Geometric model of the fracture as a manifold immersed in porous media

In this work, we analyze the flow filtration process of slightly compressible fluids in porous media containing man made fractures with complex geometries. We model the coupled fracture-porous media system where the linear Darcy flow is considered in porous media and the nonlinear Forchheimer equation is used inside the fracture. We develop a model to examine the flow inside fractures with complex geometries and variable thickness, on a Riemannian manifold. The fracture is represented as the normal variation of a surface immersed in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Using operators of Laplace Beltrami type and geometric identities, we model an equation that describes the flow in the fracture. A reduced model is obtained as a low dimensional BVP. We then couple the model with the porous media. Theoretical and numerical analysis have been performed to compare the solutions between the original geometric model and the reduced model in reservoirs containing fractures with complex geometries. We prove that the two solutions are close, and therefore, the reduced model can be effectively used in large scale simulators for long and thin fractures with complicated geometry

Exact Subdomain and Embedded Interface Polynomial Integration in Finite Elements with Planar Cuts

The implementation of discontinuous functions occurs in many of today's state-of-the-art partial differential equation solvers. However, in finite element methods, this poses an inherent difficulty: efficient quadrature rules available when integrating functions whose discontinuity falls in the element's interior are for low order degree polynomials, not easily extended to higher order degree polynomials, and cover a restricted set of geometries. Many approaches to this issue have been developed in recent years. Among them one of the most elegant and versatile is the equivalent polynomial technique. This method replaces the discontinuous function with a polynomial, allowing integration to occur over the entire domain rather than integrating over complex subdomains. Although eliminating the issues involved with discontinuous function integration, the equivalent polynomial tactic introduces its problems. The exact subdomain integration requires a machinery that quickly grows in complexity when increasing the polynomial degree and the geometry dimension, restricting its applicability to lower order degree finite element families. The current work eliminates this issue. We provide algebraic expressions to exactly evaluate the subdomain integral of any degree polynomial on parent finite element shapes cut by a planar interface. These formulas also apply to the exact evaluation of the embedded interface integral. We provide recursive algorithms that avoid overflow in computer arithmetic for standard finite element geometries: triangle, square, cube, tetrahedron, and prism, along with a hypercube of arbitrary dimensions

Fracture Model Reduction and Optimization for Forchheimer Flows in Reservoir

In this study, we analyze the flow filtration process of slightly compressible fluids in fractured porous media. We model the coupled fractured porous media system, where the linear Darcy flow is considered in porous media and the nonlinear Forchheimer equation is used inside the fracture. Flow in the fracture is modeled as a reduced low dimensional BVP which is coupled with an equation in the reservoir. We prove that the solution of the reduced model can serve very accurately to approximate the solution of the actual high-dimensional flow in reservoir fracture system, because the thickness of the fracture is small. In the analysis we consider two types of Forchhemer flows in the fracture: isotropic and anisotropic, which are different in their nature. Using method of reduction, we developed a formulation for an optimal design of the fracture, which maximizes the capacity of the fracture in the reservoir with fixed geometry. Our method, which is based on a set point control algorithm, explores the coupled impact of the fracture geometry and beta-Forchheimer coefficient