Engineering Commons^™

Sensitivity Analysis Of Geomechanical Parameters In A Two-Way Coupling Reservoir Simulation, Hector Gabriel Donoso

Masters Theses

"Currently reservoir simulators model geomechanical effects such as compaction, subsidence, fault reactivation, breach of the seal integrity, etc. using only the rock compressibility to change the pore volume. However, rock compressibility as a scalar quantity is unfit to represent the true rock mechanics in the reservoir. In order to accurately represent geomechanical effects in a reservoir simulation, a two-way coupling simulation of the stress analyzer and the reservoir simulator was done. Based on the poroelasticity theory during the production or depletion of the reservoir the porosity and permeability changed due to the stress or pore pressure changes.

A sensitivity analysis …

Single Phase Gas Flow Response Of Fractured Horizontal And Vertical Wells To Repeated Production, Divya Kandlakunta

Masters Theses

"Historically, the conventional approach to well production has been to produce continuously, minimizing interruptions to flow insofar as possible. Yet some operators have observed improved well flow rates and ultimate recovery after a significant well shut-in periods. These production increases have not been documented. This study investigates the production impact of cyclic production/shut-in on fractured vertical and horizontal gas well performance.

A numerical reservoir model in Stimplan software was used to model production in fracture stimulated vertical and horizontal gas wells. Reservoir permeability is varied over a range of 0.0001 md to 1 md, and the shut-in period was varied …

Study And Development Of Robust Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control, Yifu Long

Masters Theses

"To improve the oil recovery of mature reservoirs, technologies referring to conformance control have been widely developed and implemented. Among various technologies, preformed particle gel (PPG) treatment has attracted increasing attentions. PPGs, as a kind of deformable plyometric superabsorbent, could be pumped through injection wells as plugging agents to block the fracture or high-permeability zone in a reservoir.

In decade usage of PPGs, an intensively employed material is poly(acrylamide) (PAM) based hydrogel. However, conventional PAM gel did reveal deficient in formidable conditions, such as formations with high temperature and high salinity. Therefore, a novel PPG based on starch-grafting-poly(acrylamide)/nano-composite (SAC) hydrogel …

Surface Modification Of Tin Oxide Nanoparticles By Atomic Layer Deposition For Enhanced Electrochemical Performance, Sai Abhishek Palaparty

Masters Theses

"Atomic Layer Deposition is a robust technique used to deposit high quality, conformal, and size-tunable ultrathin films on a substrate. This technique can be used to coat protective films on battery anode and cathode materials for enhanced performance. In the case of cathodes, the ultrathin film provides a protective barrier preventing cationic dissolution. In the case of anodes, the film acts as a supporting matrix reducing strain caused by volume expansions. In these study, we use this technique to coat an optimally thick conductive iron oxide film on tin oxide particles to improve its electrochemical performance at high current densities …

Cement Based Batteries And Their Potential For Use In Low Power Operations, Aimee Byrne, Niall Holmes, Brian Norton

Articles

This paper presents the development of an innovative cement-electrolyte battery for low power operations such as cathodic protection of reinforced concrete. A battery design was refined by altering different constituents and examining the open circuit voltage, resistor loaded current and lifespan. The final design consisted of a copper plate cathode, aluminium plate anode, and a cement electrolyte which included additives of carbon black, plasticiser, Alum salt and Epsom salt. A relationship between age, temperature and hydration of the cell and the current it produced was determined. It was found that sealing the battery using varnish increased the moisture retention and …

Unique Characterization Of Materials With Memory, John Murrough Golden

Articles

In general, materials with linear memory constitutive relations are characterized by a relaxation function. This leads to a situation where the free energy for most materials with memory is not unique. There is a convex set of free energy functionals with a minimum and a maximum element. An alternative procedure is proposed which characterizes a material by the kernel of the rate of dissipation functional. Using some recent results, we find that a unique free energy and relaxation function may then be deduced. An example is given for discrete spectrum materials. Also, the new results are used to show that …

Computational Modeling Of High-Performance Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery Materials, Diana Felicia Wong

Wayne State University Dissertations

With 10 million hybrid electric vehicles on the road worldwide powered primarily by nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, research into this battery chemistry will improve the hybrid vehicle driving experience, extending electric-only driving ranges while reducing emissions and using less gasoline. The transfer, storage and transport of protons and electrons depend strongly on the structural and electrical features of the active material, including multiple phases, defects, and structural and compositional disorder. The contributions of such subtle defects and the difference with the bulk structure can be difficult to discern experimentally. Ab initio calculations such as the ones based on density functional …

An Overview Of The Development Of Cement-Based Batteries For The Cathodic Protection Of Embedded Steel In Concrete, Aimee Byrne, Niall Holmes, Brian Norton

Conference papers

This paper presents an overview of the cement-based batteries developed in DIT for use in the cathodic protection of embedded steel in reinforced concrete undergoing chloride-induced corrosion. Cathodic protection delivers an external current (approximately 20mA per m2 of embedded steel) which effectively polarises the internal current generated during corrosion. The batteries developed in DIT comprise of a cement-based electrolyte containing different additives including sand, aggregate, salts, carbon black and plasticiser with protruding anode and cathode metal plates. These batteries produced an initial electrical output of 1.5V and 23mA through a 10 resistor as measured using data acquisition units and a …

An Integrated Completion And Reservoir Modeling Methodology For Horizontal Shale Wells: A Montney Formation Example, Rashid S. Kassim, Larry K. Britt, Shari Dunn-Norman, Bryan Lang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Montney Formation is one of the largest unconventional resources in North America covering from southwestern Alberta to northeast British Columbia. The Montney Formation has natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGL) and oil from conventional and unconventional reservoirs. The first multiple fractured horizontal well (MFHW) was drilled in 2005. However, since the first MFHW, different methods were proposed to optimize completion designs in the Montney Formation. Some of the optimized completions utilized the "operational effectiveness" of high-rate slick-water fracture designs while other designs utilized energized fracturing fluids. What has been missing was an integrated methodology that utilizes all available data …

Nitrogen Gas Flooding For Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir: Visualisation Experiment And Numerical Simulation, Zhaojie Song, Jirui Hou, Zhongchun Liu, Fenglan Zhao, Shijun Huang, Yong Wang, Jieheng Wu, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tahe Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir has implemented nitrogen gas flooding since 2013, with daily oil production of 7580 bbls and oil recovery increment of 0.83% by the end of 2015. However, the presence of fractures significantly affects gas swept volume and production performance, so large amount of oil reserves is poorly flooded due to gas channeling through fractures. The fluid flow mechanisms in fractured models were discussed in order to improve field gas flooding efficiency. Based on the geological constrains of Tahe Oilfield, fractured models with different apertures were fabricated using acrylic glass to model carbonate matrix wettability and for …

Gallium-Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glass With Potent Hemostatic Activity And Antibacterial Efficacy, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ehsan Zeimaran, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Nicola Gargiulo, Shani Samuel, Sangeetha Vasudevaraj Naveen, Tunku Kamarul, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Haemorrhage remains the leading cause of potentially survivable death in both military and civilian populations. Although a large variety of hemostatic agents have been developed, many of them have an inadequate capacity to induce hemostasis and are not effective in killing bacteria. In recent years, mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) were found to be effective in inducing hemostasis. However, the materials may not be considered as ideal hemostats since they do not offer antimicrobial activity. The gallium ion (Ga⁺³) not only exhibits antibacterial properties but also accelerates the blood coagulation cascade. The aim of this study was to develop …

Antibacterial Properties Of Poly (Octanediol Citrate)/Gallium-Containing Bioglass Composite Scaffolds, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ivan Djordjevic, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Anthony W. Wren, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glasses may function as antimicrobial delivery systems through the incorporation and subsequent release of therapeutic ions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of a series of composite scaffolds composed of poly (octanediol citrate) with increased loads of a bioactive glass that releases zinc (Zn²⁺) and gallium (Ga³⁺) ions in a controlled manner. The antibacterial activity of these scaffolds was investigated against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The ability of the scaffolds to release ions and the subsequent ingress of these ions into hard tissue was evaluated …

