Fluid Flow and Solute Transport Modeling Through Three-Dimensional Networks of Variably Saturated Discrete Fractures.

摘要

The boundary integral method is used to estimate hydraulic and solute transport properties of unsaturated, fractured rock by solving the boundary value problem within intersecting fracture planes. Flow through both impermeable and permeable rock is determined using two and three dimensional formulations, respectively. Synthetic fracture networks are created to perform sensitivity studies, results of which show that: (1) The global hydraulic conductivity is linearly dependent on the product of fracture transmissivity and density for fractures of infinite length; (2) The effect of correlation between fracture length and transmissivity is to increase the global hydraulic conductivity; and (3) Simulated flow through a fractured permeable matrix compare favorably with analytic results.