A coupled cryogenic thermo-hydro-mechanical model for frozen medium:Theory and implementation in FDEM

This paper presents the development of a coupled modeling approach to simulate cryogenic thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)processes associated with a freezing medium,which is then implemented in the combined finite-discrete element method code(FDEM)for multi-physics simulation.The governing equations are deduced based on energy and mass conservation,and static equilibrium equations,considering water/ice phase change,where the strong couplings between multi-fields are supplemented by critical coupling parameters(e.g.unfrozen water content,permeability,and thermal conductivity).The proposed model is validated against laboratory and field experiments.Results show that the cryogenic THM model can well predict the evolution of strongly coupled processes observed in frozen media(e.g.heat transfer,water migration,and frost heave deformation),while also capturing,as emergent properties of the model,important phenomena(e.g.latent heat,cryogenic suction,ice expansion and distinct three-zone distribution)caused by water/ice phase change at laboratory and field scales,which are difficult to be all revealed by existing THM models.The novel modeling framework presents a gateway to further understanding and predicting the multi-physical coupling behavior of frozen media in cold regions.

Formulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling behavior of unsaturated soils based on hybrid mixture theory

Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical （THM） coupling pro- cesses in unsaturated soils are very important in both theoretical researches and engineering applications. A coupled formulation based on hybrid mixture theory is derived to model the THM coupling behavior of unsaturated soils. The free-energy and dissipative functions for different phases are derived from Taylor＇s series expansions. Constitutive relations for THM coupled behaviors of unsaturated soils, which include deformation, entropy change, fluid flow, heat conduction, and dynamic compatibility conditions on the interfaces, are then established. The number of field equations is shown to be equal to the number of unknown variables; thus, a closure of this coupling problem is established. In addition to modifications of the physical conservation equations with coupling effect terms, the constitutive equations, which consider the coupling between elastoplastic deformation of the soil skeleton, fluid flow, and heat transfer, are also derived.

FEM analyses for influences of pressure solution on thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in porous rock mass

The model of pressure solution for granular aggregate was introduced into the FEM code for analysis of thermo-hydro- mechanical （T-H-M） coupling in porous medium. Aiming at a hypothetical nuclear waste repository in an unsaturated quartz rock mass, two computation conditions were designed： 1） the porosity and the permeability of rock mass are fimctions of pressure solution; 2） the porosity and the permeability are constants. Then the corresponding numerical simulations for a disposal period of 4 a were carried out, and the states of temperatures, porosities and permeabilities, pore pressures, flow velocities and stresses in the rock mass were investigated. The results show that at the end of the calculation in Case 1, pressure solution makes the porosities and the permeabilities decrease to 10%-45% and 0.05%-1.4% of their initial values, respectively. Under the action of the release heat of nuclear waste, the negative pore pressures both in Case 1 and Case 2 are 1.2-1.4 and 1.01-l.06 times of the initial values, respectively. So, the former represents an obvious effect of pressure solution. The magnitudes and distributions of stresses within the rock mass in the two calculation cases are the same.

Rheological numerical simulation for thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling analysis for rock mass

Under the environment of seepage field, stress field and temperature field interaction and influence, the three fields will not only produce coupling effect, but also have deformation with time due to the rheological behavior of rock mass. In the paper, based on the fundamental theories of rock mass coupling theory and rheological mechanics, the rheological model for fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for rock mass was set up, and the corresponding constitutive relationship, the conservation equation of mass and the conservation equation of energy were given, and the finite element formulas were derived for coupling analysis of rock mass. During establishing governing equations, rock mass was assumed approximately as macro-equivalent continuum medium. The obtained rheological numerical model for fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis can be used for analyzing and predicting the long-term stability of underground caverns and slope engineering under the condition of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling with rheological deformation.

