O ensaio de palheta de campo em material siltoso levanta problemáticas relacionadas à sua execução e à interpretação dos resultados. O presente trabalho apresenta uma modelagem em poroelasticidade do ensaio de palheta. O modelo de ensaio é definido pelo problema de rotação de um cilindro infinito em um solo poroso. A solução do problema é buscada adotando um comportamento poroelástico não linear fictício tal que a resposta é localmente equivalente àquela do comportamento plástico perfeito. O modelo considera que a rotação do cilindro gera deformações volumétricas não desprezíveis e que a solução fechada de poropressão é garantida por um módulo de cisalhamento equivalente. As soluções do campo de tensões e deformações descritas por equações analíticas são obtidas numericamente por meio do método de diferenças finitas. O modelo é avaliado através de uma comparação com os resultados de simulação em elementos finitos e de solução do modelo com o uso de software de álgebra computacional. Os critérios de Tresca e de Drucker-Prager são considerados nas avaliações. As condições de drenagem foram estudadas através da curva característica de drenagem no espação grau de drenagem U versus velocidade normalizada V. A influência da rigidez e da resistência do material sobre o fenômeno de dissipação foram interpretados no mesmo espaço U ×V . Também foi demonstrado que a dissipação é sensível à definição da zona de influência. O parâmetro numérico de discretização do domínio para o método de diferenças finitas para a obtenção de resultados de boa precisão foi identificado. O modelo foi aplicado para a modelagem do ensaio de palheta em resíduo de zinco e para a interpretação dos resultados desse ensaio. Demonstrou-se que o modelo proposto permite a identificações dos padrões de ensaio que garantem os comportamentos desejados, além de possibilitar o estudo da sensibilidade do processo de dissipação em relação à rigidez e resistência do material. / The Field Vane Test in silty materials raises problematics related to its execution and interpretation of results. The work presents a model for the vane test based on poroelasticity. The modeling of the test is characterized by the problem of the rotation of an infinite cylinder in a porous soil. The solution of the problem is sought by adopting a fictitious non-linear poroelastic behavior such that the answer is locally equivalent to the one corresponding to a perfect plastic behavior. The revised model assumes that rotation of the cylinder does generate volumetric deformation which one is not negligible and the close form of solution for pore pressure is guaranteed by an equivalent shear modulus. The solutions of stresses and displacement field are obtained numerically using the finite difference method. The model is evaluated for materials characterized by two criteria Tresca and Drucker-Prager through a comparison of results obtained by simulation in finite element model and by simulation using computer algebra software. The drainage conditions have been studied through the drainage characteristic curve U ×V . The influence of the stiffness and strength of the material on the dissipation phenomena were interpreted in the same space U ×V . It was also demonstrated that the dissipation process is sensitive to the definition of the influence zone. The numerical parameters to obtain good precision results were identified. The model was applied to the modeling Vane Test in zinc residue and the interpretation of experimental results. It has been shown that the proposed model allows the identification of test patterns that ensures the desired drainage behavior and allows the study of the sensitivity of the dissipation process for stiffness and strength of the material.

