Effect of drying cracks on swelling and self-healing of bentonite-sand blocks used as engineered barriers for radioactive waste disposal

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the healing of drying cracks in air-dried bentonite-sand blocks after hydration and swelling in groundwater,providing justifications to simplify the protection of blocks prior to installation in a high-level radioactive waste repository.Synthetic groundwater was prepared to represent the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,and was used to hydrate the blocks during the swelling pressure and swelling strain measurements,as Beishan is the most promising site for China's repository.Healing of the surface cracks was recorded by photography,and healing of the internal cracks was visualized by CT images and hydraulic conductivity of air-dried blocks.The results indicate that the maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain are primarily affected by the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,but not affected by the drying cracks.The maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain of air-dried blocks are comparable to or even higher than the pressure and strain of fresh blocks.The maximum swelling pressure measured in strong(i.e.high ion strength)Beishan groundwater was 44%of the pressure measured in deionized(DI)water,and the maximum swelling strain was reduced to 23%of the strain measured in DI water.Nevertheless,the remained swelling of the blocks hydrated in strong Beishan groundwater was sufficient to heal the surface and internal drying cracks,as demonstrated by the pictures of surface cracks and CT images.The hydraulic conductivity of the air-dried block permeated with strong groundwater was comparable(3.7×higher)to the hydraulic conductivity of the fresh block,indicating the self-healing of drying cracks after hydration and swelling in groundwater.A simplified method of protecting the block with plastic wraps before installation is recommended,since the remained swelling of the block hydrated in Beishan groundwater is sufficient to heal the drying cracks.

Assessing the range of blasting-induced cracks in the surrounding rock of deeply buried tunnels based on the unified strength theory

Blasting-induced cracks in the rock surrounding deeply buried tunnels can result in water gushing and rock mass collapse,posing significant safety risks.However,previous theoretical studies on the range of blasting-induced cracks often ignore the impact of the in-situ stress,especially that of the intermediate principal stress.The particle displacement−crack radius relationship was established in this paper by utilizing the blasthole cavity expansion equation,and theoretical analytical formulas of the stress−displacement relationship and the crack radius were derived with unified strength theory to accurately assess the range of cracks in deep surrounding rock under a blasting load.Parameter analysis showed that the crushing zone size was positively correlated with in-situ stress,intermediate principal stress,and detonation pressure,whereas negatively correlated with Poisson ratio and decoupling coefficient.The dilatancy angle-crushing zone size relationship exhibited nonmonotonic behavior.The relationships in the crushing zone and the fracture zone exhibited opposite trends under the influence of only in-situ stress or intermediate principal stress.As the in-situ stress increased from 0 to 70 MPa,the rate of change in the crack range and the attenuation rate of the peak vibration velocity gradually slowed.

Effect of carbon material and surfactant on ink property and resulting surface cracks of fuel-cell microporous layers

Ensuring the consistency of electrode structure in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells is highly desired yet challenging because of wide-existing and unguided cracks in the microporous layer(MPL). The first thing is to evaluate the homogeneity of MPL with cracks quantitatively. This paper proposes the homogeneity index of a full-scale MPL with an area of 50 cm~2, which is yet to be reported in the literature to our knowledge. Besides, the effects of the carbon material and surfactant on the ink and resulting MPL structure have been studied. The ink with a high network development degree produces an MPL with low crack density, but the ink with high PDI produces an MPL with low crack homogeneity. The polarity of the surfactant and the non-polarity of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) are not mutually soluble,resulting in the heterogeneous PTFE distribution. The findings of this study provide guidelines for MPL fabrication.

