Influence of Hydraulic Conditions on Seepage Characteristics of Loose Sandstone

Abstract

Abstract To investigate the impact of hydraulic conditions on the seepage characteristics of loose sandstone, this study employed optimized methods to prepare loose sandstone samples. Subsequently, seepage experiments were conducted under different injection pressures, flow rates, and flow volumes. The permeability, porosity, particle size distribution, and other parameters of the rock samples were obtained. By analyzing the response of seepage characteristics to pore and particle size characteristics, the influence of different hydraulic conditions on the seepage characteristics of loose sandstone was explored. The results indicated that improvements in the parameters of hydraulic conditions had different effects on various rock samples. For rock samples with developed seepage channels, increasing the value of each hydraulic condition parameter could expand the channels and discharge particles, and improve permeability. For rock samples with a larger number of small pores, increasing each hydraulic condition parameter caused particles to crack under pressure, drove particles to block holes, and thus reduced permeability. In this experiment, the permeability parameter had a significant positive response to the proportion of pores larger than 0.1 µm and a significant negative response to the proportion of particles smaller than 150 µm.