An insight into the mechanical behavior of binary granular soils

This paper investigates the participation of the fines fraction in the load-carrying structure of binary mixtures of granular soils.For this purpose,various fractions of two fine sands were added to two coarse sands with the same particle size distribution,but different particle shape characteristics.Based on the results of 144 direct shear tests,it was found that fines participation in the load-bearing structure increases with fines content.At the same fines content,the participation of the fines in the load-carrying structure of loose mixtures is greater than in samples that were initially compacted.In addition,it was observed that fines participation rises with the increase in the average size of the fines fraction.     

A new simulation framework for predicting the onset and effects of fines mobilization

Fines release and migration is a universal problem in the production of oil from poorly consolidated sandstone reservoirs. This problem can result in the changes of porosity and permeability. It may not only damage a production facility, but it can also have a profound effect on oil recovery, resulting from the change in heterogeneity of the oil formation. Based on the macroscopic continuous porous media, continuity equations for multiphase flow in oil formations, and the theories of fines release and migration, a three-dimensional (3D) field scale mathematical model describing migration of fines in porous media is developed. The model is solved by a finite-difference method and the line successive over relaxation (LSOR) technique. A numerical simulator is written in Fortran 90 and it can be used to predict (1) the ratio of fines to production liquid volume, (2) the permeability change caused by colloidal and hydrodynamic forces resulting from fines release and migration, and (3) production performance. The numerical results of the one-dimensional model were verified by the data obtained by core displacement experiments. The sensitivity of numerical results with grid block size was studied by coarse grids, moderate grids, and fine grids. In addition, an oil field example with five-spot patterns was made on the numerical simulator. The results show that fines migration in an oil formation can accelerate the development of heterogeneity of the reservoir rock, and has an obvious influence on production performance, i.e., water drive front, water-cut trends, and oil recovery.     

A micromechanics-based model for sand-silt mixtures

Experimental observations have shown the significant impact of fines or coarse grains on the behavior of sand-silt mixtures. To describe the behavior of sand-silt mixtures under both drained and undrained conditions, this paper presents a mathematical model based on a micromechanical approach. The novelty of this model is the introduction of the equivalent mean size and the evolution of the position of the critical state line with fines content for various sand-silt mixtures. The predictive capability of the model was evaluated by comparing the model simulations with experimental results on undrained triaxial tests of Foundry sand-silt mixtures with fines content, f_c = 0–100% and Ottawa sand-silt mixtures with fines content f_c = 0–50%, and on drained triaxial tests of Hong Kong Completely Decomposed Granite (HK-CDG) mixtures before and after erosion. The predicted local behavior in the contact planes has also been examined. It shows that all local contact planes are mobilized to different degrees in terms of local stress and strain and that a few active contact planes contribute dominantly to the deformation of the assembly, leading to an anisotropic global behavior when the soil is subjected to external loading.     

Research in mechanical model of bionic foot intruding into sands with different physical characteristics

In this study, a bionic foot with sand fixation and fluidization limitation functions was designed. Also a rectangular foot with the same sizes, named the common foot, was designed for comparison. Three kinds of quartz sands were selected to study how particle size, shape and compactness affected the intrusion performances of mechanical feet. The intrusion resistive forces and pressures of the bionic foot on these three kinds of quartz sands were all smaller compared with the common foot. Discrete element simulations showed particle disturbance areas were smaller and particle motion trends were more consistent under the bionic foot versus the common foot. The intrusion resistive forces of these two kinds of mechanical feet firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing particle sizes of quartz sands. Moreover, the intrusion resistive force on spherical particles was less than that of irregular particles for both the bionic foot and the common foot. The corresponding resistive forces of mechanical feet were characterized based on quartz sand compactness. The classic pressure-sinkage model was modified based on the intrusion tests, and the relationships between intrusion resistive force and mechanical foot depth were obtained.     

Effects of various parameters on the attrition of bed material in a recirculating fluidized bed with a draft tube

We performed an experimental study to investigate the effects of various parameters on the attrition of bed material and its size distribution with increasing operation time in a recirculating fluidized bed (RCFB). The studied parameters included superficial velocity of fluidizing air, bed inventory, and spacing between the jet top and draft tube bottom (spacer height). The bed material was prepared from Indian Standard (IS) Grade I sand from sieves with a size range of 2.20–1.00 mm. Experiments were performed at ambient conditions, with the superficial air velocity ranging from 7.13–9.16 m/s, a bed inventory of 7–10 kg, spacing of 0.085 and 0.045 m between the jet top and draft tube bottom, and an operating time of 40 h. We investigated the influence of these parameters in terms of changes in the size distribution of particles, changes in the %-weight of particles of different size ranges, generation of particles with smaller diameters, the decrease of the downcomer bed height, variations in the coefficient of uniformity and coefficient of curvature, and material loss from entrainment of fines with increasing operation time. The mode of attrition was abrasion in all experiments. We found that with increasing operation time and other parameters (bed inventory, superficial air velocity, and spacer height) attrition of the bed material also increased. Generation and elutriation of fines were more pronounced at higher superficial air velocity, bed inventory, and spacer height.     

