Fracture/Conduit Flow

Motivation

Fractured rock (NSW Australia)

Karst

http://research.gg.uwyo.edu/kincaid/
Modeling/wakulla/wakcave2.jpg

~11 m3 s-1
~100 m

White Scar, England; photo by Ian

McKenzie, Calgary, Canada

These data and images were produced at the

High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography
Facility of the University of Texas at Austin

Basic Fluid Dynamics

Momentum
p = mu

Viscosity

Resistance to flow; momentum diffusion

Low viscosity: Air
High viscosity: Honey
Kinematic viscosity:

Reynolds Number
The Reynolds Number (Re) is a non-dimensional
number that reflects the balance between viscous and
inertial forces and hence relates to flow instability (i.e.,
the onset of turbulence)
Re = v L/
L is a characteristic length in the system
Dominance of viscous force leads to laminar flow (low
velocity, high viscosity, confined fluid)
Dominance of inertial force leads to turbulent flow (high
velocity, low viscosity, unconfined fluid)

Re << 1 (Stokes Flow)

Tritton, D.J. Physical Fluid Dynamics, 2nd Ed. Oxford

University Press, Oxford. 519 pp.

Separation

Eddies, Cylinder Wakes, Vortex

Streets
Re = 30
Re = 40
Re = 47
Re = 55
Re = 67
Re = 100
Re = 41

Tritton, D.J. Physical Fluid Dynamics, 2nd Ed. Oxford

University Press, Oxford. 519 pp.

Eddies and Cylinder Wakes

S.Gokaltun

Florida International University

Streamlines for flow around a circular cylinder at 9 Re 10.(g=0.00001, L=300 lu, D=100 lu)

Eddies and Cylinder Wakes

S.Gokaltun

Florida International University

Streamlines for flow around a circular cylinder at 40 Re 50.(g=0.0001, L=300 lu, D=100 lu)
(Photograph by Sadatoshi Taneda. Taneda 1956a, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., 11, 302-307.)

Poiseuille Flow

u
x

Flow

Poiseuille Flow
In a slit or pipe, the velocities at the walls are 0
(no-slip boundaries) and the velocity reaches its
maximum in the middle
The velocity profile in a slit is parabolic and
given by:
2

G a
2
u x

x
2 2

G can be due to gravitational

acceleration (G = g in a vertical
slit) or the linear pressure gradient
(Pin Pout)/L

u(x)

x=0

x = a/2

Poiseuille Flow
2

G a
2
u x

x
2 2

Maximum

umax

G a

2 2

u(x)

Average

uaverage

2
G 2
umax
a
3
12

x=0

x = a/2

Poiseuille Flow

S.GOKALTUN
Florida International University

Kirchoffs Current Law

Kirchoffs law states that the total current flowing into a
junction is equal to the total current leaving the junction.

I1
Gustav Kirchoff
was an 18th
century German
mathematician

I1 flows into the node

I2 flows out of the node
I3 flows out of the node

node

I2

I1 = I2 + I3

I3

 Ohms law relates the flow of current to

the electrical resistance and the voltage
drop
V = IR (or I = V/R) where:
I = Current
V = Voltage drop
R = Resistance

Ohms Law is analogous to Darcys law

 Poiseuille's law can related to Darcys law and

subsequently to Ohm's law for electrical circuits.
uave

1 P 2

a
12 L

Q uave A
1 P 2
Q
aa
12 L

Cubic law:

a P
Q
12 L
3

dh
QK
A
dx

A = a *unit depth

a
K
12

36lu

Fracture Network

P12

Q12
900lu

Q23

P23

54lu

Q34

P34

108lu

Q45

P P12 P23 P34 P45 P56

Q12 Q34 Q56

Q23 Q45
Q 12 2Q23

P45

Q56

P56

a12 P12 2a23 P23

12 L12
12 L23
3

a P34 2a45 P45 a56 P56

34

12 L34
12 L45 12 L56
216lu

Matrix Form
P23
P12
K12 2
K 23 0
L
L
P23
P34
2
K 23
K 34 0
L
L

P34
P45
K 34 2
K 45 0
L
L
P45
P56
2
K 45
K 56 0
L
L

K12
0
0
0
L12

2 K 23
2 K 23
0
0
L23

P P12 P23 P34 P45 P56

0
K 34
K 34
0
L34

0
0
2 K 45
2 K 45
L45

0
0
0
K56
L56

P12
L
12
P23 0
L23 0

P34

0
L
34 0

P45
L P
P45
56

L56

Back Solution
Have conductivities and, from the matrix
solution, the gradients
P12
Compute flows
Q
K12
L
Also have end pressures
Compute intermediate pressures from Ps

Hydrologic-Electric Analogy
Poiseuille's law corresponds to the Kirchoff/Ohms Law for electrical
circuits, where pressure drop p is replaced by voltage V and flow rate by
current Ia
P P12 P23 P34 P45 P56

Vmax

I12
P12

I23

P a

2 L 2

R
I34

P34

I45

I45
I56

P56

V
R

I23

P23

P45

Q = 0.11 lu3/ts

Q = 0.11 lu3/ts

Kirchoff

LBM

Re
0.66
1.0
1.8
4.1
7.2
43.0

1
K

Q (lu3/ts)
LBM
Kirchoffs
0.11
0.11
0.14
0.14
0.18
0.19
0.27
0.28
0.36
0.37
0.87
0.92

Entry Length Effects

Tritton, D.J. Physical Fluid Dynamics, 2nd Ed. Oxford

University Press, Oxford. 519 pp.

Eddies
Serpa, CY, 2005, Unpublished MS Thesis, FIU

m
m

Bai, T., and Gross, M.R., 1999, J

Geophysical Res, 104, 1163-1177

Flow

3 mm

3.3 mm x 2.7 mm

Re = 9

High Reynolds Number

Taneda, J. Fluid Mech.
1956. (Also Katachi
Society web pages)

Single cylinder, Re 41

Darcy-Forschheimer Equation
Darcy:

q p
k

+Non-linear drag term:

q a q q p
k

Apparent K as a function of hydraulic

gradient

=1

Darcy-Forchheimer Equation

Gradients could be higher locally

Expect leveling at higher gradient?

Streamlines at different
Reynolds Numbers

Re = 0.31

Re = 152

K = 34 m/s

K = 20 m/s

Streamlines traced forward and backwards from eddy locations and hence
begin and end at different locations

Future
Gray scale as hydraulic conductivity,
turbulence, solutes