含四氢呋喃水合物沉积物无侧限压缩试验研究

参考南海神狐海域SH2站点含水合物地层沉积物颗粒级配分析结果,人工配置试验土骨架,制备不同水合物饱和度(0%,40%,50%,60%)的含四氢呋喃水合物沉积物试样,并在低温环境下进行无侧限压缩试验,获得了不同水合物饱和度试样的应力应变曲线、刚度和强度。结果表明,试样的应力应变曲线呈现应变软化现象,随着水合物饱和度的增加,软化现象更为明显;水合物能够显著增加试样的弹性模量,并随着水合物饱和度的增大而增大;随着水合物饱和度的增加,试样的无侧限抗压强度呈指数增加,与三轴和直剪试验所测得强度的趋势一致。     

水合物形成对含水合物砂土强度影响

采用非饱和成样法（A法）和饱和试样气体扩散制样法（B法）两种试验室方法,合成了含CO₂水合物的砂土试样,并采用改造过的三轴剪切试验仪完成了相应的三轴剪切试验。实验结果表明：A法制得试样强度和刚度随水合物饱和度增大而增大,且相当敏感;而B法制得试样在水合物饱和度为19.44%与纯砂土的力学特征差别很小,在较高饱和度（26.73%）时,含水合物砂土的强度和刚度就有了较为明显提高;由此可以得出含水合物砂土的强度特征是水合物含量和水合物于砂土中赋存状态联合决定的;同时也发现随着水合物饱和度的增大,试样的剪胀性越来越明显。最后,通过对A法制得试样的强度参数分析表明：含水合物砂土的黏聚力随饱和度的增大而提高,而摩擦角基本不变。     

不同细颗粒含量甲烷水合物沉积物三轴剪切试验研究

海域试开采区域含水合物沉积物的粒度分析结果表明水合物沉积物骨架由粗、细颗粒混合构成,通过开展多组低温、高压三轴排水剪切试验研究细颗粒含量和密度对含甲烷水合物沉积物和无水合物沉积物的强度和变形特性的影响。试验结果表明,含水合物沉积物抗剪强度及剪胀性都随细粒含量提高而显著增强。这是由于细颗粒含量增加改变了颗粒间水合物的样貌和分布特征,形成了由水合物包裹着粗颗粒-细颗粒的团簇状集合体。然而,细颗粒含量对无水合物沉积物的强度和变形特性的影响却表现出相反趋势。另外,含水合物沉积物的剪胀关系可以使用修正剑桥模型中的剪胀关系式进行描述。结果表明,剪胀关系的拟合曲线依赖于水合物饱和度的大小。通过对比研究发现,天然水合物和实验室合成水合物试样在较高饱和度时的峰值摩擦角大小及其伴随水合物饱和度的增长趋势存在差异,这种差异主要来源于水合物在沉积物骨架颗粒孔隙中不同的赋存模式及分布特征。     

不同细颗粒含量甲烷水合物沉积物三轴剪切试验研究

海域试开采区域含水合物沉积物的粒度分析结果表明水合物沉积物骨架由粗、细颗粒混合构成,通过开展多组低温、高压三轴排水剪切试验研究细颗粒含量和密度对含甲烷水合物沉积物和无水合物沉积物的强度和变形特性的影响。试验结果表明,含水合物沉积物抗剪强度及剪胀性都随细粒含量提高而显著增强。这是由于细颗粒含量增加改变了颗粒间水合物的样貌和分布特征,形成了由水合物包裹着粗颗粒-细颗粒的团簇状集合体。然而,细颗粒含量对无水合物沉积物的强度和变形特性的影响却表现出相反趋势。另外,含水合物沉积物的剪胀关系可以使用修正剑桥模型中的剪胀关系式进行描述。结果表明,剪胀关系的拟合曲线依赖于水合物饱和度的大小。通过对比研究发现,天然水合物和实验室合成水合物试样在较高饱和度时的峰值摩擦角大小及其伴随水合物饱和度的增长趋势存在差异,这种差异主要来源于水合物在沉积物骨架颗粒孔隙中不同的赋存模式及分布特征。     

