An enriched mixed finite element model for the simulation of microseismic and acoustic emissions in fractured porous media with multi-phase flow and thermal coupling

authored by: Mohammad Komijani, Peter Wriggers, Taha Goudarzi
Abstract: A novel mixed enriched finite element model is developed for coupled non-linear thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of fractured porous media with three-phase flow and thermal coupling. Simulation of induced acoustic emission (AE) and microseismic emission (ME) due to tensile fracturing and shear slip instability of pre-existing fracture interfaces is carried out and the numerical results of the emitted signals are analysed. The mathematical model is based on the generalized Biot's theory for coupled interaction of solid and fluid phases. A computationally robust non-linear solver is developed to handle the severe non-linearities arising from fluid saturations, relative permeabilities of fluids, constitutive models of interfaces and convective thermal coupling. To model pre-existing natural fractures and faults, discrete fracture propagation and nucleation of cracks (micro-cracking) independently of the original mesh topology, a local Partition-of-Unity (PU) finite element method, namely, the Phantom Node Method (PNM) is implemented. The cohesive fracture modelling scheme is implemented to account for the non-linear behaviour of fracturing and localization, and to rectify the non-physical stress singularity condition at the fracture tip. Effects of different system parameters on fracturing, shear-slip instability and the associated induced AEs and MEs are investigated through various numerical results.
Organisation(s): Institute of Continuum Mechanics
External Organisation(s): Amirkabir University of Technology
Type: Article
Journal: International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics
Volume: 47
Pages: 2968-3004
No. of pages: 37
ISSN: 0363-9061
Publication date: 08.10.2023
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Computational Mechanics, Materials Science(all), Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology, Mechanics of Materials
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.3608 (Access: Open)
: Details in the research portal "Research@Leibniz University"

BibTeX

@article{e83b2351a02d46e0a002a6ba13c25442,
title = "An enriched mixed finite element model for the simulation of microseismic and acoustic emissions in fractured porous media with multi-phase flow and thermal coupling",
abstract = "A novel mixed enriched finite element model is developed for coupled non-linear thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of fractured porous media with three-phase flow and thermal coupling. Simulation of induced acoustic emission (AE) and microseismic emission (ME) due to tensile fracturing and shear slip instability of pre-existing fracture interfaces is carried out and the numerical results of the emitted signals are analysed. The mathematical model is based on the generalized Biot's theory for coupled interaction of solid and fluid phases. A computationally robust non-linear solver is developed to handle the severe non-linearities arising from fluid saturations, relative permeabilities of fluids, constitutive models of interfaces and convective thermal coupling. To model pre-existing natural fractures and faults, discrete fracture propagation and nucleation of cracks (micro-cracking) independently of the original mesh topology, a local Partition-of-Unity (PU) finite element method, namely, the Phantom Node Method (PNM) is implemented. The cohesive fracture modelling scheme is implemented to account for the non-linear behaviour of fracturing and localization, and to rectify the non-physical stress singularity condition at the fracture tip. Effects of different system parameters on fracturing, shear-slip instability and the associated induced AEs and MEs are investigated through various numerical results.",
keywords = "acoustic emission, microseismic emission, multi-phase flow, porous media, thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling",
author = "Mohammad Komijani and Peter Wriggers and Taha Goudarzi",
note = "Funding Information: The first and the second authors gratefully acknowledge the support of a Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.",
year = "2023",
month = oct,
day = "8",
doi = "10.1002/nag.3608",
language = "English",
volume = "47",
pages = "2968--3004",
journal = "International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics",
issn = "0363-9061",
publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Ltd",
number = "16",
}