Granular Thermodynamic Thermal Consolidation Theory

This chapter proposes a granular thermodynamic thermal consolidation theory, grounded in the principle of particle rearrangement within porous materials, with phase transition incorporated. The ideology of granular temperature and granular entropy is defined, and a method is outlined to calculate energy dissipation and migration coefficients within thermodynamic systems. The influence of saturation and temperature changes on energy dissipation and the soil–water characteristic curve of geo-materials is examined, and the connection between energy dissipation in geo-materials and their mechanical properties is explored. This chapter also presents a constitutive model tailored for sediment-hosted hydrates. The bonding stress is described in a nonlinear system, accounting for degeneration effects caused by both consolidation and shearing. Besides, dilatancy equations are derived, considering the impacts of compactness and cementation, which is validated through typical triaxial drainage shear tests conducted under a range of hydrate saturations, porosities, and morphologies.