Using fracture-based continuum modeling of coupled geomechanical-hydrological processes for numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing

This paper describes numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing using fracture-based continuum modeling(FBCM)of coupled geomechanical-hydrological processes to evaluate a technique for high-density fracturing and fracture caging.The simulations are innovative because of modeling discrete fractures explicitly in continuum analysis.A key advantage of FBCM is that fracture initiation and propagation are modeled explicitly without changing the domain grid(i.e.no re-meshing).Further,multiple realizations of a preexisting fracture distribution can be analyzed using the same domain grid.The simulated hydraulic fracturing technique consists of pressurizing multiple wells simultaneously:initially without permeating fluids into the rock,to seed fractures uniformly and at high density in the wall rock of the wells;followed by fluid injection to propagate the seeded fracture density hydraulically.FBCM combines the ease of continuum modeling with the potential accuracy of modeling discrete fractures and fracturing explicitly.Fractures are modeled as piecewise planar based on intersections with domain elements;fracture geometry stored as continuum properties is used to calculate parameters needed to model individual fractures;and rock behavior is modeled through tensorial aggregation of the behavior of discrete fractures and unfractured rock.Simulations are presented for previously unfractured rock and for rock with preexisting fractures of horizontal,shallow-dipping,steeply dipping,or vertical orientation.Simulations of a single-well model are used to determine the pattern and spacing for a multiple-well design.The results illustrate high-density fracturing and fracture caging through simultaneous fluid injection in multiple wells:for previously unfractured rock or rock with preexisting shallow-dipping or horizontal fractures,and in situ vertical compressive stress greater than horizontal.If preexisting fractures are steeply dipping or vertical,and considering the same in situ stress condition,well pressurization without fluid permeation appears to be the only practical way to induce new fractures and contain fracturing within the target domain.

Continuum modeling of freeway traffic flows:State-of-the-art,challenges and future directions in the era of connected and automated vehicles

Connected and automated vehicles(CAVs)are expected to reshape traffic flow dynamics and present new challenges and opportunities for traffic flow modeling.While numerous studies have proposed optimal modeling and control strategies for CAVs with various objectives(e.g.,traffic efficiency and safety),there are uncertainties about the flow dynamics of CAVs in real-world traffic.The uncertainties are especially amplified for mixed traffic flows,consisting of CAVs and human-driven vehicles,where the implications can be significant from the continuum-modeling perspective,which aims to capture macroscopic traffic flow dynamics based on hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations.This paper aims to highlight and discuss some essential problems in continuum modeling of real-world freeway traffic flows in the era of CAVs.We first provide a select review of some existing continuum models for conventional human-driven traffic as well as the recent attempts for incorporating CAVs into the continuum-modeling framework.Wherever applicable,we provide new insights about the properties of existing models and revisit their implications for traffic flows of CAVs using recent empirical observations with CAVs and the previous discussions and debates in the literature.The paper then discusses some major problems inherent to continuum modeling of real-world(mixed)CAV traffic flows modeling by distinguishing between two major research directions:(a)modeling for explaining purposes,where making reproducible inferences about the physical aspects of macroscopic properties is of the primary interest,and(b)modeling for practical purposes,in which the focus is on the reliable predictions for operation and control.The paper proposes some potential solutions in each research direction and recommends some future research topics.

Nonlinear wave dispersion in monoatomic chains with lumped and distributed masses:discrete and continuum models

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of inertia of nonlinear springs on the dispersion behavior of discrete monoatomic chains with lumped and distributed masses.The developed model can represent the wave propagation problem in a non-homogeneous material consisting of heavy inclusions embedded in a matrix.The inclusions are idealized by lumped masses,and the matrix between adjacent inclusions is modeled by a nonlinear spring with distributed masses.Additionally,the model is capable of depicting the wave propagation in bi-material bars,wherein the first material is represented by a rigid particle and the second one is represented by a nonlinear spring with distributed masses.The discrete model of the nonlinear monoatomic chain with lumped and distributed masses is first considered,and a closed-form expression of the dispersion relation is obtained by the second-order Lindstedt-Poincare method(LPM).Next,a continuum model for the nonlinear monoatomic chain is derived directly from its discrete lattice model by a suitable continualization technique.The subsequent use of the second-order method of multiple scales(MMS)facilitates the derivation of the corresponding nonlinear dispersion relation in a closed form.The novelties of the present study consist of(i)considering the inertia of nonlinear springs on the dispersion behavior of the discrete mass-spring chains;(ii)developing the second-order LPM for the wave propagation in the discrete chains;and(iii)deriving a continuum model for the nonlinear monoatomic chains with lumped and distributed masses.Finally,a parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of the design parameters and the distributed spring mass on the nonlinear dispersion relations and phase velocities obtained from both the discrete and continuum models.These parameters include the ratio of the spring mass to the lumped mass,the nonlinear stiffness coefficient of the spring,and the wave amplitude.

