Moo Lee - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Moo Lee

As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Re... more As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration) initiative, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted the Permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies (kISMET) project. The objectives of the project are to define the in situ status of stress in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota and to establish the relations between in situ stress and induced fracture through hydraulically stimulating the fracture. (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. In situ tests are conducted in a 7.6 cm diameter and 100 long vertical borehole located in the 4850 Level West Access Drift near Davies Campus of SURF (Figure 1). The borehole is located in the zone of Precambrian Metamorphic Schist.

Detailed statistical analysis of the experimental data from testing of alumina-loaded epoxy (ALOX... more Detailed statistical analysis of the experimental data from testing of alumina-loaded epoxy (ALOX) composites was conducted to better understand influences of the selected compositional properties on the compressive strength of these ALOX composites. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for different models with different sets of parameters identified the optimal statistical model as,

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Performance Assessment (PA) methodology comprises a toolbo... more The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Performance Assessment (PA) methodology comprises a toolbox used to demonstrate regulatory compliance of the repository after facility closure. The PA framework rests upon an extensive suite of computational codes. In some cases, significant alteration of code inputs is a tedious and difficult task. Due to the nature of the application for which they are used, PA codes used in support of WIPP regulatory compliance demonstration must satisfy stringent quality assurance requirements. Consequently, many of the coding practices used during original code development are still implemented today. A more efficient workflow configuration has the potential to alleviate difficulties associated with extensive code input modifications. Here, this potential is assessed via an implementation of a more flexible scientific workflow system for a subset of the codes used in WIPP PA.

3-D finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of caverns locate... more 3-D finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of caverns located at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve's Big Hill site. State-of-art analyses simulated the current site configuration and considered additional caverns. The addition of 5 caverns to account for a full site and a full dome containing 31 caverns were modeled. Operations including both normal and cavern workover pressures and cavern enlargement due to leaching were modeled to account for as many as 5 future oil drawdowns. Under the modeled conditions, caverns were placed very close to the edge of the salt dome. The web of salt separating the caverns and the web of salt between the caverns and edge of the salt dome were reduced due to leaching. The impacts on cavern stability, underground creep closure, surface subsidence and infrastructure, and well integrity were quantified. The analyses included recently derived damage criterion obtained from testing of Big Hill salt cores. The results show that from a structural view point, many additional caverns can be safely added to Big Hill.

This issue of the ARMA e-Newsletter is a particularly important one to our readers. In it you wil... more This issue of the ARMA e-Newsletter is a particularly important one to our readers. In it you will find articles describing two new major initiatives undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), both of which have a strong rock mechanics/geomechanics component. The SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration) initiative is intended to achieve adaptive control of subsurface fractures and fluid flow in order to radically improve subsurface energy production and waste storage strategies. One of the first projects supported by SubTER is kISMET, under which a hydraulic fracture and stimulation field laboratory is being established at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, for research on permeability enhancement and induced seismicity in crystalline rock. kISMET is the subject of the article by Curtis Oldenburg (LBNL) and others. The second initiative, DBD (Deep Borehole Disposal) is being considered by the ...

This document is the final report for the Compressed Air Energy Storage Monitoring to Support Ref... more This document is the final report for the Compressed Air Energy Storage Monitoring to Support Refrigerated-Mined Rock Cavern Technology (CAES Monitoring to Support RMRCT) (DE-FC26-01NT40868) project to have been conducted by CAES Development Co., along with Sandia National Laboratories. This document provides a final report covering tasks 1.0 and subtasks 2.1, 2.2, and 2.5 of task 2.0 of the Statement of Project Objectives and constitutes the final project deliverable. The proposed work was to have provided physical measurements and analyses of large-scale rock mass response to pressure cycling. The goal was to develop proof-of-concept data for a previously developed and DOE sponsored technology (RMRCT or Refrigerated-Mined Rock Cavern Technology). In the RMRCT concept, a room and pillar mine developed in rock serves as a pressure vessel. That vessel will need to contain pressure of about 1370 psi (and cycle down to 300 psi). The measurements gathered in this study would have provided a means to determine directly rock mass response during cyclic loading on the same scale, under similar pressure conditions. The CAES project has been delayed due to national economic unrest in the energy sector.

Three dimensional finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of ... more Three dimensional finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of the caverns located at the Bayou Choctaw (BC) site which is considered a candidate for expansion. Fifteen active and nine abandoned caverns exist at BC, with a total cavern volume of some 164 MMB. A 3D model allowing control of each cavern individually was constructed because the location and depth of caverns and the date of excavation are irregular. The total cavern volume has practical interest, as this void space affects total creep closure in the BC salt mass. Operations including both cavern workover, where wellhead pressures are temporarily reduced to atmospheric, and cavern enlargement due to leaching during oil drawdowns that use water to displace the oil from the caverns, were modeled to account for as many as the five future oil drawdowns in the six SPR caverns. The impacts on cavern stability, underground creep closure, surface subsidence, infrastructure, and well integrity were quantified.