甲烷水合物三维离散元模拟参数反演初探

含填充型水合物的砂性能源土可视为特殊的散粒体材料（砂粒和水合物颗粒混合物）,具有明显的非连续特征。在离散元中若采用团粒（胶结成团的颗粒组）模拟填充水合物颗粒则需合理确定团粒结构内颗粒间胶结模型参数。为此,基于前人的室内纯水合物三轴试验资料进行离散元建模与参数反演。结果表明,宜采用松散且颗粒间摩擦系数较小的试样模拟水合物块体,当颗粒间摩擦系数小于等于0.0时,可确保无胶结试样的内摩擦角小于室内试验获得的纯水合物内摩擦角。胶结刚度只需在较小范围变化即可反映相同温度不同围压条件下的弹性特性,且微观刚度参数与胶结强度参数的相互作用较小,可以假定二者相互独立。通过选取不同的微观胶结强度值进行不同围压下的三轴压缩试验,建立微观胶结强度参数与宏观参数（内摩擦角和黏聚力）之间的关系,从而确定与室内试验强度特性相符合的微观胶结强度值,实现甲烷水合物三轴试验离散元模拟;由体变规律可知,甲烷水合物在发生剪胀前均存在一个初始的体积收缩阶段,且剪胀特性随着围压的减小而呈现增强趋势。通过微观变量颗粒接触方向组构的分布图可知,随着轴向应变增大,颗粒间接触主方向朝竖直方向偏转,表现出明显的各向异性特性。随着轴向应变的增大,颗粒间胶结残余率变小,表明试样逐步破坏。     

试验反压对深海能源土宏观力学特性影响的离散元分析

在饱和土体三轴试验中,反压常被用于提高试样饱和度,其对常规土体强度特性无影响已广为认同,而已有试验资料表明反压对深海能源土强度、弹性模量等宏观力学参数均存在一定影响,成为困扰国际岩土界的一个难题。首先探讨了试验反压对能源土力学特性的影响机理,通过引入能源土微观接触模型的离散元双轴试验检验上述机理的合理性;然后结合20组离散元双轴试验,进一步探究能源土宏观力学特性随反压的变化规律。结果表明：试验反压对能源土力学特性的影响与水合物作用相关;反压能提高能源土强度,使应变软化和剪胀特性更加明显,并对其弹性参数有一定的影响;试验反压较大时,反压变化对能源土强度参数的影响难以忽略,但对弹性参数的影响可忽略。     

反压饱和条件下黄土饱和度影响因素及结果探讨

基于室内动三轴试验结果,分析了反压饱和条件下影响黄土饱和度的因素及其定性规律,并探讨了试验结果。研究表明,黄土在反压饱和条件下:(1)当试样土体结构为架空结构时,饱和度较高,土体结构为絮凝结构时,饱和度较低;随着取样深度的增加,可得到较稳定的饱和度;选取压差为15~25 k Pa时对试样的扰动最小,并可得到较高饱和度;随着初始孔隙比增加,浸水后试样产生的变形增大;初始孔隙比较小的试样间变形差较小。(2)初始孔隙水压力系数B值约0.3时饱和度可达90%,B-Sr曲线相对于砂土的曲线靠右。(3)B和饱和度呈先慢后快的上升趋势。     

水合物赋存模式对含水合物土力学特性的影响

基于非饱和制样法(US法)和饱和试样气体扩散制样(SD法)2种制样方法,利用三轴剪切试验研究不同水合物赋存模式对含CO2水合物土力学特性的影响规律。试验结果证实水合物的赋存模式及其含量对含水合物土的力学特性存在重要影响,微观机制分析表明：US法制得试样属于胶结赋存模式,该模式表现出典型的胶结土的结构特性,而 SD 法制得试样根据水合物含量不同,属于填充模式、接触模式和透镜体模式,显示出明显的颗粒摩擦材料的力学特性,但由于水合物的破碎损伤效应也会导致应变软化现象。最后,利用有效水合物饱和度的概念,提出能考虑2种水合物形成模式下抗剪强度预测的经验公式。     

