New methods for the investigation of fractured porous media

This paper presents the application of new experimental methods which allow the detailed investigations of flow and transport processes of fractured porous aquifers on basis of the aquifer analogue concept. The presented investigations were performed at laboratory scale on a fractured sandstone block of approximately 1 m(3) using tomographic gas flow and gas transport experiments with adapted measuring configurations. Integral flow and transport experiments show the general dominance of the fracture network. High resolution point measurements indicate fracture dominated flow and transport only in cases of direct fracture connection.