Advanced Computational Techniques for Fractured Rock Hydrology

A special issue of Mathematical and Computational Applications (ISSN 2297-8747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018)

Special Issue Editor

DICATECh, Politecnico di Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: computational geomechanics; rock mechanics; geohydrology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fractured rock hydrology is a subset discipline of strategical engineering sectors, such as geothermal energy, radioactive nuclear waste disposal, oil engineering, CO2 geological storage, fracking and groundwater resources. From the viewpoint of a computational analyst, the prediction of fluid flow and transport in fractured rocks is challenging, in consideration of the peculiarities of such media: Heterogeneity, scale-dependence, and directionality. Models require advanced mathematical tools in all the stages of setup: Acquisition of the physical and geometrical features of the rock mass, by using statistical inference procedures from data measured on observational outcrops and through pumping tests; definition of the appropriate equivalent medium for the simulations, i.e., a continuum-like medium or a discrete fracture network, and the related parameters; solution of the partial differential equations of the model, that, especially for discrete fracture networks, may require massive parallelization. In spite of an abundant literature and many practical applications, there is still the need to improve the available computational tools. The objective is twofold: To improve the quality of the models in representing the essential features of the rock mass for higher predictive capabilities and to increase the computational efficiency in order to reduce time and costs. In addition, in specific engineering applications, it is required to couple the hydrologic models to stress/strain analyses and fracture mechanics, thus elevating their complexity and claiming for even more advanced computational techniques. The inherent mathematical problems are fascinating and require combinations of concepts from applied mathematics, physics, computer science and geology.

In this Special Issue call, the aim is to offer the state-of-the-art of the most advanced computational tools for the discipline. Potential topics include (but are not limited to):

  • statistical inference procedures of rock features from data collected on observational outcrops;
  • interpretation of pumping tests;
  • stochastic models for the generation of discrete fracture networks;
  • statistical/geostatistical analysis of fractured rock data-sets;
  • definition of hydrologic/mechanical properties for continuum-like media and for discrete fracture networks;
  • alternative discrete models (pipe networks);
  • advanced numerical techniques for the solution of predictive models in the context of FEM and BEM;
  • Lagrangian approaches for the transport of solute/contaminants;
  • hydro-mechanical coupling;
  • crack growth simulation in reservoir stimulation.

Dr. Corrado Fidelibus
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Discrete Fracture Networks (DFNs)
  • Equivalent Porous Medium (EPM)
  • Statistical inference from 2D fracture data sets
  • Advanced solution of PDEs for DFNs
  • Lagrangian approach for transport of contaminants

Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
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