Vertex Approximate Gradient Scheme for Hybrid Dimensional Two-Phase Darcy Flows in Fractured Porous Media

Abstract

International audienceThis paper presents the Vertex Approximate Gradient (VAG) discretization of a two-phase Darcy flow in discrete fracture networks (DFN) taking into account the mass exchange between the matrix and the fracture. We consider the asymptotic model for which the fractures are represented as interfaces of codimension one immersed in the matrix domain with continuous pressures at the matrix fracture interface. Compared with Control Volume Finite Element (CVFE) approaches, the VAG scheme has the advantage to avoid the mixing of the fracture and matrix rocktypes at the interfaces between the matrix and the fractures, while keeping the low cost of a nodal discretization on unstructured meshes. The convergence of the scheme is proved under the assumption that the relative permeabilities are bounded from below by a strictly positive constant but cover the case of discontinuous capillary pressures. The efficiency of our approach compared with CVFE discretizations is shown on a 3D fracture network with very low matrix permeability