A finite element approach to the simulation of hydraulic fractures with lag

We presented a finite-element-based algorithm to simulate plane-strain, straight hydraulic fractures in an impermeable elastic medium. The algorithm acCOllllts for the nonlinear coupling between the fluid pressure and the crack opening and separately tracks the evolution of the crack tip and the flu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Hunsweck, Michael J., Shen, Yongxing|||0000-0001-9397-3853, Lew, Adrian J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/27865
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/27865
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nag.1131
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Strength of materials
Elasticity
finite element
hydraulic fracture
fluid lag
Resistència de materials
Elasticitat
74S Mètodes numèrics
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Anàlisi numèrica::Mètodes numèrics
Descripción
Sumario:We presented a finite-element-based algorithm to simulate plane-strain, straight hydraulic fractures in an impermeable elastic medium. The algorithm acCOllllts for the nonlinear coupling between the fluid pressure and the crack opening and separately tracks the evolution of the crack tip and the fluid front. It therefore allows the existence of a fluid lag. The fluid front is advanced explicitly in time, but an implicit strategy is needed for the crack tip to guarantee the satisfaction of Griffith's criterion at each time step. We enforced the coupling between the fluid and the rock by simultaneously solving for the pressure field in the fluid and the crack opening at each time step. We provided verification of our algorithm by performing sample simulations and comparing them with two known similarity solutions.