Effect of non-uniform swelling on coal multiphysics during gas injection: The triangle approach

In current dual porosity/permeability models,there exists a fundamental assumption that the adsorption-induced swelling is distributed uniformly within the representative elementary volume (REV),irrespective of its internal structures and transient processes.However,both internal structures and transient processes can lead to the non-uniform swelling.In this study,we hypothesize that the non-uniform swelling is responsible for why coal permeability in experimental measurements is not only controlled by the effective stress but also is affected by the adsorption-induced swelling.We propose a concept of the swelling triangle composed of swelling paths to characterize the evolution of the non-uniform swelling and serve as a core link in coupled multiphysics.A swelling path is determined by a dimensionless volumetric ratio and a dimensionless swelling ratio.Different swelling paths have the same start and end point,and each swelling path represents a unique swelling case.The swelling path as the diagonal of the triangle represents the case of the uniform swelling while that as the two perpendicular boundaries represents the case of the localized swelling.The paths of all intermediate cases populate inside the triangle.The corresponding relations between the swelling path and the response of coal multiphysics are established by a non-uniform swelling coefficient.We define this method as the triangle approach and corresponding models as swelling path-based ones.The proposed concept and models are verified against a long-term experimental measurement of permeability and strains under constant effective stress.Our results demonstrate that during gas injection,coal multiphysics responses have a close dependence on the swelling path,and that in both future experiments and field predictions,this dependence must be considered.

Effect of slake durability on time dependent swelling behavior of red-bed siltstone in Sichuan Basin

The swelling behavior of red-bed rocks is a significant factor in the abnormal uplift of subgrades for high-speed railways constructed on the red stratum in the Sichuan Basin,China.The prime objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of mineralogical composition,moisture content,and overburden load on the time-dependent unconfined and oedometric swelling behavior of red-bed siltstone in the context of differences in the slake durability.Twenty samples were prepared for the swelling test,with eleven used for the unconfined swelling and slake index tests and nine for the oedometric swelling test.The temporal dependency of swelling is characterized by the viscosity coefficient of water absorption in a proposed swelling model.Results indicate that the swelling deformation of red-bed rocks is due to a combination of hydration swelling within the rock matrix and crack expansion caused by air breakage.In the unconfined swelling test,the final axial swelling strain of red-bed rocks decreases linearly with increasing slake index,while the viscosity coefficient increases exponentially with the slake index.In the oedometric swelling test,red-bed rocks with lower slake durability show greater sensitivity to lateral constraint and overburden load compared to those with higher slake durability.

Microstructure and water-swelling mechanism of red-bed mudstone in the Xining region,Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

This paper examines the effect of the microstructure and electrical conductivity(EC)on the swelling ratio and pressure in red-bed mudstone sampled from arid areas in the Xining region in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.A series of laboratory tests,including swelling experiments,X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scanning electron microscope(SEM),was carried out for mechanical and microstructural analysis.The coupled influence of the EC and microstructural parameters on the expansion ratio and pressure was investigated,and the weight coefficients were discussed by the entropy weight method.The results revealed an increasing exponential trend in EC,and the maximum swelling speed occurred at an EC of approximately 10 μS/cm.In addition,a method for predicting the expansion potential is proposed based on the microstructure,and its reliability is verified by comparing with swelling experimental results.In addition,according to the image analysis results,the ranges of the change in the clay minerals content(CMC),the fractal dimension(FD),the average diameter(AD)of pores,and the plane porosity(PP)are 23.75%-53%,1.08-1.17,7.53-22.45 mm,and 0.62%-1.25%,respectively.Moreover,mudstone swelling is negatively correlated with the plane porosity,fractal dimension and average diameter and is linearly correlated with the clay mineral content.Furthermore,the weight values prove that the microstructural characteristics,including FD,AD,and PP,are the main factors influencing the expansion properties of red-bed mudstones in the Xining region.Based on the combination of macro and micro-analyses,a quantitative analysis of the swelling process of mudstones can provide a better reference for understanding the mechanism of expansion behavior.