Production induced fracture closure of deep shale gas well under thermo-hydro-mechanical conditions

Deep shale gas reservoirs have geological characteristics of high temperature,high pressure,high stress,and inferior ability to pass through fluids.The multi-stage fractured horizontal well is the key to exploiting the deep shale gas reservoir.However,during the production process,the effectiveness of the hydraulic fracture network decreases with the closure of fractures,which accelerates the decline of shale gas production.In this paper,we addressed the problems of unclear fracture closure mechanisms and low accuracy of shale gas production prediction during deep shale gas production.Then we established the fluid—solid—heat coupled model coupling the deformation and fluid flow among the fracture surface,proppant and the shale matrix.When the fluid—solid—heat coupled model was applied to the fracture network,it was well solved by our numerical method named discontinuous discrete fracture method.Compared with the conventional discrete fracture method,the discontinuous discrete fracture method can describe the three-dimensional morphology of the fracture while considering the effect of the change of fracture surface permeation coefficient on the coupled fracture—matrix flow and describing the displacement discontinuity across the fracture.Numerical simulations revealed that the degree of fracture closure increases as the production time proceeds,and the degree of closure of the secondary fractures is higher than that of the primary fractures.Shale creep and proppant embedment both increase the degree of fracture closure.The reduction in fracture surface permeability due to proppant embedment reduces the rate of fluid transfer between matrix and fracture,which has often been overlooked in the past.However,it significantly impacts shale gas production,with calculations showing a 24.7%cumulative three-year yield reduction.This study is helpful to understand the mechanism of hydraulic fracture closure.Therefore,it provides the theoretical guidance for maintaining the long-term effectiveness of hydraulic fractures.

A fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for unsaturated porous media

In examining potential host rocks for such purposes as the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes,it is important to understand the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical（THM） behavior of a porous medium.A rigorous and fully unified coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for unsaturated porous media is required to simulate the complex coupling mechanisms involved.Based on modified Darcy＇s and Fourier＇s laws,equations of mechanical equilibrium,mass conservation and energy conservation are derived by introducing void ratio and volumetric liquid water content into the model.The newly derived model takes into account the effects of temperature on the dynamic viscosity of liquid water and void ratio,the influence of liquid flow on temperature gradient（thermo-osmosis）,the influence on mass and heat conservation equations,and the influence of heat flow on water pressure gradient and thermal convection.The new coupled THM constitutive model is constructed by a finite element program and is used to simulate the coupled behavior of a tunnel during excavation,ventilation and concrete lining stages.Oil and gas engineering,underground disposal of nuclear waste and tunnel engineering may be benefited from the development of the new model.

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical process in buffer material and self-healing effects with joints

Within the multi-barrier system for high-level waste disposal,the technological gap formed by combined buffer material block becomes the weak part of buffer layer.In this paper,Gaomiaozi bentonite buffer material with technological gap was studied,the heat transfer induced by liquid water flow and water vapor was embedded into the energy conservation equation.Based on the Barcelona basic model,the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model of unsaturated bentonite was established by analyzing the swelling process of bentonite block and the compression process of joint material.The China-Mock-up test was adopted to compare the numerical calculation results with the test results so as to verify the rationality of the proposed model.On this basis,the effect of joint self-healing on dry density,thermal conductivity and permeability coefficient of buffer material was further analyzed.The results show that,with bentonite hydrating and swelling,the joint material gradually increases in dry density,and exhibits comparatively uniform hydraulic and thermal conductivity properties as compacted bentonite block.As a result,the buffer material gradually shifts to homogenization due to the coordinated deformation.

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of CO2 enhanced gas recovery with an extended equation of state module for TOUGH2MP-FLAC3D

