Title: A Study of Squeezing Flow in Fracture
Channels
Author(s): D. Lin and J-C Roegiers, The University of
Oklahoma
Presentation: 34th U.S. Symposium on Rock
Mechanics
Location: Great Britian
Date: 1993
Abstract: The Fracturing Fluid Characterization
Facility (FFCF) is an experimental facility Under
construction to study the behavior and effects of fracturing
fluids and slurries during and after the hydraulic
fracturing process. It is envisioned that a high-pressure
simulator (Hele-Shaw analog) can provide the means for
determining critical parameters under nearly full-scale
operating conditions. The parallel plate model is the basis
of a mathematical analysis described in this paper.
Fracturing fluids contain significant amounts of
high-molecular-weight polymer which cause them to be
viscoelastic and exhibit many different forms of
time-dependent non-Newtonian fluid behavior. The two
parallel plates move normal to each other with slow,
time-dependent speed. The velocity field developed in the
fracture itself is approximately that of Poiseuille flow.
This paper is mainly concerned with the stress (forces)
generated in a fracturing fluid, which separates two solid
rock surfaces in relative motion. The constitutive equation
used is the one proposed by Harnoy (1978). Unlike the
inelastic power-law model, the Harnoy fluid exhibits stress
relaxation and normal-stress difference in simple shear
flows. Solutions to two basic problems are presented: 1)
parallel surfaces with constant approach velocity; and, 2)
parallel surfaces with constant load.