Discovery of the Significant Impacts of Swell Propagation on Global Wave Climate Change

This study compared the differences in the wave climate in the South China Sea and North Indian Ocean under these two datasets:ERA-40 wave reanalysis and Mei’s hindcast wave data.In the numerical calculation of regional ocean waves,the wave climate characteristics exhibited significant bias if the influence of external swells(swells from afar)was not fully considered,which may provide an incorrect basis for global climate change analysis.1)The trends of the significant wave height(SWH)obtained from the two datasets showed significant differences,such as those of the Bay of Bengal and the Java Sea in June-July-August.For the past 45 years,SWH from ERA-40(SWH-ERA)exhibited a significant annual increase in low-latitude waters of the North Indian Ocean(0.2-0.6 cm yr^(-1))and South China Sea(0.2-0.8 cm yr^(-1)).2)In the Bay of Bengal,the SWH-ERA in each month was generally 0.5 m higher than the SWH from Mei’s hindcast wave data(SWH-Mei)and can reach 1.0 m higher in some months.3)In the Bay of Bengal,SWH-ERA and SWH-Mei increased significantly at annual rates of 0.13 and 0.27 cm yr^(-1),respectively.This increasing trend was mainly reflected after 1978.SWH-ERA showed a trough in 1975(1.33 m)and a crest in 1992(1.83 m),which were not reflected in SWH-Mei.

Swelling pressure evolution characterization of strong expansive soil considering the influence of reserved expansion deformation

Numerous engineering cases have demonstrated that the expansive soil channel slope remains susceptible to damage with the implementation of a rigid or closed protective structure. It is common for the protective structure to experience bulging failure due to excessive swelling pressure. To investigate the swelling pressure properties of expansive soil, the constant volume test was employed to study the influence of water content and reserved expansion deformation on the characteristics of swelling pressure in strong expansive soils, and also to explore the evolution mechanism of the swelling pressure. The findings demonstrate that the swelling pressure-time curve can be classified into swelling pressure-time softening and swelling pressure-time stability type. The swelling pressuretime curve of the specimen with low water content is the swelling pressure-time softening type, and the softening level will be weakened with increasing reserved expansion deformation. Besides, the maximum swelling pressure Psmax decreases with increasing water content and reserved expansion deformation, especially for expansion ratio η from 24% to 37%. The reserved deformation has little effect on reducing Psmax when it is beyond 7% of the expansion rate. The specimen with low water content has a more homogeneous structure due to the significant expansion-filling effect, and the fracture and reorganization of the aggregates in the specimens with low water content cause the swelling pressure-time softening behavior. In addition, the proposed swelling pressure-time curve prediction model has a good prediction on the test results. If necessary, a deformation space of about 7% expansion rate is recommended to be reserved in the engineering to reduce the swelling pressure except for keeping a stable water content.

Swelling behaviors of heterogeneous red-bed mudstone subjected to different vertical stresses

In this study,the axial swelling strain of red-bed mudstone under different vertical stresses are measured by swell-under-load method,and the microstructure of mudstone after hygroscopic swelling is studied by mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP).The weakening coefficient and Weibull distribution function are introduced into the coupling model of mudstone moisture diffusion-swelling deformation-fracture based on finite-discrete element method(FDEM).The weakening effect of moisture on mudstone's mechanical parameters,as well as the heterogeneity of swelling deformation and stress distribution,is considered.The microcrack behavior and energy evolution of mudstone during hygroscopic swelling deformation under different vertical stresses are studied.The results show that the axial swelling strain of mudstone decreases with increase of the vertical stress.At low vertical stresses,moisture absorption in mudstone leads to formation of cracks caused by hydration-induced expansion.Under high vertical stresses,a muddy sealing zone forms on the mudstone surface,preventing further water infiltration.The simulation results of mudstone swelling deformation also demonstrate that it involves both swelling of the mudstone matrix and swelling caused by crack expansion.Notably,crack expansion plays a dominant role in mudstone swelling.With increasing vertical stress,the cracks in mudstone change from tensile cracks to shear cracks,resulting in a significant reduction in the total number of cracks.While the evolution of mudstone kinetic energy shows similarities under different vertical stresses,the evolution of strain energy varies significantly due to the presence of different types of cracks in the mudstone.The findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the hygroscopic swelling deformation mechanism of red-bed mudstone at various depths.

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.

An analytical transient coal permeability model:Sorption non-equilibrium index-based swelling switch

Long-term permeability experiments have indicated that sorption-induced swelling can switch from internal to bulk depending on the evolutive sorption status.However,this sorption swelling switch mechanism has not been considered in current analytical permeability models.This study introduces a normalized sorption non-equilibrium index(SNEI)to characterize the sorption status,quantify the dynamical variations of matrix swelling accumulation and internal swelling partition,and formulate the sorption swelling switch model.The incorporation of this index into the extended total effective stress concept leads to an analytical transient coal permeability model.Model results show that the sorption swelling switch itself results in the permeability switch under stress-constrained conditions,while the confined bulk swelling suppresses the permeability recovery to the continuous reduction under displacement-constrained conditions.Model verifications show that current experimental observations correspond to the early stages of the transient process,and they could be extended to the whole process with these models.This study demonstrates the importance of the sorption swelling switch in determining permeability evolution using simple boundary conditions.It provides new insights into experimentally revealing the sorption swelling switch in the future,and underscores the requirement of a rigorous model for complex coupled processes in large-scale coal seams.