Neighborhood Relationships of Widely Distributed and Irregularly Shaped Particles in Partially Dewatered Filter Cakes

A more thorough understanding of the properties of bulk material structures in solid–liquid separation processes is essential to understand better and optimize industrially established processes, such as cake filtration, whose process outcome is mainly dependent on the properties of the bulk material structure. Here, changes of bulk properties like porosity and permeability can originate from local variations in particle size, especially for non-spherical particles. In this study, we mix self-similar fractions of crushed, irregularly shaped Al₂O₃ particles (20 to 90 µm and 55 to 300 µm) to bimodal distributions. These mixtures vary in volume fraction of fines (0, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 100 vol.%). The self-similarity of both systems serves the improved parameter correlation in the case of multimodal distributed particle systems. We use nondestructive 3D X-ray microscopy to capture the filter cake microstructure directly after mechanical dewatering, whereby we give particular attention to packing structure and particle–particle relationships (porosity, coordination number, particle size and corresponding hydraulic isolated liquid areas). Our results reveal widely varying distributions of local porosity and particle contact points. An average coordination number (here 5.84 to 6.04) is no longer a sufficient measure to describe the significant bulk porosity variation (in our case, 40 and 49%). Therefore, the explanation of the correlation is provided on a discrete particle level. While individual particles?<?90 µm had only two or three contacts, others?>?100 µm took up to 25. Due to this higher local coordination number, the liquid load of corresponding particles (liquid volume/particle volume) after mechanical dewatering increases from 0.48 to 1.47.

     

A numerical analysis of the shear behavior of granular soil with fines

Shear behavior of granular soil with fines is investigated using the discrete element method(DEM) and particle arrangements and inter-particle contacts during shear are examined.The DEM simulation reveals that fine particles play a vital role in the overall response of granular soil to shearing.The occurrence of liquefaction and temporary reduction of strength is ascribed mainly to the loss of support from the fine particle contacts(S-S) and fine particle-to-large particle contacts(S-L) as a consequence of the removal of fine particles from the load-carrying skeleton.The dilative strain-hardening response following the strain-softening response is associated with the migration of fine particles back into the load-carrying skeleton,which is thought to enhance the stiffness of the soil skeleton.During shear,the unit normal vector of the large particle-to-large particle(L-L) contact has the strongest fabric anisotropy,and the S-S contact unit normal vector possesses the weakest anisotropy,suggesting that the large particles play a dominant role in carrying the shear load.It is also found that,during shear,fine particles are prone to rolling at contacts while the large particles are prone to sliding,mainly at the S-L and L-L contacts.     

The performance of free rolling rigid and flexible wheels on sand

Experimental results are presented for a towed 6–16 smooth tyre and the same size rigid steel wheel in three types of sands covering a wide range of particle size distribution, two dry and one submerged sands. Their performance was compared at high and low tyre inflation pressures, two vertical loads and a wide range of soil compaction for each sand. The sand performance prediction number, Ns, proposed by the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (W.E.S.) was then applied to compare with the measured results for the tyre. It was found that in all the three sands the coefficient of rolling resistance was substantially underestimated by the W.E.S. method. However Ns = 10–20 was found to be very important overall criterion for towed tyres on sand. The correlation between the skid and the fractional sinkage of the rigid wheel and the tyre was also examined.     

Hydrodynamics of gas-solid fluidization of a homogeneous ternary mixture in a conical bed： Prediction of bed expansion and bed fluctuation ratios

Hydrodynamic characteristics of fluidization in a conical or tapered bed differ from those in a columnar bed because the superficial velocity in the bed varies in the axial direction. Fixed and fluidized regions could coexist and sharp variations in pressure drop could occur, thereby giving rise to a noticeable pressure drop-flow rate hysteresis loop under incipient fluidization conditions. To explore these unique properties, several experiments were carried out using homogeneous, well-mixed, ternary mixtures with three dif- ferent particle sizes at varying composition in gas-solid conical fluidized beds with varying cone angles. The hydrodynamic characteristics determined include the minimum fluidization velocity, bed fluctuation, and bed expansion ratios. The dependence of these quantities on average particle diameter, mass fraction of the fines in the mixture, initial static bed height, and cone angle is discussed. Based on dimensional analysis and factorial design, correlations are developed using the system parameters, i.e. geometry of the bed （cone angle）, particle diameter, initial static bed height, density of the solid, and superficial velocity of the fluidizing medium. Experimental values of minimum fluidization velocity, bed fluctuation, and bed expansion ratios were found to agree well with the developed correlations.     

