• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.111-115
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• 1997

Discrete fracture model has become one of the alternatives for the classical continuum model to simulate the irregular aspects of the fluid flow and the solute transport in fractured rocks. It is based on the assumptions that the discharge in a single fracture is proportional to the cube of the aperture and the fractured rock can be represented by the statistical assemblage of such single fractures. This study is intended to evaluate the effect of the fracture junction on the cubic law. Numerical solution of flow in junction system was obtained by using the Boundary-Fitted Coordinate System (BFCS) method. Results with different intersection angles in crossing fractures show that the geometry of the junction affects the discharge pattern under the same simulation conditions. Therefore, strict numerical and experimental examinations on this subject are required.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2000

A three-dimensional discrete fracture network model based on probabilistic characteristics of fracture geometry and transmissivity was designed to calculate the conductivity tensor and to estimate theanisotropy of conductivity. The conductivities, $K_p$, obtained from the numerical simulation of single-holepacker test corresponded well to those from the field tests. From this, it can be concluded that thefracture network model designed in this study can represent hydraulic characteristics of in-situ fractured rock mass. Block-scale conductivities, $K_b$, estimated from the modelling of steady-state flow through the REV-scale block were ranged between the arithmetic mean and harmonic mean of theconductivity estimates from packer tests. The conductivity along north-south direction was 1.4 timesgreater than that along the east-west direction. It was concluded that the anisotropy of conductivitywas insignificant. It was also found that there was a little correlation between $K_b$ and $K_p$. This would be to that the conductivities from the packer test simulation was strongly dependent on thetransmissivity and the number of fractures within the packer test intervals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.230-231
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• 2006

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2021

Hydraulic-mechanical (H-M) coupled numerical modeling was used to evaluate the evolution of hydrogeological properties in response to the installation and expansion of a borehole. A domain with a discrete fracture network was adopted for discontinuum modeling to simulate changes in fracture apertures. Comparison with real hydraulic test data shows that the effects of principal stress direction and expansion of borehole diameter were reasonably simulated by H-M coupled numerical modeling. The modeling confirmed that aperture changes depended on the principal stress direction, with an increase in aperture size due to vertical displacement being the dominant effect. A concentration of shear dilation around the borehole had an additional, subsidiary, effect on the hydrogeological evolution. These results show that the permeability of fractured rock can be increased by changing the hydraulic properties of a fracture through stress redistribution caused by the installation and expansion of a borehole.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.37-56
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• 2001

As a preliminary study to establish fracture network model in crystalline rocks, detail investigation on fracture characteristics were performed. Five fracture sets were determined on the basis of regional survey of geological structures and fractures on outcrops. Among the fracture sets, S1 set has the highest density and longest trace length of fractures which was identified on surface in the study area. S4 and S5 sets are composed of foliations and foliation parallel shear joints of gneisses, which are very important sets at the aspect of weighting of fracture length. For characterization of subsurface fractures, detail core logging was performed to identify fractures and fracture zones from five boreholes. Acoustic televiewer logging and borehole geophysical loggings produced images, orientations and geophysical properties of fractures which intersect with boreholes. According to the result of the investigations, subsurface fractures can be grouped as three preferred orientations(B1, B2 and B3), which correspond to S1, S2 and S4/S5 of surface fracture sets, respectively. Actually, B1 set is expected to be intensely developed at subsurface. However, it has low frequency of intersection with boreholes due to its parallel or sub-parallel direction to boreholes. According to the inference of conductive fractures, B1 and B3 sets have possibilities of water flow and their intersection lines are also thought to consist of important conduits of groundwater flow. In particular, faults which are parallel to foliations control major groundwater flow in the study area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 1998

Since groundwater flow paths have one of the major roles to transport the radioactive nuclides from the radioactive waste repository to the biosphere, the discrete fracture network model is used for the rock block scale flow instead of the porous continuum model. This study aims to construct a three dimensional discrete fracture network to interpret the groundwater flow system in the study site. The modeling work includes the determination of the probabilistic distribution function from the fracture geometric and hydraulic parameters, three dimensional fracture modeling and model calibration. The results of the constant pressure tests performed in a fixed interval length at boreholes indicate that the flow dimension around boreholes shows mainly radial to spherical flow pattern. The fracture transmissivity value calculated by Cubic law is 6.12${\times}$10$\^$-7/ ㎡/sec with lognormal distribution. The conductive fracture intensity estimated by FracMan code is 1.73. Based on this intensity, the total number of conductive fractures are obtained as 3,080 in the rock block of 100 m${\times}$100 m${\times}$100 m.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.231-238
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• 2005

