complications were noted for medially placed plate vs 80% for lateral plating ( P = .006). For the comminuted fibular group, 36.4% of medially placed plates demonstrated mechanical complications vs 16.7% for laterally based plates ( P = .156). Time to weight bearing as tolerated was also noted to be significant between groups plated medially and laterally for the comminuted group ( P = .013). Correctly assessing the fibular component for pilon fractures provides valuable information regarding deforming forces. To limit mechanical complications, tibial plates should be applied in such a way as to resist the original deforming forces. Level of Evidence Level III, comparative study.

Optimal variable-grid finite-difference modeling for porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xinxin; Yin, Xingyao; Li, Haishan

2014-01-01

Numerical modeling of poroelastic waves by the finite-difference (FD) method is more expensive than that of acoustic or elastic waves. To improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of seismic modeling, variable-grid FD methods have been developed. In this paper, we derived optimal staggered-grid finite difference schemes with variable grid-spacing and time-step for seismic modeling in porous media. FD operators with small grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for low-velocity or small-scale geological bodies, while FD operators with big grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for high-velocity or large-scale regions. The dispersion relations of FD schemes were derived based on the plane wave theory, then the FD coefficients were obtained using the Taylor expansion. Dispersion analysis and modeling results demonstrated that the proposed method has higher accuracy with lower computational cost for poroelastic wave simulation in heterogeneous reservoirs. (paper)

Macroscopic models for single-phase flows in fractured porous medium: application to well tests; Modeles macroscopiques pour les ecoulements monophasiques en milieu poreux fracture: application aux tests de puits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landereau, P.

2000-12-01

We consider pressure diffusion in fractured media, with application to well test interpretation. Using the volume averaging theory of Quintard and Whitaker, the local problem is replaced by a double-porosity large scale description. The parameters of the latter may be computed solving small scale closure problems on a representative volume. Using suitable numerical methods, we have performed a systematic study of these parameters as a function of the topology of the fracture network and matrix to fracture permeability contrast. We find that the matrix permeability plays a significant role near a percolation threshold. Next, we studied the exchange coefficient parameter, by unifying the different definitions of the literature in a single framework using a Fourier analysis. Finally, we applied our technique to well-test interpretation in fractured media by comparing large scale solutions to high resolution direct simulations. We find that at short time scale, very fine grid blocks are needed to get good accuracy. In that case, a good agreement is observed between large scale averaged results and reference simulations. (author)

Modeling contaminant plumes in fractured limestone aquifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosthaf, Klaus; Brauns, Bentje; Fjordbøge, Annika Sidelmann

Determining the fate and transport of contaminant plumes from contaminated sites in limestone aquifers is important because they are a major drinking water resource. This is challenging because they are often heavily fractured and contain chert layers and nodules, resulting in a complex transport...... model. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to identify and employ suitable models to advance the conceptual understanding and as decision support tools for risk assessment and the planning of remedial actions....... behavior. Improved conceptual models are needed for this type of site. Here conceptual models are developed by combining numerical models with field data. Several types of fracture flow and transport models are available for the modeling of contaminant transport in fractured media. These include...... the established approaches of the equivalent porous medium, discrete fracture and dual continuum models. However, these modeling concepts are not well tested for contaminant plume migration in limestone geologies. Our goal was to develop and evaluate approaches for modeling the transport of dissolved contaminant...

Geomechanical production optimization in faulted and fractured reservoirs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heege, J.H. ter; Pizzocolo, F.; Osinga, S.; Veer, E.F. van der

2016-01-01

Faults and fractures in hydrocarbon reservoirs are key to some major production issues including (1) varying productivity of different well sections due to intersection of preferential flow paths with the wellbore, (2) varying hydrocarbon column heights in different reservoir compartments due to

Wetting phase permeability in a partially saturated horizontal fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholl, M.J.; Glass, R.J.

1994-01-01

Fractures within geologic media can dominate the hydraulic properties of the system. Therefore, conceptual models used to assess the potential for radio-nuclide migration in unsaturated fractured rock such as that composing Yucca Mountain, Nevada, must be consistent with flow processes in individual fractures. A major obstacle to the understanding and simulation of unsaturated fracture flow is the paucity of physical data on both fracture aperture structure and relative permeability. An experimental procedure is developed for collecting detailed data on aperture and phase structure from a transparent analog fracture. To facilitate understanding of basic processes and provide a basis for development of effective property models, the simplest possible rough-walled fracture is used. Stable phase structures of varying complexity are created within the horizontal analog fracture. Wetting phase permeability is measured under steady-state conditions. A process based model for wetting phase relative permeability is then explored. Contributions of the following processes to reduced wetting phase permeability under unsaturated conditions are considered: reduction in cross-sectional flow area, increased path length, localized flow restriction, and preferential occupation of large apertures by the non-wetting phase

Fracture Toughness Improvement of Composites Reinforced with Optimally Shaped Short Ductile Fibers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wetherhold, Robert C; Patra, Abani K

2001-01-01

The fracture toughness of brittle matrix composites reinforced with ductile fibers has been greatly improved by shaping the fibers so that they fully contribute their plastic work to the fracture process...

Optimization of conventional X-ray images for the detection of hook of hamate fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andresen, R.; Adam, C.; Radmer, S.; Scheufler, O.; Bogusch, G.

2006-01-01

Fractures of the hook of the hamate are a rare event. The fracture cannot always be detected clinically and standard radiographs do not always provide an overlap-free image of the hook of the hamate, so that fractures can easily be overlooked. The objective of the present study was to examine if the sensitivity of detecting hamulus ossis hamati fractures can further be improved by a modified conventional radiographic projection. After dissection of the hook of the hamate on 10 cadaver hands, a fracture was produced close to the base using a surgical chisel. Conventional radiographs were then performed in four different projections (dorso-palmar, lateral, carpal-tunnel and oblique view). The oblique view was obtained in a 45 supination position, slight extension and radial duction, with the tube tilted from distal to proximal by 30 . An axial spiral CT was used as a reference for detection of the fracture. The highest sensitivity of the conventional radiographs, with 8/10 identified fractures (80%), was achieved by the oblique view. The carpal-tunnel view with 4/10 (40%) and the dorso-palmar projection with 3/10 (30%) were much lower. All fractures were missed in the lateral projection. If all of the conventional radiographic projections are taken into account, the sensitivity is increased to 90%. All of the fractures were reliably detected in the axial CT-image. If a hamulus ossis hamati fracture is suspected clinically, in addition to the dorso-palmar and carpal-tunnel view, the special oblique view described here should be performed as a third projection plane, while the lateral view can be dispensed with. However, even if all projections are taken into account, a negative finding in the conventional radiographic imaging does not exclude a fracture with absolute certainty. In such cases, a CT or MRI should be performed to exclude a fracture. (orig.)

Detecting dynamic causal inference in nonlinear two-phase fracture flow

Science.gov (United States)

Faybishenko, Boris

2017-08-01

Identifying dynamic causal inference involved in flow and transport processes in complex fractured-porous media is generally a challenging task, because nonlinear and chaotic variables may be positively coupled or correlated for some periods of time, but can then become spontaneously decoupled or non-correlated. In his 2002 paper (Faybishenko, 2002), the author performed a nonlinear dynamical and chaotic analysis of time-series data obtained from the fracture flow experiment conducted by Persoff and Pruess (1995), and, based on the visual examination of time series data, hypothesized that the observed pressure oscillations at both inlet and outlet edges of the fracture result from a superposition of both forward and return waves of pressure propagation through the fracture. In the current paper, the author explores an application of a combination of methods for detecting nonlinear chaotic dynamics behavior along with the multivariate Granger Causality (G-causality) time series test. Based on the G-causality test, the author infers that his hypothesis is correct, and presents a causation loop diagram of the spatial-temporal distribution of gas, liquid, and capillary pressures measured at the inlet and outlet of the fracture. The causal modeling approach can be used for the analysis of other hydrological processes, for example, infiltration and pumping tests in heterogeneous subsurface media, and climatic processes, for example, to find correlations between various meteorological parameters, such as temperature, solar radiation, barometric pressure, etc.

Multiscale model reduction for shale gas transport in fractured media

KAUST Repository

Akkutlu, I. Y.; Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Vasilyeva, Maria

2016-01-01

fracture distributions on an unstructured grid; (2) develop GMsFEM for nonlinear flows; and (3) develop online basis function strategies to adaptively improve the convergence. The number of multiscale basis functions in each coarse region represents

OPTIMAL SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF HIGH VELOCITY POSTERIOR TIBIAL PLATEAU FRACTURE SUBLUXATIONS (DUPARC, REVISED CLASSIFICATION, GROUP – V: POSTERO - MEDIAL FRACTURE BY DIRECT, DORSAL APPROACH – A CHANGING TREND: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pardhasaradhi

2015-10-01

series of 15 patients with complex tibial plateau injuries with associated posterior shear fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS : This prospective study included 15 cases of patients with mean age of 30 years ( Age range 20 to 40 yr who sustained high velocity posterior tibial plateau fracture - subluxations with or without associated Bicondylar fractures ( Duparc, revised classification, Group – V: Postero - medial fracture and its associations. Surgical management includes by direct, dorsal approach and stabilisation with buttress plating and or also postero medial and or antero lateral approach as needed. The patients were followed up at six week, three month, six month and one year postoperatively and assessed using Oxford Knee Score and Lyshom Score. RESULTS:The mean OKS score was 40 (range 36 to 44 at the end of one year. The main clinical measures were early post - operative non weight bearing ROM, post - operative complication & functional outcome. The time to full weight bearing, t he rate of post - operative complications & functional outcome was significantly better as evident by over 94 % showing good to excellent OKS and Lyshom scores. CONCLUSION : Fractures of the postero - medial tibial plateau are challenging to treat, owing to the ir complexity and unfamiliar surgical approach. Several recent anatomic and biomechanical studies have shown that a locked plate placed from the lateral side of the proximal tibia does not capture and stabilise a typical posteromedial fragment. A direct po sterior (Medial Gastrocnemius or posterior medial approach for these unstable posterior medial tibial plateau subluxations (which are otherwise irreducible by conventional approaches and antiglide plate are usually needed to reduce the fractures anatomic ally, achieving absolute stability and mobilise early NWB, ROM of the knee joint to optimize the functional outcomes and minimise the complications, without the need for revision surgery

Data input guide for SWIFT II. The Sandia waste-isolation flow and transport model for fractured media, Release 4.84

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, M.; Ward, D.S.; Johns, N.D.; Cranwell, R.M.

1986-04-01

This report is one of three which describes the SWIFT II computer code. The code simulates flow and transport processes in geologic media which may be fractured. SWIFT II was developed for use in the analysis of deep geologic facilities for nuclear-waste disposal. This user's manual should permit the analyst to use the code effectively by facilitating the preparation of input data. A second companion document discusses the theory and implementation of the models employed by the SWIFT II code. A third document provides illustrative problems for instructional purposes. This report contains detailed descriptions of the input data along with an appendix of the input diagnostics. The use of auxiliary files, unit conversions, and program variable descriptors also are included in this document

Transient diffusion from a waste solid into fractured porous rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, J.; Chambre, P.L.; Pigford, T.H.

1988-01-01

Previous analytical studies of the advective transport of dissolved contaminants through fractured rock have emphasized the effect of molecular diffusion in the rock matrix in affecting the space-time-dependent concentration of the contaminant as it moves along the fracture. Matrix diffusion only in the direction normal to the fracture surface was assumed. Contaminant sources were constant-concentration surfaces of width equal to the fracture aperture and of finite or infinite extent in the transverse direction. Such studies illustrate the far-field transport features of fractured media. To predict the time-dependent mass transfer from a long waste cylinder surrounded by porous rock and intersected by a fracture, the present study includes diffusion from the waste surface directly into porous rock, as well as the more realistic geometry. Here the authors present numerical results from Chambre's analytical solution for the time-dependent mass transfer from the cylinder for the low-flow conditions wherein near-field mass transfer is expected to be controlled by molecular diffusion

Osmosis, filtration and fracture of porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Antola, R.

2001-01-01

Filtration was produced in a small scale physical model of a granular porous medium of cylindrical shape.The same volume flow was obtained either applying a difference in hydrostatic pressure or in osmotic pressure.In the first case a process of sustained erosion ending in an hydraulic short circuit was observed,while in the second case the material remained stable.This paradoxical strength behaviour is explained using some results from differential geometry,classical field theory and thermo-kinetic theory.The fracture process of a continuous matrix in a porous medium under the combined effect of filtration and external mechanical loads in then considered.The obtained results can be applied to the textural and compressive strength of wet concrete

The “communication line” suggests occult posterior malleolar fracture associated with a spiral tibial shaft fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Zhiyong; Zhang Liping; Zhang Qi; Yao Shuangquan; Pan Jinshe; Irgit, Kaan; Zhang Yingze

2012-01-01

Objectives: To demonstrate radiographical characteristics of the relationship between distal spiral tibial shaft fractures and associated occult posterior malleolar fractures (PMF) that confirmed by CT and MRI. Materials and methods: X-rays for a ninety-six patients with spiral tibia fracture and associated PMF were reviewed. All patients additionally had an ankle CT. Patients with a negative CT scans underwent an ankle MRI. Radiographic observations included fracture location, characteristics, and a presence of a fracture line between the two injuries. Results: The spiral tibia fracture line was contiguous with PMF in 89 of 96 cases after evaluation with the CT and MRI. The line connecting the two injuries, which occurs between the medial inferior apex of the spiral tibia fracture line and the posterior superior apex of the PMF was identified as the “communication line”. In 47 of the 89 conjunction fractures, the “communication line” was detectable preoperatively and in 12 cases postoperatively by anteroposterior radiograph. By using the CT and MRI scans, we found that no “communication line” was present in only 7 cases. Conclusion: It is important to understand the nature of the association between distal spiral tibial shaft fractures and occult posterior malleolar fractures for optimal stabilization of the fracture and for appropriate rehabilitation. The “communication line” is a useful diagnostic clue for early recognition the occult PMF and alerts a closer evaluation of the lateral view and further CT examination.

Characterization of fracture patterns and hygric properties for moisture flow modelling in cracked concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rouchier, Simon; Janssen, Hans; Rode, Carsten

2012-01-01

porous media. Digital Image Correlation was performed during the fracturing of concrete samples, in which moisture uptake was then monitored using X-ray radiography. Finite-element simulations were then performed based on the measurements of the fracture patterns, in order to recreate the measured......Several years after their installation, building materials such as concrete present signs of ageing in the form of fractures covering a wide range of sizes, from microscopic to macroscopic cracks. All sizes of fractures can have a strong influence on heat and moisture flow in the building envelope...

MIGFRAC - a code for modelling of radionuclide transport in fracture media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satyanarayana, S.V.M.; Mohankumar, N.; Sasidhar, P.

2002-05-01

Radionuclides migrate through diffusion process from radioactive waste disposal facilities into fractures present in the host rock. The transport phenomenon is aided by the circulating ground waters. To model the transport of radionuclides in the charnockite rock formations present at Kalpakkam, a numerical code - MIGFRAC has been developed at SHINE Group, IGCAR. The code has been subjected to rigorous tests and the results of the build up of radionuclide concentrations are validated with a test case up to a distance of 100 meter along the fracture. The report discusses the model, code features and the results obtained up to a distance of 400 meter are presented. (author)

The Role of the Rock on Hydraulic Fracturing of Tight Shales

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez-Rivera, R.; Green, S.; Stanchits, S.; Yang, Y.

2011-12-01

Successful economic production of oil and gas from nano-darcy-range permeability, tight shale reservoirs, is achieved via massive hydraulic fracturing. This is so despite their limited hydrocarbon in place, on per unit rock volume basis. As a reference, consider a typical average porosity of 6% and an average hydrocarbon saturation of 50% to 75%. The importance of tight shales results from their large areal extent and vertical thickness. For example, the areal extent of the Anwar field in Saudi Arabia of 3230 square miles (and 300 ft thick), while the Marcellus shale alone is over 100,000 square miles (and 70 to 150 ft thick). The low permeability of the rock matrix, the predominantly mineralized rock fabric, and the high capillary forces to both brines and hydrocarbons, restrict the mobility of pore fluids in these reservoirs. Thus, one anticipates that fluids do not move very far within tight shales. Successful production, therefore results from maximizing the surface area of contact with the reservoir by massive hydraulic fracturing from horizontal bore holes. This was the conceptual breakthrough of the previous decade and the one that triggered the emergence of gas shales, and recently oily shales, as important economic sources of energy. It is now understood that the process can be made substantially more efficient, more sustainable, and more cost effective by understanding the rock. This will be the breakthrough of this decade. Microseismic monitoring, mass balance calculations, and laboratory experiments of hydraulic fracturing on tight shales indicate the development of fracture complexity and fracture propagation that can not be explained in detail in this layered heterogeneous media. It is now clear that in tight shales the large-scale formation fabric is responsible for fracture complexity. For example, the presence and pervasiveness of mineralized fractures, bed interfaces, lithologic contacts, and other types of discontinuities, and their orientation

Effects of fracture surface roughness and shear displacement on geometrical and hydraulic properties of three-dimensional crossed rock fracture models

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Na; Liu, Richeng; Jiang, Yujing; Li, Bo; Yu, Liyuan

2018-03-01

While shear-flow behavior through fractured media has been so far studied at single fracture scale, a numerical analysis of the shear effect on the hydraulic response of 3D crossed fracture model is presented. The analysis was based on a series of crossed fracture models, in which the effects of fracture surface roughness and shear displacement were considered. The rough fracture surfaces were generated using the modified successive random additions (SRA) algorithm. The shear displacement was applied on one fracture, and at the same time another fracture shifted along with the upper and lower surfaces of the sheared fracture. The simulation results reveal the development and variation of preferential flow paths through the model during the shear, accompanied by the change of the flow rate ratios between two flow planes at the outlet boundary. The average contact area accounts for approximately 5-27% of the fracture planes during shear, but the actual calculated flow area is about 38-55% of the fracture planes, which is much smaller than the noncontact area. The equivalent permeability will either increase or decrease as shear displacement increases from 0 to 4 mm, depending on the aperture distribution of intersection part between two fractures. When the shear displacement continuously increases by up to 20 mm, the equivalent permeability increases sharply first, and then keeps increasing with a lower gradient. The equivalent permeability of rough fractured model is about 26-80% of that calculated from the parallel plate model, and the equivalent permeability in the direction perpendicular to shear direction is approximately 1.31-3.67 times larger than that in the direction parallel to shear direction. These results can provide a fundamental understanding of fluid flow through crossed fracture model under shear.

Microseismic Full Waveform Modeling in Anisotropic Media with Moment Tensor Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Peidong; Angus, Doug; Nowacki, Andy; Yuan, Sanyi; Wang, Yanyan

2018-03-01

Seismic anisotropy which is common in shale and fractured rocks will cause travel-time and amplitude discrepancy in different propagation directions. For microseismic monitoring which is often implemented in shale or fractured rocks, seismic anisotropy needs to be carefully accounted for in source location and mechanism determination. We have developed an efficient finite-difference full waveform modeling tool with an arbitrary moment tensor source. The modeling tool is suitable for simulating wave propagation in anisotropic media for microseismic monitoring. As both dislocation and non-double-couple source are often observed in microseismic monitoring, an arbitrary moment tensor source is implemented in our forward modeling tool. The increments of shear stress are equally distributed on the staggered grid to implement an accurate and symmetric moment tensor source. Our modeling tool provides an efficient way to obtain the Green's function in anisotropic media, which is the key of anisotropic moment tensor inversion and source mechanism characterization in microseismic monitoring. In our research, wavefields in anisotropic media have been carefully simulated and analyzed in both surface array and downhole array. The variation characteristics of travel-time and amplitude of direct P- and S-wave in vertical transverse isotropic media and horizontal transverse isotropic media are distinct, thus providing a feasible way to distinguish and identify the anisotropic type of the subsurface. Analyzing the travel-times and amplitudes of the microseismic data is a feasible way to estimate the orientation and density of the induced cracks in hydraulic fracturing. Our anisotropic modeling tool can be used to generate and analyze microseismic full wavefield with full moment tensor source in anisotropic media, which can help promote the anisotropic interpretation and inversion of field data.

