First-order indicators for the estimation of discrete fractures in porous media. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ben Ameur, H.; Chavent, G.; Cheikh, F.; Clément, F.; Martin, V.; Roberts, J. E.
• Is Part Of: Inverse problems in science and engineering. Volume 26:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 32
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Adaptive parameterization -- inverse problem -- flow in porous media -- fractured porous media -- fault and barrier; 35R30 -- 76S05 -- 86A05; Engineering mathematics -- Periodicals; Inverse problems (Differential equations) -- Periodicals; 620.001515357
• DOI: 10.1080/17415977.2017.1290087
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-5977

Abstract

Abstract : Faults and geological barriers can drastically affect the flow patterns in porous media. Such fractures can be modelled as interfaces that interact with the surrounding matrix. We propose a new technique for the estimation of the location and hydrogeological properties of a small number of large fractures in a porous medium from given distributed pressure or flow data. At each iteration, the algorithm builds a short list of candidates by comparing fracture indicators . These indicators quantify at the first order the decrease of a data misfit function; they are cheap to compute. Then, the best candidate is picked up by minimization of the objective function for each candidate. Optimally driven by the fit to the data, the approach has the great advantage of not requiring remeshing, nor shape derivation. The stability of the algorithm is shown on a series of numerical examples representative of typical situations.