The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to deter... more The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the Tptpll (Tertiary, Paintbrush, Topopah Spring Tuff Formation, crystal poor, lower lithophysal) and Tptpul (upper lithophysal) lithostratigraphic units at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A large volume fraction of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain may reside in the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit. This unit is characterized by voids, or lithophysae, which range in size from centimeters to meters, making a field program an effective method of measuring bulk thermal-mechanical rock properties (thermal expansion, rock mass modulus, compressive strength, time-dependent deformation) over a range of temperature and rock conditions. The field tests outlined in this report provide data for the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of this unit. Rock-mass response data collected during this field test will reduce the uncertainty in key thermal-mechanical modeling parameters (rock-mass modulus, strength and thermal expansion) for the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit, and provide a basis for understanding thermal-mechanical behavior of this unit. The measurements will be used to evaluate numerical models of the thermal-mechanical response of the repository. These numerical models are then used to predict pre-and post-closure repository response. 3 This is a reprint of SAND2004-2703, which was originally printed in July 2004. At that time, it was printed for a restricted audience. It has now been approved for unlimited release. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 LIST OF FIGURES 7

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 2011

Specimens of poled and unpoled "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic from batch HF1035 were tested under hydro... more Specimens of poled and unpoled "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic from batch HF1035 were tested under hydrostatic, uniaxial, and constant stress difference loading conditions at -55, 25, and 75°C. The objective of this experimental study was to characterize the mechanical properties and conditions for the ferroelectric (FE) to antiferroelectric (AFE) phase transformations of this "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic to aid grain-scale modeling efforts in developing and testing realistic response models for use in simulation codes. As seen from a previously characterized material (batch HF803), poled ceramic from HF1035 was seen to undergo anisotropic deformation during the transition from a FE to an AFE phase. Also, the phase transformation was found to be permanent for the two low temperature conditions, whereas the transformation can be completely reversed at the highest temperature. The rates of increase in the phase transformation pressures with temperature were practically identical for both unpoled and poled PNZT HF1035 specimens. We observed that temperature spread the phase transformation over mean stress analogous to the observed spread over mean stress due to shear stress. Additionally, for poled ceramic samples, the FE to AFE phase transformation was seen to occur when the normal compressive stress, acting perpendicular to a crystallographic plane about the polar axis, equals the hydrostatic pressure at which the transformation otherwise takes place.

As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Re... more As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration) initiative, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted the Permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies (kISMET) project. The objectives of the project are to define the in situ status of stress in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota and to establish the relations between in situ stress and induced fracture through hydraulically stimulating the fracture. (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. In situ tests are conducted in a 7.6 cm diameter and 100 long vertical borehole located in the 4850 Level West Access Drift near Davies Campus of SURF (Figure 1). The borehole is located in the zone of Precambrian Metamorphic Schist.

Detailed statistical analysis of the experimental data from testing of alumina-loaded epoxy (ALOX... more Detailed statistical analysis of the experimental data from testing of alumina-loaded epoxy (ALOX) composites was conducted to better understand influences of the selected compositional properties on the compressive strength of these ALOX composites. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for different models with different sets of parameters identified the optimal statistical model as,

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Performance Assessment (PA) methodology comprises a toolbo... more The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Performance Assessment (PA) methodology comprises a toolbox used to demonstrate regulatory compliance of the repository after facility closure. The PA framework rests upon an extensive suite of computational codes. In some cases, significant alteration of code inputs is a tedious and difficult task. Due to the nature of the application for which they are used, PA codes used in support of WIPP regulatory compliance demonstration must satisfy stringent quality assurance requirements. Consequently, many of the coding practices used during original code development are still implemented today. A more efficient workflow configuration has the potential to alleviate difficulties associated with extensive code input modifications. Here, this potential is assessed via an implementation of a more flexible scientific workflow system for a subset of the codes used in WIPP PA.

3-D finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of caverns locate... more 3-D finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of caverns located at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve's Big Hill site. State-of-art analyses simulated the current site configuration and considered additional caverns. The addition of 5 caverns to account for a full site and a full dome containing 31 caverns were modeled. Operations including both normal and cavern workover pressures and cavern enlargement due to leaching were modeled to account for as many as 5 future oil drawdowns. Under the modeled conditions, caverns were placed very close to the edge of the salt dome. The web of salt separating the caverns and the web of salt between the caverns and edge of the salt dome were reduced due to leaching. The impacts on cavern stability, underground creep closure, surface subsidence and infrastructure, and well integrity were quantified. The analyses included recently derived damage criterion obtained from testing of Big Hill salt cores. The results show that from a structural view point, many additional caverns can be safely added to Big Hill.

