Saturated-unsaturated flow in unconfined aquifers

An asymptotic theory is developed for the saturated-unsaturated flow in unconfined aquifers. It is found that in the first approximation the flow is governed by a nonlinear parabolic equation which reduces to the Boussinesq equation when the terms associated with the unsaturated zone are omitted. By assuming certain hydraulic properties of the porous medium it will be shown that the effects of the unsaturated zone are significant in most practical cases of interest.

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Zusammenfassung Eine asymptotische Theorie für die gesättigte-ungesättigte Strömung in porösen, wassertragenden, auf der Landfläche sich befindenden Schichten wird entwickelt. Wir fanden, daß in der ersten Annäherung die Strömung von einer nicht linearen parabolischen Gleichung bestimmt wird, die zur Gleichung von Boussinesq zurückgeführt werden kann, wenn die Glieder für die ungesättigte Zone ausgelassen werden. Wenn man dem porösen Material gewisse Eigenschaften zuschreibt, dann läßt sich zeigen, dass der Einfluß der ungesättigten Zone in den meisten in der Praxis auftretenden Fällen von Bedeutung sind.

     

The reconstruction of groundwater parameters from head data in an unconfined aquifer

The estimation of groundwater flow parameters from head measurements and other ancillary data is fundamental to the process of modelling a groundwater system. In an unconfined aquifer, the problem is more complex because the governing equation for the well heads, the Boussinesq equation, is non-linear. We consider here a new method that allows for the simultaneous computation of the unconfined groundwater parameters as the unique minimum of a convex functional.     

Numerical analysis of a finite volume scheme for a seawater intrusion model with cross‐diffusion in an unconfined aquifer

We consider a degenerate parabolic system modeling the flow of fresh and saltwater in a porous medium in the context of seawater intrusion. We propose and analyze a finite volume scheme based on two‐point flux approximation with upwind mobilities. The scheme preserves at the discrete level the main features of the continuous problem, namely the nonnegativity of the solutions, the decay of the energy and the control of the entropy and its dissipation. Based on these nonlinear stability results, we show that the scheme converges toward a weak solution to the problem. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the behavior of the model and of the scheme.     

Homogenization and simulation for compositional flow in naturally fractured reservoirs

A dual porosity model of multidimensional, multicomponent, multiphase flow in naturally fractured reservoirs is derived by the mathematical theory of homogenization. A fully compositional model is considered where there are N chemical components, each of which may exist in any or all of the three phases: gas, oil, and water. Special attention is paid to developing a general approach to incorporating gravitational forces, pressure gradient effects, and effects of mass transfer between phases. In particular, general equations for the interactions between matrix and fracture systems are obtained under homogenization by a careful scaling of these effects. Using this dual porosity compositional model, numerical experiments are reported for the benchmark problems of the sixth comparative solution project organized by the society of petroleum engineers.     

Numerical modeling of fluid flow in anisotropic fractured porous media

A model of double porosity in the case of an anisotropic fractured porous medium is considered (Dmitriev, Maksimov; 2007). A function of fluid exchange between the fractures and porous blocks depending on flow direction is given. The flow function is based on the difference between the pressure gradients. This feature enables one to take into account anisotropic properties of filtration in a more general form. The results of numerical solving a model two-dimensional problem are presented. The computational algorithm is based on a finite-element space approximation and explicit-implicit time approximations.     

A stationary flow of fresh and salt groundwater in a coastal aquifer with nonlinear darcy' law

We study an homogeneous aquifer where fresh and salt water are separated by an interface T. The flow is governed by a nonlinear Darcy' law. Using suitable approximated problems, we prove existence of a solution and establish some properties.     

Convergence of a dual‐porosity model for two‐phase flow in fractured reservoirs

A dual‐porosity model describing two‐phase, incompressible, immiscible flows in a fractured reservoir is considered. Indeed, relations among fracture mobilities, fracture capillary presure, matrix mobilities, and matrix capillary presure of the model are mainly concerned. Roughly speaking, proper relations for these functions are (1) Fracture mobilities go to zero slower than matrix mobilities as fracture and matrix saturations go to their limits, (2) Fracture mobilities times derivative of fracture capillary presure and matrix mobilities times derivative of matrix capillary presure are both integrable functions. Galerkin's method is used to study this problem. Under above two conditions, convergence of discretized solutions obtained by Galerkin's method is shown by using compactness and monotonicity methods. Uniqueness of solution is studied by a duality argument. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The fresh-salt water interface in a semi-pervious aquifer

The paper determines the location of the steady state interface between fresh and saltwater in a plane coastal aquifer. The lower boundary is totally impervious while the upper one is impervious below land and semi-pervious below the sea allowing an outflow through this part of the upper boundary. The model equations reduce to two boundary value problems, one valid in x < 0 and the other in x > 0 here x is measured along the aquifer with the origin at the coast. In each region unknown boundaries have to be determined as part of the solution using boundary and continuity conditions. Two cases are presented using the Dupuit approximation. One where the solution can be written down in terms of elementary functions and the other in which we have to use a phase space analysis.     

