Objective Accurately understanding the permeability characteristics of rock contact fractures is crucial for the safety evaluation of deep underground engineering. A numerical model for simulating the ideal contact fracture seepage process is proposed based on the lattice Boltzmann method to analyze the evolution of permeability in fractures under localized contact areas, considering the coupling effect between the fluid and contact areas. Methods This study applied a random parameter method to construct an idealized contact fracture structure, and the contact ratio and lacunarity were selected to characterize the spatial distribution of contact areas. Based on the lattice Boltzmann method, a second-order accurate half-bounce-back scheme was utilized to describe the coupling mechanism between the fluid and localized contact areas, and a numerical model was proposed to simulate the seepage process in ideal contacted rock fractures. The effectiveness and computational accuracy of the model were validated using two classic examples. Streamline tortuosity and permeability were introduced to characterize the flow morphology, and the effects of fracture contact ratio, spatial distribution of contact areas, and contact geometry on fracture permeability were investigated to analyze the impact of contact areas on fluid flow in rock fractures. Results and Discussions Under the same driving pressure, as the contact ratio within the rock fracture increased, the fluid flow space became more compressed, the seepage path became more tortuous, the flow velocity decreased, and the fracture permeability was reduced. When the contact ratios were 3.95%, 8.28%, 11.77%, 15.56%, and 20.37%, the average seepage velocities were 1.82×10-4, 1.54×10-4, 1.43×10-4, 1.38×10-4, and 1.25×10-4 m/s, respectively. As the contact ratio increased from 3.95% to 20.37%, the fracture permeability decreased from 4.54×10-8 m2 to 3.14×10-8 m2. The spatial distribution of contact areas significantly altered the permeability characteristics of the fractures. At the same contact ratio, a more concentrated distribution of contact areas, indicating a higher lacunarity, resulted in shorter average flow paths around obstacles and a more uniform fluid velocity distribution. The average seepage velocity decreased with decreasing lacunarity. When the lacunarity Λ values were 4.76, 3.21, 2.30, 1.70, and 1.42, the corresponding fracture permeabilities were 4.78×10-8, 4.15×10-8, 3.66×10-8, 3.47×10-8, and 3.18×10-8 m2, respectively. As the lacunarity increased from 1.42 to 1.70, 2.30, 3.21, and 4.76, the fracture permeability increased by 9.1%, 15.1%, 30.5%, and 50.3%, respectively. The shape of the contact area was also an important factor affecting the permeability characteristics. At a contact ratio C=11.77%, with the contact center position and the inclination angle of the elliptical major axis unchanged, an increase in the aspect ratio of the contact area resulted in a smoother geometric shape, a smaller blockage area in the flow direction, enhanced flow capacity, and a higher average seepage velocity, which collectively led to increased fracture permeability. When the aspect ratios were 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0, the corresponding average seepage velocities were 1.08×10-4, 1.38×10-4, 1.46×10-4, 1.48×10-4, and 1.49×10-4 m/s, respectively, and the permeabilities were 2.71×10-8, 3.46×10-8, 3.65×10-8, 3.70×10-8, and 3.71×10-8 m2, respectively. Conclusions This study developed a numerical model to simulate seepage evolution in ideally contacted rock fractures, effectively capturing fluid flow patterns within contact fractures and revealing the influence of local contact on fracture permeability. The main conclusions are as follows: as the contact ratio of a rock fracture increases, the available flow space decreases, leading to a longer fluid flow path, which slows the seepage velocity and reduces permeability. In addition, the flow space within the fracture is negatively correlated with both the average flow velocity and the average pressure drop across the cross-section. When the spatial distribution of contact areas is more dispersed, obstruction to fluid flow intensifies, increasing the tortuosity of the seepage path, reducing fluid velocity, and weakening the fracture flow capacity. When the contact ratio is 11.77%, permeability decreases by 50.3% as the missing item increases from 1.42 to 4.76. When the aspect ratio of elliptical contact areas is small, the geometric shape becomes flat and slender, increasing the singularity of the contact areas and significantly obstructing fluid flow. These results provide essential theoretical support for the quantitative evaluation of permeability characteristics in rock contact fractures.
WangShihao, ZhangYanbin, WuHaiyi,et al.A kinetic mo-del for multicomponent gas transport in shale gas reserv-oirs and its applications[J].Physics of Fluids,2022,34(8):082002. doi:10.1063/5.0101272
[2]
BerkowitzB.Characterizing flow and transport in fractu-red geological media:A review[J].Advances in Water Resources,2002,25(8/9/10/11/12):861‒884. doi:10.1016/s0309-1708(02)00042-8
[3]
TsangC F, BernierF, DaviesC.Geohydromechanical proc-esses in the Excavation Damaged Zone in crystalline rock,rock salt,and indurated and plastic clays—In the context of radioactive waste disposal[J].International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences,2005,42(1):109‒125. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.08.003
[4]
ZhaoYan, YangLiu, XiRuru,et al.CO2‒H2O two-phase displacement characteristics of low permeability core using nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging techniques[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,2023,44(6):1636‒1644.
