To investigate the energy evolution law and damage mechanisms of salt rock under different loading and unloading rates, salt rock specimens obtained from a proposed salt cavern compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility in China were subjected to uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading tests at varying rates. Mechanical testing, acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and energy analysis methods were employed to explore the mechanical response and damage evolution process. The results indicate that under uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading conditions, the salt rock exhibits significant viscoelasticity, and its compressive strength decreases as the loading and unloading rate increases. With an increasing number of loading and unloading cycles, the input work continuously increases; the elastic energy first increases and then decreases, whereas the dissipated energy increases continuously and dominates in the later stages. Acoustic emission activity demonstrates a positive correlation with the stress level. Under low loading and unloading rates, the internal behavior of the salt rock is dominated by low-energy, high-frequency micro-fracturing activities. Conversely, under high loading and unloading rates, it exhibits macroscopic crack propagation characteristics characterized by high-energy and low-frequency. The damage evolution of the salt rock can be divided into three stages: an initial slow stage, a middle stable stage, and a final accelerated stage. Furthermore, a higher loading and unloading rate results in a greater degree of damage in the salt rock under the same stress level. The findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the injection-production rates and evaluating the long-term stability of salt cavern energy storage facilities.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |