Non-Darcy interfacial dynamics of air-water two-phase flow in rough fractures under drainage conditions.

ABSTRACT: Two-phase flow interfacial dynamics in rough fractures is fundamental to understanding fluid transport in fractured media. The Haines jump of non-Darcy flow in porous media has been investigated at pore scales, but its fundamental processes in rough fractures remain unclear. In this study, the micron-scale Haines jump of the air-water interface in rough fractures was investigated under drainage conditions, with the air-water interface tracked using dyed water and an imaging system. The results indicate that the interfacial velocities represent significant Haines jumps when the meniscus passes from a narrow "throat" to a wide "body", with jump velocities as high as five times the bulk drainage velocity. Locally, each velocity jump corresponds to a fracture aperture variation; statistically,

SUBMITTER: Chang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5496895 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature