@Article{fdmp.2020.08421,
AUTHOR = {Yatin Suri, Sheikh Zahidul Islam, Mamdud Hossain},
TITLE = {Numerical Modelling of Proppant Transport in Hydraulic Fractures},
JOURNAL = {Fluid Dynamics \& Materials Processing},
VOLUME = {16},
YEAR = {2020},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {297--337},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/fdmp/v16n2/38663},
ISSN = {1555-2578},
ABSTRACT = {The distribution of proppant injected in hydraulic fractures significantly affects 
the fracture conductivity and well performance. The proppant transport in thin fracturing 
fluid used during hydraulic fracturing in the unconventional reservoirs is considerably 
different from fracturing fluids in the conventional reservoir due to the very low viscosity 
and quick deposition of the proppants. This paper presents the development of a threedimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling technique for the prediction 
of proppant-fluid multiphase flow in hydraulic fractures. The proposed model also simulates 
the fluid leak-off behaviour from the fracture wall. The Euler-Granular and CFD-Discrete 
Element Method (CFD-DEM) multiphase modelling approach has been applied, and the 
equations defining the fluid-proppant and inter-proppant interaction have been solved using 
the finite volume technique. The proppant transport in hydraulic fractures has been studied 
comprehensively, and the computational modelling results of proppant distribution and other 
flow properties are in good agreement with the published experimental study. The parametric 
study is performed to investigate the effect of variation in proppant size, fluid viscosity and 
fracture width on the proppant transport. Smaller proppants can be injected early, followed 
by larger proppants to maintain high propping efficiency. This study has enhanced the 
understanding of the complex flow phenomenon between proppant and fracturing fluid and 
can play a vital role in hydraulic fracturing design.},
DOI = {10.32604/fdmp.2020.08421}
}