• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.297-307
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• 2014

Cavern Thermal Energy Storage system stores thermal energy in caverns to recover industrial waste heat or avoid the sporadic characteristics of renewable-energy resources, and its advantages include high injection-and-extraction powers and the flexibility in selecting a storage medium. In the present study, the structural stability of rock mass pillar between these silo-type storage caverns was assessed using a coupled thermal-mechanical model in $FLAC^{3D}$. The results of numerical simulations showed that thermal stresses due to long-term storage depended on pillar width and had significant effect on the pillar stability. A sensitivity analysis of main factors indicated that the influence on the pillar stability increased in the order cavern depth < pillar width < in situ condition. It was suggested that two identical caverns should be separated by at least one diameter of the cavern and small-diameter shaft neighboring the cavern should be separated by more than half of the cavern diameter. Meanwhile, when the line of centers of two caverns was parallel to the direction of maximum horizontal principal stress, the shielding effect of the caverns could minimize an adverse effect caused by a large horizontal stress.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.3 s.56
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• pp.169-176
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• 2005

The decreasing pattern of underground temperature measured at 'Gonjiam cold storage cavern' during 7 years which was the first commercial scale underground food storage cavern in Korea was analyzed. The variation of energy consumption was discussed by comparing the consumed energy at the initial operation stage with that at later stage, when the temperature distribution reached a stabilized condition. The point to be considered at the design stage was also discussed by comparing the required refrigerator capacity at the initial operation stage with that at later stage. The extra energy to freeze the groundwater contained in pore space was discussed by analyzing the changing pattern of the rock temperature. The variation of measured rock temperature was compared with the estimated temperature using a numerical code, FLAC. The accuracy of the numerical estimation was discussed by comparing the heat flux measured by the operation time of the refrigerator with that estimated numerically.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.434-445
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• 2010

Underground compressed air energy storage (CAES) system in a lined rock cavern is considered one of the promising large-scale energy storage technologies. In this study, permeabilities of concrete lining block and its construction joint, which are the major components of an air tightness system of the undeground CAES, were measured from a model experiment. From the experiment, it was found that intrinsic permeability of construction joint was larger than that of concrete block by the order scale of $10^1{\sim}10^4$, so that it would be very important to control the quality of construction joints in-situ in order to secure air tightness of storage system. And the permeability of construction joint could be decreased as low as that of the concrete block by pasting an acryl-type adhesive on bonding surfaces. Higher degrees of water saturation of the concrete block resulted in the lower permeability, which is more preferable in the viewpoint of air tightness of storage cavern.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 1995

Fluid flow studies of fractured rocks require three-dimensional modeling of the fracture system. The stochastic discrete fracture models constructed by Monte Carlo simulation technique were applied to the analysis of groundwater flow and mass transport in fractured rock for the assessment of tightness criteria of underground LPG storage cavern. The parameters that most affect the conceptual discrete fracture modeling proved either fracture orientation or size and on the fract'lre flow interpretation proved conductive fracture intensity. The fracture transmissivity played important role in solute transport in fractured rock simulated by particle tracking approach. It was partly recognized that the calibrated stochastic discrete fracture model can be used for the tightness criteria of underground LPG storage cavern.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.23 no.A
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• pp.69-81
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• 2003

Numerical analysis is important for the design, construction and maintenance of large caverns. The rock mass contains generally discontinuities such as faults, joints and fissures. The mechanical behavior and geometric characteristics of these discontinuities would have a significant impact on the stability of the caverns. In this research the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of the large cavern. The Barton-Bandis Joint Model (B-B J.M) was used as a constitutive model for the joint. In addition, two different cases 1) analysis with a support system and 2) analysis with no support system, were analyzed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The most significant parameters of in-situ stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. Displacement (horizontal, joint shear), maximum joint opening, maximum and minimum principal stresses, range of relaxed zone, rockbolt axial forces and shotcrete stresses were calculated at each excavation stage. As a result of analysis the calculated values proved to be under the allowable value Rockbolts also proved to be an efficient support measure to control joint shear displacement which had significant effects on extending the relaxed zone. As a consequence, the structural stability of the cavern was assured with an appropriate support system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 1999.03a
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• pp.59-64
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• 1999

지하암반은 계절적 대기온도 변화의 영향을 거의 받지 않는 온도조건 및 뛰어난 단열성으로 인해 물류의 저온냉동저장이나 액화연료의 저장 등을 위한 좋은 대상으로 인식되고 있다. 이러한 분야에 있어서 암반의 열물성 및 열유동 특성은 매우 중요한 요소로서, 이는 장기적인 에너지절약 및 지하구조물의 열역학적 안정성의 정확한 평가와 직접적 연관이 된다. (중략)

