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An Analytical Model of Porosity–Permeability for Porous and Fractured Media

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Abstract

The classic Kozeny–Carman equation (KC) uses parameters that are empirically based or not readily measureable for predicting the permeability of unfractured porous media. Numerous published KC modifications share this disadvantage, which potentially limits the range of conditions under which the equations are applicable. It is not straightforward to formulate non-empirical general approaches due to the challenges of representing complex pore and fracture networks. Fractal-based expressions are increasingly popular in this regard, but have not yet been applied accurately and without empirical constants to estimating rock permeability. This study introduces a general non-empirical analytical KC-type expression for predicting matrix and fracture permeability during single-phase flow. It uses fractal methods to characterize geometric factors such as pore connectivity, non-uniform grain or crystal size distribution, pore arrangement, and fracture distribution in relation to pore distribution. Advances include (i) modification of the fractal approach used by Yu and coworkers for industrial applications to formulate KC-type expressions that are consistent with pore size observations on rocks. (ii) Consideration of cross-flow between pores that adhere to a fractal size distribution. (iii) Extension of the classic KC equation to fractured media absent empirical constants, a particular contribution of the study. Predictions based on the novel expression correspond well to measured matrix and fracture permeability data from natural sandstone and carbonate rocks, although the currently available dataset for fractures is sparse. The correspondence between model calculation results and matrix data is better than for existing models.

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Abbreviations

a :

Pore radius (m)

A :

Cross-sectional area (\(\hbox {m}^{2}\))

\(A_\mathrm{p}\) :

Pore area in a cross section (\(\hbox {m}^{2})\)

\(A_\mathrm{f}\) :

Fracture area in a cross section (\(\hbox {m}^{2}\))

d :

Grain diameter (m)

\(D_\mathrm{f}\) :

Fractal dimension of pore size distribution (–)

\(D_\mathrm{ff}\) :

Fractal dimension of fracture network distribution (–)

\(D_\mathrm{R}\) :

Real dimension (–)

g :

Gravitational acceleration (\(\hbox {m }\hbox {s}^{-2})\)

h :

Width of a hydraulic aperture (\(\upmu \hbox {m}\))

P :

Pressure (Pa)

\(Q_\mathrm{HP}\) :

Volumetric flow rate in a tube (Hagen–Poiseuille law) (\(\hbox {m}^{3}\hbox { s}^{-1})\)

\(Q_\mathrm{D}\) :

Darcy velocity (\(\hbox {m }\hbox {s}^{-1})\)

s :

Radius of leakage area at specified location (m)

u :

Fluid velocity vector (\(\hbox {m }\hbox {s}^{-1})\)

w :

Length of a hydraulic aperture (m)

x, y, z :

Space coordinates (m)

\(\kappa \) :

Permeability (\(\hbox {m}^{2})\)

\(\mu \) :

Dynamic viscosity of fluid (Pa s)

\(\rho \) :

Fluid density (\(\hbox {kg }\hbox {m}^{-3})\)

\(\sigma \) :

Shear stress (Pa)

\(\tau \) :

Tortuosity (–)

\(\phi _\mathrm{m}\) :

Matrix porosity (–)

\(\phi _\mathrm{f}\) :

Fracture porosity (–)

p:

Pore

f:

Fracture

m:

Matrix

min:

Variable minimum

max:

Variable maximum

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Acknowledgements

This work was done with the support of the EU, ERDF, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Province of Limburg (Grant: 1510487 – SALK WP2: GeoWatt). We thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments, which have improved the quality of this work. The authors would also like to thank Dr. David Lagrou, and Dr. Carlo Mol for their assistance.

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  1. Flemish Institute of Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium

    Selçuk Erol, Virginie Harcouët-Menou & Ben Laenen

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Selçuk Erol

  3. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, United Kingdom

    Sarah Jane Fowler

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Erol, S., Fowler, S.J., Harcouët-Menou, V. et al. An Analytical Model of Porosity–Permeability for Porous and Fractured Media. Transp Porous Med 120, 327–358 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-017-0923-z

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