No abstract

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.

The failure mechanism of heterogeneous rocks (geological materials), especially under hydraulic conditions, is important in geological engineering. The coupled mechanism of flow-stress-damage should be determined for the stability of rock mass engineering under triaxial stress states. Based on poroelasticity and damage theory, a three-dimensional coupled model of the flow-stress-damage failure process is studied, focusing mainly on the coupled characteristics of permeability evolution and damage in nonhomogeneous rocks. The influences of numerous mesoscale mechanical and hydraulic properties, including homogeneity, residual strength coefficient, loading rates, and strength criteria, on the macro mechanical response are analyzed. Results reveal that the stress sensitive factor and damage coefficient are key variables for controlling the progress of permeability evolution, and these can reflect the hydraulic properties under pre-peak and post-peak separately. Moreover, several experiments are conducted to evaluate the method in terms of permeability evolution and failure process and to verify the proposed two-stage permeability evolution model. This model can be used to illustrate the failure mechanics under hydraulic conditions and match different rock types. The relation of permeability with strain can also help confirm appropriate rock mass hydraulic parameters, thereby enhancing our understanding of the coupled failure mechanism in rock mass engineering.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Owing to the limited installation space and duct size, coupled fittings are common in the duct systems of buildings. The coupling effect leads to changes in drag and fan energy consumption. This study investigates duct drag and flow field characteristics under coupling conditions. Experiments and numerical simulations with the Reynolds stress model are conducted. Flow field changes, flow field deformation, and drag changes in the duct are analyzed. Regardless of the coupling form, the velocity near the inner arc is fast, whereas that near the outer arc is slow. Under three different coupling connection conditions (S-shaped, L-shaped, and U-shaped), the outlet velocity gradient of the U-shaped coupling connection is the least obvious. After the fluid flows through the bend, a significant centerline velocity reduction can be observed, even greater than that in the bend. The lowest centerline velocity lies within the range of 2.5 D to 4.5 D after the bend. Coupling connection has an insignificant effect on upstream duct resistance. The resistance of single bend is less than that of the downstream bend for the coupled bend and greater than that of the upstream bend under coupling conditions. Practical application: Coupling effect is common in practical application of ventilation engineering. This effect leads to the change of fluid resistance loss of ducts and pipes. However, few researchers focus on this effect. This study finds that regardless of the coupling form, the velocity near the inner arc is fast, whereas that near the outer arc is slow. It means the guide vane should be set near inner arc. L-shaped coupling connection has the largest downstream piping resistance. The resistance of the downstream piping under S-shaped coupling is the least, thus L-shaped coupling connection should be avoided as far as possible in practical application.

No abstract