Saturated-unsaturated groundwater modeling using 3D Richards equation with a coordinate transform of nonorthogonal grids

Saturated-unsaturated flow under a complex terrain is usually solved using the Richards equation. Finite difference or finite volume methods are commonly employed for discretization of Richards equation because of simplicity of coding. Complex subsurface boundary geometries lead to nonorthogonal grids in curvilinear grid systems, which leads to difficulty in discretization and mesh generation. This paper develops a vertical coordinate transform, enabling a computational domain regular in the vertical direction. As a result, the grid of curvilinear surfaces can be successfully transformed to a computational grid that allows solution of the Richards equation with efficient computation and simpler coding. The anisotropic Richards equation in the Cartesian coordinate system is transformed to the equation in the arbitrary coordinate system and further expressed as a form appropriate to the orthogonal coordinate system. The generalized third boundary condition is transformed to a form suited to the orthogonal coordinate system. The finite volume method is used to solve the Richards equation in the orthogonal coordinate system. Four cases are used to validate the present orthogonal coordinate system. The computational results from the orthogonal coordinate system are in good agreement with the results from Ansys Fluent solved in a Cartesian coordinate system for the subsurface flow case. For the coupled case of hill slopes, a good agreement between the computational results and the experimental data is obtained. The present results for V-titled catchment and slab case accord well with the results obtained from HydroGeoSphere and PAWS. The present algorithm can improve grid generation for solution of Richards equation in a hydrological model for a complex domain.     

Forced convective flow and heat transfer past an unconfined blunt headed cylinder at different angles of incidence

In the present paper, a numerical investigation has been carried out to study the forced convective flow and heat transfer characteristics past a blunt-headed cylinder in crossflow. Employing air as an operating fluid, calculations are carried out for a range of Reynolds number (Re) from 40 to 160. The angle of incidence is varied in the range of 0^∘ ≤ α ≤ 180 ^∘. The thermofluid features of flow and heat transport are analysed in detail for different angles of incidence. To analyse the aerodynamic characteristics, several parameters such as drag and lift coefficients, moment coefficient, Strouhal number, recirculation length, and local time-averaged vorticity flux have been calculated. Furthermore, a stability analysis has been undertaken by using the Stuart Landau equation to enumerate the critical Reynolds number at each angle of incidence. Heat transfer characteristics are studied by computing local and time-averaged values of Nusselt numbers. When compared to a rectangular cylinder, a blunt-headed cylinder exhibits an enhanced heat transfer rate. In the end, an entropy generation analysis has been carried out to study the effects of Re and angle of incidence on the efficiency of thermofluid transport characteristics.     

Complex analytical solutions for flow in hydraulically fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs with and without natural fractures

Reservoir drainage towards producer wells in a hydraulically and naturally fractured reservoir is visualized by using an analytical streamline simulator that plots streamlines, time-of-flight contours and drainage contours based on complex potentials. A new analytical expression is derived to model the flow through natural fractures with enhanced hydraulic conductivity. Synthetic examples show that in an otherwise homogeneous reservoir even a small number of natural fractures may severely affect streamline patterns and distort the drainage contours. Multiple parallel natural fractures result in a drainage region that is narrower in the direction normal to the natural fractures while the drainage reach is larger in the natural fracture direction. Reservoirs with numerous natural fractures are shown to be characterized by more tortuous drainage patterns than reservoirs without natural fractures. Finally, the analytical flow model for naturally fractured reservoirs is applied to a natural analog of flow into hydraulic fractures. The tendency of the injected fluid to stay confined to the fracture network as opposed to matrix flow is entirely controlled by the hydraulic conductivity contrast between the fracture network and the matrix.     

Numerical simulations for a seawater intrusion problem in a free aquifer

We simulate a sharp interface model issuing from a seawater intrusion problem in a free aquifer. We model the evolution of the sea front and of the upper free surface of the aquifer. We use a P1 finite element method for the space discretization combined with a semi-implicit in time scheme.     

Generalized analytical model of Transient linear flow in heterogeneous fractured liquid-rich tight reservoirs with non-static properties

The industry is increasingly reliant on rate-transient analysis (RTA) to extract valuable information about the reservoir and hydraulic fractures. However, the application of current, commercially-available RTA models can lead to incorrect estimates of reservoir/fracture properties, potentially causing costly mistakes to be made in capital planning and reserve estimation. The root cause of these errors is that currently-available analytical solutions used in RTA models largely ignore reservoir heterogeneities, and assume static reservoir properties.In this work, a new transient linear flow is rigorously modeled in unconventional reservoirs with (1) pressure-dependent rock and fluid properties and (2) both continuous and discontinuous (heterogeneous) porosity and permeability. To achieve this, new transformations of pseudo-pressure, pseudo-time and pseudo-distance are first introduced to reduce the temporal and spatial non-linear diffusivity equation to that with approximately constant coefficients. Both a Laplace-domain solution and approximate analytical solution to the diffusivity equation are verified against a series of fine-grid numerical simulations for the assumption of fractal-based reservoir heterogeneity (over a wide range of stress-dependent rock and fluid properties). The results indicate that reservoir heterogeneity can result in nonlinear square-root-of-time plots. Further, rock and fluid pressure-dependencies act to decrease the slope of the square-root-of-time plot and affect reservoir/fracture property evaluations.Three liquid-rich shale (LRS) field examples in North America are analyzed to demonstrate the practical applicability of the new RTA models. Additional value of new RTA models over the sophisticated numerical simulation is to provide us an improved backforward-analysis workflow that can be used to quantify both effective fracture half-length and non-uniform permeability distribution around the fractures.The major contribution of this work is the introduction of a new analytical model for evaluating the transient linear flow period for the cases of arbitrary reservoir heterogeneity and non-static reservoir properties. This new approach is particularly useful for evaluating the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing operations by extracting the spatial variability of reservoir quality within the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV).     

