Dynamic Compression Damage Energy Consumption and Fractal Characteristics of Shale

Abstract

Studying the relationship between energy consumption and crushed size of shale under different loading conditions is the key to efficient shale cracking. The split Hopkinson pressure bar system was used to study the dynamic mechanical properties of shale under parallel- and vertical-bedding loading, and energy dissipation in the impact tests was calculated. Relationships between the average crushed size of shale fracture products and energy dissipation and between the fractal dimension and dissipated energy were studied using fractal theory. The experimental results showed that the dynamic compressive strength of shale under parallel- and vertical-bedding conditions had an obvious positive correlation with the strain rate. Dissipative energy of the shale samples under loading in both directions increased with the increase of strain rate. The increase of the strain rate enhanced crushing of the sample. The vertical-bedding shale samples had stronger ability to absorb energy and more internal crack propagation. Dissipative energies of the shale samples in the parallel- and vertical-bedding impact tests were positively related to the fractal dimension. The fractal dimension increased with the increase of dissipative energy during sample failure; with further increase in the dissipative energy, its effect on the change of fractal dimension gradually weakened.