A Numerical Model for Caprock Analysis for Subsurface Gas Storage Applications

In considering a site for gas storage, it will be important to evaluate the effects of gas storage on the formation, so as to minimize the risk of a breach occurring in the system. Gas injection will result in an increase in formation fluid pressure, especially around the injection source, which in turn results in redistribution of the stress field. The induced deformations within the reservoir can potentially result in a damage zone within the caprock formation. This mechanical failure may involve shear along many of the existing fractures or creation of new fractures that reduce the sealing properties of the caprock system. The main objective of this paper is to develop a model to estimate the growth and extension of cracks in the caprock. In order to achieve this, the smeared crack approach is used to model the process of cracking in the caprock. Smeared cracking is a continuum approach for damage mechanics which is based on the idea that a crack is modeled by modifying the strength and stiffness of the material. The main model presented in this paper has three sub-models, which are the reservoir model, the caprock model and the smeared crack model. The reservoir model is a simplified coupled hydro-mechanical model that numerically simulates the radial fluid flow and analytically estimates the associated stress and strain within the reservoir. The results of the reservoir model are used as boundary conditions for the caprock model that estimates the stress and strain within the sealing caprock due to the deformation of the reservoir. Using the calculated stress and strain, the smeared crack model predicts the growth and extension of cracks within the caprock. The caprock is assumed to be initially crack free and impermeable. The developed model is then used to study the Yort-e-shah aquifer caprock in Iran to predict the growth and extension of cracks.

Cracking Behavior of a Concrete Arch Dam with Weak Upper Abutment

The cracking behavior and failure mode of a 78 m high concrete double-curvature arch dam with weak upper abutment are investigated through performing cracking analysis. The mechanical behavior of concrete is simulated using a smeared crack model, in which a combination of the compression yield surface and the crack detection surface with a damaged elasticity concept is employed to describe the failure of concrete. The arch dam with practical mechanical properties of the upper and lower abutments is firstly studied with emphasis on its cracking behavior during overloading. Then, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the influence of the ratio of the mechanical properties of upper abutment to those of lower abutment on dam failure with prime attention placed on the failure mode. Simulation results indicate the adopted smeared crack model is well-suited to the crack analysis of concrete arch dam. It is shown that cracking is localized around the interface between upper and lower abutments, which leads to a fast crack growth in the through-thickness direction of dam and finally causes the dam failure. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis presents three types of failure modes corresponding to different ratio value, wherein Modes II and III should be avoided since the weak upper abutment plays a predominant role in the cracking and failure of concrete arch dam.

Probabilistic Nonlinear Analysis of Bubble Tower Structure due to Extreme Pressure and Temperature

This paper presents an application of the probabilistic analysis of structural resistance of the bubble tower structure of a VVER 440/213. The evaluation is based on an extension of the smeared crack model developed on base of Kupfer's bidimensional failure criterion, rotated crack, CEB-FIP model of failure energy and implemented into the ANSYS system. The non-linear analysis was considered for the median values of the input data and the probabilistic analysis models the uncertainties of loads, material resistance and other modeling issues.

Overview of Numerical Simulation Model of Mesoscopic Concrete Crack

Through a number of literature analysis and research, this paper investigates the reviews and comparison under the meso model for numerical simulation of crack in a finite element model (FEM), including discrete fracture model, smeared crack model, fracture mechanics crack model,bond crack model. Studies show that: compared to other fracture models , smeared crack model by eliminating the need to change the unit type and re-division unit grid computing simple and widely used for treatment of concrete cracks in finite element method, the author cites a using smeared crack model example that are discussed in the paper.