Fabric-based modeling of thermo-mechanical damage and healing around salt caverns

C. Zhu, C. Arson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Geotechnical reservoirs and repositories in salt such as nuclear waste disposals, geothermal systems, and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) are usually subject to complex thermo-mechanical conditions, leading to crack initiation, propagation, and rebonding. This work aims to model thermomechanical damage and healing around salt caverns, by enriching the framework of continuum damage mechanics with fabric descriptors. In order to infer the form of fabric tensors from microstructure observations, we carry out creep tests on granular salt under constant stress and humidity conditions. We simulate a stress path typical of CAES conditions at the material element level. The model presented in this paper is expected to improve the fundamental understanding of damage and healing in rocks at both macroscopic and microscopic levels, and the long-term evaluation of geological storage facilities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMechanical Behavior of Salt VIII - Proceedings of the Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Salt, SALTMECH VIII
EditorsLance Roberts, Kirby Mellegard, Frank Hansen
PublisherCRC Press/Balkema
Pages243-254
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781138028401
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event8th Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Salt, SALTMECH 2015 - Rapid City, United States
Duration: May 26 2015May 28 2015

Publication series

NameMechanical Behavior of Salt VIII - Proceedings of the Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Salt, SALTMECH VIII

Conference

Conference8th Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Salt, SALTMECH 2015
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityRapid City
Period5/26/155/28/15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • Earth-Surface Processes

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