What question did this study set out to answer?

To develop a thermodynamically consistent model for hydraulic fracturing that accounts for local porosity changes due to mass-exchange processes.

April 10, 2026Open Access

Mass‐Exchange Processes in a Biphasic TPM‐Phase‐Field Model

Key Points

To develop a thermodynamically consistent model for hydraulic fracturing that accounts for local porosity changes due to mass-exchange processes.
Utilized the Theory of Porous Media (TPM) as a foundational framework.
Incorporated the phase-field method for diffusing fracture representation.
Developed a first-principle-based procedure for modeling mass-exchange processes.
Demonstrated the effectiveness of the TPM-phase-field model in simulating hydraulic fracturing.
Showed significant local porosity changes resulting from particle flushing.
Provided a numerical example validating the proposed model.

Abstract

ABSTRACT The modelling of hydraulic fracturing processes in porous media gained significant interest in the past. Therefore, several approaches, such as the Biot theory or the Theory of Porous Media (TPM), were used as their modelling basis. In combination with the phase‐field method for a diffuse fracture description, especially the TPM has turned out to be a powerful tool to simulate hydraulic fracturing processes. In this contribution, a first‐principle‐based and thermodynamically consistent procedure is proposed to additionally describe a local porosity change due to the flushing of detached particles within the fractured region by considering mass‐exchange processes within the well‐established TPM‐phase‐field method. In addition, a numerical example is presented showing the possibilities of the derived model.

Mass‐Exchange Processes in a Biphasic TPM‐Phase‐Field Model

Key Points

Abstract

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider