Speaker
Description
Engineered shear-thinning (ST) fluids, including polymer-based solutions, attracted considerable interest in subsurface applications for optimizing fluid circulation, transporting remedial amendments, and sweeping non-aqueous liquids in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this study, a stochastic analysis based on the Monte Carlo method is carried out to investigate how variations in fracture characteristics (e.g., aperture, roughness) and fluid properties (e.g., rheological parameters, polymer concentration) affect coupled flow and heat transport within a single geological fracture.
An ad hoc two-dimensional numerical model was developed to manage numerous realizations, (i) incorporating key uncertainties associated with heterogeneity and (ii) accurately representing the ST behavior of the fluid. To validate the robustness of the modeling framework, reference simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics, confirming the model’s ability to replicate essential flow and thermal transport phenomena. Under high-shear conditions, the ST rheology induces a spatially dependent decrease in viscosity, which influences effective transmissivity and thus heat exchange efficiency [1]. By adjusting polymer concentration, operators can modulate the nonlinear rheological response of these fluids, tailoring their flow properties to specific geometrical and hydromechanical requirements.
Beyond elucidating the behavior of these fluids within a single fracture, the findings of this study are pivotal for evaluating their potential use in heat tracer tests. By varying polymer concentration, it becomes possible to generate multiple and distinct breakthrough signals in a single experiment, thereby enhancing the inference of geometrical parameters and providing more comprehensive datasets for estimating critical subsurface properties (e.g., fracture aperture, aperture fluctuations, and thermal conductivity). Overall, the proposed Monte Carlo framework offers new insights into the interplay between nonlinear rheology and fracture geometry, ultimately supporting advanced subsurface characterization and more effective tracer-based investigations.
| References | [1] Klepikova M., Meheust Y., Roques C., Linde N. (2021) Heat Transport by Flow Through Rough Rock Fractures: a Numerical Investigation. Adv. Water Resour. 156:104042, DOI:10.1016/j.advwatres.2021.104042 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States of America |
| Acceptance of the Terms & Conditions | Click here to agree |
