Numerical methods of geomechanics tasks solution during coal deposits’ development

Purpose. Generalization of numerical modeling of geomechanical processes in the vicinity of mine workings by finite elements method and making recommendations for substantiation of suitable construction and behavior of rock massif physical model. Methods. Software packages SolidWorks Simulation (COSMOS/М) and ANSYS are used for geomechanical tasks solution. Findings. Solutions of geomechanical tasks dealing with topical issues of estimating stress-strain state of rock massif around underground workings of different functions are given. Data on the rock massif stress-strain state are received and recommendations on adequate and authentic reflection of its structural peculiarities (stratification and fracturing) are made. Physical model of rock condition (elastic, elastic-plastic, rheological diagrams and complete diagram of deformation taking into account weakening and fracturing) is presented. Originality. New data about the mechanism of movement processes of coal-bearing massif around mine workings considering stratification and cracks content, limit and out-of-limit deflection state in separate areas, and also the impact of rheological rock properties are received. Practical implications. Complex of geomechanical tasks solutions allow to increase credibility of rock pressure manifestations prediction and substantiate technical solutions for effective and safe operations at coal mines.Цель. Обобщение опыта численного моделирования методом конечных элементов геомеханических процессов вокруг горных выработок и формирование рекомендаций по обоснованию адекватного строения и поведения физической модели горного массива. Методика. Для решения задач геомеханики использованы пакеты прикладных программ SolidWorks Simulation (COSMOS/М) и ANSYS. Результаты. Приведены решения геомеханических задач по актуальным вопросам оценки НДС горного массива вокруг подземных выработок различного назначения. Получены закономерности поведения горного массива и даны рекомендации по адекватному и достоверному отражению его текстурных особенностей (слоистость и трещиноватость) и физической модели состояния горной породы (упругая, упруго-пластическая, реологическая, полная диаграмма деформирования с учетом разупрочнения и разрыхления). Научная новизна. Получен ряд новых закономерностей развития процессов сдвижения углевмещающего массива вокруг горных выработок с учетом его слоистости и трещиноватости, предельного и запредельного состояния в отдельных областях, а также влияния реологических свойств горных пород. Практическая значимость. Комплекс решений геомеханических задач позволяет повысить достоверность прогноза проявлений горного давления и обосновать технические решения по эффективному и безопасному ведению горных работ на угольных шахтах.Мета. Узагальнення досвіду чисельного моделювання методом скінченних елементів геомеханічних процесів навколо гірничих виробок і формування рекомендацій з обґрунтування адекватної будови й поведінки фізичної моделі гірського масиву. Методика. Для розв’язання задач геомеханіки використані пакети прикладних програм Solidworks Simulation (COSMOS/М) і ANSYS. Результати. Наведено розв’язання геомеханічних задач з актуальних питань оцінки НДС гірського масиву навколо підземних виробок різного призначення. Отримано закономірності поведінки гірського масиву й надано рекомендації з адекватного й достовірного відображення його текстурних особливостей (шаруватість і тріщинуватість) та фізичної моделі стану гірської породи (пружна, пружно-пластична, реологічна, повна діаграма деформування з урахуванням знеміцнення і розпушення). Наукова новизна. Отримано низку нових закономірностей розвитку процесів зрушення вуглевміщуючого масиву навколо гірничих виробок з урахуванням його шаруватості й тріщинуватості, граничного й позамежного станів в окремих областях, а також впливу реологічних властивостей гірських порід. Практична значимість. Комплекс розв’язань геомеханічних задач дозволяє підвищити вірогідність прогнозу проявів гірського тиску й обґрунтувати технічні розв’язання з ефективного й безпечного ведення гірничих робіт на вугільних шахтах.The materials discussed in the article were received while performing a complex of research works at the request of a number of industrial enterprises in coal mining in Donbas. The authors are grateful to M. Illiashov, M. Barabash, Yu. Cherednychenko, O. Vivcharenko, V. Chervatiuk, O. Husiev for providing mine-and-geological and technical information on features of conducting mining operations at their enterprises, and also for useful recommendations and fruitful discussion of the received results which are intended to provide an effective solution to mine-technical issues in coal mining

Packing Characteristics of Different Shaped Proppants for use with Hydrofracing - A Numerical Investigation using 3D FEMDEM

Imperial Users onl

Numerical energy absorption study of composite tubes for axial impact loadings

This paper focuses on the numerical energy absorption behaviour of pultruded composite tubes under an axial impact loading case. The circular and square cross sectional glass-polyester composite tubes are considered for the study. In order to capture the typical failure modes such as delaminations, lamina bending, axial cracks and fibre fracturing, a new innovative approach was used using multiple shell elements, cohesive elements and pre-defined seams. To predict the correct peak crush load and the corresponding energy absorption, the importance of the numerical modelling of multiple delaminations and triggering are discussed. Two types of triggering were chosen for the study (45⁰ deg chamfering around the edges and a tulip pattern with an included angle between the edges of 60⁰). Finally, the results of this numerical investigation are compared with experimental data. The commercially available finite element code ABAQUS V6.7-3 Explicit was used for this study

