URI | http://purl.tuc.gr/dl/dias/CAFE0EB4-83B0-4AB0-A7A0-478981E6123E | - |
Identifier | https://doi.org/ 10.1029/96WR00656 | - |
Language | en | - |
Extent | 10 pages | en |
Title | Unsaturated flow in a quasi-three-dimensional fractured
medium with spatially variable aperture | en |
Creator | Chrysikopoulos Constantinos | en |
Creator | Χρυσικοπουλος Κωνσταντινος | el |
Creator | Assem Abdel-Salam | en |
Content Summary | Transient moisture flow in a variably saturated quasi-three-dimensional
fracture-rock matrix system is investigated. The fracture is assumed to possess a spatially
variable aperture in its two-dimensional plane, whereas the rock matrix is treated as a
two-dimensional homogeneous and tight porous medium. The aperture fluctuations in the
fracture plane are described stochastically. Moisture exchange between the fracture and
the rock matrix is accounted for via an advective coupling term that governs the transfer
of moisture at the fracture-matrix interface and takes into account the effect of a fracturesurface
coating material. Although the variable aperture fracture is two-dimensional, the
coupling term between the fracture and the rock matrix accounts for the threedimensional
nature of the physical system. The stochastic nonlinear set of partial
differential equations is solved numerically by the Galerkin finite element method in
conjunction with the Picard iterative scheme and an automatic time step marching.
Simulations are performed to investigate phenomena which have been ignored in previous
studies. It is demonstrated that, for the case of no moisture exchange with the rock matrix,
the moisture follows preferential flow paths within the fracture plane and exhibits
pronounced fingering effects. Furthermore, it is shown that the larger the fracture
aperture fluctuations the more extended the moisture flow in the fracture. In addition, for
the case where there exists moisture exchange with the rock matrix, the movement of the
moisture front is considerably reduced, whereas fracture-surface coatings tend to slow
down moisture absorption by the rock matrix. | en |
Type of Item | Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication | en |
Type of Item | Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές | el |
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en |
Date of Item | 2015-09-20 | - |
Date of Publication | 1996 | - |
Subject | Numerical Formulation | en |
Bibliographic Citation | A. A.Salam , C.V. Chrysikopoulos, "Unsaturated flow quasi-three-dimensional fractured medium with spatially variable aperture ", W.Resou.Resear ,vol.32,no.6,pp.1531-1540,1996.doi: 10.1029/96WR00656 . | en |