ChenYuedu, LiangWeiguo, LianHaojie,et al.Experimental study on the effect of fracture geometric characteristics on the permeability in deformable rough-walled fractures[J].International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences,2017,98:121‒140. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2017.07.003
[7]
WangChangsheng, LiuRicheng, JiangYujing,et al.Effect of shear-induced contact area and aperture variations on nonlinear flow behaviors in fractal rock fractures[J].Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,2023,15(2):309‒322. doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2022.04.014
[8]
LiBo, JiangYujing, KoyamaT,et al.Experimental study of the hydro-mechanical behavior of rock joints using a parallel-plate model containing contact areas and artificial fractures[J].International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences,2008,45(3):362‒375. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2007.06.004
[9]
LiMan, LiuXianshan, LiYu,et al.Effect of contact areas on seepage behavior in rough fractures under normal stress[J].International Journal of Geomechanics,2022,22(4):04022019. doi:10.1061/(asce)gm.1943-5622.0002330
[10]
WalshJ B.Effect of pore pressure and confining pressure on fracture permeability[J].International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abst-racts,1981,18(5):429‒435. doi:10.1016/0148-9062(81)90006-1
[11]
ZimmermanR W, ChenDiwen, CookN G W.The effect of contact area on the permeability of fractures[J].Journal of Hydrology,1992,139(1/2/3/4):79‒96. doi:10.1016/0022-1694(92)90196-3
[12]
ZimmermanR W, BodvarssonG S.Hydraulic conductivity of rock fractures[J].Transport in Porous Media,1996,23(1):1‒30. doi:10.1007/bf00145263
[13]
WeiXianfa, MaHaichun, QianJiazhong,et al.Study on the geometric characteristics effect of contact area on fracture seepage[J].Physics of Fluids,2023,35:016603. doi:10.1063/5.0131145
[14]
KoyamaT, LiB, JiangY,et al.Numerical modelling of fluid flow tests in a rock fracture with a special algorithm for contact areas[J].Computers and Geotechnics,2009,36(1/2):291‒303. doi:10.1016/j.compgeo.2008.02.010
[15]
XiongFeng, JiangQinghui, YeZuyang,et al.Nonlinear flow behavior through rough-walled rock fractures:The effect of contact area[J].Computers and Geotechnics,2018,102:179‒195. doi:10.1016/j.compgeo.2018.06.006
[16]
TanYunliang, YinYanchun, TengGuirong,et al.Simulation research of gas seepage based on Lattice Boltzmann method[J].Journal of China Coal Society,2014,39(8):1446‒1454.
JinLei, ZengYawu, ChengTao,et al.Seepage characteristics of soil-rock mixture based on lattice Boltzmann met-hod[J].Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering,2022,44(4):669‒677.
PuDan, LiMiao, ShenLinfang,et al.The effects of channel width on particle sedimentation in fluids using a coupled lattice Boltzmann-discrete element model[J].Physics of Fl-uids,2023,35(5):053307. doi:10.1063/5.0147826
[25]
WangMin, ChenYifeng, MaGuowei,et al.Influence of surface roughness on nonlinear flow behaviors in 3D self-affine rough fractures:Lattice Boltzmann simulations[J].Advances in Water Resources,2016,96:373‒388. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2016.08.006
[26]
MaGuowei, MaChunlei, ChenYun.An investigation of nolinear flow behaviour along rough-walled fractures co-nsidering the effects of fractal dimensions and contact areas[J].Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering,2022,104:104675. doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2022.104675
ZhangTing, ShiBaochang, GuoZhaoli,et al.General bo-unce-back scheme for concentration boundary condition in the lattice-Boltzmann method[J].Physical Review E,2012,85:016701. doi:10.1103/physreve.88.029903
[29]
GuoZhaoli, ZhengChuguang, ShiBaochang.Non-equilib-rium extrapolation method for velocity and pressure bou-ndary conditions in the lattice Boltzmann method[J].Chinese Physics,2002,11(4):366‒374. doi:10.1088/1009-1963/11/4/310
[30]
XiaYuxuan, CaiJianchao, PerfectE,et al.Fractal dimension,lacunarity and succolarity analyses on CT images of reservoir rocks for permeability prediction[J].Journal of Hydrology,2019,579:124198. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.124198
[31]
AllainC, CloitreM.Characterizing the lacunarity of random and deterministic fractal sets[J].Physical Review A,1991,44(6):3552‒3558. doi:10.1103/physreva.44.3552
[32]
BrownS, CaprihanA, HardyR.Experimental observation of fluid flow channels in a single fracture[J].Journal of Geophysical Research:Solid Earth,1998,103(B3):5125‒5132. doi:10.1029/97jb03542
JuYang, ZhangQingang, YangYongming,et al.An experimental investigation on the mechanism of fluid flow th-rough single rough fracture of rock[J].Science China Tec-hnological Sciences,2013,56(8):2070‒2080. doi:10.1007/s11431-013-5274-6
[35]
PanPengzhi, FengXiating, XuDingping,et al.Modelling fluid flow through a single fracture with different contacts using cellular automata[J].Computers and Geotechnics,2011,38(8):959‒969. doi:10.1016/j.compgeo.2011.07.002