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A Study on Effect of Seepage Direction on Permeability Stress Test

  • Research Article - Mechanical Engineering
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Abstract

Due to different pore or layer structures in different directions, reservoir rocks are often anisotropic in permeability, causing permeability tests to differ between vertical and radial permeability. Except for the anisotropy of rock mass, the seepage test direction may also have an impact on the connection between stress and permeability tests. In order to illustrate the reasons for the difference between vertical and horizontal permeability test results, this article comparatively analyses the simulation results between the vertical and horizontal direction, using the discrete element method with an isotropic model. A further permeability stress test experiment was carried out in a different direction with an improved multi-functional outburst research rig. The results show that the horizontal contact hydraulic aperture had a higher sensitivity to axial stress than the vertical contact, which made the axial permeability more sensitive to the confining stress than radial permeability. In contrast to the axial stress, as the confining stress increased, the vertical contact hydraulic aperture gradually decreased, while the horizontal contact hydraulic aperture only changed a small amount. This meant that the radial permeability was more sensitive to axial stress than axial permeability. Additionally, the reducing speed of the axial permeability was very slow or even zero, with the axial stress increasing when the axial stress was less than the confining stress. In general, the seepage test direction was a very important factor, and it should be considered in the study of the relationship between stress and permeability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mines, Key Laboratory of Deep Coal Resource, Ministry of Education of China, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Cun Zhang, Shihao Tu, Lei Zhang & Min Chen

Authors
  1. Cun Zhang
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  2. Shihao Tu
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  3. Lei Zhang
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  4. Min Chen
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Correspondence to Shihao Tu.

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Zhang, C., Tu, S., Zhang, L. et al. A Study on Effect of Seepage Direction on Permeability Stress Test. Arab J Sci Eng 41, 4583–4596 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-016-2215-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-016-2215-2

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