A Comparison of Methods for Calculating the Matrix Block Source Term in a Double Porosity Model

Clarisse Alboin , Jérôme Jaffré (1) , Patrick Joly (2) , Jean Roberts (2) , Christophe Serres

1 ESTIME - Parameter estimation and modeling in heterogeneous media
2 ONDES - Modeling, analysis and simulation of wave propagation phenomena

Contaminant transport in a fractured porous medium can be modeled, under appropriate conditions, with a double porosity model. Such a model consists of a parabolic equation with a coupling term describing contaminant exchange between the fractures, which have high permeability, and the matrix block, which has low permeability. A locally conservative method based on mixed finite elements is used to solve the parabolic problem, and the calculation of the coupling term, which involves the solution of diffusion equations in the matrix blocks, is based on an analytic expression. Numerical experiment- s show that this analytic method for the coupling term compares favorably to several other methods.

Keywords: POROUS MEDIUM; FRACTURES; DOUBLE POROSITY; MIXED FINITE ELEMENTS

Domains: Computer Science [cs]; Other [cs.OH]

Clarisse Alboin, Jérôme Jaffré, Patrick Joly, Jean Roberts, Christophe Serres. A Comparison of Methods for Calculating the Matrix Block Source Term in a Double Porosity Model. [Research Report] RR-4280, INRIA. 2001. ⟨inria-00072307⟩