Effect of fracture shear dilation on flow anisotropy for variable normal stress and fracture size

Key Points

• Flow anisotropy increases with varying normal stress, influenced by the degree of fracture shear dilation.
• Hydraulic conductivity measures were obtained from experiments on fractures of different sizes under controlled conditions.
• Assessment of flow behavior revealed that shear dilation significantly affects fluid movement through fractures.
• Findings support the need for modeling approaches that account for fracture mechanics in fluid dynamics.