Analytical solution for the effective elastic properties of rocks with the tilted penny-shaped cracks in the transversely isotropic background

Seismic prediction of cracks is of great significance in many disciplines,for which the rock physics model is indispensable.However,up to now,multitudinous analytical models focus primarily on the cracked rock with the isotropic background,while the explicit model for the cracked rock with the anisotropic background is rarely investigated in spite of such case being often encountered in the earth.Hence,we first studied dependences of the crack opening displacement tensors on the crack dip angle in the coordinate systems formed by symmetry planes of the crack and the background anisotropy,respectively,by forty groups of numerical experiments.Based on the conclusion from the experiments,the analytical solution was derived for the effective elastic properties of the rock with the inclined penny-shaped cracks in the transversely isotropic background.Further,we comprehensively analyzed,according to the developed model,effects of the crack dip angle,background anisotropy,filling fluid and crack density on the effective elastic properties of the cracked rock.The analysis results indicate that the dip angle and background anisotropy can significantly either enhance or weaken the anisotropy degrees of the P-and SH-wave velocities,whereas they have relatively small effects on the SV-wave velocity anisotropy.Moreover,the filling fluid can increase the stiffness coefficients related to the compressional modulus by reducing crack compliance parameters,while its effects on shear coefficients depend on the crack dip angle.The increasing crack density reduces velocities of the dry rock,and decreasing rates of the velocities are affected by the crack dip angle.By comparing with exact numerical results and experimental data,it was demonstrated that the proposed model can achieve high-precision estimations of stiffness coefficients.Moreover,the assumption of the weakly anisotropic background results in the consistency between the proposed model and Hudson's published theory for the orthorhombic rock.

Experimental study of the damage characteristics of rocks containing non-penetrating cracks under cyclic loading

The damage evolution process of non-penetrating cracks often causes some unexpected engineering disasters.Gypsum specimens containing non-penetrating crack(s)are used to study the damage evolution and characteristics under cyclic loading.The results show that under cyclic loading,the relationship between the number of non-penetrating crack(s)and the characteristic parameters(cyclic number,peak stress,peak strain,failure stress,and failure strain)of the pre-cracked specimens can be represented by a decreasing linear function.The damage evolution equation is fitted by calibrating the accumulative plastic strain for each cycle,and the damage constitutive equation is proposed by the concept of effective stress.Additionally,non-penetrating cracks are more likely to cause uneven stress distribution,damage accumulation,and local failure of specimen.The local failure can change the stress distribution and relieve the inhibition of non-penetrating crack extension and eventually cause a dramatic destruction of the specimen.Therefore,the evolution process caused by non-penetrating cracks can be regarded as one of the important reasons for inducing rockburst.These results are expected to improve the understanding of the process of spalling formation and rockburst and can be used to analyze the stability of rocks or rock structures.

A phase-field model for simulating the propagation behavior of mixed-mode cracks during the hydraulic fracturing process in fractured reservoirs

A novel phase-field model for the propagation of mixed-mode hydraulic fractures,characterized by the formation of mixed-mode fractures due to the interactions between fluids and solids,is proposed.In this model,the driving force for the phase field consists of both tensile and shear components,with the fluid contribution primarily manifesting in the tension driving force.The displacement and pressure are solved simultaneously by an implicit method.The numerical solution's iterative format is established by the finite element discretization and Newton-Raphson(NR)iterative methods.The correctness of the model is verified through the uniaxial compression physical experiments on fluid-pressurized rocks,and the limitations of the hydraulic fracture expansion phase-field model,which only considers mode I fractures,are revealed.In addition,the influence of matrix mode II fracture toughness value,natural fracture mode II toughness value,and fracturing fluid injection rate on the hydraulic fracture propagation in porous media with natural fractures is studied.