ADVANCED FRACTURING TECHNOLOGY FOR TIGHT GAS: AN EAST TEXAS FIELD DEMONSTRATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mukul M. Sharma

2005-03-01

The primary objective of this research was to improve completion and fracturing practices in gas reservoirs in marginal plays in the continental United States. The Bossier Play in East Texas, a very active tight gas play, was chosen as the site to develop and test the new strategies for completion and fracturing. Figure 1 provides a general location map for the Dowdy Ranch Field, where the wells involved in this study are located. The Bossier and other tight gas formations in the continental Unites States are marginal plays in that they become uneconomical at gas prices below $2.00 MCF. It was, therefore, imperative that completion and fracturing practices be optimized so that these gas wells remain economically attractive. The economic viability of this play is strongly dependent on the cost and effectiveness of the hydraulic fracturing used in its well completions. Water-fracs consisting of proppant pumped with un-gelled fluid is the type of stimulation used in many low permeability reservoirs in East Texas and throughout the United States. The use of low viscosity Newtonian fluids allows the creation of long narrow fractures in the reservoir, without the excessive height growth that is often seen with cross-linked fluids. These low viscosity fluids have poor proppant transport properties. Pressure transient tests run on several wells that have been water-fractured indicate a long effective fracture length with very low fracture conductivity even when large amounts of proppant are placed in the formation. A modification to the water-frac stimulation design was needed to transport proppant farther out into the fracture. This requires suspending the proppant until the fracture closes without generating excessive fracture height. A review of fracture diagnostic data collected from various wells in different areas (for conventional gel and water-fracs) suggests that effective propped lengths for the fracture treatments are sometimes significantly shorter than those

Partitioning dynamics of unsaturated flows in fractured porous media: Laboratory studies and three-dimensional multi-scale smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of gravity-driven flow in fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Kordilla, J.; Bresinsky, L. T.; Shigorina, E.; Noffz, T.; Dentz, M.; Sauter, M.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

2017-12-01

Preferential flow dynamics in unsaturated fractures remain a challenging topic on various scales. On pore- and fracture-scales the highly erratic gravity-driven flow dynamics often provoke a strong deviation from classical volume-effective approaches. Against the common notion that flow in fractures (or macropores) can only occur under equilibrium conditions, i.e., if the surrounding porous matrix is fully saturated and capillary pressures are high enough to allow filling of the fracture void space, arrival times suggest the existence of rapid preferential flow along fractures, fracture networks, and fault zones, even if the matrix is not fully saturated. Modeling such flows requires efficient numerical techniques to cover various flow-relevant physics, such as surface tension, static and dynamic contact angles, free-surface (multi-phase) interface dynamics, and formation of singularities. Here we demonstrate the importance of such flow modes on the partitioning dynamics at simple fracture intersections, with a combination of laboratory experiments, analytical solutions and numerical simulations using our newly developed massively parallel smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code. 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. This behavior is demonstrated for a multi-inlet laboratory setup where the inlet-specific flow rate is chosen so that either a droplet or rivulet flow persists. 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), flow within the horizontal fracture transitions into a Washburn regime until a critical threshold is reached and the bypass efficiency

On the theory of transport in fractured media for the safety analysis of a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, N.C.

1982-10-01

This report aims at developing a systematic theory of the role of fractures in the transport of radionuclides by groundwater, through fractured rocks from a deep-lying nuclear waste repository to the biosphere. Fractures are grouped into four 'irreducible' types: joints, nodes, shear zones and fracture zones, and the physical characteristics which influence radionuclide transport are expressed in mathematical terms. The question of radioactivity retention is then studied for various fracture types, using idealized geometries to model natural forms. Fundamental transport equations are derived for the fracture-pore complex, taking into consideration the special physical characteristics of fractures and the effects of sorption therein. (author)

Modelling of 3D fractured geological systems - technique and application

Science.gov (United States)

Cacace, M.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Cherubini, Y.; Kaiser, B. O.; Bloecher, G.

2011-12-01

All rocks in the earth's crust are fractured to some extent. Faults and fractures are important in different scientific and industry fields comprising engineering, geotechnical and hydrogeological applications. Many petroleum, gas and geothermal and water supply reservoirs form in faulted and fractured geological systems. Additionally, faults and fractures may control the transport of chemical contaminants into and through the subsurface. Depending on their origin and orientation with respect to the recent and palaeo stress field as well as on the overall kinematics of chemical processes occurring within them, faults and fractures can act either as hydraulic conductors providing preferential pathways for fluid to flow or as barriers preventing flow across them. The main challenge in modelling processes occurring in fractured rocks is related to the way of describing the heterogeneities of such geological systems. Flow paths are controlled by the geometry of faults and their open void space. To correctly simulate these processes an adequate 3D mesh is a basic requirement. Unfortunately, the representation of realistic 3D geological environments is limited by the complexity of embedded fracture networks often resulting in oversimplified models of the natural system. A technical description of an improved method to integrate generic dipping structures (representing faults and fractures) into a 3D porous medium is out forward. The automated mesh generation algorithm is composed of various existing routines from computational geometry (e.g. 2D-3D projection, interpolation, intersection, convex hull calculation) and meshing (e.g. triangulation in 2D and tetrahedralization in 3D). All routines have been combined in an automated software framework and the robustness of the approach has been tested and verified. These techniques and methods can be applied for fractured porous media including fault systems and therefore found wide applications in different geo-energy related

A constrained Delaunay discretization method for adaptively meshing highly discontinuous geological media

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Ma, Guowei; Ren, Feng; Li, Tuo

2017-12-01

A constrained Delaunay discretization method is developed to generate high-quality doubly adaptive meshes of highly discontinuous geological media. Complex features such as three-dimensional discrete fracture networks (DFNs), tunnels, shafts, slopes, boreholes, water curtains, and drainage systems are taken into account in the mesh generation. The constrained Delaunay triangulation method is used to create adaptive triangular elements on planar fractures. Persson's algorithm (Persson, 2005), based on an analogy between triangular elements and spring networks, is enriched to automatically discretize a planar fracture into mesh points with varying density and smooth-quality gradient. The triangulated planar fractures are treated as planar straight-line graphs (PSLGs) to construct piecewise-linear complex (PLC) for constrained Delaunay tetrahedralization. This guarantees the doubly adaptive characteristic of the resulted mesh: the mesh is adaptive not only along fractures but also in space. The quality of elements is compared with the results from an existing method. It is verified that the present method can generate smoother elements and a better distribution of element aspect ratios. Two numerical simulations are implemented to demonstrate that the present method can be applied to various simulations of complex geological media that contain a large number of discontinuities.

On the theory of transport in fractured media for the safety analysis of a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, N.C.

1982-10-01

This paper aims at developing a systematic theory of the role of fractures in the transport of radionuclides in the fractured rocks by groundwater, from the nuclear waste repository to be built in the deep geological formations, to the biosphere. Fractures are grouped into four 'irreducible' types: joints, nodes, shear zones and fracture zones, and their physical characteristics, having bearings on radionuclide transport, are expressed in mathematical terms. The question of radioactivity retention is then carefully studied for various fracture types, using idealized geometries to mimic natural forms. Fundamental transport equations are derived for the fracture-pore complex, taking into consideration the special physical characteristics of fractures and the effects of sorption therein

Representative elements: A step to large-scale fracture system simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemo, T.M.

1987-01-01

Large-scale simulation of flow and transport in fractured media requires the development of a technique to represent the effect of a large number of fractures. Representative elements are used as a tool to model a subset of a fracture system as a single distributed entity. Representative elements are part of a modeling concept called dual permeability. Dual permeability modeling combines discrete fracture simulation of the most important fractures with the distributed modeling of the less important fracture of a fracture system. This study investigates the use of stochastic analysis to determine properties of representative elements. Given an assumption of fully developed laminar flow, the net fracture conductivities and hence flow velocities can be determined from descriptive statistics of fracture spacing, orientation, aperture, and extent. The distribution of physical characteristics about their mean leads to a distribution of the associated conductivities. The variance of hydraulic conductivity induces dispersion into the transport process. Simple fracture systems are treated to demonstrate the usefulness of stochastic analysis. Explicit equations for conductivity of an element are developed and the dispersion characteristics are shown. Explicit formulation of the hydraulic conductivity and transport dispersion reveals the dependence of these important characteristics on the parameters used to describe the fracture system. Understanding these dependencies will help to focus efforts to identify the characteristics of fracture systems. Simulations of stochastically generated fracture sets do not provide this explicit functional dependence on the fracture system parameters. 12 refs., 6 figs

Effective Hydro-Mechanical Properties of Fluid-Saturated Fracture Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pollmann, N.; Vinci, C.; Renner, J.; Steeb, H.

2015-12-01

Consideration of hydro-mechanical processes is essential for the characterization of liquid-resources as well as for many engineering applications. Furthermore, the modeling of seismic waves in fractured porous media finds application not only in geophysical exploration but also reservoir management. Fractures exhibit high-aspect-ratio geometries, i.e. they constitute thin and long hydraulic conduits. Motivated by this peculiar geometry, the investigation of the hydro-mechanically coupled processes is performed by means of a hybrid-dimensional modeling approach. The effective material behavior of domains including complex fracture patterns in a porous rock is assessed by investigating the fluid pressure and the solid displacement of the skeleton saturated by compressible fluids. Classical balance equations are combined with a Poiseuille-type flow in the dimensionally reduced fracture. In the porous surrounding rock, the classical Biot-theory is applied. For simple geometries, our findings show that two main fluid-flow processes occur, leak-off from fractures to the surrounding rock and fracture flow within and between the connected fractures. The separation of critical frequencies of the two flow processes is not straightforward, in particular for systems containing a large number of fractures. Our aim is to model three dimensional hydro-mechanically coupled processes within complex fracture patterns and in particular determine the frequency-dependent attenuation characteristics. Furthermore, the effect of asperities of the fracture surfaces on the fracture stiffness and on the hydraulic conductivity will be added to the approach.

FRACTURING FLUID CHARACTERIZATION FACILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subhash Shah

2000-08-01

Hydraulic fracturing technology has been successfully applied for well stimulation of low and high permeability reservoirs for numerous years. Treatment optimization and improved economics have always been the key to the success and it is more so when the reservoirs under consideration are marginal. Fluids are widely used for the stimulation of wells. The Fracturing Fluid Characterization Facility (FFCF) has been established to provide the accurate prediction of the behavior of complex fracturing fluids under downhole conditions. The primary focus of the facility is to provide valuable insight into the various mechanisms that govern the flow of fracturing fluids and slurries through hydraulically created fractures. During the time between September 30, 1992, and March 31, 2000, the research efforts were devoted to the areas of fluid rheology, proppant transport, proppant flowback, dynamic fluid loss, perforation pressure losses, and frictional pressure losses. In this regard, a unique above-the-ground fracture simulator was designed and constructed at the FFCF, labeled ''The High Pressure Simulator'' (HPS). The FFCF is now available to industry for characterizing and understanding the behavior of complex fluid systems. To better reflect and encompass the broad spectrum of the petroleum industry, the FFCF now operates under a new name of ''The Well Construction Technology Center'' (WCTC). This report documents the summary of the activities performed during 1992-2000 at the FFCF.

Media optimization for laccase production by Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2 using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Huiju; Chu, Xiang; Wang, Yanwen; Zhou, Fei; Zhao, Kai; Mu, Zhimei; Liu, Qingxin

2013-12-01

Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2 producing laccase was isolated from decaying samples from Shandong, China, and showed dye decolorization activities. The objective of this study was to optimize its culture conditions using a statistical analysis of its laccase production. The interactions between different fermentation parameters for laccase production were characterized using a Plackett-Burman design and the response surface methodology. The different media components were initially optimized using the conventional one-factor-at-a-time method and an orthogonal test design, and a Plackett-Burman experiment was then performed to evaluate the effects on laccase production. Wheat straw powder, soybean meal, and CuSO4 were all found to have a significant influence on laccase production, and the optimal concentrations of these three factors were then sequentially investigated using the response surface methodology with a central composite design. The resulting optimal medium components for laccase production were determined as follows: wheat straw powder 7.63 g/l, soybean meal 23.07 g/l, (NH4)2SO4 1 g/l, CuSO4 0.51 g/l, Tween-20 1 g/l, MgSO4 1 g/l, and KH2PO4 0.6 g/l. Using this optimized fermentation method, the yield of laccase was increased 59.68 times to 67.258 U/ml compared with the laccase production with an unoptimized medium. This is the first report on the statistical optimization of laccase production by Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2.

Primary drainage in geological fractures: Effects of aperture variability and wettability

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Z.; Méheust, Y.; Neuweiler, I.

2017-12-01

Understanding and controlling fluid-fluid displacement in porous and fractured media is a key asset for many practical applications, such as the geological storage of CO2, hydrocarbon recovery, groundwater remediation, etc. We numerically investigate fluid-fluid displacement in rough-walled fractures with a focus on the combined effect of wettability, the viscous contrast between the two fluids, and fracture surface topography on drainage patterns and interface growth. A model has been developed to simulate the dynamic displacement of one fluid by another immiscible one in a rough geological fracture; the model takes both capillary and viscous forces into account. Capillary pressures at the fluid-fluid interface are calculated based on the Young-Laplace equation using the two principal curvatures (aperture-induced curvature and in-plane curvature) [1], while viscous forces are calculated by continuously solving the fluid pressure field in the fracture. The aperture field of a fracture is represented by a spatially correlated random field, with a power spectral density of the fracture wall topographies scaling as a power law, and a cutoff wave-length above which the Fourier modes of the two walls are identical [2]. We consider flow scenarios with both rectangular and radial configurations. Results show that the model is able to produce displacement patterns of compact displacement, capillary fingering, and viscous fingering, as well as the transitions between them. Both reducing the aperture variability and increasing the contact angle (from drainage to weak imbibition) can stabilize the displacement due to the influence of the in-plane curvature, an effect analogous to that of the cooperative pore filling in porous media. These results suggest that for geometries typical of geological fractures we can extend the phase diagram in the parameter space of capillary number and mobility ratio by another dimension to take into account the combined effect of wettability

U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics; and Conceptual model of fluid infiltration in fractured media. Project summary, July 28, 1997--July 27, 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

The title describes the two tasks summarized in this report. The remainder of the report contains information on meetings held or to be held on the subjects. The US National Committee for Rock Mechanics (USNC/RM) provides for US participation in international activities in rock mechanics, principally through adherence to the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). It also keeps the US rock mechanics community informed about new programs directed toward major areas of national concern in which rock mechanics problems represent critical or limiting factors, such as energy resources, excavation, underground storage and waste disposal, and reactor siting. The committee also guides or produces advisory studies and reports on problem areas in rock mechanics. A new panel under the auspices of the US National Committee for Rock Mechanics has been appointed to conduct a study on Conceptual Models of Fluid Infiltration in Fractured Media. The study has health and environmental applications related to the underground flow of pollutants through fractured rock in and around mines and waste repositories. Support of the study has been received from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy`s Yucca Mountain Project Office. The new study builds on the success of a recent USNC/RM report entitled Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Applications (National Academy Press, 1996, 551 pp.). A summary of the new study is provided.

U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics and conceptual model of fluid infiltration in fractured media. Project summary, July 28, 1997 - July 27, 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The title describes the two tasks summarized in this report. The remainder of the report contains information on meetings held or to be held on the subjects. The US National Committee for Rock Mechanics (USNC/RM) provides for US participation in international activities in rock mechanics, principally through adherence to the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). It also keeps the US rock mechanics community informed about new programs directed toward major areas of national concern in which rock mechanics problems represent critical or limiting factors, such as energy resources, excavation, underground storage and waste disposal, and reactor siting. The committee also guides or produces advisory studies and reports on problem areas in rock mechanics. A new panel under the auspices of the US National Committee for Rock Mechanics has been appointed to conduct a study on Conceptual Models of Fluid Infiltration in Fractured Media. The study has health and environmental applications related to the underground flow of pollutants through fractured rock in and around mines and waste repositories. Support of the study has been received from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project Office. The new study builds on the success of a recent USNC/RM report entitled Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Applications (National Academy Press, 1996, 551 pp.). A summary of the new study is provided

Thermoplastic Micromodel Investigation of Two-Phase Flows in a Fractured Porous Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Yiu Hsu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the past few years, micromodels have become a useful tool for visualizing flow phenomena in porous media with pore structures, e.g., the multifluid dynamics in soils or rocks with fractures in natural geomaterials. Micromodels fabricated using glass or silicon substrates incur high material cost; in particular, the microfabrication-facility cost for making a glass or silicon-based micromold is usually high. This may be an obstacle for researchers investigating the two-phase-flow behavior of porous media. A rigid thermoplastic material is a preferable polymer material for microfluidic models because of its high resistance to infiltration and deformation. In this study, cyclic olefin copolymer (COC was selected as the substrate for the micromodel because of its excellent chemical, optical, and mechanical properties. A delicate micromodel with a complex pore geometry that represents a two-dimensional (2D cross-section profile of a fractured rock in a natural oil or groundwater reservoir was developed for two-phase-flow experiments. Using an optical visualization system, we visualized the flow behavior in the micromodel during the processes of imbibition and drainage. The results show that the flow resistance in the main channel (fracture with a large radius was higher than that in the surrounding area with small pore channels when the injection or extraction rates were low. When we increased the flow rates, the extraction efficiency of the water and oil in the mainstream channel (fracture did not increase monotonically because of the complex two-phase-flow dynamics. These findings provide a new mechanism of residual trapping in porous media.

Experimental and numerical analysis of two-phase flow in fractured porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindgaard, H F; Hoeier, C

1998-06-01

The objective of the physical experiments was to investigate how isolated fractures embedded in the matrix influence the imbibition process and to study their impact on the effective properties of the matrix block with respect to relative permeability, absolute permeability and remaining saturations. These investigations would be carried out by constructing various types of laboratory models using an artificial material. To mimic a rising aquifer in a producing reservoir, water should be injected from below in an oil saturated laboratory model, and oil production should take place from the top of the model. In order to be able to generalise the results from the investigations in the laboratory to a producing reservoir, the model should be scaled to reservoir conditions. Because of several problems related to the generation of an appropriate matrix material, the construction of a model, which did not leak during the experiments and the establishment of the initial saturation condition of the matrix material (oil saturated at irreducible water saturation), the stated aims have not been fully achieved. Only the impact of a continuous fracture system has been investigated by laboratory experiments. The water saturation distribution in the matrix during imbibition was continuously measured by a resistivity technique. The oil phase was stained, and the propagation of the water level in the continuous fracture system was studied visually during the experiment. The impact of an internal fracture has been investigated by numerical simulations. (EG)

Rib fracture repair: indications, technical issues, and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nirula, Raminder; Diaz, Jose J; Trunkey, Donald D; Mayberry, John C

2009-01-01

Rib fracture repair has been performed at selected centers around the world for more than 50 years; however, the operative indications have not been established and are considered controversial. The outcome of a strictly nonoperative approach may not be optimal. Potential indications for rib fracture repair include flail chest, painful, movable rib fractures refractory to conventional pain management, chest wall deformity/defect, rib fracture nonunion, and during thoracotomy for other traumatic indication. Rib fracture repair is technically challenging secondary to the human rib's relatively thin cortex and its tendency to fracture obliquely. Nonetheless, several effective repair systems have been developed. Future directions for progress on this important surgical problem include the development of minimally invasive techniques and the conduct of multicenter, randomized trials.

Complications of hip fractures: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Carpintero, Pedro; Caeiro, Jose Ramón; Carpintero, Rocío; Morales, Angela; Silva, Samuel; Mesa, Manuel

2014-01-01

Nowadays, fracture surgery represents a big part of the orthopedic surgeon workload, and usually has associated major clinical and social cost implications. These fractures have several complications. Some of these are medical, and other related to the surgical treatment itself. Medical complications may affect around 20% of patients with hip fracture. Cognitive and neurological alterations, cardiopulmonary affections (alone or combined), venous thromboembolism, gastrointestinal tract bleeding, urinary tract complications, perioperative anemia, electrolytic and metabolic disorders, and pressure scars are the most important medical complications after hip surgery in terms of frequency, increase of length of stay and perioperative mortality. Complications arising from hip fracture surgery are fairly common, and vary depending on whether the fracture is intracapsular or extracapsular. The main problems in intracapsular fractures are biological: vascularization of the femoral head, and lack of periosteum -a major contributor to fracture healing- in the femoral neck. In extracapsular fractures, by contrast, the problem is mechanical, and relates to load-bearing. Early surgical fixation, the role of anti-thromboembolic and anti-infective prophylaxis, good pain control at the perioperative, detection and management of delirium, correct urinary tract management, avoidance of malnutrition, vitamin D supplementation, osteoporosis treatment and advancement of early mobilization to improve functional recovery and falls prevention are basic recommendations for an optimal maintenance of hip fractured patients. PMID:25232517

Origins and nature of non-Fickian transport through fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, L.; Cardenas, M. B.

