Tangential Fluid flow within 3D narrow fissures: Conservative velocity fields on associated triangulations and transport processes

Abstract

For a fissured medium with uncertainty in the knowledge of fractures' geometry, a conservative tangential flow field is constructed, which is consistent with the physics of stationary fluid flow in porous media and an interpolated geometry of the cracks. The flow field permits computing preferential fluid flow directions of the medium, rates of mechanical energy dissipations and a stochastic matrix modeling stream lines and fluid mass transportation, for the analysis of solute/contaminant mass advection-diffusion as well as drainage times.