Abstract:
The solute transport characteristics of intersecting fracture are the basis of solute transport in fractured rock mass. The advection and hydrodynamic dispersion are the main controlling mechanisms of non-reactive solute transport, and the Péclet number is used to evaluate their proportions in the process of non-reactive solute transport. By changing the flow velocity of the injected fluid and the geometric characteristics of the intersecting fracture such as roughness, intersecting angle and aperture ratio, the influences of the Péclet number and geometric characteristics of intersecting fracture on solute transport characteristics are obtained through the finite element numerical analysis. The results show that with the increase of the fluid flow velocity, the solute transport changes from dispersion-dominated to advection-dominated. By comprehensively considering the dispersion effects in practical engineering, it is helpful to accurately evaluate the mixing degree of solute at the intersection. The roughness primarily affects the solute migration time towards outlets. The intersecting angle and aperture ratio significantly alter the mixing degree of solute at the intersections by affecting the probability of solute molecules diffusing to different outlet branches and the flow path of the dominant flow. Different flow ratios also affect the mixing of solutes at the intersection by influencing the positions of the dominant flow towards the outlet branches. The research conclusions can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of groundwater pollutants in underground engineering such as oil and gas underground storage, landfill and nuclear waste disposal.