Polymer Fluids in Fractured Media: the Effects of Complex Rheology and Heterogeneity

Presentation given at the Gordon Research Seminar – Flow and Transport in Permeable Media (July 14, 2023), as part of the MSCA project GEONEAT (Geothermal Energy Advanced Tracers). The talk explores the coupled impact of complex rheology and structural heterogeneity on the flow and thermal transport behavior of polymer fluids in fractured geological media. By combining numerical modeling with stochastic analysis, the study highlights how shear-thinning properties influence preferential pathways, heat exchange with the matrix, and late-time breakthrough characteristics in heterogeneous fracture networks.