Development of a pressure coring system for the investigation of deep underground exploration

To provide a more accurate evaluation of the scale of deep underground resources,a new pressure coring system was carefully developed and its strength and safety of the engineering were verified by theoretical analyses and numerical simulation.The designed pressure coring system can obtain cores with length of 3 m and diameter of 50 mm at 70 MPa.The results of the ball-drop operation experiment demonstrate that differential motion assembly can effectively cut a safety pin by applying a tensile force of 4852 N,and it can lift the core tube through the center pole to complete a series of mechanical actions to seal the pressure.Additionally,by maintaining pressures at 70 MPa for 30 min,the pressure sealing capacity of the system was proven.Furthermore,a core sample with a diameter of 50 mm was obtained through a core drilling experiment and the coring performance of the pressure coring system was verified.This study can not only enrich the existing onshore coring technology but also provide a theoretical guide and design criteria for the development of similar pressure coring systems to meet the demand for deeper underground exploration.

Preliminary research and scheme design of deep underground in situ geo-information detection experiment for Geology in Time

The deep earth,deep sea,and deep space are the main parts of the national“three deep”strategy,which is in the forefront of the strategic deployment clearly defined in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-2025)and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.It is important to reveal the evolutionary process and mechanism of deep tectonics to understand the earth’s past,present and future.The academic con-notation of Geology in Time has been given for the first time,which refers to the multi-field evolution response process of geological bodies at different time and spatial scales caused by geological processes inside and outside the Earth.Based on the deep in situ detection space and the unique geological envi-ronment of China Jinping Underground Laboratory,the scientific issue of the correlation mechanism and law between deep internal time-varying and shallow geological response is given attention.Innovative research and frontier exploration on deep underground in situ geo-information detection experiments for Geology in Time are designed to be carried out,which will have the potential to explore the driving force of Geology in Time,reveal essential laws of deep earth science,and explore innovative technologies in deep underground engineering.

A methodology for damage evaluation of underground tunnels subjected to static loading using numerical modeling

We have proposed a methodology to assess the robustness of underground tunnels against potential failure.This involves developing vulnerability functions for various qualities of rock mass and static loading intensities.To account for these variations,we utilized a Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS)technique coupled with the finite difference code FLAC^(3D),to conduct two thousand seven hundred numerical simulations of a horseshoe tunnel located within a rock mass with different geological strength index system(GSIs)and subjected to different states of static loading.To quantify the severity of damage within the rock mass,we selected one stress-based(brittle shear ratio(BSR))and one strain-based failure criterion(plastic damage index(PDI)).Based on these criteria,we then developed fragility curves.Additionally,we used mathematical approximation techniques to produce vulnerability functions that relate the probabilities of various damage states to loading intensities for different quality classes of blocky rock mass.The results indicated that the fragility curves we obtained could accurately depict the evolution of the inner and outer shell damage around the tunnel.Therefore,we have provided engineers with a tool that can predict levels of damages associated with different failure mechanisms based on variations in rock mass quality and in situ stress state.Our method is a numerically developed,multi-variate approach that can aid engineers in making informed decisions about the robustness of underground tunnels.

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.

Hydromechanical characterization of gas transport amidst uncertainty for underground nuclear explosion detection

Given the challenge of definitively discriminating between chemical and nuclear explosions using seismic methods alone,surface detection of signature noble gas radioisotopes is considered a positive identification of underground nuclear explosions(UNEs).However,the migration of signature radionuclide gases between the nuclear cavity and surface is not well understood because complex processes are involved,including the generation of complex fracture networks,reactivation of natural fractures and faults,and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical(THMC)coupling of radionuclide gas transport in the subsurface.In this study,we provide an experimental investigation of hydro-mechanical(HM)coupling among gas flow,stress states,rock deformation,and rock damage using a unique multi-physics triaxial direct shear rock testing system.The testing system also features redundant gas pressure and flow rate measurements,well suited for parameter uncertainty quantification.Using porous tuff and tight granite samples that are relevant to historic UNE tests,we measured the Biot effective stress coefficient,rock matrix gas permeability,and fracture gas permeability at a range of pore pressure and stress conditions.The Biot effective stress coefficient varies from 0.69 to 1 for the tuff,whose porosity averages 35.3%±0.7%,while this coefficient varies from 0.51 to 0.78 for the tight granite(porosity<1%,perhaps an underestimate).Matrix gas permeability is strongly correlated to effective stress for the granite,but not for the porous tuff.Our experiments reveal the following key engineering implications on transport of radionuclide gases post a UNE event:(1)The porous tuff shows apparent fracture dilation or compression upon stress changes,which does not necessarily change the gas permeability;(2)The granite fracture permeability shows strong stress sensitivity and is positively related to shear displacement;and(3)Hydromechanical coupling among stress states,rock damage,and gas flow appears to be stronger in tight granite than in porous tuff.

