Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-32753-z
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) New experimental equipment recreating geo-reservoir conditions in large, fractured, porous samples to investigate coupled thermal, hydraulic and polyaxial stress processes
Author McDermott, C.I.; Fraser-Harris, A.; Sauter, M.; Couples, G.D.; Edlmann, K.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo ; Lightbody, A.; Somerville, J.; Wang, W. ORCID logo
Source Titel Scientific Reports
Year 2018
Department ENVINF
Volume 8
Page From art. 14549
Language englisch
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41598-018-32753-z/MediaObjects/41598_2018_32753_MOESM1_ESM.pdf
Abstract Use of the subsurface for energy resources (enhanced geothermal systems, conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons), or for storage of waste (CO2, radioactive), requires the prediction of how fluids and the fractured porous rock mass interact. The GREAT cell (Geo-Reservoir Experimental Analogue Technology) is designed to recreate subsurface conditions in the laboratory to a depth of 3.5 km on 200 mm diameter rock samples containing fracture networks, thereby enabling these predictions to be validated. The cell represents an important new development in experimental technology, uniquely creating a truly polyaxial rotatable stress field, facilitating fluid flow through samples, and employing state of the art fibre optic strain sensing, capable of thousands of detailed measurements per hour. The cell’s mechanical and hydraulic operation is demonstrated by applying multiple continuous orientations of principal stress to a homogeneous benchmark sample, and to a fractured sample with a dipole borehole fluid fracture flow experiment, with backpressure. Sample strain for multiple stress orientations is compared to numerical simulations validating the operation of the cell. Fracture permeability as a function of the direction and magnitude of the stress field is presented. Such experiments were not possible to date using current state of the art geotechnical equipment.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=20969
McDermott, C.I., Fraser-Harris, A., Sauter, M., Couples, G.D., Edlmann, K., Kolditz, O., Lightbody, A., Somerville, J., Wang, W. (2018):
New experimental equipment recreating geo-reservoir conditions in large, fractured, porous samples to investigate coupled thermal, hydraulic and polyaxial stress processes
Sci. Rep. 8 , art. 14549 10.1038/s41598-018-32753-z