Numerical Simulation of Variably Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processes in Fractured Porous Media

• Published in: Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Geo-Systems - Fundamentals, Modelling, Experiments and Applications Vol. 2; pp. 199 - 204
• Main Authors: Kohlmeier, Martin, Kaiser, René, Zielke, Werner
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2004
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Geotechnical Engineering
• ISBN: 008044525X; 9780080445250
• ISSN: 1571-9960
• DOI: 10.1016/S1571-9960(04)80041-7

This contribution deals with the modeling of coupled thermal (T), hydraulic (H) and mechanical (M) processes in subsurface structures or barrier systems. We assume a system of three phases: a deformable fractured porous medium fully or partially saturated with liquid and a gas which remains at atmospheric pressure. Consideration of the thermal flow problem leads to an extensively coupled problem consisting of an elliptic and parabolic-hyperbolic set of partial differential equations. The resulting initial boundary value problems are outlined. Their finite element representation and the required solving algorithms and control options for the coupled processes are implemented using object-oriented programming in the finite element code RockFlow/RockMech. Model performance is demonstrated for a simplified three-dimensional test case that takes into consideration both the thermo-hydro-mechanical interaction and a stress dependent permeability. The functionality of the described control concept for the coupled processes is illustrated by some selected simulations of Benchmark Test IB (BMT1B) of DECOVALEX III.