Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Powder Technology
Volume
398
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Centre for Sustainable Energy and Resources
RAS ID
52138
Funders
Southern University of Science and Technology (Grant no. 2020A1515110301)
Abstract
The transport mechanism of particles at fracture intersection is numerically studied by the coupled lattice Boltzmann-discrete element methods. First, the numerical method is validated via a benchmark test of the relative suspension viscosity. Second, a comprehensive parametric study on proppant transport through a T-junction is performed. The impacts of various parameters, including particle concentration, particle size, the Reynolds number and the fracture intersection angle are investigated. The results show that the proppant leak-off ratio decreases with particle concentration due to retardation and the Reynolds number due to inertial migration, and increases with fracture aperture. Particularly, the results also reveal a critical intersection angle of 60° at which the particle leak-off ratio reaches a maximum. Finally, an empirical expression is proposed to evaluate the particle leak-off ratio. The outcomes provide new insights into proppant transport in fracture networks and assist in an improved fracturing fluid design for naturally fractured reservoirs.
DOI
10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117123
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
This is an Authors Accepted Manuscript version of an article published by Elsevier at: Wang, D., You, Z., Wang, M., Li, Q., & Wu, L. (2022). Numerical investigation of proppant transport at hydraulic-natural fracture intersection. Powder Technology, 398, article 117123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117123
Wang, D., You, Z., Wang, M., Li, Q., & Wu, L. (2022). Numerical investigation of proppant transport at hydraulic-natural fracture intersection. Powder Technology, 398, article 117123.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117123