Simulation of Underground Reservoir Stability of Pumped Storage Power Station Based on Fluid-Structure Coupling

Based on global initiatives such as the clean energy transition and the development of renewable energy,the pumped storage power station has become a new and significant way of energy storage and regulation,and its construction environment is more complex than that of a traditional reservoir.In particular,the stability of the rock strata in the underground reservoirs is affected by the seepage pressure and rock stress,which presents some challenges in achieving engineering safety and stability.Using the advantages of the numerical simulation method in dealing deal with nonlinear problems in engineering stability,in this study,the stability of the underground reservoir of the Shidangshan(SDS)pumped storage power station was numerically calculated and quantitatively analyzed based on fluid-structure coupling theory,providing an important reference for the safe operation and management of the underground reservoir.First,using the COMSOL software,a suitablemechanicalmodel was created in accordance with the geological structure and project characteristics of the underground reservoir.Next,the characteristics of the stress field,displacement field,and seepage field after excavation of the underground reservoir were simulated in light of the seepage effect of groundwater on the nearby rock of the underground reservoir.Finally,based on the construction specifications and Molar-Coulomb criterion,a thorough evaluation of the stability of the underground reservoir was performed through simulation of the filling and discharge conditions and anti-seepage strengthening measures.The findings demonstrate that the numerical simulation results have a certain level of reliability and are in accordance with the stress measured in the project area.The underground reservoir excavation resulted in a maximum displacement value of the rock mass around the caverns of 3.56 mm in a typical section,and the safety coefficient of the parts,as determined using the Molar-Coulomb criterion,was higher than 1,indicating that the project as a whole is in a stable state.

SDH-FCOS:An Efficient Neural Network for Defect Detection in Urban Underground Pipelines

Urban underground pipelines are an important infrastructure in cities,and timely investigation of problems in underground pipelines can help ensure the normal operation of cities.Owing to the growing demand for defect detection in urban underground pipelines,this study developed an improved defect detection method for urban underground pipelines based on fully convolutional one-stage object detector(FCOS),called spatial pyramid pooling-fast(SPPF)feature fusion and dual detection heads based on FCOS(SDH-FCOS)model.This study improved the feature fusion component of the model network based on FCOS,introduced an SPPF network structure behind the last output feature layer of the backbone network,fused the local and global features,added a top-down path to accelerate the circulation of shallowinformation,and enriched the semantic information acquired by shallow features.The ability of the model to detect objects with multiple morphologies was strengthened by introducing dual detection heads.The experimental results using an open dataset of underground pipes show that the proposed SDH-FCOS model can recognize underground pipe defects more accurately;the average accuracy was improved by 2.7% compared with the original FCOS model,reducing the leakage rate to a large extent and achieving real-time detection.Also,our model achieved a good trade-off between accuracy and speed compared with other mainstream methods.This proved the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Modularized and Parametric Modeling Technology for Finite Element Simulations of Underground Engineering under Complicated Geological Conditions

The surrounding geological conditions and supporting structures of underground engineering are often updated during construction,and these updates require repeated numerical modeling.To improve the numerical modeling efficiency of underground engineering,a modularized and parametric modeling cloud server is developed by using Python codes.The basic framework of the cloud server is as follows:input the modeling parameters into the web platform,implement Rhino software and FLAC3D software to model and run simulations in the cloud server,and return the simulation results to the web platform.The modeling program can automatically generate instructions that can run the modeling process in Rhino based on the input modeling parameters.The main modules of the modeling program include modeling the 3D geological structures,the underground engineering structures,and the supporting structures as well as meshing the geometric models.In particular,various cross-sections of underground caverns are crafted as parametricmodules in themodeling program.Themodularized and parametric modeling program is used for a finite element simulation of the underground powerhouse of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station.This complicatedmodel is rapidly generated for the simulation,and the simulation results are reasonable.Thus,this modularized and parametric modeling program is applicable for three-dimensional finite element simulations and analyses.

