BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN DUAL-POROSITY MODEL AND DISCRETE FRACTURE NETWORK MODEL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF GROUNDWATER FLOW IN A FRACTURED ROCK MASS

摘要

The dual-porosity model and the discrete fracture network model are being used forrnthe analysis of groundwater flow in a fractured rock mass. The dual-porosity modelrnassumes that the medium consists of two continua at the macroscopic level, that is,rnfracture and rock matrix block. Saturated water flow in the matrix as well as in thernfracture pore system is described using two separate flow equations which arerncoupled by means of water transfer term. The formulation leads to two coupledrnsystems of nonlinear partial differential equations. The discrete fracture networkrnmodel assumes that fractures form the paths for seeping water and that thernconductivity in rock matrix is neglected. Node equations are developed assumingrnthat cubic law governs the water flow through fractures. The relationship betweenrnthe dual-porosity approach and the discrete fracture network approach was sought inrnorder to bridge the gap between two models.