Modes of grain growth and mechanism of dislocation reaction under applied biaxial strain:Atomistic and continuum modeling

The phase field crystal method and Continuum Modeling are applied to study the cooperative dislocation motion of the grain boundary(GB)migration,the manner of the nucleation of the grain and of the grain growth in two dimensions(2 D)under the deviatoric deformation at high temperature.Three types of the nucleation modes of new finding are observed by the phase field crystal simulation:The first mode of the nucleation is generated by the GB splitting into two sub-GBs;the second mode is of the reaction of the sub-GB dislocations,such as,the generation and annihilation of a pair of partial Frank sessile dislocation in 2 D.The process can be considered as the nucleation of dynamic recrystallization;the third mode is caused by two oncoming rows of the dislocations of these sub-GBs,crossing and passing each other to form new gap which is the nucleation place of the new deformed grain.The research is shown that due to the nucleation of different modes the mechanism of the grain growth by means of the sub-GB migration is different,and therefore,the grain growth rates are also different.Under the deviatoric deformation of the applied biaxial strain,the grain growth is faster than that of the grain growth without external applied stress.It is observed that the cooperative dislocation motion of the GB migration under the deviatoric deformation accompanies with local plastic flow and the state of the stress of the system changes sharply.When the system is in the process of recrystallized grain growth,the system energy is in an unstable state due to the release of the strain energy to cause that the reverse movement of the plastic flow occurs.The area growth of the deformed grain is approximately proportional to the strain square and also to the time square.The rule of the time square of the deformed grain growth can also be deduced by establishing the continuum dynamic equation of the biaxial strain-driven migration of the GB.The copper metal is taken as an example of the calculation,and the obtained result is a good agreement with that of the experiment.

Continuum Constitutive Modeling for Isotropic Hyperelastic Materials

The partial differential equation for isotropic hyperelastic constitutive models has been postulated and derived from the balance between stored energy and stress work done. The partial differential equation as a function of three invariants has then been solved by Lie group methods. With geometric meanings of deformations, the general solution boils down to a particular three-term solution. The particular solution has been applied for several isotropic hyperelastic materials. For incompressible materials, vulcanized rubber containing 8% sulfur and Entec Enflex S4035A thermoplastic elastomer, three coefficients have been determined from uniaxial tension data and applied to predict the pure shear and equibiaxial tension modes. For a slightly compressible rubber material, the coefficients have also been extracted from the confined volumetric test data.

Modeling continuous traffic flow with the average velocity effect of multiple vehicles ahead on gyroidal roads

In the future connected vehicle environment,the information of multiple vehicles ahead can be readily collected in real-time,such as the velocity or headway,which provides more opportunities for information exchange and cooperative control.Meanwhile,gyroidal roads are one of the fundamental road patterns prevalent in mountainous areas.To effectively control the system,it is therefore significant to explore the evolution mechanism of traffic flow on gyroidal roads under a connected vehicle environment.In this paper,we present a new continuum model with the average velocity of multiple vehicles ahead on gyroidal roads.The stability criterion and KdV-Burger equation are deduced via linear and nonlinear stability analysis,respectively.Solving the above KdV-Burger equation yields the density wave solution,which explores the formation and propagation property of traffic jams near the neutral stability curve.Simulation examples verify that the model can reproduce complex phenomena,such as shock waves and rarefaction waves.The analysis of the local cluster effect shows that the number of vehicles ahead and the radius information,and the slope information of gyroidal roads can exert a great influence on traffic jams.The effect of the first and second terms are positive,while the last term is negative.