Application of multi-algorithm ensemble methods in high-dimensional and small-sample data of geotechnical engineering:A case study of swelling pressure of expansive soils

Geotechnical engineering data are usually small-sample and high-dimensional,which brings a lot of challenges in predictive modeling.This paper uses a typical high-dimensional and small-sample swell pressure(P_(s))dataset to explore the possibility of using multi-algorithm hybrid ensemble and dimensionality reduction methods to mitigate the uncertainty of soil parameter prediction.Based on six machine learning(ML)algorithms,the base learner pool is constructed,and four ensemble methods,Stacking(SG),Blending(BG),Voting regression(VR),and Feature weight linear stacking(FWL),are used for the multi-algorithm ensemble.Furthermore,the importance of permutation is used for feature dimensionality reduction to mitigate the impact of weakly correlated variables on predictive modeling.The results show that the proposed methods are superior to traditional prediction models and base ML models,where FWL is more suitable for modeling with small-sample datasets,and dimensionality reduction can simplify the data structure and reduce the adverse impact of the small-sample effect,which points the way to feature selection for predictive modeling.Based on the ensemble methods,the feature importance of the five primary factors affecting P_(s) is the maximum dry density(31.145%),clay fraction(15.876%),swell percent(15.289%),plasticity index(14%),and optimum moisture content(13.69%),the influence of input parameters on P_(s) is also investigated,in line with the findings of the existing literature.

Preparation and Swelling Kinetic Analysis of Poly (HPMC-co-AA-co-AM) Super Absorbent Resin

Super absorbent resin(SAR)is prepared by aqueous high temperature polymerization using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC)as monomer backbone material,acrylic acid(AA)and acrylamide(AM)as the graft copolymer monomer,potassium persulfate(KPS)as the initiator to generate free radicals,and N,N`-methylenebisacrylamide(MBA)as cross-linking agent for cross-linking reaction.Simutaneously,the influence of individual factors on the water absorption is investigated,and these factors are mainly AA,AM,KPS,MBA,HPMC,and reaction temperature.The optimized conditions are obtained by the experiment repeating for several times.The water absorption multiplicity and salt absorption multiplicity under the conditions are 782.4 and 132.5 g/g,respectivity.Furthermore,the effects of different temperatures and salt concentrations on its water absorption,as well as the swelling kinetics of SAR are studied.It is indicated the water-absorbing swelling process is mainly caused by the difference in water osmotic pressure and Na+concentration inside and outside the cross-linked molecular structure of the resin,which is not only consistent with the quasi-secondary kinetic model,but also with the Fick diffusion model.

Anisotropic swelling pressures of compacted GMZ bentonite infiltrated with salt solutions

In the high-level radioactive waste(HLW)deep geological repository,bentonite is compacted uniaxially,and then arranged vertically in engineered barriers.The assembly scheme induces the initial anisotropy,and with hydration,it develops more evidently under chemical conditions.To investigate the anisotropic swelling of compacted Gaomiaozi(GMZ)bentonite and the further response to saline effects,a series of constant-volume swelling pressure tests were performed.Results showed that dry density enhanced the bentonite swelling and raised the final anisotropy,whereas saline inhibited the bentonite swelling but still promoted the final anisotropy.The final anisotropy coefficient(ratio of radial to axial pressure)obeyed the Boltzmann sigmoid attenuation function,decreasing with concentration and dry density,converging to a minimum value of 0.76.The staged evolution of anisotropy coefficient was discovered,that saline inhibited the rise of the anisotropy coefficient(Dd)in the isotropic process greater than the valley(d1)in the anisotropic process,leading to the final anisotropy increasing.The isotropic stage amplified the impact of soil structure rearrangement on the macro-swelling pressure values.Thus,a new method for predicting swelling pressures of compacted bentonite was proposed,by expanding the equations of Gouy-Chapman theory with a dissipative wedge term.An evolutionary function was constructed,revealing the correlation between the occurrence time and the pressure value due to the structure rearrangement and the former crystalline swelling.Accordingly,a design reference for dry density was given,based on the chemical conditions around the pre-site in Beishan,China.The anisotropy promoted by saline would cause a greater drop of radial pressure,making the previous threshold on axial swelling fail.

