• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

In order to measure aperture variation dependent on normal stress and to characterize on relationship between aperture variation and hydraulic conductivity this study measured apertures of rock fractures under a high resolution confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) with application of five stages of uniaxial normal stresses. From this method the response of aperture can be continuously characterized on one specimen by different loads of normal stress. The results of measurements showed a rough geometry of fracture bearing non-uniform aperture. They also revealed different values of aperture variations according to the load stages on each position along a fracture due to the fracture roughness. Laboratory permeability tests were also conducted to evaluate the changes of permeability coefficients related to the aperture variations by different loads. The results of permeability tests revealed that the hydraulic conductivity was not reduced at a fixed rate with increase of normal load. Moreover, the rates of aperture variations did not match to those of hydraulic conductivity. The hydraulic conductivity calculated in this study did not follow the cubic law, representing that the parallel plate model is not suitable to express the fracture geometry corresponding to the results of aperture measurements under the CLSM.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2013

Well testing in unconventional reservoirs, such as tight or shale gas formations, presents considerable challenges. It is difficult to estimate the reservoir properties in ultra-low permeability formation because of poor inflow prior to stimulation and excessive test duration. Moreover, radial flow may not develop in hydraulically fractured horizontal wells. For these reasons, the cost of test is high and the accuracy is relatively low. Accordingly, industry is turning to an alternate testing method, diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT), which is conducted prior to the main hydraulic fracture treatments. Nowadays, DFIT are regarded as the most practical way to obtain good estimates of reservoir properties in unconventional reservoirs. Various methods may be used for interpreting DFIT data. This paper gives an explanation of those methods in detail and examines three actual field data. These show how various analysis methods can be applied to consistently interpret fracture closure pressure and time, as well as before and after closure flow regimes and reservoir properties from field data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.119-126
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• 2002

Fractures, especially faults have most significant influence on the difficulties encountered in various engineering and mining works, because they can give rise to inevitable reductions in shear strength as well as large increase in permeability. Thus, before underground access is possible, it is desirable to estimate the distribution and geometry of fractures in advance, if reliable structural data from e.g. Televiewer tool are available. To this end, fracture face mapping is just the evaluation method used to form a fracture image determined by intersecting of each fracture plane with a selected plane section of a rock mass, assuming that all fractures be planar with fixed-aperture. Although many fractures are geometrically complex and others are altered chemically, according to the abundant experiments in recent years, it would seem that the technique could be applied to benefit the design of numerous engineering works such as slope stability, tunnel excavations, dam foundation and diverse environmental works. This paper presents at first an evaluation algorithm for fracture face mapping and then concludes with various representative examples of applications.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.503-512
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• 1995

Groundwater flow in fracture networks is simulated using a discrete fracture (DF) model which assume that groundwater flows only through the fracture network. This assumption is available if the permeability of rock matrix is very low. It is almost impossible to describe fracture networks perfectly, so a stochastic approach is used. The stochastic approach assumes that the characteristic parameters in fracture network have special distribution patterns. The stochastic model generates fracture networks with some characteristic parameters. The finite element method is used to compute fracture flows. One-dimensional line element is the element type of the finite elements. The simulation results are shown by dominant flow paths in the fracture network. The dominant flow path can be found from the simulated groundwater flow field. The model developed in this study provides the tool to estimate the influences of characteristic parameters on groundwater flow in fracture networks. The influences of some characteristic parameters on the frcture flow are estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation based on 30 realizations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.310-315
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• 2000

In this paper, the problems of the external fixator that have developed for a distal radius fracture so far are analyzed, and accordingly, the characterizations, which must have a prototype, are arranged. C-Arm is used. This instrument makes it possible for the real play of the internal body by x-ray permeability. From this data, it is possible to induce important design factors. Finally, a basic mechanism, which has to be applied, is decided, and the Solid Edge program, which used a 3-D design tool, completes then total instrument design.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.39-44
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• 2010

