Comparative Study of the Rock-breaking Mechanism of a Disc Cutter and Wedge Tooth Cutter by Discrete Element Modelling

The operation of a shield tunnel boring machine(TBM)in a high-strength hard rock stratum results in significant cutter damage,adversely affecting the thrust and torque of the cutter head.Therefore,it is very important to carry out the research on the stress characteristics and optimize the cutter parameters of cutters break high-strength hard rock.In this paper,the rock-breaking performance of cutters in an andesite stratum in the tunnel of Qingdao Metro Line No.8 was investigated using the discrete element method and theoretical analysis.The rock-breaking processes of a disc cutter and wedge tooth cutter were simulated by software particle flow code PFC^(3D),and the rock-breaking degree,stress of the cutter,and rock-breaking specific energy were analyzed.The rock damage caused by the cutter in a specific section was divided into three stages:the advanced influence,crushing,and stabilizing stages.The rock-breaking degree and the tangential and normal forces of the wedge tooth cutter are larger than that of the disc cutter under the same conditions.The disc cutter(wedge tooth cutter)has the highest rock-breaking efficiency at a cutter spacing of 100 mm(110 mm)and a penetration depth of 8 mm(10 mm),and the rock-breaking specific energy is 11.48 MJ/m^(3)(12.05 MJ/m^(3)).Therefore,two types of cutters with different penetration depths or cutter spacing should be considered.The number of teeth of wedge tooth cutters can be increased in hard strata to improve the rock-breaking efficiency of the shield.The research results provide a reference for shield cutterhead selection and cutter layout in similar projects.

Rock mechanical characteristics and landscape evolutionary mechanism of the slit-type Danxia landform on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Since 2015,the newly discovered slit-type Danxia landform on the Chinese Loess Plateau has become a hot topic in the field of geomorphology worldwide.However,the relationships among its formation,evolutionary mechanism,and mechanical characteristics of its strata and rocks are not clear.In this paper,the Ganquan canyon group is used as the research object.Basic physical and mechanical indices of sandstone in the Ganquan canyon group were measured through field investigation and indoor experiments,and the deterioration trends for the mechanical parameters of sandstone in this area under the action of infiltration,acid dry-wet cycles,and freeze-thaw cycles were revealed.Lastly,the formation and evolutionary mechanism of the slit-type Danxia landform were discussed.The results showed that:(1)The sandstone in the canyon group had a low cementation degree and weak cohesive force,which was easily weakened under the action of water,resulting in a decrease in compressive strength and elastic modulus.(2)Acidic dry-wet cycles caused the mineral composition of the sandstone to be dissolved,and the micropores continued to grow and develop until new cracks were produced.Macroscopically,the compressive strength and elastic modulus of sandstone were greatly reduced,and this damage was cumulative and staged.The greater the acidity,the greater the damage.(3)As the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased,the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the sandstone decreased continuously.During the freeze-thaw cycle process,the growth and development of cracks were primarily in fracture mode and usually developed along parallel bedding positions.(4)The interaction of tectonic activity and lithology with different weathering processes was a key factor in the formation and evolution of the slit-type Danxia landform.In conclusion,the intricate process of weathering influenced by historical climatic fluctuations has been pivotal in shaping the topography of Danxia landform.

The rock breaking and ROP increase mechanisms for single-tooth torsional impact cutting using DEM

Torsional impact drilling is a new technology which has the advantages of high rock-breaking efficiency and a high rate of penetration(ROP).So far,there is no in-depth understanding of the rock-breaking mechanism for the ROP increase from torsional impact tools.Therefore,it has practical engineering significance to study the rock-breaking mechanism of torsional impact.In this paper,discrete element method(DEM)software(PFC2 D)is used to compare granite breaking under the steady and torsional impacting conditions.Meanwhile,the energy consumption to break rock,microscopic crushing process and chip characteristics as well as the relationship among these three factors for granite under different impacting frequencies and amplitudes are discussed.It is found that the average cutting force is smaller in the case of torsional impact cutting(TIC)than that in the case of steady loading.The mechanical specific energy(MSE)and the ratio of brittle energy consumption to total energy are negatively correlated;rock-breaking efficiency is related to the mode of action between the cutting tooth and rock.Furthermore,the ROP increase mechanism of torsional impact drilling technology is that the ratio of brittle energy consumption under the TIC condition is larger than that under a steady load;the degree of repeated fragmentation of rock chips under the TIC condition is lower than that under the steady load,and the TIC load promotes the formation of a transverse cracking network near the free surface and inhibits the formation of a deep longitudinal cracking network.

A Study of the Rock Breaking Mechanism during Swirling Water Jet Drilling

Based on an analysis of the factors affecting rock breaking and the coupling between rock and fluid during water jet drilling, the rock damage model and the damage-coupling model suitable for the whole rock breaking process under the water jet is established with continuous damage mechanics and micro-damage mechanics. The evolvement of rock damage during swirling water jet drilling is simulated on a nonlinear FEM and dynamic rock damage model, and a decoupled method is used to analyze the rock damage. The numerical results agree with the test results to a high degree, which shows the rock breaking ability of the swirling water jet is strong. This is because the jet particle velocity of the swirling water jet is three-dimensional, and its rock-breaking manner mainly has a slopping impact. Thus, the interference from returning fluid is less. All these aspects make it easy to draw and shear the rock surface. The rock breaking process is to break out an annular on the rock surface first, and then the annular develops quickly in both the radial and axial directions, the last part of the rock broken hole bottom is a protruding awl. The advantage of the swirling water jet breaking rock is the heavy breaking efficiency,large breaking area and less energy used to break rock per unite volume, so the swirling water jet can drill in a hole of a large diameter.

Numerical Study on Rock Breaking Mechanism of Supercritical CO_(2)Jet Based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Supercritical carbon dioxide(Sc-CO_(2))jet rock breaking is a nonlinear impact dynamics problem involving many factors.Considering the complexity of the physical properties of the Sc-CO_(2)jet and the mesh distortion problem in dealing with large deformation problems using the finite element method,the smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method is used to simulate and analyze the rock breaking process by Sc-CO_(2)jet based on the derivation of the jet velocity-density evolution mathematical model.The results indicate that there exists an optimal rock breaking temperature by Sc-CO_(2).The volume and length of the rock fracture increase with the rising of the jet temperature but falls when the jet temperature exceeds 340 K.With more complicated perforation shapes and larger fracture volumes,the Sc-CO_(2)jet can yield a rock breaking more effectively than water jet,The stress analysis shows that the Sc-CO_(2)rock fracturing process could be reasonably divided into three stages,namely the fracture accumulation stage,the rapid failure stage,and the breaking stabilization stage.The high diffusivity of Sc-CO_(2)is identified as the primary cause of the stress fluctuation and W-shaped fracture morphology.The simulated and calculated results are generally in conformity with the published experimental data.This study provides theoretical guidance for further study on Sc-CO_(2)fracturing mechanism and rock breaking efficiency.

New Method for Studying Rock-Breaking Mechanism by Disc Cutters

Gaining a thorough understanding of the theoretical principles of rock breaking with a disc cutter is a critical issue in tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology. To fully consider the complexity and importance of the basic principles of rock breaking during tunnel excavation, in this paper we use a new method, the smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH), to study the rock-breaking mechanism and verify its accuracy and feasibility. Using the SPH method, we induce the rock fragmentation process with two cutters in synchronous and sequential orders. The results show that when the cutters act on rock sequentially, the second indentation influences the crack evolution of the first indentation. With increased cutter spacing, the second crack gradually becomes independent of the first crack. Under synchronous action of the two cutters, a bursiform nucleus is generated beneath the cutters and the area of the nucleus increases with increased cutter spacing. Whether the cutters act on the rock sequentially or synchronously, we found the optimum cutter spacing of our chosen rock type to be 60 mm. Our analyses results show that the efficiency of sequential rock cutting is superior to synchronous cutting, both with respect to crack evolution and cutter force. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Experimental research and energy analysis of a new type of dry ice powder pneumatic rock breaking technology