高温后粗砂岩常规三轴压缩变形与强度特征分析

通过对经历400℃~1 000℃高温后的粗砂岩进行常规三轴压缩试验,分析试样变形、强度和破坏特征与温度、围压的关系。结果表明:经历400℃高温后的试样围压高于20 MPa时,试样峰值强度附近出现明显屈服平台,经历超过600℃以上高温的试样均具有明显峰值点,随温度升高试样的塑性减弱脆性增强;400℃以内高温对试样的变形参数影响不大,经历超过400℃以上高温的试样的弹性模量、变形模量和极限应变随围压增加单调增加呈正相关性;试样的弹性模量和变形模量随温度升高单调降低,而峰值应变随温度升高单调增加。高温后试样峰值强度随围压增大而单调增加,符合Coulomb强度准则,综合围压影响系数为6.541;800℃以内高温对试样黏聚力、内摩擦角影响不明显,经历1 000℃高温后的试样黏聚力急剧降低,内摩擦角稍有增加;800℃以内高温对粗砂岩具有强化作用,扣除围压影响后试样材料强度与温度呈正相关,超过800℃以上高温使试样强度有所弱化,试样材料强度与温度呈负相关性;高温后试样的试验破坏角和理论破坏角基本一致,高温对试样破坏角影响较小,试验破坏角随围压增加而单调减小,围压对试样破坏角的影响大于温度的影响。     

粉粒含量对砂土强度特性的影响

对含无塑性粉粒的砂土进行了三轴固结不排水试验,结果显示:粉粒含量通过颗粒组成和结构对粉砂强度和变形产生重要影响。在粉粒含量为6%,9%和12%时,松散试样在100 kPa围压下出现了静态液化现象,而粉粒含量增至15%时该现象消失,且随着围压的增大该现象也消失;在同一粉粒含量下,粉砂土残余内摩擦角高于峰值内摩擦角,但残余偏应力值很小,这是由于孔压增长很大,抵消了内摩擦角由?p′提高到?r′的有利影响;稳态线也受粉粒含量的影响,表现在随着粉粒含量的增加,稳态线逐渐向下移动;各粉细砂强度和变形对围压的敏感性强于纯净砂;粉粒含量对孔隙比的影响是含量超出一定值后才变得显著的,这说明粉粒加入到砂骨架中时,并未全部充填至砂粒孔隙中,而是以砂粒间接触点或面上为主,这样的接触结构导致了粉砂具有高体缩性,由此使得粉砂样表现出典型的应变软化特征。     

Undrained creep behavior of CO2 hydrate-bearing sand and its constitutive modeling considering the cementing effect of hydrates

A technique for carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and storage using CO₂ hydrates where CO₂ is stored as solid hydrates in the seabed ground, is attracting attention. Shallow sediments may be the most suitable seabed ground for CO₂ hydrate storage because these unconsolidated soil sediments satisfy the limitation for the low-temperature condition. Hence, the deformation properties and long-term stability of gas hydrate-bearing sediments during and after gas storage must be investigated. In this study, a series of undrained triaxial creep tests were conducted on artificially made CO₂ hydrate-bearing sand specimens to study the fundamental time dependent property of hydrate-bearing sediment. We extended an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model by introducing a cohesion component and its degradation on surfaces and applied the proposed model to creep tests on gas hydrate-bearing sand.Three findings were obtained from the experiments and modelling. First, CO₂ hydrate-bearing sand specimens showed accelerated creep behavior, which was characterized by the creep stress ratio level, regardless of the hydrate saturation. Second, creep accelerated under undrained conditions before the stress reached the critical state line obtained from the monotonic loading tests, and the stress ratio at the occurrence of acceleration creep was higher for specimens with a higher hydrate saturation. Third, the elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model which considered the cementing effect of hydrates was able to well reproduce the undrained creep behavior of hydrate-bearing sand with different hydrate saturations under relatively high creep stress levels.     