As one of the most important ways to reduce the greenhouse gas emission,carbon dioxide（CO2）enhanced gas recovery（CO2-EGR） is attractive since the gas recovery can be enhanced simultaneously with CO2sequestration.Based on the existing equation of state（EOS） module of TOUGH2 MP,extEOS7C is developed to calculate the phase partition of H2O-CO2-CH4-NaCl mixtures accurately with consideration of dissolved NaCI and brine properties at high pressure and temperature conditions.Verifications show that it can be applied up to the pressure of 100 MPa and temperature of 150℃.The module was implemented in the linked simulator TOUGH2MP-FLAC3 D for the coupled hydro-mechanical simulations.A simplified three-dimensional（3D）1/4 model（2.2 km×1 km×1 km） which consists of the whole reservoir,caprock and baserock was generated based on the geological conditions of a gas field in the North German Basin.The simulation results show that,under an injection rate of 200,000 t/yr and production rate of 200,000 sm3/d,CO2breakthrough occurred in the case with the initial reservoir pressure of 5 MPa but did not occur in the case of 42 MPa.Under low pressure conditions,the pressure driven horizontal transport is the dominant process;while under high pressure conditions,the density driven vertical flow is dominant.Under the considered conditions,the CO2-EGR caused only small pressure changes.The largest pore pressure increase（2 MPa） and uplift（7 mm） occurred at the caprock bottom induced by only CO2injection.The caprock had still the primary stress state and its integrity was not affected.The formation water salinity and temperature variations of ±20℃ had small influences on the CO2-EGR process.In order to slow down the breakthrough,it is suggested that CO2-EGR should be carried out before the reservoir pressure drops below the critical pressure of CO2.

Thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of fault discontinuities using zero-thickness interface element

In this paper,a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)simulation in a faulted deformable porous medium is presented.This model involves solving the mass conservation,linear momentum balance,and energy balance equations which are derived from the Biot’s consolidation theory.Fluid pore pressure,solid displacement,and temperature are chosen as initial variables in these equations,and the finite element method in combination with the interface element is used for spatial discretization of continuous and discontinuities(fault)parts of the medium to solve the equations.The main purpose of this study is providing precise formulations,applicability,and ability of the triple-node zero-thickness interface element in THM modeling of faults.It should be noted that the system of equations is solved using a computer code written in Matlab program.In order to verify the developed method,simulations of index problems such as Mandel’s problem,and coupled modeling of a faulted porous medium and a faulted aquifer are presented.The modeling results obtained from the developed method show a very good agreement with those by other modeling methods,which indicates its accuracy.

Dynamic coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical problem for heterogeneous deep-sea sediments under vibration of mining vehicle

Due to the influence of deep-sea environment,deep-sea sediments are usually heterogeneous,and their moduli of elasticity and density change as depth changes.Combined with the characteristics of deep-sea sediments,the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling dynamic response model of heterogeneous saturated porous sediments can be established to study the influence of elastic modulus,density,frequency,and load amplitude changes on the model.Based on the Green-Lindsay generalized thermoelasticity theory and Darcy’s law,the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled dynamic response model and governing equations of heterogeneous deep-sea sediments with nonlinear elastic modulus and density are established.The analytical solutions of dimensionless vertical displacement,vertical stress,excess pore water pressure,and temperature are obtained by means of normal modal analysis,which are depicted graphically.The results show that the changes of elastic modulus and density have few effects on vertical displacement,vertical stress,and temperature,but have great effects on excess pore water pressure.When the mining machine vibrates,the heterogeneity of deep-sea sediments has great influence on vertical displacement,vertical stress,and excess pore water pressure,but has few effects on temperature.In addition,the vertical displacement,vertical stress,and excess pore water pressure of heterogeneous deep-sea sediments change more gently.The variation trends of physical quantities for heterogeneous and homogeneous deep-sea sediments with frequency and load amplitude are basically the same.The results can provide theoretical guidance for deep-sea mining engineering construction.

Comparison of numerical codes for coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical simulations of fractured media

