Application of the Fractal Theory to Seepage Mechanism

Better understanding of seepage mechanism is of great importance not only in the petroleum technology, but also in the biomechanics, material mechanics and environmental protection. However, it's hard to describe the complex micro structures of the porous media by traditional geometry. Factual theory is regarded as a useful tool to solve this problem since it was born in 1960s. The development of factual theory and its core content are discussed in this paper. Based on this, the research status of the fractal character of the porous media is stated. Meanwhile, the research results of combing the fractal theory and seepage mechanism in porous media are briefly summarized. Moreover, the existing problems of the application of the fractal theory to seepage mechanism and the author's opinions are presented, too.