2014-12-01

Non-Fickian transport occurs across all scales within fractured and porous geological media. Fundamental understanding and appropriate characterization of non-Fickian transport through fractures is critical for understanding and prediction of the fate of solutes and other scalars. We use both analytical and numerical modeling, including direct numerical simulation and particle tracking random walk, to investigate the origin of non-Fickian transport through both homogeneous and heterogeneous fractures. For the simple homogenous fracture case, i.e., parallel plates, we theoretically derived a formula for dynamic longitudinal dispersion (D) within Poiseuille flow. Using the closed-form expression for the theoretical D, we quantified the time (T) and length (L) scales separating preasymptotic and asymptotic dispersive transport, with T and L proportional to aperture (b) of parallel plates to second and fourth orders, respectively. As for heterogeneous fractures, the fracture roughness and correlation length are closely associated with the T and L, and thus indicate the origin for non-Fickian transport. Modeling solute transport through 2D rough-walled fractures with continuous time random walk with truncated power shows that the degree of deviation from Fickian transport is proportional to fracture roughness. The estimated L for 2D rough-walled fractures is significantly longer than that derived from the formula within Poiseuille flow with equivalent b. Moreover, we artificially generated normally distributed 3D fractures with fixed correlation length but different fracture dimensions. Solute transport through 3D fractures was modeled with a particle tracking random walk algorithm. We found that transport transitions from non-Fickian to Fickian with increasing fracture dimensions, where the estimated L for the studied 3D fractures is related to the correlation length.

Fracture flow due to hydrothermally induced quartz growth

Science.gov (United States)

Kling, Tobias; Schwarz, Jens-Oliver; Wendler, Frank; Enzmann, Frieder; Blum, Philipp

2017-09-01

Mineral precipitations are a common feature and limitation of initially open, permeable rock fractures by forming sealing structures or secondary roughness in open voids. Hence, the objective of this numerical study is the evaluation of hydraulic properties of fractures sealed by hydrothermally induced needle and compact quartz growth. Phase-field models of progressive syntaxial and idiomorphic quartz growth are implemented into a fluid flow simulation solving the Navier-Stokes equation. Flow simulations for both quartz types indicate an obvious correlation between changes in permeability, fracture properties (e.g. aperture, relative roughness and porosity) and crystal growth behavior, which also forms distinct flow paths. Thus, at lower sealing stages initial fracture permeability significantly drops down for the 'needle fracture' forming highly tortuous flow paths, while the 'compact fracture' records a considerably smaller loss. Fluid flow in both sealing fractures most widely is governed by a ;parallel plate;-like cubic law behavior. However, the 'needle fracture' also reveals flow characteristics of a porous media. A semi-theoretical equation is introduced that links geometrical (am) with hydraulically effective apertures (ah) and the relative fracture roughness. For this purpose, a geometry factor α is introduced being α = 2.5 for needle quartz and α = 1.0 for compact quartz growth. In contrast to most common ah-am-relationships this novel formulation not only reveals more precise predictions for the needle (RMSE = 1.5) and the compact fractures (RMSE = 3.2), but also exhibit a larger range of validity concerning the roughness of the 'needle' (σ/am = 0-2.4) and the 'compact fractures' (σ/am = 0-1.8).

Response to 'Word choice as political speech': Hydraulic fracturing is a partisan issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopke, Jill E; Simis, Molly

2016-04-28

In 2015, Hopke & Simis published an analysis of social media discourse around hydraulic fracturing. Grubert (2016) offered a commentary on the research, highlighting the politicization of terminology used in the discourse on this topic. The present article is a response to Grubert (2016)'s commentary, in which we elaborate on the distinctions between terminology used in social media discourse around hydraulic fracturing (namely, 'frack,' 'fracking,' 'frac,' and 'fracing'). Additionally preliminary analysis supports the claim that industry-preferred terminology is severely limited in its reach. When industry actors opt-out of the discourse, the conversation followed by the majority of lay audiences is dominated by activists. exacerbating the political schism on the issue. © The Author(s) 2016.

Modeling reactive transport processes in fractured rock using the time domain random walk approach within a dual-porosity framework

Science.gov (United States)

Roubinet, D.; Russian, A.; Dentz, M.; Gouze, P.

2017-12-01

Characterizing and modeling hydrodynamic reactive transport in fractured rock are critical challenges for various research fields and applications including environmental remediation, geological storage, and energy production. To this end, we consider a recently developed time domain random walk (TDRW) approach, which is adapted to reproduce anomalous transport behaviors and capture heterogeneous structural and physical properties. This method is also very well suited to optimize numerical simulations by memory-shared massive parallelization and provide numerical results at various scales. So far, the TDRW approach has been applied for modeling advective-diffusive transport with mass transfer between mobile and immobile regions and simple (theoretical) reactions in heterogeneous porous media represented as single continuum domains. We extend this approach to dual-continuum representations considering a highly permeable fracture network embedded into a poorly permeable rock matrix with heterogeneous geochemical reactions occurring in both geological structures. The resulting numerical model enables us to extend the range of the modeled heterogeneity scales with an accurate representation of solute transport processes and no assumption on the Fickianity of these processes. The proposed model is compared to existing particle-based methods that are usually used to model reactive transport in fractured rocks assuming a homogeneous surrounding matrix, and is used to evaluate the impact of the matrix heterogeneity on the apparent reaction rates for different 2D and 3D simple-to-complex fracture network configurations.

Optimization of micro and nanoimprint de-embossing by elastic fracture modelling

OpenAIRE

Balla, Tobias; Spearing, Simon Mark

2013-01-01

A semi-analytical model is presented for the de-embossing phase of the nanoimprint patterning process. The model is based on established principles of elastic fracture mechanics as developed for fibre-bridged cracking in composites. De-embossing is idealized as a steady-state fracture process, which enables the energy change to be considered by reference to a unit cell of a cylindrical polymer post, de-embossing from an axisymmetric stamp. The model provides predictions of the achievable limi...

An XFEM Model for Hydraulic Fracturing in Partially Saturated Rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salimzadeh Saeed

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hydraulic fracturing is a complex multi-physics phenomenon. Numerous analytical and numerical models of hydraulic fracturing processes have been proposed. Analytical solutions commonly are able to model the growth of a single hydraulic fracture into an initially intact, homogeneous rock mass. Numerical models are able to analyse complex problems such as multiple hydraulic fractures and fracturing in heterogeneous media. However, majority of available models are restricted to single-phase flow through fracture and permeable porous rock. This is not compatible with actual field conditions where the injected fluid does not have similar properties as the host fluid. In this study we present a fully coupled hydro-poroelastic model which incorporates two fluids i.e. fracturing fluid and host fluid. Flow through fracture is defined based on lubrication assumption, while flow through matrix is defined as Darcy flow. The fracture discontinuity in the mechanical model is captured using eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM while the fracture propagation criterion is defined through cohesive fracture model. The discontinuous matrix fluid velocity across fracture is modelled using leak-off loading which couples fracture flow and matrix flow. The proposed model has been discretised using standard Galerkin method, implemented in Matlab and verified against several published solutions. Multiple hydraulic fracturing simulations are performed to show the model robustness and to illustrate how problem parameters such as injection rate and rock permeability affect the hydraulic fracturing variables i.e. injection pressure, fracture aperture and fracture length. The results show the impact of partial saturation on leak-off and the fact that single-phase models may underestimate the leak-off.

Post-operative rounds by anaesthesiologists after hip fracture surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foss, N B; Christensen, D S; Krasheninnikoff, M

2006-01-01

Efforts to optimize the peri-operative care of hip fracture patients through multidisciplinary intervention have focused on orthopaedic-geriatric liaisons, which have not resulted in significant outcome changes. The early phase of rehabilitation could potentially be optimized through...

Fuel micro-mechanics: homogenization, cracking, granular media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monerie, Yann

2010-01-01

cracked media. Cracking: The main aim of this topic is the numerical simulation of multiple cracking of strongly heterogeneous media from their sound state to their fractured state. A method called 'Non Smooth Fracture Dynamics' is proposed. It is based on a cohesive-volume finite element model and on a non-regular dynamic multi-body management (implicit scheme). The main theoretical and practical difficulties of the cohesive-volume method are discussed in detail: non-uniqueness of solutions, instabilities, dependence on the mesh system, local diversity, and experimental identification of the cohesive properties. By combining this method with analytical and numerical homogenization techniques, a two-scale volume and surface approach is developed for the cracking of media with a property gradient: the effect of the spatial distribution of weakening inclusions on the macroscopic fracture criteria and on the tortuosity of crack paths is revealed. An intermediate result of this work is the statistical characterization of the representative elementary volumes in cracking and fracture. Granular media: This more recent topic includes the numerical and stochastic analysis of discrete media in the presence or absence of a fluid phase. For the numerical analysis, the non-regular dynamic multi-body method is used. In the case of an interstitial or surrounding fluid, this method is coupled with two other classes of method according to the inertial regime and the size of the system considered: porous medium methods (homogeneous fluid equivalent) or fictitious domain type (direct numerical simulation). These methods are confirmed on fluidization and sedimentation tests. For the analysis, some results are obtained for gravity flows: blocking statistic in silo configuration, compaction effects during undersea avalanches. (author)

Study of the hoop fracture behaviour of nuclear fuel cladding from ring compression tests by means of non-linear optimization techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gómez, F.J., E-mail: javier.gomez@amsimulation.com [Advanced Material Simulation, AMS, Bilbao (Spain); Martin Rengel, M.A., E-mail: mamartin.rengel@upm.es [E.T.S.I. Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Professor Aranguren SN, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Ruiz-Hervias, J.; Puerta, M.A. [E.T.S.I. Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Professor Aranguren SN, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

2017-06-15

In this work, the hoop fracture toughness of ZIRLO{sup ®} fuel cladding is calculated as a function of three parameters: hydrogen concentration, temperature and displacement rate. To this end, pre-hydrided samples with nominal hydrogen concentrations of 0 (as-received), 150, 250, 500, 1200 and 2000 ppm were prepared. Hydrogen was precipitated as zirconium hydrides in the shape of platelets oriented along the hoop direction. Ring Compression Tests (RCTs) were conducted at three temperatures (20, 135 and 300 °C) and two displacement rates (0.5 and 100 mm/min). A new method has been proposed in this paper which allows the determination of fracture toughness from ring compression tests. The proposed method combines the experimental results, the cohesive crack model, finite elements simulations, numerical calculations and non-linear optimization techniques. The parameters of the cohesive crack model were calculated by minimizing the difference between the experimental data and the numerical results. An almost perfect fitting of the experimental results is achieved by this method. In addition, an estimation of the error in the calculated fracture toughness is also provided.

Diagnosing displaced four-part fractures of the proximal humerus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brorson, Stig; Bagger, Jens; Sylvest, Annette

2009-01-01

Displaced four-part fractures comprise 2-10 % of all proximal humeral fractures. The optimal treatment is unclear and randomised trials are needed. The conduct and interpretation of such trials is facilitated by a reproducible fracture classification. We aimed at quantifying observer agreement...... on the classification of displaced four-part fractures according to the Neer system. Published and unpublished data from five observer studies were reviewed. Observers agreed less on displaced four-part fractures than on the overall Neer classification. Mean kappa values for interobserver agreement ranged from 0.......16 to 0.48. Specialists agreed slightly more than fellows and residents. Advanced imaging modalities (CT and 3D CT) seemed to contribute more to classification of displaced four-part patterns than in less complex fracture patterns. Low observer agreement may challenge the clinical approach to displaced...

Fractures in sport: Optimising their management and outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Greg AJ; Wood, Alexander M

2015-01-01

Fractures in sport are a specialised cohort of fracture injuries, occurring in a high functioning population, in which the goals are rapid restoration of function and return to play with the minimal symptom profile possible. While the general principles of fracture management, namely accurate fracture reduction, appropriate immobilisation and timely rehabilitation, guide the treatment of these injuries, management of fractures in athletic populations can differ significantly from those in the general population, due to the need to facilitate a rapid return to high demand activities. However, despite fractures comprising up to 10% of all of sporting injuries, dedicated research into the management and outcome of sport-related fractures is limited. In order to assess the optimal methods of treating such injuries, and so allow optimisation of their outcome, the evidence for the management of each specific sport-related fracture type requires assessment and analysis. We present and review the current evidence directing management of fractures in athletes with an aim to promote valid innovative methods and optimise the outcome of such injuries. From this, key recommendations are provided for the management of the common fracture types seen in the athlete. Six case reports are also presented to illustrate the management planning and application of sport-focussed fracture management in the clinical setting. PMID:26716081

Injection of radioactive waste by hydraulic fracturing at West Valley, New York. Volume 3. Appendices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-05-01

Ten appendices are included: log data, elastic constants for transversely isotropic elastic media by ultrasonic velocity measurement, fracture toughness anisotropy of West Valley shale, in-situ stress measurement techniques, stress measurement data, hydraulic fracturing measurements, enhancement of horizontal crack initiation by jetting, finite element programs for analysis of crack propagation and for groundwater flow analysis, and well data

Lower limb stress fractures in sport: Optimising their management and outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Greg A J; Wood, Alexander M

2017-01-01

Stress fractures in sport are becoming increasing more common, comprising up to 10% of all of sporting injuries. Around 90% of such injuries are located in the lower limb. This articles aims to define the optimal management of lower limb stress fractures in the athlete, with a view to maximise return rates and minimise return times to sport. Treatment planning of this condition is specific to the location of the injury. However, there remains a clear division of stress fractures by “high” and “low” risk. “Low risk” stress fractures are those with a low probability of fracture propagation, delayed union, or non-union, and so can be managed reliably with rest and exercise limitation. These include stress fractures of the Postero-Medial Tibial Diaphysis, Metatarsal Shafts, Distal Fibula, Medial Femoral Neck, Femoral Shaft and Calcaneus. “High risk” stress fractures, in contrast, have increased rates of fracture propagation, displacement, delayed and non-union, and so require immediate cessation of activity, with orthopaedic referral, to assess the need for surgical intervention. These include stress fractures of the Anterior Tibial Diaphysis, Fifth Metatarsal Base, Medial Malleolus, Lateral Femoral Neck, Tarsal Navicular and Great Toe Sesamoids. In order to establish the optimal methods for managing these injuries, we present and review the current evidence which guides the treatment of stress fractures in athletes. From this, we note an increased role for surgical management of certain high risk stress fractures to improve return times and rates to sport. Following this, key recommendations are provided for the management of the common stress fracture types seen in the athlete. Five case reports are also presented to illustrate the application of sport-focussed lower limb stress fracture treatment in the clinical setting. PMID:28361017

Lower limb stress fractures in sport: Optimising their management and outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Greg A J; Wood, Alexander M

2017-03-18

Stress fractures in sport are becoming increasing more common, comprising up to 10% of all of sporting injuries. Around 90% of such injuries are located in the lower limb. This articles aims to define the optimal management of lower limb stress fractures in the athlete, with a view to maximise return rates and minimise return times to sport. Treatment planning of this condition is specific to the location of the injury. However, there remains a clear division of stress fractures by "high" and "low" risk. "Low risk" stress fractures are those with a low probability of fracture propagation, delayed union, or non-union, and so can be managed reliably with rest and exercise limitation. These include stress fractures of the Postero-Medial Tibial Diaphysis, Metatarsal Shafts, Distal Fibula, Medial Femoral Neck, Femoral Shaft and Calcaneus. "High risk" stress fractures, in contrast, have increased rates of fracture propagation, displacement, delayed and non-union, and so require immediate cessation of activity, with orthopaedic referral, to assess the need for surgical intervention. These include stress fractures of the Anterior Tibial Diaphysis, Fifth Metatarsal Base, Medial Malleolus, Lateral Femoral Neck, Tarsal Navicular and Great Toe Sesamoids. In order to establish the optimal methods for managing these injuries, we present and review the current evidence which guides the treatment of stress fractures in athletes. From this, we note an increased role for surgical management of certain high risk stress fractures to improve return times and rates to sport. Following this, key recommendations are provided for the management of the common stress fracture types seen in the athlete. Five case reports are also presented to illustrate the application of sport-focussed lower limb stress fracture treatment in the clinical setting.

Adjoint based optimal control of partially miscible two-phase flow in porous media with applications to CO2 sequestration in underground reservoirs

KAUST Repository

Simon, Moritz

2014-11-14

© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York. With the target of optimizing CO2 sequestration in underground reservoirs, we investigate constrained optimal control problems with partially miscible two-phase flow in porous media. Our objective is to maximize the amount of trapped CO2 in an underground reservoir after a fixed period of CO2 injection, while time-dependent injection rates in multiple wells are used as control parameters. We describe the governing two-phase two-component Darcy flow PDE system, formulate the optimal control problem and derive the continuous adjoint equations. For the discretization we apply a variant of the so-called BOX method, a locally conservative control-volume FE method that we further stabilize by a periodic averaging feature to reduce oscillations. The timestep-wise Lagrange function of the control problem is implemented as a variational form in Sundance, a toolbox for rapid development of parallel FE simulations, which is part of the HPC software Trilinos. We discuss the BOX method and our implementation in Sundance. The MPI parallelized Sundance state and adjoint solvers are linked to the interior point optimization package IPOPT, using limited-memory BFGS updates for approximating second derivatives. Finally, we present and discuss different types of optimal control results.

Surgical Management of a Mandible Subcondylar Fracture

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Dong Hee Kang

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Open reduction and anatomic reduction can create better function for the temporomandibularjoint, compared with closed treatment in mandible fracture surgery. Therefore, the doubleminiplate fixation technique via mini-retromandibular incision was used in order to makethe most stable fixation when performing subcondylar fracture surgery. Those approachesprovide good visualization of the subcondyle from the posterior edge of the ramus, allow thesurgeon to work perpendicularly to the fracture, and enable direct fracture management.Understanding the biomechanical load in the fixation of subcondylar fractures is alsonecessary in order to optimize fixation methods. Therefore, we measured the biomechanicalloads of four different plate fixation techniques in the experimental model regardingmandibular subcondylar fractures. It was found that the loads measured in the two-platefixation group with one dynamic compression plate (DCP and one adaption plate showed thehighest deformation and failure loads among the four fixation groups. The loads measuredin the one DCP plate fixation group showed higher deformation and failure loads than theloads measured in the two adaption plate fixation group. Therefore, we conclude that theselection of the high profile plate (DCP is also important in order to create a stable load in thesubcondylar fracture.

CVD-MPFA full pressure support, coupled unstructured discrete fracture-matrix Darcy-flux approximations

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Raheel; Edwards, Michael G.; Lamine, Sadok; Huisman, Bastiaan A. H.; Pal, Mayur

2017-11-01

Two novel control-volume methods are presented for flow in fractured media, and involve coupling the control-volume distributed multi-point flux approximation (CVD-MPFA) constructed with full pressure support (FPS), to two types of discrete fracture-matrix approximation for simulation on unstructured grids; (i) involving hybrid grids and (ii) a lower dimensional fracture model. Flow is governed by Darcy's law together with mass conservation both in the matrix and the fractures, where large discontinuities in permeability tensors can occur. Finite-volume FPS schemes are more robust than the earlier CVD-MPFA triangular pressure support (TPS) schemes for problems involving highly anisotropic homogeneous and heterogeneous full-tensor permeability fields. We use a cell-centred hybrid-grid method, where fractures are modelled by lower-dimensional interfaces between matrix cells in the physical mesh but expanded to equi-dimensional cells in the computational domain. We present a simple procedure to form a consistent hybrid-grid locally for a dual-cell. We also propose a novel hybrid-grid for intersecting fractures, for the FPS method, which reduces the condition number of the global linear system and leads to larger time steps for tracer transport. The transport equation for tracer flow is coupled with the pressure equation and provides flow parameter assessment of the fracture models. Transport results obtained via TPS and FPS hybrid-grid formulations are compared with the corresponding results of fine-scale explicit equi-dimensional formulations. The results show that the hybrid-grid FPS method applies to general full-tensor fields and provides improved robust approximations compared to the hybrid-grid TPS method for fractured domains, for both weakly anisotropic permeability fields and very strong anisotropic full-tensor permeability fields where the TPS scheme exhibits spurious oscillations. The hybrid-grid FPS formulation is extended to compressible flow and the

Analysis of Dynamic Fracture Compliance Based on Poroelastic Theory - Part II: Results of Numerical and Experimental Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ding; Ding, Pin-bo; Ba, Jing

2018-03-01

In Part I, a dynamic fracture compliance model (DFCM) was derived based on the poroelastic theory. The normal compliance of fractures is frequency-dependent and closely associated with the connectivity of porous media. In this paper, we first compare the DFCM with previous fractured media theories in the literature in a full frequency range. Furthermore, experimental tests are performed on synthetic rock specimens, and the DFCM is compared with the experimental data in the ultrasonic frequency band. Synthetic rock specimens saturated with water have more realistic mineral compositions and pore structures relative to previous works in comparison with natural reservoir rocks. The fracture/pore geometrical and physical parameters can be controlled to replicate approximately those of natural rocks. P- and S-wave anisotropy characteristics with different fracture and pore properties are calculated and numerical results are compared with experimental data. Although the measurement frequency is relatively high, the results of DFCM are appropriate for explaining the experimental data. The characteristic frequency of fluid pressure equilibration calculated based on the specimen parameters is not substantially less than the measurement frequency. In the dynamic fracture model, the wave-induced fluid flow behavior is an important factor for the fracture-wave interaction process, which differs from the models at the high-frequency limits, for instance, Hudson's un-relaxed model.

