In situ tests for investigating thermal and mechanical rock behaviors at an underground research tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Sangki; Cho, Won-Jin

2013-01-01

The understanding of the thermal and mechanical behaviors expected to be happened around an underground high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository is important for a successful site selection, construction, operation, and closure of the repository. In this study, the thermal and mechanical behaviors of rock and rock mass were investigated from in situ borehole heater test and the studies for characterizing an excavation damaged zone (EDZ), which had been carried out at an underground research tunnel, KURT, constructed in granite for the validation of a HLW disposal concept. Thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic properties in EDZ could be predicted from various in situ and laboratory tests as well as numerical simulations. The complex thermo-mechanical coupling behavior of rock could be modeled using the rock properties. (author)

Thermal effects in disposal of radioactive waste in hard rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourke, P.J.; Hodgkinson, D.P.; Batchelor, A.S.

1978-01-01

The first objective of the UKAEA programme of field heating experiments is to study any variations in thermal conductivity of granite over long (10 - 100m) distances heated to high (100's 0 C) temperatures for about a year. A description is given of the first tests with an 18 kW heater at 50 m depth and 72 thermocouples in the surrounding 25m radius sphere of rock. The reasons for choice of this scale of experiment are presented and the problems encountered and initial results are described. The further objectives of these experiments are to investigate thermal stresses and any cracking of the granite so that thermally induced movement of water through rock with both its natural and any increased permeability can be quantified. Measurements to be made of the mechanical and permeable properties as the rock heats are described

Calculation of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity of sedimentary rocks using petrophysical well logs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuchs, Sven; Balling, Niels; Förster, Andrea

2015-01-01

properties (density, sonic interval transit time, hydrogen index, volume fraction of shale and photoelectric absorption index) using multivariate statistics. The application of these relations allows computing continuous borehole profiles for each rock thermal property. The uncertainties in the prediction...

Thermal stress microfracturing of crystalline and sedimentary rock. Final report, September 16, 1987--September 15, 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.

1995-08-01

Slow uniform heating of crustal rocks is both a pervasive geologic process and an anticipated by-product of radioactive waste disposal. Such heating generates microcracks which alter the strength, elastic moduli, and transport properties of the rock. The research program was to understand mechanisms of thermal cracking in rocks. It included development of a theoretical understanding of cracking due to thermal stresses, laboratory work to characterize crack strain in rocks thermally stressed under different conditions (including natural thermal histories), microscopic work to count and catalog crack occurrences, and geologic application to determine paleostress history of granites from the midcontinent

Thermal properties at Aespoe HRL. Analysis of distribution and scale factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundberg, Jan

2003-04-01

A thermal model for the Aespoe HRL as well as a general strategy for thermal modelling is under development. As a part of that work, thermal conductivities have been modelled from reference values of thermal conductivity of different minerals and from the mineral composition of all Aespoe samples in the Sicada database. The produced thermal conductivity database has been analysed in terms of frequency, type of distribution, spatial distribution, variogram etc. A correction factor has been estimated to compensate for discrepancies between measured and calculated values. The calculated values have been corrected according to measured values. The data has been analysed according to different rock types. However, there are uncertainties in the base material of rock classification, mainly due to problem to distinguish between Aespoe diorite and Aevroe granite, but also because of different classification systems. There is a relationship between thermal conductivity and density for the rock types at Aespoe. Equations of the relationship have been developed based on all thermal conductivity, heat capacity and density measurements. The equations have been tested on two bore holes at Aespoe with promising results. It may be possible to evaluate the spatial distribution of the thermal properties from density loggings. However, more work is needed to develop a complete model including the handling of high and low density zones. There is an insufficient knowledge in the variation of thermal properties at different scales. If the whole variation within a rock type is in the cm-m scale the thermal influence on the canister is small. This is due to the fact that the small-scale variation in thermal properties is mainly averaged out in the 5-10 m scale. If the main variation within rock types is in the 5-10 m scale there is probably a significant effect on the canister temperature. However, it is likely that the observed variation occurs in both these scales. Simulation has been

Geothermal properties of Swiss Molasse Basin (depth range 0-500 m) - 2006 upgrade of the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, rock density and porosity data base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leu, W.; Megel, T.; Schaerli, U.

2006-01-01

The main aim of this project is the preparation of a specific data base of geothermal properties for typical rocks of the Swiss Molasse Basin (depth interval 0-500 m). The project includes the development of a new laboratory tool for efficient heat capacity measurements on rock samples, numerous new measurements of geothermal rock properties in the laboratory and calculation of such data from geophysical borehole logs. In the geographical area under review, 282 rock samples, mainly from deep boreholes, were analyzed with the successfully calibrated new heat capacity device and conventional thermal conductivity measuring techniques (cuttings and cores). Based on sonic and density log data from exploration wells, 374 additional data points were generated. This new data base characterizes in detail the six main lithological rock types in the three Molasse groups OSM, OMM and USM within the Swiss Plateau Molasse. The statistical evaluation of all data illustrates the regional variation of the petrophysical and geothermal parameters. For most data groups bulk rock density and thermal conductivity increase, whereas heat capacity decreases in the direction towards the Alpine front. Thermal conductivity shows a distinct increase with depth. Based on this new information and with the aid of the evaluation software tool SwEWS, the costs of planned geothermal installations can be optimized thanks to more precise heat extraction simulations with existing software packages like COSOND, TRNSYS, EWS or WPcalc. (author)

Thermal characteristics of rocks for high-level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimooka, Kenji; Ishizaki, Kanjiro; Okamoto, Masamichi; Kumata, Masahiro; Araki, Kunio; Amano, Hiroshi

1980-12-01

Heat released by the radioactive decay of high-level waste in an underground repository causes a long term thermal disturbance in the surrounding rock mass. Several rocks constituting geological formations in Japan were gathered and specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient and compressive strength were measured. Thermal analysis and chemical analysis were also carried out. It was found that volcanic rocks, i.e. Andesite and Basalt had the most favorable thermal characteristics up to around 1000 0 C and plutonic rock, i.e. Granite had also favorable characteristics under 573 0 C, transition temperature of quartz. Other igneous rocks, i.e. Rhyolite and Propylite had a problem of decomposition at around 500 0 C. Sedimentary rocks, i.e. Zeolite, Tuff, Sandstone and Diatomite were less favorable because of their decomposition, low thermal conductivity and large thermal expansion coefficient. (author)

Comparison of Thermal Properties Measured by Different Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundberg, Jan; Kukkonen, Ilmo; Haelldahl, Lars

2003-04-01

A strategy for a thermal site descriptive model of bedrock is under development at SKB. In the model different kinds of uncertainties exist. Some of these uncertainties are related to the potential errors in the methods used for determining thermal properties of rock. In two earlier investigations thermal properties of rock samples were analysed according to the TPS method (transient plane source). Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were determined using the TPS method. For a comparison, the same samples have been measured at the Geological Survey of Finland (GSF), using different laboratory methods. In this later investigation, the thermal conductivity was determined using the divided-bar method and the specific heat capacity using a calorimetric method. The mean differences between the results of different methods are relatively low but the results of individual samples show large variations. The thermal conductivity measured by the divided bar method gives for most samples slightly higher values, in average about 3%, than the TPS method. The specific heat capacity measured by the calorimetric method gives lower values, in average about 2%, than the TPS method. Consequently, the thermal diffusivity calculated from thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity gives higher values, in average about 6%, than the TPS method. Reasons for the differences are estimated mainly to be dependent on differences between the samples, errors in the temperature dependence of specific heat and in the transformation from volumetric to specific heat. The TPS measurements are performed using two pieces (sub-samples) of rock. Only one of these two sub-samples was measured using the divided bar method and the calorimetric method. Further, sample preparation involved changes in the size of some of the samples. The mean differences between the results of different methods are within the margins of error reported by the measuring laboratories. However, systematic errors in

Comparison of Thermal Properties Measured by Different Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundberg, Jan [Geo Innova AB, Linkoeping (Sweden); Kukkonen, Ilmo [Geological Survey of Finland, Helsinki (Finland); Haelldahl, Lars [Hot Disk AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

2003-04-01

A strategy for a thermal site descriptive model of bedrock is under development at SKB. In the model different kinds of uncertainties exist. Some of these uncertainties are related to the potential errors in the methods used for determining thermal properties of rock. In two earlier investigations thermal properties of rock samples were analysed according to the TPS method (transient plane source). Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were determined using the TPS method. For a comparison, the same samples have been measured at the Geological Survey of Finland (GSF), using different laboratory methods. In this later investigation, the thermal conductivity was determined using the divided-bar method and the specific heat capacity using a calorimetric method. The mean differences between the results of different methods are relatively low but the results of individual samples show large variations. The thermal conductivity measured by the divided bar method gives for most samples slightly higher values, in average about 3%, than the TPS method. The specific heat capacity measured by the calorimetric method gives lower values, in average about 2%, than the TPS method. Consequently, the thermal diffusivity calculated from thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity gives higher values, in average about 6%, than the TPS method. Reasons for the differences are estimated mainly to be dependent on differences between the samples, errors in the temperature dependence of specific heat and in the transformation from volumetric to specific heat. The TPS measurements are performed using two pieces (sub-samples) of rock. Only one of these two sub-samples was measured using the divided bar method and the calorimetric method. Further, sample preparation involved changes in the size of some of the samples. The mean differences between the results of different methods are within the margins of error reported by the measuring laboratories. However, systematic errors in

Quantifying Cyclic Thermal Stresses Due to Solar Exposure in Rock Fragments in Gale Crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Hallet, B.; Mackenzie-Helnwein, P.; Sletten, R. S.

2017-12-01

Curiosity and earlier rovers on Mars have revealed in detail rocky landscapes with decaying outcrops, rubble, stone-littered regolith, and bedrock exposures that reflect the weathering processes operating on rock exposed to Mars' cold and hyperarid environment. Evidence from diverse sources points to the importance of thermal stresses driven by cyclic solar exposure in contributing to the mechanical weathering of exposed rock and generation of regolith in various settings on Earth [1,2,3], and even more so on extraterrestrial bodies where large, rapid cyclic temperature variations are frequent (e.g. Mars [4], as well as comets [5], asteroids [6] and other airless bodies [7]). To study these thermal stresses, we use a 3d finite element (FE) model constrained by ground-based surface temperature measurements from Curiosity's Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS). The numerical model couples radiation and conduction with elastic response to determine the temperature and stress fields in individual rocks on the surface of Mars based on rock size and thermo-mechanical properties. We provide specific quantitative results for boulder-size basalt rocks resting on the ground using a realistic thermal forcing that closely matches the REMS temperature observations, and related thermal inertia data. Moreover, we introduce analytical studies showing that these numerical results can readily be generalized. They are quite universal, informing us about thermal stresses due to cyclic solar exposure in general, for rock fragments of different sizes, lithologies, and fracture- thermal- and mechanical-properties. Using Earth-analogue studies to gain insight, we also consider how the shapes, fractures, and surface details of rock fragments imaged by Curiosity likely reflect the importance of rock breakdown due to thermal stresses relative to wind-driven rock erosion and other surface processes on Mars. References:[1] McFadden L et al. (2005) Geol. Soc.Am. Bull. 117(1-2): 161-173 [2

Thermal properties of the Cobourg Limestone

Science.gov (United States)

Pitts, Michelle

The underground storage of used nuclear fuel in Deep Geologic Repositories (DGRs) has been a subject of research in Canada for decades. One important technical aspect of repository design is the accommodation of the mechanical impacts of thermal inputs (heating) from the fuel as it goes through the remainder of its life cycle. Placement room spacing, a major factor in project cost, will be determined by the ability of the host rock to dissipate heat. The thermal conductivity and linear thermal expansion will determine the evolution of the temperature and thermally-induced stress fields. Thermal processes must be well understood to design a successful DGR. This thesis examines the thermal properties of rocks, how they are influenced by factors such as temperature, pressure, mineralogy, porosity, and saturation; and common methods for calculating and/or measuring these properties. A brief overview of thermal and thermally-coupled processes in the context of DGRs demonstrates the degree to which they would impact design, construction, and operation of these critical structures. Several case histories of major in situ heating experiments are reviewed to determine how the lessons learned could be applied to a Canadian Underground Demonstration Facility (UDF). A mineralogy investigation using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) examines samples of the Cobourg Limestone from the Bowmanville and Bruce sites, and demonstrates geographical variability within the Cobourg Formation. The thermal properties of samples from the Bowmanville site are determined. A divided bar apparatus was constructed and used to measure thermal conductivity. The temperature measurement component of the divided bar apparatus was used to measure linear thermal expansion. Finally, the past investigations into the thermal impact of a DGR are reviewed, and the implications of the laboratory testing results on similar analyses are discussed.

Thermal conductivity of the rocks in the Bureau of Mines Standard Rock Suite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, M.T.; West, G.A.

1980-01-01

Thermal conductivities of eight rocks from the Bureau of Mines Standard Rock Suite were measured in air over the temperature range 373 to 533 0 K (100 to 260 0 C). The thermal conductivities of these rocks were measured to furnish standards for future comparisons with host rock from prospective nuclear waste repository sites. The thermal conductivity at a given temperature decreased by as much as 9% after a specimen had been heated to the maximum temperature (533 0 K), but additional heating cycles had no further effect. This decrease was smallest in the igneous rocks and largest in the sedimentary types. Variations due to orientation were within the precision of measurements (+- 5%). In most cases the thermal conductivities were linear with the reciprocal of the temperature and were within 14% of published data obtained by other methods. Measurements were made by a cut-bar comparison method in which the sample was sandwiched between two reference or metering bars made of Pyroceram 9606 glass-ceramic. The apparatus consisted of a Dynatech Model TCFCM-N20 comparative thermal conductivity analyzer controlled by a Hewlett Packard Model 3052A data acquisition system. A program was written to increment and cycle the temperature in steps between predetermined initial and maximum values. At each step the thermal conductivity was measured after steady-state conditions were established. The rocks furnished by the Bureau of Mines were quarried in large and fairly homogeneous lots for use by researchers at various laboratories. To investigate any anisotropy, cores were taken from each rock cube perpendicular to each of the cube faces. Samples 2 in. in diameter and approx. 0.75 in. thick were prepared from the cores and were dried in a vacuum oven for at least one month prior to taking measurements

Thermal conductivity of unsaturated clay-rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Jougnot

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The parameters used to describe the electrical conductivity of a porous material can be used to describe also its thermal conductivity. A new relationship is developed to connect the thermal conductivity of an unsaturated porous material to the thermal conductivity of the different phases of the composite, and two electrical parameters called the first and second Archie's exponents. A good agreement is obtained between the new model and thermal conductivity measurements performed using packs of glass beads and core samples of the Callovo-Oxfordian clay-rocks at different saturations of the water phase. We showed that the three model parameters optimised to fit the new model against experimental data (namely the thermal conductivity of the solid phase and the two Archie's exponents are consistent with independent estimates. We also observed that the anisotropy of the effective thermal conductivity of the Callovo-Oxfordian clay-rock was mainly due to the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity of the solid phase.

Thermophysical properties of rocks: a perspective on data needs, sources and accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephens, H.P.; Sinnock, S.

1979-01-01

Recent emphasis on research in geologic isolation of nuclear wastes and geoenergy resource development has created a renewed demand for engineering thermophysical property data for rocks and other geologic materials at elevated pressures and temperatures. In contrast to fabricated engineering materials, with properties which can be specified, rocks used in engineering design are complex, naturally occurring materials having properties which must be characterized, rather than specified, for engineering studies. Much difficulty in measuring, reporting, and using thermophysical properties of rocks results from (1) rock inhomogeneity and anisotropy on both microscopic and macroscopic scales; (2) inclusion of pore fluids, such as water; and (3) measurement of laboratory properties under conditions quite different from those of in situ material. Because measurements on in situ materials are scarce, many analyses must depend on extrapolated values of uncertain accuracy. A survey of thermophysical property data available for geologic thermal transport studies indicates that caution must be taken to effectively match data abstracted from the literature with project objectives

Soil/Rock Properties Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Soil/Rock Properties LaboratoryLocation: Spokane SiteThe Soil/Rock Properties Laboratory is contained in the soils bay, a 4,700 sq. ft. facility that provides space...

A Comprehensive Study on Dielectric Properties of Volcanic Rock/PANI Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Kiliç, M.; Karabul, Y.; Okutan, M.; İçelli, O.

2016-05-01

Basalt is a very well-known volcanic rock that is dark colored and relatively rich in iron and magnesium, almost located each country in the world. These rocks have been used in the refused rock industry, to produce building tiles, construction industrial, highway engineering. Powders and fibers of basalt rocks are widely used of radiation shielding, thermal stability, heat and sound insulation. This study examined three different basalt samples (coded CM-1, KYZ-13 and KYZ-24) collected from different regions of Van province in Turkey. Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the representative conductive polymers due to its fine environmental stability, huge electrical conductivity, as well as a comparatively low cost. Also, the electrical and thermal properties of polymer composites containing PANI have been widely studied. The dielectric properties of Basalt/Polyaniline composites in different concentrations (10, 25, 50 wt.% PANI) have been investigated by dielectric spectroscopy method at the room temperature. The dielectric parameters (dielectric constants, loss and strength) were measured in the frequency range of 102 Hz-106 Hz at room temperature. The electrical mechanism change with PANI dopant. A detailed dielectrically analysis of these composites will be presented.

Thermal properties. Site descriptive modelling Forsmark - stage 2.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Back, Paer-Erik; Wrafter, John; Sundberg, Jan; Rosen, L ars

2007-09-01

The lithological data acquired from boreholes and mapping of the rock surface need to be reclassified into thermal rock classes, TRCs. The main reason is to simplify the simulations. The lithological data are used to construct models of the transition between different TRCs, thus describing the spatial statistical structure of each TRC. The result is a set of transition probability models that are used in the simulation of TRCs. The intermediate result of this first stochastic simulation is a number of realisations of the geology, each one equally probable. Based on the thermal data, a spatial statistical thermal model is constructed for each TRC. It consists of a statistical distribution and a variogram for each TRC. These are used in the stochastic simulation of thermal conductivity and the result is a number of equally probable realisations of thermal conductivity for the domain. In the next step, the realisations of TRCs (lithology) and thermal conductivity are merged, i.e. each realisation of geology is filled with simulated thermal conductivity values. The result is a set of realisations of thermal conductivity that considers both the difference in thermal properties between different TRCs, and the variability within each TRC. If the result is desired in a scale different from the simulation scale, i.e. the canister scale, upscaling of the realisations can be performed. The result is a set of equally probable realisations of thermal properties. The presented methodology was applied to rock domain RFM029 and RFM045. The main results are sets of realisations of thermal properties that can be used for further processing, most importantly for statistical analysis and numerical temperature simulations for the design of repository layout (distances between deposition holes). The main conclusions of the thermal modelling are: The choice of scale has a profound influence on the distribution of thermal conductivity values. The variance decreases and the lower tail

Thermal properties. Site descriptive modelling Forsmark - stage 2.2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Back, Paer-Erik; Wrafter, John; Sundberg, Jan [Geo Innova AB (Sweden); Rosen, L ars [Sweco Viak AB (Sweden)

2007-09-15

The lithological data acquired from boreholes and mapping of the rock surface need to be reclassified into thermal rock classes, TRCs. The main reason is to simplify the simulations. The lithological data are used to construct models of the transition between different TRCs, thus describing the spatial statistical structure of each TRC. The result is a set of transition probability models that are used in the simulation of TRCs. The intermediate result of this first stochastic simulation is a number of realisations of the geology, each one equally probable. Based on the thermal data, a spatial statistical thermal model is constructed for each TRC. It consists of a statistical distribution and a variogram for each TRC. These are used in the stochastic simulation of thermal conductivity and the result is a number of equally probable realisations of thermal conductivity for the domain. In the next step, the realisations of TRCs (lithology) and thermal conductivity are merged, i.e. each realisation of geology is filled with simulated thermal conductivity values. The result is a set of realisations of thermal conductivity that considers both the difference in thermal properties between different TRCs, and the variability within each TRC. If the result is desired in a scale different from the simulation scale, i.e. the canister scale, upscaling of the realisations can be performed. The result is a set of equally probable realisations of thermal properties. The presented methodology was applied to rock domain RFM029 and RFM045. The main results are sets of realisations of thermal properties that can be used for further processing, most importantly for statistical analysis and numerical temperature simulations for the design of repository layout (distances between deposition holes). The main conclusions of the thermal modelling are: The choice of scale has a profound influence on the distribution of thermal conductivity values. The variance decreases and the lower tail

Thermal Analysis of a Nuclear Waste Repository in Argillite Host Rock

Science.gov (United States)

Hadgu, T.; Gomez, S. P.; Matteo, E. N.

2017-12-01

Disposal of high-level nuclear waste in a geological repository requires analysis of heat distribution as a result of decay heat. Such an analysis supports design of repository layout to define repository footprint as well as provide information of importance to overall design. The analysis is also used in the study of potential migration of radionuclides to the accessible environment. In this study, thermal analysis for high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel in a generic repository in argillite host rock is presented. The thermal analysis utilized both semi-analytical and numerical modeling in the near field of a repository. The semi-analytical method looks at heat transport by conduction in the repository and surroundings. The results of the simulation method are temperature histories at selected radial distances from the waste package. A 3-D thermal-hydrologic numerical model was also conducted to study fluid and heat distribution in the near field. The thermal analysis assumed a generic geological repository at 500 m depth. For the semi-analytical method, a backfilled closed repository was assumed with basic design and material properties. For the thermal-hydrologic numerical method, a repository layout with disposal in horizontal boreholes was assumed. The 3-D modeling domain covers a limited portion of the repository footprint to enable a detailed thermal analysis. A highly refined unstructured mesh was used with increased discretization near heat sources and at intersections of different materials. All simulations considered different parameter values for properties of components of the engineered barrier system (i.e. buffer, disturbed rock zone and the host rock), and different surface storage times. Results of the different modeling cases are presented and include temperature and fluid flow profiles in the near field at different simulation times. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and

SAPHYR: the Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Wenning, Q. C.; Zappone, A. S.; Kissling, E.

2015-12-01

The Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR) is a multi-year project, aiming to compile a comprehensive data set on physical properties of rocks exposed in Switzerland and surrounding areas. The ultimate goal of SAPHYR is to make these data accessible to an open and wide public, such as industrial, engineering, land and resource planning companies, as well as academic institutions. Since the early sixties worldwide geophysicists, petrologists, and engineers, focused their work on laboratory measurements of rocks physical properties, and their relations with microstructures, mineralogical compositions and other rock parameters, in the effort to constrain the geological interpretation of geophysical surveys. In combination with efforts to investigate deep structure of the continental crust by controlled source seismology, laboratories capable to reproduce pressure and temperature conditions to depth of 50km and more collected measurements of various parameters on a wide variety of rock types. In recent years, the increasing interest on non-traditional energy supply, (deep geothermal energy, shale gas) and CO2 storage renovated the interests in physical characterization of the deep underground. The idea to organize those laboratory data into a geographically referenced database (GIS) is supported by the Swiss Commission for Geophysics. The data refer to density and porosity, seismic, magnetic, thermal properties, permeability and electrical properties. An effort has been placed on collecting samples and measuring the physical properties of lithologies that are poorly documented in literature. The phase of laboratory measurements is still in progress. At present SAPHYR focuses towards developing a 3-D physical properties model of the Swiss subsurface, using the structure of the exposed geology, boreholes data and seismic surveys, combined with lab determined pressure and temperature derivatives. An early version of the final product is presented here.

Thermal aspects of radioactive waste disposal in hard rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beale, H.; Bourke, P.J.; Hodgkinson, D.P.

1980-01-01

Buried heat emitting radioactive waste will appreciably raise the temperature of the surrounding rock over distances of several hundred metres for many centuries. This paper describes continuing research at Harwell aimed at understanding how this heating affects the design of hard rock depositories for the waste. It also considers how water-borne leakage of radionuclides from a depository to the surface might be increased by thermal convection currents through the rock mass and by thermally induced changes in its permeability and porosity. A conceptual design for a three-dimensional depository with an array of vitrified waste blocks placed in vertical boreholes is described. The maximum permissible power outputs of individual blocks and the minimum permissible separations between blocks to limit the local and bulk average rock temperatures will be determined by heat transfer through the rock and are reviewed. Interim results of a field heating experiment to study transient heat transfer through granite are discussed subsequently. Field experiments are now being started to measure the fracture permeability and porosity over large distances in virgin granite and to investigate their variation on heating and cooling the rock. Theoretical estimates of the temperatures, thermal stresses and thermal convection currents around a depository are next presented. The implications for water-borne leakage are that the induced stresses could change the fracture permeability and porosity, and thermal convection could cause substantial water movement vertically towards the surface. Finally some conclusions from the work are presented. (author)

Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR)

Science.gov (United States)

Zappone, Alba; Kissling, Eduard

2015-04-01

The Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR), is a multi-year project, funded entirely by Swiss Commission for Geophysics (SGPK), with the aim to compile a comprehensive data set in digital form on physical properties of rocks exposed in Switzerland and surrounding regions. The ultimate goal of SAPHYR is to make these data accessible to an open and wide public including industrial, engineering, land and resource planning companies, as well as academic institutions, or simply people interested in geology. Since the early sixties worldwide many scientists, i.e. geophysicists, petrologists, and engineers, focused their work on laboratory measurements of rocks physical properties, and their relations with microstructures, mineralogical compositions and other rock parameters, in the effort to constrain the geological interpretation of geophysical surveys. Particularly in the years in which seismic reflection and refraction crustal scale projects were investigating the deep structures of the Alps, laboratories capable to reproduce the pressure and temperature ranges of the continental crust were collecting measurements of various rock parameters on a wide variety of lithologies, developing in the meantime more and more sophisticated experimental methodologies. In recent years, the increasing interest of European Countries on non-traditional energy supply, (i.e. Deep Geothermal Energy and shale gas) and CO2 storage renovated the interests in physical characterization of the deep underground. SAPHYR aims to organize all those laboratory data into a geographically referenced database (GIS). The data refer to density, porosity, permeability, and seismic, magnetic, thermal and electric properties. In the past years, effort has been placed on collecting samples and measuring the physical properties of lithologies that were poorly documented in literature. The phase of laboratory measurements is still in progress. Recently, SAPHYR project focused towards developing

Prediction of thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks from well logs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuchs, Sven; Förster, Andrea

2014-01-01

The calculation of heat-flow density in boreholes requires reliable values for the change of temperature and rock thermal conductivity with depth. As rock samples for laboratory measurements of thermal conductivity (TC) are usually rare geophysical well logs are used alternatively to determine TC...... parameters (i.e. thermal conductivity, density, hydrogen index, sonic interval transit time, gamma-ray response, photoelectric factor) of artificial mineral assemblages consisting 15 rock-forming minerals that are used in different combinations to typify sedimentary rocks. The predictive capacity of the new...... equations is evaluated on subsurface data from four boreholes drilled into the Mesozoic sequence of the North German Basin, including more than 1700 laboratory-measured thermal-conductivity values. Results are compared with those from other approaches published in the past. The new approach predicts TC...

Rock properties data base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, R.; Gorski, B.; Gyenge, M.

1991-03-01

As mining companies proceed deeper and into areas whose stability is threatened by high and complex stress fields, the science of rock mechanics becomes invaluable in designing underground mine strata control programs. CANMET's Mining Research Laboratories division has compiled a summary of pre- and post-failure mechanical properties of rock types which were tested to provide design data. The 'Rock Properties Data Base' presents the results of these tests, and includes many rock types typical of Canadian mine environments. The data base also contains 'm' and 's' values determined using Hoek and Brown's failure criteria for both pre- and post-failure conditions. 7 refs., 3 tabs., 9 figs., 1 append.

Measured versus calculated thermal conductivity of high-grade metamorphic rocks – inferences on the thermal properties of the lower crust at ambient and in-situ conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ray, Labani; Förster, Hans-Jürgen; Förster, Andrea

in the literature are applied. Thus, if appropriate samples (in terms of sample size or physical-chemical-mechanical condition) for laboratory measurement are not available, bulk TC of high-grade metamorphic rocks with low anisotropy and porosity could be satisfactorily good assessed from modal mineralogy, using......The bulk thermal conductivity (TC) of 26 rock samples representing felsic, intermediate and mafic granulites, from the Southern Granulite Province, India, is measured at dry and saturated conditions with the optical-scanning method. Thermal conductivity is also calculated from modal mineralogy...... (determined by XRD and EPMA), applying mixing models commonly used in thermal studies. Most rocks are fine- to medium -grained equigranular in texture. All samples are isotropic to weakly anisotropic and possess low porosities (

Prediction of Geomechanical Properties from Thermal Conductivity of Low-Permeable Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Chekhonin, Evgeny; Popov, Evgeny; Popov, Yury; Spasennykh, Mikhail; Ovcharenko, Yury; Zhukov, Vladislav; Martemyanov, Andrey

2016-04-01

A key to assessing a sedimentary basin's hydrocarbon prospect is correct reconstruction of thermal and structural evolution. It is impossible without adequate theory and reliable input data including among other factors thermal and geomechanical rock properties. Both these factors are also important in geothermal reservoirs evaluation and carbon sequestration problem. Geomechanical parameters are usually estimated from sonic logging and rare laboratory measurements, but sometimes it is not possible technically (low quality of the acoustic signal, inappropriate borehole and mud conditions, low core quality). No wonder that there are attempts to correlate the thermal and geomechanical properties of rock, but no one before did it with large amount of high quality thermal conductivity data. Coupling results of sonic logging and non-destructive non-contact thermal core logging opens wide perspectives for studying a relationship between the thermal and geomechanical properties. More than 150 m of full size cores have been measured at core storage with optical scanning technique. Along with results of sonic logging performed with Sonic Scanner in different wells drilled in low permeable formations in West Siberia (Russia) it provided us with unique data set. It was established a strong correlation between components of thermal conductivity (measured perpendicular and parallel to bedding) and compressional and shear acoustic velocities in Bazhen formation. As a result, prediction of geomechanical properties via thermal conductivity data becomes possible, corresponding results was demonstrated. The work was supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, project No. RFMEFI58114X0008.

Discrimination of Thermal versus Mechanical Effects of Shock on Rock Magnetic Properties of Spherically Shocked up to 10-160 GPa Basalt and Diabase

Science.gov (United States)

Bezaeva, N. S.; Swanson-Hysell, N.; Tikoo, S.; Badyukov, D. D.; Kars, M. A. C.; Egli, R.; Chareev, D. A.; Fairchild, L. M.

2016-12-01

Understanding how shock waves generated during hypervelocity impacts affect rock magnetic properties is key for interpreting the paleomagnetic records of lunar rocks, meteorites, and cratered planetary surfaces. Laboratory simulations of impacts show that ultra-high shocks may induce substantial post-shock heating of the target material. At high pressures (>10 GPa), shock heating occurs in tandem with mechanical effects, such as grain fracturing and creation of crystallographic defects and dislocations within magnetic grains. This makes it difficult to conclude whether shock-induced changes in the rock magnetic properties of target materials are primarily associated with mechanical or thermal effects. Here we present novel experimental methods to discriminate between mechanical and thermal effects of shock on magnetic properties and illustrate it with two examples of spherically shocked terrestrial basalt and diabase [1], which were shocked to pressures of 10 to >160 GPa, and investigate possible explanations for the observed shock-induced magnetic hardening (i.e., increase in remanent coercivity Bcr). The methods consist of i) conducting extra heating experiments at temperatures resembling those experienced during high-pressure shock events on untreated equivalents of shocked rocks (with further comparison of Bcr of shocked and heated samples) and ii) quantitative comparison of high-resolution first-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams (field step: 0.5-0.7 mT) for shocked, heated and untreated specimens. Using this approach, we demonstrated that the shock-induced coercivity hardening in our samples is predominantly due to solid-state, mechanical effects of shock rather than alteration associated with shock heating. Indeed, heating-induced changes in Bcr in the post-shock temperature range were minor. Visual inspection of FORC contours (in addition to detailed analyses) reveals a stretching of the FORC distribution of shocked sample towards higher coercivities

Determination of In-situ Rock Thermal Properties from Geophysical Log Data of SK-2 East Borehole, Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Songliao Basin, NE China

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, C.; Zhao, J.; Zhang, X.; Peng, C.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Songliao Basin is a drilling project under the framework of ICDP. It aims at detecting Cretaceous environmental/climate changes and exploring potential resources near or beneath the base of the basin. The main hole, SK-2 East Borehole, has been drilled to penetrate through the Cretaceous formation. A variety of geophysical log data were collected from the borehole, which provide a great opportunity to analyze thermal properties of in-situ rock surrounding the borehole.The geothermal gradients were derived directly from temperature logs recorded 41 days after shut-in. The matrix and bulk thermal conductivity of rock were calculated with the geometric-mean model, in which mineral/rock contents and porosity were required as inputs (Fuchs et. al., 2014). Accurate mineral contents were available from the elemental capture spectroscopy logs and porosity data were derived from conventional logs (density, neutron and sonic). The heat production data were calculated by means of the concentrations of uranium, thorium and potassium determined from natural gamma-ray spectroscopy logs. Then, the heat flow was determined by using the values of geothermal gradients and thermal conductivity.The thermal parameters of in-situ rock over the depth interval of 0 4500m in the borehole were derived from geophysical logs. Statistically, the numerical ranges of thermal parameters are in good agreement with the measured values from both laboratory and field in this area. The results show that high geothermal gradient and heat flow exist over the whole Cretaceous formation, with anomalously high values in the Qingshankou formation (1372.0 1671.7m) and the Quantou formation (1671.7 2533.5m). It is meaningful for characterization of geothermal regime and exploration of geothermal resources in the basin. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the "China Continental Scientific Drilling Program of Cretaceous Songliao Basin (CCSD-SK)" of China

Thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks as function of Biot’s coefficient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orlander, Tobias; Pasquinelli, Lisa; Asmussen, J.J.

2017-01-01

A theoretical model for prediction of effective thermal conductivity with application to sedimentary rocks is presented. Effective thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks can be estimated from empirical relations or theoretically modelled. Empirical relations are limited to the empirical...... conductivity of solids is typically orders of magnitude larger than that of fluids, grain contacts constituting the solid connectivity governs the heat transfer of sedi-mentary rocks and hence should be the basis for modelling effective thermal con-ductivity. By introducing Biot’s coefficient, α, we propose (1...... – α) as a measure of the solid connectivity and show how effective thermal conductivity of water saturated and dry sandstones can be modelled....

Geotechnical properties of rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, R.; Gorski, B.; Gyenge, M.

1995-12-31

The manual is a compilation of the geotechnical properties of many types of rock that are typical of Canadian mining environments. Included are values for density, porosity, compressive and shear wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, Young`s modulus, and Poisson`s ratio. The data base contains material constants that were determined using the Hoek and Brown failure criteria for both before and after failure conditions. 76 data sheets of rock properties in Canadian mines are included. 7 refs., 85 figs., 3 tabs.

Mechanical properties of rock at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Naoto; Abe, Tohru; Wakabayashi, Naruki; Ishida, Tsuyoshi.

1997-01-01

The laboratory tests have been performed in order to investigate the effects of temperature up to 300degC and pressure up to 30 MPa on the mechanical properties of three types of rocks, Inada granite, Sanjoume andesite and Oya tuff. The experimental results indicated that the significant differences in temperature dependence of mechanical properties exist between the three rocks, because of the difference of the factors which determine the mechanical properties of the rocks. The effect of temperature on the mechanical properties for the rocks is lower than that of pressure and water content. Temperature dependence of the mechanical properties is reduced by increase in pressure in the range of pressure and temperature investigated in this paper. (author)

Thermal inertia in thermal infrared: porosity and chemical components of rocks; Inercia termica no infravermelho termal: porosidade e componentes quimicos de rochas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacheco, Admilson P.; Ehlers, Ricardo Sandes [Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ (Brazil); Vitorello, Icaro [Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil)

1995-12-31

The effect of porosity, and the relation between thermal inertia values and chemical components were determined. The thermal inertia values and chemical components were determined. The thermal inertia determinations were performed using radiometric observations, in the range 8 to 14 {mu}, of the surface temperature variations of the sample, induced by an incident heat flux. The results show that the increase in porosity tends to reduce the thermal inertia values, when the rock is in a dry state. In the water saturation state, the inertia also tends to show small values, only for porous rocks with thermal inertia values larger than the water values. The acid rocks show thermal inertia values smaller than those of the basic rocks. The intermediate and basic rocks show strong positive correlation between thermal inertia and Si O{sub 2}. 7 refs., 3 figs

Magnetic minerals in Pliocene and Pleistocene marine marls from Southern Italy : rock magnetic properties and alteration during thermal demagnetization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Velzen, A.J.

1994-01-01

The rock magnetic properties of two different Pliocene to Pleistocene marine marls from southern Italy are studied. Different conditions during sedimentation have led to two completely different magnetic mineralogies in these marls. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 examine the rock magnetic properties of the

Experimentally Reproducing Thermal Breakdown of Rock at Earth's Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Eppes, M. C.; Griffiths, L.; Heap, M. J.; Keanini, R.; Baud, P.

2016-12-01

Thermal stressing induces microcrack growth in rock in part due to thermal expansion mismatch between different minerals, mineral phases, or crystalline axes and/or thermal gradients in the entire rock mass. This knowledge is largely derived from experimental studies of thermal microcracking, typically under conditions of very high temperatures (hundreds of °C). Thermal stressing at lower temperatures has received significantly less attention despite the fact that it may play an important role in rock breakdown at and near Earth's surface (Aldred et al., 2015; Collins and Stock, 2016). In particular, Eppes et al. (2016) attribute recorded Acoustic Emissions (AE) from a highly instrumented granite boulder sitting on the ground in natural conditions to subcritical crack growth driven by thermal stresses arising from a combination of solar- and weather-induced temperature changes; however the maximum temperature the boulder experienced was just 65 °C. In order to better understand these results without complicating factors of a natural environment, we conducted controlled laboratory experiments on cylindrical samples (40 mm length and 20 mm diameter) cored from the same granite as the Eppes et al. (2016) experiment, subjecting them to temperature fluctuations that reproduced the field measurements. We used a novel experimental configuration whereby two high temperature piezo-transducers are each in contact with an opposing face of the sample. The servo-controlled uniaxial press compensates for the thermal expansion and contraction of the pistons and the sample, keeping the coupling between the transducers and the sample, and the axial force acting on the sample, constant throughout. The system records AE, as well as P-wave velocity, both independent proxies for microfracture, as well as strain and temperature. Preliminary tests, heating and cooling granite at a rate of 1 °C/min, show that a large amount of AE occurs at temperatures as low as 100 °C. Ultimately, by

Mechanical Properties and Acoustic Emission Properties of Rocks with Different Transverse Scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Since the stability of engineering rock masses has important practical significance to projects like mining, tunneling, and petroleum engineering, it is necessary to study mechanical properties and stability prediction methods for rocks, cementing materials that are composed of minerals in all shapes and sizes. Rocks will generate acoustic emission during damage failure processes, which is deemed as an effective means of monitoring the stability of coal rocks. In the meantime, actual mining and roadway surrounding rocks tend to have transverse effects; namely, the transverse scale is larger than the length scale. Therefore, it is important to explore mechanical properties and acoustic emission properties of rocks under transverse size effects. Considering the transverse scale effects of rocks, this paper employs the microparticle flow software PFC2D to explore the influence of different aspect ratios on damage mechanics and acoustic emission properties of rocks. The results show that (1 the transverse scale affects uniaxial compression strength of rocks. As the aspect ratio increases, uniaxial compression strength of rocks decreases initially and later increases, showing a V-shape structure and (2 although it affects the maximum hit rate and the strain range of acoustic emission, it has little influence on the period of occurrence. As the transverse scale increases, both damage degree and damage rate of rocks decrease initially and later increase.

Thermal Properties of West Siberian Sediments in Application to Basin and Petroleum Systems Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Romushkevich, Raisa; Popov, Evgeny; Popov, Yury; Chekhonin, Evgeny; Myasnikov, Artem; Kazak, Andrey; Belenkaya, Irina; Zagranovskaya, Dzhuliya

2016-04-01

Quality of heat flow and rock thermal property data is the crucial question in basin and petroleum system modeling. A number of significant deviations in thermal conductivity values were observed during our integral geothermal study of West Siberian platform reporting that the corrections should be carried out in basin models. The experimental data including thermal anisotropy and heterogeneity measurements were obtained along of more than 15 000 core samples and about 4 500 core plugs. The measurements were performed in 1993-2015 with the optical scanning technique within the Continental Super-Deep Drilling Program (Russia) for scientific super-deep well Tyumenskaya SG-6, parametric super-deep well Yen-Yakhinskaya, and deep well Yarudeyskaya-38 as well as for 13 oil and gas fields in the West Siberia. Variations of the thermal conductivity tensor components in parallel and perpendicular direction to the layer stratification (assessed for 2D anisotropy model of the rock studied), volumetric heat capacity and thermal anisotropy coefficient values and average values of the thermal properties were the subject of statistical analysis for the uppermost deposits aged by: T3-J2 (200-165 Ma); J2-J3 (165-150 Ma); J3 (150-145 Ma); K1 (145-136 Ma); K1 (136-125 Ma); K1-K2 (125-94 Ma); K2-Pg+Ng+Q (94-0 Ma). Uncertainties caused by deviations of thermal conductivity data from its average values were found to be as high as 45 % leading to unexpected errors in the basin heat flow determinations. Also, the essential spatial-temporal variations in the thermal rock properties in the study area is proposed to be taken into account in thermo-hydrodynamic modeling of hydrocarbon recovery with thermal methods. The research work was done with financial support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science (unique identification number RFMEFI58114X0008).

Thermally induced rock stress increment and rock reinforcement response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakala, M.; Stroem, J.; Nujiten, G.; Uotinen, L.; Siren, T.; Suikkanen, J.

2014-07-01

This report describes a detailed study of the effect of thermal heating by the spent nuclear fuel containers on the in situ rock stress, any potential rock failure, and associated rock reinforcement strategies for the Olkiluoto underground repository. The modelling approach and input data are presented together repository layout diagrams. The numerical codes used to establish the effects of heating on the in situ stress field are outlined, together with the rock mass parameters, in situ stress values, radiogenic temperatures and reinforcement structures. This is followed by a study of the temperature and stress evolution during the repository's operational period and the effect of the heating on the reinforcement structures. It is found that, during excavation, the maximum principal stress is concentrated at the transition areas where the profile changes and that, due to the heating from the deposition of spent nuclear fuel, the maximum principal stress rises significantly in the tunnel arch area of NW/SW oriented central tunnels. However, it is predicted that the rock's crack damage (CD, short term strength) value of 99 MPa will not be exceeded anywhere within the model. Loads onto the reinforcement structures will come from damaged and loosened rock which is assumed in the modelling as a free rock wedge - but this is very much a worst case scenario because there is no guarantee that rock cracking would form a free rock block. The structural capacity of the reinforcement structures is described and it is predicted that the current quantity of the rock reinforcement is strong enough to provide a stable tunnel opening during the peak of the long term stress state, with damage predicted on the sprayed concrete liner. However, the long term stability and safety can be improved through the implementation of the principles of the Observational Method. The effect of ventilation is also considered and an additional study of the radiogenic heating effect on the brittle

Thermally induced rock stress increment and rock reinforcement response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hakala, M. [KMS Hakala Oy, Nokia (Finland); Stroem, J.; Nujiten, G.; Uotinen, L. [Rockplan, Helsinki (Finland); Siren, T.; Suikkanen, J.

2014-07-15

This report describes a detailed study of the effect of thermal heating by the spent nuclear fuel containers on the in situ rock stress, any potential rock failure, and associated rock reinforcement strategies for the Olkiluoto underground repository. The modelling approach and input data are presented together repository layout diagrams. The numerical codes used to establish the effects of heating on the in situ stress field are outlined, together with the rock mass parameters, in situ stress values, radiogenic temperatures and reinforcement structures. This is followed by a study of the temperature and stress evolution during the repository's operational period and the effect of the heating on the reinforcement structures. It is found that, during excavation, the maximum principal stress is concentrated at the transition areas where the profile changes and that, due to the heating from the deposition of spent nuclear fuel, the maximum principal stress rises significantly in the tunnel arch area of NW/SW oriented central tunnels. However, it is predicted that the rock's crack damage (CD, short term strength) value of 99 MPa will not be exceeded anywhere within the model. Loads onto the reinforcement structures will come from damaged and loosened rock which is assumed in the modelling as a free rock wedge - but this is very much a worst case scenario because there is no guarantee that rock cracking would form a free rock block. The structural capacity of the reinforcement structures is described and it is predicted that the current quantity of the rock reinforcement is strong enough to provide a stable tunnel opening during the peak of the long term stress state, with damage predicted on the sprayed concrete liner. However, the long term stability and safety can be improved through the implementation of the principles of the Observational Method. The effect of ventilation is also considered and an additional study of the radiogenic heating effect on the

Waste disposal in granitic rocks: analysis of thermal microcracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoto, M.; Roeshoff, K.; Leojon, B.; Bel-Lan, A.

1981-04-01

The possible development of microcracks from a thermal origin has been researched in the granitic rocks of Shipa (Sweden), within which in a real scale have been originated some thermal gradients similar to the ones which could take place in the waste disposal. To achieve an optimal fratographic information, with some petrographic meaning, different microscopic techniques, optical and electronic, have been combined and an automatized quantification methodology has also been developed by means of digitals. Between warmed and unwarmed granitis no microfractographic differences have been detected. The observed variations are only apparent and may be explained as a function of the inherent petrographic heterogeneity of rocky blocks. In any case in the internal temperatures generated within these rocks have not attained its own threshold of thermal microcracking. (author)

Mechanical and Thermophysical Properties of Cubic Rock-Salt AlN Under High Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Lebga, Noudjoud; Daoud, Salah; Sun, Xiao-Wei; Bioud, Nadhira; Latreche, Abdelhakim

2018-03-01

Density functional theory, density functional perturbation theory, and the Debye model have been used to investigate the structural, elastic, sound velocity, and thermodynamic properties of AlN with cubic rock-salt structure under high pressure, yielding the equilibrium structural parameters, equation of state, and elastic constants of this interesting material. The isotropic shear modulus, Pugh ratio, and Poisson's ratio were also investigated carefully. In addition, the longitudinal, transverse, and average elastic wave velocities, phonon contribution to the thermal conductivity, and interesting thermodynamic properties were predicted and analyzed in detail. The results demonstrate that the behavior of the elastic wave velocities under increasing hydrostatic pressure explains the hardening of the corresponding phonons. Based on the elastic stability criteria under pressure, it is found that AlN with cubic rock-salt structure is mechanically stable, even at pressures up to 100 GPa. Analysis of the Pugh ratio and Poisson's ratio revealed that AlN with cubic rock-salt structure behaves in brittle manner.

Reference stratigraphy and rock properties for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, R.D.