Fluid-driven deformation of a soft granular material

Compressing a porous, fluid-filled material will drive the interstitial fluid out of the pore space, as when squeezing water out of a kitchen sponge. Inversely, injecting fluid into a porous material can deform the solid structure, as when fracturing a shale for natural gas recovery. These poromechanical interactions play an important role in geological and biological systems across a wide range of scales, from the propagation of magma through the Earth's mantle to the transport of fluid through living cells and tissues. The theory of poroelasticity has been largely successful in modeling poromechanical behavior in relatively simple systems, but this continuum theory is fundamentally limited by our understanding of the pore-scale interactions between the fluid and the solid, and these problems are notoriously difficult to study in a laboratory setting. Here, we present a high-resolution measurement of injection-driven poromechanical deformation in a system with granular microsctructure: We inject fluid into a dense, confined monolayer of soft particles and use particle tracking to reveal the dynamics of the multi-scale deformation field. We find that a continuum model based on poroelasticity theory captures certain macroscopic features of the deformation, but the particle-scale deformation field exhibits dramatic departures from smooth, continuum behavior. We observe particle-scale rearrangement and hysteresis, as well as petal-like mesoscale structures that are connected to material failure through spiral shear banding

Constitutive Model for Material Comminuting at High Shear Rate

The modeling of high velocity impact into brittle or quasibrittle solids is hampered by the unavailability of a constitutive model capturing the effects of material comminution into very fine particles. The present objective is to develop such a model, usable in finite element programs. The comminution at very high strain rates can dissipate a large portion of the kinetic energy of an impacting missile. The spatial derivative of the energy dissipated by comminution gives a force resisting the penetration, which is superposed on the nodal forces obtained from the static constitutive model in a finite element program. The present theory is inspired partly by Grady's model for comminution due to explosion inside a hollow sphere, and partly by analogy with turbulence. In high velocity turbulent flow, the energy dissipation rate is enhanced by the formation of micro-vortices (eddies) which dissipate energy by viscous shear stress. Similarly, here it is assumed that the energy dissipation at fast deformation of a confined solid gets enhanced by the release of kinetic energy of the motion associated with a high-rate shear strain of forming particles. For simplicity, the shape of these particles in the plane of maximum shear rate is considered to be regular hexagons. The rate of release of free energy density consisting of the sum of this energy and the fracture energy of the interface between the forming particle is minimized. The particle sizes are assumed to be distributed according to Schuhmann's power law. It is concluded that the minimum particle size is inversely proportional to the (2/3)-power of the shear strain rate, that the kinetic energy release is to proportional to the (2/3)-power, and that the dynamic comminution creates an apparent material viscosity inversely proportional to the (1/3)-power of the shear strain rate.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Behaviour of pultruded beam-to-column joints using steel web cleats

Response of pultruded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) beam-to-column joints with steel bolted web cleats is studied through physical testing. Two joint configurations are considered with either three or two bolts per cleat leg, as per drawings in a pultruder’s Design Manual. Moment-rotation curves, failure modes and potential performance gains from semi-rigid action are determined from two batches, each having six nominally identical joints. Results show that initial joint properties for stiffness and moment can possess, at 19 to 62%, an extremely high coefficient of variation. All joints failed by fracturing within the FRP column’s flange outstands. Because this failure mode has not been reported previously there is a need to establish how its existence influences joint design. As joint properties for the three- and two-bolted configurations are not significantly different, the middle (third) bolt is found to be redundant. Damage is shown to initiate within the column flange outstands when the mid-span deflection of a 5.08 m span beam, subjected to a uniformly distributed load, is span/500. This is half the serviceability vertical deflection limit recommended in the EUROCOMP Design Code and Handbook. The mean joint moment resistance for design is established to be 2.9 kNm and this is 1.5 times the moment for damage onset

Lattice modeling of excavation damage in argillaceous clay formations: Influence of deformation and strength anisotropy

This paper presents modeling of mechanical anisotropy in argillaceous rocks using an irregular lattice modeling approach, namely the rigid-body-spring network. To represent the mechanical anisotropy, new schemes are implemented in the modeling framework. The directionality of elastic deformation is resolved by modifying the element formulation with anisotropic elastic properties. The anisotropy of strength and failure characteristics is facilitated by adopting orientation-dependent failure criteria into the failure model. The verification of the improved modeling procedures is performed against theoretical model predictions for unconfined compression tests with various bedding orientations. Furthermore, excavation damage and fracturing processes in rock formations are simulated for different geomechanical configurations, such as rock anisotropy and tectonic heterogeneity. The simulated excavation damage characteristics are realistic and comparable with the actual field observation at a tunnel located in an argillaceous clay formation. The simulation results provide insights into the excavation damage zone phenomena with an explicit representation of fracturing processes