A new approach to tracer transport analysis: From fracture systems to strongly heterogeneous porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, Chin-Fu.

1989-02-01

Many current development and utilization of groundwater resources include a study of their flow and transport properties. These properties are needed in evaluating possible changes in groundwater quality and potential transport of hazardous solutes through the groundwater system. Investigation of transport properties of fractured rocks is an active area of research. Most of the current approaches to the study of flow and transport in fractured rocks cannot be easily used for analysis of tracer transport field data. A new approach is proposed based on a detailed study of transport through a fracture of variable aperture. This is a two-dimensional strongly heterogeneous permeable system. It is suggested that tracer breakthrough curves can be analyzed based on an aperture or permeability probability distribution function that characterizes the tracer flow through the fracture. The results are extended to a multi-fracture system and can be equally applied to a strongly heterogeneous porous medium. Finally, the need for multi-point or line and areal tracer injection and observation tests is indicated as a way to avoid the sensitive dependence of point measurements on local permeability variability. 30 refs., 15 figs

Management of penile fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghilan, Abdulelah M. M.; Al-Asbahi, Waleed A.; Alwan, Mohammed A.; Al-Khanbashi, Omar M.; Ghafour, Mohammed A.

2008-01-01

Objective was to present our experience with surgical and conservative management of penile fracture. This prospective study was carried out in the Urology and Nephrology Center, at Al-Thawra General and Teaching Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen from June 2003 to September 2007 and included 30 patients presenting with penile fracture. Diagnosis was made clinically in all our patients. Six patients with simple fracture were treated conservatively while 24 patients with more severe injuries were operated upon. Patient's age ranged from 24-52 years (mean 31.3 years) 46.7% of patients were under the age of 30 years and 56.7% were unmarried. Hard manipulation of the erect penis for example during masturbation was the most frequent mechanism of fracture in 53.3% of patients. Solitary tear was found in 22 patients and bilateral corporal tears associated with urethral injury were found in 2 patients. Corporal tears were saturated with synthetic absorbable sutures and urethral injury was repaired primarily. All operated patients described full erection with straight penis except 3 of the 8 patients who were managed by direct longitudinal incision, in whom mild curvature during erection was observed. The conservatively treated patients described satisfactory penile straightness and erection. The optimal functional and cosmetic results are achieved following immediate surgical repair of penis fracture. Good results can also be obtained in some selected patients with conservative management. (author)

Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion for weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses using azimuthal elastic impedance

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huaizhen; Pan, Xinpeng; Ji, Yuxin; Zhang, Guangzhi

2017-08-01

A system of aligned vertical fractures and fine horizontal shale layers combine to form equivalent orthorhombic media. Weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses play an important role in the description of orthorhombic anisotropy (OA). We propose a novel approach of utilizing seismic reflection amplitudes to estimate weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses from observed seismic data, based on azimuthal elastic impedance (EI). We first propose perturbation in stiffness matrix in terms of weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses, and using the perturbation and scattering function, we derive PP-wave reflection coefficient and azimuthal EI for the case of an interface separating two OA media. Then we demonstrate an approach to first use a model constrained damped least-squares algorithm to estimate azimuthal EI from partially incidence-phase-angle-stack seismic reflection data at different azimuths, and then extract weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses from the estimated azimuthal EI using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion method. In addition, a new procedure to construct rock physics effective model is presented to estimate weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses from well log interpretation results (minerals and their volumes, porosity, saturation, fracture density, etc.). Tests on synthetic and real data indicate that unknown parameters including elastic properties (P- and S-wave impedances and density), weak anisotropy parameters and fracture weaknesses can be estimated stably in the case of seismic data containing a moderate noise, and our approach can make a reasonable estimation of anisotropy in a fractured shale reservoir.

Seismic wave propagation in fractured media: A discontinuous Galerkin approach

KAUST Repository

De Basabe, Jonás D.

2011-01-01

We formulate and implement a discontinuous Galekin method for elastic wave propagation that allows for discontinuities in the displacement field to simulate fractures or faults using the linear- slip model. We show numerical results using a 2D model with one linear- slip discontinuity and different frequencies. The results show a good agreement with analytic solutions. © 2011 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Media space of the modern school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna A. Vakneeva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available What should be the media of a modern education institution? How is the educational organization supposed to be represented in social media? What methods of increasing the level of media literacy of teachers and students should optimally use?As the purpose of this study the authors can see in the development and presentation of an optimal model of media space for modern educational institutions which will take into account not only the changes in the education process, but also the needs of the modern audience – teachers, students, parents, and educational partners. The resources of “Moscow e-school” become part of the educational media sphere of modern educational organizations.Resources and methods: resources of an educational institution, namely, social media, blogs and microblogs, users’ accounts, channels, educational platforms, which present the work of educators. The importance of analyzing media of the modern educational institution is that media-education serves as a pedagogical system, allowing the use of modern techniques and technologies through the development of critical thinking, which occurs under the influence of information flows. In this regard, there is a need for the comprehensive approach to the media organization in the modern school. An integral element of the complex approach is the creation of conditions for the development of media literacy for teachers and learners.The result of this research is the optimal model of media space for the modern school, which includes social networking profiles, microblogging, blogs, users’ accounts, and web resources, each of which has its own purpose and functional features.As a conclusion we can note that one of the core values of the media model is the development of creative and critical thinking, the acquisition of experience and tools of media, independent search, the ability to use information flows for the effective communication, solving educational and cognitive

Four-channel multidetector-row computed tomography in the evaluation of facial fractures - optimized parameters for acquisition and multiplanar reformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omid, P. M.

2002-08-01

The first part of this thesis is designed to give the reader a comprehensive survey on the complex basic principles of computed tomography (CT), from the early beginning to the recent development of multidetector-row CT (MD-CT). Attention is focused on imaging of trauma in general and on imaging of facial fractures in particular. The second part of this thesis describes a clinical study performed to optimize acquisition protocols and multiplanar reformation (MPR) algorithms for the evaluation of facial fractures using MD-CT, which has not been yet described in literature. For this study, a cadaver head with artificial blunt facial trauma was examined using a 4-channel MD-CT scanner. The influence of acquisition parameters (collimation: 2x0.5 mm/4x1 mm/4x2.5 mm; tube current: 120 mAs/90 mAs/60 mAs), image reconstruction algorithms (standard vs. ultra-high resolution (UHR) modes; reconstructed slice thicknesses: 0.5 mm/1 mm/3 mm; increment: 0.3 mm/0.6 mm/1.5 mm), and reformation algorithms (slice thicknesses: 0.5 mm/1 mm/3 mm; overlap: 0.5 mm/1 mm/3 mm) on detectability of facial fractures in MPRs with MD-CT was analyzed. Effects of algorithms and parameters on image noise, artifacts and delineation of soft tissues were evaluated. The results of this study reliably demonstrate that fracture detection was significantly higher with thin MPRs (0.5/0.5 mm, 1/0.5 mm, 1/1 mm) (p = 0 .014) acquired with 2x0.5 mm collimation (p = 0 .046), in UHR mode (p .0005) with 120 mAs (p = 0 .025). Inter-observer variability showed very good agreement (κ > = 0 .942). Non-UHR mode, lower mAs and thick MPRs (3/0.5 mm, 3/1 mm, 3/0.5 mm) showed significantly decreased detectability. (author)

Tomosynthesis: A new radiologic technique for rapid diagnosis of scaphoid fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Compton, N; Murphy, L; Lyons, F; Jones, J; MacMahon, P; Cashman, J

2016-12-21

Scaphoid fractures constitute 71% of all carpal bone fractures. 1 Early diagnosis and treatment has significant bearing on fracture union rates and better clinical outcomes. While displaced fractures can be readily seen on plain radiograph, undisplaced fractures can require advanced imaging modalities to confirm that diagnosis. Advanced imaging such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerised tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy are routinely used for the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures but require significant radiation exposure, increased cost and can be difficult to access. 2 Tomosynthesis is an emerging imaging modality which uses conventional x-ray systems to produce cross-sectional images. There has yet to be extensive research carried out investigating the diagnostic value of tomosynthesis in scaphoid fractures. The aim of this study is to optimise patient positioning for the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures in a cadaveric model and compare the diagnostic yield of tomography to conventional CT. Using four cadaveric specimens, three limb positions were examined in unfractured and fractured scaphoids to determine the optimal limb positions required for visualisation of the scaphoid. As a result of this study, the optimal position for visualisation of the scaphoid and diagnosis of scaphoid fractures has been determined. The results demonstrate that tomosynthesis is as effective as CT scanning in identifying scaphoid fractures in both sensitivity and specificity. By comparison to CT, tomosynthesis is cheaper, has lower radiation exposure, requires fewer hospital resources and can be performed quickly. Tomosynthesis is a valid diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures. Copyright © 2016 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seismic attenuation in fractured porous media: insights from a hybrid numerical and analytical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekanem, A M; Li, X Y; Chapman, M; Main, I G

2015-01-01

Seismic attenuation in fluid-saturated porous rocks can occur by geometric spreading, wave scattering or the internal dissipation of energy, most likely due to the squirt-flow mechanism. In principle, the pattern of seismic attenuation recorded on an array of sensors contains information about the medium, in terms of material heterogeneity and anisotropy, as well as material properties such as porosity, crack density, and pore-fluid composition and mobility. In practice, this inverse problem is challenging. Here we provide some insights into the effects of internal dissipation by analysing synthetic data produced by a hybrid numerical and analytical model for seismic wave propagation in a fractured medium embedded within a layered geological structure. The model is made up of one anisotropic and three isotropic horizontal layers. The anisotropic layer consists of a porous, fluid-saturated material containing vertically aligned inclusions representing a set of fractures. This combination allows squirt-flow to occur between the pores in the matrix and the model fractures. Our results show that the fluid mobility and the associated relaxation time of the fluid-pressure gradient control the frequency range over which attenuation occurs. This induced attenuation increases with incidence angle and azimuth away from the fracture strike-direction. Azimuthal variations in the induced attenuation are elliptical allowing the fracture orientations to be obtained from the axes of the ellipse. These observations hold out the potential of using seismic attenuation as an additional diagnostic in the characterisation of rock formations for a variety of applications including hydrocarbon exploration and production, subsurface storage of CO 2 , and geothermal energy extraction. (paper)

Evaluation of Different Modeling Approaches to Simulate Contaminant Transport in a Fractured Limestone Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mosthaf, K.; Rosenberg, L.; Balbarini, N.; Broholm, M. M.; Bjerg, P. L.; Binning, P. J.

2014-12-01

It is important to understand the fate and transport of contaminants in limestone aquifers because they are a major drinking water resource. This is challenging because they are highly heterogeneous; with micro-porous grains, flint inclusions, and being heavily fractured. Several modeling approaches have been developed to describe contaminant transport in fractured media, such as the discrete fracture (with various fracture geometries), equivalent porous media (with and without anisotropy), and dual porosity models. However, these modeling concepts are not well tested for limestone geologies. Given available field data and model purpose, this paper therefore aims to develop, examine and compare modeling approaches for transport of contaminants in fractured limestone aquifers. The model comparison was conducted for a contaminated site in Denmark, where a plume of a dissolved contaminant (PCE) has migrated through a fractured limestone aquifer. Multilevel monitoring wells have been installed at the site and available data includes information on spill history, extent of contamination, geology and hydrogeology. To describe the geology and fracture network, data from borehole logs was combined with an analysis of heterogeneities and fractures from a nearby excavation (analog site). Methods for translating the geological information and fracture mapping into each of the model concepts were examined. Each model was compared with available field data, considering both model fit and measures of model suitability. An analysis of model parameter identifiability and sensitivity is presented. Results show that there is considerable difference between modeling approaches, and that it is important to identify the right one for the actual scale and model purpose. A challenge in the use of field data is the determination of relevant hydraulic properties and interpretation of aqueous and solid phase contaminant concentration sampling data. Traditional water sampling has a bias

Self-healing of Fractures in Argillaceous Media from the Geomechanical Point of View

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horseman, Steve

2001-01-01

Presently, there is no established theory describing fracture self-healing and self-sealing processes in mud-rocks (clays, mud-stones and shales) and no methodology to assess the conditions under which these processes might be important. The author suggests that the modified Cam-Clay approach provides a useful conceptual and theoretical framework for the analysis of the largely hydro-mechanical process of self-sealing. Three basic hypotheses are proposed and applied to the problem of fracture self-sealing in the repository EDZ and to the more general question of fault sealing. (author)

Hydraulic Parameter Generation Technique Using a Discrete Fracture Network with Bedrock Heterogeneity in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Yeol Cheong

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In instances of damage to engineered barriers containing nuclear waste material, surrounding bedrock is a natural barrier that retards radionuclide movement by way of adsorption and delay due to groundwater flow through highly tortuous fractured rock pathways. At the Gyeongju nuclear waste disposal site, groundwater mainly flows through granitic and sedimentary rock fractures. Therefore, to understand the nuclide migration path, it is necessary to understand discrete fracture networks based on heterogeneous fracture orientations, densities, and size characteristics. In this study, detailed heterogeneous fracture distribution, including the density and orientation of the fractures, was considered for a region that has undergone long periods of change from various geological activities at and around the Gyeongju site. A site-scale discrete fracture network (DFN model was constructed taking into account: (i regional fracture heterogeneity constrained by a multiple linear regression analysis of fracture intensity on faults and electrical resistivity; and (ii the connectivity of conductive fractures having fracture hydraulic parameters, using transient flow simulation. Geometric and hydraulic heterogeneity of the DFN was upscaled into equivalent porous media for flow and transport simulation for a large-scale model.

Fracture-resistant monolithic dental crowns.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Mai, Zhisong; Barani, Amir; Bush, Mark; Lawn, Brian

2016-03-01

To quantify the splitting resistance of monolithic zirconia, lithium disilicate and nanoparticle-composite dental crowns. Fracture experiments were conducted on anatomically-correct monolithic crown structures cemented to standard dental composite dies, by axial loading of a hard sphere placed between the cusps. The structures were observed in situ during fracture testing, and critical loads to split the structures were measured. Extended finite element modeling (XFEM), with provision for step-by-step extension of embedded cracks, was employed to simulate full failure evolution. Experimental measurements and XFEM predictions were self-consistent within data scatter. In conjunction with a fracture mechanics equation for critical splitting load, the data were used to predict load-sustaining capacity for crowns on actual dentin substrates and for loading with a sphere of different size. Stages of crack propagation within the crown and support substrate were quantified. Zirconia crowns showed the highest fracture loads, lithium disilicate intermediate, and dental nanocomposite lowest. Dental nanocomposite crowns have comparable fracture resistance to natural enamel. The results confirm that monolithic crowns are able to sustain high bite forces. The analysis indicates what material and geometrical properties are important in optimizing crown performance and longevity. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. All rights reserved.

Aerofractures in Confined Granular Media

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Fredrik K.; Turkaya, Semih; Toussaint, Renaud; Måløy, Knut J.; Flekkøy, Eirik G.

2015-04-01

We will present the optical analysis of experimental aerofractures in confined granular media. The study of this generic process may have applications in industries involving hydraulic fracturing of tight rocks, safe construction of dams, tunnels and mines, and in earth science where phenomena such as mud volcanoes and sand injectites are results of subsurface sediment displacements driven by fluid overpressure. It is also interesting to increase the understanding the flow instability itself, and how the fluid flow impacts the solid surrounding fractures and in the rest of the sample. Such processes where previously studied numerically [Niebling 2012a, Niebling 2012b] or in circular geometries. We will here explore experimentally linear geometries. We study the fracturing patterns that form when air flows into a dense, non-cohesive porous medium confined in a Hele-Shaw cell - i.e. into a packing of dry 80 micron beads placed between two glass plates separated by ~1mm. The cell is rectangular and fitted with a semi-permeable boundary to the atmosphere - blocking beads but not air - on one short edge, while the other three edges are impermeable. The porous medium is packed inside the cell between the semi-permeable boundary and an empty volume at the sealed side where the air pressure can be set and kept at a constant overpressure (1-2bar). Thus, for the air trapped inside the cell to release the overpressure it has to move through the solid. At high enough overpressures the air flow deforms the solid and increase permeability in some regions along the air-solid interface, which results in unstable flow and aerofracturing. Aerofractures are thought to be an analogue to hydrofractures, and an advantage of performing aerofracturing experiments in a Hele-Shaw cell is that the fracturing process can easily be observed in the lab. Our experiments are recorded with a high speed camera with a framerate of 1000 frames per second. In the analysis, by using various image

Optimization of culture media for enhancing gamma-linolenic acid production by Mucor hiemalis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mina Mohammadi Nasr

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: g-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid in human nutrition. In the present study, production of g-linolenic acid by Mucor hiemalis PTCC 5292 was evaluated in submerged fermentation. Materials and methods: The fermentation variables were chosen according to the fractional factorial design and further optimized via full factorial method. Four significant variables, glucose, peptone, ammonium nitrate and pH were selected for the optimization studies. The design consisted of total 16 runs consisting of runs at two levels for each factor with three replications of the center points. Results: The analysis of variance and three-dimensional response surface plot of effects indicated that variables were regarded to be significant for production of g-linolenic acid by Mucor hiemalis. Results indicated that fermentation at the optimum conditions (100 g/l glucose concentration; 1 g/l peptone; 1 g/l ammonium nitrate, and pH of 4.5 enhanced the g-linolenic acid production up to 709 mg/l. Discussion and conclusion: The results of this study indicated that higher g-linolenic acid yield can be achieved in a simple medium at high glucose and ammonium nitrate, low peptone concentrations and acidic pH by Mucor hiemalis PTCC 5292. This simple and low cost optimization condition of culture media can be applied for g-linolenic acid production at higher scale for pharmaceutical and nutritional industries. 

X-231A demonstration of in-situ remediation of DNAPL compounds in low permeability media by soil fracturing with thermally enhanced mass recovery or reactive barrier destruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegrist, R.L.; Slack, W.W.; Houk, T.C.

1998-03-01

The overall goal of the program of activities is to demonstrate robust and cost-effective technologies for in situ remediation of DNAPL compounds in low permeability media (LPM), including adaptations and enhancements of conventional technologies to achieve improved performance for DNAPLs in LPM. The technologies sought should be potential for application at simple, small sites (e.g., gasoline underground storage tanks) as well as at complex, larger sites (e.g., DOE land treatment units). The technologies involved in the X-231A demonstration at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) utilized subsurface manipulation of the LPM through soil fracturing with thermally enhanced mass recovery or horizontal barrier in place destruction. To enable field evaluation of these approaches, a set of four test cells was established at the X-231A land treatment unit at the DOE PORTS plant in August 1996 and a series of demonstration field activities occurred through December 1997. The principal objectives of the PORTS X-231A demonstration were to: determine and compare the operational features of hydraulic fractures as an enabling technology for steam and hot air enhanced soil vapor extraction and mass recovery, in situ interception and reductive destruction by zero valent iron, and in situ interception and oxidative destruction by potassium permanganate; determine the interaction of the delivered agents with the LPM matrix adjacent to the fracture and within the fractured zone and assess the beneficial modifications to the transport and/or reaction properties of the LPM deposit; and determine the remediation efficiency achieved by each of the technology strategies

Dynamic Stress Testing Is Unnecessary for Unimalleolar Supination-External Rotation Ankle Fractures with Minimal Fracture Displacement on Lateral Radiographs.