1984-01-01

A stratigraphic description of the country rock near the working horizon at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is presented along with a set of mechanical and thermal properties of materials involved. Data from 41 cores and shafts are examined. The entire stratigraphic section is found to vary in elevation in a regular manner, but individual layer thicknesses and relative separation between layers are found to have no statistically significant variation over the one mile north to south extent of the working horizon. The stratigraphic description is taken to be relative to the local elevation of Anhydrite b. The material properties have been updated slightly from those in the July 1981 Reference Stratigraphy. This reference stratigraphy/properties document is intended primarily for use in thermal/structural analyses. This document supercedes the July 1981 stratigraphy/properties document. 31 references, 7 figures

A new method to test rock abrasiveness based on physico-mechanical and structural properties of rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.N. Oparin

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A new method to test rock abrasiveness is proposed based upon the dependence of rock abrasiveness on their structural and physico-mechanical properties. The article describes the procedure of presentation of properties that govern rock abrasiveness on a canonical scale by dimensionless components, and the integrated estimation of the properties by a generalized index. The obtained results are compared with the known classifications of rock abrasiveness.

Determination of in-situ thermal properties of Stripa granite from temperature measurements in the full-scale heater experiments: method and preliminary results. Technical information report No. 24

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffry, J.A.; Chan, T.; Cook, N.G.W.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1979-05-01

The in-situ thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of a granite rock mass at the Stripa mine, Sweden, have been extracted from the first 70 days of temperature data for the 5 kW full-scale heater experiment by means of least-squares fit to a finite-line source solution. Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity have been determined to be 3.69 W/(m- 0 C) and 1.84 x 10 -6 m 2 /s, respectively, at an average rock temperature of 23 0 C (the average value of the actual temperature data used). These values are only slightly higher than the corresponding laboratory values, i.e., there is no significant size effect in the thermal properties of this rock mass. Since the size and shape of the heater canister used are similar to those considered for nuclear waste canisters and a substantial volume of rock is heated, the thermal properties obtained in this study are representative of in-situ rock mass properties under actual nuclear repository operating conditions

Application of uniaxial confining-core clamp with hydrous pyrolysis in petrophysical and geochemical studies of source rocks at various thermal maturities

Science.gov (United States)

Lewan, Michael D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Baez, Luis; Beeney, Ken; Sonnenberg, Steve

2013-01-01

Understanding changes in petrophysical and geochemical parameters during source rock thermal maturation is a critical component in evaluating source-rock petroleum accumulations. Natural core data are preferred, but obtaining cores that represent the same facies of a source rock at different thermal maturities is seldom possible. An alternative approach is to induce thermal maturity changes by laboratory pyrolysis on aliquots of a source-rock sample of a given facies of interest. Hydrous pyrolysis is an effective way to induce thermal maturity on source-rock cores and provide expelled oils that are similar in composition to natural crude oils. However, net-volume increases during bitumen and oil generation result in expanded cores due to opening of bedding-plane partings. Although meaningful geochemical measurements on expanded, recovered cores are possible, the utility of the core for measuring petrophysical properties relevant to natural subsurface cores is not suitable. This problem created during hydrous pyrolysis is alleviated by using a stainless steel uniaxial confinement clamp on rock cores cut perpendicular to bedding fabric. The clamp prevents expansion just as overburden does during natural petroleum formation in the subsurface. As a result, intact cores can be recovered at various thermal maturities for the measurement of petrophysical properties as well as for geochemical analyses. This approach has been applied to 1.7-inch diameter cores taken perpendicular to the bedding fabric of a 2.3- to 2.4-inch thick slab of Mahogany oil shale from the Eocene Green River Formation. Cores were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis at 360 °C for 72 h, which represents near maximum oil generation. One core was heated unconfined and the other was heated in the uniaxial confinement clamp. The unconfined core developed open tensile fractures parallel to the bedding fabric that result in a 38 % vertical expansion of the core. These open fractures did not occur in the

Basic rock properties for the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of a high-level radioactive waste repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jhin Wung; Kang, Chul Hyung

1999-04-01

Deep geological radioactive waste disposal is generally based on the isolation of the waste from the biosphere by multiple barriers. The host rock is one of these barriers which should provide a stable mechanical and chemical environment for the engineered barriers. In the evaluation of the safety of the high-level radioactive waste disposal systems, an important part of the safety analysis is an assessment of the coupling or interaction between thermal, hydrological, and mechanical effects. In order to do this assessment, adequate data on the characteristics of different host rocks are necessary. The properties of the rock and rock discontinuity are very complex and their values vary in a wide range. The accuracy of the result of the assessment depends on the values of these properties used. The present study is an attempt to bring together and condense data for the basic properties of various rock masses, which are needed in the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for the deep geological radioactive waste repository. The testing and measurement methods for these basic properties are also presented. Domestic data for deep geological media should be supplemented in the future, due to the insufficiency and the lack of accuracy of the data available at present. (author). 28 refs., 21 figs.

Basic rock properties for the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of a high-level radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jhin Wung; Kang, Chul Hyung

1999-04-01

Deep geological radioactive waste disposal is generally based on the isolation of the waste from the biosphere by multiple barriers. The host rock is one of these barriers which should provide a stable mechanical and chemical environment for the engineered barriers. In the evaluation of the safety of the high-level radioactive waste disposal systems, an important part of the safety analysis is an assessment of the coupling or interaction between thermal, hydrological, and mechanical effects. In order to do this assessment, adequate data on the characteristics of different host rocks are necessary. The properties of the rock and rock discontinuity are very complex and their values vary in a wide range. The accuracy of the result of the assessment depends on the values of these properties used. The present study is an attempt to bring together and condense data for the basic properties of various rock masses, which are needed in the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for the deep geological radioactive waste repository. The testing and measurement methods for these basic properties are also presented. Domestic data for deep geological media should be supplemented in the future, due to the insufficiency and the lack of accuracy of the data available at present. (author). 28 refs., 21 figs

Thermal effects on clay rocks for deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Liang Zhang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Thermal effects on the Callovo-Oxfordian and Opalinus clay rocks for hosting high-level radioactive waste were comprehensively investigated with laboratory and in situ experiments under repository relevant conditions: (1 stresses covering the range from the initial lithostatic state to redistributed levels after excavation, (2 hydraulic drained and undrained boundaries, and (3 heating from ambient temperature up to 90 °C–120 °C and a subsequent cooling phase. The laboratory experiments were performed on normal-sized and large hollow cylindrical samples in various respects of thermal expansion and contraction, thermally-induced pore water pressure, temperature influences on deformation and strength, thermal impacts on swelling, fracture sealing and permeability. The laboratory results obtained from the samples are consistent with the in situ observations during heating experiments in the underground research laboratories at Bure and Mont-Terri. Even though the claystones showed significant responses to thermal loading, no negative effects on their favorable barrier properties were observed.

North Slope, Alaska: Source rock distribution, richness, thermal maturity, and petroleum charge

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, K.E.; Magoon, L.B.; Bird, K.J.; Valin, Z.C.; Keller, M.A.

2006-01-01

Four key marine petroleum source rock units were identified, characterized, and mapped in the subsurface to better understand the origin and distribution of petroleum on the North Slope of Alaska. These marine source rocks, from oldest to youngest, include four intervals: (1) Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation, (2) basal condensed section in the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Kingak Shale, (3) Cretaceous pebble shale unit, and (4) Cretaceous Hue Shale. Well logs for more than 60 wells and total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis analyses for 1183 samples in 125 well penetrations of the source rocks were used to map the present-day thickness of each source rock and the quantity (TOC), quality (hydrogen index), and thermal maturity (Tmax) of the organic matter. Based on assumptions related to carbon mass balance and regional distributions of TOC, the present-day source rock quantity and quality maps were used to determine the extent of fractional conversion of the kerogen to petroleum and to map the original TOC (TOCo) and the original hydrogen index (HIo) prior to thermal maturation. The quantity and quality of oil-prone organic matter in Shublik Formation source rock generally exceeded that of the other units prior to thermal maturation (commonly TOCo > 4 wt.% and HIo > 600 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC), although all are likely sources for at least some petroleum on the North Slope. We used Rock-Eval and hydrous pyrolysis methods to calculate expulsion factors and petroleum charge for each of the four source rocks in the study area. Without attempting to identify the correct methods, we conclude that calculations based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis overestimate expulsion factors and petroleum charge because low pressure and rapid removal of thermally cracked products by the carrier gas retards cross-linking and pyrobitumen formation that is otherwise favored by natural burial maturation. Expulsion factors and petroleum charge based on hydrous pyrolysis may also be high

Numerical analysis of thermal impact on hydro-mechanical properties of clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuerui Wang

2014-10-01

Full Text Available As is known, high-level radioactive waste (HLW is commonly heat-emitting. Heat output from HLW will dissipate through the surrounding rocks and induce complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC processes. In highly consolidated clayey rocks, thermal effects are particularly significant because of their very low permeability and water-saturated state. Thermal impact on the integrity of the geological barriers is of most importance with regard to the long-term safety of repositories. This study focuses on numerical analysis of thermal effects on hydro-mechanical properties of clayey rock using a coupled thermo-mechanical multiphase flow (TH2M model which is implemented in the finite element programme OpenGeoSys (OGS. The material properties of the numerical model are characterised by a transversal isotropic elastic model based on Hooke's law, a non-isothermal multiphase flow model based on van Genuchten function and Darcy's law, and a transversal isotropic heat transport model based on Fourier's law. In the numerical approaches, special attention has been paid to the thermal expansion of three different phases: gas, fluid and solid, which could induce changes in pore pressure and porosity. Furthermore, the strong swelling and shrinkage behaviours of clayey material are also considered in the present model. The model has been applied to simulate a laboratory heating experiment on claystone. The numerical model gives a satisfactory representation of the observed material behaviour in the laboratory experiment. The comparison of the calculated results with the laboratory findings verifies that the simulation with the present numerical model could provide a deeper understanding of the observed effects.

Thermomechanical stability of underground installations: significance of the thermophysical properties of rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirkovich, V.

1981-01-01

When heat is generated in an underground installation, there are several interdependent factors-such as the rate of heat dissipation, changes in this rate with temperature, or the effects of thermal gradients and thermal expansivities-which influence the stability of the rock mass. To evaluate the thermomechanical stability of a proposed site for an underground nuclear power station, rock specimens from a 300 m deep drill core were obtained, and their thermal diffusivity and linear thermal expansion were measured between 25 0 C and 500 0 C. The thermal conductivity was also measured, in the temperature range 100-500 0 C. Under normal operating conditions, heat transfer to the surface of the rock mass surrounding the power installation would be low. However, in some contingencies, this heat load could become large. The results are discussed from the point of view of the stability of a rock enclosure at higher heat fluxes; they indicate that the rocks studied would, in general, not be suitable as an unprotected wall for containment of such a heat source. (author)

Longwave thermal infrared spectral variability in individual rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balick, Lee K [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Gillespie, Alan [UN. WASHINGTON; French, Andrew [USDA-ARS; Danilina, Iryna [UN. WASHINGTON

2008-01-01

A hyperspectral imaging spectrometer measuring in the longwave thermal infrared (7.6-11.6 {micro}m) with a spatial resolution less than 4 mm was used in the field to observe the variability of emissivity spectra within individual rocks. The rocks were obtained commercially, were on the order of 20 cm in size and were selected to have distinct spectral features: they include alabaster (gypsum), soapstone (steatite with talc), obsidian (volcanic glass), norite (plagioclase and orthopyroxene), and 'jasper' (silica with iron oxides). The advantages of using an imaging spectrometer to spectrally characterize these rocks are apparent. Large spectral variations were observed within individual rocks that may be attributed to roughness, surface geometry, and compositional variation. Non-imaging spectrometers would normally miss these variations as would small samples used in laboratory measurements, spatially averaged spectra can miss the optimum spectra for identification materials and spatially localized components of the rock can be obscured.

Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and prediction of effective thermal conductivity of porous consolidated igneous rocks at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurangzeb; Ali, Zulqurnain; Gurmani, Samia Faiz; Maqsood, Asghari

2006-01-01

Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat capacity per unit volume of porous consolidated igneous rocks have been measured, simultaneously by Gustafsson's probe at room temperature and normal pressure using air as saturant. Data are presented for eleven samples of dunite, ranging in porosity from 0.130 to 0.665% by volume, taken from Chillas near Gilgit, Pakistan. The porosity and density parameters have been measured using American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards at ambient conditions. The mineral composition of samples has been analysed from their thin sections (petrography). An empirical model to predict the thermal conductivity of porous consolidated igneous rocks is also proposed. The thermal conductivities are predicted by some of the existing models along with the proposed one. It is observed that the values of effective thermal conductivity predicted by the proposed model are in agreement with the experimental thermal conductivity data within 6%

Rock mass mechanical property estimations for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, M.; Hardy, M.P.; Bauer, S.J.

1993-06-01

Rock mass mechanical properties are important in the design of drifts and ramps. These properties are used in evaluations of the impacts of thermomechanical loading of potential host rock within the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Representative intact rock and joint mechanical properties were selected for welded and nonwelded tuffs from the currently available data sources. Rock mass qualities were then estimated using both the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Q) and Geomechanics Rating (RMR) systems. Rock mass mechanical properties were developed based on estimates of rock mass quality, the current knowledge of intact properties, and fracture/joint characteristics. Empirical relationships developed to correlate the rock mass quality indices and the rock mass mechanical properties were then used to estimate the range of rock mass mechanical properties

Examining the relation between rock mass cuttability index and rock drilling properties

Science.gov (United States)

Yetkin, Mustafa E.; Özfırat, M. Kemal; Yenice, Hayati; Şimşir, Ferhan; Kahraman, Bayram

2016-12-01

Drilling rate is a substantial index value in drilling and excavation operations at mining. It is not only a help in determining physical and mechanical features of rocks, but also delivers strong estimations about instantaneous cutting rates. By this way, work durations to be finished on time, proper machine/equipment selection and efficient excavation works can be achieved. In this study, physical and mechanical properties of surrounding rocks and ore zones are determined by investigations carried out on specimens taken from an underground ore mine. Later, relationships among rock mass classifications, drillability rates, cuttability, and abrasivity have been investigated using multi regression analysis. As a result, equations having high regression rates have been found out among instantaneous cutting rates and geomechanical properties of rocks. Moreover, excavation machine selection for the study area has been made at the best possible interval.

In situ measurement of the thermal conductivity in propylite rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimooka, Kenji; Araki, Kunio; Suda, Shintaro.

1982-11-01

The safety evaluation for the geological disposal of the high level waste becomes an urgent problem to establish the backend of nuclear fuel cycle. The stability of the original host rock and the flow of groundwater will be perturbed by the thermal disturbances from the waste. So the heater experiment at a depth of 90 m below the surface was carried out to study the conduction of decay heat. For measuring the thermal conductivity of propylite rock mass, a cylindrical heater and 13 thermocouples were inserted in 6 boreholes. The power output of the heater was kept at 880 W constant during the experimental periods of 61 days. From the observed temperature rise around the heater, the thermal conductivity 2.1 W/m 0 C was calculated by steady-state calculation. The value of the rock mass was found to be slightly bigger compared with 1.5 - 1.6 W/m 0 C of core samples. (author)

Determination of the thermophysical properties of loose rocks; Bestimmung der thermophysikalischen Kennwerte von Lockergesteinen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stegner, Johannes; Seehaus, Rainer; Sass, Ingo [Technische Univ. Darmstadt (Germany). Fachgebiet Angewandte Geothermie

2012-10-16

The heat conductivity as well as the temperature conductivity of loose rocks are the most important properties for the quantification of the yields of near-surface geothermal power plants. The more details on the heat conductivity are available, the more economical and sustainable is the dimensioning of a plant. The heat conductivity of loose rocks depends on the heat conductivity of the individual grain size fractions, water content, air pore volume, dry density, pressure conditions and temperature. Actually, a standardized procedure for the determination of geothermal parameters is missing. Thus, a measurement device for the investigation of the heat conductivity and thermal conductivity is developed. This measurement device enables a reproducible investigation of loose rocks optionally at a pressure consistency of up to 7.6 MPa, or at a volume consistency in the temperature range from -10 to +80 Celsius. The functionality of this measurement device can be validated by means of a comparison of measurements and finite element method simulations using loose rock standards. Additionally, the results of the field tests were correlated with in-situ values. In addition to validation of measurement devices, the measurement results are used to create calculation models for the geothermal parameters of loose rocks based on soil mechanical properties.

ROCK PROPERTIES MODEL ANALYSIS MODEL REPORT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clinton Lum

2002-01-01

The purpose of this Analysis and Model Report (AMR) is to document Rock Properties Model (RPM) 3.1 with regard to input data, model methods, assumptions, uncertainties and limitations of model results, and qualification status of the model. The report also documents the differences between the current and previous versions and validation of the model. The rock properties models are intended principally for use as input to numerical physical-process modeling, such as of ground-water flow and/or radionuclide transport. The constraints, caveats, and limitations associated with this model are discussed in the appropriate text sections that follow. This work was conducted in accordance with the following planning documents: WA-0344, ''3-D Rock Properties Modeling for FY 1998'' (SNL 1997, WA-0358), ''3-D Rock Properties Modeling for FY 1999'' (SNL 1999), and the technical development plan, Rock Properties Model Version 3.1, (CRWMS MandO 1999c). The Interim Change Notice (ICNs), ICN 02 and ICN 03, of this AMR were prepared as part of activities being conducted under the Technical Work Plan, TWP-NBS-GS-000003, ''Technical Work Plan for the Integrated Site Model, Process Model Report, Revision 01'' (CRWMS MandO 2000b). The purpose of ICN 03 is to record changes in data input status due to data qualification and verification activities. These work plans describe the scope, objectives, tasks, methodology, and implementing procedures for model construction. The constraints, caveats, and limitations associated with this model are discussed in the appropriate text sections that follow. The work scope for this activity consists of the following: (1) Conversion of the input data (laboratory measured porosity data, x-ray diffraction mineralogy, petrophysical calculations of bound water, and petrophysical calculations of porosity) for each borehole into stratigraphic coordinates; (2) Re-sampling and merging of data sets; (3) Development of geostatistical simulations of porosity; (4

The Usability of Noise Level from Rock Cutting for the Prediction of Physico-Mechanical Properties of Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Delibalta, M. S.; Kahraman, S.; Comakli, R.

2015-11-01

Because the indirect tests are easier and cheaper than the direct tests, the prediction of rock properties from the indirect testing methods is important especially for the preliminary investigations. In this study, the predictability of the physico-mechanical rock properties from the noise level measured during cutting rock with diamond saw was investigated. Noise measurement test, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test, Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) test, point load strength (Is) test, density test, and porosity test were carried out on 54 different rock types in the laboratory. The results were statistically analyzed to derive estimation equations. Strong correlations between the noise level and the mechanical rock properties were found. The relations follow power functions. Increasing rock strength increases the noise level. Density and porosity also correlated strongly with the noise level. The relations follow linear functions. Increasing density increases the noise level while increasing porosity decreases the noise level. The developed equations are valid for the rocks with a compressive strength below 150 MPa. Concluding remark is that the physico-mechanical rock properties can reliably be estimated from the noise level measured during cutting the rock with diamond saw.

Strength and deformation properties of volcanic rocks in Iceland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foged, Niels Nielsen; Andreassen, Katrine Alling

2016-01-01

rock from Iceland has been the topic for rock mechanical studies carried out by Ice-landic guest students at the Department of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Den-mark over a number of years in cooperation with University of Iceland, Vegagerðin (The Icelandic Road Directorate......) and Landsvirkjun (The National Power Company of Iceland). These projects involve engineering geological properties of volcanic rock in Iceland, rock mechanical testing and parameter evaluation. Upscaling to rock mass properties and modelling using Q- or GSI-methods have been studied by the students......Tunnelling work and preinvestigations for road traces require knowledge of the strength and de-formation properties of the rock material involved. This paper presents results related to tunnel-ling for Icelandic water power plants and road tunnels from a number of regions in Iceland. The volcanic...

Degradation of rocks, through cracking caused by differential thermal expansion, in relation to nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren, J.R.; Davidge, R.W.; Titchell, I.; Sincock, K.; Bromley, A.

1982-01-01

Heating to temperatures up to 500 0 C gives a reduction in Young's modulus and increases in permeability of granitic rocks and it is likely that a major reason is grain boundary cracking. The cracking of grain boundary facets in polycrystalline multiphase materials showing anistropic thermal expansion behaviour is controlled by several microstructural factors in addition to the intrinsic thermal and elastic properties. Of specific interest are the relative orientations of the two grains meeting at the facet, and the size of the facet; these factors thus introduce two statistical aspects to the problem and these are introduced to give quantitative data on crack density versus temperature. The theory is compared with experimental measurements of Young's modulus and permeability for various rocks as a function of temperature. There is good qualitative agreement, and the additional (mainly microstructural) data required for a quantitative comparison are defined. 6 figures, 2 tables

ONKALO POSE experiment. Determination of in situ thermal properties of rocks in drillholes ONK-PP340, ONK-PP346, ONK-PP398, ONK-PP399, ONK-PP405, ONK-PP411

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korpisalo, A.; Suppala, I.; Kukkonen, I.; Koskinen, T.

2014-12-01

The thermal drillhole device TERO76 (for diameter 76 mm drillholes) used in this study for determining thermal properties of rocks in situ was developed at the Geological Survey of Finland for Posiva in the early 2000's. The measurement method is based on monitoring the temperature variation of a cylindrical heating source in a drillhole. The measured data can be interpreted with full numerical 3D codes as well as with an analytical infinite line source method, a 'rapid interpretation tool', which makes it possible to calculate the first estimates of thermal properties already in the field. Both methods were applied in this study. Because of the unique measurement geometry, only the thermal conductivities can accurately be estimated using the late times of heating periods (accuracy ± 2%). The cylindrical source method cannot directly give the thermal diffusivity or volumetric heat capacity at a sufficient accuracy. Thermal diffusivities are estimated by using the average specific heat capacities and densities of the rock type at the measurement point, or the laboratory results on the general diffusivity-conductivity relationship for different Olkiluoto rock types. The latter technique was applied in this study. Thermal properties were determined in four shallow drillholes (ONK-PP398, ONK-PP399, ONK-PP405, ONK-PP411) located in the ONKALO investigation niche 3 (ONK-TKU-3620) at the access tunnel chainage of 3620 m. The measurement positions (17) were strictly selected on the grounds that approximately an equal number of in situ results would be available in both veined gneiss (VGN) and pegmatitic granite (PGR). The results from the drillholes ONK-PP340 and ONK-PP346 measured in a previous project are also presented in this report. In veined gneiss, the average conductivity determined with numerical model of the present measurements is 3.49 (2.83) Wm -1 K -1 and diffusivity 1.89 x 10 -6 (1.3 10 -6 ) m 2 s -1 . The laboratory values of Olkiluoto rocks

Preparation of rock samples for measurement of the thermal neutron macroscopic absorption cross-section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czubek, J.A.; Burda, J.; Drozdowicz, K.; Igielski, A.; Kowalik, W.; Krynicka-Drozdowicz, E.; Woznicka, U.

1986-03-01

Preparation of rock samples for the measurement of the thermal neutron macroscopic absorption cross-section in small cylindrical two-region systems by a pulsed technique is presented. Requirements which should be fulfilled during the preparation of the samples due to physical assumptions of the method are given. A cylindrical vessel is filled with crushed rock and saturated with a medium strongly absorbing thermal neutrons. Water solutions of boric acid of well-known macroscopic absorption cross-section are used. Mass contributions of the components in the sample are specified. This is necessary for the calculation of the thermal neutron macroscopic absorption cross-section of the rock matrix. The conditions necessary for assuring the required accuracy of the measurement are given and the detailed procedure of preparation of the rock sample is described. (author)

Geothermal properties of Swiss Molasse Basin (depth range 0-500 m) - 2006 upgrade of the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, rock density and porosity data base; Geothermische Eigenschaften der Schweizer Molasse (Tiefenbereich 0-500 m). Datenbank fuer Waermeleitfaehigkeit, spezifische Waermekapazitaet, Gesteinsdichte und Porositaet. Ueberarbeitung 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leu, W. [Geoform AG, Minusio (Switzerland); Megel, T. [Geowatt, Zuerich (Switzerland); Schaerli, U. [Geologie und Geophysik, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2006-07-01

The main aim of this project is the preparation of a specific data base of geothermal properties for typical rocks of the Swiss Molasse Basin (depth interval 0-500 m). The project includes the development of a new laboratory tool for efficient heat capacity measurements on rock samples, numerous new measurements of geothermal rock properties in the laboratory and calculation of such data from geophysical borehole logs. In the geographical area under review, 282 rock samples, mainly from deep boreholes, were analyzed with the successfully calibrated new heat capacity device and conventional thermal conductivity measuring techniques (cuttings and cores). Based on sonic and density log data from exploration wells, 374 additional data points were generated. This new data base characterizes in detail the six main lithological rock types in the three Molasse groups OSM, OMM and USM within the Swiss Plateau Molasse. The statistical evaluation of all data illustrates the regional variation of the petrophysical and geothermal parameters. For most data groups bulk rock density and thermal conductivity increase, whereas heat capacity decreases in the direction towards the Alpine front. Thermal conductivity shows a distinct increase with depth. Based on this new information and with the aid of the evaluation software tool SwEWS, the costs of planned geothermal installations can be optimized thanks to more precise heat extraction simulations with existing software packages like COSOND, TRNSYS, EWS or WPcalc. (author)

A Sr-isotopic comparison between thermal waters, rocks, and hydrothermal calcites, Long Valley caldera, California

Science.gov (United States)

Goff, F.; Wollenberg, H.A.; Brookins, D.C.; Kistler, R.W.

1991-01-01

The 87Sr/86Sr values of thermal waters and hydrothermal calcites of the Long Valley caldera geothermal system are more radiogenic than those of young intracaldera volcanic rocks. Five thermal waters display 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7081-0.7078 but show systematically lighter values from west to east in the direction of lateral flow. We believe the decrease in ratio from west to east signifies increased interaction of deeply circulating thermal water with relatively fresh volcanic rocks filling the caldera depression. All types of pre-, syn-, and post-caldera volcanic rocks in the west and central caldera have (87Sr/86Sr)m between about 0.7060 and 0.7072 and values for Sierra Nevada granodiorites adjacent to the caldera are similar. Sierran pre-intrusive metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks can have considerably higher Sr-isotope ratios (0.7061-0.7246 and 0.7090-0.7250, respectively). Hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks inside the caldera have (87Sr/86Sr)m slightly heavier than their fresh volcanic equivalents and hydrothermal calcites (0.7068-0.7105) occupy a midrange of values between the volcanic/plutonic rocks and the Sierran metamorphic rocks. These data indicate that the Long Valley geothermal reservoir is first equilibrated in a basement complex that contains at least some metasedimentary rocks. Reequilibration of Sr-isotope ratios to lower values occurs in thermal waters as convecting geothermal fluids flow through the isotopically lighter volcanic rocks of the caldera fill. ?? 1991.

FY 1974 Report on results of Sunshine Project. Study on physicochemical properties of rocks in geothermal districts; 1974 nendo chinetsu chitai ni okeru ganseki no butsuri kagakuteki tokusei ni kansuru kenkyu seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-03-01

The geothermal district is characterized by distributions of high temperature and hot water. The beds and rocks in these areas are characteristically altered by these conditions. It is an object of this research and development project to clarify how properties of the beds and rocks in these areas, exposed to the characteristic physicochemical conditions, differ from properties of those in other areas. There are may rock properties. In this project, the studied properties are centered by those used for physical exploitation (or geophysical methods), e.g., electrical properties (electrical exploitation), magnetic properties (magnetic exploitation), and thermal conductivity (measurement of heat flow rates and geothermal gradients). The FY 1974 project covers pigeonholing the basic data, establishment of the experimental procedures, and measurement of water quality characteristics and temperature distributions (geothermal temperature gradients) at the test site. This paper reports the results categorized by (I) measurement of rock resistivity and effects on moisture content on this property, (II) properties of water in the geothermal district (Yahata-daira District), and (III) relationships between rock thermal conductivity and other properties. (NEDO)

Temporal evolution of a granitic rock under thermal loads generated by fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura, M.A.; Ferreri, J.C.

1985-01-01

A parametric study of the thermal history of a granitic mass under thermal loads originating in terminal subproducts of the fuel cycle is performed. Variations of the conductivity and density of the rock and the unit cell dimensions are considered. In this way it was tried to delimit (for short time intervals of the order of 100 years) the influence of possible uncertainties in the rock's knowledge on the results of interest for the engineering design. In the reasonable situations considered, the maximum temperature in the rock did not rise over 80 deg C. (Author) [es

Estimation of hydrologic properties of an unsaturated, fractured rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klavetter, E.A.; Peters, R.R.

1986-07-01

In this document, two distinctly different approaches are used to develop continuum models to evaluate water movement in a fractured rock mass. Both models provide methods for estimating rock-mass hydrologic properties. Comparisons made over a range of different tuff properties show good qualitative and quantitative agreement between estimates of rock-mass hydrologic properties made by the two models. This document presents a general discussion of: (1) the hydrology of Yucca Mountain, and the conceptual hydrological model currently being used for the Yucca Mountain site, (2) the development of two models that may be used to estimate the hydrologic properties of a fractured, porous rock mass, and (3) a comparison of the hydrologic properties estimated by these two models. Although the models were developed in response to hydrologic characterization requirements at Yucca Mountain, they can be applied to water movement in any fractured rock mass that satisfies the given assumptions

Rock index properties for geoengineering in underground development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Rourke, J.E.

1989-01-01

This paper describes the use of index testing to obtain rock properties that are useful in the design and construction planning of an underground development for civil engineering or mining projects. The index properties discussed include: point load; Schmidt hammer hardness; abrasion hardness; and total hardness. The first two index properties correlate to uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Young's modulus. Discussions are given on empirical, normalized relationships of UCS to rock mass properties and the integrated use with semi-empirical, geotechnical design methods. The hardness property indices correlate to construction performance parameters and some relevant experience is cited. Examples of data are presented from an index testing program carried out primarily on siltstone, sandstone and limestone rock core samples retrieved from depths up to 1005 m (3300 ft) in a borehole drilled in the Paradox Basin in eastern Utah. The borehole coring was done for a nuclear waste repository site investigation

Elastic and transport properties of steam-cured pozzolanic-lime rock composites upon CO2 injection

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Dan; Vanorio, Tiziana

2016-04-01

Understanding the relationship between pozzolanic ash-lime reactions and the rock physics properties of the resulting rock microstructure is important for monitoring unrest conditions in volcanic-hydrothermal systems as well as devising concrete with enhanced performance. By mixing pozzolanic ash with lime, the ancient Romans incorporated these reactions in the production of concrete. Recently, it has been discovered that a fiber-reinforced, concrete-like rock is forming naturally in the depths of the Campi Flegrei volcanic-hydrothermal systems (Vanorio and Kanitpanyacharoen, 2015). We investigate the physico-chemical conditions contributing to undermine or enhance the laboratory measured properties of the subsurface rocks of volcanic-hydrothermal systems and, in turn, build upon those processes that the ancient Romans unwittingly exploited to create their famous concrete. We prepared samples by mixing the pozzolana volcanic ash, slaked lime, aggregates of Neapolitan Yellow tuff, and seawater from Campi Flegrei in the same ratios as the ancient Romans. To mimic the conditions of the caldera, we used mineral seawater from a well in the Campi Flegrei region rich in sulfate, bicarbonate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium ions. The samples were cured by steam. We measured baseline properties of porosity, permeability, P-wave velocity, and S-wave velocity of the samples. P and S-wave velocities were used to derive bulk, shear, and Young's moduli. Subsequently, half of the samples were injected with CO2-rich aqueous solution and the changes in their microstructure and physical properties measured. One sample was subjected to rapid temperature changes to determine how porosity and permeability changed as a function of the number of thermal shocks. Exposure of CO2 to the concrete-like rock samples destabilized fibrous mineral forming and decreased the samples' ability to deform without breaking. We show that steam- and sulfur-alkaline- rich environments affect both

Water-rock interaction during diagenesis and thermal recovery, Cold Lake, Alberta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abercrombie, H.J.

1988-12-01

Fluid and rocks interact at high temperatures during diagenesis and steam assisted thermal recovery of bitumen from the Clearwater Formation at Cold Lake, Alberta. A study was carried out to assess the effects of natural diagenesis in rocks of the formation, and using these data, to relate the chemical and isotopic compositions of fluids produced during thermal recovery to water-rock interactions occurring in the reservoir. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies on core from Leming and Marguerite Lake document a variety of diagenetic clays including mixed layer minerals smectite-illite and chlorite-smectite, chlorite, illite, berthierine and kaolinite. A method for internally generating factors to convert clay mineral XRD peak heights to relative weight percents was used. Semi-quantitative results show that smectite-illite is ubiquitous and the most abundant clay present. Details are provided of the diagenetic sequence illustrating water-rock interaction over a prolonged period. Three types of water were found to be produced from the wells: injected water, formation water associated with bitumen, and bottom water from the underlying McMurray Formation. Produced water compositions were used to estimate in-situ temperatures of fluids produced from reservoirs. It is concluded that equilibrium closed-system models can be applied to natural diagenesis and artificial diagenesis induced during thermal recovery. 132 refs., 52 figs., 5 tabs.

Cross-plotting of rock properties for fluid discrimination using well ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

properties and their attributes (combination of rock properties) cross-plots have been attempted using well data from an offshore field of the Niger Delta as a case study. Numerous cross-plotting techniques of rock- properties/attributes derived from ...

Thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coste, F.

1997-12-01

The purpose of this research is to model Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical behavior of fractured rock mass regarding a nuclear waste re-depository. For this, a methodology of modeling was proposed and was applied to a real underground site (EDF site at Nouvelle Romanche). This methodology consists, in a first step, to determine hydraulic and mechanical REV. Beyond the greatest of these REV, development of a finite element code allows to model all the fractures in an explicit manner. The homogenized mechanical properties are determined in drained and undrained boundary conditions by simulating triaxial tests that represent rock mass subject to loading. These simulations allow to study the evolution of hydraulic and mechanical properties as a function of stress state. Drained and undrained boundary conditions enable to discuss the validity of assimilation of a fractured rock mass to a porous medium. The simulations lead to a better understanding of the behavior of the fractured rock masses and allow to show the dominant role of the shear behavior of the fractures on the hydraulic and mechanical homogenized properties. From a thermal point of view, as long as conduction is dominant, thermal properties of the rock mass are almost the same as those the intact rock. (author)

Heat production / host rock compatibility; Waermeentwicklung / Gesteinsvertraeglichkeit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meleshyn, A.; Weyand, T.; Bracke, G.; Kull, H.; Wieczorek, K.

2016-05-15

For the final high-level radioactive waste repository potential host rock formations are either rock salt or clays (Kristallin). Heat generating waste (decay heat of the radioactive materials) can be absorbed by the host rock. The effect of temperature increase on the thermal conductivity, the thermal expansion and the mechanical properties of salt, Kristallin, clays and argilliferous geotechnical barriers are described. Further issues of the report are the mineralogical behavior, phase transformations, hydrochemistry, microbial processes, gas formation, thermochemical processes and gas ingress. Recommendations for further research are summarized.

Rock index properties for geoengineering in the Paradox Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Rourke, J.E.; Rey, P.H.; Alviti, E.; Capps, C.C.

1986-02-01

Previous researchers have investigated the use of a number of rapid index tests that can be used on core samples, or in situ, to determine rock properties needed for geoengineering design, or to predict construction performance in these rock types. Selected research is reviewed, and the correlations of index tests with laboratory tests of rock properties found by the earlier investigators are discussed. The selection and testing of rock core samples from the Gibson Dome No. 1 borehole in Paradox Basin are described. The samples consist primarily of non-salt rock above salt cycle 6, but include some samples of anhydrite and salt cycle 6. The index tests included the point load test, Schmidt hammer rebound test, and abrasion hardness test. Statistical methods were used to analyze the correlations of index test data with laboratory test data of rock properties for the same core. Complete statistical results and computer-generated graphics are presented; these results are discussed in relation to the work of earlier investigations for index testing of similar rock types. Generally, fair to good correlations were obtained for predicting unconfined compressive strength and Young's modulus for sandstone and siltstone, while poorer correlations were found for limestone. This may be due to the large variability of limestone properties compared to the small number of samples. Overall, the use of index tests to assess rock properties at Paradox Basin appears to be practial for some conceptual and preliminary design needs, and the technique should prove useful at any salt repository site. However, it is likely that specific correlations should be demonstrated separately for each site, and the data base for establishing the correlations should probably include at least several hundred data points for each type

ONKALO rock mechanics model (RMM) - Version 2.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moenkkoenen, H.; Hakala, M.; Paananen, M.; Laine, E.

2012-02-01

The Rock Mechanics Model of the ONKALO rock volume is a description of the significant features and parameters related to rock mechanics. The main objective is to develop a tool to predict the rock properties, quality and hence the potential for stress failure which can then be used for continuing design of the ONKALO and the repository. This is the second implementation of the Rock Mechanics Model and it includes sub-models of the intact rock strength, in situ stress, thermal properties, rock mass quality and properties of the brittle deformation zones. Because of the varying quantities of available data for the different parameters, the types of presentations also vary: some data sets can be presented in the style of a 3D block model but, in other cases, a single distribution represents the whole rock volume hosting the ONKALO. (orig.)

Mechanical Properties and Acoustic Emission Properties of Rocks with Different Transverse Scales

OpenAIRE

Yan, Xi; Jun, Li; Gonghui, Liu; Xueli, Guo

2017-01-01

Since the stability of engineering rock masses has important practical significance to projects like mining, tunneling, and petroleum engineering, it is necessary to study mechanical properties and stability prediction methods for rocks, cementing materials that are composed of minerals in all shapes and sizes. Rocks will generate acoustic emission during damage failure processes, which is deemed as an effective means of monitoring the stability of coal rocks. In the meantime, actual mining a...

Thermal alteration in carbonaceous chondrites and implications for sublimation in rock comets

Science.gov (United States)

Springmann, Alessondra; Lauretta, Dante S.; Steckloff, Jordan K.

2015-11-01

Rock comets are small solar system bodies in Sun-skirting orbits (perihelion q CO2, etc.). B-class asteroid (3200) Phaethon, considered to be the parent body of the Geminid meteor shower, is the only rock comet currently known to periodically eject dust and form a coma. Thermal fracturing or thermal decomposition of surface materials may be driving Phaethon’s cometary activity (Li & Jewitt, 2013). Phaethon-like asteroids have dynamically unstable orbits, and their perihelia can change rapidly over their ~10 Myr lifetimes (de León et al., 2010), raising the possibility that other asteroids may have been rock comets in the past. Here, we propose using spectroscopic observations of mercury (Hg) as a tracer of an asteroid’s thermal metamorphic history, and therefore as a constraint on its minimum achieved perihelion distance.B-class asteroids such as Phaethon have an initial composition similar to aqueously altered primitive meteorites such as CI- or CM-type meteorites (Clark et al., 2010). Laboratory heating experiments of ~mm sized samples of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites from 300K to 1200K at a rate of 15K/minute show mobilization and volatilization of various labile elements at temperatures that could be reached by Mercury-crossing asteroids. Samples became rapidly depleted in labile elements and, in particular, lost ~75% of their Hg content when heated from ~500-700 K, which corresponds to heliocentric distances of ~0.15-0.3 au, consistent with our thermal models. Mercury has strong emission lines in the UV (~ 185 nm) and thus its presence (or absence) relative to carbonaceous chondrite abundances would indicate if these bodies had perihelia in their dynamical histories inside of 0.15 AU, and therefore may have previously been Phaethon-like rock comets. Future space telescopes or balloon-borne observing platforms equipped with a UV spectrometer could potentially detect the presence or absence of strong ultraviolet mercury lines on rock comets or rock

Thermal site descriptive model. A strategy for the model development during site investigations - version 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Back, Paer-Erik; Sundberg, Jan

2007-09-01

This report presents a strategy for describing, predicting and visualising the thermal aspects of the site descriptive model. The strategy is an updated version of an earlier strategy applied in all SDM versions during the initial site investigation phase at the Forsmark and Oskarshamn areas. The previous methodology for thermal modelling did not take the spatial correlation fully into account during simulation. The result was that the variability of thermal conductivity in the rock mass was not sufficiently well described. Experience from earlier thermal SDMs indicated that development of the methodology was required in order describe the spatial distribution of thermal conductivity in the rock mass in a sufficiently reliable way, taking both variability within rock types and between rock types into account. A good description of the thermal conductivity distribution is especially important for the lower tail. This tail is important for the design of a repository because it affects the canister spacing. The presented approach is developed to be used for final SDM regarding thermal properties, primarily thermal conductivity. Specific objectives for the strategy of thermal stochastic modelling are: Description: statistical description of the thermal conductivity of a rock domain. Prediction: prediction of thermal conductivity in a specific rock volume. Visualisation: visualisation of the spatial distribution of thermal conductivity. The thermal site descriptive model should include the temperature distribution and thermal properties of the rock mass. The temperature is the result of the thermal processes in the repository area. Determination of thermal transport properties can be made using different methods, such as laboratory investigations, field measurements, modelling from mineralogical composition and distribution, modelling from density logging and modelling from temperature logging. The different types of data represent different scales, which has to be

Thermal site descriptive model. A strategy for the model development during site investigations - version 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Back, Paer-Erik; Sundberg, Jan [Geo Innova AB (Sweden)

2007-09-15

This report presents a strategy for describing, predicting and visualising the thermal aspects of the site descriptive model. The strategy is an updated version of an earlier strategy applied in all SDM versions during the initial site investigation phase at the Forsmark and Oskarshamn areas. The previous methodology for thermal modelling did not take the spatial correlation fully into account during simulation. The result was that the variability of thermal conductivity in the rock mass was not sufficiently well described. Experience from earlier thermal SDMs indicated that development of the methodology was required in order describe the spatial distribution of thermal conductivity in the rock mass in a sufficiently reliable way, taking both variability within rock types and between rock types into account. A good description of the thermal conductivity distribution is especially important for the lower tail. This tail is important for the design of a repository because it affects the canister spacing. The presented approach is developed to be used for final SDM regarding thermal properties, primarily thermal conductivity. Specific objectives for the strategy of thermal stochastic modelling are: Description: statistical description of the thermal conductivity of a rock domain. Prediction: prediction of thermal conductivity in a specific rock volume. Visualisation: visualisation of the spatial distribution of thermal conductivity. The thermal site descriptive model should include the temperature distribution and thermal properties of the rock mass. The temperature is the result of the thermal processes in the repository area. Determination of thermal transport properties can be made using different methods, such as laboratory investigations, field measurements, modelling from mineralogical composition and distribution, modelling from density logging and modelling from temperature logging. The different types of data represent different scales, which has to be

Mechanical properties of granitic rocks from Gideaa, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ljunggren, C.; Stephansson, O.; Alm, O.; Hakami, H.; Mattila, U.

1985-10-01

The elastic and mechanical properties were determined for two rock types from the Gideaa study area. Gideaa is located approximately 30 km north-east of Oernskoeldsvik, Northern Sweden. The rock types that were tested were migmatitic gneiss and migmatitic granite. The following tests were conducted: - sound velocity measurements; - uniaxial compression tests with acoustic emission recording; - brazilian disc tests; - triaxial tests; - three point bending tests. All together, 12 rock samples were tested with each test method. Six samples of these were migmatic gneiss and six samples were migmatitic granite. The result shows that the migmatitic gneiss has varying strength properties with low compressive strength in comparison with its high tensile strength. The migmatitic granite, on the other hand, is found to have parameter values similar to other granitic rocks. With 15 refs. (Author)

Effects of nonideal surfaces on the derived thermal properties of Mars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakosky, B.M.

1979-01-01

The thermal inertia of the surface of Mars varies spatially by a factor of 8. This is attributable to changes in the average particle size of the fine material, the surface elevation, the atmospheric opacity due to dust, and the fraction of the surface covered by rocks an fine material. The effects of these nonideal properties on the surface temperatures and derived thermal inertias are modeled, along with the effects of slopes, CO 2 condensed onto the surface, and layering of fine material upon solid rock. The nonideal models are capable of producing thermal behavior similar to that observed by the Viking infrared thermal mapper, including a morning delay in the postdawn temperature rise and an enhanced cooling in the afternoon relative to any ideal, homogeneous model. The enhanced afternoon cooling observed at the Viking 1 landing site is reproduced by the nonideal models while that atop Arsia Mons volcano is not, but may be attributed to the observing geometry. A histogram of surface thermal inertia versus elevation shows at least two distinct classes: a single region near Amazonis Planitia has low inertias at low elevation; many of the remaining data show an anticorrelation between inertia and elevation, expected because of the change in thermal inertia produced by changes in the atmospheric pressure an dust opacity with elevation

A numerical model for the thermal history of rocks based on confined horizontal fission tracks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter Klint; Hansen, Kirsten; Kunzendorf, Helmar

1992-01-01

A numerical model for determination of the thermal history of rocks is presented. It is shown that the thermal history may be uniquely determined as a piece-by-piece linear function on the basis of etched confined, horizontal fission track length distributions, their surface densities, and the ur......A numerical model for determination of the thermal history of rocks is presented. It is shown that the thermal history may be uniquely determined as a piece-by-piece linear function on the basis of etched confined, horizontal fission track length distributions, their surface densities...

Nagra technical report 14-02, Geological basics - Dossier VI - Barrier properties of proposed host rock sediments and neighbouring rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautschi, A.; Deplazes, G.; Traber, D.; Marschall, P.; Mazurek, M.; Gimmi, T.; Maeder, U.

2014-01-01

This dossier is the sixth of a series of eight reports concerning the safety and technical aspects of locations for the disposal of radioactive wastes in Switzerland. It discusses the barrier properties of the proposed host rock sediments and neighbouring rock layers. The mineralogical composition of the host rocks are discussed as are their pore densities and hydrological properties. Diffusion aspects are discussed. The aquifer systems in the proposed depository areas and their classification are looked at. The barrier properties of the host rocks and those of neighbouring sediments are discussed. Finally, modelling concepts and parameters for the transport of radionuclides in the rocks are discussed

Thermal history of rocks in southern San Joaquin Valley, California: evidence from fission-track analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Naeser, N.D.; Naeser, C.W.; McCulloh, T.H.

1990-01-01

Fission-track analysis has been used to study the thermal and depositional history of the subsurface Tertiary sedimentary rocks on both sides of the active White Wolf reverse fault in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The distinctly different thermal histories of the rocks in the two structural blocks are clearly reflected in the apatite fission-track data, which suggest that rocks in the rapidly subsiding basin northwest of the fault have been near their present temperature for only about 1 m.y. compared with about 10 m.y. for rocks southeast of the fault. These estimates of heating time agree with previous estimates for these rocks. Zircon fission-track data indicate that the Tertiary sediments were derived from parent rocks of more than one age. However, from at least the Eocene to late Miocene or Pliocene, the major sediment source was rocks related to the youngest Sierra Nevada Mesozoic intrusive complexes, which are presently exposed east and south of the southern San Joaquin Valley. -from Authors

Rock Magnetic Properties of Remagnetised Devonian and Carboniferous Carbonate and Clastic Rocks From The NE Rhenish Massif, Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Zwing, A.; Matzka, J.; Bachtadse, V.; Soffel, H. C.