Naturally fractured reservoirs have attracted an increased interest of exploration and production geophysics in recent years. In many instances, natural fractures control the permeability of the reservoir, and hence the ability to find and characterize fractured areas of the reservoir represents a major challenge for seismic investigations. In fractured and porous reservoirs the fluid affects elastic anisotropy of the rock and also causes significant frequency dependent attenuation and dispersion. In this study we develop a mathematical model for seismic wave attenuation and dispersion in a porous medium in a porous medium with aligned fractured, caused by wave induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. In this work fractures in the porous rock are modelled as very thin and highly porous layers in a porous background. Dry highly porous materials have low elastic moduli; thus dry skeleton of our system contains thin and soft layers, and is described by linear slip theory. The fluid saturated rock with high-porasity layers is described by equations of poroelasticity with periodically varying coefficients. These equations are analyzed using propagator matrix approach commonly used to study effective properties of layered system. This yields a dispersion equation for a periodically layered saturated porous medium taking into account fluid communication between pore spaces of the layers. Taking in this dispersion equation a limit of small thickness for high-porosity layers gives the velocity and attenuation as a function of frequency and fracture parameters. The results of this analysis show that porous saturated rock with aligned fractures exhibits significant attenuation and velocity dispersion due to wave induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. / At low frequencies the material properties are equal to those obtained by anisotropic Gassmann theory applied to a porous material with linear-slip, interfaces. At high frequencies the results are equivalent to those for fractures with vanishingly small normal slip in a solid (non-porous) background. The characteristic frequency of the attenuation and dispersion depends on the background permeability, fluid viscosity, as well as fracture density and spacing. The wave induced fluid flow between pores and fractures considered in this work has exactly the same physical nature as so-called squirt flow, which is widely believed to by a major cause of seismic attenuation. Hence, the present model can be viewed as a new model of squirt-flow attenuation, consistent with Biot’s theory of poroelasticity. The theoretical results of this work are also limited by the assumption of periodic distribution of fractures. In reality fractures may be distributed in a random fashion. Sensitivity of our results to the violation of the periodicity assumption was examined numerically using reflectivity modelling for layered poroelastic media. Numerical experiments for a random distribution of fractures of the same thickness still show surprisingly good agreement with theoretical results obtained for periodic fractures. However this agreement may break down if fracture properties are allowed to vary from fracture to fracture. The results of this thesis show how to compute frequency dependences of attenuation and velocity caused by wave induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. These results can be used to obtain important parameters of fractured reservoirs, such as permeability and fracture weakness, from attenuation measurements. The major requirement for the success of such an approach is that measurements must be made in over a relatively broad frequency range.

This paper presents the theoretical background of a phenomenological biphasic material approach at large strains based on the theory of porous media as well as its numerical realization within the context of an adaptive mixed finite element formulation. The study is aimed at the simulation of coupled multiphysics problems with special focus on biomechanics. As the materials of interest can be considered as a mixture of two immiscible components (solid and fluid phases), they can be modeled as saturated porous media. For the numerical treatment of according problems within a finite element approach, weak formulations of the balance equations of momentum and volume of the mixture are developed. Within this context, a generalized Lagrangean approach is preferred assuming the initial configuration of the solid phase as reference configuration of the mixture. The transient problem results in weak formulations with respect to the displacement and pore pressure fields as well as their time derivatives. Therefore special linearization techniques are applied, and after spatial discretization a global system for the incremental solution of the initial boundary value problem within the framework of a stable mixed U/p-c finite element approach is defined. The global system is solved using an iterative solver with hierarchical preconditioning. Adaptive mesh evolution is controlled by a residual a posteriori error estimator. The accuracy and the efficiency of the numerical algorithms are demonstrated on a typical example.

An investigation was conducted as a preliminary effort to develop a methodology to predict pore pressure in a rock formation during drilling, for all types of rocks and situations. Specifically, it was investigated whether or not the virgin pore pressure (the pore pressure of the undisturbed rock) can be determined at the drill bit from drilling and environmental parameters, as well as solid and pore fluid properties. Several drilling situations were analyzed to develop models relating pore pressure to drilling and environmental parameters, as well as solid and pore fluid properties. Three approaches to the modeling of such drilling situations were considered, which were used to predict pore pressure and compare the predictions to actual drilling data. The first approach used the concept of the effective stress in conjunction to the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The second approach used the concept of the mechanical specific energy. The third approach made use of basic principles to relating virgin pore pressure to drilling and environmental parameters, as well as solid and pore fluid properties. This third approach resulted in the proposal of a more fundamental way of viewing mechanical specific energy (MSE) and the use of Biot's poroelasticity theory to describe the cutting process of rock. The first approach did not provide an adequate prediction of virgin pore pressure for all types of rocks and situations. The second approach showed promising results with limited actual drilling data. A sensitivity analysis of the model resulting from the third approach indicated that pore pressure, type of rock, and back rake angle of the cutter are the most significant factors affecting the energy required to break the rock. Moreover, rate of cutting stress, depth of cut, and type of pore fluid become significant factors of the cutting process only when a low-porosity, low-permeability rock is considered. It was concluded that there exists a relationship among pore pressure, drilling and environmental parameters, as well as solid and pore fluid properties. Therefore, it is possible in principle to determine the virgin pore pressure at the drill bit from drilling parameters, environmental parameters, and material properties. However, further work is required to establish a quantitative relationship among the significant parameters before a methodology to predict virgin pore pressure for all types of rocks and situations can be developed.

