Investigation of thermal-hydro-mechanical coupled fracture propagation considering rock damage

Thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled fracture propagation is common in underground engineering. Rock damage, as an inherent property of rock, significantly affects fracture propagation, but how it influences the THM coupled fracturing remains stubbornly unclear. A pore-scale THM coupling model is developed to study this problem, which combines the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the discrete element method (DEM), and rock damage development theory together for the first time. This model can more accurately calculate the exchanged THM information at the fluid-solid boundary and fluid conductivity dependent on fracture and rock damage. Based on the developed model, the synergistic effect of injected temperature difference (fluid temperature below rock temperature) and rock damage (characterized by the parameter “critical fracture energy”, abbreviated as “CFE”) on fracture propagation of shale are investigated particularly. It is found that: (1) the generation of branched cracks is closely related to the temperature response frontier, and the fracture process zone of single bond failure increases in higher CFE. (2) through the analysis of micro failure events, hydraulic fracturing is more pronounced in the low CFE, while thermal fracturing displays the opposite trend. The fluid conductivity of fractured rock increases with a higher injected temperature difference due to the more penetrated cracks and wider fracture aperture. However, this enhancement weakens when rock damage is significant. (3) in the multiple-layered rock with various CFEs, branched cracks propagating to adjacent layers are more difficult to form when the injection hole stays in the layer with significant rock damage than without rock damage.

     

考虑温度耦合效应的竖井地基固结有限元分析

针对塑料排水板(PVD)安装热源能提升PVD性能、加速竖井地基固结这一工程现象,基于热-水-应力 (T-H-M) 三场全耦合的有限元方法来模拟利用热源进行地基处理新技术(PVTD)。首先,以微分形式与等效弱形式分别给出T-H-M耦合控制方程,并推导出其有限元方程组。然后在多场耦合有限元软件中建立饱和土的T-H-M全耦合模型,并通过与已有解析解比较,验证了模型正确性。最后,对一个经典有涂抹区的竖井地基算例,分不耦合温度(UT)、耦合温度但不考虑其对饱和土物性影响(CT)、耦合温度考虑温度对饱和土渗透性影响(CTP) 3种情况进行固结计算分析。研究结果表明,相对于无热源竖井地基,CT情况下由于热源产生的附加孔隙水压力,固结速度略有下降;CTP情况下,由于热源有效改善涂抹区的渗透性能,竖井地基固结速率明显加快。上述研究结论从理论上较好地阐明了PVTD的作用机制。     

岩石损伤过程中的热-流-力耦合模型及其应用初探

岩石损伤过程热-流-力（THM）耦合问题的研究对于深部采矿等许多工程领域都具有重要的理论意义。以岩石的损伤为主线,在多场耦合分析方程中引入损伤变量,基于质量守恒和能量守恒原理,提出岩体损伤过程中的THM耦合模型。通过把均匀弹性介质THM耦合响应的模拟结果与理论分析结果进行对比,验证了程序及有限元实施的正确性。然后,用该耦合模型进行了不同地应力条件下流固耦合过程的数值模拟,探讨了水压力对于岩石损伤过程的作用机制。数值模拟表明,水压力导致了拉伸损伤范围的扩大和损伤程度的加剧,同时亦对剪切损伤具有抑制作用。     

Diffusive Reactive Transport of Multicomponent Chemicals Under Coupled Thermal, Hydraulic, Chemical and Mechanical Conditions

This paper presents an investigation of the reactive transport of multicomponent chemicals in clays under coupled thermal, hydraulic, chemical and mechanical framework, considering the diffusion processes in detail. More specifically, combined effects due to the electrochemical and the thermal diffusion potentials are investigated. A theoretical framework for coupling thermal diffusion, i.e. the Soret effect, with electrochemical diffusion in a multi-ionic system is provided. An explicit form of a definition for the thermal diffusion coefficient in a multicomponent chemical transport model is developed. Chemical transport is linked to an advanced geochemical model, PHREEQC (version 2), in order to include chemical reactions. The effects of the combined diffusion potentials on the reactive transport of multicomponent chemicals are investigated by a series of numerical simulations of coupled thermal, hydraulic and chemical behaviour.     