Previous studies on remagnetised carbonate rocks from the North American and Eu- ropean Variscides reported characteristic rock magnetic properties which are thought to be diagnostic for a chemical remagnetisation event. Their hysteresis properties with high ratios of Mrs/Ms and Hcr/Hc indicate the presence of a mixture of single-domain and superparamagnetic magnetite (Jackson, et al. 1990). In order to test if this fin- gerprint can be identified in remagnetised carbonate and clastic rocks from the NE Rhenish Massif, Germany, a series of rock magnetic experiments has been carried out. The hysteresis properties of the remagnetised clastic rocks indicate the domi- nance of large MD particles, as can be expected for detrital sediments. The carbon- ates yield significantly higher ratios of Mrs/Ms and Hcr/Hc than the clastic rocks, but only partly correspond to the characteristic properties of remagnetised carbon- ates described above. The latter might be attributed to detrital input into the carbonate platforms. Additional low-temperature remanence measurements show a wide vari- ety of phenomena, including Verwey transitions and indications for the presence of superparamagnetic grains. However, the low-temperature experiments do not allow a straightforward discrimination between the clastic and carbonate rocks and suggest more complex magnetomineralogies than expected from the hysteresis measurements alone.

Measurement of rock properties at elevated pressures and temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pincus, H.J.; Hoskins, E.R.

1985-01-01

The papers in this volume were presented at an ASTM symposium held on 20 June 1983 in conjunction with the 24th Annual Rock Mechanics Symposium at Texas A and M University, College Station, TX. The purpose of these papers is to present recent developments in the measurement of rock properties at elevated pressures and temperatures, and to examine and interpret the data produced by such measurement. The need for measuring rock properties at elevated pressures and temperatures has become increasingly important in recent years. Location and design of nuclear waste repositories, development of geothermal energy sites, and design and construction of deep excavations for civil, military, and mining engineering require significantly improved capabilities for measuring rock properties under conditions substantially different from those prevailing in most laboratory and in situ work. The development of high-pressure, high-temperature capabilities is also significant for the analysis of tectonic processes

UK modelling of thermal effects on leakage from hard rock depositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourke, P.J.

1980-01-01

Thermally induced stress through and around depositories have been calculated assuming the rock to have constant mechanical properties obtained from laboratory measurements and ignoring the effects of existing fractures. After allowing for probable values of the natural stress field, regions of net tension and high shear stress which might cause new fractures were found. This analysis is, however, not yet considered to be reliable because of uncertainty about the above assumptions. Further, even if it is accurate, it is incomplete because it is still not possible to relate quantitatively calculated stresses to changes in permeability and porosity due to changes in existing fractures or initiation of new ones. Accordingly, further theoretical work is being done to plan an underground study of the effects of heating on a well defined fracture. Measurements of strain and modulus will be made to investigate the validity of the mechanical assumptions and hydraulic data will be obtained to relate stress to resistance to flow. It is hoped that further analysis will then allow an assessment of the importance of thermal stress around a depository to be made

Interaction of thermal and mechanical processes in steep permafrost rock walls: A conceptual approach

Science.gov (United States)

Draebing, D.; Krautblatter, M.; Dikau, R.

2014-12-01

Degradation of permafrost rock wall decreases stability and can initiate rock slope instability of all magnitudes. Rock instability is controlled by the balance of shear forces and shear resistances. The sensitivity of slope stability to warming results from a complex interplay of shear forces and resistances. Conductive, convective and advective heat transport processes act to warm, degrade and thaw permafrost in rock walls. On a seasonal scale, snow cover changes are a poorly understood key control of the timing and extent of thawing and permafrost degradation. We identified two potential critical time windows where shear forces might exceed shear resistances of the rock. In early summer combined hydrostatic and cryostatic pressure can cause a peak in shear force exceeding high frozen shear resistance and in autumn fast increasing shear forces can exceed slower increasing shear resistance. On a multiannual system scale, shear resistances change from predominantly rock-mechanically to ice-mechanically controlled. Progressive rock bridge failure results in an increase of sensitivity to warming. Climate change alters snow cover and duration and, hereby, thermal and mechanical processes in the rock wall. Amplified thawing of permafrost will result in higher rock slope instability and rock fall activity. We present a holistic conceptual approach connecting thermal and mechanical processes, validate parts of the model with geophysical and kinematic data and develop future scenarios to enhance understanding on system scale.

Temporal evolution of a granitic rock under thermal loads generated by fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura, M.A.; Ferreri, J.C.

1985-01-01

The thermal time history of a granitic mass under thermal loads, generated by the terminal subproducts arising from the Argentine nuclear programme is analyzed. This rock will be the final repository of those subproducts. The analysis is based on the consideration of a representative unit cell of the rock's centre using the Heating 5 programme. A preliminary analysis is made in order to obtain criteria with respect to the accuracy of the problem. Temporal evolution curves of the temperature on zones of interest of the unit cell considered are shown. Under the thermal loads considered, 500W by container, a maximum temperature of 55 deg C at the wall of the orifice subproducts' deposit is obtained. (Author) [es

A sampling study on rock properties affecting drilling rate index (DRI)

Science.gov (United States)

Yenice, Hayati; Özdoğan, Mehmet V.; Özfırat, M. Kemal

2018-05-01

Drilling rate index (DRI) developed in Norway is a very useful index in determining the drillability of rocks and even in performance prediction of hard rock TBMs and it requires special laboratory test equipment. Drillability is one of the most important subjects in rock excavation. However, determining drillability index from physical and mechanical properties of rocks is very important for practicing engineers such as underground excavation, drilling operations in open pit mining, underground mining and natural stone production. That is why many researchers have studied concerned with drillability to find the correlations between drilling rate index (DRI) and penetration rate, influence of geological properties on drillability prediction in tunneling, correlations between rock properties and drillability. In this study, the relationships between drilling rate index (DRI) and some physico-mechanical properties (Density, Shore hardness, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS, σc), Indirect tensile strength (ITS, σt)) of three different rock groups including magmatic, sedimentary and metamorphic were evaluated using both simple and multiple regression analysis. This study reveals the effects of rock properties on DRI according to different types of rocks. In simple regression, quite high correlations were found between DRI and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and also between DRI and indirect tensile strength (ITS) values. Multiple regression analyses revealed even higher correlations when compared to simple regression. Especially, UCS, ITS, Shore hardness (SH) and the interactions between them were found to be very effective on DRI values.

Measurement of diffusive properties of intact rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvey, K B

1996-12-01

In the Postclosure Assessment of a Reference System for the Disposal of Canada`s Nuclear Fuel Waste (Goodwin et al. 1994) the disposal vault is assumed to be surrounded by a zone of intact rock, referred to as the `exclusion zone.` A sensitivity analysis of the relative effectiveness of the several engineered and natural barriers that contribute to the safety of the reference disposal system has shown that this zone of intact rock is the most effective of these barriers to the movement of radionuclides through the reference system. Peer review of the geosphere model used in the case study for the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program has identified the need to quantify the properties of the intact rock surrounding the disposal vault that would control the transport of radionuclides by diffusion. The Postclosure Assessment also identified the need for appropriate values of the free water diffusion coefficient (D{sub o}) for {sup 129}1 and {sup 14}C. The measurement of rock resistivity allows the calculation of the Formation Factor for a rock This review describes the Formation Factor, diffusivity, permeability, and porosity, and how these properties might be measured or inferred for insitu rock under the conditions that apply to the intact rock surrounding a potential disposal vault. The importance of measuring the intrinsic diffusion coefficient (D{sup i}) of diffusing species under solution salinities simulating those of groundwaters is emphasised, and a method of measurement is described that is independent of the diffusing medium, and which would be appropriate for measurements made in chemically complex media such as groundwaters. (author). 95 refs., 4 tabs., 39 figs.

Measurement of diffusive properties of intact rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, K.B.

1996-12-01

In the Postclosure Assessment of a Reference System for the Disposal of Canada's Nuclear Fuel Waste (Goodwin et al. 1994) the disposal vault is assumed to be surrounded by a zone of intact rock, referred to as the 'exclusion zone.' A sensitivity analysis of the relative effectiveness of the several engineered and natural barriers that contribute to the safety of the reference disposal system has shown that this zone of intact rock is the most effective of these barriers to the movement of radionuclides through the reference system. Peer review of the geosphere model used in the case study for the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program has identified the need to quantify the properties of the intact rock surrounding the disposal vault that would control the transport of radionuclides by diffusion. The Postclosure Assessment also identified the need for appropriate values of the free water diffusion coefficient (D o ) for 129 1 and 14 C. The measurement of rock resistivity allows the calculation of the Formation Factor for a rock This review describes the Formation Factor, diffusivity, permeability, and porosity, and how these properties might be measured or inferred for insitu rock under the conditions that apply to the intact rock surrounding a potential disposal vault. The importance of measuring the intrinsic diffusion coefficient (D i ) of diffusing species under solution salinities simulating those of groundwaters is emphasised, and a method of measurement is described that is independent of the diffusing medium, and which would be appropriate for measurements made in chemically complex media such as groundwaters. (author). 95 refs., 4 tabs., 39 figs

Initial assessment of the thermal stresses around a radioactive waste depository in hard rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgkinson, D.P.; Bourke, P.J.

1980-01-01

The disposal of heat emitting radioactive waste into hard rock should result in temperature rises and thermal gradients over distances of several hundred metres for several centuries. The consequent constrained thermal expansion of the rock would induce stresses which have important implications for possible water-borne leakage of radionuclides and for depository design. These problems are assessed by considering a simplified mathematical model for which analytic solutions to the temperature and stress fields are derived. (author)

Petrophysics at the rock matrix scale: hydraulic properties and petrographic interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoto, M.

2003-01-01

The main objective of this publication is to review, summarize and make comprehensive the hydraulic properties of rocks, at the rock matrix or in tact rock scale. Also to describe how to petrographically interpret those properties. For this purpose, the procedures for the characterization and visualisation of the rock-forming components and in special the water path-ways at that scale are explained. Further more, to establish a methodological approach for an appropriate petrographic interpretation of all the mentioned properties is intended. This Technical Report is applied to the geological solution for the final disposal of high level radioactive wastes. In any case, most of the aspects covered here are of scientific and technical interest for any researcher interested in the behaviour of water in rocks and vice versa, also in the potential fluid- rock interactions. The document is divided into six Chapters, mainly theoretical and methodological, and six Appen - dixes, more focussed to practical tests and procedures for rock characterization. Two significant rock types in high level radioactive waste, HLW, granites and clays, have been used for illustrating most of the examples here included. Under a wide geological perspective, it must be stated that in any geological scenario two different systems or scales coexist; the rock massif (with fractures of about m to km) and the rock matrix (with internal discontinuities such as fissures and cracks to the order of Fm to dm). Their different behaviour is considered in Chapter 1 as well as the specific role played by the rock matrix in the long- and short-term period. General considerations about physical properties of rocks and comparative advantages and disadvantages of the main candidate rocks for radioactive repositories are also included. (Author)

Pore-scale analysis of electrical properties in thinly bedded rock using digital rock physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Jianmeng; Zhao, Jianpeng; Liu, Xuefeng; Chen, Hui; Jiang, LiMing; Zhang, JinYan

2014-01-01

We investigated the electrical properties of laminated rock consist of macro-porous layers and micro-porous layers based on digital rock technology. Due to the bedding effect and anisotropy, traditional Archie equations cannot well describe the electrical behavior of laminated rock. The RI-Sw curve of laminated rock shows a nonlinear relationship. The RI-Sw curve can be divided into two linear segments with different saturation exponent. Laminated sand-shale sequences and laminated sands of different porosity or grain size will yield macroscopic electrical anisotropy. Numerical simulation and theoretical analysis lead to the conclusion that electrical anisotropy coefficient of laminated rock is a strong function of water saturation. The function curve can be divided into three segments by the turning point. Therefore, the electrical behavior of laminated rock should be considered in oil exploration and development. (paper)

Correlations between ultrasonic pulse wave velocities and rock properties of quartz-mica schist

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bharti Chawre

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Physico-mechanical properties are critically important parameters for rocks. This study aims to examine some of the rock properties of quartz-mica schist (QMS rocks in a cost-effective manner by establishing correlations between non-destructive and destructive tests. Using simple regression analysis, good correlations were obtained between the pulse wave velocities and the properties of QMS rocks. The results were further improved by using multiple regression analysis as compared to those obtained by the simple linear regression analysis. The results were also compared to the ones obtained by other empirical equations available. The general equations encompassing all types of rocks did not give reliable results of rock properties and showed large relative errors, ranging from 23% to 1146%. It is suggested that empirical correlations must be investigated separately for different types of rocks. The general empirical equations should not be used for the design and planning purposes before they are verified at least on one rock sample from the project site, as they may contain large unacceptable errors. Keywords: Pulse wave velocity, Physico-mechanical properties, Quartz-mica schist (QMS rocks, Non-destructive methods, Static elastic constants, Dynamic elastic constants

Thermal conductivities and diffusivities of rocks in four shallow ONKALO holes and drillholes OL-KR46 and OL-KR56

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korpisalo, A.; Suppala, I.; Kukkonen, I.; Koskinen, T.

2013-11-01

The thermal drillhole device (76 mm drillholes) used in this study for determining thermal properties of rocks in situ was developed and constructed under TERO projects in Geological Survey of Finland with Posiva in early 2000's. After the renovation of the device in 2010, the new TERO76 device has now been taken into the productive use. In addition to the numerical inversion technique a rapid interpretation tool makes it possible to calculate the first estimates of thermal properties of the measurements already in the field. The thermal properties of the measurements are estimated by using both a numerical optimization and a simple solution of infinite line model. Because of the unique measurement geometry only the thermal conductivities can directly be estimated accurately (5 %) using the late times of heating periods. The methods can't directly give the thermal diffusivities or heat capacities at a necessary accuracy. However, thermal diffusivities can be estimated by using the specific heat capacities and densities of the known rock types or the laboratory results on diffusivity-conductivity relationship of different Olkiluoto rock types. The latter technique is applied in this study. Thermal properties were measured in four shallow ONKALO drillholes (ONK-PP379, ONK-PP380, ONK-PP381, ONK-PP382) in the Demonstration tunnel 2 (ONK-TDT-4399-30) at +420 m level and in deep drillholes OL-KR46 and OL-KR56 from the surface. In the drillholes in tunnel, the average numerical values fall within 3.31 and 4.19 Wm - 1 K- 1 for the conductivities and 1.75-2.26 x 10 -6 m 2 s -1 for the diffusivities. The corresponding analytical values are within 3.19-3.99 Wm -1 K -1 and 1.68-2.15 x 10 -6 m 2 s -1 . In drillholes OL-KR46 and OL-KR56, the average numerical values fall within 3.42-4.06 and 3.30-3.77 Wm -1 K -1 for the conductivities and 1.81-2.18 and 1.75-2.02 x 10 -6 m 2 s -1 for the diffusivities. The corresponding average analytical conductivities fall within 3.22-3.81 and

THM-issues in repository rock. Thermal, mechanical, thermo-mechanical and hydro-mechanical evolution of the rock at the Forsmark and Laxemar sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoekmark, Harald; Loennqvist, Margareta; Faelth, Billy (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden))

2010-05-15

even in the hottest ones. To account for uncertainties in the thermal calculations, the layout is established with a margin of about 5 deg C to the 100 deg C limit. It is demonstrated here that the spatial variability of rock heat transport properties means that there is considerable robustness in the design approach. An underestimate of the uncertainty margin by a few degrees appears to impact on very few canisters, even under the conservative assumption that all deposition holes are completely dry. Spalling after excavation of a deposition hole excavation is not likely unless the major horizontal stress is aligned off the orientation of the tunnel axis by the largest angle given within the uncertainty range of the Forsmark in situ stress model. In case it happens, the spalling will be limited to the top 1 m of the deposition hole for the most likely Forsmark major stress magnitude and to the top 3 m for the upper bound stress magnitude. Thermally-induced spalling is almost certain to occur after some time of heating, i.e. also for the most favourable conditions regarding stress orientation and magnitude. However, for the most favourable conditions the spalling will occur late and be limited to the top 5 m of the deposition hole. All spalling risk estimates are based on the assumption that the spalling strength varies between 52% and 62% of the uniaxial compressive strength of the intact rock, as suggested by field experiments performed in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. It is also assumed that the deposition holes are completely dry, i.e. without any swelling pressure to support and stabilize the walls. These assumptions are all claimed to be conservative. The stress path for rock in the walls of KBS-3 deposition holes will be different from corresponding stress paths in the field experiments and a small support pressure, possibly sufficient to limit the extent of the spalling, will be found also in dry deposition holes. Transmissivity effects on rock fractures are

Overview of geotechnical methods to characterize rock masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1981-12-01

The methods that are used to characterize discontinuous rock masses from a geotechnical point of view are summarized. Emphasis is put on providing key references on each subject. The topics of exploration, in-situ stresses, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and hydraulic properties are addressed

Correlating P-wave Velocity with the Physico-Mechanical Properties of Different Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Khandelwal, Manoj

2013-04-01

In mining and civil engineering projects, physico-mechanical properties of the rock affect both the project design and the construction operation. Determination of various physico-mechanical properties of rocks is expensive and time consuming, and sometimes it is very difficult to get cores to perform direct tests to evaluate the rock mass. The purpose of this work is to investigate the relationships between the different physico-mechanical properties of the various rock types with the P-wave velocity. Measurement of P-wave velocity is relatively cheap, non-destructive and easy to carry out. In this study, representative rock mass samples of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks were collected from the different locations of India to obtain an empirical relation between P-wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, punch shear, density, slake durability index, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, impact strength index and Schmidt hammer rebound number. A very strong correlation was found between the P-wave velocity and different physico-mechanical properties of various rock types with very high coefficients of determination. To check the sensitivity of the empirical equations, Students t test was also performed, which confirmed the validity of the proposed correlations.

Magnetic mineralogy and rock magnetic properties of silicate and carbonatite rocks from Oldoinyo Lengai volcano (Tanzania)

Science.gov (United States)

Mattsson, H. B.; Balashova, A.; Almqvist, B. S. G.; Bosshard-Stadlin, S. A.; Weidendorfer, D.

2018-06-01

Oldoinyo Lengai, a stratovolcano in northern Tanzania, is most famous for being the only currently active carbonatite volcano on Earth. The bulk of the volcanic edifice is dominated by eruptive products produced by silica-undersaturated, peralkaline, silicate magmas (effusive, explosive and/or as cumulates at depth). The recent (2007-2008) explosive eruption produced the first ever recorded pyroclastic flows at this volcano and the accidental lithics incorporated into the pyroclastic flows represent a broad variety of different rock types, comprising both extrusive and intrusive varieties, in addition to various types of cumulates. This mix of different accidental lithics provides a unique insight into the inner workings of the world's only active carbonatite volcano. Here, we focus on the magnetic mineralogy and the rock magnetic properties of a wide selection of samples spanning the spectrum of Oldoinyo Lengai rock types compositionally, as well from a textural point of view. Here we show that the magnetic properties of most extrusive silicate rocks are dominated by magnetite-ulvöspinel solid solutions, and that pyrrhotite plays a larger role in the magnetic properties of the intrusive silicate rocks. The natrocarbonatitic lavas, for which the volcano is best known for, show distinctly different magnetic properties in comparison with the silicate rocks. This discrepancy may be explained by abundant alabandite crystals/blebs in the groundmass of the natrocarbonatitic lavas. A detailed combination of petrological/mineralogical studies with geophysical investigations is an absolute necessity in order to understand, and to better constrain, the overall architecture and inner workings of the subvolcanic plumbing system. The results presented here may also have implications for the quest in order to explain the genesis of the uniquely natrocarbonatitic magmas characteristic of Oldoinyo Lengai.

Influence of deformation on the fluid transport properties of salt rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peach, C.J.

1991-01-01

While the fluid transport properties of rocks are well understood under hydrostatic conditions, little is known regarding these properties in rocks undergoing crystal plastic deformation. However, such data are needed as input in the field of radioactive waste disposal in salt formations. They

The effect of pressure on the thermal conductivity of silicate rocks up to 12 kbar

Science.gov (United States)

Horai, Ki-iti; Susaki, Jun-ichi

1989-06-01

The effect of high pressure up to 12 kbar on thermal conductivity of silicate rocks was determined. Measurements were made by the transient hot wire method on 23 samples. With the exception of one sedimentary rock, one meteorite and manufactured fused and crystalline quartz, the samples were igneous and metamorphic rocks of the oceanic and the continental lithospheres. The samples were of cylindrical shape, 24 mm long and 12 mm in diameter, containing a heater of 0.1 mm thick chromel wire along their axis and a thermocouple at the center. They were encased in cubes of 41 mm-edge-long pyrophyllite and then placed between slide-type cubic anvils of the IHI high-pressure apparatus, which transmitted quasi-hydrostatic pressure of more than 2 kbar to the sample through the solid pyrophyllite medium. The validity of the method was confirmed by comparing the conductivity of standard materials measured using the present method with literature values. The results show that the thermal conductivity of all samples increases with increasing pressure. The most rapid increase in the range below 2 kbar can be attributed to the closure of microcracks in the sample, and uniform, less pronounced increases above 2 kbar should be intrinsic to the material. The effect of temperature was also studied on a small number of selected samples. In the temperature range from 300 to 700 K, the thermal conductivities of crystalline rocks under quasi-hydrostatic compressive stresses of 4 and 10 kbar showed a monotonic decrease of thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of fused quartz, however, increased with temperature. Pressure appeared to have no appreciable effect on the temperature dependence of silicate thermal conductivity.

Influence of deformation on the fluid transport properties of salt rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peach, C.J.

1991-01-01

While the fluid transport properties of rocks are well understood under hydrostatic conditions, little is known regarding these properties in rocks undergoing crystal plastic deformation. However, such data are needed as input in the field of radioactive waste disposal in salt formations. They are

Fission track dating and thermal history of Habahe rock body in Altai

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Shunsheng; Tan Kaixuan

2002-01-01

The fission track ages (FTA) of several apatite and zircon samples from Habahe rock body in Altai were determined. The FTA of apatites were 51.1-76.9 Ma, and FTA of zircons were 141-149 Ma. Modelling of the palaeo-temperature evolution [T(t)-path] of rock body relies on confined track length measurements and the annealing equations of Laslett et al. (1987). The thermal and uplift history of this region was discussed

Performance of the Opalinus Clay under thermal loading: experimental results from Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gens, A. [Universitat Politència de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Gaus, I. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); and others

2017-04-15

The paper presents an overview of the behaviour of Opalinus Clay under thermal loading as observed in three in situ heating tests performed in the Mont Terri rock laboratory: HE-B, HE-D and HE-E. The three tests are summarily described; they encompass a broad range of test layouts and experimental conditions. Afterwards, the following topics are examined: determination of thermal conductivity, thermally-induced pore pressure generation and thermally-induced mechanical effects. The mechanisms underlying pore pressure generation and dissipation are discussed in detail and the relationship between rock damage and thermal loading is examined using an additional in situ test: SE-H. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the various thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) interactions identified in the heating tests. (authors)

Thermal Property Engineering: Exploiting the Properties of Ceramic Nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-01

ARL-TR-8308 ● MAR 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Thermal Property Engineering : Exploiting the Properties of Ceramic...return it to the originator. ARL-TR-8308 ● MAR 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Thermal Property Engineering : Exploiting the...2015 – Dec 31 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Thermal Property Engineering : Exploiting the Properties of Ceramic Nanocomposites 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Thermal properties of andesite from Popocatepetl and Volcán de Colima, México.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardenas-Sanchez, Enrique; De la Cruz-Reina, Servando; Varley, Nick

2015-04-01

The thermal conductivity (K), specific heat (Cp) and the coefficient of heat transfer surface (H) are the basic parameters to describe the process of cooling a volcanic rock fragment released in an explosive event. The analysis of the cooling process by conduction, convection and radiation of heat in volcanic rock fragments, has been limited to basalts, and various minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, quartz, etc. (Miao & Chen, 2014; Branlund & Hofmeister, 2012; Romine et al, 2012;. Schön, 2011; Stroberg et al, 2010;. Schatz & Simmons, 1972). There are no detailed studies on the thermal properties of the andesites, abundant in continental stratovolcanoes, and particularly susceptible from lava domes with frequent destruction processes, such as Popocatepetl and Volcan de Colima. Previously, we developed an algorithm for calculation of the grain-size distribution, degree of fragmentation, the thermal energy released and its possible correlation with Volcanic Explosive Index (VEI) from the cooling curves of fragments from vulcanian and strombolian explosions. These curves were obtained from sequences of time over incandescent deposits recorded at selected pixel thermal images of vulcanian activity in the Popocatepetl and Volcan de Colima, Mexico. However, the model was limited by the lack of thermal parameters of the andesites, forcing a first approximation using basalts data. We present a simple model for the cooling process using andesites samples from Popocatépetl and Volcan de Colima. First, the samples were subjected to a rounding process to minimize surface effects. Then, heated to 800 ° C were extracted from the muffle and cooling rate is measured. The thermal conductivity and coefficient of surface heat are determined using a thermal camera and three thermocouples embedded at various depths within the sample. An inversion method was implemented to determine the thermal properties parameters , by comparing the observed data regarding cooling model for a solid

Analysis of rocks involving the x-ray diffraction, infrared and thermal gravimetric techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikram, M.; Rauf, M.A.; Munir, N.

1998-01-01

Chemical analysis of rocks and minerals are usually obtained by a number of analytical techniques. The purpose of present work is to investigate the chemical composition of the rock samples and also to find that how far the results obtained by different instrumental methods are closely related. Chemical tests wee performed before using the instrumental techniques in order to determined the nature of these rocks. The chemical analysis indicated mainly the presence of carbonate and hence the carbonate nature of these rocks. The x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis techniques were used for the determination of chemical composition of these samples. The results obtained by using these techniques have shown a great deal of similarities. (author)

Thermal influences on spontaneous rock dome exfoliation

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Brian D.; Stock, Greg M.; Eppes, Martha C.; Lewis, Scott W.; Corbett, Skye C.; Smith, Joel B.

2018-01-01

Rock domes, with their onion-skin layers of exfoliation sheets, are among the most captivating landforms on Earth. Long recognized as integral in shaping domes, the exact mechanism(s) by which exfoliation occurs remains enigmatic, mainly due to the lack of direct observations of natural events. In August 2014, during the hottest days of summer, a granitic dome in California, USA, spontaneously exfoliated; witnesses observed extensive cracking, including a ~8000 kg sheet popping into the air. Subsequent exfoliation episodes during the following two summers were recorded by instrumentation that captured—for the first time—exfoliation deformation and stress conditions. Here we show that thermal cycling and cumulative dome surface heating can induce subcritical cracking that culminates in seemingly spontaneous exfoliation. Our results indicate that thermal stresses—largely discounted in dome formation literature—can play a key role in triggering exfoliation and therefore may be an important control for shaping domes worldwide.

Effects of bioleaching on the mechanical and chemical properties of waste rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Sheng-Hua; Wu, Ai-Xiang; Wang, Shao-Yong; Ai, Chun-Ming

2012-01-01

Bioleaching processes cause dramatic changes in the mechanical and chemical properties of waste rocks, and play an important role in metal recovery and dump stability. This study focused on the characteristics of waste rocks subjected to bioleaching. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the evolution of rock properties during the bioleaching process. Mechanical behaviors of the leached waste rocks, such as failure patterns, normal stress, shear strength, and cohesion were determined through mechanical tests. The results of SEM imaging show considerable differences in the surface morphology of leached rocks located at different parts of the dump. The mineralogical content of the leached rocks reflects the extent of dissolution and precipitation during bioleaching. The dump porosity and rock size change under the effect of dissolution, precipitation, and clay transportation. The particle size of the leached rocks decreased due to the loss of rock integrity and the conversion of dry precipitation into fine particles.

Solid as a rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pincus, H.J.

1984-01-01

Recent technologic developments have required a more comprehensive approach to the behavior of rock mass or rock substance plus discontinuities than was adequate previously. This work considers the inherent problems in such operations as the storage of hot or cold fluids in caverns and aquifers, underground storage of nuclear waste, underground recovery of heat from hydrocarbon fuels, tertiary recovery of oil by thermal methods, rapid excavation of large openings at shallow to great depths and in hostile environments, and retrofitting of large structures built on or in rock. The standardization of methods for determining rock properties is essential to all of the activities described, for use not only in design and construction but also in site selection and post-construction monitoring. Development of such standards is seen as a multidisciplinary effort

Hydrological and thermal issues concerning a nuclear waste repository in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.S.Y.

1991-12-01

The characterization of the ambient conditions of a potential site and the assessment of the perturbations induced by a nuclear waste repository require hydrological and thermal investigations of the geological formations at different spatial and temporal scales. For high-level wastes, the near-field impacts depend on the heat power of waste packages and the far-field long-term perturbations depend on the cumulative heat released by the emplaced wastes. Surface interim storage of wastes for several decades could lower the near-field impacts but would have relatively small long-term effects if spent fuels were the waste forms for the repository. One major uncertainty in the assessment of repository impacts is from the variation of hydrological properties in heterogeneous media, including the effects of fractures as high-permeability flow paths for containment migration. Under stress, a natural fracture cannot be represented by the parallel plate model. The rock surface roughness, the contact area, and the saturation state in the rock matrix could significantly change the fracture flow. In recent years, the concern of fast flow through fractures in saturated media has extended to the unsaturated zones. The interactions at different scales between fractures and matrix, between fractured matrix unites and porous units, and between formations and faults are discussed

Tracking the thermal properties of the lower continental crust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ray, Labani; Förster, Hans-Jürgen; Förster, Andrea

2015-01-01

In this study, the bulk thermal conductivity (TC) of 26 rock samples representing different types of granulite-facies rocks, i.e., felsic, intermediate and mafic granulites, from the Southern Granulite Province, India, is measured at dry and saturated conditions with the optical-scanning method. ...

Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment. Geology and mechanical properties of the rock in TASQ

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staub, Isabelle [Golder Associates AB, Uppsala (Sweden); Andersson, J. Christer; Magnor, Bjoern

2004-03-01

An extensive characterization programme has been performed in the drift, TASQ, excavated for the Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment, APSE, including the rock volume that will host the experiment pillar between the two deposition holes. The two major objectives with the characterization has been to 1) derive material properties for the final numerical modelling of the experiment and 2) to ensure that the pillar location is suitable from a structural and rock mechanical point of view. In summary the following activities have been performed: Geological mapping of the drift, the pilot holes cores and deposition hole DQ0066G01. 3D-visualisation of the geological mapping in the experiment (pillar) volume of TASQ. Convergence measurements during the excavation and back calculation of the results for determination of the stress tensor and the rock mass Young's modulus. Laboratory tests on core samples from the 15{phi}76 mm core boreholes drilled around the pillar volume for determination of: compressive strength, thermal properties and fracture properties. P-wave velocity measurements on core samples and between boreholes for estimation of the excavation damaged zone and rock mass properties. The geological mapping and the 3D-visualisation gives a good description of the TASQ drift in general and the experiment volume in the drift in particular. The fracturing of the drift follows the pattern of the rest of Aespoe. Three fracture sets have been mapped in TASQ. The major fracture set is sub-vertical and trending NW, in principle parallel to {sigma}{sub 1}. This set is the most conductive at Aespoe and is the only water bearing set in TASQ. A second less pronounced set is trending NE, parallel to TASQ, and is also sub-vertical. The third set is sub-horizontal. It is interesting to note that the third set is the only one that almost completely consists of sealed fractures. The first two sets have mostly open fractures. One unique feature in the drift is a heavily

Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment. Geology and mechanical properties of the rock in TASQ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staub, Isabelle; Andersson, J. Christer; Magnor, Bjoern

2004-03-01

An extensive characterization programme has been performed in the drift, TASQ, excavated for the Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment, APSE, including the rock volume that will host the experiment pillar between the two deposition holes. The two major objectives with the characterization has been to 1) derive material properties for the final numerical modelling of the experiment and 2) to ensure that the pillar location is suitable from a structural and rock mechanical point of view. In summary the following activities have been performed: Geological mapping of the drift, the pilot holes cores and deposition hole DQ0066G01. 3D-visualisation of the geological mapping in the experiment (pillar) volume of TASQ. Convergence measurements during the excavation and back calculation of the results for determination of the stress tensor and the rock mass Young's modulus. Laboratory tests on core samples from the 15Φ76 mm core boreholes drilled around the pillar volume for determination of: compressive strength, thermal properties and fracture properties. P-wave velocity measurements on core samples and between boreholes for estimation of the excavation damaged zone and rock mass properties. The geological mapping and the 3D-visualisation gives a good description of the TASQ drift in general and the experiment volume in the drift in particular. The fracturing of the drift follows the pattern of the rest of Aespoe. Three fracture sets have been mapped in TASQ. The major fracture set is sub-vertical and trending NW, in principle parallel to σ 1 . This set is the most conductive at Aespoe and is the only water bearing set in TASQ. A second less pronounced set is trending NE, parallel to TASQ, and is also sub-vertical. The third set is sub-horizontal. It is interesting to note that the third set is the only one that almost completely consists of sealed fractures. The first two sets have mostly open fractures. One unique feature in the drift is a heavily oxidized brittle

Modeling of thermal evolution of near field area around single pit mode nuclear waste canister disposal in soft rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajpai, R.K.; Verma, A.K.; Maheshwar, Sachin

2016-01-01

Soft rocks like argillites/shales are under consideration worldwide as host rock for geological disposal of vitrified as well as spent fuel nuclear waste. The near field around disposed waste canister at 400-500m depth witnesses a complex heat field evolution due to varying thermal characteristics of rocks, coupling with hydraulic processes and varying intensity of heat flux from the canister. Smooth heat dissipation across the rock is desirable to avoid buildup of temperature beyond design limit (100 °C) and resultant micro fracturing due to thermal stresses in the rocks and intervening buffer clay layers. This also causes enhancement of hydraulic conductivity of the rocks, radionuclide transport and greater groundwater ingress towards the canister. Hence heat evolution modeling constitutes an important part of safety assessment of geological disposal facilities

Effects of water infusions on mechanical properties of carboniferous rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vavro, M; Chlebik, J

1977-01-01

Method of water infusion is used in the Ostrava-Karvina coal region in Czechoslovakia, where the roof of the extracted coal seam consists of thick rock layers (sandstone, Namurian B series) characterized by high resistance to compression, high coefficient of linear elasticity and high capacity of accumulating energy. When the resistance boundary is crossed and the rocks are disturbed this energy is suddenly released and transferred to the surrounding rock masses, coal seam and support system. On the basis of laboratory experiments the physico-mechanical and energy properties of carboniferous rocks together with calculation of their energy coefficient and other parameters are described and calculated. The results of research and theoretical solutions are presented. Practical use of water infusions to influence mechanical properties of sandstone in the roof of coal seams is described with the example of the Dukla coal mine. (5 refs.) (In Polish)

Investigation into relations between physical and electrical properties of rocks and concretes

Science.gov (United States)

Sertçelik, İbrahim; Kurtuluş, Cengiz; Sertçelik, Fadime; Pekşen, Ertan; Aşçı, Metin

2018-02-01

The physical and electrical properties of natural rocks, namely limestone, sandstone, amphibolite, arkose, schist, granite, basalt, and concrete were investigated in order to characterize the relationships between these properties. The measurements were conducted on 96 cylindrical specimens of limestone, sandstone, amphibolite, arkose, schist, granite, basalt, and 14 cubic concrete samples. Strong correlations between ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), electrical resistivity, and chargeability were confirmed. High correlation coefficients were observed among the properties, varying between 0.53 and 0.92 for all the rocks and concrete. Test results show the following relations among the corresponding parameters: the UPV increases with the increase in UCS, resistivity decreases with the decrease in chargeability for all rocks and concrete, and the electrical resistivities of rock and concrete decrease with the increase in chargeability.

Rheological Characteristics of Cement Grout and its Effect on Mechanical Properties of a Rock Fracture

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Quansheng; Lei, Guangfeng; Peng, Xingxin; Lu, Chaobo; Wei, Lai

2018-02-01

Grouting reinforcement, which has an obvious strengthening effect on fractured rock mass, has been widely used in various fields in geotechnical engineering. The rheological properties of grout will greatly affect its diffusion radius in rock fractures, and the water-cement ratio is an important factor in determining the grouting flow patterns. The relationship between shear stress and shear rate which could reflect the grout rheological properties, the effects of water-cement ratio, and temperature on the rheological properties of grouting was studied in the laboratory. Besides, a new method for producing fractured rock specimens was proposed and solved the problem of producing natural fractured rock specimens. To investigate the influences of grouting on mechanical properties of a rock fracture, the fractured rock specimens made using the new method were reinforced by grouting on the independent designed grouting platform, and then normal and tangential mechanical tests were carried out on fractured rock specimens. The results showed that the mechanical properties of fractured rock mass are significantly improved by grouting, the peak shear strength and residual strength of rock fractures are greatly improved, and the resistance to deformation is enhanced after grouting. Normal forces affect the tangential behavior of the rock fracture, and the tangential stress strength increases with normal forces. The strength and stability of fractured rock mass are increased by grouting reinforcement.

Determination of basalt physical and thermal properties at varying temperatures, pressures, and moisture contents. First progress report, fiscal year 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.J.; Bishop, R.C.

1979-01-01

This report is a summary of the rock mechanics testing done at the Earth Mechanics Institute of the Colorado School of Mines for Rockwell Hanford Operations under Subcontract SA-917. Cores were supplied from drill hole DC-6 on the Hanford Site, characterized geologically, and tested for thermal and physical properties for designing long-term underground storage of radioactive waste materials. This report presents the approved test procedures, results, and data analysis for this test series. Results indicated thermophysical properties similar to those of previously tested basalt cores from the Hanford area, but showed no significant trends; thus, generalizations are risky at this time. However, density was found to be a good guide to thermal and physical properties--higher density basalt cores showed significant improvements in physical and thermal properties

Modeling Thermal Pressurization Around Shallow Dikes Using Temperature-Dependent Hydraulic Properties: Implications for Deformation Around Intrusions

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Meredith R.

2018-01-01

Pressurization and flow of groundwater around igneous intrusions depend in part on the hydraulic diffusivity of the host rocks and processes that enhance diffusivity, such as fracturing, or decrease diffusivity, such as mineral precipitation during chemical alteration. Characterizing and quantifying the coupled effects of alteration, pore pressurization, and deformation have significant implications for deformation around intrusions, geothermal energy, contact metamorphism, and heat transfer at mid-ocean ridges. Fractures around dikes at Ship Rock, New Mexico, indicate that pore pressures in the host rocks exceeded hydrostatic conditions by at least 15 MPa following dike emplacement. Hydraulic measurements and petrographic analysis indicate that mineral precipitation clogged the pores of the host rock, reducing porosity from 0.25 to reducing permeability by 5 orders of magnitude. Field data from Ship Rock are used to motivate and constrain numerical models for thermal pore fluid pressurization adjacent to a meter-scale dike, using temperature-dependent hydraulic properties in the host rock as a proxy for porosity loss by mineral precipitation during chemical alteration. Reduction in permeability by chemical alteration has a negligible effect on pressurization. However, reduction in porosity by mineral precipitation increases fluid pressure by constricting pore volume and is identified as a potentially significant source of pressure. A scaling relationship is derived to determine when porosity loss becomes important; if permeability is low enough, pressurization by porosity loss outweighs pressurization by thermal expansion of fluids.

Thermal properties of Avery Island salt to 5730K and 50-MPa confining pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durham, W.B.; Abey, A.E.

1981-01-01

Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal linear expansion were measured on two samples of Avery Island rock salt up to simultaneous temperatures and pressures of 573 0 K and 50 MPa. Thermal conductivity at room temperature measured 6.3 +- 0.6 W/mK and decreased monotonically to 3.3 +- 0.4 W/mK at 573 0 K. Thermal diffusivity decreased from 3.0 +- 0.8 x 10 -6 m 2 /s at room temperature to 1.4 +- 0.5 x 10 -6 m 2 /s at 573 0 K. Thermal linear expansivity increased from 4.8 +- 0.3 x 10 -5 K -1 at room temperature to 5.6 +- 0.3 x 10 -5 K -1 at 573 0 K. The thermal properties showed no measurable (+-5%) dependence on confining pressure from 0 to 50 MPa for any temperature tested. The thermal conductivity values were not distinguishable (+-5%) from intrinsic (single crystal) values measured by others. Diffusivity fell about 20% below intrinsic values, and linear expansivity about 20% above intrinsic values. Thermal conductivity values for Avery Island salt measured recently by Morgan are as much as 50% lower than values measured here and were probably strongly affected by sample handling prior to measurement. The pressure independence of the thermal properties measured in our study suggests that thermally-induced microfracturing is nearly nonexistent. This lack of thermal cracking is consistent with the high (cubic) symmetry of halite

Modeling of nuclear waste disposal by rock melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1982-04-01

Today, the favored option for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes is their burial in mined caverns. As an alternative, the concept of deep disposal by rock melting (DRM) also has received some attention. DRM entails the injection of waste, in a cavity or borehole, 2 to 3 kilometers down in the earth crust. Granitic rocks are the prime candidate medium. The high thermal loading initially will melt the rock surrounding the waste. Following resolidification, a rock/waste matrix is formed, which should provide isolation for many years. The complex thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic aspects of DRM can be studied best by means of numerical models. The models must accommodate the coupling of the physical processes involved, and the temperature dependency of the granite properties, some of which are subject to abrupt discontinuities, during α-β phase transition and melting. This paper outlines a strategy for such complex modeling

The validity of generic trends on multiple scales in rock-physical and rock-mechanical properties of the Whitby Mudstone, United Kingdom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Douma, L.A.N.R.; Primarini, M.I.W.; Houben, M.E.; Barnhoorn, A.

Finding generic trends in mechanical and physical rock properties will help to make predictions of the rock-mechanical behaviour of shales. Understanding the rock-mechanical behaviour of shales is important for the successful development of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. This paper presents

Thermal analysis of the horizontal disposal for HLW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Honggang

2012-01-01

The temperature on the canister surface is set to be not more than 100 in the repository, a criterion which dictates the dimension of the repository. The factors that affect the highest temperature on the canister surface include the initial power of the canister, the material thermal properties of the engineered barrier system (EBS), the gaps around the canister in the EBS, the initial ground temperature and thermal properties of the host rock, the repository layout, etc. The article examines the material thermal properties of the host rock and the EBS, the thermal conductivity properties of the different gaps in the EBS, the temperature evolution around the single canister by using the analysis method and the numerical method for horizontal disposal concept. The findings are as follows: 1) The most important and the most sensitive parameter is the initial disposal power of the canister; 2) The two key factors that affect the highest temperature on the canister surface are the material parameter's uncertainty and nature variability of the host rock and the EBS, and the gaps around the canister in the EBS; 3) The temperature offsets between the canister and bentonite is not more than 10, and the bigger the inner gaps, the bigger temperature offsets between the canister and bentonite; When the gap between the bentonite and the host rock is filled with water, the gap's temperature offsets is small, but it will be 1∼3 higher when the gaps between the bentonite and the host rock is filled with air. (author)

Thermal Site Descriptive Model. A strategy for the model development during site investigations. Version 1.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundberg, Jan

2003-04-01

Site investigations are in progress for the siting of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel. As part of the planning work, strategies are developed for site descriptive modelling regarding different disciplines, amongst them the thermal conditions. The objective of the strategy for a thermal site descriptive model is to guide the practical implementation of evaluating site specific data during the site investigations. It is understood that further development may be needed. The model describes the thermal properties and other thermal parameters of intact rock, fractures and fracture zones, and of the rock mass. The methodology is based on estimation of thermal properties of intact rock and discontinuities, using both empirical and theoretical/numerical approaches, and estimation of thermal processes using mathematical modelling. The methodology will be used and evaluated for the thermal site descriptive modelling at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

Lithophysal Rock Mass Mechanical Properties of the Repository Host Horizon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. Rigby

2004-01-01

The purpose of this calculation is to develop estimates of key mechanical properties for the lithophysal rock masses of the Topopah Spring Tuff (Tpt) within the repository host horizon, including their uncertainties and spatial variability. The mechanical properties to be characterized include an elastic parameter, Young's modulus, and a strength parameter, uniaxial compressive strength. Since lithophysal porosity is used as a surrogate property to develop the distributions of the mechanical properties, an estimate of the distribution of lithophysal porosity is also developed. The resulting characterizations of rock parameters are important for supporting the subsurface design, developing the preclosure safety analysis, and assessing the postclosure performance of the repository (e.g., drift degradation and modeling of rockfall impacts on engineered barrier system components)

Thermal Properties Measurement Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmack, Jon [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Braase, Lori [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Papesch, Cynthia [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hurley, David [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Tonks, Michael [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Zhang, Yongfeng [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Gofryk, Krzysztof [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Harp, Jason [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Fielding, Randy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Knight, Collin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Meyer, Mitch [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-08-01

The Thermal Properties Measurement Report summarizes the research, development, installation, and initial use of significant experimental thermal property characterization capabilities at the INL in FY 2015. These new capabilities were used to characterize a U₃Si₂ (candidate Accident Tolerant) fuel sample fabricated at the INL. The ability to perform measurements at various length scales is important and provides additional data that is not currently in the literature. However, the real value of the data will be in accomplishing a phenomenological understanding of the thermal conductivity in fuels and the ties to predictive modeling. Thus, the MARMOT advanced modeling and simulation capability was utilized to illustrate how the microstructural data can be modeled and compared with bulk characterization data. A scientific method was established for thermal property measurement capability on irradiated nuclear fuel samples, which will be installed in the Irradiated Material Characterization Laboratory (IMCL).

Thermal properties Forsmark. Modelling stage 2.3 Complementary analysis and verification of the thermal bedrock model, stage 2.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundberg, Jan; Wrafter, John; Laendell, Maerta (Geo Innova AB (Sweden)); Back, Paer-Erik; Rosen, Lars (Sweco AB (Sweden))

2008-11-15

This report present the results of thermal modelling work for the Forsmark area carried out during modelling stage 2.3. The work complements the main modelling efforts carried out during modelling stage 2.2. A revised spatial statistical description of the rock mass thermal conductivity for rock domain RFM045 is the main result of this work. Thermal modelling of domain RFM045 in Forsmark model stage 2.2 gave lower tail percentiles of thermal conductivity that were considered to be conservatively low due to the way amphibolite, the rock type with the lowest thermal conductivity, was modelled. New and previously available borehole data are used as the basis for revised stochastic geological simulations of domain RFM045. By defining two distinct thermal subdomains, these simulations have succeeded in capturing more of the lithological heterogeneity present. The resulting thermal model for rock domain RFM045 is, therefore, considered to be more realistic and reliable than that presented in model stage 2.2. The main conclusions of modelling efforts in model stage 2.3 are: - Thermal modelling indicates a mean thermal conductivity for domain RFM045 at the 5 m scale of 3.56 W/(mK). This is slightly higher than the value of 3.49 W/(mK) derived in model stage 2.2. - The variance decreases and the lower tail percentiles increase as the scale of observation increases from 1 to 5 m. Best estimates of the 0.1 percentile of thermal conductivity for domain RFM045 are 2.24 W/(mK) for the 1 m scale and 2.36 W/(mK) for the 5 m scale. This can be compared with corresponding values for domain RFM029 of 2.30 W/(mK) for the 1 m scale and 2.87 W/(mK)for the 5 m scale. - The reason for the pronounced lower tail in the thermal conductivity distribution for domain RFM045 is the presence of large bodies of the low-conductive amphibolite. - The modelling results for domain RFM029 presented in model stage 2.2 are still applicable. - As temperature increases, the thermal conductivity decreases

Thermal property and density measurements of samples taken from drilling cores from potential geologic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagedrost, J.F.; Capps, W.

