Investigation of heat and mass transport along a single fissure in a rock mass, by means of numerical modeling methods

Abstract

A mathematical model is presented for the coupled process of solute and heat transport by the flow of water along a single fissure, with an accounting for the thermal loads induced in the surrounding rock mass. The Barton-Bandis model has been used in describing the fissure behavior. Computer codes have been developed for the conditions of constancy of water flow rate and constancy of pressure drop along the fissure, and these codes have been used in conducting numerical experiments. Analysis of the results has shown that the selected model gives a physical description of the processes of heat and mass transport along a fissure, the warmup of the surrounding mass, and the behavior of the fissure aperture; hence we can rely on successful use of this procedural "tool."