Coupling effect of power-law fluid properties and scaled fractal characteristics on flow through fractured media

Jianting Zhu

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2020, vol. 559, issue C

Abstract: Non-Newtonian fluid flow through fractured media widely exists in both natural and man-made materials, where fractures have been shown to have self-similar and fractal characteristics. In this study, a new analytical approach is developed to calculate the flowrate of a power-law fluid through fractal fractures, in which fracture trace length follows a fractal distribution and the aperture and trace length are related by a scaled power-law function. The average fracture flowrate in the fractal fractures is obtained through integrating flows in all fractures. The interplay of the power-law properties and fractal characteristic parameters on the flow through the fractal fractures is quantified and discussed. The results demonstrate that the average flowrate decreases with the fractal dimension of fracture length and scaling exponent. The increase in the trace length range ratio leads to the increased flowrate. The power-law index plays a significant role in the flowrate through fractal fractures coupling with the effect of pressure head gradient. The increase in pressure head gradient amplifies the effect of power-law fluid index on the flowrate in fractal fractures.

Keywords: Power-law fluid; Fractal fractures; Fractal dimension; Flowrate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:559:y:2020:i:c:s0378437120305628

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2020.125073

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