基于热-水-力-损伤耦合数值模型的高地温水工高压隧洞围岩承载特性

针对高地温水工高压隧洞围岩的力学行为特点,在考虑岩体的渗透系数、热传导系数随岩体损伤发生变化的基础上,基于多物理场耦合理论,提出一种考虑硬岩强度力学参数劣化的含损伤演化的热-水-力-损伤耦合模型,并给出了该模型的FLAC3D数值实现方法。通过与物理模型试验结果对比,验证了模型的可靠性,进而利用该模型推演了高地温水工高压隧洞的多物理场耦合演化过程,分析了不同影响因素下的承载特性。研究结果表明：隧洞充水运行后,高地温水工高压隧洞的多场耦合效应显著,尤其高地温梯度和高内水压力联合作用下产生的迭加拉应力对围岩的承载安全具有不利影响;温度梯度、内水压力以及岩体线膨胀系数越大,隧洞围岩的损伤程度与开裂深度越大;当隧洞横断面的侧压力系数趋向于1时,洞周出现的宏观裂缝较多,且出现方位不确定;当隧洞横断面侧压力系数小于1/3时,洞周出现的宏观裂缝相对较少,且主要出现在与初始地应力的最大主应力方向相平行的方向上。常规锚喷支护对高地温水工高压隧洞的加固效果不佳。     

Modeling coupled THM processes of geological porous media with multiphase flow: Theory and validation against laboratory and field scale experiments

A FEM model for analysis of fully coupled multiphase flow, thermal transport and stress/deformation in geological porous media was developed based on the momentum, mass and energy conservation laws of the continuum mechanics and the averaging approach of the mixture theory over a three phase (solid–liquid–gas) system. Six processes (i.e. stress–strain, water flow, gas flow, vapor flow, heat transport and porosity evolution processes) and their coupling effects are considered, which not only makes the problem well-defined, but renders the governing PDEs closed, complete, compact and compatible. Displacements, pore water pressure, pore gas pressure, pore vapor pressure, temperature and porosity are selected as basic unknowns. The physical phenomena such as phase transition, gas solubility in liquid, thermo-osmosis, moisture transfer and moisture swelling are modeled. As a result, the relative humidity and other related variables in porous media can be evaluated on a sounder physical basis. A three dimensional computer code, THYME3D, was developed, with eight degrees of freedom at each node. The laboratory CEA Mock-up test and the field scale FEBEX benchmark test on bentonite performance assessment for underground nuclear waste repositories were used to validate the numerical model and the software. The coupled THM behaviors of the bentonite barriers were satisfactorily simulated, and the effects and impacts of the governing equations, constitutive relations and property parameters on the coupled THM processes were understood in terms of more straightforward interpretation of physical processes at microscopic scale of the porous media. The work developed enables further in-depth research on fully coupled THM or THMC processes in porous media.     

Study on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in column bentonite test

An unconventional numerical scheme is developed to simulate coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in partially saturated medium. The non-isothermal, unsaturated fluid flow and mechanical processes are sequentially coupled by updating all the state variables using cellular automaton technique and finite difference method on spatial and temporal scale, respectively. A new cellular automaton updating scheme is proposed by introducing a fast successive relaxation index, which greatly improves the computational efficiency in the simulation of THM coupling process. This is implemented in a self-developed numerical system, i.e., an elasto-plastic cellular automaton (EPCA^3D), which was used to numerically reproduce the coupled THM behavior of bentonite pellets in a column experiment that was heated up to 140 °C firstly and then was hydrated simulating the resaturation of the backfilling. By using the cellular automaton technique in EPCA^3D, the challenging courses of the changing boundary conditions over time and space during the experiment are conveniently implemented. The EPCA^3D was able to reproduce the main physical processes of the in laboratory column bentonite experiment within the heating and hydration phase. The modeling results for the evolution of temperature, relative humidity, water uptake and axial pressure are consistent with the experimental data in terms of trends and magnitudes, which verifies the realistic simulation with the developed model and contributes to a deeper understanding of the observed phenomena.     