Evaluation of the injection and plugging ability of a novel epoxy resin in cement cracks

Sustained casing pressure(SCP)is a crucial issue in the oil and gas production lifecycle.Epoxy resins,exhibiting exceptional compressive strength,ductility,and shear bonding strength,have the potential to form reliable barriers.The injectivity and sealing capacity of the epoxy resin is crucial parameters for the success of shallow remediation operations.This study aimed to develop and assess a novel solid-free resin sealant as an alternative to Portland cement for mitigating fluid leakage.The investigation evaluated the viscosity,compressive strength,and brittleness index of the epoxy resin sealant,as well as its tangential and normal shear strengths in conjunction with casing steel.The flow characteristics and sealing abilities of conventional cement and epoxy resin were comparatively analyzed in cracks.The results showed that the application of a viscosity reducer facilitated control over the curing time of the epoxy resin,ranging from 1.5 to 6 h,and reduced the initial viscosity from 865.53 to 118.71 m Pa,s.The mechanical properties of the epoxy resin initially increased with a rise in curing agent content before experiencing a minor decrease.The epoxy resin containing 30%curing agent exhibited optimal mechanical properties.After a 14-day curing period,the epoxy resin's compressive strength reached81.37 MPa,2.12 times higher than that of cement,whereas the elastic modulus of cement was 2.99 times greater than that of the epoxy resin.The brittleness index of epoxy resin is only 3.42,demonstrating high flexibility and toughness.The tangential and normal shear strengths of the epoxy resin exceeded those of cement by 3.17 and 2.82 times,respectively.In a 0.5 mm-wide crack,the injection pressure of the epoxy resin remained below 0.075 MPa,indicating superior injection and flow capabilities.Conversely,the injection pressure of cement surged dramatically to 2.61 MPa within 5 min.The breakthrough pressure of0.5 PV epoxy resin reached 7.53 MPa,decreasing the crack's permeability to 0.02 D,a mere 9.49%of the permeability observed following cement plugging.Upon sealing a 2 mm-wide crack using epoxy resin,the maximum breakthrough pressure attained 5.47 MPa,3.48 times of cement.These results suggest that epoxy resin sealant can be employed safely and effectively to seal cracks in the cement.

Elimination of cracks in stainless steel casings via 3D printed sand molds with an internal topology structure

The important supporting component in a gas turbine is the casing,which has the characteristics of large size,complex structure,and thin wall.In the context of existing 3DP sand casting processes,casting crack defects are prone to occur.This leads to an increase in the scrap rate of casings,causing significant resource wastage.Additionally,the presence of cracks poses a significant safety hazard after the casings are put into service.The generation of different types of crack defects in stainless steel casings is closely related to casting stress and the high-temperature concession of the sand mold.Therefore,the types and causes of cracks in stainless steel casing products,based on their structural characteristics,were systematically analyzed.Various sand molds with different internal topology designs were printed using the 3DP technology to investigate the impact of sand mold structures on high-temperature concession.The optimal sand mold structure was used to cast casings,and the crack suppression effect was verified by analyzing its eddy current testing results.The experimental results indicate that the skeleton structure has an excellent effect on suppressing cracks in the casing.This research holds important theoretical and engineering significance in improving the quality of casing castings and reducing production costs.

Eddy current quantitative evaluation of high-speed railway contact wire cracks based on neural network

Purpose–The purpose of this study is to study the quantitative evaluation method of contact wire cracks by analyzing the changing law of eddy current signal characteristics under different cracks of contact wire of high-speed railway so as to provide a new way of thinking and method for the detection of contact wire injuries of high-speed railway.Design/methodology/approach–Based on the principle of eddy current detection and the specification parameters of high-speed railway contact wires in China,a finite element model for eddy current testing of contact wires was established to explore the variation patterns of crack signal characteristics in numerical simulation.A crack detection system based on eddy current detection was built,and eddy current detection voltage data was obtained for cracks of different depths and widths.By analyzing the variation law of eddy current signals,characteristic parameters were obtained and a quantitative evaluation model for crack width and depth was established based on the back propagation(BP)neural network.Findings–Numerical simulation and experimental detection of eddy current signal change rule is basically consistent,based on the law of the selected characteristics of the parameters in the BP neural network crack quantitative evaluation model also has a certain degree of effectiveness and reliability.BP neural network training results show that the classification accuracy for different widths and depths of the classification is 100 and 85.71%,respectively,and can be effectively realized on the high-speed railway contact line cracks of the quantitative evaluation classification.Originality/value–This study establishes a new type of high-speed railway contact wire crack detection and identification method,which provides a new technical means for high-speed railway contact wire injury detection.The study of eddy current characteristic law and quantitative evaluation model for different cracks in contact line has important academic value and practical significance,and it has certain guiding significance for the detection technology of contact line in high-speed railway.

