CanFrac

• CanFrac implements fracture-based continuum modeling (FBCM) [FBCM] for geomechanical analysis.
• CanFrac runs as a user plugin in a third-party general purpose geotechnical analysis software [Link: general purpose geotechnical analysis software].

• CanFrac calculates the mechanical behavior of a domain element and passes the information to the host general purpose geotechnical analysis software to calculate the domain mechanical evolution.
• To calculate the mechanical behavior of a domain element,
• CanFrac calculates the behavior of individual fracture segments contained in the element and
• Aggregates the behaviors as tensors, including the behavior of the unfractured matter.

• CanFrac uses the shear strength and tensile strength of the unfractured rock matter to evaluate potential initiation of shear and tensile fractures.
• CanFrac uses the reactivation shear and tensile strength of preexisting fractures to evaluate their mechanical activity status: reactivation if the fracture is mechanically inactive or deactivation if the fracture is mechanically active.

• CanFrac provides several business advantages because of features that can be summarized as follows.
• CanFrac models fracture initiation and propagation without re-meshing.
• CanFrac stores fracture geometry and aperture as continuum properties and uses the information internally to calculate parameters needed to model individual fractures explicitly.
• Each CanFrac model can incorporate large populations of preexisting fractures.
• Incorporates three-dimensional fracture distributions seamlessly by using a continuum framework to store fracture geometry and aperture.
• Calculates the location, dip, and dip direction of new (induced) fractures.
• Calculates fracture aperture for new and preexisting fractures.
• Models several realizations of the preexisting fracture distribution using the same domain grid, to support probabilistic analysis.
• Models at real scale such that simulation results can be used directly in the target application.