Geo-energy and geo-engineering applications,such as improved oil recovery(IOR),geologic carbon storage,and enhanced geothermal systems(EGSs),involve coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)processes that result from fluid injection and production.In some cases,reservoirs are highly fractured and the geomechanical response is controlled by fractures.Therefore,fractures should explicitly be included into numerical models to realistically simulate the THM responses of the subsurface.In this study,we perform coupled THM numerical simulations of water injection into naturally fractured reservoirs(NFRs)using CODE_BRIGHT and TOUGH-UDEC codes.CODE_BRIGHT is a finite element method(FEM)code that performs fully coupled THM analysis in geological media and TOUGH-UDEC sequentially solves coupled THM processes by combining a finite volume method(FVM)code that solves nonisothermal multiphase flow(TOUGH2)with a distinct element method(DEM)code that solves the mechanical problem(UDEC).First,we validate the two codes against a semi-analytical solution for water injection into a single deformable fracture considering variable permeability based on the cubic law.Then,we compare simulation results of the two codes in an idealized conceptual model that includes one horizontal fracture and in a more realistic model with multiple fractures.Each code models fractures differently.UDEC calculates fracture deformation from the fracture normal and shear stiffnesses,while CODE_BRIGHT treats fractures as equivalent porous media and uses the equivalent Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the fracture.Finally,we obtain comparable results of pressure,temperature,stress and displacement distributions and evolutions for the single horizontal fracture model.Despite some similarities,the two codes provide increasingly different results as model complexity increases.These differences highlight the challenging task of accurately modeling coupled THM processes in fractured media given their high nonlinearity.

Partial and complete periodic synchronization in coupled discontinuous map lattices

The partial and complete periodic synchronization in coupled discontinuous map lattices consisting of both discon- tinuous and non-invertible maps are discussed. We classify three typical types of periodic synchronization states, which give rise to different spatiotemporal patterns including static partial periodic synchronization, dynamically periodic syn- chronization, and complete periodic synchronization patterns. A special prelude dynamics of partial and complete periodic synchronization motion, which is shown by five separated concave curves in the time series plots of the order parameters, is observed. The detailed analysis shows that the special prelude dynamics is induced by the competition between two synchronized clusters, and the analytical expression for the corresponding order parameter is obtained.

Local discontinuous Galerkin method for solving Burgers and coupled Burgers equations

In the current work, we extend the local discontinuous Galerkin method to a more general application system. The Burgers and coupled Burgers equations are solved by the local discontinuous Galerkin method. Numerical experiments are given to verify the efficiency and accuracy of our method. Moreover the numerical results show that the method can approximate sharp fronts accurately with minimal oscillation.

STATIONARY DISCONTINUITY AND FLUTTER INSTABILITY OF WAVE PROPAGATION IN ELASTO-PLASTIC SATURATED POROUS MEDIA

In the present work a model based on the Biot theory for simulating coupled hydrodynamic behavior mi saturated porous media is utilized with integration of the inertial coupling effect between the solid-fluid phases of the media into the model. The non-associated Drucker-Prager criterion to describe nonlinear constitutive behavior of pressure dependent elasto-plasticity for the media is particularly considered. With no consideration of compressibility of solid grains and the pore fluid, the discontinuity and instability of the wave propagation in saturated porous media axe analyzed for the plane strain problems in detail. The critical conditions of stationary discontinuity and flutter instability in the wave propagation are given. The results and conclusions obtained by the present work will provide some bases or clues for overcoming the difficulties in numerical modeling of wave propagation in the media subjected to dynamic loading.

Solving coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations via a direct discontinuous Galerkin method

In this work, we present the direct discontinuous Galerkin （DDG） method for the one-dimensional coupled nonlinear Schr5dinger （CNLS） equation. We prove that the new discontinuous Galerkin method preserves the discrete mass conservations corresponding to the properties of the CNLS system. The ordinary differential equations obtained by the DDG space discretization is solved via a third-order stabilized Runge Kutta method. Numerical experiments show that the new DDG scheme gives stable and less diffusive results and has excellent long-time numerical behaviors for the CNLS equations.

Numerical simulation for influences of pressure solution on T-H-M coupling in aggregate rock

The pressure solution model of granular aggregates was introduced into a FEM code which was developed for the analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical(T-H-M) coupling in porous medium. Aimed at creating a hypothetical model of nuclear waste disposal in unsaturated quartz aggregate rock mass with laboratory scale, two 4-year computation cases were designed: 1) The porosity and permeability of rock mass are functions of the pressure solution; 2) The porosity and the permeability are constants. Calculation results show that the magnitude and distribution of stresses in the rock mass of these two calculation cases are roughly the same. And, the porosity and the permeability decrease to 43%-54% and 4.4%-9.1% of their original values after case 1 being accomplished; but the negative pore water pressures in cases 1 and 2 are respectively 1.0-1.25 and 1.0-1.1 times of their initial values under the action of nuclear waste. Case 1 exhibits the obvious effect of pressure solution.