深海能源土地基承载特性离散元分析

天然气水合物以胶结形式广泛赋存于深海能源土中,水合物的饱和度对能源土地基的承载特性影响巨大,水合物的开采也必将使能源土的承载特性发生重大改变。采用考虑水合物胶结厚度的微观胶结模型,分别对3种不同水合物饱和度的能源土地基进行载荷试验离散元模拟。分析水合物开采前后能源土地基的承载特性,研究水合物开采对能源土地基承载特性的影响,探讨基底压力的分布规律。结果表明:水合物开采前,能源土地基的承载力随饱和度的增加而增大。开采后,地基的承载力急剧降低,且原有水合物的饱和度越大,开采后承载力的降低量也越大;水合物饱和度越高,达到极限承载力后,p–s曲线越接近于竖直向下;胶结破坏存在临界荷载,且不同水合物饱和度地基的胶结破坏规律不相同;水合物饱和度对基底压力的分布形状影响不大,但不同沉降量下基底压力的分布形状明显不同。     

Rate effect on the stress-strain relations of synthetic carbon dioxide hydrate-bearing sand and dissociation tests by thermal stimulation

Methane hydrates (MHs) have been recognized as an important material for use as a new energy resource. Recently, not only MHs, but also carbon dioxide hydrates (CO₂-hydrates), have been attracting attention from the viewpoint of CO₂ storage in the form of CO₂-hydrates. It is essential, therefore, to investigate the mechanical behaviour of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in order to achieve safe MH extraction and to ensure the long-term stability of CO₂-hydrate-storaged submarine sediments. In order to gain further knowledge of CO₂-hydrate-bearing sediments, we carried out three kinds of laboratory experiments on synthetic CO₂-hydrate-bearing sand specimens: (1) undrained triaxial compression tests with a constant strain rate, (2) undrained triaxial compression tests with a step-changed strain rate, and (3) dissociation tests on CO₂-hydrate-bearing sand specimens using the thermal stimulation method.The main findings obtained from these three experiments are as follows: First, it was found that CO₂-hydrate-bearing sand shows larger strength and larger positive dilatancy than water-saturated sand without CO₂-hydrates under undrained conditions. Second, CO₂-hydrate-bearing sand clearly exhibits strain rate dependency with an increase in hydrate saturation. It is interesting to note that hydrate saturation’s dependency on strength does not appear in cases where the strain rate is quite slow. Third, a drastic increase in pore pressure and extensive tensile strain are observed simultaneously during the dissociation of CO₂-hydrates. The pore gas pressure of CO₂, produced by the hydrate dissociation, can exceed the liquefied boundary of CO₂-gas, and the increase in pore gas pressure can be limited by the liquefaction of CO₂-gas.     

Constitutive model for gas hydrate-bearing soils considering different types of hydrate morphology and prediction of strength-band

The present study proposes a new elasto-plastic constitutive model that considers different types of hydrates in pore spaces. Many triaxial compression tests on both methane hydrate-bearing soils and carbon dioxide hydrate-bearing soils have been carried out over the last few decades. It has been revealed that methane hydrate-bearing soils and carbon dioxide hydrate-bearing soils have different strength and dilatancy properties even though they have the same hydrate contents. The reason for this might be due to the different types of hydrate morphology. In this study, therefore, the effect of the hydrate morphology on the mechanical response of gas-hydrate-bearing sediments is investigated through a model analysis by taking into account the different hardening rules corresponding to each type of hydrate morphology. In order to evaluate the capability of the proposed model, it is applied to the results of past triaxial compression tests on both methane hydrate-containing and carbon dioxide hydrate-containing sand specimens. The model is found to successfully reproduce the different stress–strain relations and dilatancy behaviors, by only giving consideration to the different morphology distributions and not changing the fitting parameters. The model is then used to predict a possible range in which the maximum deviator stress can move for various hydrate morphology ratios; the range is defined as the strength-band. The predicted curve of the maximum deviator stress obtained by the constitutive model matches the empirical equations obtained from past experiments. It supports the fact that the hydrate morphology ratio changes with the total hydrate saturation. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of the relation between the microscopic structures and macro-mechanical behaviors of gas-hydrate-bearing sediments.     