When the traditional drill and blast method is applied to rock crushing projects,it has strong vibration,loud noise and dust pollution,so it cannot be used in densely populated areas such as urban public works.We developed a supercritical CO_(2)true triaxial pneumatic rock-breaking experimental system,and conducted laboratory and field tests of dry ice powder pneumatic rock-breaking.The characteristics of the blast-induced vibration velocity waveform and the evolution of the vibration velocity and frequency with the focal distance were analyzed and discussed.The fracturing mechanism of dry ice powder pneumatic rock breaking is studied.The research results show that:(1)The vibration velocity induced by dry ice powder pneumatic rock breaking decays as a power function with the increase of the focal distance;(2)The vibration frequency caused by dry ice powder pneumatic rock breaking is mainly distributed in 1–120 Hz.Due to the dispersion effect,the dominant frequency of 10–30 Hz appears abnormally attenuated;(3)The traditional CO_(2)phase change fracturing energy calculation formula is also applicable to dry ice pneumatic rock breaking technology,and the trinitrotoluene(TNT)equivalent of fracturing energy is applicable to the Sadovsky formula;(4)Dry ice powder pneumatic rock breaking is shock wave and highenergy gas acting together to fracture rock,which can be divided into three stages,among which the gas wedge action of high-energy gas plays a dominant role in rock mass damage.

Predicting the probability distribution of Martian rocks mechanical property based on microscale rock mechanical experiments and accurate grain-based modeling

The exploration of Mars would heavily rely on Martian rocks mechanics and engineering technology.As the mechanical property of Martian rocks is uncertain,it is of utmost importance to predict the probability distribution of Martian rocks mechanical property for the success of Mars exploration.In this paper,a fast and accurate probability distribution method for predicting the macroscale elastic modulus of Martian rocks was proposed by integrating the microscale rock mechanical experiments(micro-RME),accurate grain-based modeling(AGBM)and upscaling methods based on reliability principles.Firstly,the microstructure of NWA12564 Martian sample and elastic modulus of each mineral were obtained by micro-RME with TESCAN integrated mineral analyzer(TIMA)and nanoindentation.The best probability distribution function of the minerals was determined by Kolmogorov-Smirnov(K-S)test.Secondly,based on best distribution function of each mineral,the Monte Carlo simulations(MCS)and upscaling methods were implemented to obtain the probability distribution of upscaled elastic modulus.Thirdly,the correlation between the upscaled elastic modulus and macroscale elastic modulus obtained by AGBM was established.The accurate probability distribution of the macroscale elastic modulus was obtained by this correlation relationship.The proposed method can predict the probability distribution of Martian rocks mechanical property with any size and shape samples.

Strength weakening and its micromechanism in water–rock interaction,a short review in laboratory tests

Water–rock interaction(WRI)is a topic of interest in geology and geotechnical engineering.Many geological hazards and engineering safety problems are severe under the WRI.This study focuses on the water weakening of rock strength and its infuencing factors(water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles).The strength of the rock mass decreases to varying degrees with water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles depending on the rock mass type and mineral composition.The corresponding acoustic emission count and intensity and infrared radiation intensity also weaken accordingly.WRI enhances the plasticity of rock mass and reduces its brittleness.Various microscopic methods for studying the pore characterization and weakening mechanism of the WRI were compared and analyzed.Various methods should be adopted to study the pore evolution of WRI comprehensively.Microscopic methods are used to study the weakening mechanism of WRI.In future work,the mechanical parameters of rocks weakened under long-term water immersion(over years)should be considered,and more attention should be paid to how the laboratory scale is applied to the engineering scale.

Temperature dependence of mechanical properties and damage evolution of hot dry rocks under rapid cooling

Understanding the differences in mechanical properties and damage characteristics of granitoid under high temperatures is crucial for exploring deep geothermal resources.This study analyzes the evolution of the acoustic emission(AE)characteristics and mechanical parameters of granodiorite and granite after heating and water cooling by uniaxial compression and variable-angle shear tests under different temperature gradients.We identify their changes in mesostructure and mineral composition with electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy.Results show that these two hot dry rocks have similar diagenetic minerals and microstructure,but show significantly different mechanical and acoustic characteristics,and even opposing evolution trends in a certain temperature range.At the temperatures ranging from 100℃to 500℃,the compressive and shear mechanical properties of granodiorite switch repeatedly between weakening and strengthening,and those of granite show a continuous weakening trend.At 600℃,both rocks exhibit a deterioration of mechanical properties.The damage mode of granite is characterized by initiating at low stress,exponential evolutionary activity,and intensified energy release.In contrast,granodiorite exhibits the characteristics of initiating at high stress,volatile evolutionary activity,and intermittent energy release,due to its more stable microstructure and fewer thermal defects compared to granite.As the temperature increases,the initiation and propagation of secondary cracks in granodiorite are suppressed to a certain extent,and the seismicity and brittleness are enhanced.The subtle differences in grain size,microscopic heterogeneity,and mineral composition of the two hot dry rocks determine the different acoustic-mechanical characteristics under heating and cooling,and the evolution trends with temperature.These findings are of great significance for the scientific and efficient construction of rock mass engineering by rationally utilizing different rock strata properties.