The global population is predicted to increase to around 11 billion by 2100. By 2050, the average age in the most populous age group will be over sixty. The ageing population (over sixty-five) is projected to exceed the number of children by 2047. These demographics imply that as the ageing population section increases, there will be a greater need for long-term care services. In order to adequately prepare against this trend, medical experts and evidence-driven policymakers are realising that personalised healthcare can help alleviate the burden related to the planning and commissioning of services allied to long-term care. Central to this picture is conditions that affect the brain - the most important organ of the human body. Dementia, stroke, and other conditions have a tremendous impact on loss of life, quality of life and healthcare cost. The challenge regarding brain disease is exacerbated further due to the difficulty regarding accessibility of this organ, but also due to the immense complexity regarding its morphology and functionality. In this context, advanced biophysical modelling is considered a promising option for studying brain pathophysiology and becomes a priority investment regarding routes for brain research. Simulations offer the promise of improved, clinically relevant, predictive information, acceleration for the pipeline of drug discovery/design and better planning of long-term care for patients. Within this paradigm, a particular model of water transport in the cerebral environment is essential. Numerous brain disorders arise from water imbalance in the cerebral environment, such as hydrocephalus (HCP), oedema and Chiari malformations to name a few. In this research, a novel multiscale model of fluid regulation and tissue displacement in the cerebral environment is developed, arising from the use of Multiple-network Poroelastic Theory (MPET). Characteristics of a four-network poroelastic model (4MPET) are first explored. Then, this model is extended to a fully dynamic (transient) six-network model (6MPET) via the addition of two new compartments, namely the glial cells compartment and the glymphatic system compartment. The introduction of these two compartments in the MPET paradigm reflects recent seminal findings in cerebral physiology, namely the extent and importance regarding transport/clearance of the perivascular spaces of the brain vasculature. We develop and present a numerical implementation of the 6MPET model, and we utilise this framework to analyse acute HCP and cerebral oedema in a variety of settings, in order to show the enhanced capability of the proposed 6MPET model compared to the classical 4MPET. Investigations of acute hydrocephalus through the fully dynamic 6MPET reveal compensatory trans-ependymal pressure behaviour in the glymphatic compartment. It was also shown that aquaporin-4 (AQP4) deficient expression exaggerates ventriculomegaly, and this too is demonstrated in acute hydrocephalus. Additionally, using the 6MPET model, one is able to witness three mitigating factors for cytotoxic oedema. Specifically, these are: reducing water mobility in the glial cells compartment, increasing the compliance of the glial cells compartment and finally AQP4-deficient expression.

