Self-Consistent Approach for Calculating the Effective Hydraulic Conductivity of a Biomodal, Heterogeneous Medium.

Pozdniakov, S. ; Tsang, C. F.

Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee

关键词: Hydraulic conductivity;    Geological formations;    Rocks;    Aquifers;    Porosity;   

RP-ID  :  DE2005835818

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

美国|英语

来源: National Technical Reports Library

【 摘 要 】

The impact of heterogeneity on subsurface flow has been studied in recent years from several directions. One of the major research directions is the search for effective flow and transport parameters in heterogeneous medium. The main approaches and significant theoretical studies in this field have been summarized in Shvidler (1985), Dagan (1989), Gelhar (1993) and other publications. In theories that analyze flow in heterogeneous media, the spatial variation of the local hydraulic conductivity is typically described as a random field with a given statistical distribution (often assumed to be lognormal) and a covariance function. However, the internal structure of heterogeneous geological formations cannot always be realistically fitted to a theoretically convenient lognormal distribution (e.g., sand-shale aquifers, aquitards with highly contrasting hydraulic conductivity in the main facies, and fractured porous rocks). In these media, the connectivity of highly permeable bodies (e.g., sand, fractures) plays an important role in the overall hydraulic conductivity of the entire system. The goal is to (1) develop and verify a self-consistent method for calculating the effective hydraulic conductivity of a binary medium, and (2) apply the results to a fractured porous medium.