Inorganic Hemostats: The State-Of-The-Art And Recent Advances, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ehsan Zeimaran, Ivan Djordjevic, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hemorrhage is the most common cause of death both in hospitals and on the battlefield. The need for an effective hemostatic agent remains, since all injuries are not amenable to tourniquet use. There are many topical hemostatic agents and dressings available to control severe bleeding. This article reviews the most commonly used inorganic hemostats, subcategorized as zeolite and clay-based hemostats. Their hemostatic functions as well as their structural properties that are believed to induce hemostasis are discussed. The most important findings from in vitro and in vivo experiments are also covered.

Carinata Fame Production Process And Biofuel Oxidation, Benoit Kindo

Honors College Theses

In this experiment, the contribution of a standard production method for biofuels on their oxidative stability was investigated. Peroxide values were measured at different steps of the production process of Brassica carinata and peanut-based biofuels. The washing and drying steps in this production method showed significant increases in peroxide values for both biofuels and was identified as a major contributor of biofuel oxidation. Further analyses of the physical and thermal properties showed a more pronounced affect in the biofuel from Bassica carinata, and indicated an unusual composition much higher in saturated fatty acids much longer than those found in peanut. …

Laboratory Evaluation Of A Real-Time Coaxial Cable Casing Imager For Wellbore Integrity Monitoring, Yurong Li, Runar Nygaard, Baokai Cheng, Wenge Zhu, Hai Xiao

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Leakage is one of the major concerns in a geological carbon sequestration project due to the adverse environmental consequences. The main leakage risk of CO₂ through a thick, low permeable cap rock is identified to be along wells, especially in sedimentary basins that have a history of oil and gas exploration and production. To pursue a robust and cost-effective real-time monitoring technology for CO₂ leakage risk detection along the wellbore, a permanently downhole deployed coaxial cable casing imaging system is developed and tested for various deformation modes in laboratory in this paper. The casing imager consists of a …

Application Of The Finite Element Method To Solve Coupled Multiphysics Problems For Subsurface Energy Extraction, Milad Ahmadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fractures are a source of extra compliance in the rock mass. Fracture compliance can estimate the fracture roughness and the type of fluid filling the fracture. The focus of this research study in chapter 2 is to illustrate how the compliance ratio of rough fractures can diverge from the compliance ratio of smooth fractures. The imperfect interface of the fracture is modeled with saw-tooth-like structures. The defined saw-tooth-like structures of contact asperities impose an in-plane asymmetry in the shear direction. The compliance ratio of the rough fracture is larger than the compliance ratio of the smooth fracture. Interlocking and riding …

Application Of The Variational Fracture Model To Hydraulic Fracturing In Poroelastic Media, Chukwudi Chukwudozie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hydraulic fracturing has persisted through the use of simple numerical models to describe fracture geometry and propagation. Field tests provide evidence of interaction and merging of multiple fractures, complex fracture geometry and propagation paths. These complicated behaviors suggest that the simple models are incapable of serving as predictive tools for treatment designs. In addition, other commonly used models are designed without considering poroelastic effects even though a propagating hydraulic fracture induces deformation of the surrounding porous media. A rigorous hydraulic fracturing model capable of reproducing realistic fracture behaviors should couple rock deformation, fracture propagation and fluid flow in the both …

Mathematical Scaling And Statistical Modeling Of Geopressured Geothermal Reservoirs, Esmail Ansari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The interest for developing geopressured-geothermal reservoirs along the US Gulf Coast is increasing for securing energy needs and reducing global warming. Identifying the most attractive candidate reservoirs for geothermal energy production requires quick and simple models. Analytical models are not always available and simulating each case individually is expensive. The use of scaling and statistical modeling is one approach to translate the output of a simulator into quick models with general applicability at all scales. The developed models can quickly estimate temperature and thermal energy recovery from the geopressured-geothermal reservoirs. These models can screen large databases of reservoirs to select …

