Experimental determination of rock hydrological properties using elastic parameters

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Date
2007-11
Authors
Du Preez, Michael
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University of the Free State
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English: As groundwater becomes increasingly vital as a viable source of fresh water in arid or remote areas, where surface water supplies are insufficient to sustain life, agriculture and industry, it has become important to accurately estimate, manage and monitor this valuable resource. Much has been done to improve the management of this precious resource by the development of numerical models that give a realistic estimate on how groundwater reserves will react to changing circumstances in groundwater conditions. The accuracy of these predictions is however limited to the effective accuracy of the predictive model, which in turn relies on accurate data for all the variables which will affect the flow of groundwater. This thesis presents a method to determine hydrological parameters of a rock sample by measuring its elastic parameters, using non-destructive ultrasound methods. This is done in two ways; • The first of these is call the time of flight method. This method measures the compressive and shear wave velocities of the rock, by inducing an ultrasonic pulse into one side of the sample and measuring the time it takes the pulse to travel through the sample. The travel times are then converted into compressive and shear wave velocities, which in turn are used to determine the bulk modulus and shear modulus of the sample. • The second method is to use resonant ultrasound spectrography, which measures the natural resonance frequencies of a rock sample induced by an ultrasonic frequency sweep. These resonance frequencies are then analytically verified against the bulk modulus and shear modulus of the rock sample determined by the time of flight method. Both of these methods use apparatus which clamp a cylindrical rock core sample between two sets of ultrasonic transducers. One set of transducers produce compressive ultrasonic waves and the other produce shear ultrasonic waves. An analogue to digital converter is used to read the changing voltage levels in the transducers, induced by the ultrasonic pulse travelling through the sample or the resonant vibrations induced by the ultrasonic frequency sweep in the sample. Once the rock samples elastic parameters are known they are applied to equations which related hydrological parameters to the samples elastic parameters. The resultant hydrological parameter values can then be determined.
Afrikaans: Soos grondwater toenemend noodsaaklik word as 'n varswaterbron in droë of afgeleë gebiede, waar oppervlakwaterbronne ontoereikend is vir lewensonderhoud, sowel as landbou en die industrie, het dit belangrik geword om hierdie waardevolle bron akkuraat te bepaal, bestuur en moniteer. Daar is reeds baie gedoen om die bestuur van grondwater te verbeter deur die ontwikkeling van numeriese modelle wat 'n realistiese bepaling gee van hoe grondwaterreserwes op veranderende omstandigehede in grondwatertoestande sal reageer. Die akkuraatheid van hierdie voorspellings word derhalwe ingekort deur die doeltreffende akkuraatheid van die voorspellingsmodelle, wat weer afhanklik is van akkurate data vir al die veranderlikes wat grondwatervloei beïnvloed. Die tesis bied 'n metode om die hidrologiese parameters van 'n klipmonster te bepaal deur sy elastiese parameters te meet deur nie-vernietigende ultrasoniese metodes te gebruik. Die word gedoen op twee wyses: • Die eerste metode word die vlugtydmetode genoem. Hierdie metode meet die saamdrukkende en suiwer golfsnelhede in die klip deur 'n ultrasoniese puls deur die monster te stuur, en die tyd te meet wat dit neem om daardeur te gaan. Die tyd wat verkry is, word dan na saamdrukkende en suiwer golfsnelhede omgeskakel, wat op hulle beurt weer gebruik word om die massa en suiwer modulus van die monster te bepaal. • Die tweede metode is die gebruik van resonante ultrsoniese spektrografie, wat die natuurlike resonansie frekwensies van 'n klipmonster meet. Dit word veroorsaak deur 'n ultrasoniese frekwensiestryk. Hierdie resonante frekwensies word dan analities bevestig teenoor die massa en suiwer modulus van die klipmonster, soos bepaal deur die vlugtyd metode. Albei hierdie metodes maak gebruik van apparaat wat 'n silindriese klipkernmonster tussen twee stelle ultrasoniese transduktors vasheg. Een stel transduktors produseer saamdrukkende ultrasoniese golwe en die ander suiwer ultrasoniese golwe. 'n Analoog tot digitale omsetter word gebruik om die veranderende voltvlakke in die transduktors te lees, veroorsaak deur ultrasoniese pulse wat deur die monster gaan, of deur die resonante vibrasies as gevolg van die ultrasoniese frekwensiestryk in die monster. Wanneer die elastiese parameters van die klipmonsters bekend is, word hulle toegepas op vergelykings. Dit bring dan 'n verwantskap mee tussen die hidrologiese en elastiese parameters van die monsters. Die gevolglike hidrologiese parameterwaardes kan dan bepaal word.
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Aquifers, Hydrogeology, Thesis (Ph.D. (Institute for Groundwater Studies))--University of the Free State, 2007
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