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Roc k F r a c t ur e F l ow
Introduction
A potential flow model describing fluid movement in a rock fracture uses the Reynolds
equation, also known as the cubic law equation
which involves the following variables:
Fluid density,
The acceleration of gravity, g
The fluids dynamic viscosity,
The fractures aperture or width, a(x, y)
The scaled pressure, H = H(x, y), also called hydraulic head
This model uses interpolation of aperture data defined in a text file.
Model Definition
The definition of the last variable, hydraulic head, is
where z equals the height and p represents fluid pressure.
After eliminating the constant factor in the diffusion coefficient, you end up with the
equation
Notice that you cannot eliminate the aperture expression a
3
because this example
assumes that a is a nonconstant function of x and y, and thus it falls under the influence
of the divergence operator.

g
12
----------a
3
H


0 =
H z
p
g
------ + =
a
3
H ( ) 0 =
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Notes About the COMSOL Implementation
COMSOL Multiphysics does not include a physics interface for potential flow, but you
can use the Transport of Diluted Species physics interface available under Chemical
Species Transport for this model; the PDE solved here is identical to the Reynolds
equation. You must make one minor mental adjustment here: In the physics interface
the hydraulic head is referred to as the concentration. You can, however, rename the
dependent variable as H while adding the physics interface.
The computational domain is rectangular and well inside the sampled aperture data
matrix. Set a hydraulic head of 20 mm at the upper boundary and 0 mm at the lower
boundary. This creates a pressure difference of 20 mm that drives the fluid flow. Both
the left and right boundaries have symmetry boundary conditions.
The COMSOL installation includes a text file, aperture_data.txt, containing the
sample aperture data for this model in the form of a 100-by-100 matrix. This
synthetically generated data set corresponds to an aperture with a fractal dimension of
2.6. You import the aperture data into the COMSOL Multiphysics physics interface
by defining an interpolation function, which you then use as the aperture a in the
cubic law equation.
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Results
The plot in Figure 1 shows the flux using colored surface data and the hydraulic head
as the z-coordinate (height).
Figure 1: The flux and the hydraulic head.
The plot in Figure 2 provides a visualization of the aperture data.
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Figure 2: The interpolated aperture data shown as a combined surface and height plot.
Model Library path: COMSOL_Multiphysics/Geophysics/rock_fracture_flow
Modeling Instructions
From the File menu, choose New.
N E W
1 In the New window, click the Model Wizard button.
MO D E L WI Z A R D
1 In the Model Wizard window, click the 2D button.
2 In the Select physics tree, select Chemical Species Transport>Transport of Diluted
Species (chds).
3 Click the Add button.
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4 In the Concentration edit field, type H.
5 Click the Study button.
6 In the tree, select Preset Studies>Stationary.
7 Click the Done button.
G L O B A L D E F I N I T I O N S
Interpolation 1
1 On the Home toolbar, click Functions and choose Global>Interpolation.
Define an interpolation function using the aperture data available in a file.
2 In the Interpolation settings window, locate the Definition section.
3 From the Data source list, choose File.
4 Find the Functions subsection. Click the Browse button.
5 Browse to the models Model Library folder and double-click the file
rock_fracture_flow_aperture_data.txt.
6 Click the Import button.
7 In the table, enter the following settings:
G E O ME T R Y 1
The model geometry is simply a rectangle.
Rectangle 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 right-click Geometry 1 and choose
Rectangle.
2 In the Rectangle settings window, locate the Size section.
3 In the Width edit field, type 80.
4 In the Height edit field, type 50.
5 Locate the Position section. In the x edit field, type 10.
6 In the y edit field, type 20.
7 Click the Build Selected button.
TR A N S P O R T O F D I L U T E D S P E C I E S
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 click Transport of Diluted Species.
Function name Position in file
aperture 1
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2 In the Transport of Diluted Species settings window, locate the Transport Mechanisms
section.
3 Clear the Convection check box.
Now define the domain settings including reaction rate expressions.
Diffusion
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Transport of Diluted Species node, then click
Diffusion.
2 In the Diffusion settings window, locate the Diffusion section.
3 In the D
H
edit field, type aperture(x[1/m],y[1/m])^3.
Reactions 1
1 On the Physics toolbar, click Domains and choose Reactions.
2 Select Domain 1 only.
Next, define the boundary conditions.
Symmetry 1
1 On the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Symmetry.
2 Select Boundaries 1 and 4 only.
Concentration 1
1 On the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Concentration.
2 Select Boundary 2 only.
3 In the Concentration settings window, locate the Concentration section.
4 Select the Species H check box.
Concentration 2
1 On the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Concentration.
2 Select Boundary 3 only.
3 In the Concentration settings window, locate the Concentration section.
4 Select the Species H check box.
5 In the c
0,H
edit field, type 20.
S T U D Y 1
Proceed to set up the solvers.
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Solver 1
1 On the Study toolbar, click Show Default Solver.
2 In the Model Builder window, expand the Study 1>Solver Configurations node.
3 In the Model Builder window, expand the Solver 1 node.
4 Right-click Stationary Solver 1 and choose Adaptive Mesh Refinement.
5 In the Adaptive Mesh Refinement settings window, locate the General section.
6 In the Maximum number of refinements edit field, type 10.
7 In the Maximum number of elements edit field, type 10000.
8 On the Home toolbar, click Compute.
R E S U L T S
Concentration (chds)
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Concentration (chds) node, then click
Surface 1.
2 In the Surface settings window, click Replace Expression in the upper-right corner of
the Expression section. From the menu, choose Transport of Diluted Species>Species
H>Diffusive flux magnitude (chds.dfluxMag_H).
3 Locate the Coloring and Style section. Clear the Color legend check box.
4 Right-click Results>Concentration (chds)>Surface 1 and choose Height Expression.
5 In the Height Expression settings window, click Replace Expression in the upper-right
corner of the Expression section. From the menu, choose Transport of Diluted
Species>Species H>Concentration (H).
6 In the Model Builder window, click Concentration (chds).
7 In the 2D Plot Group settings window, click to expand the Title section.
8 From the Title type list, choose Manual.
9 In the Title text area, type Surface: Diffusive flux, Height: Hydraulic
head.
10 On the 2D plot group toolbar, click Plot.
11 Click the Zoom Extents button on the Graphics toolbar.
2D Plot Group 2
1 On the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 2D Plot Group.
2 In the Model Builder window, under Results right-click 2D Plot Group 2 and choose
Surface.
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3 In the Surface settings window, locate the Expression section.
4 In the Expression edit field, type aperture(x,y).
5 Right-click Results>2D Plot Group 2>Surface 1 and choose Height Expression.
6 In the Height Expression settings window, locate the Expression section.
7 From the Height data list, choose Expression.
8 In the Expression edit field, type aperture(x,y).
9 In the Model Builder window, click 2D Plot Group 2.
10 In the 2D Plot Group settings window, locate the Title section.
11 From the Title type list, choose Manual.
12 In the Title text area, type Surface and height: Aperture (mm).
13 On the 2D plot group toolbar, click Plot.
14 Click the Zoom Extents button on the Graphics toolbar.