Development of a stochastic fracture generator for fractured aquifers modeling - Fratcond tool module I

Abstract

The groundwater modeling in fractured media is extremely dependent on the geometry and arrangement of the fractures in these media, since such discontinuities become preferred flow paths, considering the differences in hydraulic conductivity and permeability between these and the matrix rocky environment. Due to the difficulties of completely surveying characterization data of the fractures in the field, it is common to use statistical and stochastic approaches, aiming at the generation of fracture networks, which allow flow modeling in these discontinuities. In this sense, this work aims to present the implementation of a three-dimensional stochastic discrete fracture generator, developed in MATLAB environment to obtain fractured media geometries. This generation takes into account the commonly-used probability density functions for the position, length, aperture, and orientation of fractures. From statistical data for these functions, the tool provides as results the characterization of generated fractures, which can be visualized through graphs and spreadsheets, allowing its later hydraulic modeling.