Descripción del proyecto
Descifrar el código de la propagación de fracturas en medios porosos saturados de fluidos
La fractura en medios porosos heterogéneos saturados de fluidos es un problema complejo y multiescala con límites internos móviles. A pesar de la gran cantidad de investigaciones sobre la fractura en materiales sólidos, todavía se conoce relativamente poco sobre cómo se propagan las fracturas en medios porosos saturados de fluidos. Para abordar este problema, el equipo del proyecto PoroFrac, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, pretende desarrollar una herramienta de simulación capaz de predecir con precisión la propagación de las fracturas en este tipo de medios. La tecnología tendrá aplicaciones directas en la fracturación hidráulica y el análisis de terremotos. Este proyecto dará lugar a una potente herramienta de simulación con una capacidad de predicción sin precedentes para cuestiones sociales de energía, salud, medioambiente y seguridad.
Objetivo
Fracture in heterogeneous, (partially) fluid-saturated porous media is a multi-scale problem with moving internal boundaries, characterised by a high degree of complexity and uncertainty. Nevertheless, in spite of an abundance of research on fracture in solid materials, there is relatively little work on fluid-saturated porous materials. Herein, a robust, flexible simulation technology will be developed for existing faults and propagating fractures in such media. The project consists of three pillars, each of which will have a scientific impact in its own right, complemented by a horizontal, application-oriented theme, which links the pillars, creates synergy and added value, and applies and elaborates the technology for hydraulic fracturing and for fault dynamics during earthquakes. In pillar 1 a mesoscopic, multi-phase model will be developed for fluid transport in cracks which are embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium. The development of an adaptive spline technology in pillar 2 will enable to capture crack propagation and branching in arbitrary directions on arbitrary discretisations. The reliability method of pillar 3 will make it possible to make a quantitative assessment of the probability that, in a layered, heterogeneous medium, a crack propagates in a certain direction. Its successful completion will pave the way for a wider acceptance and use of reliability methods in fracture analyses, well beyond the primary application area of porous media. The linking theme will showcase some direct applications, in hydraulic fracturing and in earthquake analysis, but has a much wider range of applicability, e.g. for the safety analysis of CO₂ or nuclear waste storage in sub-surface formations, or fracture in fluid-saturated human tissues. Thus, the project will result in a robust simulation tool for fracture propagation in fluid-saturated porous media with unprecedented predictive capabilities for societal issues in energy, health, environment, and safety.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesnuclear engineeringnuclear waste management
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural gas
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologyseismology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energygeothermal energy
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantInstitución de acogida
S10 2TN Sheffield
Reino Unido