1983-12-01

Density, steady-state conductivity, enthalpy, specific heat, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity and linear thermal expansion were measured on 59 materials from core drill samples of several geologic media, including rock salt, basalt, and other associated rocks from 7 potential sites for nuclear waste isolation. The measurements were conducted from or near to room temperature up to 500 0 C, or to lower temperatures if limited by specimen cracking or fracturing. Ample documentation establishes the reliability of the property measurement methods and the accuracy of the results. Thermal expansions of salts reached 2.2 to 2.8 percent at 500 0 C. Associated rocks were from 0.6 to 1.6 percent. Basalts were close to 0.3 percent at 500 0 C. Specific heats of salts varied from 0.213 to 0.233 cal g -1 C -1 , and basalts averaged 0.239 cal g -1 C -1 . Thermal conductivities of salts at 50 0 C were from 0.022 to 0.046 wcm -1 C -1 , and at 500 0 C, from 0.012 to 0.027 wcm -1 C -1 . Basalts conductivities ranged from 0.020 to 0.022 wcm -1 C -1 at 100 0 C and 0.016 to 0.018 at 500 0 C. There were no obvious conductivity trends relative to source location. Room temperature densities of salts were from 2.14 to 2.29 gcm -3 , and basalts, from 2.83 to 2.90 gcm -3 . The extreme friability of some materials made specimen fabrication difficult. 21 references, 17 figures, 28 tables

Probabilistic-Stochastic Model of Distribution of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Soft Mineral Rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.O. Sdvizhkova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The physical and mechanical characteristics of soils and soft rocks obtained as a result of laboratory tests are important initial parameters for assessing the stability of natural and artificial slopes. Such properties of rocks as adhesion and the angle of internal friction are due to the influence of a number of natural and technogenic factors. At the same time, from the set of factors influencing the stability of the slope, the most significant ones are singled out, which to a greater extent determine the properties of the rocks. The more factors are taken into account in the geotechnical model, the more closely the properties of the rocks are studied, which increases the accuracy of the scientific forecast of the landslide danger of the slope. On the other hand, an increase in the number of factors involved in the model complicates it and causes a decrease in the reliability of geotechnical calculations. The aim of the work is to construct a statistical distribution of the studied physical and mechanical properties of soft rocks and to substantiate a probabilistic statistical model. Based on the results of laboratory tests of rocks, the statistical distributions of the quantitative traits studied, the angle of internal friction φ and the cohesion, were constructed. It was established that the statistical distribution of physical mechanical properties of rocks is close to a uniform law.

Thermal analysis of the vertical disposal for HLW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Honggang; Wang Ju; Liu Yuemiao; Su Rui

2013-01-01

The temperature on the canister surface is set to be no more than 100℃ in the high level radioactive waste (HLW) repository, it is a criterion to dictate the thermal dimension of the repository. The factors that affect the temperature on the canister surface include the initial power of the canister, the thermal properties of material as the engineered barrier system (EBS), the gaps around the canister in the EBS, the initial ground temperature and thermal properties of the host rock, the repository layout, etc. This article examines the thermal properties of the material in host rock and the EBS, the thermal conductivity properties of the different gaps in the EBS, the temperature evolution around the single canister by using the analysis method and the numerical method. The findings are as follows: 1) The most important and the sensitive parameter is the initial disposal power of the canister; 2) The two key factors that affect the highest temperature on the canister surface are the parameter of uncertainty and nature variability of material as the host rock and the EBS, and the gaps around the canister in the EBS; 3) The temperature difference between the canister and bentonite is no more than 10℃ , and the bigger the inner gaps are, the bigger the temperature difference will be; when the gap between the bentonite and the host rock is filled with water, the temperature difference becomes small, but it will be 1∼3℃ higher than the gaps filled will air. (authors)

Geomechanical properties of rocks from the Altnabreac area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEwen, T.J.; Horseman, S.T.; Lai, S.F.

1980-06-01

Laboratory test results are presented for core samples of Strath Halladale Granite and Moine metasediments from the Altnabreac Research Site in Caithness, Scotland. Properties measured include indirect tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength, shear strength under triaxial confinement, stress-strain parameters, density and porosity. Strength data are interpreted using Hoek and Brown's (1980) empirical failure criterion which is found to provide an adequate fit to the failure envelopes. The rocks at the site have been classified using Deere and Millers' (1966) engineering classification system for intact rocks. (author)

Hydrogeological Properties of the Rocks in Adansi Mining Area ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The hydrogeological properties of an aquifer coupled with climatic conditions and geomorphology determines how much groundwater exists in that location. A hydrogeological study of the rocks in the Adansi area was carried out to obtain the aquifer hydraulic properties. Drilling and pumping test analysis information were ...

Geological history and its impact on the rock mechanics properties of the Olkiluoto site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, J.A.; Cosgrove, J.W.

2006-03-01

This report is one of three documents with background information for supporting the development of Posiva's future rock mechanics programme. The other two reports are a summary of all the rock mechanics work completed for Posiva before 2005 (Posiva Working Report) and a technical audit of the numerical modeling work that has been conducted previously for Posiva (REC Memo). The purpose of this report is to establish the extent to which the mechanical properties of the rocks at the Olkiluoto site can be estimated from a knowledge of the geological environment. The main information required for rock mechanics studies of the site is a knowledge of the prevailing stress state, the properties of the intact rock, and the properties of the fractures at all scales - from sizes that could form blocks in the tunnel roof up to the major brittle deformation zones that could be influence the location of the ONKALO and the subsequent repository. Thus, the summary of the geological history in Chapter 2 concentrates on these features and we summarise the ductile and brittle deformational tectonic history of the site, with emphasis on the inferred stress states causing the deformations. Then, in Chapter 3, the rock stress, the hierarchy of brittle fracturing, the fracture properties and the mechanical properties of the rock mass are considered in the light of the geological environment. These features provide the baseline knowledge of the host rock from which the logic of the future rock mechanics programme can be developed, based on: the bedrock model; the site investigation results; the requirements for generating the site descriptive model; the prediction-outcome ONKALO studies; and numerically modeling the effects of excavation for design and safety analysis. The implications of this study for the future rock mechanics work are outlined in Chapter 4 with emphasis on the key features for modeling. (orig.)

Improving the temperature predictions of subsurface thermal models by using high-quality input data. Part 1: Uncertainty analysis of the thermal-conductivity parameterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuchs, Sven; Balling, Niels

2016-01-01

The subsurface temperature field and the geothermal conditions in sedimentary basins are frequently examined by using numerical thermal models. For those models, detailed knowledge of rock thermal properties are paramount for a reliable parameterization of layer properties and boundary conditions...

Mechanical and physical properties of hydrothermally altered rocks, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Wyering, L. D.; Villeneuve, M. C.; Wallis, I. C.; Siratovich, P. A.; Kennedy, B. M.; Gravley, D. M.; Cant, J. L.

2014-11-01

Mechanical characterization of hydrothermally altered rocks from geothermal reservoirs will lead to an improved understanding of rock mechanics in a geothermal environment. To characterize rock properties of the selected formations, we prepared samples from intact core for non-destructive (porosity, density and ultrasonic wave velocities) and destructive laboratory testing (uniaxial compressive strength). We characterised the hydrothermal alteration assemblage using optical mineralogy and existing petrography reports and showed that lithologies had a spread of secondary mineralisation that occurred across the smectite, argillic and propylitic alteration zones. The results from the three geothermal fields show a wide variety of physical rock properties. The testing results for the non-destructive testing shows that samples that originated from the shallow and low temperature section of the geothermal field had higher porosity (15 - 56%), lower density (1222 - 2114 kg/m3) and slower ultrasonic waves (1925 - 3512 m/s (vp) and 818 - 1980 m/s (vs)), than the samples from a deeper and higher temperature section of the field (1.5 - 20%, 2072 - 2837 kg/m3, 2639 - 4593 m/s (vp) and 1476 - 2752 m/s (vs), respectively). The shallow lithologies had uniaxial compressive strengths of 2 - 75 MPa, and the deep lithologies had strengths of 16 - 211 MPa. Typically samples of the same lithologies that originate from multiple wells across a field have variable rock properties because of the different alteration zones from which each sample originates. However, in addition to the alteration zones, the primary rock properties and burial depth of the samples also have an impact on the physical and mechanical properties of the rock. Where this data spread exists, we have been able to derive trends for this specific dataset and subsequently have gained an improved understanding of how hydrothermal alteration affects physical and mechanical properties.

Thermal-Insulation Properties of Multilayer Textile Packages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matusiak Małgorzata

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Thermal-insulation properties of textile materials play a significant role in material engineering of protective clothing. Thermal-insulation properties are very important from the point of view of thermal comfort of the clothing user as well as the protective efficiency against low or high temperature. Thermal protective clothing usually is a multilayer construction. Its thermal insulation is a resultant of a number of layers and their order, as well as the thermalinsulation properties of a single textile material creating particular layers. The aim of the presented work was to investigate the relationships between the thermal-insulation properties of single materials and multilayer textile packages composed of these materials. Measurement of the thermal-insulation properties of single and multilayer textile materials has been performed with the Alambeta. The following properties have been investigated: thermal conductivity, resistance and absorptivity. Investigated textile packages were composed of two, three and four layers made of woven and knitted fabrics, as well as nonwovens. On the basis of the obtained results an analysis has been carried out in order to assess the dependency of the resultant values of the thermal-insulation properties of multilayer packages on the appropriate values of particular components.

Non-Contact Thermal Properties Measurement with Low-Power Laser and IR Camera System

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Troy L.; Hecht, Michael H.

2011-01-01

As shown by the Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP), contact measurements of thermal conductivity and diffusivity (using a modified flux-plate or line-source heat-pulse method) are constrained by a number of factors. Robotic resources must be used to place the probe, making them unavailable for other operations for the duration of the measurement. The range of placement is also limited by mobility, particularly in the case of a lander. Placement is also subject to irregularities in contact quality, resulting in non-repeatable heat transfer to the material under test. Most important from a scientific perspective, the varieties of materials which can be measured are limited to unconsolidated or weakly-cohesive regolith materials, rocks, and ices being too hard for nominal insertion strengths. Accurately measuring thermal properties in the laboratory requires significant experimental finesse, involving sample preparation, controlled and repeatable procedures, and, practically, instrumentation much more voluminous than the sample being tested (heater plates, insulation, temperature sensors). Remote measurements (infrared images from orbiting spacecraft) can reveal composite properties like thermal inertia, but suffer both from a large footprint (low spatial resolution) and convolution of the thermal properties of a potentially layered medium. In situ measurement techniques (the Phoenix TECP is the only robotic measurement of thermal properties to date) suffer from problems of placement range, placement quality, occupation of robotic resources, and the ability to only measure materials of low mechanical strength. A spacecraft needs the ability to perform a non-contact thermal properties measurement in situ. Essential components include low power consumption, leveraging of existing or highly-developed flight technologies, and mechanical simplicity. This new in situ method, by virtue of its being non-contact, bypasses all of these

Poisson's Ratio and Auxetic Properties of Natural Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Shaocheng; Li, Le; Motra, Hem Bahadur; Wuttke, Frank; Sun, Shengsi; Michibayashi, Katsuyoshi; Salisbury, Matthew H.

2018-02-01

Here we provide an appraisal of the Poisson's ratios (υ) for natural elements, common oxides, silicate minerals, and rocks with the purpose of searching for naturally auxetic materials. The Poisson's ratios of equivalently isotropic polycrystalline aggregates were calculated from dynamically measured elastic properties. Alpha-cristobalite is currently the only known naturally occurring mineral that has exclusively negative υ values at 20-1,500°C. Quartz and potentially berlinite (AlPO4) display auxetic behavior in the vicinity of their α-β structure transition. None of the crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks (e.g., amphibolite, gabbro, granite, peridotite, and schist) display auxetic behavior at pressures of >5 MPa and room temperature. Our experimental measurements showed that quartz-rich sedimentary rocks (i.e., sandstone and siltstone) are most likely to be the only rocks with negative Poisson's ratios at low confining pressures (≤200 MPa) because their main constituent mineral, α-quartz, already has extremely low Poisson's ratio (υ = 0.08) and they contain microcracks, micropores, and secondary minerals. This finding may provide a new explanation for formation of dome-and-basin structures in quartz-rich sedimentary rocks in response to a horizontal compressional stress in the upper crust.

Simultaneous measurements of transport and poroelastic properties of rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasanov, Azar K; Prasad, Manika; Batzle, Michael L

2017-12-01

A novel laboratory apparatus has been developed for simultaneous measurements of transport and poroelastic rock properties. These transport and poroelastic properties at reservoir pressure and temperature conditions are required inputs for various geoscience applications, such as reservoir simulation, basin modeling, or modeling of pore pressure generation. Traditionally, the transport and poroelastic properties are measured separately using, for example, the oscillating pore pressure method to measure hydraulic transport properties, static strain measurements for elastic properties, and pore volumometry for storage capacity. In addition to time, the separate set of measurements require either aliquot cores or subjecting the same core to multiple pressure tests. We modified the oscillating pore pressure method to build an experimental setup, capable of measuring permeability, storage capacity, and pseudo-bulk modulus of rocks simultaneously. We present here the test method, calibration measurements (capillary tube), and sample measurements (sandstone) of permeability and storage capacity at reservoir conditions. We establish that hydraulically measured storage capacities were overestimated by an order of magnitude when compared to elastically derived ones. Our concurrent measurement of elastic properties during the hydraulic experiment provides an independent constraint on storage capacity.

Experimental investigation of thermal de-stratification in rock bed TES systems for high temperature applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okello, Denis; Nydal, Ole J.; Banda, Eldad J.K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • High thermal stratifications exists rock bed TES when charge with high temperature heat. • Faster thermal degradation occurs in highly stratified bed irrespective of the bed length. • Average rate of heat loss as a function of storage time increases with increasing average bed temperature. - Abstract: Solar energy fluctuates so much that it cannot promote continuous use. Integration of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) with solar energy collection devices has the potential of making solar energy available on demand. Thermal energy can be stored in a bed of rocks at temperatures suitable for applications like cooking, boiling space heating, etc. During charging, temperature stratification is observed in the bed. In a stratified system, if the heat is used immediately, then it is possible to extract heat at reasonably high temperature from the top. For cases where the system is to be used after sometime (later at night or the following morning), the high temperature heat at the top is observed to degrade as the system tries to establish thermal equilibrium irrespective of the bed height. The average rate of heat loss from the TES unit to the ambient is found to increase with increasing average bed temperatures

Study on investigation and evaluation methods of deep seated sedimentary rocks. Chemical weathering, pore water squeezing and relationships of physical properties of sedimentary rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Takahiro; Suzuki, Koichi

2006-01-01

Chemical weathering, porewater squeezing and physical properties for the sedimentary rocks were examined. Chemical weathering potential of rocks was described by the sulfur as a acceleration factor of weathering and carbonate contents as a neutralization factor of it. The carbonate contents in the rocks were measured accurately by the gas pressure measurement method. Pore water squeezing method was applied for the semi-hard sedimentary rocks (Opalinusclay). The chemical change of extracted pore water under high pressure conditions was estimated. Physical property of sedimentary rocks have relationship among the porosity and permeability and resistivity coefficient in the same rock types. It is possible to estimate the water permeability from the geophysical tests. (author)

A Model of Anisotropic Property of Seepage and Stress for Jointed Rock Mass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei-tao Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Joints often have important effects on seepage and elastic properties of jointed rock mass and therefore on the rock slope stability. In the present paper, a model for discrete jointed network is established using contact-free measurement technique and geometrical statistic method. A coupled mathematical model for characterizing anisotropic permeability tensor and stress tensor was presented and finally introduced to a finite element model. A case study of roadway stability at the Heishan Metal Mine in Hebei Province, China, was performed to investigate the influence of joints orientation on the anisotropic properties of seepage and elasticity of the surrounding rock mass around roadways in underground mining. In this work, the influence of the principal direction of the mechanical properties of the rock mass on associated stress field, seepage field, and damage zone of the surrounding rock mass was numerically studied. The numerical simulations indicate that flow velocity, water pressure, and stress field are greatly dependent on the principal direction of joint planes. It is found that the principal direction of joints is the most important factor controlling the failure mode of the surrounding rock mass around roadways.

Triaxial slide-hold-slide shear experiment of sedimentary rock under drain condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishida, Kiyoshi; Yano, Takao; Elsworth, Derek; Yasuhara, Hideaki; Nakashima, Shinichiro

2011-01-01

When discussing the mechanical and hydro-mechanical properties of rock masses under the long-term holding, the variation of rock structure and the change of shear band condition should be discussed in considering the effect of thermal and chemical influences. In this research, the triaxial shear experiment under drain condition was conducted through sedimentary rock, and in the residual stress state, the slide-hold-slide processes were applied to these triaxial experiments. The experiments were carried out in 3 kinds of confining conditions and 2 kinds of thermal conditions. Consequently, the healing phenomena can be observed and the shear strength recovery is also confirmed in process of the holding time. (author)

The seismic investigation of rock properties at the Carwynnen test mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

New, B.M.

1984-11-01

The research described follows on from the seismic velocity tomography carried out previously at this site and describes an attempt to map the rock mass in terms of its attenuative properties. This is done by comparison of the spectral distributions of energy within wave packets observed at various distances from numerous source locations. The method was not found sensitive to the variations in natural rock condition at this site as the spectra were dominated by the effects of man-made openings and rock damage which appeared to control the energy input/output transfer function at each location. The seismic shadow caused by the presence of a major void in the area was clearly identified and suggested that similar observations could considerably enhance the value of velocity tomography techniques. Shear and compressional wave velocities are used to obtain estimates of the dynamic elastic properties of the rock mass. Brief recommendations regarding future seismic research are given. (author)

Evaluation of properties and thermal stress field for thermal barrier coatings

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王良; 齐红宇; 杨晓光; 李旭

2008-01-01

In order to get thermal stress field of the hot section with thermal barrier coating (TBCs), the thermal conductivity and elastic modulus of top-coat are the physical key properties. The porosity of top-coat was tested and evaluated under different high temperatures. The relationship between the microstructure (porosity of top-coat) and properties of TBCs were analyzed to predict the thermal properties of ceramic top-coat, such as thermal conductivity and elastic modulus. The temperature and stress field of the vane with TBCs were simulated using two sets of thermal conductivity data and elastic modulus, which are from literatures and this work, respectively. The results show that the temperature and stress distributions change with thermal conductivity and elastic modulus. The differences of maximum temperatures and stress are 6.5% and 8.0%, respectively.

Thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks - selected methodological, mineralogical and textural studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Midttoemme, Kirsti

1997-12-31

The thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks is an important parameter in basin modelling as the main parameter controlling the temperature within a sedimentary basin. This thesis presents measured thermal conductivities, mainly on clay- and mudstone. The measured values are compared with values obtained by using thermal conductivity models. Some new thermal conductivity models are developed based on the measured values. The values obtained are less than most previously published values. In a study of unconsolidated sediments a constant deviation was found between thermal conductivities measured with a needle probe and a divided bas apparatus. Accepted thermal conductivity models based on the geometric mean model fail to predict the thermal conductivity of clay- and mudstone. Despite this, models based on the geometric mean model, where the effect of porosity is taken account of by the geometric mean equation, seem to be the best. Existing models underestimate the textural influence on the thermal conductivity of clay- and mudstone. The grain size was found to influence the thermal conductivity of artificial quartz samples. The clay mineral content seems to be a point of uncertainty in both measuring and modelling thermal conductivity. A good universal thermal conductivity model must include many mineralogical and textural factors. Since this is difficult, different models restricted to specific sediment types and textures are suggested to be the best solution to obtain realistic estimates applicable in basin modelling. 243 refs., 64 figs., 31 tabs.

A heat source probe for measuring thermal conductivity in waste rock dumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackford, M.G.; Harries, J.R.

1985-10-01

The development and use of a heat source probe to measure the thermal conductivity of the material in a waste rock dump is described. The probe releases heat at a constant rate into the surrounding material and the resulting temperature rise is inversely related to the thermal conductivity. The probe was designed for use in holes in the dump which are lined with 50 mm i.d. polyethylene liners. The poor thermal contact between the probe and the liner and the unknown conductivity of the backfill material around the liner necessitated long heating and cooling times (>10 hours) to ensure that the thermal conductivity of the dump material was being measured. Temperature data acquired in the field were analysed by comparing them with temperatures calculated using a two-dimensional cylindrical model of the probe and surrounding material, and the heat transfer code HEATRAN

Sensitivity analysis of efficiency thermal energy storage on selected rock mass and grout parameters using design of experiment method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wołoszyn, Jerzy; Gołaś, Andrzej

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Paper propose a new methodology to sensitivity study of underground thermal storage. • Using MDF model and DOE technique significantly shorter of calculations time. • Calculation of one time step was equal to approximately 57 s. • Sensitivity study cover five thermo-physical parameters. • Conductivity of rock mass and grout material have a significant impact on efficiency. - Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of selected parameters on the efficiency of underground thermal energy storage. In this paper, besides thermal conductivity, the effect of such parameters as specific heat, density of the rock mass, thermal conductivity and specific heat of grout material was investigated. Implementation of this objective requires the use of an efficient computational method. The aim of the research was achieved by using a new numerical model, Multi Degree of Freedom (MDF), as developed by the authors and Design of Experiment (DoE) techniques with a response surface. The presented methodology can significantly reduce the time that is needed for research and to determine the effect of various parameters on the efficiency of underground thermal energy storage. Preliminary results of the research confirmed that thermal conductivity of the rock mass has the greatest impact on the efficiency of underground thermal energy storage, and that other parameters also play quite significant role

Seismic response of rock joints and jointed rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, A.; Hsiung, S.M.; Chowdhury, A.H.

1996-06-01

Long-term stability of emplacement drifts and potential near-field fluid flow resulting from coupled effects are among the concerns for safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). A number of factors can induce drift instability or change the near-field flow patterns. Repetitive seismic loads from earthquakes and thermal loads generated by the decay of emplaced waste are two significant factors. One of two key technical uncertainties (KTU) that can potentially pose a high risk of noncompliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 60 is the prediction of thermal-mechanical (including repetitive seismic load) effects on stability of emplacement drifts and the engineered barrier system. The second KTU of concern is the prediction of thermal-mechanical-hydrological (including repetitive seismic load) effects on the host rock surrounding the engineered barrier system. The Rock Mechanics research project being conducted at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) is intended to address certain specific technical issues associated with these two KTUs. This research project has two major components: (i) seismic response of rock joints and a jointed rock mass and (ii) coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological (TMH) response of a jointed rock mass surrounding the engineered barrier system (EBS). This final report summarizes the research activities concerned with the repetitive seismic load aspect of both these KTUs

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Degueldre, Claude, E-mail: c.degueldre@lancaster.ac.uk [Engineering Department, University of Lancaster, LA1 4YW Lancaster (United Kingdom); ChiAM & Institute of Environment, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève 4, Swizerland (Switzerland); Earlier, NES, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Cloet, Veerle [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, 5430 Wettingen (Switzerland)

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

Stability evaluation considering the scattering of the physical properties of rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hiroshi; Shin, Koichi

1988-01-01

The objective of this research is to establish the rational design method which could be evaluated the influence of the scattering of mechanical properties on the stability of the foundation ground of Nuclear Power Plant and surrounding slope. For this purpose, investigation on the actual scattering state of mechanical properties of rock and rock masses, and the stability estimations by the probabilistic method are conducted in this report, and following results are obtained. (1) The actual distribution of scattering of mechanical properties could describe in the probabilistic models of Weibull and Gamma distribution most accurately. The Normal distribution model could also do almostly. The coefficients of variation are so large in the range of 0.4 - 0.8, the remarkable tendency of them among the kinds of mechanical Properties and among the rock classification are not recognized. (2) It is found that the stability estimation considering the scattering of mechanical properties can be sufficiently conducted by using the conventional deterministic method, and the results of deterministic method using the average value of scattering need not be reduce in proportional to the degree of scattering of mechanical properties. (3) Based on these results, new rational design method and procedure, which could be evaluated the scattering of mechanical properties of ground material, is proposed. (author)

A probabilistic approach to rock mechanical property characterization for nuclear waste repository design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kunsoo; Gao, Hang

1996-01-01

A probabilistic approach is proposed for the characterization of host rock mechanical properties at the Yucca Mountain site. This approach helps define the probability distribution of rock properties by utilizing extreme value statistics and Monte Carlo simulation. We analyze mechanical property data of tuff obtained by the NNWSI Project to assess the utility of the methodology. The analysis indicates that laboratory measured strength and deformation data of Calico Hills and Bullfrog tuffs follow an extremal. probability distribution (the third type asymptotic distribution of the smallest values). Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to estimate rock mass deformation moduli using a one-dimensional tuff model proposed by Zimmermann and Finley. We suggest that the results of these analyses be incorporated into the repository design

The correlations between natural elements (K, U, Th) concentrations and thermal neutron absorption cross-section value (Σa) for rock samples of Carpatia area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swakon, J.; Cywicka-Jakiel, T.; Drozdowicz, E.; Gabanska, B.; Loskiewicz, J.; Woznicka, U.

1991-01-01

The paper presents a study of correlations between concentrations of potassium, uranium and thorium and thermal neutron absorption cross section in rock samples. This knowledge of correlation should help in recognizing the expansion ways and accumulation places of the elements responsible of high thermal neutron absorption cross section in some geological environments. The correlations show the existence of connections between the thermal neutron absorption cross section value and natural radioactivity elements concentration in rocks. The results confirm the existence of correlations between natural radioactive elements concentrations (particularly thorium) and thermal neutron absorption cross - section value in some rocks. (author). 12 refs, 23 figs, 6 tabs

Waste-rock interactions in the immediate repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, G.J.

1977-01-01

The high level wastes (HLW's) to be placed underground in rock formations will contain significant amounts of radioactive decay heat for the first hundred-or-so years of isolation. Several physical-chemical changes analogous to natural geochemical processes can occur during this ''thermal period.'' The waste canister can act as a heat source and cause changes in the mineralogy and properties of the surrounding rocks. Geochemically, this is ''contact metamorphism.'' In the event that the canister is corroded and breached, chemical reactions can occur between the HLW, the surrounding rock and possibly the remains of the canister. In a dry repository which has not been backfilled (and thus pressurized) these interactions could be slow at best and with rates decreasing rapidly as the HLW cools. However, significant interactions can occur in years, months or even days under hydrothermal conditions. These conditions could be created by the combination of HLW heat, overburden pressure and water mobilized from the rocks or derived from groundwater intrusion. At the end of the thermal period these interaction products would constitute the actual HLW form (or ''source term'') subject to the low temperature leaching and migration processes under investigation in other laboratories. It is quite possible that these interaction product waste forms will have superior properties compared to the original HLW. Experimental programs initiated at Penn State during the last year aim at determining the nature of any chemical or mineralogical changes in, or interactions between, HLW solids and host rocks under various repository ambients. The accompanying figures describe the simulated HLW forms and the experimental approach and techniques. Studies with basalts as the repository rock are supported by Rockwell Hanford Operations and with shales by the Office of Waste Isolation

Damage characteristics and thermo-physical properties changes of limestone and sandstone during thermal treatment from -30 °C to 1000 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yanjun; Yang, Yang; Yang, Gengshe; Hou, Xin; Ye, Wanjun; You, Zhemin; Xi, Jiami

2018-05-01

A series of experiments were carried out to measure the damage characteristics of two common sedimentary rocks of limestone and sandstone at temperatures ranging from -30 °C to 1000 °C The apparent thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity were investigated respectively. Then, several discrepancy reasons for the damage characteristics and thermo-physical properties of limestone and sandstone were probed. The results show that water migration and phase transition are two core factors for the frost damage and thermal behaviors improvement during the cooling process(20 °C → -30 °C).The heating process (20 °C → 1000 °C) was divided into three stages of 20 °C → 200 °C, 200 °C → 600 °Cand 600 °C → 1000 °C. The first stage was closely related to pore-water evaporation, and the next two stages were attributed to the thermal reactions of mineral partials. The mineral decomposition tended to be intensified and resulted in the interior damage or even the accelerated degradation of thermal properties until at a threshold temperature of 600 °C. In essential, the structural features and the sensitivity of mineral composition to temperature were two mainly influential factors on the damage effects and heat conduct of the sedimentary rocks during variations in environmental temperature.

Rock glaciers Gruben, Muragl and Murtel, Switzerland: Area-wide flow fields, Version 1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Besides their thermal and mechanical properties, rock glaciers are essentially defined by their kinematics. Knowledge of the permafrost flow field provides important...

The effects of bauxite, metakaolin, and porosity on the thermal properties of prepared Iraqi clays refractory mortars

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidan, Shihab A.; Omar, Mustafa H.

2018-05-01

One of the most important requirements for the manufacture of refractory mortars, especially those used in the construction of thermal systems (building or plastering), is the balance between thermal insulation properties and porosity. Where, increasing porosity of mortar to a large amount may be always undesirable, because the absorption of liquid and gases emitted from industrial system is decline the bonded with bricks and structural properties of mortars. Refractory mortars prepared from either fired bauxite or metakaolin clays with different percentages of kaolin (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%). Bauxite rocks were fired at 1200 °C and metakaolin was obtained by firing kaolin up to 700 °C then crushed and grinded. Grog was added to mixture to reduce the shrinkage. Cylindrical specimens are prepared and then sintered at 1200 °C. All mixtures maintained a low thermal conductivity within the limits of thermal insulation material (less than 0.5 W/m K); it was done by controlling the porosity which reached a maximum value approximately 25%. The volumetric heat capacity and thermal diffusivity was ranged between (1-10 MJ/m3 K), (0.06-0.2 mm2/s), respectively.

Effect of temperature on the containment properties of argillaceous rocks: The case study of Callovo-Oxfordian claystones.

Science.gov (United States)

Savoye, S; Goutelard, F; Beaucaire, C; Charles, Y; Fayette, A; Herbette, M; Larabi, Y; Coelho, D

2011-07-01

Heat generated by high level radioactive wastes could alter the performance of a clay repository. It was intended to investigate the effect of such a thermal period on the diffusive properties of Callovo-Oxfordian claystones. Thus, through-diffusion experiments with HTO, Cl-36, Na-22 and Cs-137 were performed before, during and after stages of heating at 80°C that lasted for up to one year. A special attention was paid to limit the occurrence of any chemical disturbance. Therefore (i) the temperature was raised to 80°C, then progressively brought back to 21°C, thanks to three intermediate temperature stages, and (ii) specific synthetic solutions were used for each temperature, chemistry of which being close to the equilibrium state, especially with respect to the carbonate and sulphate minerals. It was found that experiments carried out at 80°C showed a clear increase of the effective diffusion coefficient values for the four tracers with respect to those obtained at 21°C (by a factor of 3 for HTO and Cl-36, 5 for Na-22 and 2 for Cs-137). On the other hand, the porosity and rock capacity values did not exhibit any significant discrepancy between 21°C and 80°C, indicating no observable damage of both the pore conducing network and the sorption properties of clay minerals. The Stokes-Einstein relationship, based on the temperature dependency of the viscosity of bulk water, could be used to describe the temperature dependence of the diffusion of HTO and Cl-36 but failed to describe the diffusive evolution of the two sorbing cations, Na-22 and Cs-137. Furthermore, experiments performed after the thermal period led to diffusive properties well matching those obtained before heating. All these results suggest that at the lab scale the heating of rock samples would not alter the claystone containment properties. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study about the long-term stability of sedimentary rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, Naoto; Miyanomae, Shun-ichi; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Nashimoto, Yutaka

2005-02-01

In this paper, following two issues were examined and estimated, (1) the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, (2) the long term estimation of the dynamical behavior considering the condition of Horonobe area. As the study about the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, the thermal factor was focused on and the laboratory tests using test pieces which were sampled in Horonobe area were carried out under the water temperature were 20 degrees and 80 degrees. As a result, the time dependence parameter in variable-compliance-type constitutive-equation could be obtained. And comparison between creep property under 20 degrees and 80 degrees was conducted. In addition, the general properties of sedimentary soft rock under several conditions were identified by the survey of the literature. And the way how to confirm the dynamical properties of sedimentary soft rock with in-situ test were presented. For the study on the short-term and long-term stability of rock surrounding buffer materials, numerical simulations were carried out assuming several conditions. The direction of disposal tunnels and the ratio of rock strength by initial stress were estimated to be the main factor affecting the short-term stability of rock. Time dependency of rock and the stiffness of buffer material were estimated to be the main factor affecting the long-term stability of rock. (author)

Near-field thermal transient and thermomechanical stress analysis of a disposal vault in crystalline hard rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsui, K.K.; Tsai, A.; Lee, C.F.

1981-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program currently focuses on the development of a disposal vault in crystalline hard rock at a reference depth of 1 km below the surface in a suitable pluton in the Canadian Shield. As part of Ontario Hydro's technical assistance to the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in this program, studies are being carried out to determine the effects of radiogenic heat on the near-field behaviour of a disposal vault. This paper presents the study results obtained to date. Temperature and stress fields were computed and cross-checked by several finite element codes. A comparison between vertical and horizontal borehole emplacement concepts is made. The effects of material non-linearity (temperature dependence) and three-dimensionality on the thermomechanical response are evaluated. Case histories of thermal spalling or fracturing in rock were summarized and discussed to illustrate the possible mechanisms and processes involved in thermal fracturing. An assessment of the thermomechanical stability of the rock mass around a disposal vault under a state of high horizontal in-situ stress is also presented

The Effect of Void Shape on the Mechanical Properties of Rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D.O. Potyondy

2006-01-01

The bonded-particle model for rock (Potyondy and Cundall, 2004) represents rock by a dense packing of non-uniform-sized circular or spherical particles that are bonded together at their contact points and whose mechanical behavior is simulated by the distinct-element method using the two- and three-dimensional programs PFC2D and PFC3D. A bonded-particle model of lithophysal tuff has been used to study the effect of lithophysae (hollow, bubble-like voids) on the mechanical properties (Young's modulus and unconfined compressive strength) of this rock, and to quantify the variability of these properties. The model reproduces the failure mechanisms observed in the laboratory and exhibits a reduction of strength and modulus with increasing lithophysal volume fraction. The effect of void shape on mechanical properties is studied by inserting randomly distributed voids of simple shape (circle, triangle and star) and by inserting voids corresponding with lithophysal cavities identified in panel maps of the walls of a tunnel through this material. These studies address tunnel-stability issues associated with mechanical degradation of planned emplacement drifts at Yucca Mountain, which is the designated site for the proposed US high-level nuclear waste repository

Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lupoi, Jason S., E-mail: jlupoi@rjlg.com; Fritz, Luke P. [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States); Parris, Thomas M. [Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Hackley, Paul C. [UniversityS. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States); Solotky, Logan [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States); Eble, Cortland F. [Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Schlaegle, Steve [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States)

2017-09-27

The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo). VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM), and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral method to become an

Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupoi, Jason S.; Fritz, Luke P.; Parris, Thomas M.; Hackley, Paul C.; Solotky, Logan; Eble, Cortland F.; Schlaegle, Steve

2017-01-01

The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo). VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM), and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral method to become an

Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason S. Lupoi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo. VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM, and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral

Thermal energy storage in rock chambers - a complement to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margen, P.H.

1971-01-01

Within about a decade from now, the nuclear capacity on several generation systems will have become larger than the night load, thus increasing the incentive to exploit cheap night energy for daily storage schemes. In Sweden, energy storage schemes using rock cavities have been studied for a number of years. These include pumped storage schemes with lower magazines well below ground surface and gas turbine schemes with compressed air magazines. Recently preliminary studies have been made of a third form - that of storing hot high pressure water in rock cavities with a simple thermal insulation. One method of utilizing this water is as feed water for a nuclear power station, the water in the store being heated from about 73 ° C to 21 7°C at night, and the stored hot water being fed directly to the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) during the day. An increase in turbine output by about 25% can then be achieved at peak periods due to the elimination of the h.p. steam bleeding for unchanged reactor power. About 35 kWh of electricity can be recovered per m 3 of storage volume, i.e. 30 times as much as if one m 3 of cold water had been allowed to descend 450 m under gravity to the lower magazine of a pumped storage plant. This illustrates how much more effective hot water storage utilizes the space of a rock cavity than does cold water storage for a pumped storage plant even at very great depths. The paper describes the circuit proposed and the design of the accumulator to meet the requirements concerning thermal insulation (to avoid exposing the rock walls to daily temperature cycles), avoidance of risk of leakage of slightly active feed water to the surrounding ground water even under severe accident conditions such as pipe and tank ruptures, and water chemistry to avoid water containing impurities or dissolved gases from reaching the feed water circuit. A preliminary cost analysis is given which shows that the proposal allows the generation of additional blocks of

Studying physical properties of deformed intact and fractured rocks by micro-scale hydro-mechanical-seismicity model

Science.gov (United States)

Raziperchikolaee, Samin

The pore pressure variation in an underground formation during hydraulic stimulation of low permeability formations or CO2 sequestration into saline aquifers can induce microseismicity due to fracture generation or pre-existing fracture activation. While the analysis of microseismic data mainly focuses on mapping the location of fractures, the seismic waves generated by the microseismic events also contain information for understanding of fracture mechanisms based on microseismic source analysis. We developed a micro-scale geomechanics, fluid-flow and seismic model that can predict transport and seismic source behavior during rock failure. This model features the incorporation of microseismic source analysis in fractured and intact rock transport properties during possible rock damage and failure. The modeling method considers comprehensive grains and cements interaction through a bonded-particle-model. As a result of grain deformation and microcrack development in the rock sample, forces and displacements in the grains involved in the bond breakage are measured to determine seismic moment tensor. In addition, geometric description of the complex pore structure is regenerated to predict fluid flow behavior of fractured samples. Numerical experiments are conducted for different intact and fractured digital rock samples, representing various mechanical behaviors of rocks and fracture surface properties, to consider their roles on seismic and transport properties of rocks during deformation. Studying rock deformation in detail provides an opportunity to understand the relationship between source mechanism of microseismic events and transport properties of damaged rocks to have a better characterizing of fluid flow behavior in subsurface formations.

Determination of Transport Properties From Flowing Fluid Temperature Logging In Unsaturated Fractured Rocks: Theory And Semi-Analytical Solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sumit; Tsang, Yvonne W.

2008-01-01

Flowing fluid temperature logging (FFTL) has been recently proposed as a method to locate flowing fractures. We argue that FFTL, backed up by data from high-precision distributed temperature sensors, can be a useful tool in locating flowing fractures and in estimating the transport properties of unsaturated fractured rocks. We have developed the theoretical background needed to analyze data from FFTL. In this paper, we present a simplified conceptualization of FFTL in unsaturated fractured rock, and develop a semianalytical solution for spatial and temporal variations of pressure and temperature inside a borehole in response to an applied perturbation (pumping of air from the borehole). We compare the semi-analytical solution with predictions from the TOUGH2 numerical simulator. Based on the semi-analytical solution, we propose a method to estimate the permeability of the fracture continuum surrounding the borehole. Using this proposed method, we estimated the effective fracture continuum permeability of the unsaturated rock hosting the Drift Scale Test (DST) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Our estimate compares well with previous independent estimates for fracture permeability of the DST host rock. The conceptual model of FFTL presented in this paper is based on the assumptions of single-phase flow, convection-only heat transfer, and negligible change in system state of the rock formation. In a sequel paper (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2008), we extend the conceptual model to evaluate some of these assumptions. We also perform inverse modeling of FFTL data to estimate, in addition to permeability, other transport parameters (such as porosity and thermal conductivity) of unsaturated fractured rocks

Thermal Properties and Thermal Analysis:

Science.gov (United States)

Kasap, Safa; Tonchev, Dan

The chapter provides a summary of the fundamental concepts that are needed to understand the heat capacity C P, thermal conductivity κ, and thermal expansion coefficient α L of materials. The C P, κ, and α of various classes of materials, namely, semiconductors, polymers, and glasses, are reviewed, and various typical characteristics are summarized. A key concept in crystalline solids is the Debye theory of the heat capacity, which has been widely used for many decades for calculating the C P of crystals. The thermal properties are interrelated through Grüneisen's theorem. Various useful empirical rules for calculating C P and κ have been used, some of which are summarized. Conventional differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful and convenient thermal analysis technique that allows various important physical and chemical transformations, such as the glass transition, crystallization, oxidation, melting etc. to be studied. DSC can also be used to obtain information on the kinetics of the transformations, and some of these thermal analysis techniques are summarized. Temperature-modulated DSC, TMDSC, is a relatively recent innovation in which the sample temperature is ramped slowly and, at the same time, sinusoidally modulated. TMDSC has a number of distinct advantages compared with the conventional DSC since it measures the complex heat capacity. For example, the glass-transition temperature T g measured by TMDSC has almost no dependence on the thermal history, and corresponds to an almost step life change in C P. The new Tzero DSC has an additional thermocouple to calibrate better for thermal lags inherent in the DSC measurement, and allows more accurate thermal analysis.

Technical support for GEIS: radioactive waste isolation in geologic formations. Volume 7. Baseline rock properties-basalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-04-01

This volume, Y/OWI/TM-36/7 Baseline Rock Properties--Basalt, is one of a 23-volume series, ''Technical Support for GEIS: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-36'' which supplements a ''Contribution to Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Commercial Waste Management: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-44.'' The series provides a more complete technical basis for the preconceptual designs, resource requirements, and environmental source terms associated with isolating commercial LWR wastes in underground repositories in salt, granite, shale and basalt. Wastes are considered from three fuel cycles: uranium and plutonium recycling, no recycling of spent fuel and uranium-only recycling. This report contains an evaluation of the results of a literature survey to define the rock mass properties of a generic basalt, which could be considered as a geological medium for storing radioactive waste. The general formation and structure of basaltic rocks is described. This is followed by specific descriptions and rock property data for the Dresser Basalt, the Amchitka Island Basalt, the Nevada Test Site Basalt and the Columbia River Group Basalt. Engineering judgment has been used to derive the rock mass properties of a typical basalt from the relevant intact rock property data and the geological information pertaining to structural defects, such as joints and faults

Graphene Thermal Properties: Applications in Thermal Management and Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackie D. Renteria

2014-11-01

Full Text Available We review the thermal properties of graphene, few-layer graphene and graphene nanoribbons, and discuss practical applications of graphene in thermal management and energy storage. The first part of the review describes the state-of-the-art in the graphene thermal field focusing on recently reported experimental and theoretical data for heat conduction in graphene and graphene nanoribbons. The effects of the sample size, shape, quality, strain distribution, isotope composition, and point-defect concentration are included in the summary. The second part of the review outlines thermal properties of graphene-enhanced phase change materials used in energy storage. It is shown that the use of liquid-phase-exfoliated graphene as filler material in phase change materials is promising for thermal management of high-power-density battery parks. The reported experimental and modeling results indicate that graphene has the potential to outperform metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and other carbon allotropes as filler in thermal management materials.

Analysis of the effect of pore geometry in the physical properties of rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Alberto Oliveira Lima Roque

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Pore geometry is one of the main factors influencing the flow of reservoir fluids under pressure. Pores with narrower formats are more easily compressed when subject to pressure. Pressure modifies pore geometry by opening or closing cracks, causing increase or decrease in the elastic modulus, porosity, permeability, and other parameters. Rock physical properties depend on the size and shape of pores. Thus, in order to analyze changes on the physical properties behavior according to the pores geometry, it is necessary to study and improve mathematical models of the porous media by taking into account the pore shape factor for estimating rock elastic properties. Differential effective medium model (DEM, Hertz-Mindlin theory and coherent potential approximation (CPA are some of the theoretical paradigms that take into account pore geometry in changes in elastic moduli. Given the importance of the pore structure effect on the behavior of physical parameters, this article proposes an analysis of some mathematical models that consider the influence of pore shapes in the physical properties of rocks.

Thermal and microstructural properties of fine-grained material at the Viking Lander 1 site

Science.gov (United States)

Paton, M. D.; Harri, A.-M.; Savijärvi, H.; Mäkinen, T.; Hagermann, A.; Kemppinen, O.; Johnston, A.

2016-06-01

As Viking Lander 1 touched down on Mars one of its footpads fully penetrated a patch of loose fine-grained drift material. The surrounding landing site, as observed by VL-1, was found to exhibit a complex terrain consisting of a crusted surface with an assortment of rocks, large dune-like drifts and smaller patches of drift material. We use a temperature sensor attached to the buried footpad and covered in fine-grained material to determine the thermal properties of drift material at the VL-1 site. The thermal properties are used to investigate the microstructure of the drift material and understand its relevance to surface-atmosphere interactions. We obtained a thermal inertia value of 103 ± 22 tiu. This value is in the upper range of previous thermal inertia estimates of martian dust as measured from orbit and is significantly lower than the regional thermal inertia of the VL-1 site, of around 283 tiu, obtained from orbit. We estimate a thermal inertia of around 263 ± 29 tiu for the duricrust at the VL-1 site. It was noted the patch of fine-grained regolith around the footpad was about 20-30 K warmer compared to similar material beyond the thermal influence of the lander. An effective diameter of 8 ± 5 μm was calculated for the particles in the drift material. This is larger than atmospheric dust and large compared to previous estimates of the drift material particle diameter. We interpret our results as the presence of a range of particle sizes, <8 μm, in the drift material with the thermal properties being controlled by a small amount of large particles (∼8 μm) and its cohesion being controlled by a large amount of smaller particles. The bulk of the particles in the drift material are therefore likely comparable in size to that of atmospheric dust. The possibility of larger particles being locked into a fine-grained material has implications for understanding the mobilisation of wind blown materials on Mars.

