Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Salt rock deformation under cyclic gas pressure is segmented into deceleration, steady-state, and acceleration stages. • Cyclic gas pressure induces stepwise increases in axial and radial deformations, with radial deformation being more sensitive. • A novel viscoplastic model incorporating cyclic gas pressure influence factor, axial loading influence factor, and state variable accurately predicts deformation. • The state variable rate mirrors deformation stages and residual strain, reflecting internal hardening of salt rock.
Abstract
Salt caverns are widely used for energy storage. During gas storage, the internal gas pressure fluctuates cyclically in response to energy demand, making it essential to assess how these pressure variations affect rock deformation. In this study, experiments were conducted under different cyclic gas pressure conditions to investigate this effect. The findings indicate that (1) the deformation process of salt rock can be segmented into three stages: the deceleration stage, the steady-state stage, and the acceleration stage. (2) When the axial pressure remains constant, both axial and radial deformations exhibit a stepwise increasing trend in response to cyclic gas pressure variations. Similarly, under axial graded loading, the deformations also demonstrate a progressive rise. By analyzing the deformation differences and model coefficient fluctuations within a single gas pressure cycle, it is found that radial deformation is higher sensitive to changes in cyclic gas pressure. (3) The axial deformation shows a stepwise increase, and the radial deformation showed a cyclic change with changing gas pressure. Therefore, the cyclic gas pressure influence factor a, axial loading influence factor b, and state variable r are introduced to develop a viscoplastic ontological model that accounts for the impacts of cyclic gas pressure, confining pressure and axial stress. Validated by the deformation data, the new model can better fit both the axial deformation and the radial deformation of the three stages and has strong applicability and accuracy by changing only fewer parameters. The state variable rate shows the same stage as the deformation rate and residual strain of salt rock, which can better reflect the internal hardening of salt rock.
1. Introduction
Salt rock has advantageous physical characteristics, including low porosity, low permeability, and self-healing, as well as excellent long-term stability in nature [1–3]. Salt caverns, large spaces formed after water-soluble mining of salt rocks, have been regarded as some of the most desirable storage places in recent years. The underground energy storage (UES) technology used for salt caverns differs from traditional storage methods. Owing to the simplicity of salt cavern excavation, environmental pollution and damage to the ecological environment caused by both the construction process and UES technology can be greatly reduced [4,5].
Additionally, because of the excellent density of salt cavern surrounding rock, this technology can be used not only for disposing of solid materials, e.g., nuclear waste, and storing liquid energy, e.g., oil, but also for storing gaseous clean energy, e.g., natural gas and hydrogen [6,7]. The development and utilization of salt cavern UES technology have unique roles in enhancing the security of national energy and promoting sustainable human development [8–10].
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Jinyang Fan, Luxuan Tang, Marion Fourmeau, Zongze Li, Wenhao Liu, Yang Zou, Deyi Jiang (2025). A novel viscoplastic model for salt rock deformation under internal cyclic gas pressure loading. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.05.005
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three stages of salt rock deformation under cyclic gas pressure?
The deformation process of salt rock under cyclic gas pressure can be segmented into three stages: the deceleration stage, the steady-state stage, and the acceleration stage.
How does cyclic gas pressure affect axial and radial deformations of salt rock?
When axial pressure remains constant, both axial and radial deformations exhibit a stepwise increasing trend in response to cyclic gas pressure variations. Radial deformation is more sensitive to changes in cyclic gas pressure.
What is the novel viscoplastic model proposed in this study?
The novel viscoplastic model incorporates a cyclic gas pressure influence factor (a), an axial loading influence factor (b), and a state variable (r) to account for the impacts of cyclic gas pressure, confining pressure, and axial stress on salt rock deformation.
How is the new model validated?
The model is validated by deformation data from experiments under different cyclic gas pressure conditions. It can better fit both axial and radial deformations across the three stages with only a few parameter changes, demonstrating strong applicability and accuracy.
What does the state variable rate indicate?
The state variable rate shows the same stage as the deformation rate and residual strain of salt rock, which can better reflect the internal hardening of salt rock.
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