Journal Published Online: 03 February 2016
Volume 44, Issue 6

Scaled Physical Model Test on Underground Gas Storages Based on a Pneumatically Flexible Loading System

CODEN: JTEVAB

Abstract

A geomechnical model test was conducted to study the stability of a salt cavern during the gas injection/recovery period. In order to simulate the internal pressure in the cavern and accurately exert the geostress, a numerical controlling pneumatically flexible loading model test system was developed. This loading system also realized the automatically loading digitalization control and visualization display. The model cavern was built using a wooden mold and was set within a latex balloon. This designation realized the injection and extraction of the gas, which simulated the variation of gas pressure in prototype engineering. During the model test, the precisely optical-based sensors were buried into the model to observe the deformation of the cavern. The deformation laws of the cavern were separately obtained at the gas stability, gas injection, and gas extraction stages. In addition, the optimal gas pressure and safe gas pressure were determined through the deformation law versus the gas pressure. Through analysis, the gas extraction and the rate of gas injection/extraction were identified to be the most important factors that threaten the stability of the salt cavern. The model test also demonstrated that the middle layer was the most at-risk section during the operation period compared to the other regions.

Author Information

Chen, Xuguang
College of Engineering, Ocean Univ. of China, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Qingdao, CN State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu Univ. of Technology, Chengdu, CN
Li, Tianbin
State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu Univ. of Technology, Chengdu, CN
Qiangyong, Zhang
Research Center of Geotechnical and Structural Engineering, Shandong Univ., Jinan, CN
Li, Shucai
Research Center of Geotechnical and Structural Engineering, Shandong Univ., Jinan, CN
Pages: 17
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Details
Stock #: JTE20140346
ISSN: 0090-3973
DOI: 10.1520/JTE20140346