Science.gov (United States)

Nortunen, Simo; Leskelä, Hannu-Ville; Haapasalo, Heidi; Flinkkilä, Tapio; Ohtonen, Pasi; Pakarinen, Harri

2017-03-15

This study aimed to identify factors from standard radiographs that contributed to the stability of the ankle mortise in patients with isolated supination-external rotation fractures of the lateral malleolus (OTA/AO 44-B). Non-stress radiographs of the mortise and lateral views, without medial clear space widening or incongruity, were prospectively collected for 286 consecutive patients (mean age, 45 years [range, 16 to 85 years]), including 144 female patients (mean age, 50 years [range, 17 to 85 years]) and 142 male patients (mean age, 40 years [range, 16 to 84 years]) from 2 trauma centers. The radiographs were analyzed for fracture morphology by 2 orthopaedic surgeons, who were blinded to each other's measurements and to the results of external rotation stress radiographs (the reference for stability). Factors significantly associated with ankle mortise stability were tested in multiple logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed for continuous variables to determine optimal thresholds. A sensitivity of >90% was used as the criterion for an optimal threshold. According to external rotation stress radiographs, 217 patients (75.9%) had a stable injury, defined as that with a medial clear space of ankle mortise were female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.5 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4 to 4.6]), a posterior diastasis of fracture fragments (OR, 7.3 [95% CI, 2.1 to 26.3]). When the posterior diastasis was fracture fragments were present, the probability of a stable ankle mortise was 0.98 for 48 female patients (16.8%) and 0.94 for 37 male patients (12.9%). Patients with noncomminuted lateral malleolar fractures (85 patients [29.7%]) could be diagnosed with a stable ankle mortise without further stress testing, when the fracture line widths were <2 mm on lateral radiographs. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

On the theory of transport of fluids in fractured media for the safety analysis of a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, N.C.

1983-01-01

A systematic theory is developed of the role of fractures in the transport of radionuclides by groundwater through fractured rocks from the nuclear waste repository to be built in deep geologic formations to the biosphere. Fractures are grouped into four ''irreducible'' types: joints, nodes, shear zones, and fracture zones, and their geometrical and sorption characteristics, having bearings on radionuclide transport, are expressed in mathematical terms. The question of radioactivity retention in various fracture types is then carefully studied using idealized geometries to mimic natural forms. Fundamental transport equations are derived for the fracture-pore complex, taking into consideration the special physical characteristics of fractures and the effects of sorption therein

Surgical Management of a Mandible Subcondylar Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Hee Kang

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Open reduction and anatomic reduction can create better function for the temporomandibular joint, compared with closed treatment in mandible fracture surgery. Therefore, the double miniplate fixation technique via mini-retromandibular incision was used in order to make the most stable fixation when performing subcondylar fracture surgery. Those approaches provide good visualization of the subcondyle from the posterior edge of the ramus, allow the surgeon to work perpendicularly to the fracture, and enable direct fracture management. Understanding the biomechanical load in the fixation of subcondylar fractures is also necessary in order to optimize fixation methods. Therefore, we measured the biomechanical loads of four different plate fixation techniques in the experimental model regarding mandibular subcondylar fractures. It was found that the loads measured in the two-plate fixation group with one dynamic compression plate (DCP and one adaption plate showed the highest deformation and failure loads among the four fixation groups. The loads measured in the one DCP plate fixation group showed higher deformation and failure loads than the loads measured in the two adaption plate fixation group. Therefore, we conclude that the selection of the high profile plate (DCP is also important in order to create a stable load in the subcondylar fracture.

Understanding hydraulic fracturing: a multi-scale problem

Science.gov (United States)

Hyman, J. D.; Jiménez-Martínez, J.; Viswanathan, H. S.; Carey, J. W.; Porter, M. L.; Rougier, E.; Karra, S.; Kang, Q.; Frash, L.; Chen, L.; Lei, Z.; O’Malley, D.; Makedonska, N.

2016-01-01

Despite the impact that hydraulic fracturing has had on the energy sector, the physical mechanisms that control its efficiency and environmental impacts remain poorly understood in part because the length scales involved range from nanometres to kilometres. We characterize flow and transport in shale formations across and between these scales using integrated computational, theoretical and experimental efforts/methods. At the field scale, we use discrete fracture network modelling to simulate production of a hydraulically fractured well from a fracture network that is based on the site characterization of a shale gas reservoir. At the core scale, we use triaxial fracture experiments and a finite-discrete element model to study dynamic fracture/crack propagation in low permeability shale. We use lattice Boltzmann pore-scale simulations and microfluidic experiments in both synthetic and shale rock micromodels to study pore-scale flow and transport phenomena, including multi-phase flow and fluids mixing. A mechanistic description and integration of these multiple scales is required for accurate predictions of production and the eventual optimization of hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional reservoirs. Finally, we discuss the potential of CO2 as an alternative working fluid, both in fracturing and re-stimulating activities, beyond its environmental advantages. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Energy and the subsurface’. PMID:27597789

Anchorage strategies in geriatric hip fracture management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knobe Matthias

2016-12-01

Full Text Available There is an enormous humanitarian and socioeconomic need to improve the quality and effectiveness of care for patients with hip fracture. To reduce mechanical complications in the osteosynthesis of proximal femoral fractures, improved fixation techniques have been developed including blade or screw-anchor devices, locked minimally invasive or cement augmentation strategies. However, despite numerous innovations and advances regarding implant design and surgical techniques, systemic and mechanical complication rates remain high. Treatment success depends on secure implant fixation in often-osteoporotic bone as well as on patient-specific factors (fracture stability, bone quality, comorbidity, and gender and surgeon-related factors (experience, correct reduction, and optimal screw placement in the head/neck fragment. For fracture fixation, the anchorage of the lag screw within the femoral head plays a crucial role depending on the implant’s design. Meta-analyses and randomized controlled studies demonstrate that there is a strong trend towards arthroplasty treating geriatric femoral neck fractures. However, for young adults as well as older patients with less compromised bone quality, or in undisplaced fractures, head-preserving therapy is preferred as it is less invasive and associated with good functional results. This review summarizes the evidence for the internal fixation of femoral neck fractures and trochanteric femoral fractures in elderly patients. In addition, biomechanical considerations regarding implant anchorage in the femoral head including rotation, migration, and femoral neck shortening are made. Finally, cement augmentation strategies for hip fracture implants are evaluated critically.

Advances in equine computed tomography and use of contrast media.

Science.gov (United States)

Puchalski, Sarah M

2012-12-01

Advances in equine computed tomography have been made as a result of improvements in software and hardware and an increasing body of knowledge. Contrast media can be administered intravascularly or intrathecally. Contrast media is useful to differentiate between tissues of similar density. Equine computed tomography can be used for many different clinical conditions, including lameness diagnosis, fracture identification and characterization, preoperative planning, and characterization of skull diseases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boundary element simulation of petroleum reservoirs with hydraulically fractured wells

Science.gov (United States)

Pecher, Radek

The boundary element method is applied to solve the linear pressure-diffusion equation of fluid-flow in porous media. The governing parabolic partial differential equation is transformed into the Laplace space to obtain the elliptic modified-Helmholtz equation including the homogeneous initial condition. The free- space Green's functions, satisfying this equation for anisotropic media in two and three dimensions, are combined with the generalized form of the Green's second identity. The resulting boundary integral equation is solved by following the collocation technique and applying the given time-dependent boundary conditions of the Dirichlet or Neumann type. The boundary integrals are approximated by the Gaussian quadrature along each element of the discretized domain boundary. Heterogeneous regions are represented by the sectionally-homogeneous zones of different rock and fluid properties. The final values of the interior pressure and velocity fields and of their time-derivatives are found by numerically inverting the solutions from the Laplace space by using the Stehfest's algorithm. The main extension of the mostly standard BEM-procedure is achieved in the modelling of the production and injection wells represented by internal sources and sinks. They are treated as part of the boundary by means of special single-node and both-sided elements, corresponding to the line and plane sources respectively. The wellbore skin and storage effects are considered for the line and cylindrical sources. Hydraulically fractured wells of infinite conductivity are handled directly according to the specified constraint type, out of the four alternatives. Fractures of finite conductivity are simulated by coupling the finite element model of their 1D-interior with the boundary element model of their 2D- exterior. Variable fracture width, fractures crossing zone boundaries, ``networking'' of fractures, fracture-tip singularity handling, or the 3D-description are additional advanced

Internet and Cross Media Productions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Anja Bechmann

2006-01-01

, the Internet continues to play a minor role when compared to older media. The content of the cross media concepts and organizations' history are crucial elements in deciding the priority and use of platforms. Methodologically, the article approaches cross media and the roles of the Internet on a micro......Convergence is one of the hot topics in Internet studies. Recently, however, media organizations have turned their focus to cross media communication. Media organizations are interested in optimizing communication across platforms such as TV, radio, websites, mobile telephones and newspapers....... The aim of this article is to examine the roles of the Internet when emphasis is put on cross media rather than convergence. This article proposes not one unidirectional convergent tendency but manifold roles of the Internet in cross media communication. Inside the media organizations, however...

A new equi-dimensional fracture model using polyhedral cells for microseismic data sets

KAUST Repository

Al-Hinai, Omar

2017-04-09

We present a method for modeling flow in porous media in the presence of complex fracture networks. The approach utilizes the Mimetic Finite Difference (MFD) method. We employ a novel equi-dimensional approach for meshing fractures. By using polyhedral cells we avoid the common challenge in equi-dimensional fracture modeling of creating small cells at the intersection point. We also demonstrate how polyhedra can mesh complex fractures without introducing a large number of cells. We use polyhedra and the MFD method a second time for embedding fracture boundaries in the matrix domain using a “cut-cell” paradigm. The embedding approach has the advantage of being simple and localizes irregular cells to the area around the fractures. It also circumvents the need for conventional mesh generation, which can be challenging when applied to complex fracture geometries. We present numerical results confirming the validity of our approach for complex fracture networks and for different flow models. In our first example, we compare our method to the popular dual-porosity technique. Our second example compares our method with directly meshed fractures (single-porosity) for two-phase flow. The third example demonstrates two-phase flow for the case of intersecting ellipsoid fractures in three-dimensions, which are typical in microseismic analysis of fractures. Finally, we demonstrate our method on a two-dimensional fracture network produced from microseismic field data.

A new equi-dimensional fracture model using polyhedral cells for microseismic data sets

KAUST Repository

Al-Hinai, Omar; Dong, Rencheng; Srinivasan, Sanjay; Wheeler, Mary F.

2017-01-01

We present a method for modeling flow in porous media in the presence of complex fracture networks. The approach utilizes the Mimetic Finite Difference (MFD) method. We employ a novel equi-dimensional approach for meshing fractures. By using polyhedral cells we avoid the common challenge in equi-dimensional fracture modeling of creating small cells at the intersection point. We also demonstrate how polyhedra can mesh complex fractures without introducing a large number of cells. We use polyhedra and the MFD method a second time for embedding fracture boundaries in the matrix domain using a “cut-cell” paradigm. The embedding approach has the advantage of being simple and localizes irregular cells to the area around the fractures. It also circumvents the need for conventional mesh generation, which can be challenging when applied to complex fracture geometries. We present numerical results confirming the validity of our approach for complex fracture networks and for different flow models. In our first example, we compare our method to the popular dual-porosity technique. Our second example compares our method with directly meshed fractures (single-porosity) for two-phase flow. The third example demonstrates two-phase flow for the case of intersecting ellipsoid fractures in three-dimensions, which are typical in microseismic analysis of fractures. Finally, we demonstrate our method on a two-dimensional fracture network produced from microseismic field data.

VSP [Vertical Seismic Profiling] and cross hole tomographic imaging for fracture characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majer, E.L.; Peterson, J.E.; Myer, L.R.; Karasaki, K.; Daley, T.M.; Long, J.C.S.

1989-09-01

For the past several years LBL has been carrying out experiments at various fractured rock sites to determine the fundamental nature of the propagation of seismic waves in fractured media. These experiments have been utilizing high frequency (1000 to 10000 Hz.) signals in a cross-hole configuration at scales of several tens of meters. Three component sources and receivers are used to map fracture density, and orientation. The goal of the experiments has been to relate the seismological parameters to the hydrological parameters, if possible, in order to provide a more accurate description of a starting model for hydrological characterization. The work is ultimately aimed at the characterization and monitoring of the Yucca Mountain site for the storage of nuclear waste. In addition to these controlled experiments multicomponent VSP work has been carried out at several sites to determine fracture characteristics. The results to date indicate that both P-wave and S-wave can be used to map the location of fractures. In addition, fractures that are open and conductive are much more visible to seismic waves that non-conductive fractures. The results of these tests indicate direct use in an unsaturated environment. 12 refs., 10 figs

Post-operative rounds by anaesthesiologists after hip fracture surgery: a pilot study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foss, Nicolai Bang; Christensen, Dorte Stig; Krasheninnikoff, Michael

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Efforts to optimize the peri-operative care of hip fracture patients through multidisciplinary intervention have focused on orthopaedic-geriatric liaisons, which have not resulted in significant outcome changes. The early phase of rehabilitation could potentially be optimized through...... a multidisciplinary effort between anaesthesiologists and orthopaedic surgeons. METHODS: During the first 25 weeks of 2004, 98 consecutive community-residing patients admitted to a hip fracture unit received daily rounds by anaesthesiologists during the first four post-operative days, on weekdays only, focusing...... conditions. CONCLUSION: This pilot study, with insufficient power to show significant differences in outcome, supports further evaluation of the concept of intensified orthopaedic-anaesthesiological co-operation after hip fracture surgery. Such a randomized trial should evaluate economic and clinical outcome...

Research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated, fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.J.; Tidwell, V.C.

1991-01-01

As part of the Yucca Mountain Project, our research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock integrates fundamental physical experimentation with conceptual model formulation and mathematical modeling. Our research is directed toward developing and validating macroscopic, continuum-based models and supporting effective property models because of their widespread utility within the context of this project. Success relative to the development and validation of effective property models is predicated on a firm understanding of the basic physics governing flow through fractured media, specifically in the areas of unsaturated flow and transport in a single fracture and fracture-matrix interaction. 43 refs

Research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated, fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.J.; Tidwell, V.C.

1991-09-01

As part of the Yucca Mountain Project, our research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock integrates fundamental physical experimentation with conceptual model formulation and mathematical modeling. Our research is directed toward developing and validating macroscopic, continuum-based models and supporting effective property models because of their widespread utility within the context of this project. Success relative to the development and validation of effective property models is predicted on a firm understanding of the basic physics governing flow through fractured media, specifically in the areas of unsaturated flow and transport in a single fracture and fracture-matrix interaction

Research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated, fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.J.; Tidwell, V.C.

1991-01-01

As part of the Yucca Mountain Project, our research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock integrates fundamental physical experimentation with conceptual model formulation and mathematical modeling. Our research is directed toward developing and validating macroscopic, continuum-based models and supporting effective property models because of their widespread utility within the context of this project. Success relative to the development and validation of effective property models is predicted on a firm understanding of the basic physics governing flow through fractured media, specifically in the areas of unsaturated flow and transport in a single fracture and fracture-matrix interaction

The optimization of H.264/AVC baseline decoder on low-cost TriMedia DSP processor

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sung-Wen; Yang, Ya-Ting; Li, Chia-Ying; Tung, Yi-Shin; Wu, Ja-Ling

2004-11-01

The emerging video coding standard, H.264/AVC, exhibits the unprecedented coding performance. Comparing to traditional coders, e.g., MPEG-2 and MEPG-4 ASP, about half bitrate saving is shown in the official verification test. Such outstanding performance makes it become the video compression candidate for the upcoming HD-DVD. As a side effect, it was also blamed that H.264/AVC is much more logically complex and requires more computation power than any of the existing standards. A low-cost and efficient implementation of the international standard hence plays an important role of its success. In this paper, we realize an H.264/AVC baseline decoder by a low-cost DSP processor, i.e., Philips" TriMedia TM-1300, and illustrate that less computation demand for H.264/AVC decoding becomes feasible by using effective software core. To this end, we first consider different approaches and take advantage of SIMD instruction set to optimize critical time-consuming coding modules, such as the fractional motion compensation, spatial prediction and inverse transform. Next, we also present some other optimization approaches for entropy decoding and in-loop deblocking filtering, even though they cannot get benefits from utilizing SIMD. In our experiments, by exploiting appropriate instruction level parallelism and efficient algorithms, the decoding speed can be improved by a factor of 8~10; a CIF video sequence can be decoded at up to 19.74~28.97 fps on a 166-MHz TriMedia TM-1300 processor compared to 2.40~2.98 fps by the standard reference software.

Numerical Upscaling of Solute Transport in Fractured Porous Media Based on Flow Aligned Blocks

Science.gov (United States)

Leube, P.; Nowak, W.; Sanchez-Vila, X.

2013-12-01

High-contrast or fractured-porous media (FPM) pose one of the largest unresolved challenges for simulating large hydrogeological systems. The high contrast in advective transport between fast conduits and low-permeability rock matrix, including complex mass transfer processes, leads to the typical complex characteristics of early bulk arrivals and long tailings. Adequate direct representation of FPM requires enormous numerical resolutions. For large scales, e.g. the catchment scale, and when allowing for uncertainty in the fracture network architecture or in matrix properties, computational costs quickly reach an intractable level. In such cases, multi-scale simulation techniques have become useful tools. They allow decreasing the complexity of models by aggregating and transferring their parameters to coarser scales and so drastically reduce the computational costs. However, these advantages come at a loss of detail and accuracy. In this work, we develop and test a new multi-scale or upscaled modeling approach based on block upscaling. The novelty is that individual blocks are defined by and aligned with the local flow coordinates. We choose a multi-rate mass transfer (MRMT) model to represent the remaining sub-block non-Fickian behavior within these blocks on the coarse scale. To make the scale transition simple and to save computational costs, we capture sub-block features by temporal moments (TM) of block-wise particle arrival times to be matched with the MRMT model. By predicting spatial mass distributions of injected tracers in a synthetic test scenario, our coarse-scale solution matches reasonably well with the corresponding fine-scale reference solution. For predicting higher TM-orders (such as arrival time and effective dispersion), the prediction accuracy steadily decreases. This is compensated to some extent by the MRMT model. If the MRMT model becomes too complex, it loses its effect. We also found that prediction accuracy is sensitive to the choice of

Incorporating Scale-Dependent Fracture Stiffness for Improved Reservoir Performance Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, B. R.; Tsenn, M. C.; Homburg, J. M.; Stehle, R. C.; Freysteinson, J. A.; Reese, W. C.

2017-12-01

We present a novel technique for predicting dynamic fracture network response to production-driven changes in effective stress, with the potential for optimizing depletion planning and improving recovery prediction in stress-sensitive naturally fractured reservoirs. A key component of the method involves laboratory geomechanics testing of single fractures in order to develop a unique scaling relationship between fracture normal stiffness and initial mechanical aperture. Details of the workflow are as follows: tensile, opening mode fractures are created in a variety of low matrix permeability rocks with initial, unstressed apertures in the micrometer to millimeter range, as determined from image analyses of X-ray CT scans; subsequent hydrostatic compression of these fractured samples with synchronous radial strain and flow measurement indicates that both mechanical and hydraulic aperture reduction varies linearly with the natural logarithm of effective normal stress; these stress-sensitive single-fracture laboratory observations are then upscaled to networks with fracture populations displaying frequency-length and length-aperture scaling laws commonly exhibited by natural fracture arrays; functional relationships between reservoir pressure reduction and fracture network porosity, compressibility and directional permeabilities as generated by such discrete fracture network modeling are then exported to the reservoir simulator for improved naturally fractured reservoir performance prediction.

Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media; Analyse et modelisation des phenomenes couples thermo-hydromecaniques en milieux fractures 3D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canamon Valera, I

2006-11-15

This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of

Conductivity Evolution of Fracture Proppant in Partial Monolayers and Multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, M.; Han, Y.; McClure, J. E.; Chen, C.

2017-12-01

Proppant is a granular material, typically sand, coated sand, or man-made ceramic materials, which is widely used in hydraulic fracturing to keep the induced fractures open. Optimization of proppant placement in a hydraulic fracture, as well as its role on the fracture's conductivity, is vital for effective and economical production of petroleum hydrocarbons. In this research, a numerical modeling approach, combining Discrete Element Method (DEM) with lattice Boltzmann (LB) method, was adopted to advance the understanding of fracture conductivity as function of proppant concentration under various effective stresses. DEM was used to simulate effective stress increase and the resultant proppant particle compaction and rearrangement during the process of reservoir depletion due to hydrocarbon extraction. DEM-simulated pore structure was extracted and imported into the LB simulator as boundary conditions to calculate the time-dependent permeability of the proppant pack. We first validated the DEM-LB coupling workflow; the simulated proppant pack permeabilities as functions of effective stress were in good agreement with laboratory measurements. Next, several proppant packs were generated with various proppant concentrations, ranging from partial-monolayer to multilayer structures. Proppant concentration is defined as proppant mass per unit fracture face area. Fracture conductivity as function of proppant concentration was measured in LB simulations. It was found that a partial-monolayer proppant pack with large-diameter particles was optimal in maintaining sufficient conductivity while lowering production costs. Three proppant packs with the same average diameter but different diameter distributions were generated. Specifically, we used the coefficient of variation (COV) of diameter, defined as the ratio of standard deviation of diameter to mean diameter, to characterize the heterogeneity in particle size. We obtained proppant pack porosity, permeability, and fracture

A prospective, controlled clinical evaluation of surgical stabilization of severe rib fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieracci, Fredric M; Lin, Yihan; Rodil, Maria; Synder, Madelyne; Herbert, Benoit; Tran, Dong Kha; Stoval, Robert T; Johnson, Jeffrey L; Biffl, Walter L; Barnett, Carlton C; Cothren-Burlew, Clay; Fox, Charles; Jurkovich, Gregory J; Moore, Ernest E

2016-02-01

Previous studies of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) have been limited by small sample sizes, retrospective methodology, and inclusion of only patients with flail chest. We performed a prospective, controlled evaluation of SSRF as compared with optimal medical management for severe rib fracture patterns among critically ill trauma patients. We hypothesized that SSRF improves acute outcomes. We conducted a 2-year clinical evaluation of patients with any of the following rib fracture patterns: flail chest, three or more fractures with bicortical displacement, 30% or greater hemithorax volume loss, and either severe pain or respiratory failure despite optimal medical management. In the year 2013, all patients were managed nonoperatively. In the year 2014, all patients were managed operatively. Outcomes included respiratory failure, tracheostomy, pneumonia, ventilator days, tracheostomy, length of stay, daily maximum incentive spirometer volume, narcotic requirements, and mortality. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Seventy patients were included, 35 in each group. For the operative group, time from injury to surgery was 2.4 day, operative time was 1.5 hours, and the ratio of ribs fixed to ribs fractured was 0.6. The operative group had a significantly higher RibScore (4 vs. 3, respectively, p fracture patterns. Therapeutic study, level II.

