Non-darcian two-phase flow in a transparent replica of a rough-walled rock fracture

Abstract

This article presents experimental results for single- and two-phase flows at high flow rates through a replica of an actual rough-walled rock fracture. The results of the single-phase flow are interpreted using non-Darcian laws: the weak inertia cubic law, Forchheimer's law, and the full cubic law. They allow the determination of the fracture's intrinsic properties (absolute permeability and inertial coefficient). These laws are then generalized to describe non-Darcian two-phase flows. The generalized cubic and Forchheimer's laws are shown to be inconsistent in terms of the relative permeabilities. The generalization of the full cubic law is used to describe the liquid and gas relative permeabilities in the non-Darcian regime with a good accuracy. © 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.