Li Wei Lo

Graduation Semester and Year

2014

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Bo Yang

Abstract

Recently, hydraulic fracturing has been utilized to extract natural gas and oil from low-permeability shale rocks. This technique has been studied in hundreds of papers. A deep understanding of the fracture network formation in hydraulic fracturing is essential to advancing the technology, e.g., to enhance the quality of fracking, and to keep aquifers from being contaminated. In the present study, the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) is applied to approach the crack extension behaviors in brittle rocks under hydraulic loading. The boundary element method is used to carry out the simulation where numerical treatment is only needed upon the cracks and the boundaries. When cracks extend, only new elements are added, but no re-meshing is necessary. With an appropriate crack extension criterion, the problems of crack initiation, crack interaction, and crack arrest are studied. This effort provides the oil and gas industry with more knowledge and understanding of crack growth in fracking.

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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