Effects of Fine Particles on the Suffusion of Cohesionless Soils. Experiments and Modeling

Internal erosion has long been a major problem associated with earthen structures, and its field investigation has been limited because of its complexity. Laboratory experiments provide a potential insight into the induced processes. Soils suitable to suffusion involve an easy movement of fine particles between the coarse ones. In this study, suffusion experiments were performed on a laboratory column packed with different sand–fines mixtures and subjected to controlled flow conditions. The mixtures are made of Fontainebleau sand (NE34) and fines (kaolinite or illite or silt). The initiation and the progression of soil suffusion were investigated for soil mixtures, and the hydraulic conductivity variation was derived from pressure measurements. Attempts are made to assess the influence of the type and content of fine particles on mixtures suffusion. The results show that among the tested fine particles, illite exhibits a great resistance against suffusion. Fine content increase involves less suitability to suffusion till a threshold value. Recorded pressures indicate that detachment of fines may be followed by clogging in the soil matrix, leading to a decrease of hydraulic conductivity. Furthermore, analytical solutions of simplified mathematical model based on the mass conservation of eroded particles (Govindaraju et al., J Hydrol 172:331–350, 1995) were used to simulate the recorded soil suffusion curves, and the model performance was evaluated. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results indicated a quite good agreement, and allowed the estimation of the model parameters.     

Packing properties of binary mixtures in disordered sphere systems

Mixtures of binary spheres are numerically simulated using a relaxation algorithm to investigate the effects of volume fraction and size ratio, A complete profile of the packing properties of binary spheres is given. The density curve with respect to the volume fraction has a triangular shape with a peak at 70% large spheres. The density of the mixture increases with the size ratio, but the growth becomes slow in the case of a large size disparity, The volume fraction and size ratio effects are reflected in the height and movement, respectively, of specific peaks in the radial distribution functions. The structure of the mixture is further analyzed in terms of contact types, and the mean coordination number is demonstrated to be primarily affected by ＂large-small＂ contacts. A novel method for estimating the average relative excluded volume for binary spheres by weighting the percentages of contact types is proposed and extended to polydisperse packings of certain size distributions. The method can be applied to explain the density trends of polydisperse mixtures in disordered sphere systems,     

Critical diameter of liquid explosives as a function of powder content

The dependence of the critical diameter (d*) of nitromethane (NM) on the content of aluminum, aluminum oxide, tungsten powders, carbon black, and talc and the dependence of the d* of tetranitromethane (TNM) on aluminum and aluminum oxide content have been experimentally investigated. The powder content was varied over'a wide range (0–75% by weight), as was the particle size. It was found that for NM mixtures the variation of d* is quite different from that for TNM. For powder particle sizes of 1–50 the d* of the NM mixtures decreases with increase in powder concentration. The minimum value of d* is ten times less than the value for pure NM. In TNM mixtures d* increases monotonically with the amount of powder. It is assumed that this behavior of the NM mixtures is associated with the inhomogeneous structure of the detonation front in NM, a consequence of the particular reaction kinetics characteristic of nitromethane.     

Packing properties of binary mixtures in disordered sphere systems

Mixtures of binary spheres are numerically simulated using a relaxation algorithm to investigate the effects of volume fraction and size ratio. A complete profile of the packing properties of binary spheres is given. The density curve with respect to the volume fraction has a triangular shape with a peak at 70% large spheres. The density of the mixture increases with the size ratio, but the growth becomes slow in the case of a large size disparity. The volume fraction and size ratio effects are reflected in the height and movement, respectively, of specific peaks in the radial distribution functions. The structure of the mixture is further analyzed in terms of contact types, and the mean coordination number is demonstrated to be primarily affected by “large–small” contacts. A novel method for estimating the average relative excluded volume for binary spheres by weighting the percentages of contact types is proposed and extended to polydisperse packings of certain size distributions. The method can be applied to explain the density trends of polydisperse mixtures in disordered sphere systems.     

