Upscaling the mechanical properties of rock microstructures under cyclic loading with a digital rock physics framework
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Hydrogen stands out as a clean and renewable energy vector, produced emission-free through green energy sources. Due to the large volume storage requirements of hydrogen, underground facilities such as depleted gas and oil fields and salt caverns are being investigated. During an energy surplus, hydrogen is produced and stored underground and when demand exceeds the clean energy supply the hydrogen is withdrawn, introducing cyclic loading on rock formations. This study presents a Digital Rock Physics framework to model the mechanical behaviour of the rock microstructure during cyclic loading, using the Finite Element Method for its flexibility in handling multiphysics. The simulations include cyclic compression tests, exploring elastic, plastic, and viscoplastic variants comprehensively assess the mechanical response. The results are upscaled and compared with real-life experiments’ irreversible creep evolution.
