Proppants transport is an advanced technique to improve the hydraulic fracture phenomenon, in order to promote the versatility of gas/oil reservoirs. A numerical simulation of proppants transport at both hydraulic fracture (HF) and natural fracture (NF) intersection is performed to provide a better understanding of key factors which cause, or contribute to proppants transport in HF–NF intersection. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in association with discrete element method (DEM) is used to model the complex interactions between proppant particles, host fluid medium and fractured walls. The effect of non-spherical geometry of particles is considered in this model, using the multi-sphere method. All interaction forces between fluid flow and particles are considered in the computational model. Moreover, the interactions of particle–particle and particle–wall are taken into account via Hertz–Mindlin model. The results of the CFD-DEM simulations are compared to the experimental data. It is found that the CFD-DEM simulation is capable of predicting proppant transport and deposition quality at intersections which are in agreement with experimental data. The results indicate that the HF–NF intersection type, fluid velocity and NF aperture affect the quality of blockage occurrence, presenting a new index, called the blockage coefficient which indicates the severity of the blockage.

支撑剂输送是改善水力压裂现象的先进技术，以促进气/油储层的多功能性。对水力压裂 (HF) 和天然裂缝 (NF) 交叉口的支撑剂输运进行了数值模拟，以更好地了解导致或促成 HF-NF 交叉口中支撑剂输运的关键因素。计算流体动力学 (CFD) 与离散元方法 (DEM) 相结合，用于模拟支撑剂颗粒、主体流体介质和裂缝壁之间的复杂相互作用。在该模型中，使用多球方法考虑了粒子的非球形几何形状的影响。计算模型中考虑了流体流动和粒子之间的所有相互作用力。而且，通过 Hertz-Mindlin 模型考虑了粒子-粒子和粒子-壁的相互作用。将 CFD-DEM 模拟的结果与实验数据进行比较。发现CFD-DEM模拟能够预测交叉口的支撑剂输送和沉积质量，这与实验数据一致。结果表明，HF-NF 相交类型、流体速度和 NF 孔径影响堵塞发生的质量，提出了一个新的指标，称为堵塞系数，表示堵塞的严重程度。发现CFD-DEM模拟能够预测交叉口的支撑剂输送和沉积质量，这与实验数据一致。结果表明，HF-NF 相交类型、流体速度和 NF 孔径影响堵塞发生的质量，提出了一个新的指标，称为堵塞系数，表示堵塞的严重程度。发现CFD-DEM模拟能够预测交叉口的支撑剂输送和沉积质量，这与实验数据一致。结果表明，HF-NF 相交类型、流体速度和 NF 孔径影响堵塞发生的质量，提出了一个新的指标，称为堵塞系数，表示堵塞的严重程度。