Intelligent extraction of road cracks based on vehicle laser point cloud and panoramic sequence images

In light of the limited efficacy of conventional methods for identifying pavement cracks and the absence of comprehensive depth and location data in two-dimensional photographs,this study presents an intelligent strategy for extracting road cracks.This methodology involves the integration of laser point cloud data obtained from a vehicle-mounted system and a panoramic sequence of images.The study employs a vehicle-mounted LiDAR measurement system to acquire laser point cloud and panoramic sequence image data simultaneously.A convolutional neural network is utilized to extract cracks from the panoramic sequence image.The extracted sequence image is then aligned with the laser point cloud,enabling the assignment of RGB information to the vehicle-mounted three dimensional(3D)point cloud and location information to the two dimensional(2D)panoramic image.Additionally,a threshold value is set based on the crack elevation change to extract the aligned roadway point cloud.The three-dimensional data pertaining to the cracks can be acquired.The experimental findings demonstrate that the use of convolutional neural networks has yielded noteworthy outcomes in the extraction of road cracks.The utilization of point cloud and image alignment techniques enables the extraction of precise location data pertaining to road cracks.This approach exhibits superior accuracy when compared to conventional methods.Moreover,it facilitates rapid and accurate identification and localization of road cracks,thereby playing a crucial role in ensuring road maintenance and traffic safety.Consequently,this technique finds extensive application in the domains of intelligent transportation and urbanization development.The technology exhibits significant promise for use in the domains of intelligent transportation and city development.

New Formulation for Arbitrary Cracks Problem and Its Stress Intensity Factor of Plane Elasticity

Aim The general arbitrary cracked problem in an elastic plane was discussed. Methods For the purpose of acquiring the solution of the problem, a new formulation on the problem was proposed. Compared with the classical plane elastic crack model, only the known conditions were revised in the new formulation, which are greatly convenient to solve the problem, and no other new condition was given. Results and Conclusion The general exact analytic solution is given here based on the formulation though the problem is very complicated. Furthermore, the stress intensity factors K Ⅰ, K Ⅱ of the problem are also given.

Fatigue Investigations on Steel Pipeline Containing 3D Coplanar and Non-Coplanar Cracks

Fluctuated loadings from currents,waves and sea ground motions are observed on offshore steel pipelines,and they will result in small cracks to propagate continuously and cause unexpected damage to offshore/geotechnical infrastructures.In spite of the availability of efficient techniques and high-power computers for solving crack problems,investigations on the fatigue life of offshore pipelines with 3D interacting cracks are still rarely found in open literature.In the current study,systematic numerical investigations are performed on fatigue crack growth behaviours of offshore pipelines containing coplanar and non-coplanar cracks.Extended finite element method(XFEM)is adopted to simulate the fatigue crack growth.The qualitative validations of numerical results are made for certain cases with available experimental results.Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the influences of various important parameters on fatigue crack growth.The results will be helpful to assess the fatigue behaviours of steel pipeline with 3D interacting cracks.

Thermal Stresses and Cracks During the Growth of Large-sized Sapphire with SAPMAC Method

The finite-element method has been used to study the thermal stress distribution in large-sized sapphire crystals grown with the sapphire growth technique with micro-pulling and shoulder-expanding at cooled center （SAPMAC） method. A critical defect model has been established to explain the growth and propagation of cracks during the sapphire growing process. It is demonstrated that the stress field depends on the growth rate, the ambient temperature and the crystallizing direction. High stresses always exist near the growth interfaces, at the shoulder-expanding locations, the tailing locations and the sites where the diameters undergo sharp changes. The maximum stresses always occur at the interface of seeds and crystals. Cracks often form in the critical defect region and spread in the m-planes and a-planes under applied tensile stresses during crystal growth. The experimental results have verified that with the improved system of crystal growth and well-controlled techniques, the large-sized sapphire crystals of high quality can be grown due to absence of cracks.