Odontoid fractures: A retrospective analysis of 53 cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shetty Arjun

2009-01-01

atlantoaxial dislocation could be reduced on traction and these patients underwent posterior fusion and fixation. Optimal or near optimal reduction was achieved by on table manipulation in four cases which were irreducible with skeletal traction. Atlantoaxial stability was achieved in all cases. All cases were noted to be stable on evaluation with x-rays at six months. Conclusions: The initial conservative management and use of odontoid screw fixation only in cases where conservative management for 6-12 weeks has failed to provide fracture union have shown good outcome in type II odontoid fracture without AA instability rates. Intraoperative manipulation and reduction in patients where AA subluxation failed to reduce on skeletal traction followed by posterior fusion obviates the need for transoral odontoid excision.

Challenging and improving conceptual models for isothermal flow in unsaturated, fractured rock through exploration of small-scale processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.J.; Nicholl, M.J.; Tidwell, V.C.

1996-01-01

Over the past several years, the authors have performed experimental studies focused on understanding small-scale flow processes within discrete fractures and individual matrix blocks; much of the understanding gained in that time differs from that underlying the basic assumptions used in effective media representations. Here they synthesize the process level understanding gained from their laboratory studies to explore how such small-scale processes may influence the behavior of fluid flow in fracture networks and ensembles of matrix blocks at levels sufficient to impact the formulation of intermediate-scale effective media properties. They also explore, by means of a thought experiment, how these same small-scale processes could couple to produce a large-scale system response inconsistent with current conceptual models based on continuum representations of flow through unsaturated, fractured rock. Based on their findings, a number of modifications to existing dual permeability models are suggested that should allow them improved applicability; however, even with these modifications, it is likely that continuum representations of flow through unsaturated fractured rock will have limited validity and must therefore be applied with caution

Effect of Random Natural Fractures on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation Geometry in Fractured Carbonate Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhiyuan; Wang, Shijie; Zhao, Haiyang; Wang, Lei; Li, Wei; Geng, Yudi; Tao, Shan; Zhang, Guangqing; Chen, Mian

2018-02-01

Natural fractures have a significant influence on the propagation geometry of hydraulic fractures in fractured reservoirs. True triaxial volumetric fracturing experiments, in which random natural fractures are created by placing cement blocks of different dimensions in a cuboid mold and filling the mold with additional cement to create the final test specimen, were used to study the factors that influence the hydraulic fracture propagation geometry. These factors include the presence of natural fractures around the wellbore, the dimension and volumetric density of random natural fractures and the horizontal differential stress. The results show that volumetric fractures preferentially formed when natural fractures occurred around the wellbore, the natural fractures are medium to long and have a volumetric density of 6-9%, and the stress difference is less than 11 MPa. The volumetric fracture geometries are mainly major multi-branch fractures with fracture networks or major multi-branch fractures (2-4 fractures). The angles between the major fractures and the maximum horizontal in situ stress are 30°-45°, and fracture networks are located at the intersections of major multi-branch fractures. Short natural fractures rarely led to the formation of fracture networks. Thus, the interaction between hydraulic fractures and short natural fractures has little engineering significance. The conclusions are important for field applications and for gaining a deeper understanding of the formation process of volumetric fractures.

Fatigue failure of dental implants in simulated intraoral media.

Science.gov (United States)

Shemtov-Yona, K; Rittel, D

2016-09-01

Metallic dental implants are exposed to various intraoral environments and repetitive loads during service. Relatively few studies have systematically addressed the potential influence of the environment on the mechanical integrity of the implants, which is therefore the subject of this study. Four media (groups) were selected for room temperature testing, namely dry air, saliva substitute, same with 250ppm of fluoride, and saline solution (0.9%). Monolithic Ti-6Al-4V implants were loaded until fracture, using random spectrum loading. The study reveals that the only aggressive medium of all is the saline solution, as it shortens significantly the spectrum fatigue life of the implants. The quantitative scanning electron fractographic analysis indicates that all the tested implants grew fatigue cracks of similar lengths prior to catastrophic fracture. However, the average crack growth rate in the saline medium was found to largely exceed that in other media, suggesting a decreased fracture toughness. The notion of a characteristic timescale for environmental degradation was proposed to explain the results of our spectrum tests that blend randomly low and high cycle fatigue. Random spectrum fatigue testing is powerful technique to assess and compare the mechanical performance of dental implants for various designs and/or environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A fully coupled finite element framework for thermal fracturing simulation in subsurface cold CO2 injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shunde Yin

2018-03-01

Simulation of thermal fracturing during cold CO2 injection involves the coupled processes of heat transfer, mass transport, rock deforming as well as fracture propagation. To model such a complex coupled system, a fully coupled finite element framework for thermal fracturing simulation is presented. This framework is based on the theory of non-isothermal multiphase flow in fracturing porous media. It takes advantage of recent advances in stabilized finite element and extended finite element methods. The stabilized finite element method overcomes the numerical instability encountered when the traditional finite element method is used to solve the convection dominated heat transfer equation, while the extended finite element method overcomes the limitation with traditional finite element method that a model has to be remeshed when a fracture is initiated or propagating and fracturing paths have to be aligned with element boundaries.

Limit Theorems and Their Relation to Solute Transport in Simulated Fractured Media

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, D. M.; Benson, D. A.; Meerschaert, M. M.

2003-12-01

Solute particles that travel through fracture networks are subject to wide velocity variations along a restricted set of directions. This may result in super-Fickian dispersion along a few primary scaling directions. The fractional advection-dispersion equation (FADE), a modification of the original advection-dispersion equation in which a fractional derivative replaces the integer-order dispersion term, has the ability to model rapid, non-Gaussian solute transport. The FADE assumes that solute particle motions converge to either α -stable or operator stable densities, which are modeled by spatial fractional derivatives. In multiple dimensions, the multi-fractional dispersion derivative dictates the order and weight of differentiation in all directions, which correspond to the statistics of large particle motions in all directions. This study numerically investigates the presence of super- Fickian solute transport through simulated two-dimensional fracture networks. An ensemble of networks is gen

Topological design of all-ceramic dental bridges for enhancing fracture resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhongpu; Chen, Junning; Li, Eric; Li, Wei; Swain, Michael; Li, Qing

2016-06-01

Layered all-ceramic systems have been increasingly adopted in major dental prostheses. However, ceramics are inherently brittle, and they often subject to premature failure under high occlusion forces especially in the posterior region. This study aimed to develop mechanically sound novel topological designs for all-ceramic dental bridges by minimizing the fracture incidence under given loading conditions. A bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) technique is implemented within the extended finite element method (XFEM) framework. Extended finite element method allows modeling crack initiation and propagation inside all-ceramic restoration systems. Following this, BESO searches the optimum distribution of two different ceramic materials, namely porcelain and zirconia, for minimizing fracture incidence. A performance index, as per a ratio of peak tensile stress to material strength, is used as a design objective. In this study, the novel XFEM based BESO topology optimization significantly improved structural strength by minimizing performance index for suppressing fracture incidence in the structures. As expected, the fracture resistance and factor of safety of fixed partial dentures structure increased upon redistributing zirconia and porcelain in the optimal topological configuration. Dental CAD/CAM systems and the emerging 3D printing technology were commercially available to facilitate implementation of such a computational design, exhibiting considerable potential for clinical application in the future. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of thermal constraints on the optimal design of high-level waste repositories in geologic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malbrain, C; Lester, R K [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

1982-12-01

An approximate, semi-analytical heat conduction model for predicting the time-dependent temperature distribution in the region of a high-level waste repository has been developed. The model provides the basis for a systematic, inexpensive examination of the impact of several independent thermal design constraints on key repository design parameters and for determining the optimal set of design parameters which satisfy these constraints. Illustrative calculations have been carried out for conceptual repository designs for spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel and reprocessed PWR high-level waste in salt and granite media.

A multi-scale experimental and simulation approach for fractured subsurface systems

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, H. S.; Carey, J. W.; Frash, L.; Karra, S.; Hyman, J.; Kang, Q.; Rougier, E.; Srinivasan, G.

2017-12-01

Fractured systems play an important role in numerous subsurface applications including hydraulic fracturing, carbon sequestration, geothermal energy and underground nuclear test detection. Fractures that range in scale from microns to meters and their structure control the behavior of these systems which provide over 85% of our energy and 50% of US drinking water. Determining the key mechanisms in subsurface fractured systems has been impeded due to the lack of sophisticated experimental methods to measure fracture aperture and connectivity, multiphase permeability, and chemical exchange capacities at the high temperature, pressure, and stresses present in the subsurface. In this study, we developed and use microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments required to reveal the fundamental dynamics of fracture-fluid interactions. In addition we have developed high fidelity fracture propagation and discrete fracture network flow models to simulate these fractured systems. We also have developed reduced order models of these fracture simulators in order to conduct uncertainty quantification for these systems. We demonstrate an integrated experimental/modeling approach that allows for a comprehensive characterization of fractured systems and develop models that can be used to optimize the reservoir operating conditions over a range of subsurface conditions.

Role of MRI in hip fractures, including stress fractures, occult fractures, avulsion fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nachtrab, O.; Cassar-Pullicino, V.N.; Lalam, R.; Tins, B.; Tyrrell, P.N.M.; Singh, J.

2012-01-01

MR imaging plays a vital role in the diagnosis and management of hip fractures in all age groups, in a large spectrum of patient groups spanning the elderly and sporting population. It allows a confident exclusion of fracture, differentiation of bony from soft tissue injury and an early confident detection of fractures. There is a spectrum of MR findings which in part is dictated by the type and cause of the fracture which the radiologist needs to be familiar with. Judicious but prompt utilisation of MR in patients with suspected hip fractures has a positive therapeutic impact with healthcare cost benefits as well as social care benefits.

Paratrooper's ankle fracture: posterior malleolar fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Ki Won; Kim, Jin-su; Cho, Jae Ho; Kim, Hyung Seuk; Cho, Hun Ki; Lee, Kyung Tai

2015-03-01

We assessed the frequency and types of ankle fractures that frequently occur during parachute landings of special operation unit personnel and analyzed the causes. Fifty-six members of the special force brigade of the military who had sustained ankle fractures during parachute landings between January 2005 and April 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The injury sites and fracture sites were identified and the fracture types were categorized by the Lauge-Hansen and Weber classifications. Follow-up surveys were performed with respect to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score, patient satisfaction, and return to preinjury activity. The patients were all males with a mean age of 23.6 years. There were 28 right and 28 left ankle fractures. Twenty-two patients had simple fractures and 34 patients had comminuted fractures. The average number of injury and fractures sites per person was 2.07 (116 injuries including a syndesmosis injury and a deltoid injury) and 1.75 (98 fracture sites), respectively. Twenty-three cases (41.07%) were accompanied by posterior malleolar fractures. Fifty-five patients underwent surgery; of these, 30 had plate internal fixations. Weber type A, B, and C fractures were found in 4, 38, and 14 cases, respectively. Based on the Lauge-Hansen classification, supination-external rotation injuries were found in 20 cases, supination-adduction injuries in 22 cases, pronation-external rotation injuries in 11 cases, tibiofibular fractures in 2 cases, and simple medial malleolar fractures in 2 cases. The mean follow-up period was 23.8 months, and the average follow-up American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score was 85.42. Forty-five patients (80.36%) reported excellent or good satisfaction with the outcome. Posterior malleolar fractures occurred in 41.07% of ankle fractures sustained in parachute landings. Because most of the ankle fractures in parachute injuries were compound fractures, most cases had to

Fracture network created by 3D printer and its validation using CT images

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, A.; Watanabe, N.; Li, K.; Horne, R. N.

2017-12-01

Understanding flow mechanisms in fractured media is essential for geoscientific research and geological development industries. This study used 3D printed fracture networks in order to control the properties of fracture distributions inside the sample. The accuracy and appropriateness of creating samples by the 3D printer was investigated by using a X-ray CT scanner. The CT scan images suggest that the 3D printer is able to reproduce complex three-dimensional spatial distributions of fracture networks. Use of hexane after printing was found to be an effective way to remove wax for the post-treatment. Local permeability was obtained by the cubic law and used to calculate the global mean. The experimental value of the permeability was between the arithmetic and geometric means of the numerical results, which is consistent with conventional studies. This methodology based on 3D printed fracture networks can help validate existing flow modeling and numerical methods.

Fracture network created by 3-D printer and its validation using CT images

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Anna; Watanabe, Noriaki; Li, Kewen; Horne, Roland N.

2017-07-01

Understanding flow mechanisms in fractured media is essential for geoscientific research and geological development industries. This study used 3-D printed fracture networks in order to control the properties of fracture distributions inside the sample. The accuracy and appropriateness of creating samples by the 3-D printer was investigated by using a X-ray CT scanner. The CT scan images suggest that the 3-D printer is able to reproduce complex three-dimensional spatial distributions of fracture networks. Use of hexane after printing was found to be an effective way to remove wax for the posttreatment. Local permeability was obtained by the cubic law and used to calculate the global mean. The experimental value of the permeability was between the arithmetic and geometric means of the numerical results, which is consistent with conventional studies. This methodology based on 3-D printed fracture networks can help validate existing flow modeling and numerical methods.

Optimization of Pt-Ir on carbon fiber paper for the electro-oxidation of ammonia in alkaline media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boggs, Bryan K.; Botte, Gerardine G.

2010-01-01

Plating bath concentrations of Pt(IV) and Ir(III) have been optimized as well as the total catalytic loading of bimetallic Pt-Ir alloy for the electro-oxidation of ammonia in alkaline media at standard conditions. This was accomplished using cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and statistical optimization tools. Concentrations of Pt(IV) and Ir(III) of the plating bath strongly influence electrode surface atomic compositions of the Pt-Ir alloy directly affecting the electro-oxidation behavior of ammonia. Several anode materials were studied using cyclic voltammetry, which demonstrated that Pt-Ir was the most active catalyst for the electro-oxidation of ammonia. Criteria for optimization were minimizing the climatic oxidation overpotential for ammonia and maximizing the exchange current density. Optimized bath composition was found to be 8.844 ± 0.001 g L -1 Pt(IV) and 4.112 ± 0.001 g L -1 Ir(III) based on electrochemical techniques. Physical characterization of the electrodes by SEM indicates that the plating bath concentrations of Pt and Ir influence the growth and deposition behavior of the alloy.

Fracture Toughness of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Metal- and Ceramic-Matrix Composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.L.; Liu, B.; Hwang, K.C.; Chen, Y.L.; Huang, Y.

2011-01-01

Hierarchical analysis of the fracture toughness enhancement of carbon nanotube- (CNT-) reinforced hard matrix composites is carried out on the basis of shear-lag theory and fracture mechanics. It is found that stronger CNT/matrix interfaces cannot definitely lead to the better fracture toughness of these composites, and the optimal interfacial chemical bond density is that making the failure mode just in the transition from CNT pull-out to CNT break. For hard matrix composites, the fracture toughness of composites with weak interfaces can be improved effectively by increasing the CNT length. However, for soft matrix composite, the fracture toughness improvement due to the reinforcing CNTs quickly becomes saturated with an increase in CNT length. The proposed theoretical model is also applicable to short fiber-reinforced composites.

Influence of fracture geometry on bone healing under locking plate fixations: A comparison between oblique and transverse tibial fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Miramini, Saeed; Zhang, Lihai; Richardson, Martin; Mendis, Priyan; Ebeling, Peter R

2016-10-01

Mechano-regulation plays a crucial role in bone healing and involves complex cellular events. In this study, we investigate the change of mechanical microenvironment of stem cells within early fracture callus as a result of the change of fracture obliquity, gap size and fixation configuration using mechanical testing in conjunction with computational modelling. The research outcomes show that angle of obliquity (θ) has significant effects on interfragmentary movement (IFM) which influences mechanical microenvironment of the callus cells. Axial IFM at near cortex of fracture decreases with θ, while shear IFM significantly increases with θ. While a large θ can increase shear IFM by four-fold compared to transverse fracture, it also result in the tension-stress effect at near cortex of fracture callus. In addition, mechanical stimuli for cell differentiation within the callus are found to be strongly negatively correlated to angle of obliquity and gap size. It is also shown that a relatively flexible fixation could enhance callus formation in presence of a large gap but could lead to excessive callus strain and interstitial fluid flow when a small transverse fracture gap is present. In conclusion, there appears to be an optimal fixation configuration for a given angle of obliquity and gap size. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenges of Fracture Management for Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Joseph A; DeFroda, Steven F; Sindhu, Kunal; Cruz, Aristides I; Daniels, Alan H

2017-01-01

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by qualitative or quantitative defects in type I collagen. Although often considered a disease with primarily pediatric manifestations, more than 25% of lifetime fractures are reported to occur in adulthood. General care of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta involves measures to preserve bone density, regular monitoring of hearing and dentition, and maintenance of muscle strength through physical therapy. Surgical stabilization of fractures in these patients can be challenging because of low bone mineral density, preexisting skeletal deformities, or obstruction by instrumentation from previous surgeries. Additionally, unique perioperative considerations exist when operatively managing fractures in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. To date, there is little high-quality literature to help guide the optimal treatment of fractures in adult patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(1):e17-e22.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

What controls diffuse fractures in platform carbonates? Insights from Provence (France) and Apulia (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Lavenu, Arthur P. C.; Lamarche, Juliette

2018-03-01

Fractures are widespread in rocks and regional opening-mode arrays are commonly ascribed to major tectonic events. However, fractures occur in otherwise undeformed rocks. Some of these are early-developed features independent of tectonics and forming a background network at regional scale. To overcome this lack of understanding, two hydrocarbon reservoir analogues from platform carbonates have been targeted: the Provence (SE France), and the Apulian platform (SE Italy). In both areas, an early fracturing stage has been observed, made of high-angle-to-bedding opening-mode fractures, and bed-parallel stylolites. These features developed synchronously during the first burial stages and prior to major tectonic events. The fracture sets are not genetically related to the present-day layering. Contrarily, fractures developed in a brittle media where facies transitions were not sharp and did not act as mechanical discontinuities. Carbonate facies distribution and early diagenetic imprint constrained the mechanical stratigraphy when fractures occurred. In addition, we observed that fractures related to late tectonic inversion were partly inhibited. Indeed, rock mechanical properties change through time. Characterizing the temporal evolution of carbonate rocks has revealed that diagenesis and sedimentary facies are the prime actors for brittleness and mechanical layering in carbonates.

Fractures of the proximal fifth metatarsal: percutaneous bicortical fixation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Vivek; Chung, Hyun Wook; Suh, Jin Soo

2011-06-01

Displaced intraarticular zone I and displaced zone II fractures of the proximal fifth metatarsal bone are frequently complicated by delayed nonunion due to a vascular watershed. Many complications have been reported with the commonly used intramedullary screw fixation for these fractures. The optimal surgical procedure for these fractures has not been determined. All these observations led us to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous bicortical screw fixation for treating these fractures. Twenty-three fractures were operatively treated by bicortical screw fixation. All the fractures were evaluated both clinically and radiologically for the healing. All the patients were followed at 2 or 3 week intervals till fracture union. The patients were followed for an average of 22.5 months. Twenty-three fractures healed uneventfully following bicortical fixation, with a mean healing time of 6.3 weeks (range, 4 to 10 weeks). The average American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was 94 (range, 90 to 99). All the patients reported no pain at rest or during athletic activity. We removed the implant in all cases at a mean of 23.2 weeks (range, 18 to 32 weeks). There was no refracture in any of our cases. The current study shows the effectiveness of bicortical screw fixation for displaced intraarticular zone I fractures and displaced zone II fractures. We recommend it as one of the useful techniques for fixation of displaced zone I and II fractures.