A new method for testing thermal shock resistance properties of soapstone – Effects of microstructures and mineralogical variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Huhta

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Soapstone industry utilizes different types of soapstone mainly as a construction material for fireplaces. In this application soapstone has to meet different temperature requirements in different parts of fireplaces. Mineralogical and structural information is needed for placing an appropriate type of soapstone in an appropriate position in the fireplace construction. This allows employment of higher temperatures resulting in more particulate-free combustion, which makes it possible for soapstone industry to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly fireplaces. Of many soapstone types, which differ from each other in their chemical composition and thermal properties, carbonate soapstone and its microstructural variations were investigated in this study. A new method was developed to measure thermal shock resistant of natural stones. By exposing carbonate soapstone samples of different textural types to rapid temperature changes, it was possible to determine the parameters that affect the capacity of the rock to resist thermal shock. The results indicate that the type of microtexture is an important factor in controlling the thermal shock resistance of carbonate soapstone. The soapstone samples with a high thermal shock resistance show deformation textures, such as crenulation cleavage and S/C mylonite. A strong negative correlation was observed between the thermal shock resistance and length of cleavage domains in foliated rocks. Also a slight elevation in the iron concentration of talc and magnesite was discovered to improve the thermal shock resistance of carbonate soapstone. Attention should especially be paid to the length and planarity of cleavage domains of spaced foliation.

Effect of temperature on the containment properties of argillaceous rocks: The case study of Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savoye, S.; Goutelard, F.; Beaucaire, C.; Charles, Y.; Fayette, A.; Herbette, M.; Larabi, Y.; Coelho, D.

2011-01-01

Heat generated by high level radioactive wastes could alter the performance of a clay repository. It was intended to investigate the effect of such a thermal period on the diffusive properties of Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stones. Thus, through-diffusion experiments with HTO, 36 Cl, 22 Na and 137 Cs were performed before, during and after stages of heating at 80 degrees C that lasted for up to one year. A special attention was paid to limit the occurrence of any chemical disturbance. Therefore (i) the temperature was raised to 80 degrees C, then progressively brought back to 21 degrees C, thanks to three intermediate temperature stages, and (ii) specific synthetic solutions were used for each temperature, chemistry of which being close to the equilibrium state, especially with respect to the carbonate and sulphate minerals. It was found that experiments carried out at 80 degrees C showed a clear increase of the effective diffusion coefficient values for the four tracers with respect to those obtained at 21 degrees C (by a factor of 3 for HTO and 36 Cl, 5 for 22 Na and 2 for 137 Cs). On the other hand, the porosity and rock capacity values did not exhibit any significant discrepancy between 21 degrees C and 80 degrees C, indicating no observable damage of both the pore conducing network and the sorption properties of clay minerals. The Stokes-Einstein relationship, based on the temperature dependency of the viscosity of bulk water, could be used to describe the temperature dependence of the diffusion of HTO and 36 Cl but failed to describe the diffusive evolution of the two sorbing cations, 22 Na and 137 Cs. Furthermore, experiments performed after the thermal period led to diffusive properties well matching those obtained before heating. All these results suggest that at the lab scale the heating of rock samples would not alter the clay-stone containment properties. (authors)

Dust coatings on basaltic rocks and implications for thermal infrared spectroscopy of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, J. R.; Christensen, P.R.; Lucey, P.G.

2002-01-01

Thin coatings of atmospherically deposited dust can mask the spectral characteristics of underlying surfaces on Mars from the visible to thermal infrared wavelengths, making identification of substrate and coating mineralogy difficult from lander and orbiter spectrometer data. To study the spectral effects of dust coatings, we acquired thermal emission and hemispherical reflectance spectra (5-25 μm; 2000-400 cm-1) of basaltic andesite coated with different thicknesses of air fall-deposited palagonitic soils, fine-grained ceramic clay powders, and terrestrial loess. The results show that thin coatings (10-20 μm) reduce the spectral contrast of the rock substrate substantially, consistent with previous work. This contrast reduction continues linearly with increasing coating thickness until a "saturation thickness" is reached, after which little further change is observed. The saturation thickness of the spectrally flat palagonite coatings is ~100-120 μm, whereas that for coatings with higher spectral contrast is only ~50-75 μm. Spectral differences among coated and uncoated samples correlate with measured coating thicknesses in a quadratic manner, whereas correlations with estimated surface area coverage are better fit by linear functions. Linear mixture modeling of coated samples using the rock substrate and coating materials as end-members is also consistent with their measured coating thicknesses and areal coverage. A comparison of ratios of Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) spectra of dark and bright intracrater and windstreak deposits associated with Radau crater suggests that the dark windstreak material may be coated with as much as 90% areal coverage of palagonitic dust. The data presented here also will help improve interpretations of upcoming mini-TES and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) observations of coated Mars surface materials.

Geologic feasibility of talc and serpentinite bodies from the Appalachian Mountain region of eastern United States with regard to siting of radioactive-waste repositories. Part I. Additional conclusions relating to ultramafic rocks. Part II. Field investigations of talc and serpentinite deposits. Supplementary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenner, D.B.

1976-01-01

Ultramafic rocks and serpentinites appear to have many favorable features that make them worthy of further consideration. Such rock types are widely distributed in this country and display wide variations in their physical properties, based largely on the degree of serpentinization and mineral content. For example, serpentinite has certain self-sealing and flowage characteristics that render it impermeable at depth, whereas unserpentinized ultramafic rocks are structurally very rigid and strong. Another favorable property of ultramafic rocks is the relatively low thermal expansion coefficient. Talc also has some favorable features and characteristics such as a high thermal stability and a low porosity and permeability. This present study has verified that very little ground water influx occurs in talcose rocks except in large fault zones. A major drawback for the usage of talc for containment of radioactive wastes is due to the relatively small sizes of most bodies. However, some of the large talc-carbonate units in the Missisquoi Valley Region of Vermont has potential. Consideration should also be given to other crystalline rocks as well, particularly schists, since they commonly contain micaceous materials which have similar properties to talc and serpentine. In considering various types of rocks for containment of radioactive wastes, the important properties are thermal conductivities, thermal expansion coefficients, thermal stabilities, and how high radiation fluxes affect these properties

An experimental and theoretical study to relate uncommon rock/fluid properties to oil recovery. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, R.

1995-07-01

Waterflooding is the most commonly used secondary oil recovery technique. One of the requirements for understanding waterflood performance is a good knowledge of the basic properties of the reservoir rocks. This study is aimed at correlating rock-pore characteristics to oil recovery from various reservoir rock types and incorporating these properties into empirical models for Predicting oil recovery. For that reason, this report deals with the analyses and interpretation of experimental data collected from core floods and correlated against measurements of absolute permeability, porosity. wettability index, mercury porosimetry properties and irreducible water saturation. The results of the radial-core the radial-core and linear-core flow investigations and the other associated experimental analyses are presented and incorporated into empirical models to improve the predictions of oil recovery resulting from waterflooding, for sandstone and limestone reservoirs. For the radial-core case, the standardized regression model selected, based on a subset of the variables, predicted oil recovery by waterflooding with a standard deviation of 7%. For the linear-core case, separate models are developed using common, uncommon and combination of both types of rock properties. It was observed that residual oil saturation and oil recovery are better predicted with the inclusion of both common and uncommon rock/fluid properties into the predictive models.

Studies of electrical properties of low-resistivity sandstones based on digital rock technology

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Weichao; Sun, Jianmeng; Zhang, Jinyan; Yuan, Weiguo; Zhang, Li; Cui, Likai; Dong, Huaimin

2018-02-01

Electrical properties are important parameters to quantitatively calculate water saturation in oil and gas reservoirs by well logging interpretation. It is usual that oil layers show high resistivity responses, while water layers show low-resistivity responses. However, there are low-resistivity oil zones that exist in many oilfields around the world, leading to difficulties for reservoir evaluation. In our research, we used digital rock technology to study different internal and external factors to account for low rock resistivity responses in oil layers. We first constructed three-dimensional digital rock models with five components based on micro-computed tomography technology and x-ray diffraction experimental results, and then oil and water distributions in pores were determined by the pore morphology method. When the resistivity of each component was assigned, rock resistivities were calculated by using the finite element method. We collected 20 sandstone samples to prove the effectiveness of our numerical simulation methods. Based on the control variate method, we studied the effects of different factors on the resistivity indexes and rock resistivities. After sensitivity analyses, we found the main factors which caused low rock resistivities in oil layers. For unfractured rocks, influential factors arranged in descending order of importance were porosity, clay content, temperature, water salinity, heavy mineral, clay type and wettability. In addition, we found that the resistivity index could not provide enough information to identify a low-resistivity oil zone by using laboratory rock-electric experimental results. These results can not only expand our understandings of the electrical properties of low-resistivity rocks from oil layers, but also help identify low-resistivity oil zones better.

In-situ experiments to investigate rock matrix retention properties in ONKALO, Olkiluoto, Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voutilainen, Mikko; Helariutta, Kerttuli [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Chemistry; Poteri, Antti [Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT (Finland); and others

2015-07-01

Spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants, owned by TVO (Teollisuuden Voima Oy) and Fortum, is planned to be disposed to a repository at a depth of more than 400 meters in the bedrock of Olkiluoto (Eurajoki, Finland). The repository system of multiple release barriers consists of both manmade and natural barriers. The surrounding rock acts as the last barrier if other barriers fail during passage of the millennia. Therefore, safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel requires information on the radionuclide transport and retention properties within the porous and water-containing rock matrix along the water conducting flow paths. To this end, various types of experiments are being performed and planned within ONKALO, the underground rock characterization facility in Olkiluoto, as part of the project @''rock matrix REtention PROperties'' (REPRO). The research site is located at a depth of 420 meters close to the repository site. The aim is to study the diffusion and sorption properties of nuclear compounds in the rock matrix under real in-situ conditions. The first in-situ experiment was performed during 2012 using HTO, Na-22, Cl-36 and I-125 as tracer nuclides. Breakthrough curves show retention and asymptotic behavior that are in-line with those caused by matrix diffusion and sorption were observed in their breakthrough curves. Weak sorption was also observed in the breakthrough curves of Na-22 and I-125.

Ground water movements around a repository. Rock mechanics analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratigan, J.L.

1977-09-01

The determination and rational assessment of groundwater flow around a repository depends upon the accurate analysis of several interdependent and coupled phenomenological events occuring within the rock mass. In particular, the groundwater flow pathways (joints) are affected by the excavation and thermomechanical stresses developed within the rock mass, and the properties, of the groundwater are altered by the temperature perturbations in the rock mass. The objective of this report is to present the results of the rock mechanics analysis for the repository excavation and the thermally-induced loadings. Qualitative analysis of the significance of the rock mechanics results upon the groundwater flow is provided in this report whenever such an analysis can be performed. Non-linear rock mechanics calculations have been completed for the repository storage tunnels and the global repository domain. The rock mass has been assumed to possess orthoganol joint sets or planes of weakness with finite strength characteristics. In the local analyses of the repository storage tunnels the effects of jointorientation and repository ventilation have been examined. The local analyses indicated that storage room support requirements and regions of strength failure are highly dependent upon joint orientation. The addition of storage tunnel ventilation was noted to reduce regions of strength failure, particularly during the 30 year operational phase of the repository. Examination of the local stresses around the storage tunnels indicated the potential for perturbed hydraulic permeabilities. The permeabilities can be expected to be altered to a greater degree by the stresses resulting from excavation than from stresses which are thermally induced. The thermal loading provided by the instantaneous waste emplacement resulted in stress states and displacements quite similar to those provided by the linear waste emplacement sequence

Estimating thermal maturity in the Eagle Ford Shale petroleum system using gas gravity data

Science.gov (United States)

Birdwell, Justin E.; Kinney, Scott A.

2017-01-01

Basin-wide datasets that provide information on the geochemical properties of petroleum systems, such as source rock quality, product composition, and thermal maturity, are often difficult to come by or assemble from publically available data. When published studies are available and include these kinds of properties, they generally have few sampling locations and limited numbers and types of analyses. Therefore, production-related data and engineering parameters can provide useful proxies for geochemical properties that are often widely available across a play and in some states are reported in publically available or commercial databases. Gas-oil ratios (GOR) can be calculated from instantaneous or cumulative production data and can be related to the source rock geochemical properties like kerogen type (Lewan and Henry, 1999) and thermal maturity (Tian et al., 2013; U.S. Energy Information Administration [EIA], 2014). Oil density or specific gravity (SG), often reported in American Petroleum Institute units (°API = 141.5 /SG – 131.5), can also provide information on source rock thermal maturity, particularly when combined with GOR values in unconventional petroleum systems (Nesheim, 2017).

Rock mass mechanical property estimation strategy for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, M.; Brechtel, C.E.; Hardy, M.P.; Bauer, S.J.

1992-01-01

This paper presents a method of estimating the rock mass properties for the welded and nonwelded tuffs based on currently available information on intact rock and joint characteristics at the Yucca Mountain site. Variability of the expected ground conditions at the potential repository horizon (the TSw2 thermomechanical unit) and in the Calico Hills nonwelded tuffs is accommodated by defining five rock mass quality categories in each unit based upon assumed and observed distributions of the data

An analytical solution for modeling thermal energy transfer in a confined aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw-Yang, Yang; Hund-der, Yeh

2008-12-01

A mathematical model is developed for simulating the thermal energy transfer in a confined aquifer with different geological properties in the underlying and overlying rocks. The solutions for temperature distributions in the aquifer, underlying rock, and overlying rock are derived by the Laplace transforms and their corresponding time-domain solutions are evaluated by the modified Crump method. Field data adopted from the literature are used as examples to demonstrate the applicability of the solutions in modeling the heat transfer in an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system. The results show that the aquifer temperature increases with time, injection flow rate, and water temperature. However, the temperature decreases with increasing radial and vertical distances. The heat transfer in the rocks is slow and has an effect on the aquifer temperature only after a long period of injection time. The influence distance depends on the aquifer physical and thermal properties, injection flow rate, and injected water temperature. A larger value of thermal diffusivity or injection flow rate will result in a longer influence distance. The present solution can be used as a tool for designing the heat injection facilities for an ATES system.

Thermal insulation properties of walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhukov Aleksey Dmitrievich

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Heat-protective qualities of building structures are determined by the qualities of the used materials, adequate design solutions and construction and installation work of high quality. This rule refers both to the structures made of materials similar in their structure and nature and mixed, combined by a construction system. The necessity to ecaluate thermal conductivity is important for a product and for a construction. Methods for evaluating the thermal protection of walls are based on the methods of calculation, on full-scale tests in a laboratory or on objects. At the same time there is a reason to believe that even deep and detailed calculation may cause deviation of the values from real data. Using finite difference method can improve accuracy of the results, but it doesn’t solve all problems. The article discusses new approaches to evaluating thermal insulation properties of walls. The authors propose technique of accurate measurement of thermal insulation properties in single blocks and fragments of walls and structures.

Fluid and ionic transport properties of deformed salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peach, C.J.; Spiers, C.J.; Tankink, A.J.; Zwart, H.J.

1987-01-01

This is a final report on work done on the transport properties of salt during the period 1 January 1984 to 30 June 1985. This work was directed largely at the measurement of creep-induced permeability in salt rock, at determining the permeability persistence/decay characteristics of creep-dilated salt rock under hydrostatic conditions, and at ion migration/retention experiments on both deformed and undeformed material. The permeability work was carried out using both gas (argon) and brine, and involved the design and construction of corresponding permeametry systems for use in conjunction with dilatometric triaxial testing apparatus. Ion migration/retention studies involved the use of contaminant species such as Sr 2+ , Cs + , Fe 3+ and TcO 4

Experimental study on influence of carbon dioxide on porous structure and mechanical properties of shale rock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danuta Miedzińska

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Shale rocks are geological formations which can be unconventional gas reservoirs. During their interaction with carbon dioxide, which can be used as a fracturing fluid in shale gas recovery process, many phenomena take place that can influence rock structure and mechanical properties. The research on changes in rock structure under super critical carbon dioxide interaction and their influence of shale properties were presented in the paper. The structural tests were carried out with the use of microscopic techniques with different resolutions of visualization. The uniaxial compression test was applied as a mechanical properties’ assessment experiment. As a result of research, some dependence was observed. The bigger decrease was in porosity after infiltration in lower zooms, the bigger increase in porosity in high zooms and mechanical properties was noticed. Keywords: geomechanics, shale rock, carbon dioxide

Applicability of geomechanical classifications for estimation of strength properties in Brazilian rock masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Tatiana B; Lana, Milene S; Santos, Allan E M; Silveira, Larissa R C

2017-01-01

Many authors have been proposed several correlation equations between geomechanical classifications and strength parameters. However, these correlation equations have been based in rock masses with different characteristics when compared to Brazilian rock masses. This paper aims to study the applicability of the geomechanical classifications to obtain strength parameters of three Brazilian rock masses. Four classification systems have been used; the Rock Mass Rating (RMR), the Rock Mass Quality (Q), the Geological Strength Index (GSI) and the Rock Mass Index (RMi). A strong rock mass and two soft rock masses with different degrees of weathering located in the cities of Ouro Preto and Mariana, Brazil; were selected for the study. Correlation equations were used to estimate the strength properties of these rock masses. However, such correlations do not always provide compatible results with the rock mass behavior. For the calibration of the strength values obtained through the use of classification systems, ​​stability analyses of failures in these rock masses have been done. After calibration of these parameters, the applicability of the various correlation equations found in the literature have been discussed. According to the results presented in this paper, some of these equations are not suitable for the studied rock masses.

Effects of Heating Rate on the Dynamic Tensile Mechanical Properties of Coal Sandstone during Thermal Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of coal layered combustion and the heat injection rate on adjacent rock were examined in the process of underground coal gasification and coal-bed methane mining. Dynamic Brazilian disk tests were conducted on coal sandstone at 800°C and slow cooling from different heating rates by means of a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB test system. It was discovered that thermal conditions had significant effects on the physical and mechanical properties of the sandstone including longitudinal wave velocity, density, and dynamic linear tensile strength; as the heating rates increased, the thermal expansion of the sandstone was enhanced and the damage degree increased. Compared with sandstone at ambient temperature, the fracture process of heat-treated sandstone was more complicated. After thermal treatment, the specimen had a large crack in the center and cracks on both sides caused by loading; the original cracks grew and mineral particle cracks, internal pore geometry, and other defects gradually appeared. With increasing heating rates, the microscopic fracture mode transformed from ductile fracture to subbrittle fracture. It was concluded that changes in the macroscopic mechanical properties of the sandstone were result from changes in the composition and microstructure.

Far-field thermomechanical response of argillaceous rock to emplacement of a nuclear-waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McVey, D.F.; Thomas, R.K.; Lappin, A.R.

1980-08-01

Before heat-producing wastes can be emplaced safely in any argillaceous rock, it will be necessary to understand the far-field thermal and thermomechanical response of this rock to waste emplacement. This report presents the results of a first series of calculations aimed at estimating the far-field response of argillite to waste emplacement. Because the thermal and mechanical properties of argillite are affected by its content of expandable clay, its behavior is briefly compared and contrasted with that of a shale having the same matrix thermal properties, but containing no expandable clay. Under this assumption, modeled temperatures are the same for the two rock types at equivalent power densities and reflect the large dependence of in-situ temperatures on both initial power density and waste type. Thermomechanical calculations indicate that inclusion of contraction behavior of expandable clays in the assumed argillite thermal expansion behavior results, in some cases, in generation of a large zone in and near the repository that has undergone volumetric contraction but is surrounded by uniformly compressive stresses. Information available to date indicates that this contraction would likely result in locally increased fluid permeability and decreased in-situ thermal conductivity, but might well be advantageous as regards radionuclide retention, because of the increased surface area within the contracted zone. Assumption of continuous and positive expansion behavior for the shale eliminates the near-repository contraction and tensional zones, but results in near-surface tensional zones directly above the repository

A theoretical and numerical consideration of rock mass behaviour under thermal loading of radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reivinen, M.; Freund, J.; Eloranta, E.

1996-08-01

The aim of the study is to model the geodynamic response of a ground rock block under horizontal stresses and also consider the thermal fields and deformations, especially on the ground surface, caused by the heat produced by nuclear waste. (12 refs.)

A transformation for predicting mechanical changes resulting from time-dependent microcracking in plutonic rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinrich, W.F.

1987-01-01

A transformation for a simple phenomenological model of microcracking is proposed. It relates the evolution of microcrack size in an elastic solid (plutonic rock) under different temporal macro- and microstresses. In this model, for a rock property that changes as a result of microcracking, both the calculated and the experimentally determined evolution of that property for a given stress history can be used to determine the evolution of that property (for the same range) for any other stress history. For example, the transformation can be used to extrapolate the short-term extent of microcracking due to thermally induced stresses to time scales too long for experimental determination. This is of interest in assessing the long-term behaviour of rock surrounding a high level nuclear waste vault, where thermally induced microcracking may take tens of thousands of years to develop. Experimental strategies are suggested for validation of the phenomenological model. Where results are obtained from the corresponding mathematical models, the transformation facilitates the efficient calculation of functions that depend only on the state of microcrack size once the functions have been calculated for any convenient stress history

Forecasting the changes in engineering-geological properties of loess rocks by a penetration-logging method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saparov, A.

1977-01-01

Changes of volume weight, volume numidity, side friction and head resistance of loess rocks are considered. It is established, that the most perspective methods for forecasting engineering-geological properties of loess rocks are the methods of radioactivity logging and static probing. The quantitative determinations of physical and mechanical properties are made using the data of the following geophysical methods: gamma-gamma logging, neutron logging and gamma logging

Numerical modeling of thermal conductive heating in fractured bedrock.

Science.gov (United States)

Baston, Daniel P; Falta, Ronald W; Kueper, Bernard H

2010-01-01

Numerical modeling was employed to study the performance of thermal conductive heating (TCH) in fractured shale under a variety of hydrogeological conditions. Model results show that groundwater flow in fractures does not significantly affect the minimum treatment zone temperature, except near the beginning of heating or when groundwater influx is high. However, fracture and rock matrix properties can significantly influence the time necessary to remove all liquid water (i.e., reach superheated steam conditions) in the treatment area. Low matrix permeability, high matrix porosity, and wide fracture spacing can contribute to boiling point elevation in the rock matrix. Consequently, knowledge of these properties is important for the estimation of treatment times. Because of the variability in boiling point throughout a fractured rock treatment zone and the absence of a well-defined constant temperature boiling plateau in the rock matrix, it may be difficult to monitor the progress of thermal treatment using temperature measurements alone. Copyright © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Elastic Rock Heterogeneity Controls Brittle Rock Failure during Hydraulic Fracturing

Science.gov (United States)

Langenbruch, C.; Shapiro, S. A.

2014-12-01

For interpretation and inversion of microseismic data it is important to understand, which properties of the reservoir rock control the occurrence probability of brittle rock failure and associated seismicity during hydraulic stimulation. This is especially important, when inverting for key properties like permeability and fracture conductivity. Although it became accepted that seismic events are triggered by fluid flow and the resulting perturbation of the stress field in the reservoir rock, the magnitude of stress perturbations, capable of triggering failure in rocks, can be highly variable. The controlling physical mechanism of this variability is still under discussion. We compare the occurrence of microseismic events at the Cotton Valley gas field to elastic rock heterogeneity, obtained from measurements along the treatment wells. The heterogeneity is characterized by scale invariant fluctuations of elastic properties. We observe that the elastic heterogeneity of the rock formation controls the occurrence of brittle failure. In particular, we find that the density of events is increasing with the Brittleness Index (BI) of the rock, which is defined as a combination of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. We evaluate the physical meaning of the BI. By applying geomechanical investigations we characterize the influence of fluctuating elastic properties in rocks on the probability of brittle rock failure. Our analysis is based on the computation of stress fluctuations caused by elastic heterogeneity of rocks. We find that elastic rock heterogeneity causes stress fluctuations of significant magnitude. Moreover, the stress changes necessary to open and reactivate fractures in rocks are strongly related to fluctuations of elastic moduli. Our analysis gives a physical explanation to the observed relation between elastic heterogeneity of the rock formation and the occurrence of brittle failure during hydraulic reservoir stimulations. A crucial factor for understanding

Summary of rock mechanics work completed for Posiva before 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, J.A.; Johansson, E.

2006-06-01

To plan Posiva's rock mechanics work for 2005-2006 and beyond, it was necessary to have a clear understanding of the individual components of work that had been completed for Posiva before 2005 and to assess the cumulative rock mechanics knowledge base. This review summarizes the 80 individual completed documents, which include rock mechanics reports and other reports containing rock mechanics material. They are summarised within a structured framework of rock properties, analyses and the effects of excavation. Following the introductory section, the method of structuring the rock mechanics information is presented. Then the tabulation highlighting the features of all the previous rock mechanics work is explained. This tabulation forms the Appendix; the content of each rock mechanics report that has been produced is summarized via the table headings of document number, subject area, document reference, subject matter, objectives, methodology, highlighted figures, conclusions and comments. In addition to the direct usefulness of the tabulation in summarizing each report, it has been possible to draw overall conclusions: Information has also been obtained worldwide, especially Sweden and Canada; The rock stress state has been measured but further work is required related both to in situ measurements and numerical modelling to study, e.g., the influence of deformation zones on the local stress state; The intact rock has been extensively studied: there is a good knowledge of the parameters and their values, including the anisotropic nature of the site rocks; The geometry of the fractures is included in the geological characterisation but more rock mechanics work is required on the mechanical properties; The mechanical properties of the deformation zones have not been studied in detail; The thermal properties of the site rock are relatively well understood; A new classification has been developed for constructability and long-term safety assessment. This classification

Evaluating the Relationships Between NTNU/SINTEF Drillability Indices with Index Properties and Petrographic Data of Hard Igneous Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Aligholi, Saeed; Lashkaripour, Gholam Reza; Ghafoori, Mohammad; Azali, Sadegh Tarigh

2017-11-01

Thorough and realistic performance predictions are among the main requisites for estimating excavation costs and time of the tunneling projects. Also, NTNU/SINTEF rock drillability indices, including the Drilling Rate Index™ (DRI), Bit Wear Index™ (BWI), and Cutter Life Index™ (CLI), are among the most effective indices for determining rock drillability. In this study, brittleness value (S20), Sievers' J-Value (SJ), abrasion value (AV), and Abrasion Value Cutter Steel (AVS) tests are conducted to determine these indices for a wide range of Iranian hard igneous rocks. In addition, relationships between such drillability parameters with petrographic features and index properties of the tested rocks are investigated. The results from multiple regression analysis revealed that the multiple regression models prepared using petrographic features provide a better estimation of drillability compared to those prepared using index properties. Also, it was found that the semiautomatic petrography and multiple regression analyses provide a suitable complement to determine drillability properties of igneous rocks. Based on the results of this study, AV has higher correlations with studied mineralogical indices than AVS. The results imply that, in general, rock surface hardness of hard igneous rocks is very high, and the acidic igneous rocks have a lower strength and density and higher S20 than those of basic rocks. Moreover, DRI is higher, while BWI is lower in acidic igneous rocks, suggesting that drill and blast tunneling is more convenient in these rocks than basic rocks.

Evaluation of Relationships between Drilling Rate Index and Physical and Strength Properties of Selected Rock Units of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafique, U.; Abu Bakar, M. Z.

2015-01-01

Fifteen selected rock types collected from different formations of Pakistan were subjected to Drilling Rate Index (DRI) tests and various physical and strength properties tests including, porosity (n), density, primary wave velocity (V/sub p/), uniaxial compressive strength (sigma/sub c/), Brazilian tensile strength (sigma/sub t/) and Schmidt hammer rebound number (R/sub n/),. Prior knowledge of the drill ability of rocks and their physico-mechanical properties plays a decisive role in planning and design of rock drilling and excavation processes. DRI tests developed by NTNU/SINTEF are in use by the industry since 1960s and have proved very successful in estimation of the boreability of rocks, but no such work has been reported for Pakistani rocks to date. Reasonable correlations were found between the DRI and the properties of the tested rocks. The trends shown in this paper are of interest for the machine manufacturers and operators working on various projects involving the use of drilling machines and other mechanical excavators. (author)

Rock thermal property measurements with the Posiva TERO56 drill hole device in the forsmark study site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukkonen, I.; Suppala, I.; Korpisalo, A.

2007-10-01

Thermal properties were measured in situ in Forsmark at the SKB study site constructed for large-scale thermal conductivity investigations in an outcrop of anisotropic granite. The Posiva TERO56 drill hole tool was used for in situ measurements in four 20 m deep boreholes KFM90C, D, E and F located within very short distances of each other (less than 2.3 m). Measurements were done at depths of 10-18 m in water-filled holes. The bedrock is granite with thin amphibolite and pegmatite layers and thin felsic veins. The measurement principle of the TERO56 logging device is based on conduction of heat from a cylindrical source placed in a borehole and the thermal parameter values are calculated with a least squares inversion algorithm. Measurements in Forsmark consisted typically of 6 hours heating time followed by 10 hours cooling time, but in one measurement the heating time was reduced to of 2 h 45 min and the cooling time to 5 hours. Average thermal conductivity values range from 3.37 to 3.91 W m -1 K -1 with standard deviations between 0.01 and 0.04 W m -1 K -1 . The result is plausible considering the quite homogeneous target geology and short distances between different experiment stations. Diffusivity values, however, vary much more, and averages range from 0.68 to 2.08 A 10 -6 m 2 s -1 with standard deviations ranging from 0.04 to 0.09 A 10 -6 m 2 s -1 . Variations may be attributed to small flow effects or time-dependent temperature trends related to thermal equilibration of the probe. (orig.)

Depth optimization for the Korean HLW repository System within a discontinuous and saturated granitic rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jhin Wung; Bae, Dae Seok; Choi, Jong Won

2005-12-01

The present study is to evaluate the material properties of the compacted bentonite, backfill material, canister cast iron insert, and the rock mass for the Korean HLW repository system. These material properties are either measured, or taken from other countries, through the evaluation of the thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical interaction behavior of a repository. After the evaluation of the material properties, the most appropriate and economical depth as well as the layout of a single layer repository is to be recommended. Material properties used for the granitic rock mass, rock joints, PWR spent fuel, disposal canister, compacted bentonite, backfill material, and ground water are the data collected domestically, and foreign data are used for some of the data not available domestically. The repository model includes a saturated granitic rock mass with joints, PWR spent fuel in a disposal canister surrounded by compacted bentonite inside a deposition hole, and backfill material in the rest of the space within a repository cavern

Determination of the thermal conductivity of sediment rock from measurements on cuttings; Ermittlung der Gesteinswaermeleitfaehigkeit von Sedimentgesteinen aus Messungen am Bohrklein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Troschke, B; Burkhardt, H [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Fachgebiet Angewandte Goephysik

1997-12-01

Due to high costs core recovery in many wells is strongly restricted. To determine thermal conductivity in these cases measurements on cuttings are necessary, since in situ measurements are expensive and protracted, too. Therefore cores from three hydrogeothermal wells of the north-east part of the German sedimentary basin were grinded to compare the results of measurements on cuttings with known values of thermal conductivity from the original cores. By a suitable model of the two-phase-system cuttings-water it is possible to calculate the thermal conductivity of the rock-matrix. On the basis of this value and a suitable rock-model an average thermal conductivity for the water saturated rock can be estimated. Certainly all influences of the texture (anisotropy, grain bond) and of the characteristics of the porespace (porosity, internal surface, saturation, permeability) are lost with measurements on cuttings. Therefore for the different systems cuttings-water and rock-porefluid as well as for different rock types different models are necessary. (orig.) [Deutsch] In vielen Bohrungen werden aus Kostengruenden keine Kerne gezogen. Fuer die Ermittlung der Waermeleitfaehigkeit koennen deshalb nur in-situ-Messungen, die ebenfalls zeit- und kostenintensiv sind, oder Messungen am Bohrklein herangezogen werden. Es wurden daher Kerne aus drei Hydrogeothermalbohrungen des nordostdeutschen Beckens aufgemahlen, um so vergleichende Messungen am `Bohrklein` aus Kernen mit bekannter Waermeleitfaehigkeit durzhzufuehren. Durch eine geeignete Modellvorstellung des Zwei-Phasen-Systems Bohrklein/Wasser laesst sich die Waermeleitfaehigkeit der Gesteinsmatrix bestimmen und aus dieser durch ein Gesteinsmodell auch eine mittlere Waermeleitfaehigkeit des wassergesaettigten Festgesteins berechnen. Klar ist, dass bei Messungen am Bohrklein Einfluesse, die durch Gefuege (Anisotropie, Kornbindung) und Porenraumeigenschaften (Porositaet, Saettigung, Permeabilitaet) hervorgerufen werden

Geophysical and transport properties of reservoir rocks. Final report for task 4: Measurements and analysis of seismic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, N.G.W.

1993-05-01

The principal objective of research on the seismic properties of reservoir rocks is to develop a basic understanding of the effects of rock microstructure and its contained pore fluids on seismic velocities and attenuation. Ultimately, this knowledge would be used to extract reservoir properties information such as the porosity, permeability, clay content, fluid saturation, and fluid type from borehole, cross-borehole, and surface seismic measurements to improve the planning and control of oil and gas recovery. This thesis presents laboratory ultrasonic measurements for three granular materials and attempts to relate the microstructural properties and the properties of the pore fluids to P- and S-wave velocities and attenuation. These experimental results show that artificial porous materials with sintered grains and a sandstone with partially cemented grains exhibit complexities in P- and S-wave attenuation that cannot be adequately explained by existing micromechanical theories. It is likely that some of the complexity observed in the seismic attenuation is controlled by details of the rock microstructure, such as the grain contact area and grain shape, and by the arrangement of the grain packing. To examine these effects, a numerical method was developed for analyzing wave propagation in a grain packing. The method is based on a dynamic boundary integral equation and incorporates generalized stiffness boundary conditions between individual grains to account for viscous losses and grain contact scattering.

Appraisal of hard rock for potential underground repositories of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, N.G.W.

1977-10-01

The mechanical safety and stability of such an underground repository depends largely on the virgin state of stress in the rock, groundwater pressures, the strengths of the rocks, heating by the decay of the radioactive wastes, and the layout of the excavations and the disposition of waste cannisters within them. A large body of pertinent data exists in the literature, and each of these factors has been analyzed in the light of this information. The results indicate that there are no fundamental geological nor mechanical reasons why repositories capable of storing radioactive wastes should not be excavated at suitable sites in hard rock. However, specific tests to determine the mechanical and thermal properties of the rocks at a site would be needed to provide the data for the engineering design of a repository. Also, little experience exists of the effects on underground excavations of thermal loads, so that this aspect requires theoretical study and experimental validation. The depths of these potential repositories would lie in the range from 0.5 to 2.0 km below surface, depending upon the strength of the rock. Virgin states of stress have been measured at such depths which would retard the ingress of groundwater and obviate the incidence of faulting. A typical repository comprising three horizons each with a total area of 5 km 2 would have the capacity to store wastes with thermal output of 240 MW

Thermal Shock Property of Al／Ni-ZrO2 Gradient Thermal Barrier Coatings

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

FANJin-juan; WANGQuan-sheng; ZHANGWei-fang

2004-01-01

Al/Ni-ZrO2 gradient thermal barrier coatings are made on aluminum substrate using plasma spraying method and one direction thermal shock properties of the coatings are studied in this paper. The results show that pores in coatings link to form cracks vertical to coating surface. They go through the whole ZrO2 coating once vertical cracks form. When thermal shock cycles increase, horizontal cracks that result in coatings failure forms in the coatings and interface. And vertical cracks delay appearance of horizontal cracks and enhance thermal shock property of coatings. Failure mechanisms of coating thermal shock are discussed using experiments and finite element method.

Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus for Geophysical Studies in Fractured Rock

KAUST Repository

Garcia, A. V.

2018-05-12

The study of fractured rock masses in the laboratory remains challenging because of the large specimen sizes and bulky loading systems that are required. This article presents the design, structural analysis, and operation of a compact and self-reacting true triaxial device for fractured rock. The frame subjects a 50 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm fractured rock specimen to a maximum stress of 3 MPa along three independent axes. Concurrent measurements include long-wavelength P-wave propagation, passive acoustic emission monitoring, deformations, and thermal measurements. The device can accommodate diverse research, from rock mass properties and geophysical fractured rock characterizations, to coupled hydro-chemo-thermo-mechanical processes, drilling, and grouting. Preliminary wave propagation data gathered under isotropic and anisotropic stress conditions for an assembly of 4,000 rock blocks demonstrate the system’s versatility and provide unprecedented information related to long-wavelength propagation in fractured rock under various stress anisotropies.

Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus for Geophysical Studies in Fractured Rock

KAUST Repository

Garcia, A. V.; Rached, R. M.; Santamarina, Carlos

2018-01-01

The study of fractured rock masses in the laboratory remains challenging because of the large specimen sizes and bulky loading systems that are required. This article presents the design, structural analysis, and operation of a compact and self-reacting true triaxial device for fractured rock. The frame subjects a 50 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm fractured rock specimen to a maximum stress of 3 MPa along three independent axes. Concurrent measurements include long-wavelength P-wave propagation, passive acoustic emission monitoring, deformations, and thermal measurements. The device can accommodate diverse research, from rock mass properties and geophysical fractured rock characterizations, to coupled hydro-chemo-thermo-mechanical processes, drilling, and grouting. Preliminary wave propagation data gathered under isotropic and anisotropic stress conditions for an assembly of 4,000 rock blocks demonstrate the system’s versatility and provide unprecedented information related to long-wavelength propagation in fractured rock under various stress anisotropies.

Thermal degradation of ethanolic biodiesel: Physicochemical and thermal properties evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Wellington Costa; Castro, Maria Priscila Pessanha; Perez, Victor Haber; Machado, Francisco A.; Mota, Leonardo; Sthel, Marcelo Silva

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper was to study the thermal degradation of soybean biodiesel attained by ethanolic route. The soybean biodiesel samples were subjected to heating treatment at 150 °C for 24 h in a closed oven under controlled atmosphere. During the experiments, samples were withdrawn at intervals of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 24 h for physicochemical and thermophysical properties analysis. The biodiesel degradation was validated by Thermogravimetric analysis since their profiles for control and treated biodiesel were different. Also, "1H NMR confirmed this result due to a significant reduction at the signals related to the "1H located near to the double bonds in the unsaturated ethyl esters in agreement with an iodine index reduction and viscosity increase observed during degradation. Nevertheless, degraded biodiesel, under study conditions, preserved its thermophysical properties. These results may be relevant to qualify the produced biodiesel quality and collect physicochemical and thermophysical data important for applications in combustion studies including project of fuel injection systems. - Highlights: • Soybean biodiesel from ethanolic route was subjected to thermal degradation to verify its stability. • Thermal degradation of biodiesel was correlated with physicochemical properties. • Thermal effusivity, diffusivity and conductivity were estimate by photothermal techniques.

Structural, optical and thermal properties of nanoporous aluminum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghrib, Taher

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A simple electrochemical technique is presented and used to manufacture a porous aluminum layer. • Manufactured pores of 40 nm diameter and 200 nm depth are filled by nanocrystal of silicon and graphite. • Dimensions of pores increase with the anodization current which ameliorate the optical and thermal properties. • A new thermal method is presented which permit to determine the pores density and the layer thickness. • All properties show that the manufactured material can be used with success in solar cells. - Abstract: In this work the structural, thermal and optical properties of porous aluminum thin film formed with various intensities of anodization current in sulfuric acid are highlighted. The obtained pores at the surface are filled by sprayed graphite and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films deposited by plasma enhancement chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) which the role is to improve its optical and thermal absorption giving a structure of an assembly of three different media such as deposited thin layer (graphite or silicon)/(porous aluminum layer filled with the deposited layer)/(Al sample). The effect of anodization current on the microstructure of porous aluminum and the effect of the deposited layer were systematically studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The thermal properties such as the thermal conductivity (K) and thermal diffusivity (D) are determined by the photothermal deflection (PTD) technique which is a non destructive technique. Based on this full characterization, it is demonstrated that the thermal and optical characteristics of these films are directly correlated to their micro-structural properties

Boron nitride elastic and thermal properties. Irradiation effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jager, Bernard.

1977-01-01

The anisotropy of boron nitride (BN) and especially thermal and elastic properties were studied. Specific heat and thermal conductivity between 1.2 and 300K, thermal conductivity between 4 and 350K and elastic constants C 33 and C 44 were measured. BN was irradiated with electrons at 77K and with neutrons at 27K to determine properties after irradiation [fr

Technical support for GEIS: radioactive waste isolation in geologic formations. Volume 5. Baseline rock properties-granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-04-01

This volume, Y/OWI/TM-36/5, Baseline Rock Properties--Granite, is one of a 23-volume series, ''Technical Support for GEIS: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-36'' which supplements a ''Contribution to Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Commercial Waste Management: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-44.'' The series provides a more complete technical basis for the preconceptual designs, resource requirements, and environmental source terms associated with isolating commercial LWR wastes in underground repositories in salt, granite, shale and basalt. Wastes are considered from three fuel cycles: uranium and plutonium recycling, no recycling of spent fuel and uranium-only recycling. This report, on the rock properties of typical granites, includes an evaluation of the various test results reported in the literature. Firstly, a literature survey was made in order to obtain a feel for the range of rock properties encountered. Then, granites representative of different geologic ages and from different parts of the United States were selected and studied in further detail. Some of the special characteristics of granite, such as anisotropy, creep and weathering were also investigated. Lastly, intact properties for a typical granite were selected and rock mass properties were derived using appropriate correction factors

Thermal Transport Properties of Dry Spun Carbon Nanotube Sheets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heath E. Misak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The thermal properties of carbon nanotube- (CNT- sheet were explored and compared to copper in this study. The CNT-sheet was made from dry spinning CNTs into a nonwoven sheet. This nonwoven CNT-sheet has anisotropic properties in in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The in-plane direction has much higher thermal conductivity than the out-of-plane direction. The in-plane thermal conductivity was found by thermal flash analysis, and the out-of-plane thermal conductivity was found by a hot disk method. The thermal irradiative properties were examined and compared to thermal transport theory. The CNT-sheet was heated in the vacuum and the temperature was measured with an IR Camera. The heat flux of CNT-sheet was compared to that of copper, and it was found that the CNT-sheet has significantly higher specific heat transfer properties compared to those of copper. CNT-sheet is a potential candidate to replace copper in thermal transport applications where weight is a primary concern such as in the automobile, aircraft, and space industries.

Time dependency in the mechanical properties of crystalline rocks. A literature survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagros, A.; Johansson, E.; Hudson, J.A.

2008-09-01

Because of the long design life, elevated temperatures, and the location at depth (high stresses), time-dependent aspects of the mechanical properties of crystalline rock are potentially important for the design and the long term safety of the radioactive waste repository at Olkiluoto. However, time-dependent effects in rock mechanics are still one of the least understood aspects of the physical behaviour of rock masses, this being partly due to the fact that it is difficult to conduct long-term experimental tests - either in the laboratory or in situ. Yet, the time-dependent mechanical behaviour needs to be characterised so that it can be included in the modelling studies supporting repository design. The Introduction explains the background to the literature survey and includes definitions of the terms 'creep' (increasing strain at constant stress) and 'stress relaxation' (decreasing stress at constant strain). Moreover, it is noted that the rock around an in situ excavation is loaded by the adjacent rock elements and so the timedependent behaviour will depend on the unloading stiffness of these and hence will not actually be either pure creep or pure stress relaxation. The Appendix contains the results of the literature survey of reported time-dependent research as it applies to crystalline rock. A summary of each of the 38 literature items is presented in tabular form covering document number, subject area, document reference, subject matter, objectives, methodology, highlighted figures, conclusions and comments. It is concluded that the time-dependent failure strength of all rocks observed may be interpreted by sub-critical crack growth assisted by the stress corrosion mechanism. Also, certain parameters are known to affect the long-term properties: mineralogy, grain size, water/water chemistry, confining stress and loading history. At some point in the loading history of rock, the state of crack development reaches a point whereby the continued generation of

Yucca Mountain Project thermal and mechanical codes first benchmark exercise: Part 3, Jointed rock mass analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costin, L.S.; Bauer, S.J.

1991-10-01

Thermal and mechanical models for intact and jointed rock mass behavior are being developed, verified, and validated at Sandia National Laboratories for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Benchmarking is an essential part of this effort and is one of the tools used to demonstrate verification of engineering software used to solve thermomechanical problems. This report presents the results of the third (and final) phase of the first thermomechanical benchmark exercise. In the first phase of this exercise, nonlinear heat conduction code were used to solve the thermal portion of the benchmark problem. The results from the thermal analysis were then used as input to the second and third phases of the exercise, which consisted of solving the structural portion of the benchmark problem. In the second phase of the exercise, a linear elastic rock mass model was used. In the third phase of the exercise, two different nonlinear jointed rock mass models were used to solve the thermostructural problem. Both models, the Sandia compliant joint model and the RE/SPEC joint empirical model, explicitly incorporate the effect of the joints on the response of the continuum. Three different structural codes, JAC, SANCHO, and SPECTROM-31, were used with the above models in the third phase of the study. Each model was implemented in two different codes so that direct comparisons of results from each model could be made. The results submitted by the participants showed that the finite element solutions using each model were in reasonable agreement. Some consistent differences between the solutions using the two different models were noted but are not considered important to verification of the codes. 9 refs., 18 figs., 8 tabs

Pretest thermal analysis of the Tuff Water Migration/In-Situ Heater Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulmer, B.M.

1980-02-01

This report describes the pretest thermal analysis for the Tuff Water Migration/In-Situ Heater Experiment to be conducted in welded tuff in G-tunnel, Nevada Test Site. The parametric thermal modeling considers variable boiling temperature, tuff thermal conductivity, tuff emissivity, and heater operating power. For nominal tuff properties, some near field boiling is predicted for realistic operating power. However, the extent of boiling will be strongly determined by the ambient (100% water saturated) rock thermal conductivity. In addition, the thermal response of the heater and of the tuff within the dry-out zone (i.e., bounded by boiling isotherm) is dependent on the temperature variation of rock conductivity as well as the extent of induced boiling

Thermal analysis of annular fins with temperature-dependent thermal properties

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

I. G. AKSOY

2013-01-01

The thermal analysis of the annular rectangular profile fins with variable thermal properties is investigated by using the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient are assumed to vary with a linear and power-law function of temperature, respectively. The effects of the thermal-geometric fin parameter and the thermal conductivity parameter variations on the temperature distribution and fin efficiency are investigated for different heat transfer modes. Results from the HAM are compared with numerical results of the finite difference method (FDM). It can be seen that the variation of dimensionless parameters has a significant effect on the temperature distribution and fin efficiency.

Remarks on some rock neutron parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czubek, J.A.

1983-01-01

A method to calculate the thermal neutron parameters (absorption cross-section, diffusion coefficient and diffusion length) of rocks is given. It is based on a proper energy averaging of cross-sections for all rock matrix and rock saturating liquid constituents. Special emphasis is given to the presence of hydrogen. The diffusion lengths in different lithologies in the function of the variable rock porosity have been calculated. An influence of the thermal neutron spectrum on the shape of the porosity calibration curves for the dual spacing neutron method is shown. This influence has been estimated on two porosity units, on average. (author)

Thermal properties of selected cheeses samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika BOŽIKOVÁ

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The thermophysical parameters of selected cheeses (processed cheese and half hard cheese are presented in the article. Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Cheese goes during processing through the thermal and mechanical manipulation, so thermal properties are one of the most important. Knowledge about thermal parameters of cheeses could be used in the process of quality evaluation. Based on the presented facts thermal properties of selected cheeses which are produced by Slovak producers were measured. Theoretical part of article contains description of cheese and description of plane source method which was used for thermal parameters detection. Thermophysical parameters as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volume specific heat were measured during the temperature stabilisation. The results are presented as relations of thermophysical parameters to the temperature in temperature range from 13.5°C to 24°C. Every point of graphic relation was obtained as arithmetic average from measured values for the same temperature. Obtained results were statistically processed. Presented graphical relations were chosen according to the results of statistical evaluation and also according to the coefficients of determination for every relation. The results of thermal parameters are in good agreement with values measured by other authors for similar types of cheeses.