A Review of the Dynamic Modeling Approaches for Characterizing Fluid Flow in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Fluid flow in fractured media has been studied for decades and received considerable attention in the oil and gas industry because of the high productivity of naturally fractured reservoirs.Due to formation complexity and reservoir heterogeneity,characterizing fluid flow with an appropriate reservoir model presents a challenging task that differs relatively from homogeneous conventional reservoirs in many aspects of view,including geological,petrophysical,production,and economics.In most fractured reservoirs,fracture networks create complex pathways that affect hydrocarbon flow,well performance,hence reservoir characterization.A better and comprehensive understanding of the available reservoir modeling approaches is much needed to accurately characterize fluid flow behavior in NFRs.Therefore,in this paper,a perspective review of the available modeling approaches was presented for fluid flow characterization in naturally fractured medium.Modeling methods were evaluated in terms of their description,application,advantages,and disadvantages.This study has also included the applications of these reservoir models in fluid flow characterizing studies and governing equations for fluid flow.Dual continuum models were proved to be better than single continuum models in the presence of large scale fractures.In comparison,discrete models were more appropriate for reservoirs that contain a smaller number of fractures.However,hybrid modeling was the best method to provide accurate and scalable fluid flow modeling.It is our understanding that this paper will bridge the gap between the fundamental understanding and application of NFRs modeling approaches and serve as a useful reference for engineers and researchers for present and future applications.

Aero-engine Blade Fatigue Analysis Based on Nonlinear Continuum Damage Model Using Neural Networks

Fatigue life and reliability of aero-engine blade are always of important significance to flight safety.The establishment of damage model is one of the key factors in blade fatigue research.Conventional linear Miner＇s sum method is not suitable for aero-engine because of its low accuracy.A back propagation neutral network（BPNN） based on the combination of Levenberg-Marquardt（LM） and finite element method（FEM） is used to describe process of nonlinear damage accumulation behavior in material and predict fatigue life of the blade.Fatigue tests of standard specimen made from TC4 are carried out to obtain material fatigue parameters and S-N curve.A nonlinear continuum damage model（CDM）,based on the BPNN with one hidden layer and ten neurons,is built to investigate the nonlinear damage accumulation behavior,in which the results from the tests are used as training set.Comparing with linear models and previous nonlinear models,BPNN has the lowest calculation error in full load range.It has significant accuracy when the load is below 500 MPa.Especially,when the load is 350 MPa,the calculation error of the BPNN is only 0.4%.The accurate model of the blade is built by using 3D coordinate measurement technology.The loading cycle in fatigue analysis is defined from takeoff to cruise in 10 min,and the load history is obtained from finite element analysis（FEA）.Then the fatigue life of the compressor blade is predicted by using the BPNN model.The final fatigue life of the aero-engine blade is 6.55 104 cycles（10 916 h） based on the BPNN model,which is effective for the virtual design of aero-engine blade.

Verification of a laboratory-based dilation model for in situ conditions using continuum models

With respect to constitutive models for continuum modeling applications, the post-yield domain remainsthe area of greatest uncertainty. Recent studies based on laboratory testing have led to thedevelopment of a number of models for brittle rock dilation, which account for both the plastic shearstrain and confining stress dependencies of this phenomenon. Although these models are useful inproviding an improved understanding of how dilatancy evolves during a compression test, there hasbeen relatively little work performed examining their validity for modeling brittle rock yield in situ. Inthis study, different constitutive models for rock dilation are reviewed and then tested, in the context of anumber of case studies, using a continuum finite-difference approach （FLAC）. The uncertainty associatedwith the modeling of brittle fracture localization is addressed, and the overall ability of mobilizeddilation models to replicate in situ deformation measurements and yield patterns is evaluated. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A CONTINUUM MODEL FOR AXIAL-STRAIN-INDUCED TORSION IN SINGLE-WALL CARBON NANOTUBES

Using the atomistic-based finite-deformation shell theory, we analytically investigate the coupling between the axial deformation and the torsion in single-wall carbon nanotubes. We find that the axial-strain-induced torsion（ASIT） response is limited only to chiral nanotubes. This response is affected by chiralities and radii of carbon nanotubes. Our results are similar to that of molecular dynamic simulations reported in the literatures.