Naturally fractured tight gas: Gas reservoir detection optimization. Quarterly report, January 1--March 31, 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-31

Economically viable natural gas production from the low permeability Mesaverde Formation in the Piceance Basin, Colorado requires the presence of an intense set of open natural fractures. Establishing the regional presence and specific location of such natural fractures is the highest priority exploration goal in the Piceance and other western US tight, gas-centered basins. Recently, Advanced Resources International, Inc. (ARI) completed a field program at Rulison Field, Piceance Basin, to test and demonstrate the use of advanced seismic methods to locate and characterize natural fractures. This project began with a comprehensive review of the tectonic history, state of stress and fracture genesis of the basin. A high resolution aeromagnetic survey, interpreted satellite and SLAR imagery, and 400 line miles of 2-D seismic provided the foundation for the structural interpretation. The central feature of the program was the 4.5 square mile multi-azimuth 3-D seismic P-wave survey to locate natural fracture anomalies. The interpreted seismic attributes are being tested against a control data set of 27 wells. Additional wells are currently being drilled at Rulison, on close 40 acre spacings, to establish the productivity from the seismically observed fracture anomalies. A similar regional prospecting and seismic program is being considered for another part of the basin. The preliminary results indicate that detailed mapping of fault geometries and use of azimuthally defined seismic attributes exhibit close correlation with high productivity gas wells. The performance of the ten new wells, being drilled in the seismic grid in late 1996 and early 1997, will help demonstrate the reliability of this natural fracture detection and mapping technology.

Coupled Modeling of Flow, Transport, and Deformation during Hydrodynamically Unstable Displacement in Fractured Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, B.; Juanes, R.

2015-12-01

Coupled processes of flow, transport, and deformation are important during production of hydrocarbons from oil and gas reservoirs. Effective design and implementation of enhanced recovery techniques such as miscible gas flooding and hydraulic fracturing requires modeling and simulation of these coupled proceses in geologic porous media. We develop a computational framework to model the coupled processes of flow, transport, and deformation in heterogeneous fractured rock. We show that the hydrocarbon recovery efficiency during unstable displacement of a more viscous oil with a less viscous fluid in a fractured medium depends on the mechanical state of the medium, which evolves due to permeability alteration within and around fractures. We show that fully accounting for the coupling between the physical processes results in estimates of the recovery efficiency in agreement with observations in field and lab experiments.

Fracture Mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Dong Il; Jeong, Gyeong Seop; Han, Min Gu

1992-08-01

This book introduces basic theory and analytical solution of fracture mechanics, linear fracture mechanics, non-linear fracture mechanics, dynamic fracture mechanics, environmental fracture and fatigue fracture, application on design fracture mechanics, application on analysis of structural safety, engineering approach method on fracture mechanics, stochastic fracture mechanics, numerical analysis code and fracture toughness test and fracture toughness data. It gives descriptions of fracture mechanics to theory and analysis from application of engineering.

A Guide to Improving the Care of Patients with Fragility Fractures, Edition 2

Science.gov (United States)

Mears, Simon C.

2015-01-01

Over the past 4 decades, much has been learned about the pathophysiology and treatment of osteoporosis, the prevention of fragility fractures, and the perioperative management of patients who have these debilitating injuries. However, the volume of published literature on this topic is staggering and far too voluminous for any clinician to review and synthesize by him or herself. This manuscript thoroughly summarizes the latest research on fragility fractures and provides the reader with valuable strategies to optimize the prevention and management of these devastating injuries. The information contained in this article will prove invaluable to any health care provider or health system administrator who is involved in the prevention and management of fragility hip fractures. As providers begin to gain a better understanding of the principles espoused in this article, it is our hope that they will be able to use this information to optimize the care they provide for elderly patients who are at risk of or who have osteoporotic fractures. PMID:26246957

Pneumatic fractures in confined granular media.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Fredrik K; Toussaint, Renaud; Turquet, Antoine L; Måløy, Knut J; Flekkøy, Eirik G

2017-06-01

We perform experiments where air is injected at a constant overpressure P_{in}, ranging from 5 to 250 kPa, into a dry granular medium confined within a horizontal linear Hele-Shaw cell. The setup allows us to explore compacted configurations by preventing decompaction at the outer boundary, i.e., the cell outlet has a semipermeable filter such that beads are stopped while air can pass. We study the emerging patterns and dynamic growth of channels in the granular media due to fluid flow, by analyzing images captured with a high speed camera (1000 images/s). We identify four qualitatively different flow regimes, depending on the imposed overpressure, ranging from no channel formation for P_{in} below 10 kPa, to large thick channels formed by erosion and fingers merging for high P_{in} around 200 kPa. The flow regimes where channels form are characterized by typical finger thickness, final depth into the medium, and growth dynamics. The shape of the finger tips during growth is studied by looking at the finger width w as function of distance d from the tip. The tip profile is found to follow w(d)∝d^{β}, where β=0.68 is a typical value for all experiments, also over time. This indicates a singularity in the curvature d^{2}d/dw^{2}∼κ∼d^{1-2β}, but not of the slope dw/dd∼d^{β-1}, i.e., more rounded tips rather than pointy cusps, as they would be for the case β>1. For increasing P_{in}, the channels generally grow faster and deeper into the medium. We show that the channel length along the flow direction has a linear growth with time initially, followed by a power-law decay of growth velocity with time as the channel approaches its final length. A closer look reveals that the initial growth velocity v_{0} is found to scale with injection pressure as v_{0}∝P_{in}^{3/2}, while at a critical time t_{c} there is a cross-over to the behavior v(t)∝t^{-α}, where α is close to 2.5 for all experiments. Finally, we explore the fractal dimension of the fully

Experimental mixture design as a tool to optimize the growth of various Ganoderma species cultivated on media with different sugars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yit Kheng Goh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of different medium components (glucose, sucrose, and fructose on the growth of different Ganoderma isolates and species was investigated using mixture design. Ten sugar combinations based on three simple sugars were generated with two different concentrations, namely 3.3% and 16.7%, which represented low and high sugar levels, respectively. The media were adjusted to either pH 5 or 8. Ganoderma isolates (two G. boninense from oil palm, one Ganoderma species from coconut palm, G. lingzhi, and G. australe from tower tree grew faster at pH 8. Ganoderma lingzhi proliferated at the slowest rate compared to all other tested Ganoderma species in all the media studied. However, G. boninense isolates grew the fastest. Different Ganoderma species were found to have different sugar preferences. This study illustrated that the mixture design can be used to determine the optimal combinations of sugar or other nutrient/chemical components of media for fungal growth.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of femoral head fractures: excision vs. fixation of fragment in Pipkin type I: what is the optimal choice for femoral head fracture?

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Kyung-Soon; Lee, Keun-Bae; Na, Bo-Ram; Yoon, Taek-Rim

2015-07-01

In this work, we present relatively long-term results of femoral head fractures with a specific focus on Pipkin type I fractures. Fifty-nine femoral head fractures were treated according to modified Pipkin's classification as follows: type I, small fragment distal to the fovea centralis (FC); type II, large fragment distal to the FC; type III, large fragment proximal to the FC; type IV, comminuted fracture. There were 15 cases of type I, 28 of type II, 9 of type III, and 7 of type IV fractures. Conservative treatment with skeletal traction was performed in 4 type II cases, excision of the fragment in 15 type I and 10 type II cases, fixation of the fragment in 14 type II and all 9 type III cases, and total hip replacement in all 7 type IV cases. The overall clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated using previously published criteria, focusing on the results in Pipkin type I fractures with relatively large fragments. Based on Epstein criteria, in type II fractures, excellent or good clinical results were seen in 6 of 10 patients (60.0 %) treated by excision of the fragment and 12 of 14 patients (85.7 %) treated by internal fixation (p = 0.05). Also, excellent or good radiologic results were seen in 4 of 10 (40.0 %) patients treated by excision of the fragment and 12 of 14 (85.7 %) patients treated by internal fixation (p = 0.03). Even in Pipkin type I fractures, if the fragment is large (modified Pipkin type II), early reduction and internal fixation can produce good results.

High-Risk Stress Fractures: Diagnosis and Management.

Science.gov (United States)

McInnis, Kelly C; Ramey, Lindsay N

2016-03-01

Stress fractures are common overuse injuries in athletes. They occur during periods of increased training without adequate rest, disrupting normal bone reparative mechanisms. There are a host of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including biochemical and biomechanical, that put athletes at risk. In most stress fractures, the diagnosis is primarily clinical, with imaging indicated at times, and management focused on symptom-free relative rest with advancement of activity as tolerated. Overall, stress fractures in athletes have an excellent prognosis for return to sport, with little risk of complication. There is a subset of injuries that have a greater risk of fracture progression, delayed healing, and nonunion and are generally more challenging to treat with nonoperative care. Specific locations of high-risk stress fracture include the femoral neck (tension side), patella, anterior tibia, medial malleolus, talus, tarsal navicular, proximal fifth metatarsal, and great toe sesamoids. These sites share a characteristic region of high tensile load and low blood flow. High-risk stress fractures require a more aggressive approach to evaluation, with imaging often necessary, to confirm early and accurate diagnosis and initiate immediate treatment. Treatment consists of nonweight-bearing immobilization, often with a prolonged period away from sport, and a more methodic and careful reintroduction to athletic activity. These stress fractures may require surgical intervention. A high index of suspicion is essential to avoid delayed diagnosis and optimize outcomes in this subset of stress fractures. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapeutical Management of the Tibial Plateau Fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obada B.

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The study was aimed to identify the role of surgical treatment of tibial plateau fractures, its functional outcome and complications. Demographic data for the patients and details of current clinical and radiological follow-up findings were obtained to assess range of motion, clinical stability, alignment of the knee, and posttraumatic arthrosis (Kellgren/Lawrence score. 64 cases of tibial plateau fractures treated by different surgical methods and variuos implants type were studied from 2013 to 2015 and followed-up for minimum period of 6 months. The systematisation of the casuitry was made using Schatzker and AO classifications. The treatment methods consist of: percutaneous cannulated cancellous screws, ORIF with buttress plate with or without bone grafting, locking or nonlocking plates, external fixator. As complications we found: redepression 4 case, malunion 2 cases, knee stiffness 9, wound dehiscence in 1 cases and non-union or infection in none of our cases. The average flexion of the injured knee was significantly lower in comparison with the contralateral side (124.9°/135.2°. Knee stability did not differ statistically significantly. There were no signs of posttraumatic arthrosis in 45% of cases, mild signs in 30%, clear signs in 18%, and severe signs in 7%. As conclusion we found that surgical management of tibial plateau fractures will give excellent anatomical reduction and rigid fixation to restore articular congruity, facilitate early motion and reduce arthrosis risk and hence to achieve optimal knee function. The choice of optimal surgical methods, proper approach and implant is made in relation to fracture type according Schatzker and AO classification.

Theoretical aspects of fracture mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, C.; Craster, R. V.

1995-03-01

In this review we try to cover various topics in fracture mechanics in which mathematical analysis can be used both to aid numerical methods and cast light on key features of the stress field. The dominant singular near crack tip stress field can often be parametrized in terms of three parameters K(sub I), K(sub II) and K(sub III) designating three fracture modes each having an angular variation entirely specified for the stress tensor and displacement vector. These results and contact zone models for removing the interpenetration anomaly are described. Generalizations of the above results to viscoelastic media are described. For homogeneous media with constant Poisson's ratio the angular variation of singular crack tip stresses and displacements are shown to be the same for all time and the same inverse square root singularity as occurs in the elastic medium case is found (this being true for a time varying Poisson ratio too). Only the stress intensity factor varies through time dependence of loads and relaxation properties of the medium. For cracks against bimaterial interfaces both the stress singularity and angular form evolve with time as a function of the time dependent properties of the bimaterial. Similar behavior is identified for sharp notches in viscoelastic plates. The near crack tip behavior in material with non-linear stress strain laws is also identified and stress singularities classified in terms of the hardening exponent for power law hardening materials. Again for interface cracks the near crack tip behavior requires careful analysis and it is shown that more than one singular term may be present in the near crack tip stress field. A variety of theory and applications is presented for inhomogeneous elastic media, coupled thermoelasticity etc. Methods based on reciprocal theorems and dual functions which can also aid in getting awkward singular stress behavior from numerical solutions are also reviewed. Finally theoretical calculations of fiber

Diffusion Dominant Solute Transport Modelling In Deep Repository Under The Effect of Emplacement Media Degradation - 13285

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwong, S.; Jivkov, A.P.

2013-01-01

Deep geologic disposal of high activity and long-lived radioactive waste is being actively considered and pursued in many countries, where low permeability geological formations are used to provide long term waste contaminant with minimum impact to the environment and risk to the biosphere. A multi-barrier approach that makes use of both engineered and natural barriers (i.e. geological formations) is often used to further enhance the containment performance of the repository. As the deep repository system subjects to a variety of thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical (THCM) effects over its long 'operational' lifespan (e.g. 0.1 to 1.0 million years, the integrity of the barrier system will decrease over time (e.g. fracturing in rock or clay)). This is broadly referred as media degradation in the present study. This modelling study examines the effects of media degradation on diffusion dominant solute transport in fractured media that are typical of deep geological environment. In particular, reactive solute transport through fractured media is studied using a 2-D model, that considers advection and diffusion, to explore the coupled effects of kinetic and equilibrium chemical processes, while the effects of degradation is studied using a pore network model that considers the media diffusivity and network changes. Model results are presented to demonstrate the use of a 3D pore-network model, using a novel architecture, to calculate macroscopic properties of the medium such as diffusivity, subject to pore space changes as the media degrade. Results from a reactive transport model of a representative geological waste disposal package are also presented to demonstrate the effect of media property change on the solute migration behaviour, illustrating the complex interplay between kinetic biogeochemical processes and diffusion dominant transport. The initial modelling results demonstrate the feasibility of a coupled modelling approach (using pore-network model and reactive

Cloud computing and digital media fundamentals, techniques, and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Kuan-Ching; Shih, Timothy K

2014-01-01

Cloud Computing and Digital Media: Fundamentals, Techniques, and Applications presents the fundamentals of cloud and media infrastructure, novel technologies that integrate digital media with cloud computing, and real-world applications that exemplify the potential of cloud computing for next-generation digital media. It brings together technologies for media/data communication, elastic media/data storage, security, authentication, cross-network media/data fusion, interdevice media interaction/reaction, data centers, PaaS, SaaS, and more.The book covers resource optimization for multimedia clo

Lower limb fractures associated with multiligament knee injury

Science.gov (United States)

Stagnaro, Joaquin; Yacuzzi, Carlos; Barla, Jorge; Zicaro, Juan Pablo; Costa-Paz, Matias

2017-01-01

Objectives: Knee ligament injuries related to lower limb fractures are common and frequently unnoticed. Management of acute polytrauma is usually focused in the bone lesion and a complete physical examination might be really difficult. The purpose of this study was to analyze a series of patients who suffered multiligament knee injuries associated to a lower limb fracture. Hypothesis: The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the initial management can lead to an early diagnosis of ligament injuries. Methods: A retrospective search was conducted from our hospital´s electronic database. We evaluated the initial diagnosis and acute surgical treatment, and management and functional outcomes after the ligament lesion was diagnosed. Results: Seven patients who presented a knee multiligament injury associated with a lower limb fracture were evaluated. The average age was 29 years. Primary diagnoses were: four tibial plateau fractures; one open fracture-dislocation of the knee; one open leg fracture and ipsilateral hip dislocation; and one bifocal femur fracture. Only three patients had an MRI during the initial management of trauma. Six out of seven patients had to be operated on for the multiligament knee injury. The period between the resolution of the fracture and the ligamentous repair was from 3 to 24 months. Conclusion: Poor functional outcomes are reported in patients with multiligament knee injuries associated with high-energy lower limb fractures. We consider an MRI during the initial management can lead to better outcomes. A trauma surgeon working alongside an arthroscopic surgeon might optimize the results for these lesions.

Natural history of medial clavicle fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Salipas, Andrew; Kimmel, Lara A; Edwards, Elton R; Rakhra, Sandeep; Moaveni, Afshin Kamali

2016-10-01

Fractures of the medial third of the clavicle comprise less than 3% of all clavicle fractures. The natural history and optimal management of these rare injuries are unknown. The aim of our study is to describe the demographics, management and outcomes of patients with medial clavicle fractures treated at a Level 1 Trauma Centre. A retrospective review was conducted of patients presenting to our institution between January 2008 and March 2013 with a medial third clavicle fracture. Clinical and radiographic data were recorded including mechanism of injury, fracture pattern and displacement, associated injuries, management and complications. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOS-E) scores from the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry (VOTOR). Shoulder outcomes were assessed using two patient reported outcomes scores, the American Shoulder and Elbow Society Score (ASES) and the Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV). Sixty eight medial clavicle fractures in 68 patients were evaluated. The majority of patients were male (n=53), with a median age of 53.5 years (interquartile range (IQR) 37.5-74.5 years). The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accident (n=28). The in-hospital mortality rate was 4.4%. The fracture pattern was almost equally distributed between extra articular (n=35) and intra-articular (n=33). Fifty-five fractures (80.9%) had minimal or no displacement. Associated injuries were predominantly thoracic (n=31). All fractures were initially managed non-operatively, with a broad arm sling. Delayed operative fixation was performed for painful atrophic delayed union in two patients (2.9%). Both patients were under 65 years of age and had a severely displaced fracture of the medial clavicle. One intra-operative vascular complication was seen, with no adverse long-term outcome. Follow-up was obtained in 85.0% of the surviving cohort at an average of three years post injury (range 1-6 years). The mean ASES

Sleep and Media Screens in Pediatric Ages

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Filipe Cerca

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Sleep plays an essential role in children’s physical, emotional and behavioral health. Understanding the sleep architecture, sleep duration requirements as well as the interference of media screens activity with sleep across pediatric ages is essential in order to provide an adequate anticipatory guidance for the children’s parents. Objectives: To review current knowledge on sleep physiology with a particular focus in sleep duration requirements across pediatric ages and on the influence of media screen activity on children and adolescent sleep. Methods: Revision of meta-analysis research studies, systematic reviews, standards of clinical orientation and original research published in Portuguese or English between 01/2000 and 08/2017 on Pubmed / Medline using the following MeSH terms: sleep; sleep requirements; sleep physiology; media screen; child and neurodevelopment. Development: Sleep architecture and sleep duration requirements undergo constant change with age. Despite interindividual differences, optimal sleep duration intervals as well as nap times, which constitute an essential component of children’s sleep, should be followed. Along children’s age progression, other parameters need to be considered in order to maintain optimal sleep quality. The restriction of media screen use at bedtime assumes special relevance, as there is growing evidence pointing towards an association between shortened sleep time and the misuse of screen devices. Adolescents represent a particularly vulnerable population to media screens effects. Importantly, screen overuse and media content may be responsible for higher propensity for obesity, risky behavior, depression, impaired academic performance, decreased social skills and attention difficulties. Conclusion: Anticipatory guidance for parents addressing sleep optimization and media exposure should be routinely provided as a part of health follow-up. Physicians should be capacitated to

Taking a holistic approach to managing difficult stress fractures.

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Miller, Timothy L; Best, Thomas M

2016-09-09

Stress fractures and other bony stress injuries occur along a spectrum of severity which can impact treatment and prognosis. When treating these injuries, it should be borne in mind that no two stress fractures behave exactly alike. Given that they are not a consistent injury, standardized treatment protocols can be challenging to develop. Treatment should be individualized to the patient or athlete, the causative activity, the anatomical site, and the severity of the injury. A holistic approach to the treatment of the most difficult stress fractures should be taken by orthopedists and sports medicine specialists. This approach is necessary to obtain optimal outcomes, minimize loss of fitness and time away from sports participation, and decrease the risk of recurrence.

SLOWNESS SURFACE CALCULATION FOR DIFFERENT MEDIA USING THE SYMBOLIC MATHEMATICS LANGUAGE MAPLE®

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Piedrahita Carlos

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Starting from the equation in different media, we obtain the different type of waves that can exists in such media. The evaluation of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors let us construct the slowness surfaces. In general complex calculations case have to be made. In this work, routines were implemented in the symbolic language MAPLE® and the slowness surfaces were plotted. This work is relevant for the modelling of equivalent media that simulates natural fractured reservoirs, like those common in the Colombian foothills. It is important to understand the seismic response of this reservoirs for exploration of this areas.