Thermal and physical properties of bakery products.

Science.gov (United States)

Baik, O D; Marcotte, M; Sablani, S S; Castaigne, F

2001-07-01

This article reviews the measurement techniques, prediction models, and data on thermo-physical properties of bakery products: specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and density. Over the last decade, investigation has focused more on thermo-physical properties of nonbread bakery products. Both commonly used and new measurement techniques for thermo-physical properties reported in the publication are presented with directions for their proper use. Data and prediction models are tabulated for the range of moisture content and temperature of the bakery products.

In-situ experiments for the determination of rock properties and behaviour at the Meuse/Haute Marne Centre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Conil N.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Andra is in charge of studying the feasibility of a disposal facility for longlived high-level nuclear waste (LL-HLW in a deep geological environment. With this aim, dedicated experiments have been carried out for several years at the Meuse/Haute Marne Underground Research Laboratory excavated in a 500 m deep argillaceous rock formation. These experiments include determining the feasibility of the excavation of disposal cells for LL-HLW, consisting of 40 meter long, 70 cm in diameter, horizontal cased micro tunnels. The hydro mechanical impact of the excavation of such openings on the rock mass behaviour is continuously monitored as well as their mean term mechanical behaviour. Since LL-HLW produce heat, the impact of temperature on the surrounding rock mass and on the micro tunnel steel casing will also be studied. Specific instrumentation has been developed to study this impact. The first step of the microtunnel excavation tests, carried out in 2009, has led to improving the excavation method and the drilling machine. These improvements will be tested in the next step of the excavation tests planned for 2010. The THM experiment dedicated to studying the behaviour of the rock mass under thermal solicitation started early 2010. The behaviour of a steel casing in contact with the rock mass and under thermal solicitation will be studied in an experiment scheduled to start in September 2010.

Method and apparatus for implementing material thermal property measurement by flash thermal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jiangang

2017-11-14

A method and apparatus are provided for implementing measurement of material thermal properties including measurement of thermal effusivity of a coating and/or film or a bulk material of uniform property. The test apparatus includes an infrared camera, a data acquisition and processing computer coupled to the infrared camera for acquiring and processing thermal image data, a flash lamp providing an input of heat onto the surface of a two-layer sample with an enhanced optical filter covering the flash lamp attenuating an entire infrared wavelength range with a series of thermal images is taken of the surface of the two-layer sample.

Geotechnical modeling of high-level nuclear waste disposal by rock melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1981-12-01

A new strategy has been developed for the geotechnical modeling of nuclear waste disposal by rock melting (DRM). Three seeparate tasks were performed to reach this objective: a review of the four scenarios which have been proposed for DRM, to date; an evaluation of computer-based numerical models which could be used to analyze the mechanical, thermal, and hydraulic processes involved in DRM; and a critical review of rock mass properties which are relevant to the design and safety of waste disposal by rock melting. It is concluded that several geotechnical aspects of DRM can be studied realistically with current state-of-the-art model capabilities and knowledge of material properties. The next step in the feasibility study of DRM should be a best-estimate calculation of the four cavity-melt and canister-burial concepts. These new analyses will indicate the most critical areas for subsequent research

Rock stress orientation measurements using induced thermal spalling in slim boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakami, Eva

2011-05-01

In the planning and design of a future underground storage for nuclear waste based on the KBS-3 method, one of the aims is to optimize the layout of deposition tunnels such that the rock stresses on the boundaries of deposition holes are minimized. Previous experiences from heating of larger scale boreholes at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (AHRL) gave rise to the idea that induced borehole breakouts using thermal loading in smaller diameter boreholes, could be a possible way of determining the stress orientation. Two pilot experiments were performed, one at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and one at ONKALO research site in Finland. An acoustic televiewer logger was used to measure the detailed geometrical condition of the borehole before and after heating periods. The acoustic televiewer gives a value for each 0.7 mm large pixel size around the borehole periphery. The results from the loggers are presented as images of the borehole wall, and as curves for the maximum, mean and minimum values at each depth. Any changes in the borehole wall geometry may thus be easily detected by comparisons of the logging result images. In addition, using an optical borehole televiewer a good and detailed realistic colour picture of the borehole wall is obtained. From these images the character of the spalls identified may be evaluated further. The heating was performed in a 4 m long section, using a heating cable centred in an 8 m deep vertical borehole, drilled from the floor of the tunnels. For the borehole in the Q-tunnel of AHRL the results from the loggings of the borehole before the heating revealed that breakouts existed even before this pilot test due to previous heating experiments at the site (CAPS). Quite consistent orientation and the typical shape of small breakouts were observed. After the heating the spalling increased slightly at the same locations and a new spalling location also developed at a deeper location in the borehole. At ONKALO three very small changes

Rock stress orientation measurements using induced thermal spalling in slim boreholes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hakami, Eva [Geosigma AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

2011-05-15

In the planning and design of a future underground storage for nuclear waste based on the KBS-3 method, one of the aims is to optimize the layout of deposition tunnels such that the rock stresses on the boundaries of deposition holes are minimized. Previous experiences from heating of larger scale boreholes at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (AHRL) gave rise to the idea that induced borehole breakouts using thermal loading in smaller diameter boreholes, could be a possible way of determining the stress orientation. Two pilot experiments were performed, one at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and one at ONKALO research site in Finland. An acoustic televiewer logger was used to measure the detailed geometrical condition of the borehole before and after heating periods. The acoustic televiewer gives a value for each 0.7 mm large pixel size around the borehole periphery. The results from the loggers are presented as images of the borehole wall, and as curves for the maximum, mean and minimum values at each depth. Any changes in the borehole wall geometry may thus be easily detected by comparisons of the logging result images. In addition, using an optical borehole televiewer a good and detailed realistic colour picture of the borehole wall is obtained. From these images the character of the spalls identified may be evaluated further. The heating was performed in a 4 m long section, using a heating cable centred in an 8 m deep vertical borehole, drilled from the floor of the tunnels. For the borehole in the Q-tunnel of AHRL the results from the loggings of the borehole before the heating revealed that breakouts existed even before this pilot test due to previous heating experiments at the site (CAPS). Quite consistent orientation and the typical shape of small breakouts were observed. After the heating the spalling increased slightly at the same locations and a new spalling location also developed at a deeper location in the borehole. At ONKALO three very small changes

Palaeointensity determinations and rock magnetic properties on rocks from Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore-arc (IODP Exp. 352).

Science.gov (United States)

Carvallo, Claire; Camps, Pierre; Sager, Will; Poidras, Thierry

2017-04-01

IODP Expedition 352 cored igneous rocks from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore-arc crust: Sites U1440 and U1441 recovered Eocene basalts and related rocks whereas Sites U1439 and U1442 recovered Eocene boninites and related rocks. We selected samples from Holes U1439C, U1440B and U1440A for paleointensity measurements. Hysteresis measurements and high and low-temperature magnetization curves show that samples from Hole U1440B undergo magnetochemical changes when heated and are mostly composed of single-domain (SD) or pseudo-single-domain (PSD) titanomaghemite. In contrast, the same measurements show that most selected samples from Holes U1439C and U1442A are thermally stable and are composed of either SD or PSD titanomagnetite with very little titanium content, or SD ferromagnetic grains with a large paramagnetic contribution. Thellier-Thellier paleointensity experiments carried out on U1439C and U1442A samples give a good success rate of 25/60 and Virtual Dipole Moment values between 1.3 and 3.5 ×1022 Am2. Multispecimen paleointensity experiments carried out on 55 samples from Hole U1440B (divided into 4 groups) and 20 from Hole U1439C gave poor quality result, but they seem to indicate a VDM around 4-6 ×1022 Am2 in Hole U1440B fore-arc basalts. These results are in agreement with the low few VDM values previously measured on rocks from Eocene. However, they do not support an inverse relationship between intensity of the field and rate of reversal, since the rate of reversal in Eocene was rather low.

Thermal Properties of Asphalt Mixtures Modified with Conductive Fillers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byong Chol Bai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the thermal properties of asphalt mixtures modified with conductive fillers used for snow melting and solar harvesting pavements. Two different mixing processes were adopted to mold asphalt mixtures, dry- and wet-mixing, and two conductive fillers were used in this study, graphite and carbon black. The thermal conductivity was compared to investigate the effects of asphalt mixture preparing methods, the quantity, and the distribution of conductive filler on thermal properties. The combination of conductive filler with carbon fiber in asphalt mixture was evaluated. Also, rheological properties of modified asphalt binders with conductive fillers were measured using dynamic shear rheometer and bending beam rheometer at grade-specific temperatures. Based on rheological testing, the conductive fillers improve rutting resistance and decrease thermal cracking resistance. Thermal testing indicated that graphite and carbon black improve the thermal properties of asphalt mixes and the combined conductive fillers are more effective than the single filler.

Geophysical Properties of Hard Rock for Investigation of Stress Fields in Deep Mines

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbo, M.; Young, R. P.; Schmitt, D. R.; Milkereit, B.

2014-12-01

A complication in geophysical monitoring of deep mines is the high-stress dependency of the physical properties of hard rocks. In-mine observations show anisotropic variability of the in situ P- and S-wave velocities and resistivity of the hard rocks that are likely related to stress field changes. As part of a comprehensive study in a deep, highly stressed mine located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, data from in situ monitoring of the seismicity, conductivity, stress, and stress dependent physical properties has been obtain. In-laboratory experiments are also being performed on borehole cores from the Sudbury mines. These experiments will measure the Norite borehole core's properties including elastic modulus, bulk modulus, P- and S-wave velocities, and density. Hydraulic fracturing has been successfully implemented in industries such as oil and gas and enhanced geothermal systems, and is currently being investigated as a potential method for preconditioning in mining. However, further research is required to quantify how hydraulic fractures propagate through hard, unfractured rock as well as naturally fractured rock typically found in mines. These in laboratory experiments will contribute to a hydraulic fracturing project evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing as a method of de-stressing hard rock mines. A tri-axial deformation cell equipped with 18 Acoustic Emission (AE) sensors will be used to bring the borehole cores to a tri-axial state of stress. The cores will then be injected with fluid until the the hydraulic fracture has propagated to the edge of the core, while AE waveforms will be digitized continuously at 10 MHz and 12-bit resolution for the duration of each experiment. These laboratory hydraulic fracture experiments will contribute to understanding how parameters including stress ratio, fluid injection rate, and viscosity, affect the fracturing process.

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Degueldre, Claude; Cloet, Veerle

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

Thermal diffusivity of felsic to mafic granulites at elevated temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Labani; Förster, H.-J.; Schilling, F. R.; Förster, A.

2006-11-01

The thermal diffusivity of felsic and intermediate granulites (charnockites, enderbites), mafic granulites, and amphibolite-facies gneisses has been measured up to temperatures of 550 °C using a transient technique. The rock samples are from the Archean and Pan-African terranes of the Southern Indian Granulite Province. Thermal diffusivity at room temperature ( DRT) for different rock types ranges between 1.2 and 2.2 mm 2 s - 1 . For most of the rocks, the effect of radiative heat transfer is observed at temperatures above 450 °C. However, for few enderbites and mafic granulites, radiative heat transfer is negligible up to 550 °C. In the temperature range of conductive heat transfer, i.e., between 20 ° and 450 °C, thermal diffusivity decreases between 35% and 45% with increasing temperature. The temperature dependence of the thermal diffusivity is directly correlated with the thermal diffusivity at room temperature, i.e., the higher the thermal diffusivity at room temperature, DRT, the greater is its temperature dependence. In this temperature range i.e., between 20 and 450 °C, thermal diffusivity can be expressed as D = 0.7 mm 2 s -1 + 144 K ( DRT - 0.7 mm 2 s -1 ) / ( T - 150 K), where T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin. At higher temperatures, an additional radiative contribution is observed according to CT3, where C varies from 10 - 9 to 10 - 10 depending on intrinsic rock properties (opacity, absorption behavior, grain size, grain boundary, etc). An equation is presented that describes the temperature and pressure dependence thermal diffusivity of rocks based only on the room-temperature thermal diffusivity. Room-temperature thermal diffusivity and its temperature dependence are mainly dependent on the major mineralogy of the rock. Because granulites are important components of the middle and lower continental crust, the results of this study provide important constraints in quantifying more accurately the thermal state of the deeper continental

Programme of research into the disposal of radioactive waste into geological formations. Studies on crystalline rock. Contract 059-78-1 WASUK. Final report: General studies of physical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-11-01

This report covers the following topics: groundwater dating; heat transfer and associated thermal studies (in-situ heat transfer experiment; thermal rock and fluid mechanics studies; thermal convection; hydraulic permeability experiments; laboratory studies); corrosion and chemical compatibility studies (field and laboratory corrosion studies; waste - rock interactions). (U.K.)

Thermal dimensioning of the deep repository. Influence of canister spacing, canister power, rock thermal properties and nearfield design on the maximum canister surface temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoekmark, Harald; Faelth, Billy

2003-12-01

The report addresses the problem of the minimum spacing required between neighbouring canisters in the deep repository. That spacing is calculated for a number of assumptions regarding the conditions that govern the temperature in the nearfield and at the surfaces of the canisters. The spacing criterion is that the temperature at the canister surfaces must not exceed 100 deg C .The results are given in the form of nomographic charts, such that it is in principle possible to determine the spacing as soon as site data, i.e. the initial undisturbed rock temperature and the host rock heat transport properties, are available. Results of canister spacing calculations are given for the KBS-3V concept as well as for the KBS-3H concept. A combination of numerical and analytical methods is used for the KBS-3H calculations, while the KBS-3V calculations are purely analytical. Both methods are described in detail. Open gaps are assigned equivalent heat conductivities, calculated such that the conduction across the gaps will include also the heat transferred by radiation. The equivalent heat conductivities are based on the emissivities of the different gap surfaces. For the canister copper surface, the emissivity is determined by back-calculation of temperatures measured in the Prototype experiment at Aespoe HRL. The size of the different gaps and the emissivity values are of great importance for the results and will be investigated further in the future

Measurement of thermal properties of magnetic nanoparticles using infrared thermal microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Jae Young; Chang, Ki Soo; Kook, Myung Ho

2013-01-01

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are considered promising for biomedical applications such as hyperthermia treatment and disease diagnosis owing to their distinctive thermal properties. For these applications, it is essential to screen the temperature distribution in the targeted disease site....... This study aimed to investigate and observe the thermal properties of a small amount of MNPs used as highly sensitive biomarkers for disease diagnosis by microthermography. Toward this end, we used polyacrylamide and agarose phantoms containing a small amount of MNPs (30 mg Fe-1). In phantoms, the increasing...

Eutectic mixtures of some fatty acids for latent heat storage: Thermal properties and thermal reliability with respect to thermal cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet

2006-01-01

Accelerated thermal cycle tests have been conducted to study the change in melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion of the eutectic mixtures of lauric acid (LA)-myristic acid (MA), lauric acid (LA)-palmitic acid (PA) and myristic acid (MA)-stearic acid (SA) as latent heat storage materials. The thermal properties of these materials were determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis method. The thermal reliability of the eutectic mixtures after melt/freeze cycles of 720, 1080 and 1460 was also evaluated using the DSC curves. The accelerated thermal cycle tests indicate that the melting temperatures usually tend to decrease, and the variations in the latent heats of fusion are irregular with increasing number of thermal cycles. Moreover, the probable reasons for the change in thermal properties of the eutectic mixtures after repeated thermal cycles were investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis indicates that the accelerated melt/freeze processes do not cause any degradation in the chemical structure of the mixtures. The change in thermal properties of the eutectic mixtures with increasing number of thermal cycles is only because of the presence of certain amounts of impurities in the fatty acids used in their preparation. It is concluded that the tested eutectic mixtures have reasonable thermal properties and thermal reliability as phase change materials (PCMs) for latent heat storage in any solar heating applications that include a four year utilization period

Input of 87Sr/86Sr ratios and Sr geochemical signatures to update knowledge on thermal and mineral waters flow paths in fractured rocks (N-Portugal)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, J.M.; Carreira, P.M.; Goff, F.; Eggenkamp, H.G.M.; Antunes da Silva, M.

2012-01-01

Strontium isotopes and other geochemical signatures are used to determine the relationships between CO 2 -rich thermal (Chaves: 76 °C) and mineral (Vilarelho da Raia, Vidago and Pedras Salgadas: 17 °C) waters discharging along one of the major NNE–SSW trending faults in the northern part of mainland Portugal. The regional geology consists of Hercynian granites (syn-tectonic-310 Ma and post-tectonic-290 Ma) intruding Silurian metasediments (quartzites, phyllites and carbonaceous slates). Thermal and mineral waters have 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic ratios between 0.716713 and 0.728035. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr vs. 1/Sr define three end-members (Vilarelho da Raia/Chaves, Vidago and Pedras Salgadas thermal and mineral waters) trending from rainfall composition towards that of the CO 2 -rich thermal and mineral waters, indicating different underground flow paths. Local granitic rocks have 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of 0.735697–0.789683. There is no indication that equilibrium was reached between the CO 2 -rich thermal and mineral waters and the granitic rocks. The mean 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of the thermal and mineral waters (0.722419) is similar to the Sr isotopic ratios of the plagioclases of the granitic rocks (0.71261–0.72087). The spatial distribution of Sr isotope and geochemical signatures of waters and the host rocks suggests that the thermal and mineral waters circulate in similar but not the same hydrogeological system. Results from this study could be used to evaluate the applicability of this isotope approach in other hydrogeologic investigations.

Inelastic deformations of fault and shear zones in granitic rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilder, D.G.

1986-02-01

Deformations during heating and cooling of three drifts in granitic rock were influenced by the presence of faults and shear zones. Thermal deformations were significantly larger in sheared and faulted zones than where the rock was jointed, but neither sheared nor faulted. Furthermore, thermal deformations in faulted or sheared rock were not significantly recovered during subsequent cooling, thus a permanent deformation remained. This inelastic response is in contrast with elastic behavior identified in unfaulted and unsheared rock segments. A companion paper indicates that deformations in unsheared or unfaulted rock were effectively modeled as an elastic response. We conclude that permanent deformations occurred in fractures with crushed minerals and fracture filling or gouge materials. Potential mechanisms for this permanent deformation are asperity readjustments during thermal deformations, micro-shearing, asperity crushing and crushing of the secondary fracture filling minerals. Additionally, modulus differences in sheared or faulted rock as compared to more intact rock would result in greater deformations in response to the same thermal loads

Thermal and superthermal properties of supersymmetric field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, J.

1984-01-01

We discuss the finite-temperature behaviour of supersymmetric field theories. We show that their 'superthermal' properties which concern the question of susy breaking at finite temperature and their thermal properties must be considered separately. Susy breaking is determined by the so-called superthermal ensemble, whereas thermodynamical properties follow from the conventional thermal ensemble, leading to the usual statistics for the bosonic and fermionic components of a superfield. We show that superspace techniques can be used in a straightforward way only for superthermal Green functions but not for thermal ones. We also discuss the possibility of finite-temperature susy restoration and the implications of Goldstone's theorem at finite temperature. (orig.)

Geologic, stratigraphic, thermal, and mechanical factors which influence repository design in the bedded salt environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashby, J.P.; Nair, O.; Ortman, D.; Rowe, J.

1979-12-01

This report describes the geologic, stratigraphic, thermal, and mechanical considerations applicable to repository design. The topics discussed in the report include: tectonic activity; geologic structure; stratigraphy; rock mechanical properties; and hydrologic properties

Thermal remediation alters soil properties - a review.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Peter L; DeSutter, Thomas M; Casey, Francis X M; Khan, Eakalak; Wick, Abbey F

2018-01-15

Contaminated soils pose a risk to human and ecological health, and thermal remediation is an efficient and reliable way to reduce soil contaminant concentration in a range of situations. A primary benefit of thermal treatment is the speed at which remediation can occur, allowing the return of treated soils to a desired land use as quickly as possible. However, this treatment also alters many soil properties that affect the capacity of the soil to function. While extensive research addresses contaminant reduction, the range and magnitude of effects to soil properties have not been explored. Understanding the effects of thermal remediation on soil properties is vital to successful reclamation, as drastic effects may preclude certain post-treatment land uses. This review highlights thermal remediation studies that have quantified alterations to soil properties, and it supplements that information with laboratory heating studies to further elucidate the effects of thermal treatment of soil. Notably, both heating temperature and heating time affect i) soil organic matter; ii) soil texture and mineralogy; iii) soil pH; iv) plant available nutrients and heavy metals; v) soil biological communities; and iv) the ability of the soil to sustain vegetation. Broadly, increasing either temperature or time results in greater contaminant reduction efficiency, but it also causes more severe impacts to soil characteristics. Thus, project managers must balance the need for contaminant reduction with the deterioration of soil function for each specific remediation project. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some Physco-thermal properties of Rice Bran | Obetta | Global ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Some of these properties were combined for study on their effect on thermal conductivity which was one of the thermal properties studied. Mean values of the thermal conductivity determined ranged from 0.2456 to 0.5764 W/m oC depending on the moisture content of the raw rice bran and the variety. The two major varieties ...

Appraisal of hard rock for potential underground repositories of radioactive wastes. LBL-7004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, N.G.W.

1978-01-01

Underground burial of radioactive wastes in hard rock may be an effective and safe means of isolating them from the environment and from man. The mechanical safety and stability of such an underground repository depends largely on the virgin state of stress in the rock, groundwater pressures, the strengths of the rocks, heating by the decay of the radioactive wastes, and the layout of the excavations and the disposition of waste cannisters within them. A large body of pertinent data exists in the literature, and each of these factors has been analyzed in the light of this information. The results indicate that there are no fundamental geological nor mechanical reasons why repositories capable of storing radioactive wastes should not be excavated at suitable sites in hard rock. However, specific tests to determine the mechanical and thermal properties of the rocks at a site would be needed to provide the data for the engineering design of a repository. Also, little experience exists of the effects on underground excavations of thermal loads, so that this aspect requires theoretical study and experimental validation. The depths of these potential repositories would lie in the range from 0.5 km to 2.0 km below surface, depending upon the strength of the rock. Virgin states of stress have been measured at such depths which would retard the ingress of groundwater and obviate the incidence of faulting. A typical repository comprising three horizons each with a total area of 5 km 2 would have the capacity to store wastes with thermal output of 240 MW

Multiscale properties of unconventional reservoir rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Woodruff, W. F.

A multidisciplinary study of unconventional reservoir rocks is presented, providing the theory, forward modeling and Bayesian inverse modeling approaches, and laboratory protocols to characterize clay-rich, low porosity and permeability shales and mudstones within an anisotropic framework. Several physical models characterizing oil and gas shales are developed across multiple length scales, ranging from microscale phenomena, e.g. the effect of the cation exchange capacity of reactive clay mineral surfaces on water adsorption isotherms, and the effects of infinitesimal porosity compaction on elastic and electrical properties, to meso-scale phenomena, e.g. the role of mineral foliations, tortuosity of conduction pathways and the effects of organic matter (kerogen and hydrocarbon fractions) on complex conductivity and their connections to intrinsic electrical anisotropy, as well as the macro-scale electrical and elastic properties including formulations for the complex conductivity tensor and undrained stiffness tensor within the context of effective stress and poroelasticity. Detailed laboratory protocols are described for sample preparation and measurement of these properties using spectral induced polarization (SIP) and ultrasonics for the anisotropic characterization of shales for both unjacketed samples under benchtop conditions and jacketed samples under differential loading. An ongoing study of the effects of kerogen maturation through hydrous pyrolysis on the complex conductivity is also provided in review. Experimental results are catalogued and presented for various unconventional formations in North America including the Haynesville, Bakken, and Woodford shales.

Compact rock material gas permeability properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Huanling, E-mail: whl_hm@163.com [Key Laboratory of Coastal Disaster and Defence, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); LML, University of Lille, Cite Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq (France); Xu, Weiya; Zuo, Jing [Institutes of Geotechnical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China)

2014-09-15

Natural compact rocks, such as sandstone, granite, and rock salt, are the main materials and geological environment for storing underground oil, gas, CO{sub 2,} shale gas, and radioactive waste because they have extremely low permeabilities and high mechanical strengths. Using the inert gas argon as the fluid medium, the stress-dependent permeability and porosity of monzonitic granite and granite gneiss from an underground oil storage depot were measured using a permeability and porosity measurement system. Based on the test results, models for describing the relationships among the permeability, porosity, and confining pressure of rock specimens were analyzed and are discussed. A power law is suggested to describe the relationship between the stress-dependent porosity and permeability; for the monzonitic granite and granite gneiss (for monzonitic granite (A-2), the initial porosity is approximately 4.05%, and the permeability is approximately 10{sup −19} m{sup 2}; for the granite gneiss (B-2), the initial porosity is approximately 7.09%, the permeability is approximately 10{sup −17} m{sup 2}; and the porosity-sensitivity exponents that link porosity and permeability are 0.98 and 3.11, respectively). Compared with moderate-porosity and high-porosity rocks, for which φ > 15%, low-porosity rock permeability has a relatively lower sensitivity to stress, but the porosity is more sensitive to stress, and different types of rocks show similar trends. From the test results, it can be inferred that the test rock specimens’ permeability evolution is related to the relative particle movements and microcrack closure.

Heat production in granitic rocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, Irina; Thybo, Hans; Jakobsen, Kiki

2017-01-01

Granitic rocks play special role in the dynamics and evolution of the Earth and its thermal regime. First, their compositional variability, reflected in the distribution of concentrations of radiogenic elements, provides constraints on global differentiation processes and large scale planetary...... evolution, where emplacement of granites is considered a particularly important process for the formation of continental crust. Second, heat production by radioactive decay is among the main heat sources in the Earth. Therefore knowledge of heat production in granitic rocks is pivotal for thermal modelling...... of the continental lithosphere, given that most radiogenic elements are concentrated in granitic rocks of the upper continental crust whereas heat production in rocks of the lower crust and lithospheric mantle is negligible. We present and analyze a new global database GRANITE2017 (with about 500 entries...

Study of different factors affecting the electrical properties of natural gas reservoir rocks based on digital cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Liming; Sun, Jianmeng; Wang, Haitao; Liu, Xuefeng

2011-01-01

The effects of the wettability and solubility of natural gas in formation water on the electrical properties of natural gas reservoir rocks are studied using the finite element method based on digital cores. The results show that the resistivity index of gas-wet reservoir rocks is significantly higher than that of water-wet reservoir rocks in the entire range of water saturation. The difference between them increases with decreasing water saturation. The resistivity index of natural gas reservoir rocks decreases with increasing additional conduction of water film. The solubility of natural gas in formation water has a dramatic effect on the electrical properties of reservoir rocks. The resistivity index of reservoir rocks increases as the solubility of natural gas increases. The effect of the solubility of natural gas on the resistivity index is very obvious under conditions of low water saturation, and it becomes weaker with increasing water saturation. Therefore, the reservoir wettability and the solubility of natural gas in formation water should be considered in defining the saturation exponent

Petroleum geochemical responses to reservoir rock properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennett, B.; Larter, S.R. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada)

2008-07-01

Reservoir geochemistry is used to study petroleum basin development, petroleum mixing, and alterations. In this study, polar non-hydrocarbons were used as proxies for describing reservoir properties sensitive to fluid-rock interactions. A core flood experiment was conducted on a Carboniferous siltstone core obtained from a site in the United Kingdom. Core samples were then obtained from a typical upper shoreface in a North Sea oilfield. The samples were extracted with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture. Alkylcarbazoles and alkylfluorenones were then isolated from the samples. Compositional changes along the core were also investigated. Polar non hydrocarbons were studied using a wireline gamma ray log. The strongest deflections were observed in the basal coarsening upwards unit. The study demonstrated the correlations between molecular markers, and indicated that molecular parameters can be used to differentiate between clean sand units and adjacent coarsening upward muddy sand sequences. It was concluded that reservoir geochemical parameters can provide an independent response to properties defined by petrophysical methods. 6 refs., 2 figs.

A numerical model for the thermal history of rocks based on confined horizontal fission tracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, P.K.; Kunzendorf, Helmar; Hansen, Kirsten

1992-01-01

A numerical model for determination of the thermal history of rocks is presented. It is shown that the thermal history may be uniquely determined as a piece-by-piece linear function on the basis of etched confined, horizontal fission track length distributions, their surface densities, and the uranium content. The initial track length distribution is taken into account. A relation between the measured track length distribution and age is given which includes correction for partial annealing. The annealing model used is the fanning Arrhenius plot. It is shown that track length distributions measured in transmitted light are biased favouring short tracks compared with measurements in reflected light. Testing of the model is performed on apatites from a tuffaceous sandstone from Bornholm (Denmark) yielding an estimate of the thermal history for the period of about 280 Ma back in time. (author)

Rock properties influencing impedance spectra (IS) studied by lab measurements on porous model systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkmann, J.; Klitzsch, N.; Mohnke, O. [RWTH Aachen Univ. (Germany). Applied Geophysics and Geothermal Energy; Schleifer, N. [Wintershall Holding GmbH, Barnstorf (Germany)

2013-08-01

The wetting condition of reservoir rocks is a crucial parameter for the estimation of reservoir characteristics like permeability and saturation with residual oil or water. Since standard methods are often costly, at least in terms of time, we aim at assessing wettability of reservoir rocks using impedance spectroscopy (IS), a frequency dependent measurement of complex electric resistivity. This approach is promising, because IS is sensitive to the electrochemical properties of the inner surface of rocks which, on the other hand, are decisively influencing wettability. Unfortunately, there is large number of rock parameters - besides wettability - influencing the impedance spectra often not exactly known for natural rock samples. Therefore, we study model systems to improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to quantify the influencing parameters. The model systems consist of sintered porous silica beads of different sizes leading to samples with different pore sizes. The main advantage of these samples compared to natural rocks is their well-defined and uniform mineralogical composition and thus their uniform electrochemical surface property. In order to distinguish pore geometry and fluid electrochemistry effects on the IS properties we measured the IS response of the fully water saturated model systems in a wide frequency range - from 1 mHz to 35 MHz - to capture different often overlapping polarization processes. With these measurements we study the influence of pore or grain size, fluid conductivity, and wettability (contact angle) on the impedance spectra. The influence of wettability was studied by modifying the originally hydrophilic inner surface into a hydrophobic state. The wettability change was verified by contact angle measurements. As results, we find pore size dependent relaxation times and salinity dependent chargeabilities for the hydrophilic samples in the low frequency range (< 10 kHz), whereas for the hydrophobic samples

In situ determination of the dynamic properties of thinly-layered rock to evaluate rock-structure interaction at a nuclear power plant site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, William J.; Rizzo, Paul C.

1988-01-01

The presence of layers of weak sedimentary rock in a column of otherwise competent rock can significantly affect the seismic response of nuclear power plant structures due to rock-structure interaction effects. The determination of the dynamic properties of thinly-layered rock is, however, difficult. When borings are placed close enough to allow for a characterization of refracted waves, other potential problems such as the identification of clear P- and S-wave arrivals, extremely short duration of records, near-field waves, instrumental stability, and overall record resolution become magnified. Other problems such as cultural noise and signal amplitude can become critical when high resolution is required. Conventional storage oscilloscopes and seismographs are inadequate under these conditions, but modern digital recording systems with the application of stringent calibration and recording procedures can yield successful results. A case history of a high-precision cross-hole survey to a depth of 150 meters in thinly-bedded sedimentary rock at a nuclear power plant site is presented in order to illustrate the systems and procedures necessary to obtain successful results under adverse conditions. (author)

Admissible thermal loading in geological formations. Consequences on radioactive waste disposal methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Every granite formation possesses, the following main characteristics: presence of fissures; physico-chemical alterability; presence of internal or peripheral heterogeneities. From samples at ambient temperature, sound granite is found to have the properties of a hard, elastic rock with a relatively low thermal conductivity. Its natural permeability is low or very low, and most of the percolating water passes through fissures affecting the rock mass. In this report are examined: effects of heat on cavity stability, mechanical interaction between conditioned wastes and the geological environment, effects on the stability of infilling materials, heat effects on the host rock and underground water, assessment of the permissible thermal load and design of the storage facility

Thermal Evolution of Juvenile Subduction Zones ' New Constraints from Lu-Hf Geochronology on HP oceanic rocks (Halilbaǧi, Central Anatolia)

Science.gov (United States)

Pourteau, Amaury; Scherer, Erik; Schmidt, Alexander; Bast, Rebecca

2015-04-01

The thermal structure of subduction zones plays a key role on mechanical and chemical processes taking place along the slab-mantle interface. Until now, changes through time of this thermal structure have been explored mostly by the means of numerical simulations. However, both "warm" (i.e., epidote-bearing), and "cold" (i.e., lawsonite-bearing) HP oceanic rocks have been reported in some fossil subduction complexes exposed at the Earth's surface (e.g., Franciscan Complex, California; Rio San Juan Complex, Hispañola; Halilbağı Unit, Central Anatolia). These a-priori "incompatible" rocks witness different thermal stages of ancient subduction zones and their study might provide complementary constraints to numerical models. To decipher the meaning of these contrasting metamorphic rocks in the Halilbağı Unit, we are carrying out Lu-Hf geochronology on garnet (grt) and lws from a variety of HP oceanic rocks, as well as the metamorphic sole of the overlying ophiolite. We selected five samples that are representative of the variety of metamorphic evolutions (i.e. peak conditions and P-T paths) encountered in this area. Preliminary analyses yielded 110 Ma (grt-hbl isochron) for a sub-ophiolitic grt amphibolite; 92 Ma (grt-omp) for an eclogite with prograde and retrograde ep; 90 Ma (grt-omp) for an eclogitic metabasite with prograde ep and retrograde ep+lws; 87 Ma (grt-gln) for a lws eclogite with prograde ep; and 86 Ma (grt-gln) for a blueschist with prograde and retrograde lws. These ages are mainly two-point isochrons. Further-refined data will be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2015, in Vienna. The consistent younging trend from "warm" to "cold" metamorphic rocks revealed by these first-order results points to metamorphic-sole formation during the initiation of intra-oceanic subduction at ~110 Ma, and subsequent cooling of the slab-mantle interface between 92 and 86 Ma. Therefore, the contrasting metamorphic evolutions encountered in the Halilbağı Unit

Influence of geological factors on the mechanical properties of rock in the Palo Duro Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cregger, D.M.; Corkum, D.H.; Gokce, A.O.; Peck, J.H.

1985-01-01

Sedimentary formations in the Palo Duro Basin of the Texas Panhandle exhibit a variety of petrofabrics which contribute to different mechanical behavior. Similarly classified rock core specimens, upon closer inspection, are comprised of different textures and slight compositional variations. The resultant rock mass characteristics interpreted from laboratory tests and deep borehole geophysical logs are seen to be a direct result of the depositional environment and geologic history. Depositional environments include chemical precipitation in shallow brine pools, basin filling with terrigenous or eolian supply of clastics, restricted circulation, and transgression of normal marine waters. Geochemical transformations of the deposits, (diagenesis), can or may result in profound changes to the mechanical properties of the rock. Structural deformation of the bedded salts is slight and may be far less important in its effect on mechanical properties than diagenetic changes

Rock mass modification around a nuclear waste repository in welded tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, M.G.; Brandshaug, T.; Brady, B.H.

1989-08-01

This report presents the results of numerical analyses to estimate the extent of rock mass modification resulting from the presence of a High Level Waste (HLW) repository. Changes in rock mass considered are stresses and joint deformations resulting from disposal room excavation and thermal efffects induced by the heat generated by nuclear waste. rock properties and site conditions are taken from the Site Characterization Plan Conceptual Design Report for the potential repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Analyses were conducted using boundary element and distinct element methods. Room-scale models and repository-scale models were investigated for up to 500 years after waste emplacement. Results of room-scale analyses based on the thermoelastic boundary element model indicate that a zone of modified rock develops around the disposal rooms for both vertical and horizontal waste emplacement. This zone is estimated to extend a distance of roughly two room diameters from the room surface. Results from the repository-scale model, which are based on the thermoelastic boundary element model and the distinct element model, indicate a zone with modified rock mass properties starting approximately 100 m above and below the repository, with a thickness of approximately 200 m above and 150 m below the repository. Slip-prone subhorizontal features are shown to have a substantial effect on rock mass response. The estimates of rock mass modification reflect uncertainties and simplifying assumptions in the models. 32 refs., 57 figs., 1 tab

Range of engineering-geological properties for some carbonate rock complexes for Balkan peninsula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovanovski, Milorad; Shpago, Azra; Peshevski, Igor

2010-01-01

The Carbonate Rock masses are a geological media with extremely complex states and properties, which has a certain influences on the mechanical and hydraulic behavior during construction and exploitation of engineering structures. Practical aspects of the problem analysis arise from the fact that the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and the entire Balkans is characterized by presence of wide areas covered with carbonate complexes, where large number of complex engineering structures have been, or shall be constructed in the future. In this context, their engineering-geological modeling is still a practical and scientific challenge. The analysis of engineering- geological properties is one of the main steps in forming of analytical and geotechnical models for complex rock structures. This article gives a data about the range for these properties, according to the results from an extensive investigation program. Some original correlations and testing results are given and they are compared with some published relations from the world. (Author)

The TIMODAZ project: Thermal impact on the damaged zone around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

XiangLing, L.

2009-01-01

The management of spent nuclear fuel and other long-lived radio active waste is an important environmental issue today. Disposal in deep clay geological formations is one of the promising options to dispose of these wastes. In this context, the related research activities in the Euratom Framework Programme of European Commission are continually taking on an enhanced significance. The TIMODAZ is one of the STREP projects (Specific Targeted Research Project) in the Sixth EURATOM Framework Programme and contributes to the research related to the geological disposal of radioactive waste. The consortium is composed of a strong multidisciplinary team involving both European radioactive waste management organizations and nuclear research institutes, universities, industrial partners as well as consultancy companies (SME's). Totally, 15 partners coming from 8 countries are involved with a total budget of about 4000k EURO. Being the coordinator (through the EURIDICE expertise group), SCK-CEN plays the leading role in the project. Meanwhile, SCK-CEN participates the research in different work packages covering the laboratory tests, in-situ tests as well as the integration of TIMODAZ results within the safety case. An important item for the long-term safety of underground disposal is the proper evaluation of the DZ (damaged zone) in the clay host rock. The DZ is defined here as the zone of host rock that experiences THMC (Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical) modifications induced by the repository, with potential major changes in the transport properties for radionuclides. The DZ is first initiated during the repository construction. Its behaviour is dynamic, dependent on changing conditions that vary from the open-drift period, to initial closure period and to the entire heating-cooling cycle of the decaying waste. The early THMC disturbances created by the excavation, the operational phase and the thermal load might be the most severe transient that the repository will undergo

Thermal effects of metamorphic reactions in a three-component slab

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chemia, Zurab; Dolejš, David; Steinle-Neumann, Gerd

2010-01-01

Thermal evolution of a subducting crust is of primary importance for understanding physical properties, phase transformations, fluid migration and melting regimes at convergent plate boundaries. Various factors influencing the thermal structure of a subduction zone have been considered previously......), and moderately serpentinized harzburgite (SHB). These layers are examined over the range of pressure-temperature conditions of interest by computing metamorphic phase diagrams and retrieving whole-rock thermodynamic properties. Our results suggest that metamorphic reactions consume a significant amount of slab...

Investigation of the dielectric properties of shale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martemyanov, Sergey M.

2011-01-01

The article is dedicated to investigation of the dielectric properties of oil shale. Investigations for samples prepared from shale mined at the deposit in Jilin Province in China were done. The temperature and frequency dependences of rock characteristics needed to calculate the processes of their thermal processing are investigated. Frequency dependences for the relative dielectric constant and dissipation factor of rock in the frequency range from 0,1 Hz to 1 MHz are investigated. The temperature dependences for rock resistance, dielectric capacitance and dissipation factor in the temperature range from 20 to 600°C are studied. Key words: shale, dielectric properties, relative dielectric constant, dissipation factor, temperature dependence, frequency dependence

Pressurized Slot Testing to Determine Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Lithophysal Tuff at Yucca Mountain Nevada.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George, James T.; Sobolik, Steven R.; Lee, Moo Y.; Park, Byoung; Costin, Laurence

2018-05-01

The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the Tptpll (Tertiary, Paintbrush, Topopah Spring Tuff Formation, crystal poor, lower lithophysal) and Tptpul (upper lithophysal) lithostratigraphic units at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A large volume fraction of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain may reside in the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit. This unit is characterized by voids, or lithophysae, which range in size from centimeters to meters, making a field program an effective method of measuring bulk thermal-mechanical rock properties (thermal expansion, rock mass modulus, compressive strength, time-dependent deformation) over a range of temperature and rock conditions. The field tests outlined in this report provide data for the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of this unit. Rock-mass response data collected during this field test will reduce the uncertainty in key thermal-mechanical modeling parameters (rock-mass modulus, strength and thermal expansion) for the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit, and provide a basis for understanding thermal-mechanical behavior of this unit. The measurements will be used to evaluate numerical models of the thermal-mechanical response of the repository. These numerical models are then used to predict pre- and post-closure repository response. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank David Bronowski, Ronnie Taylor, Ray E. Finley, Cliff Howard, Michael Schuhen (all SNL) and Fred Homuth (LANL) for their work in the planning and implementation of the tests described in this report. This is a reprint of SAND2004-2703, which was originally printed in July 2004. At that time, it was printed for a restricted audience. It has now been approved for unlimited release.

Single-hole in situ thermal probe for hydrothermal characterization at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danko, G.

1993-01-01

The REKA thermal probe method, which uses a single borehole to measure in situ rock thermophysical properties and provides for efficient and low-cost site characterization, is analyzed for its application to hydrothermal system characterization. It is demonstrated throughout the evaluation of several temperature fields obtained for different thermal zones that the REKA method can be applied to simultaneously determine (1) two independent thermophysical properties, i.e., heat conductivity and thermal diffusivity and (2) a set of heat transport parameters, which can be used to characterize the behavior of a hydrothermal system. Based on the direct physical meaning of these transport parameters, the components of the heat transport mechanism in a given time and location of the hydrothermal system can be described. This evaluation can be applied to characterizing and quantifying in situ rock dry-out and condensate shedding at the proposed repository site

Thermal properties of graphite oxide, thermally reduced graphene and chemically reduced graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Jankovský, Ondřej; Sedmidubský, David; Lojka, Michal; Sofer, Zdeněk

2017-07-01

We compared thermal behavior and other properties of graphite oxide, thermally reduced graphene and chemically reduced graphene. Graphite was oxidized according to the Hofmann method using potassium chlorate as oxidizing agent in strongly acidic environment. In the next step, the formed graphite oxide was chemically or thermally reduced yielding graphene. The mechanism of thermal reduction was studied using STA-MS. Graphite oxide and both thermally and chemically reduced graphenes were analysed by SEM, EDS, elemental combustion analysis, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, XRD and BET. These findings will help for the large scale production of graphene with appropriate chemical composition.

Report on achievements in fiscal 1975 in Sunshine Project. Studies on physical and chemical properties of rocks in geothermal areas; 1975 nendo chinetsu chitai ni okeru ganseki no butsuri kagakuteki tokusei ni kansuru kenkyu seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1976-03-01

This paper reports the achievements of (A) studies on change in rock specific resistance due to temperature and water content, and (B) petrological, mineralogical and chemical studies on thermally transformed rocks. In the study (A), it was discovered that use of high-pressure capsules allow to obtain test samples in a condition of containing hot water as a result of studies on temperature change in rock specific resistance due to hot water content. In the measurements of geothermal gradient and heat conductivity of test drilled rock cores, the experiments revealed that there are different patterns of temperature restoration due to geological conditions and finish of wells, and properties of mud water used. The studies on thermal structures and underground structures decided shapes of measurement test samples of test drilled cores. In the measurements of heat conductivity and heat flow rate of test drilled rock cores, considerations were given on the relationship among sectional temperature increasing rate, heat conductivity and heat flow rate. The measurements of residual magnetism and magnetization in rocks described interpretation on the result of test drilled core measurement. In the study (B), aluminous sphere in the Hachimantai Onuma geothermal area is first described. Then, a description is given on the relationship between chemical constituents and electric conductivity of natural water in Mt. Akita Yakeyama and its vicinity. (NEDO)

Theoretical Investigations on the Influence of Artificially Altered Rock Mass Properties on Mechanical Excavation

Science.gov (United States)

Hartlieb, Philipp; Bock, Stefan

2018-03-01

This study presents a theoretical analysis of the influence of the rock mass rating on the cutting performance of roadheaders. Existing performance prediction models are assessed for their suitability for forecasting the influence of pre-damaging the rock mass with alternative methods like lasers or microwaves, prior to the mechanical excavation process. Finally, the RMCR model was chosen because it is the only reported model incorporating a range of rock mass properties into its calculations. The results show that even very tough rocks could be mechanically excavated if the occurrence, orientation and condition of joints are favourable for the cutting process. The calculated improvements in the cutting rate (m3/h) are up to 350% for the most favourable cases. In case of microwave irradiation of hard rocks with an UCS of 200 MPa, a reasonable improvement in the performance by 120% can be achieved with as little as an extra 0.7 kWh/m3 (= 1% more energy) compared to cutting only.

Preparation, characterization, and thermal properties of microencapsulated phase change material for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alkan, Cemil; Sari, Ahmet; Karaipekli, Ali [Department of Chemistry, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240 Tokat (Turkey); Uzun, Orhan [Department of Physics, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240 Tokat (Turkey)

2009-01-15

This study is focused on the preparation, characterization, and determination of thermal properties of microencapsulated docosane with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as phase change material for thermal energy storage. Microencapsulation of docosane has been carried out by emulsion polymerization. The microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thermal properties and thermal stability of MEPCM were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC analysis indicated that the docosane in the microcapsules melts at 41.0 C and crystallizes at 40.6 C. It has latent heats of 54.6 and -48.7 J/g for melting and crystallization, respectively. TGA showed that the MEPCM degraded in three distinguishable steps and had good chemical stability. Accelerated thermal cycling tests also indicated that the MEPCM had good thermal reliability. Based on all these results, it can be concluded that the microencapsulated docosane as MEPCMs have good potential for thermal energy storage purposes such as solar space heating applications. (author)

Modeling of Micro Deval abrasion loss based on some rock properties

Science.gov (United States)

Capik, Mehmet; Yilmaz, Ali Osman

2017-10-01

Aggregate is one of the most widely used construction material. The quality of the aggregate is determined using some testing methods. Among these methods, the Micro Deval Abrasion Loss (MDAL) test is commonly used for the determination of the quality and the abrasion resistance of aggregate. The main objective of this study is to develop models for the prediction of MDAL from rock properties, including uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, point load index, Schmidt rebound hardness, apparent porosity, void ratio Cerchar abrasivity index and Bohme abrasion test are examined. Additionally, the MDAL is modeled using simple regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis based on the rock properties. The study shows that the MDAL decreases with the increase of uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, point load index, Schmidt rebound hardness and Cerchar abrasivity index. It is also concluded that the MDAL increases with the increase of apparent porosity, void ratio and Bohme abrasion test. The modeling results show that the models based on Bohme abrasion test and L type Schmidt rebound hardness give the better forecasting performances for the MDAL. More models, including the uniaxial compressive strength, the apparent porosity and Cerchar abrasivity index, are developed for the rapid estimation of the MDAL of the rocks. The developed models were verified by statistical tests. Additionally, it can be stated that the proposed models can be used as a forecasting for aggregate quality.

