FRACOD – Development of a THM-Modelling-Software for Rockmechanics
Along with the project partners CSIRO (Australia), KIGAM (Korea), SKEC (Korea) and FRACOM (Finland), LIAG is involved in the development of a 2d-modelling code for the simulation of fracture initiation and growth in elastic and isotropic rocks. The code is based on the BEM (boundary element method) and the G-criteria for fracture initiation and propagation developed by Shen and Stephansson in 1993.
Overall goal of the project is the development of a code which unites thermal, hydraulic and mechanical components. The final product is going to be used in tunnel construction, cavern storage and deep drilling in order to predict rock stability. In the current project stage the mechanical-thermal coupling has been archived.
The participation of LIAG focuses on the validation and verification of the program code by using field data from the research well Horstberg Z1 and the forthcoming deep geothermal well GeneSys GT1 (Fig. 1 3_Fracod_1.jpg).
Fig 1. Simulation of fracture propagation during hydraulic stimulation at disadvantageous orientation of the perforation in the direction of the minor principal stress.