Jamming transition and emergence of fracturing in wet granular media

TitleJamming transition and emergence of fracturing in wet granular media
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsMeng, YOlivia, Primkulov, B, Yang, Z, Kwok, CYee, Juanes, R
JournalPhysical Review Research
Volume2
Issue2
Date PublishedJan-04-2020
Abstract

We study fluid-induced deformation of granular media, and the fundamental role of capillarity and wettability on the emergence of fracture patterns. We develop a hydromechanical computational model, coupling a “moving capacitor” dynamic network model of two-phase flow at the pore scale with a discrete element model of grain mechanics. We simulate the slow injection of a less viscous fluid into a frictional granular pack initially saturated with a more viscous, immiscible fluid. We study the impact of wettability and initial packing density, and find four different regimes of the fluid invasion: cavity expansion and fracturing, frictional fingers, capillary invasion, and capillary compaction. We explain fracture initiation as emerging from a jamming transition, and synthesize the system's behavior in the form of a phase diagram of jamming for wet granular media.

URLhttps://journals.aps.org/prresearch/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.022012
DOI10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.022012
Short TitlePhys. Rev. Research

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