O ensaio de palheta de campo em material siltoso levanta problemáticas relacionadas à sua execução e à interpretação dos resultados. O presente trabalho apresenta uma modelagem em poroelasticidade do ensaio de palheta. O modelo de ensaio é definido pelo problema de rotação de um cilindro infinito em um solo poroso. A solução do problema é buscada adotando um comportamento poroelástico não linear fictício tal que a resposta é localmente equivalente àquela do comportamento plástico perfeito. O modelo considera que a rotação do cilindro gera deformações volumétricas não desprezíveis e que a solução fechada de poropressão é garantida por um módulo de cisalhamento equivalente. As soluções do campo de tensões e deformações descritas por equações analíticas são obtidas numericamente por meio do método de diferenças finitas. O modelo é avaliado através de uma comparação com os resultados de simulação em elementos finitos e de solução do modelo com o uso de software de álgebra computacional. Os critérios de Tresca e de Drucker-Prager são considerados nas avaliações. As condições de drenagem foram estudadas através da curva característica de drenagem no espação grau de drenagem U versus velocidade normalizada V. A influência da rigidez e da resistência do material sobre o fenômeno de dissipação foram interpretados no mesmo espaço U ×V . Também foi demonstrado que a dissipação é sensível à definição da zona de influência. O parâmetro numérico de discretização do domínio para o método de diferenças finitas para a obtenção de resultados de boa precisão foi identificado. O modelo foi aplicado para a modelagem do ensaio de palheta em resíduo de zinco e para a interpretação dos resultados desse ensaio. Demonstrou-se que o modelo proposto permite a identificações dos padrões de ensaio que garantem os comportamentos desejados, além de possibilitar o estudo da sensibilidade do processo de dissipação em relação à rigidez e resistência do material. / The Field Vane Test in silty materials raises problematics related to its execution and interpretation of results. The work presents a model for the vane test based on poroelasticity. The modeling of the test is characterized by the problem of the rotation of an infinite cylinder in a porous soil. The solution of the problem is sought by adopting a fictitious non-linear poroelastic behavior such that the answer is locally equivalent to the one corresponding to a perfect plastic behavior. The revised model assumes that rotation of the cylinder does generate volumetric deformation which one is not negligible and the close form of solution for pore pressure is guaranteed by an equivalent shear modulus. The solutions of stresses and displacement field are obtained numerically using the finite difference method. The model is evaluated for materials characterized by two criteria Tresca and Drucker-Prager through a comparison of results obtained by simulation in finite element model and by simulation using computer algebra software. The drainage conditions have been studied through the drainage characteristic curve U ×V . The influence of the stiffness and strength of the material on the dissipation phenomena were interpreted in the same space U ×V . It was also demonstrated that the dissipation process is sensitive to the definition of the influence zone. The numerical parameters to obtain good precision results were identified. The model was applied to the modeling Vane Test in zinc residue and the interpretation of experimental results. It has been shown that the proposed model allows the identification of test patterns that ensures the desired drainage behavior and allows the study of the sensitivity of the dissipation process for stiffness and strength of the material.

abstract: The dynamic Earth involves feedbacks between the solid crust and both natural and anthropogenic fluid flows. Fluid-rock interactions drive many Earth phenomena, including volcanic unrest, seismic activities, and hydrological responses. Mitigating the hazards associated with these activities requires fundamental understanding of the underlying physical processes. Therefore, geophysical monitoring in combination with modeling provides valuable tools, suitable for hazard mitigation and risk management efforts. Magmatic activities and induced seismicity linked to fluid injection are two natural and anthropogenic processes discussed in this dissertation. Successful forecasting of the timing, style, and intensity of a volcanic eruption is made possible by improved understanding of the volcano life cycle as well as building quantitative models incorporating the processes that govern rock melting, melt ascending, magma storage, eruption initiation, and interaction between magma and surrounding host rocks at different spatial extent and time scale. One key part of such models is the shallow magma chamber, which is generally directly linked to volcano’s eruptive behaviors. However, its actual shape, size, and temporal evolution are often not entirely known. To address this issue, I use space-based geodetic data with high spatiotemporal resolution to measure surface deformation at Kilauea volcano. The obtained maps of InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) deformation time series are exploited with two novel modeling schemes to investigate Kilauea’s shallow magmatic system. Both