Assessment of the Nonlinear Flow Characteristic of Water Inrush Based on the Brinkman and Forchheimer Seepage Model

Abstract

Underground fault water inrush is a hydrogeological disaster that frequently occurs in underground mining and tunnel construction projects. Groundwater may pour from an aquifer when disasters occur, and aquifers are typically associated with fractured rock formations. Water inrush accidents are likely to occur when fractured rock masses are encountered during excavation. In this study, Comsol Multiphysics, cross-platform multiphysics field coupling software, was used to simulate the evolution characteristics of water flow in different flow fields of faults and aquifers when water inrush from underground faults occurs. First, the Darcy and Brinkman flow field nonlinear seepage models were used to model the seepage law of water flow in aquifers and faults. Second, the Forchheimer flow field was used to modify the seepage of fluid in fault-broken rocks in the Brinkman flow field. In general, this phenomenon does not meet the applicable conditions of Darcy’s formula. Therefore, the Darcy and Forchheimer flow models were coupled in this study. Simulation results show that flow behavior in an aquifer varies depending on fault permeability. An aquifer near a fault is likely to be affected by non-Darcy flow. That is, the non-Darcy effect zone will either increase or decrease as fault permeability increases or decreases. The fault rupture zone that connects the aquifer and upper roadway of the fault leads to fault water inrush due to the considerably improved permeability of the fractured rock mass.