Evolution of Elastic–Plastic Characteristics of Rocks Within Middle-Deep Geothermal Reservoirs Under High Temperature

Abstract

Middle-deep geothermal reservoirs, rich in energy, experience deep burial, high temperature, and intense three-dimensional stresses, causing noticeable elastic–plastic rock deformation under high confining pressure. However, existing researches primarily focused on elastic–plastic properties under various confining pressures, overlooking the impact of high temperature on granite’s behavior. To address this, we conducted compression experiments at seven temperature points (25–600 °C) under varying confining pressures (0–15 MPa). The results reveal that increasing confining pressure prolongs the plastic yielding stage, linearly enhances compressive strength, and shifts rupture mode from brittle to expansion shear damage. Conversely, under constant confining pressure, compressive strength decreases with rising temperature, accompanied by more intricate artificial cracks. Rock cohesion, internal friction angle, and wave velocity decrease due to increased thermal damage micro-cracks. Heat treatment over 500 °C significantly increases porosity and pore throat radius, explaining heightened plasticity in hot dry rocks. These findings offer theoretical and technical insights for understanding elastic–plastic fracture mechanisms during hydraulic fracturing in middle-deep geothermal reservoirs and enhancing heat recovery efficiency.