This issue of the ARMA e-Newsletter is a particularly important one to our readers. In it you wil... more This issue of the ARMA e-Newsletter is a particularly important one to our readers. In it you will find articles describing two new major initiatives undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), both of which have a strong rock mechanics/geomechanics component. The SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration) initiative is intended to achieve adaptive control of subsurface fractures and fluid flow in order to radically improve subsurface energy production and waste storage strategies. One of the first projects supported by SubTER is kISMET, under which a hydraulic fracture and stimulation field laboratory is being established at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, for research on permeability enhancement and induced seismicity in crystalline rock. kISMET is the subject of the article by Curtis Oldenburg (LBNL) and others. The second initiative, DBD (Deep Borehole Disposal) is being considered by the ...

This document is the final report for the Compressed Air Energy Storage Monitoring to Support Ref... more This document is the final report for the Compressed Air Energy Storage Monitoring to Support Refrigerated-Mined Rock Cavern Technology (CAES Monitoring to Support RMRCT) (DE-FC26-01NT40868) project to have been conducted by CAES Development Co., along with Sandia National Laboratories. This document provides a final report covering tasks 1.0 and subtasks 2.1, 2.2, and 2.5 of task 2.0 of the Statement of Project Objectives and constitutes the final project deliverable. The proposed work was to have provided physical measurements and analyses of large-scale rock mass response to pressure cycling. The goal was to develop proof-of-concept data for a previously developed and DOE sponsored technology (RMRCT or Refrigerated-Mined Rock Cavern Technology). In the RMRCT concept, a room and pillar mine developed in rock serves as a pressure vessel. That vessel will need to contain pressure of about 1370 psi (and cycle down to 300 psi). The measurements gathered in this study would have provided a means to determine directly rock mass response during cyclic loading on the same scale, under similar pressure conditions. The CAES project has been delayed due to national economic unrest in the energy sector.

Three dimensional finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of ... more Three dimensional finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the structural integrity of the caverns located at the Bayou Choctaw (BC) site which is considered a candidate for expansion. Fifteen active and nine abandoned caverns exist at BC, with a total cavern volume of some 164 MMB. A 3D model allowing control of each cavern individually was constructed because the location and depth of caverns and the date of excavation are irregular. The total cavern volume has practical interest, as this void space affects total creep closure in the BC salt mass. Operations including both cavern workover, where wellhead pressures are temporarily reduced to atmospheric, and cavern enlargement due to leaching during oil drawdowns that use water to displace the oil from the caverns, were modeled to account for as many as the five future oil drawdowns in the six SPR caverns. The impacts on cavern stability, underground creep closure, surface subsidence, infrastructure, and well integrity were quantified.

The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to deter... more The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the Tptpll (Tertiary, Paintbrush, Topopah Spring Tuff Formation, crystal poor, lower lithophysal) and Tptpul (upper lithophysal) lithostratigraphic units at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A large volume fraction of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain may reside in the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit. This unit is characterized by voids, or lithophysae, which range in size from centimeters to meters, making a field program an effective method of measuring bulk thermal-mechanical rock properties (thermal expansion, rock mass modulus, compressive strength, time-dependent deformation) over a range of temperature and rock conditions. The field tests outlined in this report provide data for the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of this unit. Rock-mass response data collected during this field test will reduce the uncertainty in key thermal-mechanical modeling parameters (rock-mass modulus, strength and thermal expansion) for the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit, and provide a basis for understanding thermal-mechanical behavior of this unit. The measurements will be used to evaluate numerical models of the thermal-mechanical response of the repository. These numerical models are then used to predict pre-and post-closure repository response. 3 This is a reprint of SAND2004-2703, which was originally printed in July 2004. At that time, it was printed for a restricted audience. It has now been approved for unlimited release. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 LIST OF FIGURES 7

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 2011

Specimens of poled and unpoled "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic from batch HF1035 were tested under hydro... more Specimens of poled and unpoled "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic from batch HF1035 were tested under hydrostatic, uniaxial, and constant stress difference loading conditions at -55, 25, and 75°C. The objective of this experimental study was to characterize the mechanical properties and conditions for the ferroelectric (FE) to antiferroelectric (AFE) phase transformations of this "chem-prep" PNZT ceramic to aid grain-scale modeling efforts in developing and testing realistic response models for use in simulation codes. As seen from a previously characterized material (batch HF803), poled ceramic from HF1035 was seen to undergo anisotropic deformation during the transition from a FE to an AFE phase. Also, the phase transformation was found to be permanent for the two low temperature conditions, whereas the transformation can be completely reversed at the highest temperature. The rates of increase in the phase transformation pressures with temperature were practically identical for both unpoled and poled PNZT HF1035 specimens. We observed that temperature spread the phase transformation over mean stress analogous to the observed spread over mean stress due to shear stress. Additionally, for poled ceramic samples, the FE to AFE phase transformation was seen to occur when the normal compressive stress, acting perpendicular to a crystallographic plane about the polar axis, equals the hydrostatic pressure at which the transformation otherwise takes place.