Molecular Simulation Study Of Oil Hydrocarbons, Dispersants And Other Organics In Atmospheric Air/Water Interfaces, Zenghui Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main objective of this dissertation is to study the interfacial properties of organic contaminants, in particular green leaf volatiles (GLVs), oil hydrocarbons [mainly intermediate-volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)], as well as surfactant species (i.e. DOSS and Span 80) from Corexit dispersants at atmospheric air/water and air/seawater interfaces. All these compounds can significantly contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Furthermore, our simulation work on IVOCs, SVOCs and Corexit surfactants, combining with experiments from the Valsaraj group, suggests that these compounds can be adsorbed on the surface of seawater droplets and aerosolized into the …

Impacts Of Rock-Brine Interactions On Petrophysical Properties Of A Sandstone Reservoir, Utilizing Geochemical And Pore Network Modeling, Masoud Safari-Zanjani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unfavorable consequences of geochemical reactions, such as calcite and silica scaling, in geothermal power plant surface facilities have been discussed in many recent studies. However, the impact of brine-rock interactions related to geothermal projects on reservoir properties has not been addressed fully. In this study, interactions between geothermal fluid and reservoir rocks in two fields located in Vermilion Parish, LA, and Chocolate Bayou, TX, are examined using geochemical modeling. The studied reservoir belongs to the Frio formation. In the geochemical models, the brine is cooled down to the estimated output temperature of a geothermal heat exchanger and re-equilibrated. Then, brine-rock …

Modelling Hydraulic Fracturing Propagation In Heterogeneous Reservoirs Using Cohesive Zone Methods, Miguel Alejandro Gonzalez-Chavez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The recent success in exploiting low permeability shale reservoirs has heavily relied on hydraulic fracturing to produce hydrocarbons economically in disadvantaged reservoir conditions. Although horizontal drilling significantly increases the contact area between the wellbore and the reservoir, the objective of hydraulic fracturing is set on creating further expanded conductive flow paths into the reservoir. This research uses cohesive zone method to numerically simulate hydraulic fracture propagation in the presence of natural fractures in two- and three-dimensional model. The Cohesive element approach limits fracture propagation to some predefined paths. However, in highly fractured formations since hydraulic fractures are growing through a …

Statistical Reservoir Characterization, Simulation, And Optimization Of Field Scale-Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process With Uncertainty Assessments, Watheq Jasim Mohammed Al-Mudhafar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unlike the Continuous Gas Injection (CGI) and Water-Alternative Gas (WAG), the Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) process takes advantage of the natural segregation of reservoir fluids to provide gravity-stable oil displacement. The gas is injected through existing vertical wells to formulate a gas cap to allow oil and water drain down to the horizontal producer (s). Therefore, the GAGD process was implemented through immiscible and miscible injection modes to improve oil recovery in a sector of the main pay/upper sandstone member in the South Rumaila oil field, located in Iraq. A high-resolution geostatistical reservoir characterization model was constructed to model …

Modeling Churn And Annular Flow Regimes In Vertical And Near-Vertical Pipes With Small And Large Diameters, Erika Viana Pagan

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents an improved model for gas-liquid two-phase flow in churn and annular flow regimes for small- and large-diameter in vertical and near-vertical pipes. This new model assumes that a net liquid film moves upward along the pipe wall and gas phase moves upward, occupying the majority of the central part of the pipes, and forming a gas core, in both flow regimes. The model is validated using field and laboratory experimental data from several different studies from the literature, in terms of pressure along the wellbore or bottomhole pressure for field conditions (for high-pressure flows in long pipes, …

Development Of Microfluidic Devices To Study Algal Chemotaxis And Long-Term Growth Dynamics, Benjamin Seth Roberts

LSU Master's Theses

Harmful algal blooms pose a threat to human health and the environment. Many complex factors influence their formation and development, and much is still unknown. One major influencing factor that is well-known yet poorly studied is algal chemotaxis. Many studies have examined chemotaxis in other organisms, but very little about chemotaxis in algae has been studied, largely because existing technology and assay techniques are inadequate. Microfluidics offers many possibilities for cell biology, and has been applied to the study of chemotaxis in other organisms already. These techniques can be applied to the study of algal chemotaxis as well. We present …