Microscopic experiment on efficient construction of underground gas storages converted from water-invaded gas reservoirs

Based on the microfluidic technology,a microscopic visualization model was used to simulate the gas injection process in the initial construction stage and the bottom water invasion/gas injection process in the cyclical injection-production stage of the underground gas storage(UGS)rebuilt from water-invaded gas reservoirs.Through analysis of the gas-liquid contact stabilization mechanism,flow and occurrence,the optimal control method for lifecycle efficient operation of UGS was explored.The results show that in the initial construction stage of UGS,the action of gravity should be fully utilized by regulating the gas injection rate,so as to ensure the macroscopically stable migration of the gas-liquid contact,and greatly improve the gas sweeping capacity,providing a large pore space for gas storage in the subsequent cyclical injection-production stage.In the cyclical injection-production stage of UGS,a constant gas storage and production rate leads to a low pore space utilization.Gradually increasing the gas storage and production rate,that is,transitioning from small volume to large volume,can continuously break the hydraulic equilibrium of the remaining fluid in the porous media,which then expands the pore space and flow channels.This is conducive to the expansion of UGS capacity and efficiency for purpose of peak shaving and supply guarantee.

Advances in fibre optic based geotechnical monitoring systems for underground excavations

Geotechnical stability is a major concern for the long-term safety and integrity of underground infrastructures such as tunnels, railway stations, mine shafts and hydraulic power chambers. An effective geotechnical monitoring system is able to provide adequate warning to underground personnel prior to any unexpected major geotechnical failure. This paper reviews the conventional geotechnical monitoring sensors and the emerging Fibre Optic Sensing(FOS) techniques, pointing out their unique features and major differences. Recent advances in various FOS based monitoring systems, including Brillouin time domain distributed optical sensors and fibre Bragg grating(FBG) sensors, are investigated through a critical review of the laboratory studies and field applications used for underground geotechnical monitoring. Particular emphasis is given to fibre packaging, temperature compensation, installation methods and instrumentation performance in the underground environment. A detailed discussion of the advantages and limitations of each FOS monitoring system is also presented in this paper.

Predicting roof displacement of roadways in underground coal mines using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system optimized by various physics-based optimization algorithms

Due to the rapid industrialization and the development of the economy in each country,the demand for energy is increasing rapidly.The coal mines have to pace up the mining operations with large production to meet the energy demand.This requirement has led underground coal mines to go deeper with more difficult conditions,especially the mining hazards,such as large deformations,rockburst,coal burst,roof collapse,to name a few.Therefore,this study aims at investigating and predicting the stability of the roadways in underground coal mines exploited by longwall mining method,using various novel intelligent techniques based on physics-based optimization algorithms(i.e.multi-verse optimizer(MVO),equilibrium optimizer(EO),simulated annealing(SA),and Henry gas solubility optimization(HGSO)) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system(ANFIS),named as MVO-ANFIS,EO-ANFIS,SA-ANFIS and HGSOANFIS models.Accordingly,162 roof displacement events were investigated based on the characteristics of surrounding rocks,such as cohesion,Young’s modulus,density,shear strength,angle of internal friction,uniaxial compressive strength,quench durability index,rock mass rating,and tensile strength.The MVO-ANFIS,EO-ANFIS,SA-ANFIS and HGSO-ANFIS models were then developed and evaluated based on this dataset for predicting roof displacements in roadways of underground mines.The results indicated that the proposed intelligent techniques could accurately predict the roof displacements in roadways of underground mines with an accuracy in the range of 83%-92%.Remarkably,the SA-ANFIS model yielded the most dominant accuracy(i.e.92%).Based on the accurate predictions from the proposed techniques,the reinforced solutions can be timely suggested to ensure the stability of roadways during exploiting coal,especially in the underground coal mines exploited by the longwall mining.

