scholarly journals Experimental Study of Rainfall Infiltration in an Analog Fracture-matrix System

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhong ◽  
Huicai Gao ◽  
Yunjin Hu

In this study, an experimental apparatus was developed to investigate unsaturated infiltration in an analog fracture-matrix system. Fracture and adjacent matrix is simulated by sands with various particle sizes. Four rainfall infiltration experiments were performed on the analog fracture-matrix system at a constant rainfall rate of 100 mm/h. The process of rainfall infiltration is measured by a combination method of tensiometers and quick moisture apparatus. The measured results reveal that fracture-matrix interactions certainly exert influences on the hydraulic behaviour of unsaturated fractured matrix, and the fluid flow mainly infiltrates along the nonuniform paths within the matrix. Moreover, it is observed that the influences are greater when using a coarser sand to mimic the fracture. Specifically, the wetting phase in the matrix moves faster than that in the fracture; the fracture, therefore, acts as a vertical capillary barrier, but there exists lateral water exchange from the matrix to the fracture. Overall, this study has demonstrated the importance of fracture/matrix interactions, which should be considered when dealing with unsaturated flow through permeable matrices.

2012 ◽  
Vol 212-213 ◽  
pp. 377-382
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhong ◽  
Yun Jin Hu ◽  
Xin Hai Zhang ◽  
Guo Long Chen

A conceptual laboratory model for studying unsaturated flow in a single fracture-matrix system is developed in this paper. The model is capable of simulating the fracture and matrix with different samples, and three groups of contrastive experiments are conducted under a constant rainfall. The results show that fracture-matrix interactions have a great effect on the hydraulic properties of the fracture and matrix. The more distinctive the sample used to simulate the fracture and matrix is, the greater the influence is. Furthermore, the wetting front along the matrix runs ahead of that along the fracture, resulting in an extra water source for the fracture. It could be concluded fracture-matrix interactions and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the matrix cannot be ignored when the fracture is surrounded by a permeable matrix.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Shi ◽  
Kishore Mohanty ◽  
Manmath Panda

Abstract Oil-wetness and heterogeneity (i.e., existence of low and high permeability regions) are two main factors that result in low oil recovery by waterflood in carbonate reservoirs. The injected water is likely to flow through high permeability regions and bypass the oil in low permeability matrix. In this study, systematic coreflood tests were carried out in both "homogeneous" cores and "heterogeneous" cores. The heterogeneous coreflood test was proposed to model the heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs, bypassing in low-permeability matrix during waterfloods, and dynamic imbibition of surfactant into the low-permeability matrix. The results of homogeneous coreflood tests showed that both secondary-waterflood and secondary-surfactant flood can achieve high oil recovery (>50%) from relatively homogenous cores. A shut-in phase after the surfactant injection resulted in an additional oil recovery, which suggests enough time should be allowed while using surfactants for wettability alteration. The core with a higher extent of heterogeneity produced lower oil recovery to waterflood in the coreflood tests. Final oil recovery from the matrix depends on matrix permeability as well as the rock heterogeneity. The results of heterogeneous coreflood tests showed that a slow surfactant injection (dynamic imbibition) can significantly improve the oil recovery if the oil-wet reservoir is not well-swept.


2007 ◽  
Vol 334-335 ◽  
pp. 437-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Hoon Lee ◽  
Joon Ho Lee ◽  
Woo I. Lee

Liquid molding processes are becoming more popular among the composite manufacturing industries due to their versatility and economy among other merits. In analyzing the flow during the process, permeability is the most important parameter. Permeability has been regarded as a property of the porous medium. However, in many practical cases, the value may vary depending on the flow conditions such as the flow rate. It is speculated that this deviation is caused by inhomogeneous microstructure of the medium. In this study, numerical simulations as well as experimental measurements have been done to investigate the cause of deviation. Microstructure of porous medium was modeled as an array of porous cylinders. Resin flow through the array was simulated numerically. Simulations were performed for two different flow conditions, namely saturated flow and unsaturated flow. Based upon the results, permeabilities were estimated and compared for the two flow conditions. In addition, a model was proposed to predict the permeability for different flow conditions. Results showed that experimental data were in agreement with the prediction by the model.


2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Wood ◽  
R. J. Glass ◽  
T. R. McJunkin ◽  
R. K. Podgorney ◽  
R. A. Laviolette ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 255-260 ◽  
pp. 3488-3492
Author(s):  
Bao Lin Xiong ◽  
Jing Song Tang ◽  
Chun Jiao Lu

Rainfall is one of the main factors that influence the stability of slope. Rainfall infiltration will cause soil saturation changing and further influence pore water pressure and medium permeability coefficient. Based on porous media saturation-unsaturated flow theory, the slope transient seepage field is simulated under the conditions of rainfall infiltration. It is shown that change of pore water pressure in slope soil lag behind relative changes in rainfall conditions. As the rainfall infiltrate, unsaturated zone in top half of slope become diminution, the soil suction and shear strength reduce, so stabilization of soil slope is reduced.


1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 823-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita E. Yu ◽  
Robert E. Hewitt ◽  
David E. Kleiner ◽  
William G. Stetler-Stevenson

Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover is an event that is tightly regulated. Much of the coordinate (physiological) or discoordinate (pathological) degradation of the ECM is catalyzed by a class of proteases known as the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or matrixins. Matrixins are a family of homologous Zn atom dependent endopeptidases that are usually secreted from cells as inactive zymogens. Net degradative activity in the extracellular environment is regulated by specific activators and inhibitors. One member of the matrixin family, gelatinase A, is regulated differently from other MMPs, suggesting that it may play a unique role in cell–matrix interactions, including cell invasion. The conversion from the 72 kDa progelatinase A to the active 62 kDa species may be a key event in the acquisition of invasive potential. This discussion reviews some recent findings on the cellular mechanisms involved in progelatinase A activation and, in particular, the role of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) and transmembrane containing metalloproteinases (MT-MMP) in this process.Key words: tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, metalloproteinase, gelatinases, extracellular matrix, activation.


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