Description:
DEM, Distinct Element Method, gas hydrate, methane hydrate, surface energy, surface tension, shear box, oedometer. - The mechanical behavior of gas hydrate bearing sediment is a possible trigger for huge tsunami generating slides on continental margins, but little is known of gas hydrates mechanical behavior in sediment. Here a method is proposed to simulate the behavior of gas hydrate in sediment on the pore scale using the Distinct Element Method (DEM). The simulation is founded on the surface energy, which is the cause for the forces exerted by growing crystals. The simulation uses attractive particle interaction and random particle agitation to generate a surface tensed material. The method is calibrated and validated by a series of different experiments. Gas hydrate growth is simulated in an oedometer. The influence of the host sediment fabric on gas hydrate fabric is investigated in a series of element tests and compared to natural gas hydrate fabrics.