Engineering Commons^™

Exploring Reservoir Connectivity With Production Data: Two New Methods And A New Technique, Ghazwan Faisal Jasim Al-Khmaysawee

Masters Theses

"This study presents two new, simple methods to explore reservoir connectivity, which has a significant impact on field development strategy. Identifying reservoir connectivity during primary depletion plays an important role in achieving the most cost-effective and highest production possible. It is also very important in future secondary and tertiary oil recovery, particularly when costs dictate a limited number of wells such as those in deepwater environments.

The presented methods are reciprocal-productivity index versus total field material-balance time trend lines and reciprocal-productivity index versus time trend lines. Those two methods are quick, simple, inexpensive, and only need rate and pressure data …

Voltage Control In A Distribution System Using Active Power Loads, Mounika Chava

Masters Theses

"High penetration of renewable energy resources such as rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is exacerbating violations of the voltage limits in power distribution networks. Existing solutions to these over-/under-voltage issues include tap-changing transformers and shunt capacitors. However, tap changers only allow voltage changes in discrete steps and shunt capacitors cannot handle over-voltage situations. To overcome these problems, this thesis proposes voltage control in a distribution system by adjusting active power loads. The proposed solution can be used for both under- and over-voltage cases at any levels of voltage adjustment. First, the active power that needs to be adjusted at selected …

Design, Scale-Up, Six Sigma In Processing Different Feedstocks In A Fixed Bed Downdraft Biomass Gasifier, Sai Chandra Teja Boravelli

Masters Theses

"This thesis mainly focuses on design and process development of a downdraft biomass gasification processes. The objective is to develop a gasifier and process of gasification for a continuous steady state process. A lab scale downdraft gasifier was designed to develop the process and obtain optimum operating procedure.

Sustainable and dependable sources such as biomass are potential sources of renewable energy and have a reasonable motivation to be used in developing a small scale energy production plant for countries such as Canada where wood stocks are more reliable sources than fossil fuels. This thesis addresses the process of thermal conversion …

An Investigation Of Plugging And Increasing Oil Recovery In Sandstone Porous Media By Micrometer-Size Particle Gel, Haifeng Ding

Masters Theses

"Micrometer-size particle gel (microgel) has been developed and successfully applied to improve conformance in mature reservoirs. However, quite few researches have been published to address on their effect on oil recovery and rock permeability modification.

This work conducted a series of core flooding experiments to investigate the injectivity, plugging efficiency and improving oil recovery potentials of a couple of microgels synthesized in our lab.

First, this work studied the impact of permeability and crosslinker concentration on PAM type microgel treatment. Results shows that microgel treatment would have a less plugging efficiency in lower permeability rocks, which could be caused by …

Analysis Of Va Sacramento Medical Center Capacity Using Discrete Event Simulation, Tatiana Alejandra Cardona

Masters Theses

"The development of simulation models continues to provide effective solutions to a wide range of problems in healthcare systems. In the research presented within this thesis is the development of a representative and validated discrete event simulation model for the purpose of evaluating additional capacity. The study consists of a detailed exploratory analysis, verification and validation tests of the simulation results, and a thorough design of experiments. The exploratory analysis consisted of developing simulation models that provide similar characteristics found in the data. The design of experiments consisted of generating scenarios of various bed additions in the hospital units of …

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 …

Addressing The Influence Of Carbon Monoxide On The Behavior Of An Hcci Engine, Allen Charles Ernst

Masters Theses

"Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) may be the next leap of improvement to internal combustion engines due to its decreased emissions and improved engine efficiencies. However, such a jump possesses challenges owing to its strict reliance on the inherent physics that dictate start of combustion and limit the reach of stable operation. This work investigates the role and fundamental influence of carbon monoxide on the cycle-to-cycle combustion dynamics present in the region of incomplete combustion that frames the limited HCCI operating region. An improved understanding will open doors to enhanced control methodologies and an expanded stable operating envelope. A constant …

Design Methodology For Behavioral Surface Roughness Modeling And High-Speed Test Board Design, Xinyao Guo