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.238-243
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• 2003

As there are many advantages on underground caverns, such as safety and operation, they can also be used for gas storage purpose. When liquefied gas is stored underground, the cryogenic temperature of the gas will affect the stability of the storage cavern. In order to store the liquefied gas successfully, it is essential to estimate the exact temperature distribution of the rock mass around the cavern. In this study, an analytic solution and a conceptual model that can estimate three-dimensional temperature distribution around the storage cavern are suggested. When calculating the heat transfer within a solid, it is likely to consider the solid as the intersection of two or more infinite or semi-infinite geometries. Therefore heat transfer solution for the solid is expressed by the product of the dimensionless temperatures of the geometries, which are used to form the combined solid. Based on the multi-dimensional transient heat transfer theory, the analytic solution is successfully derived by assuming the cavern shape to be of simplified geometry. Also, a conceptual model is developed by using the analytic solution of this study. By performing numerical experiments of this multi-dimensional model, the temperature distribution of the analytic solution is compared with that of numerical analysis and theoretical solutions.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.257-269
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• 2001

Numerical simulation is performed to understand the structural behavior of an underground radwaste repository, assumed to be located at the depth of 500 m, in a granitic rock mats, in which a fault intersects the roof of the repository cavern. Two dimensional universal distinct element code, UDEC is used in the analysis. The numerical model includes a granitic rock mass, a canister with PWR spent fuels surrounded by the compacted bentonite inside the deposition hole, and the mixed bentonite backfilled in the rest of the space within the repository cavern. The structural behavior of three different cases, each case with a fault of an angle of $33^{\circ},\;45^{\circ},\;and\;58^{\circ}$ passing through the cavern roof-wall intersection, has been compared. And then fro the case with the $45^{\circ}$ fault, the hydro-mechanical, thermo-mechanical, and thermo-hydro-mechanical interaction behavior have been studied. The effect of the time-dependent decaying heat, from the radioactive materials in PWR spent fuels, on the repository and its surroundings has been studied. The groundwater table is assumed to be located 10m below the ground surface, and a steady state flow algorithm is used.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.394-405
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• 2011

In this paper, we applied coupled non-isothermal, multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical numerical modeling using TOUGH-FLAC coupled analysis to study the complex thermodynamic and geomechanical performance of underground lined rock caverns (LRC) for compressed air energy storage (CAES). Mechanical stress in concrete linings as well as pressure and temperature within a storage cavern were examined during initial and long-term operation of the storage cavern for CAES. Our geomechanical analysis showed that effective stresses could decrease due to air penetration pressure, and tangential tensile stress could develop in the linings as a result of the air pressure exerted on the inner surface of the lining, which would result in tensile fracturing. According to the simulation in which the tensile tangential stresses resulted in radial cracks, increment of linings' permeability and air leakage though the linings, tensile fracturing occurred at the top and at the side wall of the cavern, and the permeability could increase to $5.0{\times}10^{-13}m^2$ from initially prescribed $10{\times}10^{-20}m^2$. However, this air leakage was minor (about 0.02% of the daily air injection rate) and did not significantly impact the overall storage pressure that was kept constant thanks to sufficiently air tight surrounding rocks, which supports the validity of the concrete-lined underground caverns for CAES.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2001

Up to now single large cavern was excavated for each undergroud hydraulic powerhouse in Korea. But the Yangyang underground hydraulic powerhouse consists of two large caverns; a powerhouse cavern and main transformer cavern. In this carte, the structural stability of the caverns, especially the rock pillar formed between two large caverns, should be guaranteed to be sound to make the caverns permanently sustainable. In this research, the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of two caverns and the rock pillar. The Barton-Bandis joint model was used as a constitutive model. The moot significant parameters such as in-site stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. In addition, two different cases; 1) with no support system and 2) with a support system, were analysed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The results of analysis horizontal displacement and joint shear displacement proved to be reduced with the support system. The relaxed zone in the rock pilar also proved to be reduced in conjunction with the support system. Having a support system in place provided the fact that the non zero minimum principal stresses were still acting in the rock pillar so that the pillar was not under uniaxial compressive condition but under triaxial compressive condition. The structural stability f an approximately 36 m wide rock pillar between two large caverns was assured with the appropriate support system.