Investigation on mechanical properties regulation of rock-like specimens based on 3D printing and similarity quantification

3D printing is widely adopted to quickly produce rock mass models with complex structures in batches,improving the consistency and repeatability of physical modeling.It is necessary to regulate the mechanical properties of 3D-printed specimens to make them proportionally similar to natural rocks.This study investigates mechanical properties of 3D-printed rock analogues prepared by furan resin-bonded silica sand particles.The mechanical property regulation of 3D-printed specimens is realized through quantifying its similarity to sandstone,so that analogous deformation characteristics and failure mode are acquired.Considering similarity conversion,uniaxial compressive strength,cohesion and stress–strain relationship curve of 3D-printed specimen are similar to those of sandstone.In the study ranges,the strength of 3D-printed specimen is positively correlated with the additive content,negatively correlated with the sand particle size,and first increases then decreases with the increase of curing temperature.The regulation scheme with optimal similarity quantification index,that is the sand type of 70/140,additive content of 2.5‰and curing temperature of 81.6℃,is determined for preparing 3D-printed sandstone analogues and models.The effectiveness of mechanical property regulation is proved through uniaxial compression contrast tests.This study provides a reference for preparing rock-like specimens and engineering models using 3D printing technology.

Micromechanical testing and property upscaling of planetary rocks:A critical review

Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of planetary rocks is indispensable for space explorations.The scarcity of pristine samples and the irregular shapes of planetary meteorites make it difficult to obtain representative samples for conventional macroscale rock mechanics experiments(macro-RMEs).This critical review discusses recent advances in microscale RMEs(micro-RMEs)techniques and the upscaling methods for extracting mechanical parameters.Methods of mineralogical and microstructural analyses,along with non-destructive mechanical techniques,have provided new opportunities for studying planetary rocks with unprecedented precision and capabilities.First,we summarize several mainstream methods for obtaining the mineralogy and microstructure of planetary rocks.Then,nondestructive micromechanical testing methods,nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy(AFM),are detailed reviewed,illustrating the principles,advantages,influencing factors,and available testing results from literature.Subsequently,several feasible upscaling methods that bridge the micro-measurements of meteorite pieces to the strength of the intact body are introduced.Finally,the potential applications of planetary rock mechanics research to guiding the design and execution of space missions are environed,ranging from sample return missions and planetary defense to extraterrestrial construction.These discussions are expected to broaden the understanding of the microscale mechanical properties of planetary rocks and their significant role in deep space exploration.

Case study on the mechanics of NPR anchor cable compensation for large deformation tunnel in soft rock in the Transverse Mountain area,China

A study was conducted to analyze the deformation mechanism of strongly weathered quartz schist in the Daliangshan Tunnel,located in the western Transverse Mountain area.A large deformation problem was experienced during the tunnel construction.To mitigate this problem,a support system was designed incorporating negative Poisson ratio(NPR)anchor cables with negative Poisson ratio effect.Physical model experiments,field experiments,and numerical simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the compensation mechanical behavior of NPR anchor cables.The large deformations of soft rocks in the Daliangshan Tunnel are caused by a high ground stress,a high degree of joint fracture development,and a high degree of surrounding rock fragmentation.A compensation mechanics support system combining long and short NPR anchor cables was suggested to provide sufficient counter-support force(approximately 350 kN)for the surrounding rock inside the tunnel.Comparing the NPR anchor cable support system with the original support system used in the Daliangshan tunnel showed that an NPR anchor cable support system,combining cables of 6.3 m and 10.3 m in length,effectively prevented convergence of surrounding rock deformation,and the integrated settlement convergence value remained below 300 mm.This study provides an effective scientific basis for resolving large deformation problems in deeply buried soft rocks in western transverse mountain areas.

