DETERMINING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS
A real composite material includes multiple real materials interspersed to form the real composite material. Multiple mechanical properties of the respective real materials are determined by one or more real mechanical tests. The real composite material is scanned to form a digitized model of the real composite material. The digitized model of the real composite material includes digitized models of the real materials. The mechanical properties (determined by the one or more real mechanical tests) are assigned to the corresponding digitized models of the respective real materials, resulting in a modified digitized model of the real composite material. One or more simulated mechanical tests are performed on the modified digitized model of the real composite material. A mechanical property of the real composite material is determined based on results of the one or more simulated mechanical tests. The mechanical property of the real composite material is provided.
1 . A method comprising:
for a real composite material comprising a plurality of real materials interspersed to form the real composite material:
determining, by one or more real mechanical tests, a plurality of mechanical properties of the respective plurality of real materials;
scanning the real composite material to form a digitized model of the real composite material, the digitized model of the real composite material comprising digitized models of the plurality of real materials;
assigning the determined plurality of mechanical properties to the corresponding plurality of digitized models of the respective plurality of real materials resulting in a modified digitized model of the real composite material;
performing one or more simulated mechanical tests on the modified digitized model of the real composite material;
determining a mechanical property of the real composite material based on results of the one or more simulated mechanical tests; and
providing the mechanical property of the real composite material.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the real composite material comprises scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging or micro computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging to create a plurality of images, and the digitized model of the real composite material is formed using the plurality of images.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the digitized model of the real composite material is formed by identifying, in the plurality of images, digitized portions that correspond to each of the plurality of real materials.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein assigning the determined plurality of mechanical properties to the corresponding plurality of digitized models of the respective plurality of real materials comprises assigning the determined plurality of mechanical properties to the digitized portions identified as corresponding to each of the plurality of real materials.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the real composite material comprises a core plug obtained from a subterranean zone.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of real materials comprises organic material.
7 . A method comprising:
for a composite material comprising a plurality of constituents interspersed to form the composite material:
forming a digitized model of the composite material, the digitized model comprising a plurality of digitized sub-models corresponding to the respective plurality of constituents;
assigning one or more mechanical properties to each of the digitized sub-models to form a modified digitized model of the composite material, the assigned mechanical properties each corresponding to mechanical properties of their respective constituents;
performing a simulated mechanical test on the modified digitized model to determine a mechanical property of the composite material; and
providing the mechanical property of the composite material.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the digitized model of the composite material comprises:
scanning the composite material to obtain a plurality of images; and
compiling the plurality of images to form the digitized model of the composite material.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein scanning the real composite material comprises scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging or micro computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the composite material comprises a core plug obtained from a subterranean zone.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of constituents comprises organic material.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising performing one or more mechanical tests to determine one or more mechanical properties of each of the plurality of constituents, wherein the one or more mechanical properties determined by performing the one or more mechanical tests are the one or more mechanical properties assigned to each of the digitized sub-models.
13 . A method comprising:
for a composite material comprising a plurality of constituents interspersed to form the composite material:
determining mechanical properties of each of the plurality of constituents;
scanning the composite material to obtain at least one image;
processing the at least one image to form a digitized model of the composite material, the digitized model comprising a plurality of digitized sub-models corresponding to the respective plurality of constituents;
modifying the digitized model to include the determined mechanical properties of each of the plurality of constituents, resulting in a modified digitized model;
determining a mechanical property of the composite material based on results of a simulated mechanical test on the modified digitized model; and
providing the mechanical property of the composite material.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the composite material comprises a core plug obtained from a subterranean zone.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of constituents comprises organic material.