Expandable Proppants For Hydraulic Fracturing, Livio Yang Santos

LSU Master's Theses

Hydraulic fracturing is recognized as the primary technique to achieve economic oil and gas production from low permeability reservoirs like shale and tight-sand formations. One of the main challenges facing the oil and gas industry is maintaining the proppant functionality in the subsurface where replacement of proppant is only possible by expensive refracturing operations. Proppant crushing and proppant embedment have posed challenges for sustainable production from stimulated wells especially in soft and deep formations like Haynesville Shales. Experimental measurements show the strong impact of proppant stress and proppant embedment on reducing fracture conductivity. In this work, we introduce a new …

Extensive Sensitivity Analysis And Parallel Stochastic Global Optimization Using Radial Basis Functions Of Integrated Biorefineries Under Operational Level Uncertainties, Santiago David Salas Ortiz

LSU Master's Theses

This work presents a decision-making framework for global optimization of detailed renewable energy processes considering technological uncertainty. The critical uncertain sources are identified with an efficient computational method for global sensitivity analysis, and are obtained in two different ways, simultaneously and independently per product pathway respect to the objective function. For global optimization, the parallel stochastic response surface method developed by Regis & Shoemaker (2009) is employed. This algorithm is based on the multi-start local metric stochastic response surface method explored by the same authors (2007a). The aforementioned algorithm uses as response surface model a radial basis function (RBF) for …

The Supercritical Pyrolysis Of 1-Octene, Elizabeth Anne Hurst

LSU Master's Theses

In the pre-combustion environment, fuels for future high-speed aircrafts are predicted to take on increasing heat loads in their role as the primary coolant in order to remove excess heat from engine subsystems. While acting in this role, these fuels are expected to experience temperatures and pressures up to 700 °C and 130 atm, conditions which are supercritical for jet fuels and most hydrocarbons. Such extreme conditions can cause fuel decomposition and subsequent pyrolytic reactions, which can lead to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). PAH are precursors to solids deposits that clog fuel-delivery lines, causing reduced engine performance …

Aspen Simulation Of Oil Shale And Biomass Process, Anand Alembath

Masters Theses

"This thesis focuses on design and analysis of two major chemical processes using computer simulation which performs a steady state computation. The objective is to design processes using Aspen simulation to establish optimum operating conditions by performing various simulation runs which are challenging to execute at lab scale.

Increasing energy needs and decline of global oil prices has shifted our focus on commercially developing unconventional and renewable resources. Commercialization of any process relies on developing a process model that identifies different process parameters by performing a steady state mass and heat balance. Aspen simulation is considered an effective process modeling …

The Impact Of Heat Exchanging Internals On Hydrodynamics Of Bubble Column Reactor, Ahmed Jasim

Masters Theses

"In this study, the impact of configuration and size of vertical heat exchanging internals in bubble columns on gas holdup, specific gas-liquid interfacial area, bubble chord length, and bubble rise velocity were investigated. Three different configurations of internals, each covering 25% of the column's cross-sectional area, were used to simulate the heat exchanging tubes utilized in the F-T process. The First configuration is a circular-like arrangement of 0.5 inch diameter vertical rods, whereas the second is a hexagonal-like arrangement of 0.5 inch diameter vertical rods. The third configuration is also a circular arrangement but of 1 inch diameter vertical rods …

Data Analysis Of Surfactant-Induced Wettability Alteration In Carbonate Reservoirs, Hao Sun

Masters Theses

"Most carbonate formations prove to be oil-wet due to oil aging effect. Therefore it is essential to employ wettability alteration methods for a more effective enhanced oil recovery process. It is confirmed by researchers that surfactant treatment has positive effects on wettability alteration of carbonate rock, from strong oil-wet to intermediate wet or to even weak water-wet. A number of experiments have the same conclusion and yet, a systematic screening guide development with the support of sufficient data analysis is lacking.

This study involves screening guide development for surfactant-induced wettability alteration method. 199 experiments collected from published literatures are analyzed …