Vulvar Swelling in a 12-Year-Old Girl: An Early Manifestation of Crohn’s Disease

Vulvar Crohn’s disease (VCD) is a rare complication of Crohn’s disease, especially in pediatric population. An early diagnosis can result difficult if the complication does not present in conjunction with the classic gastrointestinal symptoms that characterize this disease. In this study we present the case of a 12-year-old girl whose initial symptom of Crohn’s disease was a symptomatic vulvar swelling promoted by a rectovaginal fistula. We also provide an overview of Crohn’s disease and the vulvar changes found in the course of this disease.

Clinical Observation of Chinese Medicinal Prescriptions for Swelling and Pain in The Postoperative Treatment of Mixed Hemorrhoids

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)on reducing swelling and pain in patients with mixed hemorrhoids.Methods:Sixty patients with mixed hemorrhoids who were admitted to the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qiqihar from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected and divided into two groups.The treatment group(n=30)was treated with mixed hemorrhoid ligation combined with traditional Chinese swelling and pain medicine,and the control group(n=30)was only treated with mixed hemorrhoid ligation.The pain level,edema score,and prognosis of the two groups after the intervention were analyzed.The clinical efficacy was used as the evaluation criterion to compare the clinical effects of different treatment options.Results:After the treatment,the pain score,edema score,and prognostic wound score of the treatment group were all lower than those of the control group(P 0.05).The total clinical effectiveness of the treatment group(100%)was higher than that of the control group(76.67%),(χ^(2)=4.2857,P<0.05).Conclusion:The application of traditional Chinese swelling and pain medicine in treating patients with mixed hemorrhoids effectively reduced the patient’s pain,reduced the degree of wound edema,promoted wound healing,and improved the patient’s prognosis.The curative effect was significant and had a positive impact.

Swelling Properties of Water-Swelling Materials Exposed to Organic Water Pollution

A water-swelling material is one of the rubbery impermeable materials which mixed synthetic resin elastomers as a base material, high absorbency polymers, filler and solvents. In this study, swelling characteristics of the water-swelling material on the water polluted with COD and BOD, as an impermeable material at coastal landfill sites, are examined by laboratory swelling ratio test. Furthermore, the factor in which it influences the swelling pressure of water-swelling material is clarified by measuring the swelling pressure. As the results, the COD nor the BOD concentrations in the soaked water influence the swelling ratio of the water-swelling material. When the thicknesses of water-swelling material are 2 mm and 3 mm, the maximum swelling pressure of 0.5 MPa or more that corresponds to hydraulic pressure by depth of 50 m is possessed.

The long-term trend of the sea surface wind speed and the wave height (wind wave, swell, mixed wave) in global ocean during the last 44 a

Utilizing the 45 a European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts （ECMWF） reanalysis wave da- ta （ERA-40）, the long-term trend of the sea surface wind speed and （wind wave, swell, mixed wave） wave height in the global ocean at grid point 1.5°× 1.5° during the last 44 a is analyzed. It is discovered that a ma- jority of global ocean swell wave height exhibits a significant linear increasing trend （2-8 cm/decade）, the distribution of annual linear trend of the significant wave height （SWH） has good consistency with that of the swell wave height. The sea surface wind speed shows an annually linear increasing trend mainly con- centrated in the most waters of Southern Hemisphere westerlies, high latitude of the North Pacific, Indian Ocean north of 30°S, the waters near the western equatorial Pacific and low latitudes of the Atlantic waters, and the annually linear decreasing mainly in central and eastern equator of the Pacific, Juan. Fernandez Archipelago, the waters near South Georgia Island in the Atlantic waters. The linear variational distribution characteristic of the wind wave height is similar to that of the sea surface wind speed. Another find is that the swell is dominant in the mixed wave, the swell index in the central ocean is generally greater than that in the offshore, and the swell index in the eastern ocean coast is greater than that in the western ocean inshore, and in year-round hemisphere westerlies the swell index is relatively low.

Equilibrium Swelling and Solute Diffusion Characteristics of Poly (Methacrylic Acid co-Poloxamer) Hydrogels

Poly(methacrylic acid co-poloxamer) hydrogel networks were synthesized by free radical solution polymerization and their equilibrium swelling and solute permeation properties were characterized. These gels exhibited pH dependant swelling and solute diffusivity due to the formation or disruption of hydrogen bonded complexation between methacrylic acid (MAA) and etheric (EO). In neutral and basic conditions (above the swelling transition pH), the copolymer swelling was greatly higher than acid condition. In complexed hydrogels, the diffusion coefficients of vitamin B12 (VB12) were in the range of 10-10 to 10-7 cm2s-1; While in uncomplexed hydrogels, the values were about 210-6 cm2s-1. The comonomer composition and synthesis conditions have great effect on the structure, and thereby, swelling and solute diffusion characteristics of the resultant hydrogels. For the copolymers with composition of less than or more than 1:1 MAA/EO molar ratio, the plot of lnD vs 1/H-1 followed two different linear equations of 慺ree volume theory? respectively.