models can explain the same observation, leading to a new compartment model of magma chamber. Such models significantly advance the understanding of the physical processes associated with Kilauea’s summit plumbing system with potential applications for volcanoes around the world. The unprecedented increase in the number of earthquakes in the Central and Eastern United States since 2008 is attributed to massive deep subsurface injection of saltwater. The elevated chance of moderate-large damaging earthquakes stemming from increased seismicity rate causes broad societal concerns among industry, regulators, and the public. Thus, quantifying the time-dependent seismic hazard associated with the fluid injection is of great importance. To this end, I investigate the large-scale seismic, hydrogeologic, and injection data in northern Texas for period of 2007-2015 and in northern-central Oklahoma for period of 1995-2017. An effective induced earthquake forecasting model is developed, considering a complex relationship between injection operations and consequent seismicity. I find that the timing and magnitude of regional induced earthquakes are fully controlled by the process of fluid diffusion in a poroelastic medium and thus can be successfully forecasted. The obtained time-dependent seismic hazard model is spatiotemporally heterogeneous and decreasing injection rates does not immediately reduce the probability of an earthquake. The presented framework can be used for operational induced earthquake forecasting. Information about the associated fundamental processes, inducing conditions, and probabilistic seismic hazards has broad benefits to the society. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2018

[pt] Em uma simulação de reservatório convencional, geralmente o modelo de fluxo de fluido de uma área de interesse recebe mais atenção do que o modelo geomecânico. Nos estudos de fluxo, são analisadas as variações de pressão de poros, saturação de fluidos e temperatura no reservatório, resultantes da produção e injeção de fluidos durante a fase de explotação do campo. Porém, o comportamento mecânico da rocha também chamado, na indústria do petróleo, de efeito geomecânico é aproximado em uma simulação convencional de reservatórios através de apenas um único parâmetro mecânico: a compressibilidade da rocha, insuficiente para avaliar de maneira adequada, o efeito que a variação do estado de tensão nas rochas reservatório e adjacentes exercem sobre a pressão de poros no reservatório. Em função disso, um dos objetivos deste trabalho é analisar como a variação de propriedades das rochas e dos fluidos pode impactar na produção de hidrocarbonetos e na ordem de grandeza da compactação e subsidência. Outro objetivo igualmente importante é a criação de um fluxo de informações que permite estimar as propriedades mecânicas das rochas a partir de dados provenientes de perfilagem, de maneira a dar maior acurácia aos dados utilizados. Dessa forma, as análises feitas utilizaram a metodologia desenvolvida pelo GTEP/PUC-Rio, a qual permite que sejam feitas simulações parcialmente acopladas de duas vias entre o simulador de fluxo IMEX e o programa de análise de tensões CHRONOS. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que o início da liberação de gás dentro do reservatório tem impacto não só na explotação de fluidos, como também na desaceleração do processo de compactação do reservatório. Além disso, mudanças de propriedades nas rochas adjacentes não geram comportamentos semelhantes de deslocamentos para todos os horizontes observados. / [en] In a conventional reservoir simulation, usually the fluid flow model of an area of interest receives more attention than the geomechanics model. In these studies, the pore pressure, fluid saturation and reservoir temperature variations resulting from the production and injection of fluids during the field exploitation phase are analyzed. However, less attention is given to the mechanical behavior of rock, also called geomechanical effects in the petroleum industry, which is approximated in a conventional reservoir simulation using only a single mechanical parameter: the compressibility of the rock, which is insufficient to adequately evaluate the effect that the variation of the stress state in the reservoir and in the adjacent rocks exerts on the pore pressure in the reservoir. Because of that, this work aims at analyzing how the variations of rocks and fluids properties may affect the production of hydrocarbons and the order of magnitude of compaction and subsidence. Another equally important objective is the creation of an information flow that allows the estimation of the mechanical properties of the rocks, based on log data, in order to give greater accuracy to the data used. Thus, the analyses were performed using a methodology developed by the GTEP / PUC-Rio, which makes it possible to perform two way partially coupled simulations between the conventional flow simulator (IMEX) and the stress analysis program (CHRONOS). The obtained results indicate that the initiation of the gas released inside the reservoir has an impact not only on the exploitation of fluids, but also on the deceleration of the reservoir compaction process. In addition, changes in the properties of adjacent rocks do not generate a similar displacement behavior for all observed horizons.