Causes and control of welding cracks in electron-beam-welded superalloy GH4169 joints

Welding joint of GH4169 alloy with a good formation was obtained. No macroscopic defects occurred in the joint. The weld had mainly a dendritic structure; the base metal was a solid solution of Ni, Cr, and Fe, and the strengthening-phase particles such as Ni3Nb were dispersively distributed along the grain boundary. The average tensile strength of the joint reached 743.7 MPa, and the Vickers hardness of the weld exceeded HV 300. Because of the segregation of the low-melting compound Ni3Nb at the grain boundary of the fusion zone, liquid cracks tended to occur as a result of welding stress. The formation of liquid cracks was inhibited by adding an alloying element, Mn, to the welding bath, because Mn diffused to the fusion zone and the high-melting phase Mn2Nb formed, and thus the overall properties of the joint were improved.

Anti-plane Analysis of a Circular Hole withThree Unequal Cracks in One-dimensionalHexagonal Piezoelectric Quasicrystals

This paper employes variable function method and the technique of conformal mappingto discuss the anti-plane problem of a circular hole with three unequal cracksin a one-dimensional （1D） hexagonal piezoelectric quasicrystal. Based on the piezoelectricityfundamental equations of quasicrystal materials and the symmetry of1D hexagonal quasicrystal and its linear piezoelectricity effect, 1D hexagonal quasicrystalcontrol equations of anti-plane problem are derived. Applying Cauchyintegral formula, the analytical expressions for the crack tip filed intensity factorsare presented with the assumption that the crack are electrical impermeable andelectrical permeable. With the variation of the hole-size and the crack length, someof the new model of crack are obtained. In the absence of the electric load, theresults match with the classical ones. The numerical results indicate the effects ofgeometric parameters on the field intensity factors. It is verified that the horizontalcrack length and the circle radius can easily promote crack growth. Researchon such issues will provide reliable theoretical value for the engineering materialspreparation and application.

Visual representation and characterization of three-dimensional hydrofracturing cracks within heterogeneous rock through 3D printing and transparent models

The heterogeneity of unconventional reservoir rock tremendously affects its hydrofracturing behavior. A visual representation and accurate characterization of the three-dimensional （3D） growth and distribution of hydrofracturing cracks within heterogeneous rocks is of particular use to the design and implementation of hydrofracturing stimulation of unconventional reservoirs. However, because of the difficulties involved in visually representing and quantitatively characterizing a 3D hydrofracturing crack-network, this issue remains a challenge. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for physically visualizing and quantitatively characterizing the 3D hydrofracturing crack-network distributed through a heterogeneous structure based on a natural glutenite sample. This method incorporates X-ray microfocus computed tomography （μCT）, 3D printing models and hydrofracturing triaxial tests to represent visually the heterogeneous structure, and the 3D crack growth and distribution within a transparent rock model during hydrofracturing. The coupled effects of material heterogeneity and confining geostress on the 3D crack initiation and propagation were analyzed. The results indicate that the breakdown pressure of a heterogeneous rock model is significantly affected by material heterogeneity and confining geostress. The measured breakdown pressures of heterogeneous models are apparently different from those predicted by traditional theories. This study helps to elucidate the quantitative visualization and characterization of the mechanism and influencing factors that determine the hydrofracturing crack initiation and propagation in heterogeneous reservoir rocks.

Exact analytic solutions for an elliptic hole with asymmetric collinear cracks in a one-dimensional hexagonal quasi-crystal

Using the complex variable function method and the technique of conformal mapping, the anti-plane shear problem of an elliptic hole with asymmetric colfinear cracks in a one-dimensional hexagonal quasi-crystal is solved, and the exact analytic solutions of the stress intensity factors （SIFs） for mode Ⅲ problem are obtained. Under the limiting conditions, the present results reduce to the Griffith crack and many new results obtained as well, such as the circular hole with asymmetric collinear cracks, the elliptic hole with a straight crack, the mode T crack, the cross crack and so on. As far as the phonon field is concerned, these results, which play an important role in many practical and theoretical applications, are shown to be in good agreement with the classical results.

