[pt] O presente trabalho apresenta aplicações das técnicas de Relaxação Dinâmica e Análise Limite ao estudo da estabilidade de maciços rochosos fraturados. O maciço é modelado como um meio descontínuo formado por blocos rígidos com deformação concentrada nas juntas. A técnica de Relaxação Dinâmica é usada para a solução do problema de equilíbrio resultante, através do programa BLOCO. As expressões desenvolvidas para a matriz de rigidez tangente, usando o modelo de Barton & Bandis, foram implementadas no programa BLOCO. Exemplos para a validação do algoritmo são apresentados. A partir do trabalho de Faria (1992), foi implementado um procedimento automatizado e otimizado para a solução do problema de Análise Limite em um meio formado por blocos rígidos. O procedimento desenvolvido permitiu a solução de problemas de porte relatados na literatura. / [en] This work presents some applications of the Dynamic Relaxation and Limit Analysis techniques, to the study of the stability of fractured rock masses. Rock mass is modeled as a discontinuum formed by rigid blocks with deformable joints. Dynamic Relaxation was applied to solve the resulting equilibrium problem, using the program BLOCO. Expressions obtained for tangent stiffness matrix, derived from Barton & Bandis model, were implemented into the BLOCO program. In order to extend Faria`s (1992) work, an automatic and optimized procedure, to solve the Limit Analysis problem of a media formed by rigid blocks was implemented. The developed procedure was applied to the study of relatively large dimensions problems, reported in the literature. / [es] Este trabajo presenta aplicaciones de las técnicas de Relajación Dinámica y Análisis Límite al estudio de la estabilidad de macizos rocosos fracturados. EL macizo es modelado como un medio discontinuo formado por bloques rígidos con deformación concentrada en las juntas. La técnica de Relajación Dinámica se utiliza para resolver el problema de equilíbrio resultante, a través del programa BLOQUE. Las expresiones desarrolladas para la matriz de rígidez tangente, usando el modelo de Barton & Bandis, se implementaron en el programa BLOQUE. Se presentan algunos ejemplos para la evaluación del algoritmo. A partir del trabajo de Faria (1992), fue implementado un procedimiento automatizado y optimizado para la solución del problema de Análisis Límite en un medio formado por bloques rígidos. El procedimiento desarrollado permitió resolver problemas de porte relatados en la literatura.

Recent models of groundwater flow in the Blue Ridge Province suggest multiple aquifers and flow paths may be responsible for springs and seeps appearing throughout the region. Deep confined aquifers and shallow variably confined aquifers may contribute water to spring outlets, resulting in vastly different water quality and suitability for potable water supplies and stock watering. A new Low Flow Recording System (LoFRS) was developed to measure the discharge of these springs that are so ubiquitous throughout the Blue Ridge Province. Analysis of spring discharge, combined with electrical resistivity surveying, aquifer tests, and water chemistry data reveal mixed shallow and deep aquifer sources for some springs, while other springs and artesian wells are sourced only in the deep aquifer. The technique is suitable for rapid characterization of flow paths leading to spring outlets. Rapid characterization is important for evaluation of potential water quality problems arising from contamination of shallow and deep aquifers, and for evaluation of water resource susceptibility to drought. The spring discharge technique is also suitable for use in other locations where fractured rock and crystalline rock aquifers are common. / Master of Science

An analytical model is presented for the analysis of pulse interference tests conducted in a fractured porous medium with connection to a free surface boundary at the water table. The solution is applicable to open borehole pulse interference tests due to the accommodation of multiple horizontal fractures intersecting each wellbore and a connection from the uppermost horizontal fracture to a free surface boundary. The solution is derived using the Laplace transform method and evaluation of the solution is performed by numerical inversion using the Talbot algorithm. Based on an informal sensitivity analysis, unique values for transmissivity, storativity, specific storage, vertical hydraulic conductivity and specific yield are predicted over a range of realistic values for these parameters. The analytical model is used to analyze slug tests and pulse interference tests conducted in a fractured gneiss formation. The results of these tests are compared to long-term pumping tests to identify the effect of measurement scale on transmissivity, storativity, vertical hydraulic conductivity and specific yield obtained in a fractured rock setting. Scale artefacts relating to measurement or analysis methods are minimized through the use of consistent well configurations in each of the applied hydraulic testing methods. The geometric mean estimates of transmissivity and storativity are shown to vary by less than an order of magnitude from local-scale tests to long-term pumping tests. The geometric mean specific yield result from a series of pulse interference tests that samples both highly fractured and poorly fractured portions of the rock formation approximates the long-term pumping test estimate of specific yield. The geometric mean result for vertical hydraulic conductivity decreases by approximately 1.5 orders of magnitude from the slug test to pumping test scale; however, pulse interference tests conducted on highly fractured portions of the formation produce vertical hydraulic conductivity estimates that are within a half order of magnitude of the long-term pumping test results. This suggests that the performance of pulse interference tests on a highly fractured portion of a rock formation may be a less time-intensive alternative to large-scale pumping tests in the determination of vertical hydraulic conductivity. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-24 19:29:52.743

