One-dimensional analytical solution for mesoscopic flow induced damping in a double-porosity dual-permeability material

Abstract

Summary Heterogeneities, such as fractures and cracks, are ubiquitous in porous rocks. Mesoscopic heterogeneities, that is, heterogeneities on length scales much larger than typical pore size but much smaller than the wavelength, are increasingly believed to be responsible for significant wave energy loss in the seismic frequency band. When a compressional wave stresses a material containing mesoscopic heterogeneities, the more compliant parts of the material (e.g., fractures and cracks) respond with a greater fluid pressure than the stiffer portions (e.g., matrix pores). The induced fluid flow, resulting from the pressure gradients developed on such scale, is called mesoscopic flow. In the present study, the double-porosity dual-permeability model is adopted to incorporate mesoscopic heterogeneities into rock models to account for the attenuation of wave energy. Based on the model, the damping effect due to mesoscopic flow in a one-dimensional porous structure is investigated. Analytical solutions for several boundary-value problems are obtained in the frequency domain. The dynamic responses of infinite and finite porous layer are examined. Numerical calculations show that the damping effect of mesoscopic flow is significant on the pore pressure response and the resulting effective stress. For the displacement, the effect is seen only at the very low frequency range or near the resonance frequencies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.