O ensaio de palheta de campo em material siltoso levanta problemáticas relacionadas à sua execução e à interpretação dos resultados. O presente trabalho apresenta uma modelagem em poroelasticidade do ensaio de palheta. O modelo de ensaio é definido pelo problema de rotação de um cilindro infinito em um solo poroso. A solução do problema é buscada adotando um comportamento poroelástico não linear fictício tal que a resposta é localmente equivalente àquela do comportamento plástico perfeito. O modelo considera que a rotação do cilindro gera deformações volumétricas não desprezíveis e que a solução fechada de poropressão é garantida por um módulo de cisalhamento equivalente. As soluções do campo de tensões e deformações descritas por equações analíticas são obtidas numericamente por meio do método de diferenças finitas. O modelo é avaliado através de uma comparação com os resultados de simulação em elementos finitos e de solução do modelo com o uso de software de álgebra computacional. Os critérios de Tresca e de Drucker-Prager são considerados nas avaliações. As condições de drenagem foram estudadas através da curva característica de drenagem no espação grau de drenagem U versus velocidade normalizada V. A influência da rigidez e da resistência do material sobre o fenômeno de dissipação foram interpretados no mesmo espaço U ×V . Também foi demonstrado que a dissipação é sensível à definição da zona de influência. O parâmetro numérico de discretização do domínio para o método de diferenças finitas para a obtenção de resultados de boa precisão foi identificado. O modelo foi aplicado para a modelagem do ensaio de palheta em resíduo de zinco e para a interpretação dos resultados desse ensaio. Demonstrou-se que o modelo proposto permite a identificações dos padrões de ensaio que garantem os comportamentos desejados, além de possibilitar o estudo da sensibilidade do processo de dissipação em relação à rigidez e resistência do material. / The Field Vane Test in silty materials raises problematics related to its execution and interpretation of results. The work presents a model for the vane test based on poroelasticity. The modeling of the test is characterized by the problem of the rotation of an infinite cylinder in a porous soil. The solution of the problem is sought by adopting a fictitious non-linear poroelastic behavior such that the answer is locally equivalent to the one corresponding to a perfect plastic behavior. The revised model assumes that rotation of the cylinder does generate volumetric deformation which one is not negligible and the close form of solution for pore pressure is guaranteed by an equivalent shear modulus. The solutions of stresses and displacement field are obtained numerically using the finite difference method. The model is evaluated for materials characterized by two criteria Tresca and Drucker-Prager through a comparison of results obtained by simulation in finite element model and by simulation using computer algebra software. The drainage conditions have been studied through the drainage characteristic curve U ×V . The influence of the stiffness and strength of the material on the dissipation phenomena were interpreted in the same space U ×V . It was also demonstrated that the dissipation process is sensitive to the definition of the influence zone. The numerical parameters to obtain good precision results were identified. The model was applied to the modeling Vane Test in zinc residue and the interpretation of experimental results. It has been shown that the proposed model allows the identification of test patterns that ensures the desired drainage behavior and allows the study of the sensitivity of the dissipation process for stiffness and strength of the material.

abstract: Aquifers host the largest accessible freshwater resource in the world. However, groundwater reserves are declining in many places. Often coincident with drought, high extraction rates and inadequate replenishment result in groundwater overdraft and permanent land subsidence. Land subsidence is the cause of aquifer storage capacity reduction, altered topographic gradients which can exacerbate floods, and differential displacement that can lead to earth fissures and infrastructure damage. Improving understanding of the sources and mechanisms driving aquifer deformation is important for resource management planning and hazard mitigation. Poroelastic theory describes the coupling of differential stress, strain, and pore pressure, which are modulated by material properties. To model these relationships, displacement time series are estimated via satellite interferometry and hydraulic head levels from observation wells provide an in-situ dataset. In combination, the deconstruction and isolation of selected time-frequency components allow for estimating aquifer parameters, including the elastic and inelastic storage coefficients, compaction time constants, and vertical hydraulic conductivity. Together these parameters describe the storage response of an aquifer system to changes in hydraulic head and surface elevation. Understanding aquifer parameters is useful for the ongoing management of groundwater resources. Case studies in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, focus on land subsidence from groundwater withdrawal as well as distinct responses to artificial recharge efforts. In Christchurch, New Zealand, possible changes to aquifer properties due to earthquakes are investigated. In Houston, Texas, flood severity during Hurricane Harvey is linked to subsidence, which modifies base flood elevations and topographic gradients. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2018