Macro‐hybrid mixed variational two‐phase flow through fractured porous media

Macro‐hybrid mixed variational models of two‐phase flow, through fractured porous media, are analyzed at the mesoscopic and macroscopic levels. The mesoscopic models are treated in terms of nonoverlapping domain decompositions, in such a manner that the porous rock matrix system and the fracture network interact across rock–rock, rock–fracture, and fracture–fracture interfaces, with flux transmission conditions dualized. Alternatively, the models are scaled to a macroscopic level via an asymptotic process, where the width of the fractures tends to zero, and the fracture network turns out to be an interface system of one less spatial dimension, with variable high permeability. The two‐phase flow is characterized by a fractional flow dual mixed variational model. Augmented two‐field and three‐field variational reformulations are presented for regularization, internal approximations, and macro‐hybrid mixed finite element implementation. Also abstract proximal‐point penalty‐duality algorithms are derived and analyzed for parallel computing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater response to tidal fluctuation in a sloping leaky aquifer system

The effect of tidal fluctuation on groundwater flow is an important issue from many aspects in coastal areas. This paper develops a new analytical solution to describe the groundwater fluctuation in a sloping coastal aquifer system which comprises an upper unconfined aquifer, a lower confined aquifer, and an aquitard in between. The solution is allowed to investigate the effects of bottom slope and leakage as well as aquifer parameters on head fluctuations in both unconfined and confined aquifers. The research result indicates that the effect of the bottom angle on the groundwater fluctuation and time lag is significant in the unconfined aquifer and not negligible if the leakage in the confined aquifer is large. In addition, the joint effects of aquifer parameters and bottom angle on groundwater fluctuation and time lag are also discussed.     

Block-size determination in fractured porous media

A flow-reversal method involving the injection and retrievalof fluid from a fractured, porous medium at a different temperatureto that of the system in its undisturbed state is describedand assessed as a potential technique for measuring the thermaltransients of blocks of fractured porous media. Formulae areobtained for the zeroth- and first-order time moments of thethermal history of the fluid when it is well mixed in the injection-retrievalhole, injected at a temperature T₁ (different to the uniformtemperature T₀ of the undisturbed system) at a fixed rate Q,for a time t₁ and then withdrawn through the same drill holeat the same fixed rate Q. These formulae have a potential fordetermining some geometric parameters of the block structure,including the block surface-to-volume ratio and the mean actiontime for conductive heating.     

A variational inequality formulation for unconfined seepage problems in porous media

In the existing variational inequality formulations for the unconfined seepage problem in porous media, the seepage point, namely the exit point of the free surface, is a singular point and how to locate the seepage point exactly has been an open issue. By generalizing Darcy’s law applied solely to the saturated zone in an earth dam to the entire dam including the no-flow zone, a new variational inequality formulation is presented. The new formulation imposes a boundary condition of Signorini’s type on the potential seepage boundary and the seepage point turns out to be such a point that makes both inequalities in Signorini’s complementary condition become equalities. Singularity of the seepage point is accordingly eliminated. A strategy is developed for overcoming the mesh-dependency in the finite element implementation.     

On a nonlinear hyperbolic problem arising in two-phase flows in naturally fractured reservoirs

A system of two first-order quasilinear equations consisting of one nonhomogenous hyperbolic conservation law and an ordinary differential equation is investigated in two spatial dimensions. The initial boundary-value problem is solved for the system and existence, uniqueness, and stability theorems are proved. We also obtain a result on the behavior of the solution when time goes to infinity which agrees with practical experience. These results offer mathematical validation to computer models in current usage for the numerical simulation of multiphase flow in naturally fractured reservoirs.     

Modeling 1-D elastic P-waves in a fractured rock with hyperbolic jump conditions

The propagation of elastic waves in a fractured rock is investigated, both theoretically and numerically. Outside the fractures, the propagation of compressional waves is described in the simple framework of 1-D linear elastodynamics. The focus here is on the interactions between the waves and fractures: for this purpose, the mechanical behavior of the fractures is modeled using nonlinear jump conditions deduced from the Bandis–Barton model classically used in geomechanics. Well-posedness of the initial-boundary value problem thus obtained is proved. Numerical modeling is performed by coupling a time-domain finite-difference scheme with an interface method accounting for the jump conditions. The numerical experiments show the effects of contact nonlinearities. The harmonics generated may provide a nondestructive means of evaluating the mechanical properties of fractures.