The thermal and mechanical properties of electron beam-irradiated polylactide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuk, In Seol; Jung, Chan Hee; Hwang, In Tae; Choi, Jae Hak; Nho, Young Chang

2010-01-01

The effect of electron beam irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of polylactide (PLA) was investigated in this research. PLA films were irradiated by electron beams at different absorption doses ranging from 20 to 200 kGy. The thermal and mechanical properties of the irradiated PLA films were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, universal testing machine, dynamic mechanical analyzer, and thermal mechanical analyzer. The results revealed that the chain scission of the PLA predominated over the crosslinking during the irradiation, which considerably deteriorated the thermal and mechanical properties of the PLA

Temperature loading and rocks mechanics at final storage of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijon, B.; Stephansson, O.

1979-01-01

This report describes the rock mechanical effects - in the far field - from the thermal loading at a final storage of radioactive waste in crystalline rocks. The stress distribution of a two-storey storage is described in more details. The temperature rise in a final storage of radiactive waste will create thermal stresses which may cause a failure of the rock mass, and thereby an increase of its permeability. However, the state of stress in the Earth's crust is able to neutralize the thermal stresses. By this analysis we have been able to demonstrate that the thermal stresses due to heat conduction from the final storage are compensated by the state of stress in the upper part of the crust. The absolute stress, which is the superposition of thermal stress and virgin rock stress, is in all cases found to be below the limit of failure due to frictional resistance between surfaces of constituent blocks in the rock mass. Failure by sliding friction is the most conservative failure criterion for a rock mass. (author)

Rock mass deformation properties of closely jointed basalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K.; Cramer, M.L.

1982-12-01

The deformational behavior of the Columbia River basalt is being investigated as part of a comprehensive site characterization program intended to determine the feasibility of constructing a nuclear waste repository in basalt at Hanford, Washington. Direct field measurements were conducted in a 2-m cube of basalt to obtain truly representative rock mass deformation properties. Load was applied to the test block in three orthogonal directions through the use of flat jacks in two perpendicular planes and a cable anchor system in the third. This configuration allowed the block to be placed in a simulated triaxial stress state at stress levels up to 12.5 MPa. The deformation at the center of the test block was monitored through the use of an optical measurement system developed for this project. The results indicate that the vertically oriented columnar joints have a significant influence on the deformation behavior of the basalt. The modulus in the direction parallel to the column axis was approx. 30 GPa, while the modulus value perpendicular to the columns was approx. 20 GPa. Laboratory measurements of intact specimens taken from this area yielded a value of 80 GPa with no indication of anisotropy. Hysteresis was observed in all loading cycles, but was distinctly more pronounced perpendicular to the column axis, indicative of significant joint displacement in this direction. The results of this test represent the first true rock mass modulus data obtained in closely jointed rock on a large scale. These measurement methods have eliminated many of the ambiguities associated with borehole jacking and surface measurement techniques

General Properties for an Agrawal Thermal Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Paéz-Hernández, Ricardo T.; Chimal-Eguía, Juan Carlos; Sánchez-Salas, Norma; Ladino-Luna, Delfino

2018-04-01

This paper presents a general property of endoreversible thermal engines known as the Semisum property previously studied in a finite-time thermodynamics context for a Curzon-Ahlborn (CA) engine but now extended to a simplified version of the CA engine studied by Agrawal in 2009 (A simplified version of the Curzon-Ahlborn engine, European Journal of Physics 30 (2009), 1173). By building the Ecological function, proposed by Angulo-Brown (An ecological optimization criterion for finite-time heat engines, Journal of Applied Physics 69 (1991), 7465-7469) in 1991, and considering two heat transfer laws an analytical expression is obtained for efficiency and power output which depends only on the heat reservoirs' temperature. When comparing the existing efficiency values of real power plants and the theoretical efficiencies obtained in this work, it is observed that the Semisum property is satisfied. Moreover, for the Newton and the Dulong-Petit heat transfer laws the existence of the g function is demonstrated and we confirm that in a Carnot-type thermal engine there is a general property independent of the heat transfer law used between the thermal reservoirs and the working substance.

Thermal Properties of Polymethyl Methacrylate Composite Containing Copper Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wei; Xie, Huaqing; Xin, Sha; Yin, Junshan; Jiang, Yitong; Wang, Mingzhu

2015-04-01

Thermal functional Materials have wide applications in thermal management fields, and inserting highly thermal conductive materials is effective in enhancing thermal conductivity of matrix. In this paper, copper nanoparticles were selected as the additive to prepare polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based nanocomposite with enhanced thermal properties. Uniform copper nanoparticles with pure face-centered lattice were prepared by liquid phase reduction method. Then, they were added into PMMA/N, N-Dimethylmethanamide (DMF) solution according to the different mass fraction for uniform dispersion. After DMF was evaporated, Cu-PMMA nanocomposites were gained. The thermal analysis measurement results showed that the decomposition temperature of nanocomposites decreased gradually with the increasing particle loadings. The thermal conductivity of the Cu-PMMA nanocomposites rose with the increasing contents of copper nanoparticles. With a 20 vol.% addition, the thermal conductivity was up to 1.2 W/m · K, a 380.5% increase compared to the pure PMMA. The results demonstrate that copper nanoparticles have great potential in enhancing thermal transport properties of polymer.

Three-dimensional hydrological and thermal property models of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rautman, C.A.; McKenna, S.A.

1997-11-01

This report describes the creation of three-dimensional numerical models of selected rock-matrix properties for the region of the potential high-level nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, which is located in southern Nevada. The models have been generated for a majority of the unsaturated and shallow saturated zone within an area referred to within the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization project as the site area. They comprise a number of material properties of importance both to detailed process-level modeling activities and to more summary-style performance assessment modeling. The material properties within these models are both spatially variable (heterogeneous) and spatially correlated, as the rocks are understood from data obtained from site-characterization drill holes widely scattered across the site area

Research on technology of evaluating thermal property data of nuclear power materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imai, Hidetaka; Baba, Tetsuya; Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi; Kishimoto, Isao; Taketoshi, Naoyuki; Arai, Teruo

1997-01-01

For the materials of first wall and diverter of nuclear fusion reactor, in order to withstand steady and unsteady high heat flux load, excellent thermal characteristics are required. It is strongly demanded to measure such thermal property values as heat conductivity, heat diffusivity, specific heat capacity, emissivity and so using small test pieces up to higher than 2000degC. As the materials of nuclear reactors are subjected to neutron irradiation, in order to secure the long term reliability of the materials, it is very important to establish the techniques for forecasting the change of the thermal property values due to irradiation effect. Also the establishment of the techniques for estimating the thermal property values of new materials like low radioactivation material is important. In National Research Laboratory of Metrology, the research on the advancement of the measuring technology for high temperature thermal properties has resulted in the considerably successful development of such technologies. In this research, the rapid measurement of thermal property values up to superhigh temperature with highest accuracy, the making of thermal property data set of high level, the analysis and evaluation of the correlation of material characters and thermal property values, and the development of the basic techniques for estimating the thermal property values of solid materials are aimed at and advanced. These are explained. (K.I.)

Thermal properties and thermal reliability of eutectic mixtures of some fatty acids as latent heat storage materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet; Sari, Hayati; Oenal, Adem

2004-01-01

The present study deals with two subjects. The first one is to determine the thermal properties of lauric acid (LA)-stearic acid (SA), myristic acid (MA)-palmitic acid (PA) and palmitic acid (PA)-stearic acid (SA) eutectic mixtures as latent heat storage material. The properties were measured by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis technique. The second one is to study the thermal reliability of these materials in view of the change in their melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion with respect to repeated thermal cycles. For this aim, the eutectic mixtures were subjected to 360 repeated melt/freeze cycles, and their thermal properties were measured after 0, 90,180 and 360 thermal cycles by the technique of DSC analysis. The DSC thermal analysis results show that the binary systems of LA-SA in the ratio of 75.5:24.5 wt.%, MA-PA in the ratio of 58:42 wt.% and PA-SA in the ratio of 64.2:35.8 wt.% form eutectic mixtures with melting temperatures of 37.0, 42.60 and 52.30 deg. C and with latent heats of fusion of 182.7, 169.7 and 181.7 J g -1 , respectively. These thermal properties make them possible for heat storage in passive solar heating applications with respect to climate conditions. The accelerated thermal cycle tests indicate that the changes in the melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion of the studied eutectic mixtures are not regular with increasing number of thermal cycles. However, these materials, latent heat energy storage materials, have good thermal reliability in terms of the change in their thermal properties with respect to thermal cycling for about a one year utility period

Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

KAUST Repository

Pasten, C.

2015-09-01

Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

KAUST Repository

Pasten, C.; Garcí a, M.; Santamarina, Carlos

2015-01-01

Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

Use of stratigraphic models as soft information to constrain stochastic modeling of rock properties: Development of the GSLIB-Lynx integration module

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cromer, M.V.; Rautman, C.A.

1995-10-01

Rock properties in volcanic units at Yucca Mountain are controlled largely by relatively deterministic geologic processes related to the emplacement, cooling, and alteration history of the tuffaceous lithologic sequence. Differences in the lithologic character of the rocks have been used to subdivide the rock sequence into stratigraphic units, and the deterministic nature of the processes responsible for the character of the different units can be used to infer the rock material properties likely to exist in unsampled regions. This report proposes a quantitative, theoretically justified method of integrating interpretive geometric models, showing the three-dimensional distribution of different stratigraphic units, with numerical stochastic simulation techniques drawn from geostatistics. This integration of soft, constraining geologic information with hard, quantitative measurements of various material properties can produce geologically reasonable, spatially correlated models of rock properties that are free from stochastic artifacts for use in subsequent physical-process modeling, such as the numerical representation of ground-water flow and radionuclide transport. Prototype modeling conducted using the GSLIB-Lynx Integration Module computer program, known as GLINTMOD, has successfully demonstrated the proposed integration technique. The method involves the selection of stratigraphic-unit-specific material-property expected values that are then used to constrain the probability function from which a material property of interest at an unsampled location is simulated

Rock foundations of hydroengineering structures: mechanical properties and calculations. Skal'nye osnovaniya gidrotekhnicheskikh sooruzhenii: mekhanicheskie svoistva i raschety

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ukhov, S B

1975-01-01

This book presents the analytical methods which are used to describe the processes of the deformation and collapse of the rock-dirt foundations of dams, and techniques are presented for experimentally determining the mechanical properties of fissured rock-dirt under natural conditions. A determination is made of the required complex of engineering-geological, geophysical and geomechanical methods of investigation for calculating the interaction of the structure and the foundation, and a report is also given on the main assumptions of such calculations by using the method of finite elements. Methods are recommended for estimating the effect of engineering actions on the change in mechanical properties of the rock-dirt foundation. The book is intended for engineering dealing with the search and design of dam structures constructed on rock foundations. 126 refs.

Comparison of thermally induced and naturally occurring water-borne leakages from hard rock depositories for radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourke, P.J.; Robinson, P.C.

1981-01-01

The relative importance of thermally induced and naturally occurring flows of water as causes of leakage from hard rock depositories for radioactive wastes is assessed. Separate analyses are presented for involatile, high level waste from reprocessing of fuel and for plutonium contaminated waste from fabrication of fuel. The effects of varying the quantities of wastes, pre-burial storage and the shapes and depths of depositories are considered. It is concluded that for representative values of these variables, thermal flow will remain the major cause of leakage for long times after the burial of both types of waste. (Auth.)

Thermal Properties for the Thermal-Hydraulics Analyses of the BR2 Maximum Nominal Heat Flux

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dionne, B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Bergeron, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Licht, J. R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Kim, Y. S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Hofman, G. L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division

2015-02-01

This memo describes the assumptions and references used in determining the thermal properties for the various materials used in the BR2 HEU (93% enriched in ²³⁵U) to LEU (19.75% enriched in ²³⁵U) conversion feasibility analysis. More specifically, this memo focuses on the materials contained within the pressure vessel (PV), i.e., the materials that are most relevant to the study of impact of the change of fuel from HEU to LEU. Section 2 provides a summary of the thermal properties in the form of tables while the following sections and appendices present the justification of these values. Section 3 presents a brief background on the approach used to evaluate the thermal properties of the dispersion fuel meat and specific heat capacity. Sections 4 to 7 discuss the material properties for the following materials: i) aluminum, ii) dispersion fuel meat (UAlx-Al and U-7Mo-Al), iii) beryllium, and iv) stainless steel. Section 8 discusses the impact of irradiation on material properties. Section 9 summarizes the material properties for typical operating temperatures. Appendix A elaborates on how to calculate dispersed phase’s volume fraction. Appendix B provides a revised methodology for determining the thermal conductivity as a function of burnup for HEU and LEU.

Subsurface Rock Physical Properties by Downhole Loggings - Case Studies of Continental Deep Drilling in Kanto Distinct, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Omura, K.

2014-12-01

In recent years, many examples of physical logging have been carried out in deep boreholes. The loggings are direct in-situ measurements of rock physical properties under the ground. They provide significant basic data for the geological, geophysical and geotechnical investigations, e.g., tectonic history, seismic wave propagation, and ground motion prediction. Since about 1980's, Natl. Res. Inst. for Earth Sci. and Disast. Prev. (NIED) dug deep boreholes (from 200m to 3000m depth) in sedimentary basin of Kanto distinct, Japan, for purposes of installing seismographs and hydrological instruments, and in-situ stress and pore pressure measurements. At that time, downhole physical loggings were conducted in the boreholes: spontaneous potential, electrical resistance, elastic wave velocity, formation density, neutron porosity, total gamma ray, caliper, temperature loggings. In many cases, digital data values were provided every 2m or 1m or 0.1m. In other cases, we read printed graphs of logging plots and got digital data values. Data from about 30 boreholes are compiled. Especially, particular change of logging data at the depth of an interface between a shallow part (soft sedimentary rock) and a base rock (equivalent to hard pre-Neogene rock) is examined. In this presentation, the correlations among physical properties of rock (especially, formation density, elastic wave velocity and electrical resistance) are introduced and the relation to the lithology is discussed. Formation density, elastic wave velocity and electric resistance data indicate the data are divide in two groups that are higher or lower than 2.5g/cm3: the one correspond to a shallow part and the other correspond to a base rock part. In each group, the elastic wave velocity and electric resistance increase with increase of formation density. However the rates of increases in the shallow part are smaller than in the base rock part. The shallow part has lower degree of solidification and higher porosity

Assessment of dynamic material properties of intact rocks using seismic wave attenuation: an experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanniarachchi, W A M; Ranjith, P G; Perera, M S A; Rathnaweera, T D; Lyu, Q; Mahanta, B

2017-10-01

The mechanical properties of any substance are essential facts to understand its behaviour and make the maximum use of the particular substance. Rocks are indeed an important substance, as they are of significant use in the energy industry, specifically for fossil fuels and geothermal energy. Attenuation of seismic waves is a non-destructive technique to investigate mechanical properties of reservoir rocks under different conditions. The attenuation characteristics of five different rock types, siltstone, shale, Australian sandstone, Indian sandstone and granite, were investigated in the laboratory using ultrasonic and acoustic emission instruments in a frequency range of 0.1-1 MHz. The pulse transmission technique and spectral ratios were used to calculate the attenuation coefficient ( α ) and quality factor ( Q ) values for the five selected rock types for both primary ( P ) and secondary ( S ) waves, relative to the reference steel sample. For all the rock types, the attenuation coefficient was linearly proportional to the frequency of both the P and S waves. Interestingly, the attenuation coefficient of granite is more than 22% higher than that of siltstone, sandstone and shale for both P and S waves. The P and S wave velocities were calculated based on their recorded travel time, and these velocities were then used to calculate the dynamic mechanical properties including elastic modulus ( E ), bulk modulus ( K ), shear modulus ( µ ) and Poisson's ratio ( ν ). The P and S wave velocities for the selected rock types varied in the ranges of 2.43-4.61 km s -1 and 1.43-2.41 km h -1 , respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the P wave velocity was always greater than the S wave velocity, and this confirmed the first arrival of P waves to the sensor. According to the experimental results, the dynamic E value is generally higher than the static E value obtained by unconfined compressive strength tests.

The Usability of Rock-Like Materials for Numerical Studies on Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Zengin, Enes; Abiddin Erguler, Zeynal

2017-04-01

The approaches of synthetic rock material and mass are widely used by many researchers for understanding the failure behavior of different rocks. In order to model the failure behavior of rock material, researchers take advantageous of different techniques and software. But, the majority of all these instruments are based on distinct element method (DEM). For modeling the failure behavior of rocks, and so to create a fundamental synthetic rock material model, it is required to perform related laboratory experiments for providing strength parameters. In modelling studies, model calibration processes are performed by using parameters of intact rocks such as porosity, grain size, modulus of elasticity and Poisson ratio. In some cases, it can be difficult or even impossible to acquire representative rock samples for laboratory experiments from heavily jointed rock masses and vuggy rocks. Considering this limitation, in this study, it was aimed to investigate the applicability of rock-like material (e.g. concrete) to understand and model the failure behavior of rock materials having complex inherent structures. For this purpose, concrete samples having a mixture of %65 cement dust and %35 water were utilized. Accordingly, intact concrete samples representing rocks were prepared in laboratory conditions and their physical properties such as porosity, pore size and density etc. were determined. In addition, to acquire the mechanical parameters of concrete samples, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests were also performed by simultaneously measuring strain during testing. The measured physical and mechanical properties of these extracted concrete samples were used to create synthetic material and then uniaxial compressive tests were modeled and performed by using two dimensional discontinuum program known as Particle Flow Code (PFC2D). After modeling studies in PFC2D, approximately similar failure mechanism and testing results were achieved from both experimental and

Organic maturation levels, thermal history and hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Namurian rocks of the Clare Basin, Ireland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodhue, Robbie; Clayton, Geoffrey [Trinity Coll., Dept. of Geology, Dublin (Ireland)

1999-11-01

Vitrinite reflectance data from two inland cored boreholes confirm high maturation levels throughout the onshore part of the Irish Clare Basin and suggest erosion of 2 to 4 km of late Carboniferous cover and elevated palaeogeothermal gradients in the Carboniferous section. The observed maturation gradients are fully consistent with the published hypothesis of a late Carboniferous/Permian 'superplume' beneath Pangaea but local vertical reversals in gradients also suggest a complex thermal regime probably involving advective heating. The uppermost Visean--lower Namurian Clare Shale is laterally extensive and up to 300 m thick. Although this unit is post-mature, TOC values of up to 15% suggest that it could have considerable hydrocarbon source rock potential in any less mature offshore parts of the basin. (Author)

The Effect of Boiling on Seismic Properties of Water-Saturated Fractured Rock

Science.gov (United States)

Grab, Melchior; Quintal, Beatriz; Caspari, Eva; Deuber, Claudia; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart

2017-11-01

Seismic campaigns for exploring geothermal systems aim at detecting permeable formations in the subsurface and evaluating the energy state of the pore fluids. High-enthalpy geothermal resources are known to contain fluids ranging from liquid water up to liquid-vapor mixtures in regions where boiling occurs and, ultimately, to vapor-dominated fluids, for instance, if hot parts of the reservoir get depressurized during production. In this study, we implement the properties of single- and two-phase fluids into a numerical poroelastic model to compute frequency-dependent seismic velocities and attenuation factors of a fractured rock as a function of fluid state. Fluid properties are computed while considering that thermodynamic interaction between the fluid phases takes place. This leads to frequency-dependent fluid properties and fluid internal attenuation. As shown in a first example, if the fluid contains very small amounts of vapor, fluid internal attenuation is of similar magnitude as attenuation in fractured rock due to other mechanisms. In a second example, seismic properties of a fractured geothermal reservoir with spatially varying fluid properties are calculated. Using the resulting seismic properties as an input model, the seismic response of the reservoir is then computed while the hydrothermal structure is assumed to vary over time. The resulting seismograms demonstrate that anomalies in the seismic response due to fluid state variability are small compared to variations caused by geological background heterogeneity. However, the hydrothermal structure in the reservoir can be delineated from amplitude anomalies when the variations due to geology can be ruled out such as in time-lapse experiments.

Simultaneous reconstruction of thermal degradation properties for anisotropic scattering fibrous insulation after high temperature thermal exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Shuyuan; Zhang, Wenjiao; He, Xiaodong; Li, Jianjun; Yao, Yongtao; Lin, Xiu

2015-01-01

To probe thermal degradation behavior of fibrous insulation for long-term service, an inverse analysis model was developed to simultaneously reconstruct thermal degradation properties of fibers after thermal exposures from the experimental thermal response data, by using the measured infrared spectral transmittance and X-ray phase analysis data as direct inputs. To take into account the possible influence of fibers degradation after thermal exposure on the conduction heat transfer, we introduced a new parameter in the thermal conductivity model. The effect of microstructures on the thermal degradation parameters was evaluated. It was found that after high temperature thermal exposure the decay rate of the radiation intensity passing through the material was weakened, and the probability of being scattered decreased during the photons traveling in the medium. The fibrous medium scattered more radiation into the forward directions. The shortened heat transfer path due to possible mechanical degradation, along with the enhancement of mean free path of phonon scattering as devitrification after severe heat treatment, made the coupled solid/gas thermal conductivities increase with the rise of heat treatment temperature. - Highlights: • A new model is developed to probe conductive and radiative properties degradation of fibers. • To characterize mechanical degradation, a new parameter is introduced in the model. • Thermal degradation properties are reconstructed from experiments by L–M algorithm. • The effect of microstructures on the thermal degradation parameters is evaluated. • The analysis provides a powerful tool to quantify thermal degradation of fiber medium

Enhancement in thermal and mechanical properties of bricks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shibib Khalid S.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A new type of porous brick is proposed. Sawdust is initially well mixed with wet clay in order to create voids inside the brick during the firing process. The voids will enhance the total performance of the brick due to the reduction of its density and thermal conductivity and a minor reduction of its compressive stress. All these properties have been measured experimentally and good performance has been obtained. Although a minor reduction in compressive stress has been observed with increased porosity, this property has still been larger than that of the common used hollow brick. Data obtained by this work lead to a new type of effective brick having a good performance with no possibility that mortar enters inside the holes which is the case with the common used hollow bricks. The mortar has a determent effect on thermal properties of the wall since it has some higher thermal conductivity and density than that of brick which increases the wall overall density and thermal conductivity of the wall.

Exploring How Weathering Related Stresses and Subcritical Crack Growth May Influence the Size of Sediment Produced From Different Rock Types.

Science.gov (United States)

Eppes, M. C.; Hallet, B.; Hancock, G. S.; Mackenzie-Helnwein, P.; Keanini, R.

2016-12-01

The formation and diminution of rock debris, sediment and soil at and near Earth's surface is driven in large part by in situ, non-transport related, rock cracking. Given the relatively low magnitude stresses that arise in surface and near-surface settings, this production and diminution of granular material is likely strongly influenced and/or driven by subcritical crack growth (Eppes et al., 2016), cracking that occurs under stress loading conditions much lower than a rock's strength as typically measured in the laboratory under rapid loading. Despite a relatively sound understanding of subcritical crack growth through engineering and geophysical studies, its geomorphic and sedimentologic implications have only been minimally explored. Here, based on existing studies, we formulate several hypotheses to predict how weathering-induced stresses combined with the subcritical crack growth properties of rock may influence sediment size distribution. For example, subcritical crack growth velocity (v) can be described by v = CKIn where KI is the mode I (simple opening mode) stress intensity factor, a function of tensile stress at the crack tip and crack length; C is a rock- and environment-dependent constant; and n is material constant, the subcritical crack growth index. Fracture length and spacing in rock is strongly dependent on n, where higher n values result in fewer, more distally spaced cracks (e.g. Olsen, 1993). Thus, coarser sediment might be expected from rocks with higher n values. Weathering-related stresses such as thermal stresses and mineral hydration, however, can disproportionally stress boundaries between minerals with contrasting thermal or chemical properties and orientation, resulting in granular disintegration. Thus, rocks with properties favorable to inducing these stresses might produce sediment whose size is reflective of its constituent grains. We begin to test these hypotheses through a detailed examination of crack and rock characteristics in

Characterizing gas permeability and pore properties of Czech granitic rocks

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Konečný, Pavel; Kožušníková, Alena

2016-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 4 (2016), s. 331-338 ISSN 1214-9705 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA105/09/0089; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1406; GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0082 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : granitic rocks * permeability * pore properties Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 0.699, year: 2016 https://www.irsm.cas.cz/materialy/acta_content/2016_doi/Konecny_AGG_2016_0015.pdf

Thermal properties of light-weight concrete with waste polypropylene aggregate

Science.gov (United States)

Záleská, Martina; Pokorný, Jaroslav; Pavlíková, Milena; Pavlík, Zbyšek

2017-07-01

Thermal properties of a sustainable light-weight concrete incorporating high volume of waste polypropylene as partial substitution of natural aggregate were studied in the paper. Glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (GFPP), a by-product of PP tubes production, partially substituted fine natural silica aggregate in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mass%. In order to quantify the effect of GFPP use on concrete properties, a reference concrete mix without plastic waste was studied as well. For the applied GFPP, bulk density, matrix density, and particle size distribution were measured. Specific attention was paid to thermal transport and storage properties of GFPP that were examined in dependence on compaction time. For the developed light-weight concrete, thermal properties were accessed using transient impulse technique, whereas the measurement was done in dependence on moisture content, from the dry state to fully water saturated state. Additionally, the investigated thermal properties were plotted as function of porosity. The tested light-weight concrete was found to be prospective construction material possessing improved thermal insulation function. Moreover, the reuse of waste plastics in concrete composition was beneficial both from the environmental and financial point of view considering plastics low biodegradability and safe disposal.

Analysis of thermal-hydrologic-mechanical behavior near an emplacement drift at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Tsang, Chin-Fu

2002-01-01

A coupled thermal, hydrologic and mechanical (THM) analysis is conducted to evaluate the impact of coupled THM processes on the performance of a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The analysis considers changes in rock mass porosity, permeability, and capillary pressure caused by rock deformations during drift excavation, as well as those caused by thermo-mechanically induced rock deformations after emplacement of the heat-generating waste. The analysis consists of a detailed calibration of coupled hydraulic-mechanical rock mass properties against field experiments, followed by a prediction of the coupled thermal, hydrologic, and mechanical behavior around a potential repository drift. For the particular problem studied and parameters used, the analysis indicates that the stress-induced permeability changes will be within one order of magnitude and that these permeability changes do not significantly impact the overall flow pattern around the repository drift

Using of Aerogel to Improve Thermal Insulating Properties of Windows

Science.gov (United States)

Valachova, Denisa; Zdrazilova, Nada; Panovec, Vladan; Skotnicova, Iveta

2018-06-01

For the best possible thermal-technical properties of building structures it is necessary to use materials with very low thermal conductivity. Due to the increasing thermal-technical requirements for building structures, the insulating materials are developed. One of the modern thermal insulating materials is so-called aerogel. Unfortunately, this material is not used in the field of external thermal insulation composite systems because of its price and its properties. The aim of this paper is to present possibilities of using this insulating material in the civil engineering - specifically a usage of aerogel in the production of windows.

Estimating the Wet-Rock P-Wave Velocity from the Dry-Rock P-Wave Velocity for Pyroclastic Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kahraman, Sair; Fener, Mustafa; Kilic, Cumhur Ozcan

2017-07-01

Seismic methods are widely used for the geotechnical investigations in volcanic areas or for the determination of the engineering properties of pyroclastic rocks in laboratory. Therefore, developing a relation between the wet- and dry-rock P-wave velocities will be helpful for engineers when evaluating the formation characteristics of pyroclastic rocks. To investigate the predictability of the wet-rock P-wave velocity from the dry-rock P-wave velocity for pyroclastic rocks P-wave velocity measurements were conducted on 27 different pyroclastic rocks. In addition, dry-rock S-wave velocity measurements were conducted. The test results were modeled using Gassmann's and Wood's theories and it was seen that estimates for saturated P-wave velocity from the theories fit well measured data. For samples having values of less and greater than 20%, practical equations were derived for reliably estimating wet-rock P-wave velocity as function of dry-rock P-wave velocity.

Geological and geomechanical properties of the carbonate rocks at the eastern Black Sea Region (NE Turkey)

Science.gov (United States)

Ersoy, Hakan; Yalçinalp, Bülent; Arslan, Mehmet; Babacan, Ali Erden; Çetiner, Gözde

2016-11-01

Turkey located in the Alpine-Himalayan Mountain Belt has 35% of the natural stone reserves of the world and has good quality marble, limestone, travertine and onyx reserves especially in the western regions of the country. The eastern Black Sea Region with a 1.4 million meters cubes reserve has a little role on the natural stone production in the country. For this reason, this paper deals with investigation on the potential of carbonate stone in the region and determination of the geological and geo-mechanical properties of these rocks in order to provide economic contribution to the national economy. While the study sites are selected among the all carbonate rock sites, the importance as well as the representative of the sites were carefully considered for the region. After representative samples were analyzed for major oxide and trace element compositions to find out petrochemical variations, the experimental program conducted on rock samples for determination of both physical and strength properties of the carbonate rocks. The results of the tests showed that there are significant variations in the geo-mechanical properties of the studied rock groups. The density values vary from 2.48 to 2.70 gr/cm3, water absorption by weight values range from 0.07 to 1.15% and the apparent porosity of the carbonate rocks are between 0.19 and 3.29%. However, the values of the UCS shows variation from 36 to 80 MPa. Tensile and bending strength values range from 3.2 to 7.5 MPa and 6.0-9.2 MPa respectively. Although the onyx samples have the lowest values of apparent porosity and water absorption by weight, these samples do not have the highest values of UCS values owing to occurrence of the micro-cracks. The UCS values of the rock samples were also found after cycling tests However, the limestone samples have less than 5% deterioration after freezing-thawing and wetting-drying tests, but travertine and onyx samples have more than 15% deterioration. Exception of the apparent

In-situ changes in the elastic wave velocity of rock with increasing temperature using high-resolution coda wave interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Luke; Heap, Michael; Lengliné, Olivier; Schmittbuhl, Jean; Baud, Patrick

2017-04-01

Rock undergoes fluctuations in temperature in various settings in Earth's crust, including areas of volcanic or geothermal activity, or industrial environments such as hydrocarbon or geothermal reservoirs. Changes in temperature can cause thermal stresses that can result in the formation of microcracks, which affect the mechanical, physical, and transport properties of rocks. Of the affected physical properties, the elastic wave velocity of rock is particularly sensitive to microcracking. Monitoring the evolution of elastic wave velocity during the thermal stressing of rock therefore provides valuable insight into thermal cracking processes. One monitoring technique is Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), which infers high-resolution changes in the medium from changes in multiple-scattered elastic waves. We have designed a new experimental setup to perform CWI whilst cyclically heating and cooling samples of granite (cylinders of 20 mm diameter and 40 mm length). In our setup, the samples are held between two pistons within a tube furnace and are heated and cooled at a rate of 1 °C/min to temperatures of up to 300 °C. Two high temperature piezo-transducers are each in contact with an opposing face of the rock sample. The servo-controlled uniaxial press compensates for the thermal expansion and contraction of the pistons and the sample, keeping the coupling between the transducers and the sample, and the axial force acting on the sample, constant throughout. Our setup is designed for simultaneous acoustic emission monitoring (AE is commonly used as a proxy for microcracking), and so we can follow thermal microcracking precisely by combining the AE and CWI techniques. We find that during the first heating/cooling cycle, the onset of thermal microcracking occurs at a relatively low temperature of around 65 °C. The CWI shows that elastic wave velocity decreases with increasing temperature and increases during cooling. Upon cooling, back to room temperature, there is an

Lithology and Bedrock Geotechnical Properties in Controlling Rock and Ice Mass Movements in Mountain Cryosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Karki, A.; Kargel, J. S.

2017-12-01

Landslides and ice avalanches kill >5000 people annually (D. Petley, 2012, Geology http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G33217.1); destroy or damage homes and infrastructure; and create secondary hazards, such as flooding due to blocked rivers. Critical roles of surface slope, earthquake shaking, soil characteristics and saturation, river erosional undercutting, rainfall intensity, snow loading, permafrost thaw, freeze-thaw and frost shattering, debuttressing of unstable masses due to glacier thinning, and vegetation burn or removal are well-known factors affecting landslides and avalanches. Lithology-dependent bedrock physicochemical-mechanical properties—especially brittle elastic and shear strength, and chemical weathering properties that affect rock strength, are also recognized controls on landsliding and avalanching, but are not commonly considered in detail in landslide susceptibility assessment. Lithology controls the formation of weakened, weathered bedrock; the formation and accumulation of soils; soil saturation-related properties of grain size distribution, porosity, and permeability; and soil creep related to soil wetting-drying and freeze-thaw. Lithology controls bedrock abrasion and glacial erosion and debris production rates, the formation of rough or smoothed bedrock surface by glaciation, fluvial, and freeze-thaw processes. Lithologic variability (e.g., bedding; fault and joint structure) affects contrasts in chemical weathering rates, porosity, and susceptibility to frost shattering and chemical weathering, hence formation of overhanging outcrops and weakened slip planes. The sudden failure of bedrock or sudden slip of ice on bedrock, and many other processes depend on rock lithology, microstructure (porosity and permeability), and macrostructure (bedding; faults). These properties are sometimes considered in gross terms for landslide susceptibility assessment, but in detailed applications to specific development projects, and in detailed mapping over

Thermal conductive heating in fractured bedrock: Screening calculations to assess the effect of groundwater influx

Science.gov (United States)

Baston, Daniel P.; Kueper, Bernard H.

2009-02-01

A two-dimensional semi-analytical heat transfer solution is developed and a parameter sensitivity analysis performed to determine the relative importance of rock material properties (density, thermal conductivity and heat capacity) and hydrogeological properties (hydraulic gradient, fracture aperture, fracture spacing) on the ability to heat fractured rock using thermal conductive heating (TCH). The solution is developed using a Green's function approach in which an integral equation is constructed for the temperature in the fracture. Subsurface temperature distributions are far more sensitive to hydrogeological properties than material properties. The bulk ground water influx ( q) can provide a good estimate of the extent of influx cooling when influx is low to moderate, allowing the prediction of temperatures during heating without specific knowledge of the aperture and spacing of fractures. Target temperatures may not be reached or may be significantly delayed when the groundwater influx is large.

Thermal properties of alkali-activated aluminosilicates with CNT admixture

Science.gov (United States)

Zmeskal, Oldrich; Trhlikova, Lucie; Fiala, Lukas; Florian, Pavel; Cerny, Robert

2017-07-01

Material properties of electrically conductive cement-based materials with increased attention paid on electric and thermal properties were often studied in the last years. Both electric and thermal properties play an important role thanks to their possible utilization in various practical applications (e.g. snow-melting systems or building structures monitoring systems without the need of an external monitoring system). The DC/AC characteristics depend significantly on the electrical resistivity and the electrical capacity of bulk materials. With respect to the DC/AC characteristics of cement-based materials, such materials can be basically classified as electric insulators. In order to enhance them, various conductive admixtures such as those based on different forms of carbon, can be used. Typical representatives of carbon-based admixtures are carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon fibers (CF), graphite powder (GP) and carbon black (CB). With an adequate amount of such admixtures, electric properties significantly change and new materials with higher added value can be prepared. However, other types of materials can be enhanced in the same way. Alkali-activated aluminosilicates (AAA) based on blast furnace slag are materials with high compressive strength comparable with cement-based materials. Moreover, the price of slag is lower than of Portland cement. Therefore, this paper deals with the study of thermal properties of this promising material with different concentrations of CNT. Within the paper a simple method of basic thermal parameters determination based on the thermal transient response to a heat power step is presented.

Determination of the thermal neutron absorption cross section for rock samples by a single measurement of the time decay constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krynicka, E.

1993-01-01

A calibration method for the determination of the thermal neutron macroscopic mass absorption cross section for rock samples is presented. The standard deviation of the final results is discussed in detail. A big advantage of the presented method is that the calibration curves have been found using the results obtained for a variety of natural rock samples of different stratigraphies and lithologies measured by Czubek's methods. An important part of the paper is a through analysis of the standard deviation of the final result. (author). 13 refs, 11 figs, 5 tabs

Thermal conductivity, diffusivity and expansion of Avery Island salt at pressure and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durham, W.B.; Abey, A.E.; Trimmer, D.A.

1980-01-01

Preliminary data on the thermal properties of a coarse-grained rock salt from Avery Island, Louisiana, indicates that hydrostatic pressure to 50 MPa has little effect on the thermal conductivity, diffusivity and linear expansion at temperatures from 300 to 573 K. The measurements were made in a new apparatus under conditions of true hydrostatic loading. At room temperature and effective confining pressure increasing from 10 to 50 MPa, thermal conductivity and diffusivity are constant at roughly 7W/mK and 3.6 x 10 -6 m 2 /s, respectively. At 50 MPa and temperature increasing from 300 to 573K, both conductivity and diffusivity drop by a factor of 2. Thermal linear expansion at 0 MPa matches that at 50 MPa, increasing from roughly 4.2 x 10 -5 /K at 300 K to 5.5 x 10 -5 at 573 K. The lack of a pressure effect on all three properties is confirmed by previous work. Simple models of microcracking suggest that among common geological materials the lack of pressure dependence is unique to rock salt

Rapid laboratory investigation of the thermal properties of planetary analogues by using the EXTASE thermal probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadalini, R.; Extase Team

The thermal properties of the constituent materials of the upper meters of planets and planetary bodies are of extreme interest. During the design and the verification of various planetary missions, the need to model and test appropriate simulants in laboratory is often raised. To verify the thermal properties of deployed laboratory simulants, the EXTASE thermal probe is a fast, precise, and easy-to-use tool. EXTASE is a thermal profile probe, able to measure the temperature and inject heat into the selected material at 16 different locations along its 45cm long slender cylindrical body. It has been developed following the experience of MUPUS, with the purpose of observing such properties on Earth, in situ and in a short time. We have used EXTASE, under laboratory cold and standard conditions, on several sand mixtures, soils, granular and compact ices, under vacuum and at normal pressure levels, to collect a great number of time- and depth-dependent temperature curves that represent the thermal dynamical response of the material. At the same time, two independent models have been developed to verify the experimental results by reaching the same results with a simulation of the same process. The models, analytical and numerical, which account for all material parameters (conductivity, density, capacity), have been developed and fine tuned until their results are superposed to the experimental curves, thus allowing the determination of the distinct thermal properties. In addition, a test campaign is under planning to use EXTASE to determine, rapidly and efficiently, the thermal properties of various regolith simulants to be used in the simulation of planetary subsurface processes.

Thermal effects of the Santa Eulália Plutonic Complex (southern Portugal on the meta-igneous and metasedimentary host rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cruz, C.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Santa Eulália Plutonic Complex (SEPC is a late-Variscan granitic body located in the northern part of the Ossa Morena Zone, a inner zone of the Variscan Iberian Massif. The SEPC host rocks are composed of meta-igneous and metasedimentary units, from Upper Proterozoic to Paleozoic ages, with a NW-SE structure, cross-cut by the SEPC. The SEPC host rocks, with low grade metamorphism show well preserved primary sedimentary or igneous mineralogical, textural and structural features. The thermal effect induced by the SEPC is restricted to the roof pendants. At N and NE of the SEPC, textures and paragenesis resulting from thermal metamorphism, are not related to the SEPC intrusion but to a previous magmatism, controlled by the NW-SE regional anisotropies. The restriction of the thermal effects to the pluton roof may be caused by a combination of several interrelated factors: higher volume of granitic mass, thermal effect by advection of fluids and longer period of prevalence of high thermal conditions. The geochemical study of SEPC host rocks shows the heterogeneous character and diversity of metasedimentary, igneous and meta-igneous rocks. The whole rock geochemical data indicate that all the metasedimentary lithologies derived from an upper continental crustal source and the igneous and meta-igneous rocks show no evidence of metasomatic effects by the SEPC emplacement.El Complejo Plutónico de Santa Eulalia (CPSE es un cuerpo granítico tardi-Varisco situado en la parte norte de la Zona de Ossa Morena, en la zona interior del Macizo Ibérico Varisco. Las rocas encajantes del CPSE están compuestas por unidades meta-ígneas y metasedimentarias, de edades que van desde el Proterozoico Superior hasta el Paleozoico, con una estructura de dirección NW-SE, cortada por el CPSE. Las rocas encanjantes del CPSE, con metamorfismo de bajo grado conservan estructuras, mineralogía y textura primarias. El efecto térmicoinducido por el CPSE se limita a los

Summary report on the up-scaling of the retention properties by matrix diffusion in fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poteri, A.

2009-02-01

Fractured rocks are composed of porous but almost impermeable rock matrix and water conducting fractures. The main characteristic of the fractured rock is the great heterogeneity in different scales that leads to preferential flow paths and channelling of the flow. Three distinct flow environments can be identified: channeling that causes variable flow in the individual fracture planes, transmissivity differences between fractures that leads to preferential flow paths and extensive fracture zones that provide highly transmissive connections over long distances. Large and transmissive fractures have an important role to the flow and transport properties of the fractured rock. Flow paths tend to accumulate on the large features that carry the majority of the flow. Modelling exercises have indicated persistence of the flow properties along the flow paths. This means that once a particle has entered a major flow path it tends to follow the high flow rate channel. The main challenge in spatial up-scaling of the retention properties is connected to the description of the flow characteristics in the fractured rock. The importance of individual fractures to the overall retention is proportional to the flow rate along the fracture. This means that simulations need to consider individual fractures. Fracture network modelling offers a suitable approach that is able to take into account the multiscale structure of the fractured rock and to determine retention properties of the flow paths. It also provides a straightforward way to up-scale transport properties along the preferential flow paths through the fracture network. However, the computational feasibility of the site scale applications in the performance assessment limits the range of different size fractures that can be taken into account in the fracture network simulations. Heterogeneity in the immobile zone properties may influence effective retention properties if the heterogeneity is coupled with a limited capacity

Hot dry rock heat mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duchane, D.V.

1992-01-01

Geothermal energy utilizing fluids from natural sources is currently exploited on a commercial scale at sites around the world. A much greater geothermal resource exists, however, in the form of hot rock at depth which is essentially dry. This hot dry rock (HDR) resource is found almost everywhere, but the depth at which usefully high temperatures are reached varies from place to place. The technology to mine the thermal energy from HDR has been under development for a number of years. Using techniques adapted from the petroleum industry, water is pumped at high pressure down an injection well to a region of usefully hot rock. The pressure forces open natural joints to form a reservoir consisting of a small amount of water dispensed in a large volume of hot rock. This reservoir is tapped by second well located at some distance from the first, and the heated water is brought to the surface where its thermal energy is extracted. The same water is then recirculated to mine more heat. Economic studies have indicated that it may be possible to produce electricity at competitive prices today in regions where hot rock is found relatively close to the surface

Borehole cement and rock properties studies: progress report, October 1, 1976--September 30, 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, D.M.

1977-01-01

Research progress is reported in sections on properties of cements, permeability studies, cement-rock interactions, cement long range stability, waste-rock interactions, and properties of shale. Results suggest that present canister emplacement design is inadequate. Present data suggest that canisters should be placed to a depth at least as great as the width of the chamber opening. This means, with current geometry, burial of the top of the canister to 18 ft. depth. For certain materials, and with further study of the question, design requirements may prove even more stringent. Other aspects of the problem remain to be adequately considered; these aspects may be influential in affecting burial design criteria. These factors include general thermoelastic effects, fluid pressures, and effects of pre-existing discontinuities, as well as site-specific issues

Non-destructive thermal wave method applied to study thermal properties of fast setting time endodontic cement

Science.gov (United States)

Picolloto, A. M.; Mariucci, V. V. G.; Szpak, W.; Medina, A. N.; Baesso, M. L.; Astrath, N. G. C.; Astrath, F. B. G.; Santos, A. D.; Moraes, J. C. S.; Bento, A. C.

2013-11-01

The thermal wave method is applied for thermal properties measurement in fast endodontic cement (CER). This new formula is developed upon using Portland cement in gel and it was successfully tested in mice with good biocompatibility and stimulated mineralization. Recently, thermal expansion and setting time were measured, conferring to this material twice faster hardening than the well known Angelus Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) the feature of fast hardening (˜7 min) and with similar thermal expansion (˜12 μstrain/ °C). Therefore, it is important the knowledge of thermal properties like thermal diffusivity, conductivity, effusivity in order to match thermally the tissue environment upon its application in filling cavities of teeth. Photothermal radiometry technique based on Xe illumination was applied in CER disks 600 μm thick for heating, with prepared in four particle sizes (25, 38, 45, and 53) μm, which were added microemulsion gel with variation volumes (140, 150, 160, and 170) μl. The behavior of the thermal diffusivity CER disks shows linear decay for increase emulsion volume, and in contrast, thermal diffusivity increases with particles sizes. Aiming to compare to MTA, thermal properties of CER were averaged to get the figure of merit for thermal diffusivity as (44.2 ± 3.6) × 10-3 cm2/s, for thermal conductivity (228 ± 32) mW/cm K, the thermal effusivity (1.09 ± 0.06) W s0.5/cm2 K and volume heat capacity (5.2 ± 0.7) J/cm3 K, which are in excellent agreement with results of a disk prepared from commercial MTA-Angelus (grain size < 10 μm using 57 μl of distilled water).