Study on micronozzle flow and propulsion performance using DSMC and continuum methods

In this paper, both DSMC and Navier-Stokes computational approaches were applied to study micronozzle flow. The effects of inlet condition, wall boundary condition, Reynolds number, micronozzle geometry and Knudsen number on the micronozzle flow field and propulsion performance were studied in detail. It is found that within the Knudsen number range under consideration, both the methods work to predict flow characteristics inside micronozzles. The continuum method with slip boundary conditions has shown good performance in simulating the formation of a boundary layer inside the nozzle. However, in the nozzle exit lip region, the DSMC method is better due to gas rapid expansion. It is found that with decreasing the inlet pressure, the difference between the continuum model and DSMC results increases due to the enhanced rarefaction effect. The coefficient of discharge and the thrust efficiency increase with increasing the Reynolds number. Thrust is almost proportional to the nozzle width. With dimension enlarged, the nozzle performance becomes better while the rarefaction effects would be somewhat weakened.

The density wave in a new anisotropic continuum model

In this paper the new continuum traffic flow model proposed by Jiang et al is developed based on an improved car-following model, in which the speed gradient term replaces the density gradient term in the equation of motion. It overcomes the wrong-way travel which exists in many high-order continuum models. Based on the continuum version of car-following model, the condition for stable traffic flow is derived. Nonlinear analysis shows that the density fluctuation in traffic flow induces a variety of density waves. Near the onset of instability, a small disturbance could lead to solitons determined by the Korteweg-de-Vries （KdV） equation, and the soliton solution is derived.

Nanoscale finite element models for vibrations of single-walled carbon nanotubes: atomistic versus continuum

By the atomistic and continuum finite element models, the free vibration behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWCNTs） is studied. In the atomistic finite element model, the bonds and atoms are modeled by the beam and point mass elements, respectively. The molecular mechanics is linked to structural mechanics to determine the elastic properties of the mentioned beam elements. In the continuum finite element approach, by neglecting the discrete nature of the atomic structure of the nanotubes, they are modeled with shell elements. By both models, the natural frequencies of SWCNTs are computed, and the effects of the geometrical parameters, the atomic structure, and the boundary conditions are investigated. The accuracy of the utilized methods is verified in comparison with molecular dynamic simulations. The molecular structural model leads to more reliable results, especially for lower aspect ratios. The present analysis provides valuable information about application of continuum models in the investigation of the mechanical behaviors of nanotubes.

Numerical Simulation of Transport Phenomena in Solidification of Multicomponent Ingot Using a Continuum Model

A continuum model proposed for dendrite solidification of multicomponent alloys, with any partial solid back diffusion, was used to numerically simulate the macroscopic solidification transport phenomena and macrosegregations in an upwards directionally solidified plain carbon steel ingot. The computational results of each macroscopic field of the physical variables involved in the solidification process at a middle solidification stage were presented.

A viscous continuum traffic flow model with consideration of the coupling effect for two-lane freeways

In this paper, the viscous continuum traffic flow model for a single lane is extended to the traffic flow for two-lane freeways. The proposed model is a higher-order continuum model considering the coupling and lane changing effects of the vehicles on two adjacent lanes. It results from integrating the Taylor series expansion of the viscous continuum traffic flow model proposed by Ge （2006 Physiea A 371 667） into the multi-lane model presented by Daganzo （1997 Transpn. Res. B 31 83）. Our proposed model may be used to describe non-anisotropic behaviour because of lane changing in multi-lane traffic. A linear stability analysis is given and the neutral stability condition is obtained. Also, issues related to lane changing, shock waves and rarefaction waves, local clustering and phase transition are investigated through a simulation experiment. The simulation results show that the proposed model is capable of explaining some particular traffic phenomena commonly observable in real world traffic flow.

Non-classical solutions of a continuum model for rock descriptions

The strain-gradient and non-Euclidean continuum theories are employed for construction of non- classical solutions of continuum models. The linear approximation of both models＇ results in identical structures in terms of their kinematic and stress characteristics. The solutions obtained in this study exhibit a critical behaviour with respect to the external loading parameter. The conclusions are obtained based on an investigation of the solution for the scalar curvature in the non-Euclidean continuum theory, The proposed analysis enables us to use different theoretical approaches for description of rock critical behaviour under different loading conditions.

