Revelling pore microstructure impacts on the compressive strength of porous proppant based on finite and discrete element method
Article
Article Title | Revelling pore microstructure impacts on the compressive strength of porous proppant based on finite and discrete element method |
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ERA Journal ID | 4724 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Liao, Zijia, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ge, Lei, Li, Xiaogang, Yang, Zhaozhong, Xue, Qi, Shen, Chao and Wang, Hao |
Journal Title | Journal of Materials Science and Technology |
Journal Citation | 211, pp. 72-81 |
Number of Pages | 10 |
Year | 2025 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Place of Publication | China |
ISSN | 1005-0302 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2024.05.054 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1005030224006467 |
Abstract | Ceramic spheres, typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm, are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction. Porous ceramic spheres with artificial inherent pores are an important type of lightweight proppant, enabling their transport to distant fracture extremities and enhancing fracture conductivity. However, the focus frequently gravitates towards the low-density advantage, often overlooking the pore geometry impacts on compressive strength by traditional strength evaluation. This paper numerically bypasses such limitations by using a combined finite and discrete element method (FDEM) considering experimental results. The mesh size of the model undergoes validation, followed by the calibration of cohesive element parameters via the single particle compression test. The stimulation elucidates that proppants with a smaller pore size (40 µm) manifest crack propagation evolution at a more rapid pace in comparison to their larger-pore counterparts, though the influence of pore diameter on overall strength is subtle. The inception of pores not only alters the trajectory of crack progression but also, with an increase in porosity, leads to a discernible decline in proppant compressive strength. Intriguingly, upon crossing a porosity threshold of 10 %, the decrement in strength becomes more gradual. A denser congregation of pores accelerates crack propagation, undermining proppant robustness, suggesting that under analogous conditions, hollow proppants might not match the strength of their porous counterparts. This exploration elucidates the underlying mechanisms of proppant failure from a microstructural perspective, furnishing pivotal insights that may guide future refinements in the architectural design of porous proppant. |
Keywords | Porous proppant; Finite and discrete element method (FDEM); Crack; Compressive strength |
Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 401907. Petroleum and reservoir engineering |
401601. Ceramics | |
Byline Affiliations | Southwest Petroleum University, China |
Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory, China | |
Centre for Future Materials |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/z86zx/revelling-pore-microstructure-impacts-on-the-compressive-strength-of-porous-proppant-based-on-finite-and-discrete-element-method
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