Analysis of the cracks formation on surface of extruded magnesium rod based on numerical modeling and experimental verification

To reduce the surface cracks of extrusion rod for AZ31 magnesium caused by nonhomogeneous metal flow in extrusion process, 3D computer finite element （FE） simulations of extruding a wrought magnesium alloy AZ31 into rods have been performed and the results have been verified in extrusion experiments under identical conditions. The tendency to generate the dead zone is decreased by employing the die angle 60° at the cone-shaped die comparing with the die angle 180°. The surface additional tensile stresses of the rod at the die exit are decreased greatly so that the surface cracks caused are avoided by using the die angle 60°. The extrusion die with die angle 180° would increase the higher temperature rise and possibility of crack formation on the rod surface that caused by die angle 60° and temperature rise decrease tensile strength of the AZ31 rod. The experimental results show that die angle 180° could cause continuous cracks on the surface of the extruded rod. The extrusion force required is reduced approximately 15 ton by employing the die angle 60°. Theoretical results obtained by the DeformTM-3D simulation agreed well with the experiments. The obtained results provide the fundamental and also practical guidelines for the design and correction of dies to produce magnesium rod with good surface quality.

Fracture of two three-dimensional parallel internal cracks in brittle solid under ultrasonic fracturing

Similar to hydraulic fracturing(HF), the coalescence and fracture of cracks are induced within a rock under the action of an ultrasonic field, known as ultrasonic fracturing(UF). Investigating UF is important in both hard rock drilling and oil and gas recovery. A three-dimensional internal laser-engraved crack(3D-ILC) method was introduced to prefabricate two parallel internal cracks within the samples without any damage to the surface. The samples were subjected to UF. The mechanism of UF was elucidated by analyzing the characteristics of fracture surfaces. The crack propagation path under different ultrasonic parameters was obtained by numerical simulation based on the Paris fatigue model and compared to the experimental results of UF. The results show that the 3D-ILC method is a powerful tool for UF research.Under the action of an ultrasonic field, the fracture surface shows the characteristics of beach marks and contains powder locally, indicating that the UF mechanism includes high-cycle fatigue fracture, shear and friction, and temperature load. The two internal cracks become close under UF. The numerical result obtained by the Paris fatigue model also shows the attraction of the two cracks, consistent with the test results. The 3D-ILC method provides a new tool for the experimental study of UF. Compared to the conventional numerical methods based on the analysis of stress-strain and plastic zone, numerical simulation can be a good alternative method to obtain the crack path under UF.

Simulation of Morphological Development of Soil Cracks in Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley Region, Southwest China

Soil cracking is an important process influencing water and solutes transport in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley region of Southwest China. Studying the morphological development of soil cracks helps to further reveal the close relationship between the soil cracking process and water movement in such semi-arid regions. Here we report regular changes on surface morphology of soil cracks with decreasing water in four different soils (Typ-Ustic Ferrisols,Ver-Ustic Ferrisols,Tru-Ustic Vertisols and Typ-Ustic Vertisols) through simulation experiments. Our results indicate the following: 1) Different soils ultimately have different development degrees of soil cracks,according to their various values of crack area density. Soil cracks in Typ-Ustic Ferrisols can only develop to the feeble degree,while those in the other three soils are capable of developing into the intensive degree,and even into the extremely intensive degree. 2) Soil crack complexity,as expressed by the value of the area-weighted mean of crack fractal dimension (AWMFRAC),is found to continuously decrease as a whole through the whole cracking process in all the studied soils. 3) Soil crack connectivity shows a uniform trend in the studied soils,that is to say,connectivity gradually increases with soil crack development.