A physically based numerical approach is presented for modeling multiphase flow and transport processes in fractured rock. In particular, a general framework model is discussed for dealing with fracture-matrix interactions, which is applicable to both continuum and discrete fracture conceptualization. The numerical modeling approach is based on a general multiple-continuum concept, suitable for...

Fractures play an important role in steam production from geothermal reservoirs. It has been a challenge for a long time to characterize materials with a high density of fractures such as The Geysers rock. Experimental data showed that the capillary pressure curves of The Geysers rock are very different from that of Berea sandstone. Methods to characterize the difference between the two have be...

Abstract Capillary dominated flow or imbibition—whether spontaneous forced—is an important physical phenomena in understanding the behavior of naturally fractured water-driven reservoirs (NFR’s). When water flows through fractures, it imbibes into matrix and pushes oil out pores due to difference capillary pressure. In this paper, we focus on modeling quantifying recovered from NFR’s imbibition...

rock selection in modeling and simulation studies is usually based on two techniques; routinely defined rock types and those defined by special core analysis (scal). the challenge in utilizing these two techniques is that they are frequently assumed to be the same, but in practice, static rock-types (routinely defined) are not always representative of dynamic rock-types (scal defined) in the re...

The evaluation of a free fluid surface in a porous medium has several mathematical applications that are important in industries using molds, particularly in the fluid injection process. The vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process is a promising technology in the primary composite industry. An accurate computational simulation of the VARTM process would be a cost-effective tool i...

A study of the e€ects of grid discretization on the migration of DNAPL within a discrete-fracture network embedded in a porous rock matrix is presented. It is shown that an insuciently ®ne discretization of the fracture elements can lead to an overprediction of the volume of DNAPL that continues to migrate vertically at the intersection of a vertical and horizontal fracture. Uniform discretiza...

Capillary pressure and relative permeability are important parameters in geothermal reservoir engineering. It is essential to represent capillary pressure curves mathematically in an appropriate way. The Brooks-Corey capillary pressure model has been accepted widely, however it has been found that the Brooks-Corey model cannot represent capillary pressure curves of The Geysers rock samples. In ...

The fracture mechanics examines the development and expansion of cracks in solids and how they affect the deformation of materials. The stress intensity factors at the tip of the crack and the critical stress intensity factors or fracture toughness of materials are considered in the relevant criteria. There are three main modes of applying forces to a crack including the tensile mode, shear mod...