To increase the fracture toughness of paper made of Sw-BKP, refining and kneading conditions were analyzed. Curl and kink was known to increase the strain at break and the fracture touhness. Sequence of multiple stage beating, beating load and kneading were compared. When we applied a kneading treatment using a kneader at the final step, the most of the fiber transformation such as curl and kink occurred, the more the bulk and air-permeability improved. Physical strength and TEA(tensile energy absorption) were increased higher when kneading treatment before refining than only refining treatment was performed. TEA was increased because of higher elongation. It was found that the highest fracture toughness was obtained when applying the kneading treatment to the fibers in the pre-treatment step rather than in the middle step of beating or in the final step of beating.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.573-588
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• 2021

The interaction of cracks and water significantly affects the fracture mechanism of rocks. In this study, laboratory tests were conducted using sandstone samples containing a single fissure to explore the hydro-mechanical behaviors in the failure process of pre-cracked rocks. The internal crack characteristics were also analyzed using X-ray CT scanning. The results show that the confining pressure has the greatest effect on the mechanical properties (e.g., strengths, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio), followed by the fissure inclination and water pressure. At a lower fissure inclination, the confining pressure may control the type main cracks that form, and an increase in the water pressure increases the number of anti-wing cracks and the length of wing cracks and branch cracks. However, the fracture behaviors of samples with a higher fissure inclination are only slightly affected by the confining pressures and water pressures. The effect of fissure inclination on the internal crack area is reduced with the propagation from the fissure tips to the sample ends. The fissure inclination mainly affects the value of permeability but not affect the trend. The impact of pre-existing fissure on permeability is smaller than that of confining pressure and water pressure.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.449-458
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• 2001

In order to verify the numerical model, which was developed to simulate the behavior of the two-phase fluid flow in a single fracture, the characteristic equation of relative permeability was incorporated into the developed numerical model, and the computed results were compared with the experimental results of the model test. As results of the sensitivity analysis on the roughness and the aperture size of fracture, the gas velocity was inversely proportional to the fracture roughness, and not proportional to the square of aperture size which is usually observed in single phase flow in a single fracture. The numerical model was applied to the underground LPG storage terminal in order to check the field applicability. The simultaneous flow of water and gas in accordance with the operation pressures in a single fracture near cavern was simulated by the model. It was shown that the leaked gas was able to be controlled in a single fracture neither by the pressure of operation nor by that of groundwater in case the fracture became smoother in roughness and smaller in aperture size.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.27-39
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• 2007

This paper investigates numerically characteristics of the fluid flow in spatially correlated variable-aperture fractures under effective normal stress conditions. Spatially correlated aperture distributions are generated by using the geostaistical method (i.e. Turning Bands algorithm). In order to represent a nonlinear relationship between the effective normal stress and the fracture aperture, a simple mechanical formula is combined with a local flow model. Obtained numerical results indicate that the fluid flow is significantly affected by the geometry of aperture distribution varying according to the applied effective normal stress as well as the spatial correlation length of aperture distribution. Moreover, by using results simulated in this study, the modified Louis formula representing the relationship between the effective normal stress and the effective permeability of fracture is proposed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.790-799
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• 2010

The Upper Devonian Grossmont Formation in Alberta, Canada reserves an estimated 50 billion cubic meters of bitumen and possess about 1/6 of the total bitumen resources in northern Alberta. However, unlike the overlying Athabasca oil sands, non conventional bitumen resources has not been developed as yet. The carbonate rocks of Grosmont Formation have been subject to various stages of diagenesis, including dolomatization and karstification with a strong effect on the distribution of porosity and permeability, which resulted in highly heterogeneous reservoirs. An extensive fracture logging and mapping was performed on total of six boreholes located in the study area to explore the characteristics of fracture geometry system and the subsurface structures of carbonates reservoir that holds bitumen. Fractal dimension was used as a measure of the statistical homogeneity of the fractured rock masses. The applicability of random Cantor dust, Dc, as a fractal parameter was examined systematically. The statistical homogeneity of fractured carbonates rock masses was investigated in the study area. The structural domains of the rock masses were delineated depthwise according to estimated Dc. The major fracture orientation was dominated by horizontal beddings having dip of $0-20^{\circ}$. Also, fractures having high dip angles existed with relatively low frequency. Three dimensional fracture network modeling for each structural domain has been performed based on fracture orientation and intensity, and some representative conceptual models for carbonates reservoir in the study area has been proposed. The developed subsurface conceptual models will be used to capture the geomechanical characteristics of the carbonates reservoir.