THM Coupled Modeling in Near Field of an Assumed HLW Deep Geological Disposal Repository

One of the most suitable ways under study for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is isolation in deep geological repositories. It is very important to research the thermo-hydromechanical (THM) coupled processes associated with an HLW disposal repository. Non-linear coupled equations, which are used to describe the THM coupled process and are suited to saturated-unsaturated porous media, are presented in this paper. A numerical method to solve these equations is put forward, and a finite element code is developed. This code is suited to the plane strain or axis-symmetry problem. Then this code is used to simulate the THM coupled process in the near field of an ideal disposal repository. The temperature vs. time, hydraulic head vs. time and stress vs. time results show that, in this assumed condition, the impact of temperature is very long (over 10 000 a) and the impact of the water head is short (about 90 d). Since the stress is induced by temperature and hydraulic head in this condition, the impact time of stress is the same as that of temperature. The results show that THM coupled processes are very important in the safety analysis of an HLW deep geological disposal repository.     

Isogeometric analysis of THM coupled processes in ground freezing

An isogeometric analysis (IGA) based numerical model is presented for simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanically (THM) coupled processes in ground freezing. The momentum, mass and energy conservation equations are derived based on porous media theory. The governing equations are supplemented by a saturation curve, a hydraulic conductivity model and constitutive equations. Variational and Galerkin formulation results in a highly nonlinear system of equations, which are solved using Newton-Raphson iteration. Numerical examples on isothermal consolidation in plane strain, one-dimensional freezing and heave due to a chilled pipeline are presented. Reasonably good agreements were observed between the IGA based heave simulations and experimental results.     

考虑开挖损伤的高放废物地质处置库温度-渗流-应力耦合数值模拟方法

高放废物地质处置库处于温度?渗流?应力（THM）多场耦合环境中,对高放废物处置库进行安全评估时,需进行多场耦合分析。然而,高放废物处置库开挖引起硐壁附近围岩应力重分布,产生损伤,导致围岩热学参数（T）、渗流参数（H）和力学参数（M）发生变化,且在空间上分布不均匀,这将会对运营期处置库THM耦合演化过程产生显著影响。通过分析高放废物处置库温度?渗流?应力三场的耦合原理和处置库围岩损伤的分布和演化规律,定义了损伤变量和损伤演化准则,并将损伤变量与热学参数、渗流参数、力学参数以及多场耦合参数（Biot系数、Biot模量和温度排水系数）建立联系,将围岩损伤与温度?渗流?应力建立联系,形成了一个弹塑性损伤温度?渗流?应力多场耦合数值模型,然后利用建立的模型对瑞士Mont Terri高放废物地质处置库围岩加热试验进行模拟,对比了模拟值和试验值,比较了考虑开挖损伤和不考虑开挖损伤对高放废物地质处置库温度?渗流?应力的影响,并分析了在多场耦合作用下开挖损伤的演化规律。     

地质系统热-水-力耦合作用的随机建模初步研究

热-水-力(THM)耦合作用是岩石力学与环境地质中的重要基础理论问题,核废料地质处置库周围的缓冲材料和围岩中的热-水-力耦合现象将影响其力学稳定性、热传导性和渗透性,进而影响放射性核素在裂隙岩体中的迁移规律。核废料或放射性废料的地下深埋处置是国际上正在研究的永久性隔离的有效方法之一。因此,对核废料地质处置法安全性评估的一个重要内容就是对裂隙岩体中力学稳定性与构造应力、地下水渗流及热载荷等的耦合作用之数值模拟和评估。这已成为当前刻不容缓的重要的环境影响评价课题。笔者研究了温度场-渗流场-应力场中热传导系数和渗透率以及岩体力学参数的空间变异性,用实验方法研究三场耦合效应及裂隙岩体的场性能等效处理,试图建立热-水-力耦合作用的随机性数学模型及可视化数值模拟方法,为核废料地质处置安全性评估提供直观的新方法。     

黏土岩温度-渗流-应力耦合特性试验与本构模型研究进展

高放废物处置库、垃圾填埋场等工程中常常涉及到温度场（T）、渗流场（H）和应力场（M）的耦合作用的问题。从试验和理论模型两个角度综述国内外黏土岩温度-渗流-应力耦合特性的研究进展,主要包括其传热特性、温度影响下的渗流特性、变形、强度、蠕变特性。在此基础上,重点分析了黏土岩水-热迁移模型以及热-力耦合本构模型的适应性。基于上述认识,通过试验研究了比利时Boom clay在温度作用下的强度、渗透性、蠕变性等特征。结果表明：随着温度升高,Boom clay的强度有所降低,渗透性显著增强,蠕变速率明显加快。提出了适用于Boom clay的THM耦合弹塑性损伤模型,计算结果验证了模型能合理反映温度的影响。最后,探讨了黏土岩THM耦合机理研究的不足和今后的研究方向。     

