Associate Professor Chaoshui Xu

Associate Professor Chaoshui Xu
 Position Associate Professor
 Org Unit Mining and Petroleum Engineering
 Email chaoshui.xu@adelaide.edu.au
 Telephone +61 8 8313 5421
 Location Floor/Room 1 ,  Engineering North ,   North Terrace

  • Qualifications

    Academic Qualifications

    PhD, Rock Mechanics, University of Leeds, UK, 1993
    MSc, Mining Engineering, Northeast University, China, 1985
    BSc, Mining Engineering, Northeast University, China, 1983

    Areas of Specialisation

    Rock Fracture Mechanics, Stochastic Rock Fracture Modelling, Geostatistics, Resource Evaluations

     

    Experiences

    A/Prof. Xu has over twenty years of experience working for mining academic institutions and the industry.  His research interests cover many areas including geostatistics, mineral resource evaluation, risk assessment of mining project, optimal mine design, rock fracture mechanics, stochastic rock fracture modelling, modelling of fluid flow and heat transfer in fractured rock masses.

    A commercial software product, MINVEST - for financial evaluation and risk assessment of mining projects, developed by A/Prof. Xu and Prof. P. A. Dowd won the top prize of 1995 UK Business Software Challenge Competition. MINVEST has now user licenses worldwide.

    A/Prof. Xu, together with Dr. R.J. Fowell, has developed the CCNBD (Cracked Chevron-Notched Brazilian Disc) specimen for rock fracture toughness testing. The research was recognised by the Testing Commission of the ISRM (International Society for Rock Mechanics) and was adopted as an ISRM international suggested method for the measurement of Mode I rock fracture toughness.

     

     

  • Teaching Interests

    Courses Taught

    Introduction to Mining Engineering, Resource Estimation, Hard Rock Mine Design and Feasibility Study, Introduction to Geostatistics, Linear Geostatistics, Selection and Recoverability, Computing for Geostatistics, Non-Stationarity in Geostatistics, Multivariate Geostatistics, Non-linear Geostatistics, Geostatistical Simulations.

  • Research Interests

    Current Research Interests

    • Application of stochastic rock fracture modelling for unconventional resources, geothermal, carbon sequestration, in-situ leaching and block caving mining operations.
    • Fluid flow and heat transfer in fractured rock masses
    • Stochastic stability analysis of rock excavations
    • Ore/waste movement simulation in surface and underground mining operations
    • Geostatistical modelling
    • Mineral resource evaluations
    • Dynamic risk assessment of mining projects
    • Optimal mine production scheduling
    • Application of rock fracture mechanics in rock excavation engineering

  • Publications

    Scholarly Book

    1. Xu, Chaoshui (2010), Cracked Brazilian Disc for Rock Fracture Toughness Testing: theoretical background, numerical calibration and experimental validation, VDM Publishing House, ISBN: 978-3-639-24040-5.