DEM investigation of strain behaviour and force chain evolution of gravel–sand mixtures subjected to cyclic loading

The strain characteristic and load transmission of mixed granular matter are different from those of homogeneous granular matter. Cyclic loading renders the mechanical behaviours of mixed granular matter more complex. To investigate the dynamic responses of gravel–sand mixtures, the discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate the cyclic loading of gravel–sand mixtures with low fines contents. Macroscopically, the evolution of the axial strain and volumetric strain was investigated. Mesoscopically, the coordination number and contact force anisotropy were studied, and the evolution of strong and weak contacts was explored from two dimensions of loading time and local space. The simulation results show that increasing fines content can accelerate the development of the axial strain and volumetric strain but has little effect on the evolution of contact forces. Strong contacts tend to develop along the loading boundary, presenting the spatial difference. Weak contacts are firstly controlled by confining pressure and then controlled by axial stress, while strong contacts are mainly controlled by axial stress throughout the whole cyclic loading. Once compression failure occurs, the release of axial stress causes the reduction of strong contact proportion in all local regions. These findings are helpful to understand the dynamic responses of gravel–sand mixtures, especially in deformation behaviours and the Spatio-temporal evolution of contact forces.     

润滑薄油膜承载力的测量

利用面接触润滑油膜测量系统研究了固定倾角滑块轴承承载力问题.在滑块倾角和载荷固定不变的条件下测得油膜厚度与速度的关系,经过参数转换,得到无量纲承载量曲线.这不同于传统方法中在不同收敛比下对油膜压力的直接测量.结果表明:在薄油膜条件下实际承载量曲线和理论曲线表现了相同的变化趋势;实测值小于理论值;理论认为无量纲承载量唯一由收敛比决定,而实验结果表明无量纲承载量曲线受滑块倾角、载荷和润滑油性质的影响.     

虎跳峡龙蟠右岸土石混合体粒度分形特征研究

应用分维理论对虎跳峡龙蟠右岸分布的土石混合体粒度分布的分维规律进行了研究分析,建立了平均粒径与相应的分维数之间的定量关系模型。通过研究表明,土石混合体具有良好的统计自相似性,由于其本身为级配不良土,在分维曲线上表现为双重分形分布,这种特殊的分维分布与土石混合体的成因及形成过程有关。     

高共面/异面抗冲击承载能力的新型蜂窝设计及吸能评估

针对传统蜂窝共面和异面承载能力差距太大的问题,提出了胞壁弓字形弯折蜂窝、层间组合蜂窝和折叠蜂窝等3种新型蜂窝,建立了新型蜂窝的有限元模型并分析了其变形模式和承载能力。结果表明,在相对密度一致的前提下,与传统正六边形蜂窝相比,这3种新构型蜂窝均缩小了共面和异面方向承载能力的差距。其中胞壁弓字形弯折蜂窝的共面/异面承载比提高了21.3倍;层间组合蜂窝两个共面方向承载能力悬殊,承载能力更强的共面方向与异面的承载比值提高了42倍;折叠蜂窝则提高了21.3倍。研究结果可以为抗多向冲击载荷作用下的蜂窝结构设计提供新思路和参考。     

考虑颗粒形状和破碎的胶结钙质砂力学行为离散元模拟研究

质砂作为一种建筑材料,近年来广泛应用于我国南海岛礁工程建设中。本文通过建立考虑钙质砂真实颗粒形状和颗粒破碎的胶结钙质砂离散元模型,研究了二维剪切条件下试样的宏微观力学行为,包括应力-应变行为、颗粒破碎、胶结破坏、位移场和裂纹随剪应变的演化规律,讨论了颗粒形状、颗粒粒径范围、颗粒强度和水泥胶结强度对胶结钙质砂力学行为的影响规律。结果表明,钙质砂颗粒粒径区间越宽,胶结钙质砂的强度越高。同一级配条件下,考虑真实颗粒形状的胶结钙质砂试样比圆颗粒试样的强度更高,试样总体颗粒破碎率也更高。钙质砂颗粒的强度越高,胶结钙质砂的性能越好。但是提高水泥的强度对胶结钙质砂力学性能的影响并不显著。本文的研究结果可为实际工程中钙质砂的加固提供理论依据。     

竖直管道中固—液两相流动流态化实验探讨

主要探讨竖直管道中不同颗粒级配、流体流速条件下的固-液两相流动的流态化规律.首先通过量纲分析获得关键控制参数,然后以玻璃珠(粒径:0.25 mm～2.0 mm)、粉细砂(d10=0.044 mm)两种固体和水为实验介质,开展了两相流动流态化实验,考虑流体流速(相对于管道雷诺数介于640～3 300之间)和颗粒级配的影响.通过分析发现:具有均匀粒径分布的玻璃珠床,床层膨胀高度随流速的增加而增加,流速与浓度的对数呈线性关系,与Richardson--Zaki公式一致;具有较宽粒径分布的粉细砂,细颗粒随水流逐渐流出管道,剩余颗粒质量与雷诺数呈指数递减趋势.