Development of high-pressure low-temperature plane strain testing apparatus for methane hydrate-bearing sand

A high-pressure low-temperature plane strain testing apparatus was developed for visualizing the deformation of methane hydrate-bearing sand due to methane hydrate production. Using this testing apparatus, plane strain compression tests were performed on pure Toyoura sand and methane hydrate-bearing sand with localized deformation measurements. From the results, it was observed that the methane hydrate-free specimens, despite their relatively high density, showed changes in compressive volume. Marked increases in the initial stiffness and strength of the methane hydrate-bearing sand were observed (methane hydrate saturation of S_MH=60%). Moreover, the volumetric strain changed from compressive to dilative. For the specimens with methane hydrate, a dilative behavior above S_MH=0% was observed. An image analysis showed that the shear bands of the methane hydrate-bearing sand were thinner and steeper than those of the host sand. In addition, the dilative volumetric strain in the shear band increased markedly when methane hydrate existed in the pore spaces.     

Effect of temperature cycle on mechanical properties of methane hydrate-bearing sediment

In this study, methane hydrate-bearing sand (MHBS) was created in the laboratory following two methods in order to obtain two types of gas hydrate morphology in sandy sediment. The hydrate morphology in the sediment was assessed by measuring the compressional wave velocity combined with models to predict the wave velocities of the sediment containing gas hydrates. The mechanical properties of the MHBS were investigated by triaxial compression tests. The results obtained by the compressional wave velocity show that after saturating the MHBS sediment (created by the excess gas method) with water, the methane hydrates are partly or completely converted from grain contacts to pore spaces depending on the hydrate saturation (ranging from 0 to 50%). A subsequent temperature cycle completes this conversion process for high hydrate saturation. The results obtained with the triaxial compression tests show higher shear strength, a higher secant Young’s modulus, and a higher dilation angle at higher hydrate saturation. In addition, the effects of hydrate saturation on the mechanical properties of the MHBS obtained by the two procedures (with and without the thermal cycle) are similar at low hydrate saturation. The effect of gas hydrate morphologies can only be detected in the case where the conversion (and/or redistribution) of gas hydrates from grain contacts to pore spaces is not complete (at high hydrate saturation).     

Compressive characteristics of methane hydrate-bearing sands under isotropic consolidation

Depressurization is an effective method to produce methane gas from methane hydrate reservoirs. However, during gas production, sediments consolidate due to increasing effective stress. Revealing the compressive characteristics of methane hydrate-bearing sands during consolidation is essential for an accurate understanding of sediment properties and for the development of a constitutive model. Therefore, a series of isotropic consolidation tests was performed on sand in which methane hydrate was artificially generated, and its compressibility characteristics were evaluated. Furthermore, to assess prolonged production, creep compressive behavior was investigated. The experimental results showed volumetric strain due to increasing confining stress decreased with increasing initial methane hydrate saturation. Particle crushing during consolidation was inhibited by the presence of methane hydrate. It was confirmed that the increase in the effects of methane hydrate on soil compressibility followed a power function with the increase in methane hydrate saturation. Creep deformation was observed during the stress holding period regardless of the presence of methane hydrate. Creep behavior during the stress holding period was related to the extent to which the creep component had dissipated before the stress holding period in the past. A theoretical concept for creep strain was proposed based on the experimental results.