Deformation and failure mechanism of Yanjiao rock slope influenced by rainfall and water level fluctuation of the Xiluodu hydropower station reservoir

With the construction of the Xiluodu hydropower station on the Jinsha River,the reservoir impoundment began in 2013 and the water level fluctuates annually between 540 m and 600 m above sea level.The Yanjiao rock slope which is located on the left bank of the Jinsha River 75 km upstream of the Xiluodu dam site,began to deform in 2014.The potential failure of the slope not only threatens Yanjiao town but also affects the safe operation of the Xiluodu reservoir.This paper is to find the factors influencing the Yanjiao slope deformation through field investigation,geotechnical reconnaissance,and monitoring.Results show that the Yanjiao slope can be divided into a bank collapse area(BCA)and a strong deformation area(SDA)based on the crack distribution characteristics of the slope.The rear area of the slope has been experiencing persistent deformation with a maximum cumulative displacement(GPS monitoring point G4)of 505 mm and 399 mm in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.The potential failure surface of the slope is formed 36 m below the surface based on the borehole inclinometer.The bank collapses of the Yanjiao slope are directly caused by the reservoir impoundment while the deformation area of the slope is affected by the combination of the rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuation.Based on mechanism of the Yanjiao slope,prestressed anchor combined with the surface drainage and slope unloading are recommended to prevent potential deformation.

Comparative analysis of thermodynamic and mechanical responses between underground hydrogen storage and compressed air energy storage in lined rock caverns

Underground hydrogen storage(UHS)and compressed air energy storage(CAES)are two viable largescale energy storage technologies for mitigating the intermittency of wind and solar power.Therefore,it is meaningful to compare the properties of hydrogen and air with typical thermodynamic storage processes.This study employs a multi-physical coupling model to compare the operations of CAES and UHS,integrating gas thermodynamics within caverns,thermal conduction,and mechanical deformation around rock caverns.Gas thermodynamic responses are validated using additional simulations and the field test data.Temperature and pressure variations of air and hydrogen within rock caverns exhibit similarities under both adiabatic and diabatic simulation modes.Hydrogen reaches higher temperature and pressure following gas charging stage compared to air,and the ideal gas assumption may lead to overestimation of gas temperature and pressure.Unlike steel lining of CAES,the sealing layer(fibre-reinforced plastic FRP)in UHS is prone to deformation but can effectively mitigates stress in the sealing layer.In CAES,the first principal stress on the surface of the sealing layer and concrete lining is tensile stress,whereas UHS exhibits compressive stress in the same areas.Our present research can provide references for the selection of energy storage methods.

The role of polyurethane foam compressible layer in the mechanical behaviour of multi-layer yielding supports for deep soft rock tunnels

The polyurethane foam(PU)compressible layer is a viable solution to the problem of damage to the secondary lining in squeezing tunnels.Nevertheless,the mechanical behaviour of the multi-layer yielding supports has not been thoroughly investigated.To fill this gap,large-scale model tests were conducted in this study.The synergistic load-bearing mechanics were analyzed using the convergenceconfinement method.Two types of multi-layer yielding supports with different thicknesses(2.5 cm,3.75 cm and 5 cm)of PU compressible layers were investigated respectively.Digital image correlation(DIC)analysis and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used for detecting the deformation fields and damage evolution of the multi-layer yielding supports in real-time.Results indicated that the loaddisplacement relationship of the multi-layer yielding supports could be divided into the crack initiation,crack propagation,strain-hardening,and failure stages.Compared with those of the stiff support,the toughness,deformability and ultimate load of the yielding supports were increased by an average of 225%,61%and 32%,respectively.Additionally,the PU compressible layer is positioned between two primary linings to allow the yielding support to have greater mechanical properties.The analysis of the synergistic bearing effect suggested that the thickness of PU compressible layer and its location significantly affect the mechanical properties of the yielding supports.The use of yielding supports with a compressible layer positioned between the primary and secondary linings is recommended to mitigate the effects of high geo-stress in squeezing tunnels.

Characteristics of Rock Mechanics Response and Energy Evolution Regime of Deep Reservoirs in the Bozhong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin

Hydraulic fracturing is a mature and effectivemethod for deep oil and gas production,which provides a foundation for deep oil and gas production.One of the key aspects of implementing hydraulic fracturing technology lies in understanding mechanics response characteristics of rocks in deep reservoirs under complex stress conditions.In this work,based on outcrop core samples,high-stress triaxial compression tests were designed to simulate the rock mechanics behavior of deep reservoirs in Bozhong Sag.Additionally,this study analyzes the deformation and damage law for rock under different stress conditions.Wherein,with a particular focus on combining energy dissipation theory to further understand damage law for deep reservoirs.The experimental results show that regardless of stress conditions,the process of deformation/failure of deep-seated reservoirs goes through five stages:Fracture compaction,newfracture formation,stable fracture expansion,unstable fracture expansion,and post-peak residual deformation.Under different stress conditions,the energy change laws of specimens are similar.The energy dissipation process of rocks corresponds closely to the trend of deformation-failure curve,then displays distinctive stage characteristics.Wherein,in stage of rock fracture compaction,the input energy curve is approximately coincident with the elastic strain energy curve,while the dissipation energy curve remains near zero.With the increase of strain,the growth rate of elastic strain energy increases gradually,but with the deformation entering the crack propagation stage,the growth rate of elastic strain energy slows down and the dissipation energy increases gradually.Finally,in the post-peak stage,rock fracture releases a lot of energy,which leads to the sharp decline of elastic strain energy curve.In addition,the introduction of damage variable D quantifies the analysis of the extent of failure for rocks.During the process of increasing strain,rock damage exhibits nonlinear growth with increasing stress.

Stress release mechanism of deep bottom hole rock by ultra-high-pressure water jet slotting

To solve the problems of rock strength increase caused by high in-situ stress,the stress release method with rock slot in the bottom hole by an ultra-high-pressure water jet is proposed.The stress conditions of bottom hole rock,before and after slotting are analyzed and the stress release mechanism of slotting is clarified.The results show that the stress release by slotting is due to the coupling of three factors:the relief of horizontal stress,the stress concentration zone distancing away from the cutting face,and the increase of pore pressure caused by rock mass expansion;The stress concentration increases the effective stress of rock along the radial distance from O.6R to 1R(R is the radius of the well),and the presence of groove completely releases the stress,it also allows the stress concentration zone to be pushed away from the cutting face,while significantly lowering the value of stresses in the area the drilling bit acting,the maximum stress release efficiency can reach 80%.The effect of slotting characteristics on release efficiency is obvious when the groove location is near the borehole wall.With the increase of groove depth,the stress release efficiency is significantly increased,and the release range of effective stress is enlarged along the axial direction.Therefore,the stress release method and results of simulations in this paper have a guiding significance for best-improving rock-breaking efficiency and further understanding the technique.

Rock breaking performance of the newly proposed unsubmerged cavitating abrasive waterjet

To improve the rock breaking ability, cavitating waterjet and abrasive waterjet are combined by using a coaxial low-speed waterjet generated around the periphery of a high-speed abrasive waterjet, and a new type of waterjet called unsubmerged cavitating abrasive waterjet(UCAWJ) is thus produced. The rock breaking performance of UCAWJ was compared with submerged cavitating abrasive waterjet(SCAWJ)and unsubmerged abrasive waterjet(UAWJ) by impinging sandstone specimens. Moreover, the effects of jet pressure, standoff distance, abrasive flow rate and concentration were studied by evaluating the specific energy consumption, and the area, depth, and mass loss of the eroded specimen. The results show that the artificially generated submerged environment in UCAWJ is able to enhance the rock breaking performance under the same operating parameters. Furthermore, the rock breaking performance of UCAWJ is much better at higher jet pressures and smaller standoff distances when compared with UAWJ. The greatest rock breaking ability of UCAWJ appears at jet pressure of 50 MPa and standoff distance of 32 mm, with the mass loss of sandstone increased by 370.6% and the energy dissipation decreased by 75.8%. In addition, under the experimental conditions the optimal abrasive flow rate and concentration are 76.5 m L/min and 3%, respectively.

Numerical and experimental analyses of rock failure mechanisms due to microwave treatment

Despite the extensive studies conducted on the effectiveness of microwave treatment as a novel rock preconditioning method,there is yet to find reliable data on the rock failure mechanisms due to microwave heating.In addition,there is no significant discussion on the energy efficiency of the method as one of the important factors among the mining and geotechnical engineers in the industry.This study presents a novel experimental method to evaluate two main rock failure mechanisms due to microwave treatment without applying any mechanical forces,i.e.distributed and concentrated heating.The result shows that the existence of a small and concentrated fraction of a strong microwave absorbing mineral will change the failure mechanism from the distributed heating to the concentrated heating,which can increase the weakening over microwave efficiency(WOME)by more than 10 folds.This observation is further investigated using the developed coupled numerical model.It is shown that at the same input energy,the existence of microwave absorbing minerals can cause major heat concentration inside the rock and increase the maximum temperature by up to three times.