Comparison of spectral partitioning techniques for wind wave and swell

The ocean waves are generally mixed with wind wave and swell. In order to separate these two kinds of ocean waves, many wave spectral partitioning techniques have been proposed. In this study, a two-dimensional（2D） and three one-dimensional （1D） wave spectral partitioning techniques （denoted as PM, WH, and JP） are examined based on the model simulations and in-situ observations. It is shown that the 2D technique could provide the most reliable results as a whole. Compared with 2D technique, PM and JP techniques obviously overestimate the wind-wave components, and the same situation happens for WH technique at low wind speed. With the adjustment of the partitioning frequency ratio, the 1D PM technique is modified, in which the result agree well with that of the 2D scheme.

Analysis of the Global Swell Distributions Using ECMWF Re-Analyses Wind Wave Data

The existence of three well-defined tongue-shaped zones of swell dominance,termed as 'swell pools',in the Pacific,the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans,was reported by Chen et al.(2002)using satellite data.In this paper,the ECMWF Re-analyses wind wave data,including wind speed,significant wave height,averaged wave period and direction,are applied to verify the existence of these swell pools.The swell indices calculated from wave height,wave age and correlation coefficient are used to identify swell events.The wave age swell index can be more appropriately related to physical processes compared to the other two swell indices.Based on the ECMWF data the swell pools in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans are confirmed,but the expected swell pool in the Indian Ocean is not pronounced.The seasonal variations of global and hemispherical swell indices are investigated,and the argument that swells in the pools seemed to originate mostly from the winter hemisphere is supported by the seasonal variation of the averaged wave direction.The northward bending of the swell pools in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans in summer is not revealed by the ECMWF data.The swell pool in the Indian Ocean and the summer northward bending of the swell pools in the Pacific and the Atlan-tic Oceans need to be further verified by other datasets.

Intermittent swelling and shrinkage of a highly expansive soil treated with polyacrylamide

This laboratory study examines the potential use of an anionic polyacrylamide(PAM)-based material as an environmentally sustainable additive for the stabilization of an expansive soil from South Australia.The experimental program consisted of consistency limits,sediment volume,compaction and oedometer cyclic swell-shrink tests,performed using distilled water and four different PAM-to-water solutions of P_(D)=0.1 g/L,0.2 g/L,0.4 g/L and 0.6 g/L as the mixing liquids.Overall,the relative swelling and shrinkage strains were found to decrease with increasing number of applied swell-shrink cycles,with an‘elastic equilibrium’condition achieved on the conclusion of four cycles.The propensity for swelling/shrinkage potential reduction(for any given cycle)was found to be in favor of increasing the PAM dosage up to P_(D)=0.2 g/L,beyond which the excess PAM molecules self-associate as aggregates,thereby functioning as a lubricant instead of a flocculant;this critical dosage was termed‘maximum flocculation dosage’(MFD).The MFD assertion was discussed and validated using the consistency limits and sediment volume properties,both exhibiting only marginal variations beyond the identified MFD of P_(D)=0.2 g/L.The accumulated axial strain progressively transitioned from‘expansive’for the unamended soil to an ideal‘neutral’state at the MFD,while higher dosages demonstrated undesirable‘contractive’states.

Swelling characteristics of East-Africa black cotton soil based on computer molecular simulation

Black cotton soil in East Africa is not a stable engineering material for highway and railroad projects. Its strong swelling potential when it absorbs water causes distresses in subgrade of highway and railroad, and thus leads to failures of the projects. This paper presents study on the swelling characteristics of black cotton soil in East Africa. Lab tests were conducted to obtain its basic engineering properties, and the results show that black cotton soil contains high amount of montmorillonite and exchangeable cations and is strong expansive soil. Molecular modelling was exploited to further investigate water absorption ability of montmorillonite. Three different molecular models of montmorillonite were constructed and used for simulations, among which Types I and II montmorillonite represent the expansive soil montmorillonite in China, and Types II and III montmorillonite represent black cotton soil montmorillonite in East Africa. The results showed that the interlayer cations of Type III montmorillonite possessed the strongest water absorption ability based on analysis of radial distribution function(RDF) of cations. Interlayer compensatory cations of Na+ enhance the hydration ability of the other major cations, thus resulting in the strong swelling potential of East-Africa black cotton soil.