On the basis of flow resistance theory the conceptual model and related mathematical descriptions is proposed for resistance modeling of groundwater flow in CPM(continuum Porous medium), DFN(discrete fracture network) and fractured-porous medium. The proposed model is developed on the basis of finite volume method assuming steady-state, constant density groundwater flow. The basic approach of the method is to evaluate inter-block flow resistance values for a staggered grid arrangement, i.e. fluxes are stored at cell walls and scalars at cell centers. The balance of forces, i.e. the Darcy law, is utilized for each control volume centered around the point where the velocity component is stored. The transmissivity (or permeability) at the interface is assumed to be the harmonic average of neighboring blocks. Flow resistance theory was utilized to relate the fluxes between the grid blocks with residual pressures. The flow within porous medium is described by three dimensional equations and that within an individual fracture is described by a two dimensional equivalent of the flow equations for a porous medium. Newly proposed models would contribute to develop flow simulation techniques with various matrix characteristics.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1996

The fracture transmissivity($T_f$) is the most important parameter of fracture in assessing groundwater flow in fractured rock masses by using the DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) modeling. $T_f$, the most sensitive parameter m DFN modeling, is dependent upon aperture, size and filling characteristics of each fracture set. In the field test, the accuracy of $T_f$ can be increased with Borehole Acoustic Scanning (Televiewer) and Fixed Interval Length(FIL) test in constant head. $T_f$ values measured from FIL test was modified and estimated by each fracture set on the basis of the Cubic Law and the information of aperture and filling characteristics obtained from Televiewer. The modified $T_f$ results in the increase of confidence and reliability of modeling results including the amount of tunnel inflow.And, this approach would reduce the uncertaintity of the assessment for groundwater flow in fractured rock masses using the DFN modeling.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2002

This study aims to establish the methodology for design of an optimum water curtain system of the unlined underground oil storage cavern satisfying the requirements of hydrodynamic performance in a volcanic terrain of the south coastal area. For the optimum water curtain system in the storage facility, the general characteristics of groundwater flow system in the site are quantitatively described, i.e. distribution of hydraulic gradients, groundwater inflow rate into the storage caverns, and hydrogeologic influence area of the cavern. In this study, numerical models such as MODFLOW, FracMan/MAFIC and CONNECTFLOW are used for calculating the hydrogeological stability parameters. The design of a horizontal water curtain system requires considering the distance between water curtain and storage cavern, spacing of the water curtain boreholes, and injection pressure. From the numerical simulations at different scales, the optimum water curtain systems satisfying the containment criteria are obtained. The inflow rates into storage caverns estimated by a continuum model ranged from about 120 m$^3$/day during the operation stage to 130~140m$^3$/day during the construction stage, whereas the inflow rates by a fracture network model are 80~175m$^3$/day. The excavation works in the site will generate the excessive decline of groundwater level in a main fracture zone adjacent to the cavern. Therefore, the vertical water curtain system is necessary for sustaining the safe groundwater level in the fracture zone.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.265-282
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• 2008

Based on the site characterization works in a low and intermediate level waste(LILW) repository site, the numerical simulations for groundwater flow were carried out in order to understand the groundwater flow system of repository site. To accomplish the groundwater flow modeling in the repository site, the discrete fracture network(DFN) model was constructed using the characteristics of fracture zones and background fractures. At result, the total 10 different hydraulic conductivity(K) fields were obtained from DFN model stochastically and K distributions of constructed mesh were inputted into the 10 cases of groundwater flow simulations in FEFLOW. From the total 10 numerical simulation results, the simulated groundwater levels were strongly governed by topography and the groundwater fluxes were governed by locally existed high permeable fracture zones in repository depth. Especially, the groundwater table was predicted to have several tens meters below the groundwater table compared with the undisturbed condition around disposal silo after construction of underground facilities. After closure of disposal facilities, the groundwater level would be almost recovered within 1 year and have a tendency to keep a steady state of groundwater level in 2 year.