Numerical analysis of multi-field problems in porous and fractured media is an important subject for various geotechnical engineering tasks such as the management of geo-resources (e.g. engineering of geothermal, oil and gas reservoirs) as well as waste management. For practical usage, e.g. for geothermal, simulation tools are required which take into account both coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes and the uncertainty of geological data, i.e. the model parametrization. For modeling fractured rocks, equivalent porous medium or multiple continuum model approaches are often only the way currently due to difficulty to handle geomechanical discontinuities. However, they are not applicable for prediction of flow and transport in subsurface systems where a few fractures dominates the system behavior. Thus modeling coupled problems in discretely fractured porous media is desirable for more precise analysis. The subject of this work is developing a framework of the finite element method (FEM) for modeling coupled THM problems in discretely fractured and non-fractured porous media including thermal water flow, advective-diffusive heat transport, and thermoporoelasticity. Pre-existing fractures are considered. Systems of discretely fractured porous media can be considered as a problem of interacted multiple domains, i.e. porous medium domain and discrete fracture domain, for hydraulic and transport processes, and a discontinuous problem for mechanical processes. The FEM is required to take into account both kinds of the problems. In addition, this work includes developing a methodology for the data uncertainty using the FEM model and investigating the uncertainty impacts on evaluating coupled THM processes. All the necessary code developments in this work has been carried out with a scientific open source project OpenGeoSys (OGS). In this work, fluid flow and heat transport problems in interactive multiple domains are solved assuming continuity of filed variables (pressure and temperature) over the two domains. The assumption is reasonable if there are no infill materials in fractures. The method has been successfully applied for several numerical examples, e.g. modeling three-dimensional coupled flow and heat transport processes in discretely fractured porous media at the Gross Schoenebck geothermal site (Germany), and three-dimensional coupled THM processes in porous media at the Urach Spa geothermal site (Germany). To solve the mechanically discontinuous problems, lower-dimensional interface elements (LIEs) with local enrichments have been developed for coupled problems in a domain including pre-existing fractures. The method permits the possibility of using existing flow simulators and having an identical mesh for both processes. It enables us to formulate the coupled problems in monolithic scheme for robust computation. Moreover, it gives an advantage in practice that one can use existing standard FEM codes for groundwater flow and easily make a coupling computation between mechanical and hydraulic processes. Example of a 2D fluid injection problem into a single fracture demonstrated that the proposed method can produce results in strong agreement with semi-analytical solutions. An uncertainty analysis of THM coupled processes has been studied for a typical geothermal reservoir in crystalline rock based on the Monte-Carlo method. Fracture and matrix are treated conceptually as an equivalent porous medium, and the model is applied to available data from the Urach Spa and Falkenberg sites (Germany). Reservoir parameters are considered as spatially random variables and their realizations are generated using conditional Gaussian simulation. Two reservoir modes (undisturbed and stimulated) are considered to construct a stochastic model for permeability distribution. We found that the most significant factors in the analysis are permeability and heat capacity. The study demonstrates the importance of taking parameter uncertainties into account for geothermal reservoir evaluation in order to assess the viability of numerical modeling.

