Permeability of Indiana limestone: Experiments and theoretical concepts for interpretation of results

This thesis describes the experimental configuration and theoretical and computational techniques used to estimate the surface permeability of Indiana Limestone. The experimental procedure involves the application of a uniform flow rate to an open central region of a sealed annular patch. The law governing fluid flow within the porous medium is described by Darcy's Law which relates the steady flow rate to the steady state pressure within the central region. Both theoretical and computational models can be used to determine the distribution of intrinsic surface permeability of the cuboidal Indiana Limestone sample measuring 508 mm. Using the surface data and an inverse analysis, the spatial permeability distribution within the sample is determined. The spatial distribution can then be used to estimate the effective permeability of the tested block. The effective permeabilities are also estimated using theoretical relationships found in the literature and the spatial values obtained from surface data and the inverse analysis.