Viscoelastic stress change from the 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake and its impacts on seismic activity around the Altai mountains

The 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake occurred around the Altai mountains, an intracontinental deformation belt with limited active strain-rate accumulation. To explore whether seismic activity in this deformation belt was affected by stress interaction among different active faults, we calculate the Coulomb failure stress change(ΔCFS) induced by the Fuyun earthquake due to coseismic deformation of the elastic crust and postseismic viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle. Numerical results show that the total ΔCFS at a 10-km depth produced by the Fuyun earthquake attains approximately 0.015-0.134 bar near the epicenter, and just before the occurrence of the 2003 M_(w)7.2 Chuya earthquake, which distances about 400 km away from the Fuyun earthquake. Among the increased ΔCFS,viscoelastic relaxation from 1931 to 2003 contributes to approximately 0.014-0.131 bar, accounting for>90% of the total ΔCFS. More importantly, we find that for the recorded seismicity in the region with a radius of about 270 km to the Fuyun earthquake from 1970 to 2018, the percentage of earthquakes that fall in positive lobes of ΔCFS resolved on the NNW-SSE Fuyun strike-slip fault, on the NWW-SEE Irtysh strike-slip fault, and on the NW-SE Kurti reverse fault is up to 67.22%-91.36%. Therefore, the predictedΔCFS suggests that the impact of the 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake on seismic activity around the Altai mountains is still significant as to hasten occurrence of the 2003 M_(w)7.2 Chuya earthquake at a relatively far distance and to trigger its aftershocks in the near-field even after several decades of the mainshock.

Three-dimensional multiphase full-loop simulation of directional separation of binary particle mixtures in high-flux coal-direct chemical-looping combustion system

Coal-direct chemical-looping combustion(CDCLC)is a promising coal combustion technique that provides CO2 capture with a low energy penalty.In this study,we developed a three-dimensional Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase full-loop model for simulating the circulation and separation of binary particle mixtures in a novel high-flux CDCLC system.This model comprised a high-flux circulating fluidized bed as the fuel reactor(FR),a counter-flow moving bed as the air reactor(AR),a high-flux carbon stripper,two downcomers,and two J-valves.This model predicted the main features of complex gas-solid flow behaviors in the system.The simulation results showed that quasi-stable solid circulation in the whole system could be achieved,and the FR,AR,and J-valves operated in a dense suspension upflow regime,a near-plug-flow regime,and a bubbling fluidization regime,respectively.The multiphase flow model of binary particle mixtures was used to predict the mechanisms of directional separation of binary particle mixtures of an oxygen carrier(OC)and coal throughout the system.A decrease in the baffle aspect ratio of the inertial separator improved the coal selective separation efficiency but resulted in a slight decline in the OC selective separation;this is believed to be the result of weakening of particle collisions with the baffle.A higher FR gas velocity had a slightly negative effect on the OC selective separation efficiency,but improved the coal selective separation efficiency;this can be attributed to an increase in the particle-carrying capacity of the gas stream.A decrease in the coal particle size led to better entrainment of the coal particles by the gas stream and this increased the coal selective separation efficiency.In real CDCLC applications,the operating variables for separation of binary particle mixtures should be comprehensively assessed to determine their positive and negative effects on the carbon capture efficiency,OC regeneration efficiency,gas leakage restraint,energy consumption,and fuel conversion.