    Major Recent Journal Publications

    1. Xu, C., Dowd P. A. and Tian, Z.F. (2015) A simplified coupled hydro-thermal model for enhanced geothermal systems, Applied Energy, 140, 135-145.
    2. Natarajan, N., Xu, C., Dowd, P.A. and Hand, M. (2014) Numerical modelling of thermal transport and quartz precipitation/dissolution in a coupled fracture-skin-matrix system, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 78, pp. 302-310.
    3. Xu, C. and Dowd, P. A. (2014) Stochastic rock fracture propagation modelling for enhanced geothermal systems, Mathematical Geosciences, 46 (6), pp.665-690.
    4. Seifollahi, S., Dowd, P. A. and Xu, C. (2014) An enhanced stochastic optimization in fracture network modelling conditional on seismic events, Computers and Geotechnics, 61, pp. 85 - 95.
    5. Fadakar-A Y, Dowd P.A, Xu C (2014), Connectivity field: a measure for characterising fracture networks, Mathematical Geosciences, DOI 10.1007/s11004-014-9520-7.
    6. Shen, J., Jimenez, R., Karakus, M. and Xu, C. (2013) A Simplified Failure Criterion for Intact Rocks Based on Rock Type and Uniaxial Compressive Strength, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 47, pp. 357-369.
    7. Shen, R., Karakus, M. and Xu, C. (2013) Chart-based slope stability assessment using the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 64, pp. 210-219.
    8. Seifollahi, S., Dowd, P. A., Xu, C. and Fadakar, A. Y. (2013) A Spatial Clustering Approach for Stochastic Fracture Network Modelling, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 47 (4), 1225-1235.
    9. Wang, H., Xu,C., Wu, A., Ai, C., Li, X. and Miao, X. (2013) Inhibition of spontaneous combustion of sulfide ores by thermopile sulfide oxidation, Minerals Engineering, 49, 61-67.
    10. Xu, C., Dowd, P. A. and Wyborn, D. (2013) Optimisation of a Stochastic Rock Fracture Model Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulation, Mining Technology, 122 (3), pp. 153-158.
    11. Fadakar-A Y, Dowd P.A, Xu C (2013), The RANSAC method for generating fracture networks from micro-seismic event data, Mathematical Geosciences, 45, pp. 207-224.
    12. Eulogio Pardo-Igúzquiza, Peter A. Dowd, Chaoshui Xu and Juán José Durán-Valsero (2012) Stochastic simulation of karst conduit networks using a signal based random walk approach, Advances in Water Resources, 35, pp.141-150.
    13. Hamedani, M. L., Plimer, I. R. and Xu, C. (2012) Orebody Modelling for Exploration: The Western Mineralisation, Broken Hill, NSW, Natural Resources Research, 21, 3 (2012), pp. 325-345.
    14. Shen J, Karakus M, Xu C (2012) A comparative study for empirical equations in estimating deformation modulus of rock masses. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 32:245-250.
    15. Shen, J., Karakus, M. and Xu, C. (2012) Direct expressions for linearization of shear strength envelopes given by the Generalized Hoek-Brown criterion using genetic programming, Computers and Geotechnics, 44, pp. 139-146.
    16. Mohais, R., Xu, C., Dowd, P. A. and Hand M. (2012), Permeability correction factor for fractures with permeable walls, Geophysical Research Letters, 39, L03403, doi:10.1029/2011GL050519.
    17. Mohais, R, Xu, C. and Dowd, P. A. (2011) Fluid flow and heat transfer within a single horizontal fracture in an enhanced geothermal system, ASME J. Heat Transfer, 133, 112603-1 to 112603-8.
    18. Xu, C. and Dowd, P. A. (2010), A new computer code for discrete fracture network modelling, Comps & Geosc., 36, 292-301.
    19. Dowd, P.A., Martin, J.A., Xu, C., Fowell, R.J. and Mardia, K.V. (2009) A three-dimensional data set of the fracture network of a granite. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 46, 5, pp.811-818.
    20. R. Caulkin, X. Jia, C. Xu, M. Fairweather, R. A. Williams, H. Stitt, M. Nijemeisland, S. Aferka, M. Crine, A. Leonard, D. Toye, and P. Marchot, (2009) Simulations of Structures in Packed Columns and Validation by X-ray Tomography, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48, (1), 202-213.
    21. Xu, C., Jia, X., Williams, R.A., Stitt, E.H., Nijemeisland, M., El-Bachir, S., Sederman, A.J. and Gladden, L. F. (2008), Property predictions for packed columns using random and distinct element digital packing algorithms, Computer Modelling in Engineering and Sciences, 23, 2, pp. 117 - 125.
    22. Xu, C., Dowd, P. A., Mardia, K. V., Fowell, R. J. and Taylor, C. C. (2007) Simulating correlated marked point processes, Journal of Applied Statistics, 34, 9, pp. 1125 - 1134.
    23. Dowd, P. A., Xu, C., Mardia, K. V. and Fowell, R. J. (2007) A comparison of methods for the simulation of rock fractures, Mathematical Geology, 39, pp. 697 - 714.
    24. Mardia, K. V., Nyirongo, V. B., Walder, A. N., Xu, C., Dowd, P. A., Fowell, R. J., Kent, J. T. (2007) Markov Chain Monte Carlo implementation of rock fracture modeling, Mathematical Geology, 39, pp. 355 - 381.
    25. Xu, C., Dowd, P. A., Mardia, K. V. and Fowell, R. J. (2006) A connectivity index for discrete fracture networks, Mathematical Geology, 38, pp. 611 - 634.
    26. Xu, C., Dowd, P., Mardia, K.V. & Fowell, R. J. (2006), PGSIM: a flexible true plurigaussian code for spatial facies simulations, Computers and Geosciences, 32, (10), 1629-1645.
    27. Fowell, R. J., Xu, C. & Dowd, P. (2005), An update in the fracture toughness testing methods related to the chevron-notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) specimen, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 163, 5-6, pp1047 - 1057.

  • Professional Associations

    Memberships and Affiliations

    Member, International Society for Rock Mechanics
    Member, International Association for Mathematical Geology
    Member, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

     

    Consulting Activities

    A/Prof Xu has developed three software packages:

    • MINVEST - financial evaluation and risk assessment for mining projects
    • Geostatistics for Windows - comprehensive mineral resource evaluation tools
    • FracSim3D - stochastic fracture modelling for rock masses

    These packages are used extensively for consulting works. MINVEST package is a commercial product and has user licenses worldwide.  FracSim3D is a public domain freeware which can be downloaded from the website of Computers and Geosciences. Geostatistics for Windows is also used for teaching the MEA (Mining Education Australia) course "Resource Estimation" and the courses in the Master of Geostatistics programme.

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Entry last updated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2023

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