The virtual element method for Discrete Fracture Network flow and transport simulations

Abstract

Simulation of physical phenomena in networks of fractures is a challenging task, mainly as a consequence of the geometrical complexity of the resulting computational domains, typically characterized by a large number of interfaces, i.e. the intersections among the fractures. The use of numerical strategies that require a mesh conforming to the interfaces is limited by the difficulty of generating such conforming meshes, as a consequence of the large number of geometrical constraints. Here we show how this issue can be effectively tackled by resorting to the Virtual Element Method on polygonal grids. Advection-diffusion-reaction phenomena are considered, also in advection-dominated flow regimes.