Modeling hydraulic cracks and inclusion interaction using XFEM

authored by: Bo He, Xiaoying Zhuang
Abstract: In this study, we employ a coupled hydromechanical model to study the hydraulic fracture propagation path in porous media under the influence of existing pressurized voids. The hydraulic fracturing field study reveals that the existing natural voids and cracks alter the local properties of the porous media and influence the fracture propagation pattern. We incorporate these phenomena into the presented hydromechanical model, which is constructed from the mass and momentum balance equations for saturated porous media. The extended finite element method (XFEM) is applied for modeling the fluid flow through discrete cracks. The nonlinear hydromechanical equations are solved by the Newton–Raphson scheme with an implicit time integration procedure. Finally, numerical examples are presented and compared with experimental results. It is found that the fracture propagation path is significantly influenced by the existing pressurized voids and essential properties of the porous media; that is, the crack trends to propagate towards the pressurized voids.
Organisation(s): Institute of Continuum Mechanics
External Organisation(s): Tongji University
Type: Article
Journal: Underground Space (China)
Volume: 3
Pages: 218-228
No. of pages: 11
ISSN: 2096-2754
Publication date: 09.2018
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Civil and Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology, Building and Construction
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.undsp.2018.04.005 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.15488/4895 (Access: Open)
: Details in the research portal "Research@Leibniz University"

BibTeX

@article{7c47cd4a8649494ea8b4afade9107221,
title = "Modeling hydraulic cracks and inclusion interaction using XFEM",
abstract = "In this study, we employ a coupled hydromechanical model to study the hydraulic fracture propagation path in porous media under the influence of existing pressurized voids. The hydraulic fracturing field study reveals that the existing natural voids and cracks alter the local properties of the porous media and influence the fracture propagation pattern. We incorporate these phenomena into the presented hydromechanical model, which is constructed from the mass and momentum balance equations for saturated porous media. The extended finite element method (XFEM) is applied for modeling the fluid flow through discrete cracks. The nonlinear hydromechanical equations are solved by the Newton–Raphson scheme with an implicit time integration procedure. Finally, numerical examples are presented and compared with experimental results. It is found that the fracture propagation path is significantly influenced by the existing pressurized voids and essential properties of the porous media; that is, the crack trends to propagate towards the pressurized voids.",
keywords = "Crack propagation, Hydraulic fractures, Porous media, XFEM",
author = "Bo He and Xiaoying Zhuang",
note = "Funding information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the support received from the NSFC Program (51474157), State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (SKLGDUEK1526), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (16QA1404000), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The authors have no interest conflict to declare. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support received from the NSFC Program ( 51474157 ), State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering , China University of Mining & Technology ( SKLGDUEK1526 ), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality ( 16QA1404000 ), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities .",
year = "2018",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1016/j.undsp.2018.04.005",
language = "English",
volume = "3",
pages = "218--228",
journal = "Underground Space (China)",
issn = "2096-2754",
publisher = "Tongji University Press",
number = "3",
}