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Languages : en
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Book Description
The validity of the cubic law for laminar flow of fluids through open fractures consisting of parallel planar plates has been established by others over a wide range of conditions with apertures ranging down to a minimum of 0.2 .mu.m. The law may be given in simplified form by Q/.delta.h = C(2b)3, where Q is the flow rate, .delta.h is the difference in hydraulic head, C is a constant that depends on the flow geometry and fluid properties, and 2b is the fracture aperture. The validity of this law for flow in a closed fracture where the surfaces are in contact and the aperture is being decreased under stress has been investigated at room temperature using homogeneous samples of granite, basalt, and marble. Tension fractures were artifically induced and the laboratory setup used radial as well as straight flow geometries. Apertures ranged from 250 .mu.m down to 4 .mu.m. The cubic law was found to be valid whether the fracture surfaces were held open or were being closed under stress, and the results are not dependent on rock type. Permeability was uniquely defined by fracture aperture and was independent of the stress history used in these investigations. The effects of deviations from the ideal parallel plate concept only cause an apparent reduction in flow and may be incorporated into the cubic law by replacing C by C/f. The factor f varied from 1.04 to 1.65 in these investigations. The model of a fracture that is being closed under normal stress is visualized as being controlled by the strength of the asperities that are in contact. These contact areas are able to withstand significant stresses while maintaining space for fluids to continue to flow as the fracture aperture decreases. The controlling factor is the magnitude of the aperture and since flow depends on (2b)3, a slight change in aperture evidently can easily dominate any other change in the geometry of the flow field.