Evaluation and optimization of hepatocyte culture media factors by design of experiments (DoE) methodology.

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Dong, Jia; Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik; Lübberstedt, Marc; Urbaniak, Thomas; Nüssler, Andreas K N; Knobeloch, Daniel; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2008-07-01

Optimization of cell culture media based on statistical experimental design methodology is a widely used approach for improving cultivation conditions. We applied this methodology to refine the composition of an established culture medium for growth of a human hepatoma cell line, C3A. A selection of growth factors and nutrient supplements were systematically screened according to standard design of experiments (DoE) procedures. The results of the screening indicated that the medium additives hepatocyte growth factor, oncostatin M, and fibroblast growth factor 4 significantly influenced the metabolic activities of the C3A cell line. Surface response methodology revealed that the optimum levels for these factors were 30 ng/ml for hepatocyte growth factor and 35 ng/ml for oncostatin M. Additional experiments on primary human hepatocyte cultures showed high variance in metabolic activities between cells from different individuals, making determination of optimal levels of factors more difficult. Still, it was possible to conclude that hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and oncostatin M had decisive effects on the metabolic functions of primary human hepatocytes.

Numerical Investigation into the Effect of Natural Fracture Density on Hydraulic Fracture Network Propagation

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Zhaohui Chong

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Hydraulic fracturing is an important method to enhance permeability in oil and gas exploitation projects and weaken hard roofs of coal seams to reduce dynamic disasters, for example, rock burst. It is necessary to fully understand the mechanism of the initiation, propagation, and coalescence of hydraulic fracture network (HFN caused by fluid flow in rock formations. In this study, a coupled hydro-mechanical model was built based on synthetic rock mass (SRM method to investigate the effects of natural fracture (NF density on HFN propagation. Firstly, the geometrical structures of NF obtained from borehole images at the field scale were applied to the model. Secondly, the micro-parameters of the proposed model were validated against the interaction between NF and hydraulic fracture (HF in physical experiments. Finally, a series of numerical simulations were performed to study the mechanism of HFN propagation. In addition, confining pressure ratio (CPR and injection rate were also taken into consideration. The results suggested that the increase of NF density drives the growth of stimulated reservoir volume (SRV, concentration area of injection pressure (CAIP, and the number of cracks caused by NF. The number of tensile cracks caused by rock matrix decrease gradually with the increase of NF density, and the number of shear cracks caused by rock matrix are almost immune to the change of NF density. The propagation orientation of HFN and the breakdown pressure in rock formations are mainly controlled by CPR. Different injection rates would result in a relatively big difference in the gradient of injection pressure, but this difference would be gradually narrowed with the increase of NF density. Natural fracture density is the key factor that influences the percentages of different crack types in HFN, regardless of the value of CPR and injection rate. The proposed model may help predict HFN propagation and optimize fracturing treatment designs in

Validation of a new classification system for interprosthetic femoral fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pires, Robinson Esteves Santos; Silveira, Marcelo Peixoto Sena; Resende, Alessandra Regina da Silva; Junior, Egidio Oliveira Santana; Campos, Tulio Vinicius Oliveira; Santos, Leandro Emilio Nascimento; Balbachevsky, Daniel; Andrade, Marco Antônio Percope de

2017-07-01

Interprosthetic femoral fracture (IFF) incidence is gradually increasing as the population is progressively ageing. However, treatment remains challenging due to several contributing factors, such as poor bone quality, patient comorbidities, small interprosthetic fragment, and prostheses instability. An effective and specific classification system is essential to optimize treatment management, therefore diminishing complication rates. This study aims to validate a previously described classification system for interprosthetic femoral fractures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Model of T-Type Fracture in Coal Fracturing and Analysis of Influence Factors of Fracture Morphology

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Yuwei Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Special T-type fractures can be formed when coal is hydraulically fractured and there is currently no relevant theoretical model to calculate and describe them. This paper first establishes the height calculation model of vertical fractures in multi-layered formations and deduces the stress intensity factor (SIF at the upper and lower sides of the fracture in the process of vertical fracture extension. Combined with the fracture tip stress analysis method of fracture mechanics theory, the horizontal bedding is taken into account for tensile and shear failure, and the critical mechanical conditions for the formation of horizontal fracture in coal are obtained. Finally, the model of T-type fracture in coal fracturing is established, and it is verified by fracturing simulation experiments. The model calculation result shows that the increase of vertical fracture height facilitates the increase of horizontal fracture length. The fracture toughness of coal has a significant influence on the length of horizontal fracture and there is a threshold. When the fracture toughness is less than the threshold, the length of horizontal fracture remains unchanged, otherwise, the length of horizontal fracture increases rapidly with the increase of fracture toughness. When the shear strength of the interface between the coalbed and the interlayer increases, the length of the horizontal fracture of the T-type fracture rapidly decreases.

Evaluation of permeable fractures in rock aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Bok Lee, Hang

2015-04-01

In this study, the practical usefulness and fundamental applicability of a self-potential (SP) method for identifying the permeable fractures were evaluated by a comparison of SP methods with other geophysical logging methods and hydraulic tests. At a 10 m-shallow borehole in the study site, the candidates of permeable fractures crossing the borehole were first determined by conventional geophysical methods such as an acoustic borehole televiwer, temperature, electrical conductivity and gamma-gamma loggings, which was compared to the analysis by the SP method. Constant pressure injection and recovery tests were conducted for verification of the hydraulic properties of the fractures identified by various logging methods. The acoustic borehole televiwer and gamma-gamma loggings detected the open space or weathering zone within the borehole, but they cannot prove the possibility of a groundwater flow through the detected fractures. The temperature and electrical conductivity loggings had limitations to detect the fractured zones where groundwater in the borehole flows out to the surrounding rock aquifers. Comparison of results from different methods showed that there is a best correlation between the distribution of hydraulic conductivity and the variation of the SP signals, and the SP logging can estimate accurately the hydraulic activity as well as the location of permeable fractures. Based on the results, the SP method is recommended for determining the hydraulically-active fractures rather than other conventional geophysical loggings. This self-potential method can be effectively applied in the initial stage of a site investigation which selects the optimal location and evaluates the hydrogeological property of fractures in target sites for the underground structure including the geothermal reservoir and radioactive waste disposal.

Transport of Particle Swarms Through Variable Aperture Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Boomsma, E.; Pyrak-Nolte, L. J.

2012-12-01

. Converging apertures caused swarms to decelerate rapidly and become trapped in the transition point between the converging and parallel regions for apertures less than 2.5 mm. In uniform aperture fractures, an optimal aperture range (5 mm to 15 mm) exists where swarm velocity was higher and the swarm maintained cohesion over a longer distance. For apertures below this range the swarms were strongly slowed due to drag from the wall, while for larger apertures the swarm velocity approached an asymptote due to the loss of the walls influence. The transport of particle swarms in fractures is strongly controlled by aperture distribution. While drag from the fracture does slow swarms, especially at small apertures, much of the interesting behavior (shape changes in diverging fracture, optimal aperture in parallel fracture) is best explained by fracture induced preferential confinement that controls the evolution of the swarm. When this confinement is suddenly changed, the swarm responds quickly and dramatically to its new environment. This has important implications for the understanding of contaminant dispersal in subsurface fracture networks because the type of aperture variation can exert a strong influence on particle swarm transport. Acknowledgment: The authors wish to acknowledge support of this work by the Geosciences Research Program, Office of Basic Energy Sciences US Department of Energy (DE-FG02-09ER16022).

Fracture in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Natural History and Vitamin D Deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Nadia; Sampaio, Hugo; Woodhead, Helen; Farrar, Michelle

2016-08-01

The present study examined the natural history of fracture and vitamin D levels in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, who are vulnerable to osteoporosis and fractures. Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 48 Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients revealed that 43% of patients experienced ≥1 fracture. Fracture probabilities at ages 6, 9, 12, and 15 years were 4%, 9%, 31%, and 60% respectively, accelerating around the time of ambulation loss (mean age 11.8 ± 2.7 years). Chronic corticosteroid therapy was utilized in 69% of patients and was associated with all vertebral fractures. A history of vitamin D deficiency occurred in 84%, and 35% were currently deficient. Despite chronic vitamin D supplementation, 38% remained deficient. These results demonstrate that osteoporosis and fracture remain major concerns in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Bone health should be optimized well before loss of ambulation, however current levels of vitamin D supplementation may be inadequate given high levels of deficiency. © The Author(s) 2016.

An element-based finite-volume method approach for naturally fractured compositional reservoir simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcondes, Francisco [Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza (Brazil). Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering and Material Science], e-mail: marcondes@ufc.br; Varavei, Abdoljalil; Sepehrnoori, Kamy [The University of Texas at Austin (United States). Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Dept.], e-mails: varavei@mail.utexas.edu, kamys@mail.utexas.edu

2010-07-01

An element-based finite-volume approach in conjunction with unstructured grids for naturally fractured compositional reservoir simulation is presented. In this approach, both the discrete fracture and the matrix mass balances are taken into account without any additional models to couple the matrix and discrete fractures. The mesh, for two dimensional domains, can be built of triangles, quadrilaterals, or a mix of these elements. However, due to the available mesh generator to handle both matrix and discrete fractures, only results using triangular elements will be presented. The discrete fractures are located along the edges of each element. To obtain the approximated matrix equation, each element is divided into three sub-elements and then the mass balance equations for each component are integrated along each interface of the sub-elements. The finite-volume conservation equations are assembled from the contribution of all the elements that share a vertex, creating a cell vertex approach. The discrete fracture equations are discretized only along the edges of each element and then summed up with the matrix equations in order to obtain a conservative equation for both matrix and discrete fractures. In order to mimic real field simulations, the capillary pressure is included in both matrix and discrete fracture media. In the implemented model, the saturation field in the matrix and discrete fractures can be different, but the potential of each phase in the matrix and discrete fracture interface needs to be the same. The results for several naturally fractured reservoirs are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method. (author)

Bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of fracture and infection of the temporal bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djupesland, G.; Nakken, K.F.; Mueller, C.; Skjoerten, F.; Roehrt, T.; Eldevik, P.

1983-01-01

The sensivit of Tc99m-MDP-bone-scintiscanning in the diagnosis of temporal bone fracture was found to that of conventional radiography if the patients were examined 10 days after the trauma. Temporal bone osteomyelitis with concomitant moderate osteosclerosis was demonstrated by bone scintigraphy in 5 cases of mastoiditis with atypical symptoms. A case of apicitis was for the first time demonstrated by scintigraphy. A low sensivity of 67 Ga-scintigraphy was demonstrated by positive Tc99m-bone-scintigraphy and negative 67 Ga-scintigraphy in a patient with atypical mastoiditis. Tc99m-scintigraphy was negative in 5 cases of otitis media suppurative and in 3 cases of otitis media chronica cum cholesteatoma, all with slight degree of osteosclerosis in the mastoid. The sensitivity of Tc99m-bone-scintigraphy in fracture and osteomyelitis of the temporal bone seems to be a function of the amount of reactive new bone formed. (Authors)

[Clinical practice guideline on closed tibial plateau fractures in adulthood].

Science.gov (United States)

Ocegueda-Sosa, Miguel Ángel; Valenzuela-Flores, Adriana Abigail; Aldaco-García, Víctor Daniel; Flores-Aguilar, Sergio; Manilla-Lezama, Nicolás; Pérez-Hernández, Jorge

2013-01-01

Closed tibiae plateau fractures are common injuries in the emergency room. The optimal treatment is not well defined or established. For this reason, there are several surgical management options: open reduction and internal fixation, closed reduction and percutaneous synthesis, external fixation, and even conservative treatment for this kind of fracture. The mechanism of production of this fracture is through large varus or valgus deformation to which is added a factor of axial load. The trauma may be direct or indirect. The degree of displacement, fragmentation and involvement of soft tissues like ligaments, menisci, vascular and nerve structures are determined by the magnitude of the force exerted. Any intra-articular fracture treatment can lead to an erroneous instability, deformity and limitation of motion with subsequent arthritic changes, leading to joint incongruity, limiting activity and significantly altering the quality of life. Open reduction and internal fixation with anatomic restitution is the method used in this type of fracture. However, the results of numerous publications can be questioned due to the inclusion in the same study of fractures treated with very different methods.

HEK293 cell culture media study towards bioprocess optimization: Animal derived component free and animal derived component containing platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Liste-Calleja, Leticia; Lecina, Martí; Cairó, Jordi Joan

2014-04-01

The increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals produced in mammalian cells has lead industries to enhance bioprocess volumetric productivity through different strategies. Among those strategies, cell culture media development is of major interest. In the present work, several commercially available culture media for Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK293) were evaluated in terms of maximal specific growth rate and maximal viable cell concentration supported. The main objective was to provide different cell culture platforms which are suitable for a wide range of applications depending on the type and the final use of the product obtained. Performing simple media supplementations with and without animal derived components, an enhancement of cell concentration from 2 × 10(6) cell/mL to 17 × 10(6) cell/mL was achieved in batch mode operation. Additionally, the media were evaluated for adenovirus production as a specific application case of HEK293 cells. None of the supplements interfered significantly with the adenovirus infection although some differences were encountered in viral productivity. To the best of our knowledge, the high cell density achieved in the work presented has never been reported before in HEK293 batch cell cultures and thus, our results are greatly promising to further study cell culture strategies in bioreactor towards bioprocess optimization. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effective Wettability of Heterogenous Fracture Surfaces Using the Lattice-Boltzmann Method

Science.gov (United States)

E Santos, J.; Prodanovic, M.; Landry, C. J.

2017-12-01

Fracture walls in the subsurface are often structured by minerals of different composition (potentially further altered in contact with fluids during hydrocarbon extraction or CO2 sequestration), this yields in a heterogeneous wettability of the surface in contact with the fluids. The focus of our work is to study how surfaces presenting different mineralogy and roughness affect multiphase flow in fractures. Using the Shan-Chen model of the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) we define fluid interaction and surface attraction parameters to simulate a system of a wetting and a non-wetting fluid. In this work, we use synthetically created fractures presenting different arrangements of wetting and non-wetting patches, and with or without roughness; representative of different mineralogy, similar workflow can be applied to fractures extracted from X-ray microtomography images of fractures porous media. The results from the LBM simulations provide an insight on how the distribution of mineralogy and surface roughness are related with the observed macroscopic contact angle. We present a comparison between the published analytical models, and our results based on surface areas, spatial distribution and local fracture aperture. The understanding of the variables that affect the contact angle is useful for the comprehension of multiphase processes in naturally fractured reservoirs like primary oil production, enhanced oil recovery and CO2 sequestration. The macroscopic contact angle analytical equations for heterogeneous surfaces with variable roughness are no longer valid in highly heterogeneous systems; we quantify the difference thus offering an alternative to analytical models.

The sharing of radiological images by professional mixed martial arts fighters on social media.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmani, George; Joyce, Cormac W; McCarthy, Peter

2017-06-01

Mixed martial arts is a sport that has recently enjoyed a significant increase in popularity. This rise in popularity has catapulted many of these "cage fighters" into stardom and many regularly use social media to reach out to their fans. An interesting result of this interaction on social media is that athletes are sharing images of their radiological examinations when they sustain an injury. To review instances where mixed martial arts fighters shared images of their radiological examinations on social media and in what context they were shared. An Internet search was performed using the Google search engine. Search terms included "MMA," "mixed martial arts," "injury," "scan," "X-ray," "fracture," and "break." Articles which discussed injuries to MMA fighters were examined and those in which the fighter themselves shared a radiological image of their injury on social media were identified. During our search, we identified 20 MMA fighters that had shared radiological images of their injuries on social media. There were 15 different types of injury, with a fracture of the mid-shaft of the ulna being the most common. The most popular social media platform was Twitter. The most common imaging modality X-ray (71%). The majority of injuries were sustained during competition (81%) and 35% of these fights resulted in a win for the fighter. Professional mixed martial artists are sharing radiological images of their injuries on social media. This may be in an attempt to connect with fans and raise their profile among other fighters.

Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures in a 6-Year-Old Child After Blunt Trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelsattar, Zaid M; Ishitani, Michael B; Kim, Brian D

2017-12-01

When identified, rib fractures in children are associated with high-energy trauma, nonaccidental trauma, or both. Traditionally, the optimal management of rib fractures in children is supportive care. In this case report, we present a 6-year-old boy who underwent surgical rib fixation for multiple displaced and comminuted rib fractures after being stepped on by a horse. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fixation using alternative implants for the treatment of hip fractures (FAITH): Design and rationale for a multi-centre randomized trial comparing sliding hip screws and cancellous screws on revision surgery rates and quality of life in the treatment of femoral neck fractures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2014-01-01

textabstractBackground: Hip fractures are a common type of fragility fracture that afflict 293,000 Americans (over 5,000 per week) and 35,000 Canadians (over 670 per week) annually. Despite the large population impact the optimal fixation technique for low energy femoral neck fractures remains

Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of recategorized Neer classification in differentiating 2-part surgical neck fractures from multi-fragmented proximal humeral fractures in 116 patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sumrein, Bakir O; Mattila, Ville M; Lepola, Vesa

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Optimal fracture classification should be simple and reproducible and should guide treatment. For proximal humeral fractures, the Neer classification is commonly used. However, intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the Neer classification has been shown to be poor. In clinical...... for interobserver reliability showed substantial correlation (0.61-0.73) and was as follows: 0.73 for radiographs alone, 0.61 for CT scans alone, and 0.72 for radiographs and CT scans viewed together. After 24 weeks, the process was repeated and intraobserver reliability was calculated.The κ coefficient...... for intraobserver reliability showed substantial correlation (0.62-0.75) and was as follows: 0.62 for radiographs alone, 0.64 for CT scans alone, and 0.75 for radiographs and CT scans viewed together. CONCLUSION: Clinicians were able to differentiate 2-part surgical neck fractures from multi-fragmented fractures...

Characterization of Fractured Reservoirs Using a Combination of Downhole Pressure and Self-Potential Transient Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Nishi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to appraise the utility of self-potential (SP measurements to characterize fractured reservoirs, we carried out continuous SP monitoring using multi Ag-AgCl electrodes installed within two open holes at the Kamaishi Mine, Japan. The observed ratio of SP change to pressure change associated with fluid flow showed different behaviors between intact host rock and fractured rock regions. Characteristic behavior peculiar to fractured reservoirs, which is predicted from numerical simulations of electrokinetic phenomena in MINC (multiple interacting continua double-porosity media, was observed near the fractures. Semilog plots of the ratio of SP change to pressure change observed in one of the two wells show obvious transition from intermediate time increasing to late time stable trends, which indicate that the time required for pressure equilibration between the fracture and matrix regions is about 800 seconds. Fracture spacing was estimated to be a few meters assuming several micro-darcies (10-18 m2 of the matrix region permeability, which is consistent with geological and hydrological observations.

Optimizing the Terzaghi Estimator of the 3D Distribution of Rock Fracture Orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Huiming; Huang, Lei; Juang, C. Hsein; Zhang, Junrong

2017-08-01

Orientation statistics are prone to bias when surveyed with the scanline mapping technique in which the observed probabilities differ, depending on the intersection angle between the fracture and the scanline. This bias leads to 1D frequency statistical data that are poorly representative of the 3D distribution. A widely accessible estimator named after Terzaghi was developed to estimate 3D frequencies from 1D biased observations, but the estimation accuracy is limited for fractures at narrow intersection angles to scanlines (termed the blind zone). Although numerous works have concentrated on accuracy with respect to the blind zone, accuracy outside the blind zone has rarely been studied. This work contributes to the limited investigations of accuracy outside the blind zone through a qualitative assessment that deploys a mathematical derivation of the Terzaghi equation in conjunction with a quantitative evaluation that uses fractures simulation and verification of natural fractures. The results show that the estimator does not provide a precise estimate of 3D distributions and that the estimation accuracy is correlated with the grid size adopted by the estimator. To explore the potential for improving accuracy, the particular grid size producing maximum accuracy is identified from 168 combinations of grid sizes and two other parameters. The results demonstrate that the 2° × 2° grid size provides maximum accuracy for the estimator in most cases when applied outside the blind zone. However, if the global sample density exceeds 0.5°-2, then maximum accuracy occurs at a grid size of 1° × 1°.

Bimalleolar ankle fracture with proximal fibular fracture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Colenbrander, R. J.; Struijs, P. A. A.; Ultee, J. M.

2005-01-01

A 56-year-old female patient suffered a bimalleolar ankle fracture with an additional proximal fibular fracture. This is an unusual fracture type, seldom reported in literature. It was operatively treated by open reduction and internal fixation of the lateral malleolar fracture. The proximal fibular