Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem

Artificial ground freezing (AGF) is a common technology of shaft sinking through water-bearing strata. The AGF technique is used to create a frozen wall preventing shaft flooding. An additional factor that makes shaft sinking more complicated is associated with external groundwater flows occurred du...

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Main Authors: Mikhail Semin, Lev Levin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Gruppo Italiano Frattura 2019-07-01
Series:Fracture and Structural Integrity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.fracturae.com/index.php/fis/article/view/2465/2521
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author Mikhail Semin
Lev Levin
author_facet Mikhail Semin
Lev Levin
author_sort Mikhail Semin
collection DOAJ
description Artificial ground freezing (AGF) is a common technology of shaft sinking through water-bearing strata. The AGF technique is used to create a frozen wall preventing shaft flooding. An additional factor that makes shaft sinking more complicated is associated with external groundwater flows occurred due to hydrostatic pressure gradients. In this paper, we study the influence of groundwater seepage on the frozen wall formation in fluid-saturated rock mass in the framework of the two-dimensional two-phase Darcy-Stefan problem. The results of numerical simulation of the thermal and hydraulic properties of the sandstone layer at the site of Petrikov Mining and Processing Plant are presented. It has been found that the external groundwater flow has a significant effect on the growth of a frozen wall in the case when the groundwater velocity magnitude is greater than or equal to 50 mm/day. This critical seepage velocity strongly depends on how quickly the water content and rock mass permeability decrease with decreasing temperature, or on the parameters of the rock mass freezing characteristic curve and permeability versus temperature curve. The proper setting of these parameters is a sine qua non for creating adequate mathematical models of heat and mass processes in the artificially frozen water-saturated rock mass.
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spelling doaj-art-7c03ee2ebd5446fdaf6b131fe3e441242025-01-02T23:01:36ZengGruppo Italiano FratturaFracture and Structural Integrity1971-89932019-07-01134916717610.3221/IGF-ESIS.49.1810.3221/IGF-ESIS.49.18Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problemMikhail SeminLev LevinArtificial ground freezing (AGF) is a common technology of shaft sinking through water-bearing strata. The AGF technique is used to create a frozen wall preventing shaft flooding. An additional factor that makes shaft sinking more complicated is associated with external groundwater flows occurred due to hydrostatic pressure gradients. In this paper, we study the influence of groundwater seepage on the frozen wall formation in fluid-saturated rock mass in the framework of the two-dimensional two-phase Darcy-Stefan problem. The results of numerical simulation of the thermal and hydraulic properties of the sandstone layer at the site of Petrikov Mining and Processing Plant are presented. It has been found that the external groundwater flow has a significant effect on the growth of a frozen wall in the case when the groundwater velocity magnitude is greater than or equal to 50 mm/day. This critical seepage velocity strongly depends on how quickly the water content and rock mass permeability decrease with decreasing temperature, or on the parameters of the rock mass freezing characteristic curve and permeability versus temperature curve. The proper setting of these parameters is a sine qua non for creating adequate mathematical models of heat and mass processes in the artificially frozen water-saturated rock mass.https://www.fracturae.com/index.php/fis/article/view/2465/2521Frozen wallnumerical simulationDarcy-Stefan problemmine shaftartificial ground freezing
spellingShingle Mikhail Semin
Lev Levin
Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
Fracture and Structural Integrity
Frozen wall
numerical simulation
Darcy-Stefan problem
mine shaft
artificial ground freezing
title Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
title_full Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
title_fullStr Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
title_full_unstemmed Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
title_short Numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water-saturated rock mass by solving the Darcy-Stefan problem
title_sort numerical simulation of frozen wall formation in water saturated rock mass by solving the darcy stefan problem
topic Frozen wall
numerical simulation
Darcy-Stefan problem
mine shaft
artificial ground freezing
url https://www.fracturae.com/index.php/fis/article/view/2465/2521
work_keys_str_mv AT mikhailsemin numericalsimulationoffrozenwallformationinwatersaturatedrockmassbysolvingthedarcystefanproblem
AT levlevin numericalsimulationoffrozenwallformationinwatersaturatedrockmassbysolvingthedarcystefanproblem