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Self‐consistency of a heterogeneous continuum porous medium representation of a fractured medium
Author(s) -
Jackson C. Peter,
Hoch Andrew R.,
Todman Steve
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/1999wr900249
Subject(s) - permeability (electromagnetism) , grid , porous medium , grid cell , block (permutation group theory) , network model , volcano , geology , block model , porosity , computer science , mathematics , geotechnical engineering , geometry , data mining , chemistry , seismology , biochemistry , mining engineering , membrane
A possible approach to representing fractured rocks is to use heterogeneous continuum porous medium (CPM) models in which each grid block has an effective permeability appropriate to represent the network of fractures within the block. It needs to be demonstrated that the approach is self‐consistent; that is, the effective permeability on a length scale larger than the grid blocks derived using the heterogeneous CPM model is close to that derived directly from the underlying network model. For models based on the Borrowdale Volcanic Group at Sellafield in the United Kingdom and the granite at Äspö in Sweden, it is shown that the use of heterogeneous CPM models is self‐consistent, both for models using effective permeabilities determined directly from the underlying network of discrete features model and for models based only on the correlation structure of the effective permeability on the length scale of the grid blocks.