Masters Theses

"A behavioral model is introduced, which can predict low-loss and low surface roughness transmission line time- and frequency- domain performances. High data rates push for better performance of PCB transmission lines. However, the roughness of copper foil has a considerable impact on the signal integrity performance of transmission lines at high data rates and long propagation distance. Existing models for low-loss transmission line surface roughness are inadequate. A new behavioral model to represent the surface roughness has been developed. The model is applied in the design process by adding a dispersive term to the bulk dielectric permittivity to represent the …

Characterization Of Electric Solid Propellant Pulsed Microthrusters, Matthew Scott Glascock

Masters Theses

"Electric solid propellants are an attractive option for space propulsion because they are ignited by applied electric power only. In this work, the behavior of pulsed microthruster devices utilizing such a material is investigated. These devices are similar in function and operation to the pulsed plasma thruster, which typically uses Teflon as propellant. A Faraday probe, Langmuir triple probe, residual gas analyzer, pendulum thrust stand and high speed camera are utilized as diagnostic devices. These thrusters are made in batches, of which a few devices were tested experimentally in vacuum environments. Results indicate a plume electron temperature of about 1.7 …

Impact Of Repeated Cyclic Production Scheme On Eur In Low-Permeability Reservoirs, Samarth Gupte

Masters Theses

"Productivity in low-permeability reservoirs declines quickly compared to conventional reservoirs. These tight reservoirs have very high initial oil production rates but as soon as the oil near the fractured area is recovered, the production declines rapidly making economic oil and gas production a challenge for the industry. This study investigates the impact of repeated shut-in/production cycles on the ultimate recovery of oil in such environments.

A reservoir model with multiple fractured horizontal well having 30 transverse fractures is created using CMG. Reservoir permeability is varied over the range of 0.000001 md to 10 md and shut-in/production cycles of 2-weeks, 1-month, …

Accurate Imepdance Measurement Of O Clip And Near Field Coupling Estimation Using Equivalent Dipole Moment Model, Qiaolei Huang

Masters Theses

"As cellphones and electronic devices moves towards higher date rates yet smaller form factor, designer face more electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) problems. In order to better guide the early design; designers want to know the exact electrical performance of small components, coupling estimation between components.

In Section 1, a de-embedding method is proposed to measure the impedance of an innovative O-shape spring contact, for frequency up to 30 GHz. The measurements are performed under the same condition when it's actually used in cellphones. De-embedding method will be applied to remove the fixture effects of the measurement …

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 …

Studies On Flocculation Of Fine Mineral Tailings Using Novel Polyacrylamide Based Polymer, Simin Khatibi

Masters Theses

"One of the important features in managing or treating sulfide fine tailings is separating solids from liquid by settling test. This thesis presents results of studied conducted on flocculation of Kaolin suspensions (a model tailings) and sulfide mineral tailings. Two polymers (PAM and Al-PAM) were tested as flocculants. The zeta potential value of slurries was measured by Nano Zetasizer device.

Al-PAM was found to be more effective for flocculation of kaolinite samples and also sulfide samples while PAM with used concentration was not. This study represents the power of flocculation as a possible solution to deal with industrial tailings"--Abstract, page …

Bioresponsive Polymer Coating On Nanoparticles, Tunyaboon Laemthong

Masters Theses

"Nanotechnology incorporated with molecular biology became a promising way to treat cancer. The size of nanoparticles enables them to overcome the side effects noticed in cancer treatment like chemotherapy and surgery. Various types and shapes of nanoparticles have been synthesized and used in drug delivery to tumor sites. However, one of problems of using these nanoparticles is the aggregation after injecting them into human body due to flow rate of bloodstream. The coagulation and aggregation will result in clogging blood vessel and lower therapeutic efficacy.

In this thesis, a solution to the aggregation problem was proposed, which is coating biopolymer …

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 …

Construction And Validation Of Tl-Ipm Generator, Jamaluddin Mohammad

Masters Theses

"Hydrokinetic energy is one of the potential sources of energy that can be extracted and converted to electrical energy using linear generator. This work discusses about construction and validation of tubular linear internal permanent magnet (TL-IPM) generator, a kind of linear generator. The generator could produce electricity by converting linear motion generated from vortex induced vibrations induced due from a flowing fluid, such as a river. A simulation model of the generator is created using Ansoft's Maxwell software, which uses finite element analysis to perform electromagnetic analysis of the generator. Then a practical generator was built and tested. The results …

Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Simulations Of Molten Steel Flow Patterns And Particle-Wall Adhesion In Continuous Casting Of Steels, Mahdi Mohammadi-Ghaleni

Masters Theses

"In this research, the measurements of clog deposit thickness on the interior surfaces of a continuous casting nozzle were compared with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) predictions of melt flow patterns and particle-wall interactions to identify the mechanisms of nozzle clogging. A hybrid turbulent approach, Detached Eddy Simulation (DES), was configured to simulate both turbulent structures and particle-wall interactions inside the nozzle accurately. For experimental measurements of nozzle clogging, a nozzle received from industry was encased in epoxy and carefully sectioned to allow measurement of the deposit thickness on the internal surfaces of the nozzle. CFD simulations of melt flow patterns …

Hidden Markov Model Based Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Using Active And Reactive Power Consumption, Paulomi Nandy

Masters Theses

"This work presents a residential appliance disaggregation technique to help achieve the fundamental goal in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) problem i.e. simple breakdown of energy consumption based on the appliance type in a household. The appliances are modeled using Hidden Markov Model by utilizing both their active and reactive power consumption data. The data was recorded by attaching Power Standards Lab PQube measurement device to the appliances. Granularity of the power readings of the disaggregated appliance matches with that of the reading collected for individual device. The accuracy of the model is compared with other models developed using only active …

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 …

Event-Sampled Direct Adaptive Neural Network Control Of Uncertain Strict-Feedback System With Application To Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Nathan Szanto

Masters Theses

"Neural networks (NNs) are utilized in the backstepping approach to design a control input by approximating unknown dynamics of the strict-feedback nonlinear system with event-sampled inputs. The system state vector is assumed to be unknown and an observer is used to estimate the state vector. By using the estimated state vector and backstepping design approach, an event-sampled controller is introduced. As part of the controller design, first, input-to-state-like stability (ISS) for a continuously sampled controller that has been injected with bounded measurement errors is demonstrated and, subsequently, an event-execution control law is derived such that the measurement errors are guaranteed …

Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis In High Permeability Hydraulic Fractured Horizontal Gas Wells, Hrithu Vasudevan

Masters Theses

"Hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells in unconventional reservoirs has become the dominant type of well completion performed in the United States. In very low permeability reservoirs (~.00001-.0001 mD), the wellbore is aligned with the minimum horizontal stress, and the completion includes multiple transverse fractures. These fractures may be placed with either open hole sleeve type completion systems (OHMS), or cased hole plug and perf systems (P-n-P). In slightly higher permeability reservoirs (1 to 10 mD) multiple longitudinal fractures have been found to be preferred to completions with transverse fractures.

This study presents an evaluation of gas well productivity for both …

Hydrodynamic Of A Co-Current Gas Liquid Upflow In A Moving Packed Bed Reactor With Porous Catalysts, Ali Jabbar Toukan

Masters Theses

"In this study, the hydrodynamic, i.e. flow regime identification, line average liquid holdup, and the internal liquid holdup of a co-current moving packed bed reactor were studied. For the sake of hydrodynamics study, moving bed reactor is investigated as two-phase upflow packed bed reactor. Scaled down configuration was used to simulate of the moving bed reactors utilized in the industrial process. First, line average liquid holdup is measured with different geometrical configurations covering empty, dry, wet, and packed column under flowrates operation conditions. A new methodology has been developed to determine the line average liquid holdup for a porous catalyst. …

Development And Testing Of A Fracture Energy-Based Model Of Explosive Asteroid Deflection, James A. Veerkamp

Masters Theses

"While asteroid deflection has been studied for the past half century, efforts have generally been directed towards methods that attempt to minimize disruption of the rock body. In order to widen the base of research, a fracture energy-based model of asteroid fragmentation was developed and applied to both asteroid scale and lab testable scale cases. Modeling of the orbital case suggests the capability to deflect a 100 meter diameter asteroid on a 10 year timescale. The model's predicted energy transfer is then compared to laboratory testing using a ballistic pendulum. The results of this testing suggest that the model as …

Data Analysis For Driving Pattern Identification And Driver's Behavior Modeling In A Freeway Work Zone, Hari Narayanan Vijaya Raghavan Nadathur