Building Information Modeling-Based Secondary Development System for 3D Modeling of Underground Pipelines

Underground pipeline networks constitute a major component of urban infrastructure,and thus,it is imperative to have an efficient mechanism to manage them.This study introduces a secondary development system to efficiently model underground pipeline networks,using the building information modeling(BIM)-based software Revit.The system comprises separate pipe point and tubulation models.Using a Revit application programming interface(API),the spatial position and attribute data of the pipe points are extracted from a pipeline database,and the corresponding tubulation data are extracted from a tubulation database.Using the Family class in Revit API,the cluster in the self-built library of pipe point is inserted into the spatial location and the attribute data is added;in the same way,all pipeline instances in the pipeline system are created.The extension and localization of the model accelerated the modeling speed.The system was then used in a real construction project.The expansion of the model database and rapid modeling made the application of BIM technology in three-dimensional visualization of underground pipeline networks more convenient.Furthermore,it has applications in pipeline engineering construction and management.

Exploring effective policies for underground water management in artificial oasis: a system dynamics analysis of a case study of Yaoba Oasis

The development of oasis along the edge of the Tengerli Desert, where underground water is available, is one of the major strategies to reallocate 'ecological refuges' from their seriously degraded grasslands to agriculturally cultivable land. Yet, underground water resources, the major constraint, hate not been fully integrated in the development process. Therefore, the decline of water resources and deterioration of water quality caused by over-consumption of water resources has begun to hinder further development and has even fed to the abandonment of some oasis. A system dynamics modeling approach is applied to analyze the water use and water management structures in Yaoba Oasis as a case study. The study attempts to identify the characteristics of major feedback loops, which dominate the over-use of underground water resources leading to the deterioration of water resources in quantity and quality.

Design and operation problems related to water curtain system forunderground water-sealed oil storage caverns

The underground water-sealed storage technique is critically important and generally accepted for the national energy strategy in China. Although several small underground water-sealed oil storage caverns have been built in China since the 1970s, there is still a lack of experience for large-volume underground storage in complicated geological conditions. The current design concept of water curtain system and the technical instruction for system operation have limitations in maintaining the stability of surrounding rock mass during the construction of the main storage caverns, as well as the long-term stability. Although several large-scale underground oil storage projects are under construction at present in China, the design concepts and construction methods, especially for the water curtain system, are mainly based on the ideal porosity medium flow theory and the experiences gained from the similar projects overseas. The storage projects currently constructed in China have the specific features such as huge scale, large depth, multiple-level arrangement, high seepage pressure, complicated geological conditions, and high in situ stresses, which are the challenging issues for the stability of the storage caverns. Based on years’ experiences obtained from the first large-scale （millions of cubic meters） underground water-sealed oil storage project in China, some design and operation problems related to water curtain system during project construction are discussed. The drawbacks and merits of the water curtain system are also presented. As an example, the conventional concept of “filling joints with water” is widely used in many cases, as a basic concept for the design of the water curtain system, but it is immature. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the conventional concept are pointed out, with respect to the long-term stability as well as the safety of construction of storage caverns. Finally, new concepts and principles for design and construction of the underground water-sealed oil storage caverns are proposed.

System Model of Underground UWB Based on MB-OFDM

To overcome the frequency-selective fading of ultra wide band (UWB) caused by the multi-path propagation in complicated environment of coal mines, an underground wireless communication system of UWB based on multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) for coal mine is presented. Inde-pendent angle impulse response is used to build up revised channel model for underground tunnels based on the traditional S-V model. With the revised channel model, we construct the underground UWB system based on MB-OFDM and give the band division scheme and the correction approach for channel. The model of the system was simulated in the complex environment of coal mine. Simulation results and analysis show that the underground wireless communication system of UWB based on MB-OFDM can effectively with-stand multipath fading and has the advantages of high anti-noise ability, low bit-error rate, and wide cover-age.

Underground laboratory JUNA shedding light on stellar nucleosynthesis

Extremely low background experiments to measure key nuclear reaction cross sections of astrophysical interest are conducted at the world’s deepest underground laboratory,the Jingping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics(JUNA).High precision measurements provide reliable information to understand nucleosynthetic processes in celestial objects and resolve mysteries on the origin of atomic nuclei discovered in the first generations of Pop.III stars in the universe and meteoritic SiC grains in the solar system.

