Abstract
We investigate the flow-wise variation of the hydraulic conductivity
inside a non-uniformly shaped fracture with permeable walls. Using
lubrication theory for viscous flows, in conjunction with the
Beavers–Joseph–Saffman boundary condition at the permeable walls, we
obtain an analytical expression for the velocity profile, conductivity,
and wall permeation velocity. These predictions highlight the effects of
geometric variation (through the local slope of the aperture’s flow-wise
variation), the permeability of the walls (through a dimensionless slip
coefficient), and the effect of flow inertia (through a Reynolds
number). The theory is validated against an OpenFOAM(R) solver for the
Navier–Stokes equations subject to a tensorial slip boundary condition,
showing good agreement. The mathematical results have implications on
system-level (multiscale) modeling of hydraulically fractured
reservoirs, in which the Darcy conductivity of each non-uniform passage
must be accurately accounted for, throughout the fractured porous rock.