Naturally cured foamed concrete with improved thermal insulation properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mashkin Nikolay

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is dedicated to investigation on improvement of thermal insulation properties of non-autoclaved concrete by increasing aggregate stability of foamed concrete mixture. The study demonstrates influence of mineral admixtures on the foam stability index in the mortar mixture and on decrease of foamed concrete density and thermal conductivity. The effect of mineral admixtures on thermal conductivity properties of non-autoclaved concrete was assessed through different ways of their addition: to the foam and to the mortar mixture. The admixtures were milled up to the specific surface area of 300 and 600 m2/kg using an AГO-9 centrifugal attrition mill with continuous operation mode (Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk. Laboratory turbulent foam concrete mixer was used to prepare foamed concrete. Thermal conductivity coefficient was defined by a quick method using “ИTП-MГ 4 “Zond” thermal conductivity meter in accordance with the regulatory documents. The impact of modifiers on the foam structure stability was defined using the foam stability index for the mortar mixture. The research demonstrated the increase in stability of porous structure of non-autoclaved concrete when adding wollastonite and diopside. Improvement of thermal and physical properties was demonstrated, the decrease of thermal conductivity coefficient reaches 0.069 W/(m×°C

Numerical method for analysis of temperature rises and thermal stresses around high level radioactive waste repository in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimooka, Hiroshi

1982-01-01

The disposal of high-level radioactive waste should result in temperature rises and thermal stresses which change the hydraulic conductivity of the rock around the repository. For safety analysis on disposal of high-level radioactive waste into hard rock, it is necessary to find the temperature rises and thermal stresses distributions around the repository. In this paper, these distribution changes are analyzed by the use of the finite difference method. In advance of numerical analysis, it is required to simplify the shapes and properties of the repository and the rock. Several kinds of numerical models are prepared, and the results of this analysis are examined. And, the waste disposal methods are discussed from the stand-points of the temperature rise and thermal stress analysis. (author)

Flexible parallel implicit modelling of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes in fractured rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Cacace, Mauro; Jacquey, Antoine B.

2017-09-01

Theory and numerical implementation describing groundwater flow and the transport of heat and solute mass in fully saturated fractured rocks with elasto-plastic mechanical feedbacks are developed. In our formulation, fractures are considered as being of lower dimension than the hosting deformable porous rock and we consider their hydraulic and mechanical apertures as scaling parameters to ensure continuous exchange of fluid mass and energy within the fracture-solid matrix system. The coupled system of equations is implemented in a new simulator code that makes use of a Galerkin finite-element technique. The code builds on a flexible, object-oriented numerical framework (MOOSE, Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment) which provides an extensive scalable parallel and implicit coupling to solve for the multiphysics problem. The governing equations of groundwater flow, heat and mass transport, and rock deformation are solved in a weak sense (either by classical Newton-Raphson or by free Jacobian inexact Newton-Krylow schemes) on an underlying unstructured mesh. Nonlinear feedbacks among the active processes are enforced by considering evolving fluid and rock properties depending on the thermo-hydro-mechanical state of the system and the local structure, i.e. degree of connectivity, of the fracture system. A suite of applications is presented to illustrate the flexibility and capability of the new simulator to address problems of increasing complexity and occurring at different spatial (from centimetres to tens of kilometres) and temporal scales (from minutes to hundreds of years).

Weathering products of basic rocks as sorptive materials of natural radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omelianenko, B.I.; Niconov, B.S.; Ryzhov, B.I.; Shikina, N.D.

1994-06-01

The principal requirements for employing natural minerals as buffer and backfill material in high-level waste (HLW) repositories are high sorptive properties, low water permeability, relatively high thermal conductivity, and thermostability. The major task of the buffer is to prevent the penetration of radionuclides into groundwater. The authors of this report examined weathered basic rocks from three regions of Russia in consideration as a suitable radioactive waste barrier

Thermal radiation properties of PTFE plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiangyang; Wang, Siyu; Zhou, Yang; Wu, Zhiwen; Xie, Kan; Wang, Ningfei

2017-06-01

To illuminate the thermal transfer mechanism of devices adopting polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as ablation materials, the thermal radiation properties of PTFE plasma are calculated and discussed based on local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and optical thin assumptions. It is clarified that line radiation is the dominant mechanism of PTFE plasma. The emission coefficient shows an opposite trend for both wavelength regions divided by 550 nm at a temperature above 15 000 K. The emission coefficient increases with increasing temperature and pressure. Furthermore, it has a good log linear relation with pressure. Equivalent emissivity varies complexly with temperature, and has a critical point between 20 000 K to 25 000 K. The equivalent cross points of the average ionic valence and radiation property are about 10 000 K and 15 000 K for fully single ionization.

Rock bed heat accumulators. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riaz, M.

1977-12-01

The principal objectives of the research program on rock bed heat accumulators (or RBHA) are: (1) to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of storing large amounts of thermal energy (in the tens of MWt range) at high temperature (up to 500/sup 0/C) over extended periods of time (up to 6 months) using native earth or rock materials; (2) to conduct studies to establish the performance characteristics of large rock bed heat accumulators at various power and temperature levels compatible with thermal conversion systems; and (3) to assess the materials and environmental problems associated with the operation of such large heat accumulators. Results of the study indicate that rock bed heat accumulators for seasonal storage are both technically and economically feasible, and hence could be exploited in various applications in which storage plays an essential role such as solar power and total energy systems, district and cogeneration heating systems.

The physical principles of rock magnetism

CERN Document Server

Stacey, Frank

1974-01-01

Developments in Solid Earth Geophysics 5: The Physical Principles of Rock Magnetism explores the physical principles of rock magnetism, with emphasis on the properties of finely divided magnetic materials. It discusses the origin and stability of rock magnetizations, the role of remanent magnetism in interpreting magnetic surveys, magnetic anisotropy as an indicator of rock fabric, and the relationship between piezomagnetic changes and seismic activity. Organized into 13 chapters, this volume discusses the properties of solids, magnetite and hematite grains, and rocks with magnetite grains

Thermal properties of graphene under tensile stress

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Carlos P.; Ramírez, Rafael

2018-05-01

Thermal properties of graphene display peculiar characteristics associated to the two-dimensional nature of this crystalline membrane. These properties can be changed and tuned in the presence of applied stresses, both tensile and compressive. Here, we study graphene monolayers under tensile stress by using path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations, which allows one to take into account quantization of vibrational modes and analyze the effect of anharmonicity on physical observables. The influence of the elastic energy due to strain in the crystalline membrane is studied for increasing tensile stress and for rising temperature (thermal expansion). We analyze the internal energy, enthalpy, and specific heat of graphene, and compare the results obtained from PIMD simulations with those given by a harmonic approximation for the vibrational modes. This approximation turns out to be precise at low temperatures, and deteriorates as temperature and pressure are increased. At low temperature, the specific heat changes as cp˜T for stress-free graphene, and evolves to a dependence cp˜T2 as the tensile stress is increased. Structural and thermodynamic properties display non-negligible quantum effects, even at temperatures higher than 300 K. Moreover, differences in the behavior of the in-plane and real areas of graphene are discussed, along with their associated properties. These differences show up clearly in the corresponding compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient.

Thermal properties of cesium molybdate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minato, Kazuo; Fukuda, Kousaku; Takano, Masahide; Sato, Seichi; Ohashi, Hiroshi

1996-01-01

Cesium is one of the most important fission products to aid in the understanding and prediction of the behavior of oxide nuclear fuels because of its high mobility, chemical reactivity, and large yield. In postirradiation examinations of the Phoenix reactor fuel pins, the accumulation of cesium and molybdenum between the fuel pellet and cladding was observed, though the chemical form was not determined. In the thermodynamic analyses of chemical states of fission products, Cs 2 MoO 4 was often predicted to exist as a stable compound in oxide fuels. The Cs 2 MoO 4 compound is thermodynamically stable under the conditions of light water reactors, fast breeder reactors, and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. In the Cs-Mo-O system several phases have been found, and the structural and thermodynamic properties were studied. At room temperature, Cs 2 MoO 4 has an orthorhombic structure and a phase transition occurs at 841 K to a hexagonal structure. Both structures are expected to exist in the fuel, depending on the fuel temperature. However, no data has been available on the thermal properties of CS 2 MoO 4 . In the current work, the thermal expansion and thermal conductivity of Cs 2 MoO 4 were determined, which are the basic data needed to understand and predict the fuel/clad mechanical interaction and fuel temperature

Thermal analyses of spent nuclear fuel repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikonen, K.

2003-06-01

This report contains the temperature dimensioning of the KBS-3V type 1- or 2-panel repository based on the rock properties measured from the Olkiluoto investigations. The report describes first the development of a calculation methodology for the thermal analysis of a repository for nuclear fuel. The disposed canisters produce residual heat due to decay (or disintegration) of radioactive products. The decay heat is conducted to surrounding rock mass. The methods were applied to determine the effect of different parameters on the highest canister temperature and to support the planning, dimensioning and operation of the repository. The thermal diffusivity of the rock is low and the heat released from the canisters is spread into the surrounding rock volume quite slowly causing thermal gradient in the rock close to canisters and the canister temperature is increased remarkably. The maximum temperature on the canister surface is limited to the design temperature of +100 deg C. However, due to uncertainties in thermal analysis parameters (like scattering in rock conductivity) the allowable calculated maximum canister temperature is set to 90 deg C causing a safety margin of 10 deg C. The allowable temperature is controlled by the spacing between adjacent canisters, adjacent tunnels and the distance between separate panels of the repository and the pre-cooling time affecting power of the canisters. Because of the fact that the disposal operation takes several decades, the moment of disposal of an individual canister in addition to the location has an influence on the maximum temperature in the canister. Also, a second disposal panel in the repository has a thermal interaction with the other panel. This interaction is expressed after a few decades at the strongest. It became apparent that the temperature of canister surfaces can be determined by analytic line heat source model much more efficiently than by numerical analysis, if the analytic model is first verified and

Acoustic and thermal properties of tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Retat, L.; Rivens, I.; ter Haar, G. R.

2012-10-01

Differences in ultrasound (US) and thermal properties of abdominal soft tissues may affect the delivery of thermal therapies such as high intensity focused ultrasound and may provide a basis for US monitoring of such therapies. 21 rat livers were obtained, within one hour of surgical removal. For a single liver, 3 lobes were selected and each treated in one of 3 ways: maintained at room temperature, water bath heated to 50°C ± 1°C for 10 ± 0.5 minutes, or water bath heated to 60°C ± 1°C for 10 ± 0.6 minutes. The attenuation coefficient, speed of sound and thermal conductivity of fresh rat liver was measured. The attenuation coefficients and speed of sound were measured using the finite-amplitude insertion-substitution (FAIS) method. For each rat liver, the control and treated lobes were scanned using a pair of weakly focused 2.5 MHz Imasonic transducers over the range 1.8 to 3 MHz. The conductivity measurement apparatus was designed to provide one-dimensional heat flow through each specimen using a combination of insulation, heat source and heat sink. Using 35 MHz US images to determine the volume of air trapped in the system, the thermal conductivity was corrected using a simulation based on the Helmhotz bio-heat equation. The process of correlating these results with biological properties is discussed.

Experiment study on the thermal properties of paraffin/kaolin thermal energy storage form-stable phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Peizhao; Liu, Chenzhen; Rao, Zhonghao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Different particle sizes of kaolin were employed to load paraffin. • The effects and reasons of particle size on thermal conductivity were studied. • Thermal property and thermal stability of the composites were investigated. • The leakage and thermal storage and release rate of the composites were studied. • The effect of vacuum impregnation method on thermal conductivity was investigated. - Abstract: In this paper, different particle sizes of kaolin were employed to incorporate paraffin via vacuum impregnation method. The paraffin/kaolin composites were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermogravimetry (TG). The results showed that the paraffin/kaolin composite with the largest particle size of kaolin (K4) has the highest thermal conductivity (0.413 W/(m K) at 20 °C) among the diverse composites. The latent heat capacity of paraffin/K4 is 119.49 J/g and the phase change temperature is 62.4 °C. In addition, the thermal properties and thermal conductivities of paraffin/K4 with different mass fraction of K4 (0–60%) were investigated. The thermal conductivities of the composites were explained in microcosmic field. The phonon mean free path determines the thermal conductivity, and it can be significantly affected by temperature and the contact surface area. The leaks, thermal storage and release properties of pure paraffin and paraffin/kaolin composites were investigated and the composites presented good thermal stabilities.

Technical support for GEIS: radioactive waste isolation in geologic formations. Volume 6. Baseline rock properties-shale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-04-01

This volume, Y/OWI/TM36/6 Baseline Rock Properties--Shale, is one of a 23-volume series, ''Technical Support for GEIS: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-36'' which supplements a ''Contribution to Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Commercial Waste Management: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-44.'' The series provides a more complete technical basis for the preconceptual designs, resource requirements, and environmental source terms associated with isolating commercial LWR wastes in underground repositories in salt, granite, shale and basalt. Wastes are considered from three fuel cycles: uranium and plutonium recycling, no recycling of spent fuel and uranium-only recycling. The report is a result of a literature survey of the rock properties of shales occurring in the United States. Firstly, data were collected from a wide variety of sources in order to obtain a feel for the range of properties encountered. Secondly, some typical shales were selected for detailed review and these are written up as separate chapters in this report. Owing to the wide variability in lithology and properties of shales occurring in the United States, it became necessary to focus the study on consolidated illite shales. Using the specific information already generated, a consistent set of intact properties for a typical, consolidated illite shale was obtained. Correction factors, largely based on geological considerations, were then applied to the intact data in order to yield typical rock mass properties for this type of shale. Lastly, excavation problems in shale formations were reviewed and three tunnel jobs were written up as case histories

Source rock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abubakr F. Makky

2014-03-01

Full Text Available West Beni Suef Concession is located at the western part of Beni Suef Basin which is a relatively under-explored basin and lies about 150 km south of Cairo. The major goal of this study is to evaluate the source rock by using different techniques as Rock-Eval pyrolysis, Vitrinite reflectance (%Ro, and well log data of some Cretaceous sequences including Abu Roash (E, F and G members, Kharita and Betty formations. The BasinMod 1D program is used in this study to construct the burial history and calculate the levels of thermal maturity of the Fayoum-1X well based on calibration of measured %Ro and Tmax against calculated %Ro model. The calculated Total Organic Carbon (TOC content from well log data compared with the measured TOC from the Rock-Eval pyrolysis in Fayoum-1X well is shown to match against the shale source rock but gives high values against the limestone source rock. For that, a new model is derived from well log data to calculate accurately the TOC content against the limestone source rock in the study area. The organic matter existing in Abu Roash (F member is fair to excellent and capable of generating a significant amount of hydrocarbons (oil prone produced from (mixed type I/II kerogen. The generation potential of kerogen in Abu Roash (E and G members and Betty formations is ranging from poor to fair, and generating hydrocarbons of oil and gas prone (mixed type II/III kerogen. Eventually, kerogen (type III of Kharita Formation has poor to very good generation potential and mainly produces gas. Thermal maturation of the measured %Ro, calculated %Ro model, Tmax and Production index (PI indicates that Abu Roash (F member exciting in the onset of oil generation, whereas Abu Roash (E and G members, Kharita and Betty formations entered the peak of oil generation.

Characterizing and modelling the radionuclide transport properties of fracture zones in plutonic rocks of the Canadian Shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davison, C.C.; Kozak, E.T.; Frost, L.H.; Everitt, R.A.; Brown, A.; Gascoyne, M.; Scheier, N.W.

1999-01-01

Plutonic rocks of the Canadian Shield were investigated as a potential host medium for nuclear fuel waste disposal of used CANDU nuclear fuel. Field investigations at several geologic research areas on the Shield have shown that major fracture zones are the dominant pathways for the large scale movement of groundwater and solutes through plutonic rock bodies. Because of this, a significant amount of the geoscience work has focused on methods to identify, characterize and model the radionuclide transport properties of major fracture zones in the fractured plutonic rocks of the Shield. In order to quantify the transport properties of such fracture zones a series of, groundwater tracer tests were performed over a period of several years in several major, low dipping fracture zones. Sixteen tracer tests were performed using dipole recirculation methods to evaluate transport over distance scales ranging from 17 m to 700 m. It was concluded that only tracer tests can provide useful estimates of the effective porosity and dispersivity characteristics of these large fracture zones in plutonic rocks of the Canadian Shield. (author)

Mesozoic–Cenozoic Climate and Neotectonic Events as Factors in Reconstructing the Thermal History of the Source-Rock Bazhenov Formation, Arctic Region, West Siberia, by the Example of the Yamal Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Isaev, V. I.; Iskorkina, A. A.; Lobova, G. A.; Starostenko, V. I.; Tikhotskii, S. A.; Fomin, A. N.

2018-03-01

Schemes and criteria are developed for using the measured and modeled geotemperatures for studying the thermal regime of the source rock formations, as well as the tectonic and sedimentary history of sedimentary basins, by the example of the oil fields of the Yamal Peninsula. The method of paleotemperature modeling based on the numerical solution of the heat conduction equation for a horizontally layered solid with a movable upper boundary is used. The mathematical model directly includes the climatic secular trend of the Earth's surface temperature as the boundary condition and the paleotemperatures determined from the vitrinite reflectance as the measurement data. The method does not require a priori information about the nature and intensities of the heat flow from the Earth's interior; the flow is determined by solving the inverse problem of geothermy with a parametric description of the of the sedimentation history and the history of the thermophysical properties of the sedimentary stratum. The rate of sedimentation is allowed to be zero and negative which provides the possibility to take into account the gaps in sedimentation and denudation. The formation, existence, and degradation of the permafrost stratum and ice cover are taken into account as dynamical lithological-stratigraphic complexes with anomalously high thermal conductivity. It is established that disregarding the paleoclimatic factors precludes an adequate reconstruction of thermal history of the source-rock deposits. Revealing and taking into account the Late Eocene regression provided the computationally optimal and richest thermal history of the source-rock Bazhenov Formation, which led to more correct volumetric-genetic estimates of the reserves. For estimating the hydrocarbon reserves in the land territories of the Arctic region of West Siberia by the volumetric-genetic technique, it is recommended to use the Arctic secular trend of temperatures and take into account the dynamics of the

Non-destructive thermal wave method applied to study thermal properties of fast setting time endodontic cement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Picolloto, A. M.; Mariucci, V. V. G.; Szpak, W.; Medina, A. N.; Baesso, M. L.; Astrath, N. G. C.; Astrath, F. B. G.; Bento, A. C., E-mail: acbento@uem.br [Departamento de Física, Grupo de Espectroscopia Fotoacústica e Fototérmica, Universidade Estadual de Maringá – UEM, Av. Colombo 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, Paraná (Brazil); Santos, A. D.; Moraes, J. C. S. [Departamento de Física e Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho – UNESP, Av. Brasil 56, 15385-000 Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil)

2013-11-21

The thermal wave method is applied for thermal properties measurement in fast endodontic cement (CER). This new formula is developed upon using Portland cement in gel and it was successfully tested in mice with good biocompatibility and stimulated mineralization. Recently, thermal expansion and setting time were measured, conferring to this material twice faster hardening than the well known Angelus Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) the feature of fast hardening (∼7 min) and with similar thermal expansion (∼12 μstrain/ °C). Therefore, it is important the knowledge of thermal properties like thermal diffusivity, conductivity, effusivity in order to match thermally the tissue environment upon its application in filling cavities of teeth. Photothermal radiometry technique based on Xe illumination was applied in CER disks 600 μm thick for heating, with prepared in four particle sizes (25, 38, 45, and 53) μm, which were added microemulsion gel with variation volumes (140, 150, 160, and 170) μl. The behavior of the thermal diffusivity CER disks shows linear decay for increase emulsion volume, and in contrast, thermal diffusivity increases with particles sizes. Aiming to compare to MTA, thermal properties of CER were averaged to get the figure of merit for thermal diffusivity as (44.2 ± 3.6) × 10{sup −3} cm{sup 2}/s, for thermal conductivity (228 ± 32) mW/cm K, the thermal effusivity (1.09 ± 0.06) W s{sup 0.5}/cm{sup 2} K and volume heat capacity (5.2 ± 0.7) J/cm{sup 3} K, which are in excellent agreement with results of a disk prepared from commercial MTA-Angelus (grain size < 10 μm using 57 μl of distilled water)

Non-destructive thermal wave method applied to study thermal properties of fast setting time endodontic cement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picolloto, A. M.; Mariucci, V. V. G.; Szpak, W.; Medina, A. N.; Baesso, M. L.; Astrath, N. G. C.; Astrath, F. B. G.; Bento, A. C.; Santos, A. D.; Moraes, J. C. S.

2013-01-01

The thermal wave method is applied for thermal properties measurement in fast endodontic cement (CER). This new formula is developed upon using Portland cement in gel and it was successfully tested in mice with good biocompatibility and stimulated mineralization. Recently, thermal expansion and setting time were measured, conferring to this material twice faster hardening than the well known Angelus Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) the feature of fast hardening (∼7 min) and with similar thermal expansion (∼12 μstrain/ °C). Therefore, it is important the knowledge of thermal properties like thermal diffusivity, conductivity, effusivity in order to match thermally the tissue environment upon its application in filling cavities of teeth. Photothermal radiometry technique based on Xe illumination was applied in CER disks 600 μm thick for heating, with prepared in four particle sizes (25, 38, 45, and 53) μm, which were added microemulsion gel with variation volumes (140, 150, 160, and 170) μl. The behavior of the thermal diffusivity CER disks shows linear decay for increase emulsion volume, and in contrast, thermal diffusivity increases with particles sizes. Aiming to compare to MTA, thermal properties of CER were averaged to get the figure of merit for thermal diffusivity as (44.2 ± 3.6) × 10 −3 cm 2 /s, for thermal conductivity (228 ± 32) mW/cm K, the thermal effusivity (1.09 ± 0.06) W s 0.5 /cm 2 K and volume heat capacity (5.2 ± 0.7) J/cm 3 K, which are in excellent agreement with results of a disk prepared from commercial MTA-Angelus (grain size < 10 μm using 57 μl of distilled water)

Finite-element modelling of thermal micracking in fresh and consolidated marbles

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, T.; Fuller, E.; Siegesmund, S.

2003-04-01

The initial stage of marble weathering is supposed to be controlled by thermal microcracking. Due to the anisotropy of the thermal expansion coefficients of calcite, the main rock forming mineral in marble, stresses are caused which lead to thermally-induced microcracking, especially along the grain boundaries. The so-called "granular disintegration" is a frequent weathering phenomenon observed for marbles. The controlling parameters are the grain size, grain shape and grain orientation. We use a finite-element approach to constrain magnitude and directional dependence of thermal degradation. Therefore, different assumptions are validated including the fracture toughness of the grain boundaries, the effects of the grain-to-grain orientation and bulk lattice preferred orientation (here referred to as texture). The resulting thermal microcracking and bulk rock thermal expansion anisotropy are validated. It is evident that thermal degradation depends on the texture. Strongly textured marbles exhibit a clear directional dependence of thermal degradation and a smaller bulk thermal degradation than randomly oriented ones. The effect of different stone consolidants in the pore space of degraded marble is simulated and its influence on mechanical properties such as tensile strength are evaluated.

Rock Mechanics Forsmark. Site descriptive modelling Forsmark stage 2.2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glamheden, Rune; Fredriksson, Anders (Golder Associates AB (SE)); Roeshoff, Kennert; Karlsson, Johan (Berg Bygg Konsult AB (SE)); Hakami, Hossein (Itasca Geomekanik AB (SE)); Christiansson, Rolf (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (SE))

2007-12-15

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) is undertaking site characterisation at two different locations, Forsmark and Laxemar/Simpevarp, with the objective of siting a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel. The characterisation of a site is an integrated work carried out by several disciplines including geology, rock mechanics, thermal properties, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and surface systems. This report presents the rock mechanics model of the Forsmark site up to stage 2.2. The scope of work has included compilation and analysis of primary data of intact rock and fractures, estimation of the rock mass mechanical properties and estimation of the in situ state of stress at the Forsmark site. The laboratory results on intact rock and fractures in the target volume demonstrate a good quality rock mass that is strong, stiff and relatively homogeneous. The homogeneity is also supported by the lithological and the hydrogeological models. The properties of the rock mass have been initially estimated by two separate modelling approaches, one empirical and one theoretical. An overall final estimate of the rock mass properties were achieved by integrating the results from the two models via a process termed 'Harmonization'. Both the tensile tests, carried out perpendicular and parallel to the foliation, and the theoretical analyses of the rock mass properties in directions parallel and perpendicular to the major principal stress, result in parameter values almost independent of direction. This indicates that the rock mass in the target volume is isotropic. The rock mass quality in the target volume appears to be of high and uniform quality. Those portions with reduced rock mass quality that do exist are mainly related to sections with increased fracture frequency. Such sections are associated with deformation zones according to the geological description. The results of adjacent rock domains and fracture domains of the target

Assessment of aggregate quality and petrographic properties' influence on rock quality: A case study from Nordland county, Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Kløve Keiding, Jakob; Erichsen, Eyolf; Heldal, Tom; Aslaksen Aasly, Kari

2017-04-01

Good access to construction materials is crucial for future infrastructure development and continued economic growth. In Norway >80 % of construction materials come from crushed aggregates and represent an growing share of the consumption. Although recycling to some extend can cover the need for construction materials, economic growth, increasing population and urbanization necessitates exploitation of new rock resources in Norway as well as many other parts of the world. Aggregates must fulfill a number of technical requirements to ensure high quality and long life expectancy of new roads, buildings and structures. Aggregates also have to be extracted near the consumer market. Particularly for road construction strict criteria are in place for wearing course for roads with high traffic density. Thus knowledge of mechanical rock quality is paramount for both exploitation as well as future resource and land-use planning but is often not assessed or mapped beyond the quarry scale. The Geological survey of Norway runs a database with information about crushed aggregate deposits from >1500 Norwegian quarries and sample sites. Here we use mechanical test analyses from the database to assess the aggregate quality in the Nordland county, Norway. Maps have been produced linking bed rock geology with rock quality parameters. The survey documents that the county is challenged in meeting the requirements for roads with high traffic density and especially in the middle parts of the county many samples have weak mechanical properties. This to some degree reflect that weak Cambro-Silurian rocks like phyllite, schist, carbonate and greenstone are abundant in Nordland. Typically mechanically stronger rock types such as gabbro, monzonite and granite are also exposed in large parts of the county, but are also characterized by relative poor or very variable mechanical test quality. Preliminary results indicate that many intrinsic parameters influence the mechanical rock strength, but

Thermal capacitator design rationale. Part 1: Thermal and mechanical property data for selected materials potentially useful in thermal capacitor design and construction

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, J. A.; Liao, C. K.

1975-01-01

The thermal properties of paraffin hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon mixtures which may be used as the phase change material (PCM) in thermal capacitors are discussed. The paraffin hydrocarbons selected for consideration are those in the range from C11H24 (n-Undecane) to C20H42 (n-Eicosane). A limited amount of data is included concerning other properties of paraffin hydrocarbons and the thermal and mechanical properties of several aluminum alloys which may find application as constructional materials. Data concerning the melting temperature, transition temperature, latent heat of fusion, heat of transition, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of pure and commercial grades of paraffin hydrocarbons are given. An index of companies capable of producing paraffin hydrocarbons and information concerning the availability of various grades (purity levels) is provided.

Apparent thermal inertia and the surface heterogeneity of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Putzig, Nathaniel E.; Mellon, Michael T.

2007-11-01

Thermal inertia derivation techniques generally assume that surface properties are uniform at horizontal scales below the footprint of the observing instrument and to depths of several decimeters. Consequently, surfaces with horizontal or vertical heterogeneity may yield apparent thermal inertia which varies with time of day and season. To investigate these temporal variations, we processed three Mars years of Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations and produced global nightside and dayside seasonal maps of apparent thermal inertia. These maps show broad regions with diurnal and seasonal differences up to 200 J m -2 K -1s -1/2 at mid-latitudes (60° S to 60° N) and 600 J m -2 K -1s -1/2 or greater in the polar regions. We compared the seasonal mapping results with modeled apparent thermal inertia and created new maps of surface heterogeneity at 5° resolution, delineating regions that have thermal characteristics consistent with horizontal mixtures or layers of two materials. The thermal behavior of most regions on Mars appears to be dominated by layering, with upper layers of higher thermal inertia (e.g., duricrusts or desert pavements over fines) prevailing in mid-latitudes and upper layers of lower thermal inertia (e.g., dust-covered rock, soils with an ice table at shallow depths) prevailing in polar regions. Less common are regions dominated by horizontal mixtures, such as those containing differing proportions of rocks, sand, dust, and duricrust or surfaces with divergent local slopes. Other regions show thermal behavior that is more complex and not well-represented by two-component surface models. These results have important implications for Mars surface geology, climate modeling, landing-site selection, and other endeavors that employ thermal inertia as a tool for characterizing surface properties.

Investigations on THM effects in buffer, EDZ and argillaceous host rock. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jobmann, M.; Breustedt, M.; Li, S.; Polster, M.; Schirmer, S.

2013-11-15

In the Federal Republic of Germany the final disposal of heat-generating radioactive waste in clay formations is investigated as an alternative to the reference concept in a salt formation. The main concern when switching to a clay host rock is the high amount of heat released from the canisters into the clay rock over a long period of time. It is still an open question to what extent the host rock formation is affected by the released heat and if this is a threat to safety. The released heat from the canisters is a load on the whole barrier system, which consists of the geotechnical barriers (buffer and plugs) and the geological barrier. The temperature has a direct impact on the buffer, the excavative damaged zone (EDZ) and the surrounding host rock. The buffer has specific thermo-physical properties that significantly influence the temperature evolution in the near field so that a temperature load on the buffer is of special concern. Thus, with regard to thermal criteria, the buffer plays a significant role for the design of the emplacement fields. An open question is whether the use of admixtures could enhance the thermo-physical properties so that the heat release into the host rock would be more efficient. Due to the permanent heat release and the continuous emplacement of additional canisters, the in-situ stress state in the vicinity of the emplacement boreholes continuously varies during the operational period and beyond. It is an open question how the EDZ of emplacement boreholes evolves in the long term with regard to its fissure system and mainly its permeability. A closure of the EDZ and a corresponding decrease in its permeability are necessary to enhance the tightness of the barrier system, especially to avoid a preferential pathway through the EDZ around the openings. The host rock has specific properties that are necessary to ensure a safe enclosure of the waste. A change in the host rock temperature may change these properties irreversibly. This is

A composite sphere assemblage model for porous oolitic rocks: Application to thermal conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Chen

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The present work is devoted to the determination of linear effective thermal conductivity of porous rocks characterized by an assemblage of grains (oolites coated by a matrix. Two distinct classes of pores, i.e. micropores or intra oolitic pores (oolite porosity and mesopores or inter oolitic pores (inter oolite porosity, are taken into account. The overall porosity is supposed to be connected and decomposed into oolite porosity and matrix porosity. Within the framework of Hashin composite sphere assemblage (CSA models, a two-step homogenization method is developed. At the first homogenization step, pores are assembled into two layers by using self-consistent scheme (SCS. At the second step, the two porous layers constituting the oolites and the matrix are assembled by using generalized self-consistent scheme (GSCS and referred to as three-phase model. Numerical results are presented for data representative of a porous oolitic limestone. It is shown that the influence of porosity on the overall thermal conductivity of such materials may be significant.

Waterproofing of porous carbonate rocks: Efficiency-controlling its properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esbert, R. M.

1995-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to establish which physical properties may be used, in a routine way, in order to know the efficacy rate of a treatment applied on a specific rocky substrate. Whit this purpose, two types of carbonated rocks, the limestone of Hontoria (Burgos and the dolomite of Laspra (Asturias have been chosen, with a very different configuration of their porosity systems. Three protection products, with silico-organic nature and widely used have been used, to wit: two siloxenes and a copolymer. Tue properties chosen (contact angle and water vapour permeability have been the proper ones in order to determine the efficacy level of the different treatments. This level was demonstrated to be conditioned by the chemical characteristics of this product, and the influence of the characteristics is practically null. Other investigations are being carried out with the same rocks and treatment products in order to establish the corelationships between the efficacy rate of these treatments and the durability of the rock-treatment systems.

La finalidad del presente estudio es la de tratar de establecer que propiedades físicas pueden ser empleadas de una forma rutinaria para conocer el grado de eficacia de un tratamiento aplicado sobre un determinado sustrato pétreo. Con esta finalidad se han seleccionado dos tipos de rocas carbonatadas, la caliza de Hontoria (Burgos y la dolomía de Laspra (Asturias, con una configuración del sistema poroso muy diferente. Se han empleado tres productos protectores de naturaleza silicoorgánica, ampliamente utilizados, dos siloxanos y un copolímero. Las propiedades seleccionadas (ángulo de contado y permeabilidad al vapor de agua han resultado idóneas para determinar el grado de eficacia de los distintos tratamientos. Se ha comprobado que dicho grado está condicionado por las características químicas del producto, siendo prácticamente nula la influencia de las características de la roca. Se

Dependence of Glass Mechanical Properties on Thermal and Pressure History

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smedskjær, Morten Mattrup; Bauchy, Mathieu

Predicting the properties of new glasses prior to manufacturing is a topic attracting great industrial and scientific interest. Mechanical properties are currently of particular interest given the increasing demand for stronger, thinner, and more flexible glasses in recent years. However, as a non......-equilibrium material, the structure and properties of glass depend not only on its composition, but also on its thermal and pressure histories. Here we review our recent findings regarding the thermal and pressure history dependence of indentation-derived mechanical properties of oxide glasses....

Mechanical weathering and rock erosion by climate-dependent subcritical cracking

Science.gov (United States)

Eppes, Martha-Cary; Keanini, Russell

2017-06-01

This work constructs a fracture mechanics framework for conceptualizing mechanical rock breakdown and consequent regolith production and erosion on the surface of Earth and other terrestrial bodies. Here our analysis of fracture mechanics literature explicitly establishes for the first time that all mechanical weathering in most rock types likely progresses by climate-dependent subcritical cracking under virtually all Earth surface and near-surface environmental conditions. We substantiate and quantify this finding through development of physically based subcritical cracking and rock erosion models founded in well-vetted fracture mechanics and mechanical weathering, theory, and observation. The models show that subcritical cracking can culminate in significant rock fracture and erosion under commonly experienced environmental stress magnitudes that are significantly lower than rock critical strength. Our calculations also indicate that climate strongly influences subcritical cracking—and thus rock weathering rates—irrespective of the source of the stress (e.g., freezing, thermal cycling, and unloading). The climate dependence of subcritical cracking rates is due to the chemophysical processes acting to break bonds at crack tips experiencing these low stresses. We find that for any stress or combination of stresses lower than a rock's critical strength, linear increases in humidity lead to exponential acceleration of subcritical cracking and associated rock erosion. Our modeling also shows that these rates are sensitive to numerous other environment, rock, and mineral properties that are currently not well characterized. We propose that confining pressure from overlying soil or rock may serve to suppress subcritical cracking in near-surface environments. These results are applicable to all weathering processes.

Measurement and model on thermal properties of sintered diamond composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussa, Tala; Garnier, Bertrand; Peerhossaini, Hassan

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Thermal properties of sintered diamond used for grinding is studied. ► Flash method with infrared temperature measurement is used to investigate. ► Thermal conductivity increases with the amount of diamond. ► It is very sensitive to binder conductivity. ► Results agree with models assuming imperfect contact between matrix and particles. - Abstract: A prelude to the thermal management of grinding processes is measurement of the thermal properties of working materials. Indeed, tool materials must be chosen not only for their mechanical properties (abrasion performance, lifetime…) but also for thermal concerns (thermal conductivity) for efficient cooling that avoids excessive temperatures in the tool and workpiece. Sintered diamond is currently used for grinding tools since it yields higher performances and longer lifetimes than conventional materials (mineral or silicon carbide abrasives), but its thermal properties are not yet well known. Here the thermal conductivity, heat capacity and density of sintered diamond are measured as functions of the diamond content in composites and for two types of metallic binders: hard tungsten-based and soft cobalt-based binders. The measurement technique for thermal conductivity is derived from the flash method. After pulse heating, the temperature of the rear of the sample is measured with a noncontact method (infrared camera). A parameter estimation method associated with a three-layer nonstationary thermal model is used to obtain sample thermal conductivity, heat transfer coefficient and absorbed energy. With the hard metallic binder, the thermal conductivity of sintered diamond increased by up to 64% for a diamond content increasing from 0 to 25%. The increase is much less for the soft binder: 35% for diamond volumes up to 25%. In addition, experimental data were found that were far below the value predicted by conventional analytical models for effective thermal conductivity. A possible explanation

Rock- and Paleomagnetic Properties and Modeling of a Deep Crustal Volcanic System, the Reinfjord Ultramafic Complex, Seiland Igneous Province, Northern Norway

Science.gov (United States)

ter Maat, G. W.; Pastore, Z.; Michels, A.; Church, N. S.; McEnroe, S. A.; Larsen, R. B.

2017-12-01

The Reinfjord Ultramafic Complex is part of the 5000 km2 Seiland Igneous Province (SIP) in Northern Norway. The SIP is argued to be the deep-seated conduit system of a Large Igneous Province and was emplaced at 25-35 km depth in less than 10 Ma (570-560 Ma). The Reinfjord Ultramafic Complex was emplaced during three major successive events at 22-28km depth at pressures of 6-8kb, with associated temperatures 1450-1500°C (Roberts, 2006). The rocks are divided into three formations: the central series (CS) consisting of mainly dunites, upper layered series (ULS) consisting of dunites and wehrlites, a lower layered series (LLS) containing most pyroxene-rich rocks and a marginal zone (MZ) which formed where the ultramafic melts intruded the gabbro-norite and metasedimentary gneisses. Deep exposures such as the Reinfjord Ultramafic Complex are rare, therefore this study gives a unique insight in the rock magnetic properties of a deep ultramafic system. Localised serpentinised zones provide an opportunity to observe the effect of this alteration process on the magnetic properties of deep-seated rocks. Here, we present the results from the rock magnetic properties, a paleomagnetic study and combined potential-fields modeling. The study of the rock magnetic properties provides insight in primary processes associated with the intrusion, and later serpentinization. The paleomagnetic data yields two distinct directions. One direction corresponds to a Laurentia pole at ≈ 532 Ma while the other, though younger, is not yet fully understood. Rock magnetic properties were measured on > 700 specimens and used to constrain the modelling of gravity, high-resolution helicopter, and ground magnetic data. The intrusion is modelled as a cylindrically shaped complex with a dunite core surrounded by wehrlite and gabbro. The ultramafic part of the complex dips to the NE and its maximum vertical extent is modelled to 1400m. Furthermore, modelling allows estimation of relative volumes of

Thermal Behaviour of clay formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tassoni, E.

1985-01-01

The programme carried out by ENEA to model the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical behaviour of the clay formations and to measure, in situ and in laboratory, the thermal properties of these rocks, is presented. An in situ heating experiment has been carried out in an open clay quarry in the area of Monterotondo, near Rome. The main goal of the experiment was to know the temperature field and the thermal effects caused by the high level radioactive waste disposed of in a clayey geological formation. The conclusions are as follows: - the thermal conduction codes are sufficiently accurate to forecast the temperature increases caused in the clay by the dissipation of the heat generated by high level radioactive waste; - the thermal conductivity deduced by means of the ''curve fitting'' method ranges from 0.015 to 0.017 W.cm -1 . 0 C -1 - the temperature variation associated with the transport of clay interstitial water caused by temperature gradient is negligible. A laboratory automated method has been designed to measure the thermal conductivity and diffusivity in clay samples. A review of experimental data concerning thermomechanical effects in rocks as well as results of thermal experiments performed at ISMES on clays are presented. Negative thermal dilation has been found both in the elastic and plastic range under constant stress. Thermoplastic deformation appears ten times greater than the thermoelastic one. A mathematical model is proposed in order to simulate the above and other effects that encompass thermal-elastic-plastic-pore water pressure response of clays at high temperature and effective pressure with undrained and transient drainage conditions. Implementation of the two versions into a finite element computer code is described

Evaluation of the quality, thermal maturity and distribution of potential source rocks in the Danish part of the Norwegian–Danish Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristensen, Lars

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The quality, thermal maturity and distribution of potential source rocks within the Palaeozoic–Mesozoic succession of the Danish part of the Norwegian–Danish Basin have been evaluated on the basis of screening data from over 4000 samples from the pre-Upper Cretaceous succession in 33 wells. The Lower Palaeozoic in the basin is overmature and the Upper Cretaceous – Cenozoic strata have no petroleum generation potential, but the Toarcian marine shales of the Lower Jurassic Fjerritslev Formation (F-III, F-IV members and the uppermost Jurassic – lowermost Cretaceous shales of the Frederikshavn Formation may qualify as potential source rocks in parts of the basin. Neither of these potential source rocks has a basinwide distribution; the present occurrence of the Lower Jurassic shales was primarily determined by regional early Middle Jurassic uplift and erosion. The generation potential of these source rocks is highly variable. The F-III and F-IV members show significant lateral changes in generation capacity, the best-developed source rocks occurring in the basin centre. The combined F-III andF-IV members in the Haldager-1, Kvols-1 and Rønde-1 wells contain ‘net source-rock’ thicknesses (cumulative thickness of intervals with Hydrogen Index (HI >200 mg HC/g TOC of 40 m, 83 m, and 92 m, respectively, displaying average HI values of 294, 369 and 404 mg HC/g TOC. The Mors-1 well contains 123 m of ‘net source rock’ with an average HI of 221 mg HC/g TOC. Parts of the Frederikshavn Formation possess a petroleum generation potential in the Hyllebjerg-1, Skagen-2, Voldum-1 and Terne-1 wells, the latter well containing a c.160 m thick highly oil-prone interval with an average HI of 478 mg HC/g TOC and maximum HI values >500 mg HC/g TOC. The source-rock evaluation suggests that a Mesozoic petroleum system is the most likely in the study area. Two primary plays are possible: (1 the Upper Triassic – lowermost Jurassic Gassum play, and (2the

Thermal expansion properties of calcium aluminate hydrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Tae Woong

1986-01-01

In order to eliminate the effect of impurities and aggregates on the thermomechanical properties of the various calcium aluminate hydrates, and to prepare clinkers in which all calcium aluminates are mixed homogeneously, chemically pure CaO and Al 2 O 3 were weighed, blended and heated in various conditions. After quantitative X-ray diffractometry(QXRD), the synthesized clinker was hydrated and cured under the conditions of 30 deg C, W/C=0.5, relative humidity> 90% respectively during 24 hours. And then differential thermal analysis(DTA), thermogravimetry(TG), micro calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis(TMA) and scanning electron microanalysis(SEM) were applied to examine the thermal properties of samples containing, calcium aluminate hydrates in various quantity. (Author)

Thermal properties of lithium ceramics for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollenberg, G.W.; Baker, D.E.

1982-03-01

Specific heat, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity were measured on Li 2 O, Li 4 SiO 4 , Li 2 ZrO 3 and LiAlO 2 . Data on these properties were needed for design of an irradiation experiment to be performed on these materials. In general, the specific heat of a ceramic is primarily enrichment-dependent, but the thermal diffusivity and thermal expansion coefficient may be influenced by microstructure. Hence, it will be necessary to duplicate these measurements on the engineering materials finally selected for a particular design

Rock Physics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabricius, Ida Lykke

2017-01-01

Rock physics is the discipline linking petrophysical properties as derived from borehole data to surface based geophysical exploration data. It can involve interpretation of both elastic wave propagation and electrical conductivity, but in this chapter focus is on elasticity. Rock physics is based...... on continuum mechanics, and the theory of elasticity developed for statics becomes the key to petrophysical interpretation of velocity of elastic waves. In practice, rock physics involves interpretation of well logs including vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and analysis of core samples. The results...

Geological assessment of crystalline rock formations with a view to radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mather, J.D.

1984-01-01

Field work has been concentrated at the Altnabreac Research Site on north-east Scotland, where three deep boreholes to approximately 300 m and 24 shallow boreholes to approximately 40 m were drilled. The movement of groundwater within 300 m of the surface was investigated using a specially developed straddle packer system. Geochemical studies have demonstrated that most groundwater is dominated by recent recharge but one borehole yielded water with an age of around 10 4 years. Geophysical borehole logging has shown that the full wave train sonic logs and the acoustic logs show most promise for the assessment of crystalline rocks. In the laboratory the interaction of rocks and groundwater at the temperature/pressure conditions to be expected in a repository has established the geochemical environment to which waste canisters and backfill materials would be subjected. Other generic studies reported include the characterization of geotechnical properties of rocks at elevated temperatures and pressures, the development of a new cross-hole sinusoidal pressure test for the measurement of hydraulic properties and the use of thermal infra-red imagery to detect groundwater discharge zones

Rock Crushing Using Microwave Pre-Treatment

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee; Santamarina, Carlos

2016-01-01

Crushing and grinding are primary contributors to a high energy demand in the mining industry, yet, both are surprisingly inefficient processes, often with efficiencies as low as 1%. We analyze size reductions during crushing and grinding operations and explore the potential of multiplying internal weaknesses in rock materials by non-mechanical means. In particular, when rock blocks (wet or even dry if polycrystalline) are exposed to microwaves, internal cracks can develop along grain boundaries via differential thermal expansion between grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water in pores. Brazilian tests conducted on granite and cement mortar specimens show that the tensile strength decreases proportional to the duration of microwave treatment. Thermal changes, excessive fluid pressure buildup and induced stresses are analyzed in the context of hydro-Thermo-mechanically coupled processes. Results confirm that both differential thermal expansion of mineral grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water can generate cracks upon microwave exposure. Optimal conditions are suggested to lower the combined consumption of electric and mechanical energy.

Rock Crushing Using Microwave Pre-Treatment

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee

2016-08-11

Crushing and grinding are primary contributors to a high energy demand in the mining industry, yet, both are surprisingly inefficient processes, often with efficiencies as low as 1%. We analyze size reductions during crushing and grinding operations and explore the potential of multiplying internal weaknesses in rock materials by non-mechanical means. In particular, when rock blocks (wet or even dry if polycrystalline) are exposed to microwaves, internal cracks can develop along grain boundaries via differential thermal expansion between grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water in pores. Brazilian tests conducted on granite and cement mortar specimens show that the tensile strength decreases proportional to the duration of microwave treatment. Thermal changes, excessive fluid pressure buildup and induced stresses are analyzed in the context of hydro-Thermo-mechanically coupled processes. Results confirm that both differential thermal expansion of mineral grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water can generate cracks upon microwave exposure. Optimal conditions are suggested to lower the combined consumption of electric and mechanical energy.

THE INFLUENCE OF REPOSITORY THERMAL LOAD ON MULTIPHASE FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER IN THE UNSATURATED ZONE OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu-Shu Wu; Sumit Mukhopadhyay; Keni Zhang; G.S. Bodvarsson

2006-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of proposed repository thermal-loading on mountain-scale flow and heat transfer in the unsaturated fractured rock of Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In this context, a model has been developed to study the coupled thermal-hydrological (TH) processes at the scale of the entire Yucca Mountain. This mountain-scale TH model implements the current geological framework and hydrogeological conceptual models, and incorporates the latest rock thermal and hydrological properties. The TH model consists of a two-dimensional north-south vertical cross section across the entire unsaturated zone model domain and uses refined meshes near and around the proposed repository block, based on the current repository design, drift layout, thermal loading scenario, and estimated current and future climatic conditions. The model simulations provide insights into thermally affected liquid saturation, gas- and liquid-phase fluxes, and elevated water and rock temperature, which in turn allow modelers to predict the changes in water flux driven by evaporation/condensation processes, and drainage between drifts