Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale

Abstract At the micro-scale, the water exchange in karst water-bearing media remains unclear. This study applies the Stokes-Brinkman equation to couple the seepage within the karst matrix and the free flow within the karst conduit. The digital core technology is employed to characterize the micro-he...

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Main Authors: Jiao Li, Douqiang Yang, Guanping An, Tao Huang, Yulong Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92288-y
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author Jiao Li
Douqiang Yang
Guanping An
Tao Huang
Yulong Cui
author_facet Jiao Li
Douqiang Yang
Guanping An
Tao Huang
Yulong Cui
author_sort Jiao Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract At the micro-scale, the water exchange in karst water-bearing media remains unclear. This study applies the Stokes-Brinkman equation to couple the seepage within the karst matrix and the free flow within the karst conduit. The digital core technology is employed to characterize the micro-heterogeneous structure of the matrix and quantify its hydraulic properties, establishing a numerical model of water exchange between the matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale. The results reveal significant differences in the hydraulic properties of distinct matrix samples, highlighting their key role in the water exchange process. Visualizations of flow velocity distribution and pressure gradients provide insights into the characteristics of the water exchange interface. A linear positive correlation between the exchange flow and the flow velocity of the conduit inlet is investigated, which can be attributed to the hydraulic head difference between the matrix and conduit. Additionally, the study demonstrates that the micro-heterogeneous structure of the matrix notably influences the water exchange compared to the homogeneous model. This research offers a new perspective on water exchange in karst water-bearing media at the micro-scale, providing valuable insights for optimizing the prediction and management of karst systems by understanding the multi-scale mechanisms of water exchange.
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issn 2045-2322
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spelling doaj-art-dc95379d631d44d4bb1b8a9086087f092025-08-20T03:05:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-92288-yNumerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scaleJiao Li0Douqiang Yang1Guanping An2Tao Huang3Yulong Cui4School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong UniversityAbstract At the micro-scale, the water exchange in karst water-bearing media remains unclear. This study applies the Stokes-Brinkman equation to couple the seepage within the karst matrix and the free flow within the karst conduit. The digital core technology is employed to characterize the micro-heterogeneous structure of the matrix and quantify its hydraulic properties, establishing a numerical model of water exchange between the matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale. The results reveal significant differences in the hydraulic properties of distinct matrix samples, highlighting their key role in the water exchange process. Visualizations of flow velocity distribution and pressure gradients provide insights into the characteristics of the water exchange interface. A linear positive correlation between the exchange flow and the flow velocity of the conduit inlet is investigated, which can be attributed to the hydraulic head difference between the matrix and conduit. Additionally, the study demonstrates that the micro-heterogeneous structure of the matrix notably influences the water exchange compared to the homogeneous model. This research offers a new perspective on water exchange in karst water-bearing media at the micro-scale, providing valuable insights for optimizing the prediction and management of karst systems by understanding the multi-scale mechanisms of water exchange.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92288-yDigital core technologyKarst water-bearing mediaMatrix–conduit exchangeNumerical simulationStokes-Brinkman equation
spellingShingle Jiao Li
Douqiang Yang
Guanping An
Tao Huang
Yulong Cui
Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
Scientific Reports
Digital core technology
Karst water-bearing media
Matrix–conduit exchange
Numerical simulation
Stokes-Brinkman equation
title Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
title_full Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
title_fullStr Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
title_full_unstemmed Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
title_short Numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro-scale
title_sort numerical simulation of water exchange between the karst matrix and the adjacent conduit at the micro scale
topic Digital core technology
Karst water-bearing media
Matrix–conduit exchange
Numerical simulation
Stokes-Brinkman equation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92288-y
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AT guanpingan numericalsimulationofwaterexchangebetweenthekarstmatrixandtheadjacentconduitatthemicroscale
AT taohuang numericalsimulationofwaterexchangebetweenthekarstmatrixandtheadjacentconduitatthemicroscale
AT yulongcui numericalsimulationofwaterexchangebetweenthekarstmatrixandtheadjacentconduitatthemicroscale