Physico-mechanical properties of granite after cyclic thermal shock

Understanding rock mechanical behaviors after thermal shock is critically important for practical engineering application.In this context,physico-mechanical properties of Beishan granite,Gansu Province,China after cyclic thermal shock were studied using digital image correlation(DIC),acoustic emission(AE)monitoring,and microscopic observation.The results show that the peak strength and elastic modulus decreased gradually with increase in thermal shock cycle.However,the above two parameters showed no further changes after 10 thermal shock cycles.The loading stress ratio(i.e.the ratio of the current loading stress level to the peak stress in this state)corresponding to the occurrence of the uneven principal strain field and the local strain concentration zone on the surface of the granite specimen decreased with increase in thermal shock cycle.Three transformation forms of the standard deviation curves of the surface principal strain were found.For granite with fewer thermal shock cycles(e.g.no more than 2 cycles),the standard deviation curves exhibited approximately exponential growth in exponential form.With increase in thermal shock cycle,the S-shaped curve was dominant.After 10 thermal shock cycles,an approximate ladder-shaped curve was observed.It is displayed that AE activity was mainly concentrated around the peak strength zone of the granite specimen when the rock samples underwent fewer thermal shock cycles.With increase in thermal shock cycle,AE activity could occur at low loading stress levels.Microscopic observation further confirmed these scenarios,which showed that more microcracks were induced with increase in thermal shock cycle.The number of induced microcracks at the edge location of the granite specimen was significantly larger than that at the interior location.Finally,a continuum damage model was proposed to describe the damage evolution of the granite specimen after cyclic thermal shock during loading.

Numerical investigation of fluid phase momentum transfer in carbonate acidizing

This work mainly studies the effect of fluid phase momentum transfer mechanisms on the acidizing results,including the retardation effect of the porous structure and the interaction between the fluid phase,such as viscous dissipation and inertial effect.The results show that the acid fluid momentum transfer is influenced by the complex porous structure and fluid viscous dissipation.Eventually,the Stokes-Darcy equation is recommended to be adopted to describe the fluid phase momentum transfer in the following numerical simulation studies of the carbonate acidizing process.Based on this model,a parametric research is carried out to investigate the impact of acid on rock physical characteristics in the stimulation process.Increasing the acid concentration appears to minimize the quantity of acid consumed for the breakthrough.The acid surface reaction rate has a considerable impact on the pore volume to breakthrough and the optimum acid injection rate.The influence of permeability on the acidizing results basically shows a negative correlation with the injection rate.The difference between the acidizing curves of different permeability gradually becomes insignificant with the decrease in injection rate.The existence of isolated fracture and vug significantly reduces acid consumption for the breakthrough.

RESEARCH ON STABILITY OF MOVING JET CONTAINING DENSE SUSPENDED SOLID PARTICLES

The spatial stability equation of moving jet containing dense suspended solid particles was derived out by means of the continuum phase-coupled model. The stability curves of moving jet far different downstream distances, Reynolds number of flow-field, particle properties and velocities of jetting device are got by the finite difference method based on the asymptotic method and the Eulerian conservative difference scheme. Founded on the analysis of the obtained stability curves it is found that the positive velocity of jetting device widens the unstable frequency range of flow-field hut the effect of the negative one is contrary. In addition, particles existing in the flow-field curb the instability of flow-field and the effect enhances with the decrease of Reynolds number of flow-field. These conclusions benefit learning the development of moving two-phase jet.

Numerical simulation of pedestrian flow past a circular obstruction

In this paper, a revisiting Hughes’ dynamic continuum model is used to investigate and predict the essential macroscopic characteristics of pedestrian flow, such as flow, density and average speed, in a two dimensional continuous walking facility scattered with a circular obstruction. It is assumed that pedestrians prefer to walk a path with the lowest instantaneous travel cost from origin to destination, under the consideration of the current traffic conditions and the tendency to avoid a high-density region and an obstruction. An algorithm for the pedestrian flow model is based on a cellcentered finite volume method for a scalar conservation law equation, a fast sweeping method for an Eikonal-type equation and a second-order TVD Runge-Kutta method for the time integration on unstructured meshes. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. It is verified that density distribution of pedestrian flow is influenced by the position of the obstruction and the path-choice behavior of pedestrians.