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Experimental study of the transition from non-Darcian to Darcy behavior for flow through a single fracture

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Abstract

Laboratory experiments are designed in this paper using single fractures made of cement and coarse sand for a series of hydraulic tests under the conditions of different fracture apertures, and for the simulation of the evolution of the flow pattern at places far from the outlet. The relationship between the hydraulic gradient and the flow velocity at different points, and the proportion evolution of the linear and nonlinear portions in the Forchheimer formula are then discussed. Three major conclusions are obtained. First, the non-Darcian flow exists in a single fracture in different laboratory tests. Better fitting accuracy is obtained by using the Forchheimer formula than by using the Darcy law. Second, the proportion of the Darcy flow increases with the increase of the observation scale. In places far enough, the Darcy flow prevails, and the critical velocity between the non-Darcian flow and the Darcy flow decreases as the fracture aperture increases. Third, when the fracture aperture increases, the critical Reynolds number between the non-Darcian flow and the Darcy flow decreases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China

    Jia-zhong Qian  (钱家忠), Mu Wang  (王沐), Xiao-san Yan  (严小三) & Wei-dong Zhao  (赵卫东)

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA

    Yong Zhang

Authors
  1. Jia-zhong Qian  (钱家忠)
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  2. Mu Wang  (王沐)
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  3. Yong Zhang
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  4. Xiao-san Yan  (严小三)
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  5. Wei-dong Zhao  (赵卫东)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jia-zhong Qian  (钱家忠).

Additional information

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41272251, 41372245).

Biography: QIAN Jia-zhong (1968-), Male, Ph. D., Professor

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Qian, Jz., Wang, M., Zhang, Y. et al. Experimental study of the transition from non-Darcian to Darcy behavior for flow through a single fracture. J Hydrodyn 27, 679–688 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-6058(15)60530-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-6058(15)60530-3

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