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Preformed-Particle-Gel Placement And Plugging Performance In Fractures With Tips, Ze Wang, Baojun Bai Dec 2018

Preformed-Particle-Gel Placement And Plugging Performance In Fractures With Tips, Ze Wang, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Preformed-particle gels (PPGs) have been applied for reducing excessive water production caused by fractures in reservoirs. A portion of the fractures existing in reservoirs is composed of a void part and a fracture tip. The PPG placement behavior and plugging performance could be mainly affected by the fracture tips. A fracture with a tip, called a "partially open fracture" in this paper, was designed to investigate the placement and water-plugging performance of PPG. Cylindrical sandstone cores were used to manufacture partially open fractures. Pressure data of PPG injection, post-gel water breakthrough, and stable injection were analyzed to investigate the PPG …


Application Of 3d Printing Technology In Porous Anode Fabrication For Enhanced Power Output Of Microbial Fuel Cells, Bin Bian Sep 2015

Application Of 3d Printing Technology In Porous Anode Fabrication For Enhanced Power Output Of Microbial Fuel Cells, Bin Bian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are widely researched for application in wastewater treatment. However, the current anodes used in MFCs often suffer from high fabrication cost and uncontrollable pore sizes. In this thesis, three-dimensional printing technique was utilized to fabricate anodes with different micro pore sizes for MFCs. Copper coating and carbonization were applied to the printed polymer anodes to increase the conductivity and specific surface area. Voltages of MFCs with various anodes were measured as well as other electrochemical tests such as linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. 3D copper porous anode produced higher maximum voltages and power densities …


Polymer Based Nanocomposites With Nanofibers And Exfoliated Clay, Michael Meador, Darrell Reneker Jul 2014

Polymer Based Nanocomposites With Nanofibers And Exfoliated Clay, Michael Meador, Darrell Reneker

Darrell Hyson Reneker

Polymer solutions, containing clay sheets, were electrospun into nanofibers and microfibers that contained clay sheets inside. Controllable removal of polymer by plasma etching from the surface of fibers revealed the arrangement of clay. The shape, flexibility, size distribution and arrangement of clay sheets were observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The clay sheets were partially aligned in big fibers with normal direction of clay sheets perpendicular to fiber axis. Crumpling of clay sheets inside fibers was observed when the fiber diameter was comparable to the lateral size of clay sheets. Single sheets of clay were observed both by catching …


A Rapid Method For Flow-Ready Cylindrical Microchannel Fabrication, Kimberly H. Henthorn Jun 2009

A Rapid Method For Flow-Ready Cylindrical Microchannel Fabrication, Kimberly H. Henthorn

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Most current methods of microchannel fabrication are expensive and time consuming or result in noncylindrical channels, which is undesirable for many applications. A rapid inexpensive method for the fabrication of flow-ready cylindrical polymer microchannels from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is presented here. In this method, cylindrical needles are used as molds for the channels and also function as flow delivery devices after fabrication. Validation of channel function and smoothness can be accomplished by comparing experimental data to theoretical models. One model was previously developed by the author to predict the incipient motion of a glass sphere in contact with a perfectly smooth …


Development Of Method For Synthesis Of Pt–Co Cathode Catalysts For Pem Fuel Cells, Xuguang Li, Héctor R. Colón-Mercado, Gang Wu, Jong-Won Lee, Branko N. Popov Jan 2007

Development Of Method For Synthesis Of Pt–Co Cathode Catalysts For Pem Fuel Cells, Xuguang Li, Héctor R. Colón-Mercado, Gang Wu, Jong-Won Lee, Branko N. Popov

Faculty Publications

A procedure was developed to synthesize a platinum–cobalt (Pt–Co) alloy electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction using Co/C composite as a support. The Pt–Co/C catalysts were synthesized through: (i) chemical oxidation of carbon black, (ii) Co deposition on the oxidized carbon using a chelation method, (iii) chemical treatment in an acidic medium to remove excess of Co on the carbon surface, (iv) Pt deposition onto the Co/C support, and (v) postheat treatment to form the Pt–Co alloy catalyst. The synthesized Pt–Co/C catalyst showed improved activity and long-term stability in polymer electrolyte membrane …


Corrosion Protection Of Steel Using Nonanomalous Ni-Zn-P Coatings, Basker Veeraraghavan, Bala Haran, Swaminatha P. Kumaraguru, Branko N. Popov Jan 2003

Corrosion Protection Of Steel Using Nonanomalous Ni-Zn-P Coatings, Basker Veeraraghavan, Bala Haran, Swaminatha P. Kumaraguru, Branko N. Popov

Faculty Publications

A novel technique for obtaining nonanomalous Ni-Zn-P coatings with high Ni content (74 wt % as compared to 15-20 wt % in the conventional plating method) has been developed. These coatings show promise as a replacement for Cd in sacrificially protecting steel. Ni-Zn-P coatings were deposited using an electroless method from a solution containing NiSO4, complexing agent and ammonium chloride. Varying the concentration of ZnSO4 in the bath controls the final amount of Zn in the deposit. The Zn content in the coating was optimized based on the corrosion resistance of the final deposit. Coatings with 16.2 …


Thermally Stable Gel Polymer Electrolytes, Min-Kyu Song, Young-Taek Kim, Yong Tae Kim, Byung Won Cho, Branko N. Popov, Hee-Woo Rhee Jan 2003

Thermally Stable Gel Polymer Electrolytes, Min-Kyu Song, Young-Taek Kim, Yong Tae Kim, Byung Won Cho, Branko N. Popov, Hee-Woo Rhee

Faculty Publications

To prepare miscible polyethylene glycol diacrylate/polyvinylidene fluoride (PEGDA/PVdF) blend gel polymer electrolytes, low molecular weight (M = 742) liquid PEGDA oligomer was mixed with PVdF-HFP dissolved in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate/LiPF6 liquid electrolytes, and then cured under ultraviolet irradiation. Room temperature conductivity of PEGDA/PVdF blend films was found to be comparable to that of PVdF-HFP gel polymer electrolytes, and they were electrochemically stable up to 4.6 V vs. Li/Li+. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that PEGDA/PVdF blend electrolytes have pore size intermediate between dense PEGDA and highly porous PVdF-HFP. It was confirmed by weight change measurement that liquid electrolyte …