Submitted by Aldo Theodoro Gaiotto Junior (engenhotto@hotmail.com) on 2018-09-03T14:22:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO ALDO GAIOTTO.pdf: 6437864 bytes, checksum: 350d39f461d7eb07f22b0d4b350f05b5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-09-04T12:15:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gaiottojunior_at_me_bauru.pdf: 5958184 bytes, checksum: cf475013b5ae09ce289691e5d961d76d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T12:15:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gaiottojunior_at_me_bauru.pdf: 5958184 bytes, checksum: cf475013b5ae09ce289691e5d961d76d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-07-30 / O estudo acerca dos efeitos provocados pelos processos de exploração de fontes de hidrocarbonetos em rochas reservatório está cada vez mais presente nos processos investigativos que visam mitigar e remediar os impactos ambientais originários desta prática, de modo que se possa explorá-los por mais tempo e com menos danos ao meio ambiente. Visando o desenvolvimento de novas técnicas que possibilitem compreender melhor estes efeitos, o presente trabalho estuda as potencialidades de um novo modelo constitutivo, baseado no modelo de fechamento de juntas proposto por Barton e na teoria de dano contínuo, denominado “Modelo de Contato Progressivo”. Desenvolvido para simular o processo de fechamento mecânico das fraturas existentes em rochas em uma condição de contato entre interfaces, o modelo possui uma formulação adaptada à situação pretendida. O processo de fechamento das fraturas ocorre de acordo com a variação da poropressão da rocha. À medida que as paredes das fraturas se aproximam, a área de contato entre elas aumenta, causando um aumento na rigidez compressiva da fratura, segundo a relação hiperbólica dada por Barton-Bandis entre a componente normal da tensão e o deslocamento normal relativo. Por meio de uma abordagem 2D em elementos finitos é analisado o comportamento da poropressão em fraturas submetidas a tensões de compressão. Para representar explicitamente a fratura são utilizados elementos finitos com elevada razão de aspecto, estrategicamente posicionados. São realizados testes computacionais via códigos de programação próprios para validar o modelo. Os testes mostram que os elementos de interface são apropriados para representar as fraturas naturais e que o modelo de contato progressivo é capaz de reproduzir o efeito de fechamento de fraturas. O modelo pode ser empregado em reservatórios naturalmente fraturados para relacionar a tensão normal e a deformação no plano da fratura, além de fornecer valores de permeabilidade equivalente. / The study of the effects caused by the processes of hydrocarbon sources exploration in reservoir rocks is becoming widely present in investigative processes aimed at mitigating and remedying the environmental impacts originating from this practice, so that it can be explored for more time and with less damage to the environment. Aiming the development of new techniques to better understand these effects, the present work studies the potentialities of a new constitutive model, based on Barton's closure model and the continuous damage theory, called "Progressive Contact Model". Developed to simulate the process of fractures mechanical closure in rocks with contact between interfaces condition, the model has a formulation adapted to the intended situation. The fractures closure process occurs according to rock porepressure variation. As the walls of the fractures approach each other, the contact area between the walls increases, causing a growth in the compression stiffness of the fracture, according to the hyperbolic relationship given by Barton-Bandis between the normal component of the stress and the relative normal displacement. Using a 2D approach in finite elements, the porepressure in fractures submitted to compression is analyzed. To represent explicitly the fracture, finite elements with a high aspect ratio, strategically positioned, are used. Computational tests via own programming codes are performed to validate the model. The tests show that the interface elements are appropriate to represent the natural fractures and the progressive contact model is able to reproduce the fracture closure effect. The model can be used in naturally fractured reservoirs to relate normal stress and deformation to the fracture plane, besides to provide equivalent permeability values.

[pt] A estabilidade de poços de petróleo é convencionalmente analisada empregando soluções analíticas que não são adequadas para modelagem de meios fraturados, devido a suposições de meio continuo. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal desenvolver uma metodologia computacional para geração de janela operacional utilizando uma solução numérica, adequada para meios fraturados. No trabalho foi escolhido o software UDEC (Universal Distinct Element Code), que é baseado no método dos elementos discretos (MED). Este método considera o maciço rochoso como a união de blocos de rocha intactos, unidos pelas fraturas e cujo comportamento físico para cada elemento pode ser analisado individualmente. A modelagem computacional no UDEC foi realizada mediante uma analise hidromecânica acoplada. Esta modelagem permitiu avaliar a influencia de alguns mecanismos que governam a estabilidade de poços, como: as tensões in situ, a poropressão e a orientação, espaçamento e persistência das famílias de fraturas. Os resultados numéricos mostram o efeito das fraturas na orientação e magnitude das tensões, além da magnitude da poropressão resultando em cálculos dos limites de colapso inferior e fratura superior da rocha mais realistas. / [en] The stability of oil wells is conventionally analyzed using analytical solutions that are often not suitable for modeling fractured media due to assumptions of continuous medium. This work has as main objective to develop a computational method for generating mud window using a numerical solution, suitable for fractured media. The software chosen for this work was the UDEC (Universal Distinct Element Code), which is based on discrete element method (DEM). This method considers the rock mass as the union of blocks of intact rock jointed by fractures, and whose physical behavior for each element can be analyzed individually. Computational modeling in UDEC was carried out in a coupled hydromechanical analysis. This modeling allowed to evaluate the influences of some of the mechanisms that govern the stability of wells, as in situ stresses, pore pressure and orientation, spacing and persistence of families of fractures. Numerical results show the effect of fracture orientation and magnitude of the stresses, besides the magnitude of the pore pressure resulting in more realistic calculations of lower collapse and upper fracture of the rock mass.