Gleaning insights from German energy transition and large-scale underground energy storage for China’s carbon neutrality

The global energy transition is a widespread phenomenon that requires international exchange of experiences and mutual learning.Germany’s success in its first phase of energy transition can be attributed to its adoption of smart energy technology and implementation of electricity futures and spot marketization,which enabled the achievement of multiple energy spatial–temporal complementarities and overall grid balance through energy conversion and reconversion technologies.While China can draw from Germany’s experience to inform its own energy transition efforts,its 11-fold higher annual electricity consumption requires a distinct approach.We recommend a clean energy system based on smart sector coupling(ENSYSCO)as a suitable pathway for achieving sustainable energy in China,given that renewable energy is expected to guarantee 85%of China’s energy production by 2060,requiring significant future electricity storage capacity.Nonetheless,renewable energy storage remains a significant challenge.We propose four large-scale underground energy storage methods based on ENSYSCO to address this challenge,while considering China’s national conditions.These proposals have culminated in pilot projects for large-scale underground energy storage in China,which we believe is a necessary choice for achieving carbon neutrality in China and enabling efficient and safe grid integration of renewable energy within the framework of ENSYSCO.

Performance of underground heat storage system in a double-film-covered greenhouse

An underground heat storage system in a double-film-covered greenhouse and an adjacent greenhouse without the heat storage system were designed on the basis of plant physiology to reduce the energy consumption in greenhouses. The results indicated that the floor temperature was respectively 5.2 °C, 4.6 °C and 2.0 °C higher than that of the soil in the adjacent reference greenhouse after heat storage in a clear, cloudy and overcast sky in winter. Results showed that the temperature and humidity were feasible for plant growth in the heat saving greenhouse.

Field implementation of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation technology for reinforcing a bedding layer beneath an underground cable duct

A suitable bearing capacity of foundation is critical for the safety of civil structures.Sometimes foundation reinforcement is necessary and an effective and environmentally friendly method would be the preferred choice.In this study,the potential application of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation(EICP)was investigated for reinforcing a 0.6 m bedding layer on top of clay to improve the bearing capacity of the foundation underneath an underground cable duct.Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the optimal operational parameters for the extraction of crude urease liquid and optimal grain size range of sea sands to be used to construct the bedding layer.Field tests were planned based on orthogonal experimental design to study the factors that would significantly affect the biocementation effect on site.The dynamic deformation modulus,calcium carbonate content and longterm ground stress variations were used to evaluate the bio-cementation effect and the long-term performance of the EICP-treated bedding layer.The laboratory test results showed that the optimal duration for the extraction of crude urease liquid is 1 h and the optimal usage of soybean husk powder in urease extraction solution is 100 g/L.The calcium carbonate production rate decreases significantly when the concentration of cementation solution exceeds 0.5 mol/L.The results of site trial showed that the number of EICP treatments has the most significant impact on the effectiveness of EICP treatment and the highest dynamic deformation modulus(Evd)of EICP-treated bedding layer reached 50.55 MPa.The area with better bio-cementation effect was found to take higher ground stress which validates that the EICP treatment could improve the bearing capacity of foundation by reinforcing the bedding layer.The field trial described and the analysis introduced in this paper can provide a practical basis for applying EICP technology to the reinforcement of bedding layer in poor ground conditions.

Combustion mechanism and control approaches of underground coal fires:a review

With the large-scale mining of coal resources,the huge economic losses and environmental problems caused by underground coal fires have become increasingly prominent,and the research on the status quo and response strategies of underground coal fires is of great significance to accelerate the green prevention and control of coal fires,energy conservation and emission reduction.In this paper,we summarized and sorted out the research status of underground coal fires,focused on the theoretical and technical issues such as underground coal fire combustion mechanism,multiphysics coupling effect of coal fire combustion,fire prevention and extinguishing technology for underground coal fires,and beneficial utilization technology,and described the latest research progress of the prevention and control for underground coal fire hazards.Finally,the key research problems in the field of underground coal fire hazards prevention and control were proposed in the direction of the basic theory,technology research,comprehensive management and utilization,with a view to providing ideas and solutions for the management of underground coal fires.