Parametric study of thermo-hydro-mechanical response of claystone with consideration of steel corrosion

In this paper,the thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)response of claystone is studied via a series of parametric studies,considering the evolution of mechanical properties and deformation behavior of corroded steel.The numerical simulations are performed by using a coupled THM finite element code and two different constitutive models:a visco-elastoplastic model for geological formation and a von Mises type model for steel liner.The mechanical properties and deformation behavior of corroded steel are described in a conceptual model.Finally,a disposal tunnel supported by a steel liner is studied and a series of parametric studies is defined to demonstrate the corrosion effects of steel liner on the THM response of the claystone.The comparison of different numerical calculations exhibits that the volumetric expansion related to corrosion products has an important impact on the stress and displacement fields in the claystone surrounding the disposal tunnel.However,the evolutions of temperature and liquid pressure in the claystone are essentially controlled by its THM properties and independent of the steel corrosion.

A Stable Numerical Scheme Based on the Hybridized Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Ito-Type Coupled KdV System

The purpose of this paper is to develop a hybridized discontinuous Galerkin(HDG)method for solving the Ito-type coupled KdV system.In fact,we use the HDG method for discre-tizing the space variable and the backward Euler explicit method for the time variable.To linearize the system,the time-lagging approach is also applied.The numerical stability of the method in the sense of the L2 norm is proved using the energy method under certain assumptions on the stabilization parameters for periodic or homogeneous Dirichlet bound-ary conditions.Numerical experiments confirm that the HDG method is capable of solving the system efficiently.It is observed that the best possible rate of convergence is achieved by the HDG method.Also,it is being illustrated numerically that the corresponding con-servation laws are satisfied for the approximate solutions of the Ito-type coupled KdV sys-tem.Thanks to the numerical experiments,it is verified that the HDG method could be more efficient than the LDG method for solving some Ito-type coupled KdV systems by comparing the corresponding computational costs and orders of convergence.

Solving coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations via a direct discontinuous Galerkin method

In this work,we present the direct discontinuous Galerkin(DDG) method for the one-dimensional coupled nonlinear Schrdinger(CNLS) equation.We prove that the new discontinuous Galerkin method preserves the discrete mass conservations corresponding to the properties of the CNLS system.The ordinary differential equations obtained by the DDG space discretization is solved via a third-order stabilized Runge-Kutta method.Numerical experiments show that the new DDG scheme gives stable and less diffusive results and has excellent long-time numerical behaviors for the CNLS equations.

Failure mechanism and coupled static-dynamic loading theory in deep hard rock mining: A review

Rock failure phenomena,such as rockburst,slabbing(or spalling) and zonal disintegration,related to deep underground excavation of hard rocks are frequently reported and pose a great threat to deep mining.Currently,the explanation for these failure phenomena using existing dynamic or static rock mechanics theory is not straightforward.In this study,new theory and testing method for deep underground rock mass under coupled static-dynamic loading are introduced.Two types of coupled loading modes,i.e.'critical static stress + slight disturbance' and 'elastic static stress + impact disturbance',are proposed,and associated test devices are developed.Rockburst phenomena of hard rocks under coupled static-dynamic loading are successfully reproduced in the laboratory,and the rockburst mechanism and related criteria are demonstrated.The results of true triaxial unloading compression tests on granite and red sandstone indicate that the unloading can induce slabbing when the confining pressure exceeds a certain threshold,and the slabbing failure strength is lower than the shear failure strength according to the conventional Mohr-Column criterion.Numerical results indicate that the rock unloading failure response under different in situ stresses and unloading rates can be characterized by an equivalent strain energy density.In addition,we present a new microseismic source location method without premeasuring the sound wave velocity in rock mass,which can efficiently and accurately locate the rock failure in hard rock mines.Also,a new idea for deep hard rock mining using a non-explosive continuous mining method is briefly introduced.