Axisymmetric displacement flows in fluid-driven fractures

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamics of fluid-driven fractures in elastic materials, modeling the interplay of viscous, elastic, and toughness effects through experiments and scaling laws, relevant to hydraulic fracturing processes.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled model of elastic deformation, viscous flow, and fracture growth, identifying two main fracturing regimes and deriving scaling laws for each.

Findings

Identified viscous and toughness-dominated fracture regimes.

Derived scaling equations for crack growth based on fluid and material properties.

Experimental validation of fracture dynamics in gelatin matrices.

Abstract

Displacement flows are common in hydraulic fracturing, as fracking fluids of different composition are injected sequentially in the fracture. The injection of an immiscible fluid at the center of a liquid-filled fracture results in the growth of the fracture and the outward displacement of the interface between the two liquids. We study the dynamics of the fluid-driven fracture which is controlled by the competition between viscous, elastic, and toughness-related stresses. We use a model experiment to characterize the dynamics of the fracture for a range of mechanical properties of the fractured material and fracturing fluids. We form the liquid-filled pre-fracture in an elastic brittle matrix of gelatin. The displacing liquid is then injected. We record the radius and aperture of the fracture, and the position of the interface between the two liquids. In a typical experiment, the axisymmetric radial viscous flow is accommodated by the elastic deformation and fracturing of the matrix. We model the coupling between elastic deformation, viscous dissipation, and fracture propagation and recover the two fracturing regimes identified for single fluid injection. For the viscous-dominated and toughness-dominated regimes, we derive scaling equations that describe the crack growth due to a displacement flow and show the influence of the pre-existing fracture on the crack dynamics through a finite initial volume and an average viscosity of the fluid in the fracture.