A discrete element simulation method of clayey grain-cementing type methane hydrate bearing sediment accounting for pore size and physicochemical properties

Methane hydrate (MH) is an important clean energy resource, widely distributed in clayey type methane hydrate bearing sediment (MHBS) in the South China Sea. The mechanical behavior of clayey type MHBS is affected by many factors, such as temperature field, back pressure field, chemical fields, pore size, MH saturation, physicochemical properties of clay, which is significantly different from that of sandy type MHBS. Therefore, the development of numerical analysis methods reflecting the mechanical response of clayey type MHBS under complex stress paths is crucial for the safe exploitation of MH.