A Coupled Thermal–Hydrological–Mechanical Damage Model and Its Numerical Simulations of Damage Evolution in APSE
This paper proposes a coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical damage (THMD) model for the failure process of rock, in which coupling effects such as thermally induced rock deformation, water flow-induced thermal convection, and rock deformation-induced water flow are considered. The damage is considered to be the key factor that controls the THM coupling process and the heterogeneity of rock is characterized by the Weibull distribution. Next, numerical simulations on excavation-induced damage zones in Äspö pillar stability experiments (APSE) are carried out and the impact of in situ stress conditions on damage zone distribution is analysed. Then, further numerical simulations of damage evolution at the heating stage in APSE are carried out. The impacts of in situ stress state, swelling pressure and water pressure on damage evolution at the heating stage are simulated and analysed, respectively. The simulation results indicate that (1) the v-shaped notch at the sidewall of the pillar is predominantly controlled by the in situ stress trends and magnitude; (2) at the heating stage, the existence of confining pressure can suppress the occurrence of damage, including shear damage and tensile damage; and (3) the presence of water flow and water pressure can promote the occurrence of damage, especially shear damage.
Thermo-hydro-mechanical response of granite to temperature changes
This paper examines the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of a granitic rock. The cylindrical sample of granite contained a sealed fluid-filled cavity which was subjected to a cycle of temperature changes on its outer surface. The temperature and fluid pressure changes in the fluid-filled cavity were measured. Since the measurement of fluid pressure and temperature in the sealed cavity is experimentally feasible, the technique is a common feature in thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments. However, it was observed that regardless of how precisely the cavity was filled with de-aired water, air bubbles can still exist in the cavity and influence the fluid pressure changes. A novel technique is suggested for taking into account the influence of the volume of trapped air and eliminating its effect in the estimation of permeability. The experiment was computationally modelled using the finite element code COMSOL Multiphysics™ and the experimental results were compared with the computational estimates.
HYPERGOLIC REACTION MECHANISMS OF CATALYTICALLY PROMOTED FUELS WITH ROCKET GRADE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Abstract The coupling of the physical and chemical processes controlling the ignition delays (τ ign ) of hypergolic propellants complicates the direct analysis of the transient ignition processes. The transport properties of both the propellants and the ambient gas, and the heat of vaporization and reaction affect τ ign and must be considered experimentally. Furthermore, since hypergolic ignition occurs, by definition, on contact, the mechanics of initial contact and subsequent mixing can affect τ ign and must also be considered. Experimental results from a study of the hypergolic ignition of a catalytically promoted fuel with rocket grade hydrogen peroxide (RGHP) are presented. Statistical analysis of the experimental data was conducted to evaluate the relative effects of RGHP concentration, initial ambient pressure, and the ambient gas on τ ign . At RGHP concentrations of less than 92% in water, stable ignition was difficult to achieve. At sufficiently high Lewis number, an oscillatory ignition process is observed. A phenomenological model comprising mixing, RGHP decomposition, fuel heating and vaporization, and auto-ignition is presented and compared to the experimental results.