Modelling the Mont Terri HE-D experiment for the Thermal–Hydraulic–Mechanical response of a bedded argillaceous formation to heating

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of deep geological repositories can influence several safety features of the engineered and geological barriers. Among those features are: the possibility of damage in the host rock, the time for re-saturation of the bentonite, and the perturbations in the hydraulic regime in both the rock and engineered seals. Within the international cooperative code-validation project DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams developed models to simulate an in situ heater experiment, called HE-D, in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The models were developed from the theory of poroelasticity in order to simulate the coupled THM processes that prevailed during the experiment and thereby to characterize the in situ THM properties of Opalinus Clay. The modelling results for the evolution of temperature, pore water pressure, and deformation at different points are consistent among the research teams and compare favourably with the experimental data in terms of trends and absolute values. The models were able to reproduce the main physical processes of the experiment. In particular, most teams simulated temperature and thermally induced pore water pressure well, including spatial variations caused by inherent anisotropy due to bedding.     

Stability analysis of a fire-loaded shallow tunnel by means of a thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical model and discontinuity layout optimization

When subjected to fire loading, shallow tunnels may experience loss of stability. This may result in large deformations and ultimately in local collapse of such structures. High temperature has a great negative influence on tunnels, not only because of thermal-induced mechanical degradation of the heated lining but also because of thermal spalling in consequence of the build-up of pore pressure. Thermal spalling causes quick loss of lining sections. Mechanical degradation sole can be simulated by thermo-mechanical models, while consideration of mechanical degradation and spalling requires thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical (THCM) models and a spalling criterion. After simulation of both processes, the stability of a tunnel structure can be assessed by means of limit analysis. In this work, at first, a fully coupled THCM model is developed. Then, by using a “stress vs strength” criterion and a boundary shifting strategy, the coupled mechanical degradation and thermal spalling processes are captured, providing time-dependent and space-dependent information of the heated lining. Finally, a novel numerical approach, termed discontinuity layout optimization (DLO), is applied to quantify the stability of the tunnel structure with the help of a factor of safety. The proposed numerical procedure is used to conduct numerical studies with, as well as without, consideration of spalling. The results show that spalling has a great impact on the stability of the tunnel. It reduces the thickness of the lining section and accelerates the heating process of the inner concrete.     

非饱和膨润土的有效热传导特性模型

膨润土缓冲材料热传导特性的研究,对于高放废物深地质处置系统的安全评价至关重要。基于串、并联原理,通过将土体孔隙划分为与固相基质并联和串联两部分,提出了考虑矿物成分、颗粒亲水性、孔隙率及饱和度等因素的非饱和膨润土有效热传导系数的4种预测形式,建立了基于4种形式线性组合的有效热传导特性预测模型。详细讨论了模型参数的确定方法,并讨论了孔隙率、饱和度和孔隙结构、颗粒亲水性等因素对土体有效热传导特性的影响。基于MX-80膨润土和高庙子膨润土热传导特性试验成果,对模型的预测性能进行了验证。结果表明,由于膨润土颗粒尺寸较小且具有亲水特性,孔隙内的空气与水宜采用并联描述。研究成果对于非饱和膨润土的导热性能以及工程屏障系统的THM耦合数值模拟研究具有一定的参考价值。     

地下热-水动力-力学耦合过程数值模拟:以CO_2地质储存为例

在地下流动系统问题的研究中,热-水动力-力学(THM)耦合过程是研究的热点问题。在地下多相非等温数值模拟软件TOUGH2的框架内,基于Biot固结理论和摩尔-库仑破坏判定准则,建立了THM耦合模型;采用积分有限差和有限元联合的空间离散方法,开发了THM模拟器TOUGH2Biot。该模拟器中热和水动力过程是全耦合,力学过程是部分耦合。通过与解析解的对比,验证了其正确性。基于鄂尔多斯盆地CCS示范工程,采用TOUGH2Biot研究了CO2注入地层后的THM响应。结果显示CO2的注入引起流体压力急剧增加,地层有效应力减小,地表隆起,隆起大小在几十个厘米,同时孔渗增加,利于CO2注入引起的压力上升向外消散。CO2注入最有可能导致剪切破坏的位置位于最大速率注入点上部盖层,其次为靠近地表的位置。     

Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processes with Links to Geochemistry Associated with Bentonite-Backfilled Repository Tunnels in Clay Formations

This paper presents simulation results related to coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) processes in engineered barrier systems (EBS) and clay host rock, in one case considering a possible link to geochemistry. This study is part of the US DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s used fuel disposition campaign, to investigate current modeling capabilities and to identify issues and knowledge gaps associated with coupled THMC processes and EBS–rock interactions associated with repositories hosted in clay rock. In this study, we simulated a generic repository case assuming an EBS design with waste emplacement in horizontal tunnels that are back-filled with bentonite-based swelling clay as a protective buffer and heat load, derived for one type of US reactor spent fuel. We adopted the Barcelona basic model (BBM) for modeling of the geomechanical behavior of the bentonite, using properties corresponding to the FEBEX bentonite, and we used clay host rock properties derived from the Opalinus clay at Mont Terri, Switzerland. We present results related to EBS host–rock interactions and geomechanical performance in general, as well as studies related to peak temperature, buffer resaturation and thermally induced pressurization of host rock pore water, and swelling pressure change owing to variation of chemical composition in the EBS. Our initial THM modeling results show strong THM-driven interactions between the bentonite buffer and the low-permeability host rock. The resaturation of the buffer is delayed as a result of the low rock permeability, and the fluid pressure in the host rock is strongly coupled with the temperature changes, which under certain circumstances could result in a significant increase in pore pressure. Moreover, using the BBM, the bentonite buffer was found to have a rather complex geomechanical behavior that eventually leads to a slightly nonuniform density distribution. Nevertheless, the simulation shows that the swelling of the buffer is functioning to provide an adequate increase in confining stress on the tunnel wall, leading to a stabilization of any failure that may occur during the tunnel excavation. Finally, we describe the application of a possible approach for linking THM processes with chemistry, focusing on the evolution of primary and secondary swelling, in which the secondary swelling is caused by changes in ionic concentration, which in turn is evaluated using a transport simulation model.     

裂隙岩体介质THM耦合问题中的渗透特性研究

在前人就热、液、力三因素各自影响裂隙岩体渗透特性的研究和本文所进行的温度及附加应力作用下单裂隙岩样实验的基础上．综合分析了裂隙岩体THM耦合过程,以裂隙结构面的开度、岩体裂隙数(包括受温度影响开通裂隙数)、裂隙连通率、附加应力、剪切膨胀为研究对象．建立具有THM耦合特性的裂隙岩体渗流系数张量。     

缓冲层热—湿—力耦合作用研究简介

介绍了高放射性废物深地质处置库热－湿－力耦合作用，着重给出了国际高压实缓冲层热－湿－力耦合作用的研究进展，指出与高放射性废物处置库有关的热－湿－力耦合过程研究是核废物地质处置提出的新课题，涉及多学科，需广大有识之士共同合作研究。     

泥岩核废料处置库温度-渗流-应力耦合参数敏感性分析

针对比利时HADES地下实验室PRACLAY现场加热试验,应用温度-渗流-应力耦合弹塑性模型,模拟现场加热过程中泥岩核废料处置库的水力学响应特征。采用单因素分析法,就泥岩热、水、力学参数对核废料处置库围岩孔压、温度、有效应力的影响进行了三维有限元分析。并基于参数敏感性分析结果,就温度、渗流、应力三场两两耦合作用对处置库围岩水力学响应的影响程度进行了系统分析。研究结果表明：泥岩热、水、力学参数中,渗透系数、弹性模量以及导热系数对加温所导致的超孔压的值影响较大;凝聚力、内摩擦角以及热膨胀系数对孔压的影响较小,但会显著影响围岩的有效应力;导热系数对围岩温度场的分布有决定性影响,温度传递的差异会显著影响围岩的孔压和有效应力;不同的热、水、力学参数对孔压、温度以及有效应力的影响机制是不同的,温度、渗流、应力三场两两耦合作用对围岩水力学响应的影响程度也存在显著的差异性。温度场对应力场、温度场对渗流场的耦合效应十分显著,加热后,围岩超孔压的产生以及热膨胀导致的有效应力变化会显著影响处置库的稳定。该研究结果在一定程度上可以为核废料处置库泥岩的热、水、力学参数的确定及耦合机制分析提供科学依据。