Masters Theses

"A variety of methods are used by Departments of Transportation (DOT) for informing drivers about upcoming work zones. One such method is work zone signage configuration. Signage plays an important role in work zones to provide guidance to drivers when conditions on the road vary from normal. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of different configurations, by law, before implementation of new signage designs that deviate from the national standards.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a compilation of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road markings, highway signs, and traffic signals. In …

Correlation Anaylsis Of Magnesite Dissolution Rate And Magnesite Spatial Distribution, Yao Wang

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents a correlation analysis of the spatial distribution and permeability of magnesite dissolution and focuses on its overall rate and average porosity. Magnesite dissolution is affected by several aspects.

A reservoir's large spatial distribution can make capturing the magnesite dissolution difficult, so in this study, a variogram was built in Petrel using a percentage variation of magnesite and sand. The variogram also handles different major and minor directions in anisotropy. After building the magnesite model, simulation of magnesite dissolution was achieved in Cruch Flow to get the magnesite dissolution rate and average porosity.

For correlation analysis, a regression …

Design Of An Adaptive Force And Stiffness Controlled Compliant Device For Robotic Polishing, Mohammad Masud Parvez

Masters Theses

"Polishing is a repetitive task done in an unhealthy environment. Often more than half of the manufacturing time is required to polish a die. The manual polishing process is a tedious work actively rely on a skilled human worker. Industrial Robot has replaced the human in performing these tasks. For robotic polishing to control the polishing force, an active compliant device is used. Due to the compressibility of air, a pneumatic system is preferred as the actuator of the device. The force of the actuator is controlled by regulating air pressure in both chambers of the cylinder. However, to improve …

Reduction Of Emi Due To Common Mode Current Using Common Mode Filter Or Lossy Material, Qian Liu

Masters Theses

"This thesis consists of four papers. In the first paper, two new common mode filter structures were designed, fabricated, and measured. A "sandwich-type" EBG structure that resonates at the desired filter frequency is designed to suppress common mode filter on differential signals. The new filters are placed on top of the PCB as a surface-mount component, instead of being implemented within the PCB stackup. The total radiated power (TRP) of the implemented filter is investigated and discussed. RF absorbing material and traditional shielding are considered to reduce the TRP.

In the second paper and third paper, new PCB-embedded common mode …

Pim Source Identification Using Vibration Modulation Method, Sen Yang

Masters Theses

“In Section 1, passive intermodulation (PIM) is introduced and the mechanism of it is briefly explained. Then, the up-to-date PIM testing and source identification method in the industrial and academia worlds will be summarized.

The vibration modulation method for PIM source identification is proposed in Section 2. Different vibration sources were tested and compared, and the test results showed that the vibration modulation method is able to identify PIM source with good accuracy.

Section 3 outlines a special PIM source identification system built based on the vibration modulation system. The two subsystems, PIM receiver and PIM vibrator, are illustrated in …

Design And Fabrication Of A System For The Additive Manufacturing Of Transparent Glass, Luke John Gilbert

Masters Theses

"Despite glass' prevalence in the scientific and engineering community, very little research has been conducted attempting to additively manufacture (AM) glass. Even less research has been done on optically transparent glass. Glass’ material properties make it ineligible for most AM processes if the end result is to be transparent. Even small gas inclusions can cause large amounts of scattering. Additively manufacturing transparent glass brings the advantages found in other AM processes with the added benefit of having optical properties better than those found in polymers. Additively manufacturing glass also allows the optical properties of transparent parts to vary arbitrarily. This …

Multifunctional Wearable Epidermal Device For Physiological Signal Monitoring In Sleep Study, J V M S Avinash Kankipati

Masters Theses

"Sleep is the essential part of life. Thousands of people are suffering from different kinds sleep disorders. Clinical diagnosing and treating for such disorders are costly, painful and quite sluggish. To reach the demand many commercial products are into the market to encourage home based sleep studies using portable devices. These portable devices are limited in use, cannot be handled easily and quite costly. Advancements in technology miniaturized these portable devices to wearable devices to make them convenient and economical. Elastic, soft and thin silicon membrane with physical properties well matched with that of the epidermis provides conformal and robust …