Process for measuring the fracture toughness of rock under simulated down-hole stress conditions
US4152941A · kind A · utility
11Cited by
2References
5Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1978 |
| Grant date | May 8, 1979 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2203/0064
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for measuring the fracture toughness of rock as it would exhibit in its natural down-hole setting. Practicing the method of the present invention involves internally pressurizing a rock specimen while simultaneously exerting an increasing external horizontal stress thereon, raising simultaneously the internal pressure to maintain a desired relationship of exterior to interior pressures until the specimen fractures, which pressure, in relationship to the stress intensity factor and specimen geometry, provides the specimen fracture toughness as it would exist in a down-hole situation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.