Modeling Flow and Solute Transport in Fractured Porous Media at Jinping I-Hydropower Station, China
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 19, Issue 9
Abstract
A model that couples the rock matrix and fracture flow is employed to simulate the flow and solute transport in fractured porous media. The porous matrix is represented using an equivalent continuum model, and discrete fractures are described using a discrete-fracture network model. Data on the fracture properties were collected from the study area to randomly generate the fractures. The model was calibrated and validated using the measured groundwater levels and tracer test data. The results indicate that the groundwater levels and concentrations simulated using the coupled model agree well with the observed data. In contrast, those obtained using the continuum model for the entire domain do not. In the fracture areas in which abnormal groundwater levels were observed (i.e., where the level was lower than the Yalong River stage), the coupled model effectively captures and replicates the primary geological and hydrogeological characteristics. Once again, the continuum model results do not. A sensitivity analysis of the parameters showed that an order of magnitude variation in the hydraulic conductivity corresponds to a 0.05–0.13% variation in groundwater levels, implying that changes in hydraulic conductivity have little effect on groundwater level. Additionally, a half order of magnitude increase or decrease in the dispersion parameters leads to a 0.6–4.26% variation in concentration. Thus, the response of the concentration to changes in dispersion parameters is not significant.
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Acknowledgments
The study was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2010CB951101), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51079043 and 41172204), and the Program for Excellent Innovation Talents in Hohai University.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 19 • Issue 9 • September 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 20, 2013
Accepted: Dec 2, 2013
Published online: Dec 4, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Oct 30, 2014
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