Chemical Engineering Commons^™

How Might Synthetic Fuels From Coal Affect Natural Resources And Environment?, H. J. Plass Jr.

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Energy self-sufficiency for the U. S. requires substantially increased use of coal. Direct combustion of coal without adequate environmental controls, as would occur if coal were used as a fuel for homes and offices throughout the country, would result in severe air pollution problems„ Synthetic fuels from coal such as methane, low BTU gas, or hydrogen, when utilized by the homes and businesses as gas or as electricity from gas, will contribute a much smaller amount of air pollution. However, to make these synthetic fuels available, it is necessary to mine more coal than would have to be mined for …

A Seismic Investigation Over A Near-Surface Cavern, Richard D. Rechtien, David M. Stewart

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A field experiment was conducted over a near-surface cavern with the principal objective of obtaining a spatial definition of the associated Cavity Resonance phenomenon, as reported by Watkins et. al. (1967) and by Godson and Watkins (1968). The results of the experiment were inconsistent with those of the earlier investigators in that all seismic events recorded in the vicinity of the cavity, having vertical velocity components, could be readily identified as standard modes of seismic wave transmission. A persistence of strong horizontal motion was observed for late record times. This horizontal motion was consistently oriented parallel to the cavity boundary, …

Centralized Solar Wind Home Heating, Russell Peterson, Duane Cromack

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

In the immediacy of national goals for energy independence, the need emerges to use dialectic methods to diminish the energy consumptive characteristics of the typical home.

At the cutting edge of resourceful progress are the residential developments which embrace alternative and conservative energy techniques. In conjunction with such a planned, low impact community, this paper proposes a cluster-centralized system which utilizes wind energy in combination with solar thermal energy for space and domestic water heating.

A description of the random solar-wind resource embodies a matching problem that in turn reveals the benefits of the combined mode of energy collection. Though …

Direct Ac Generation From Solar Cell Arrays, Fernando L. Alvarado, Adel H. Eltimsahy

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Results of the investigation of the performance of solar cells when directly coupled to a conventional three-phase power network are presented. This approach dissociates the electricity production problem from the electric energy storage problem. Extensive studies of the required power inverter are performed. Preliminary simulation results indicate that ac power outputs of better than 90% of the optimum cell power output can be easily achieved by means of a suitably controlled inverter, thereby justifying the elimination of dc loads or local dc electric energy storage devices. It is also shown that the controlling policy for the inverter must depend on …

Status Report On The Callaway Nuclear Power Plant, A. E. Bolan, D. F. Schnell

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The progress to date of the first nuclear-powered, electric generating plant proposed to be constructed in the state of Missouri is described.

Dynamic Simulation For Regional Energy Studies, B. W. Jones, P. M. Moretti, J. H. Mize

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

A series of models has been developed for regional studies of energy supply- demand systems. The models are based on dynamic simulation of components of the system using equations derived from the technical details of the system. The models contain sufficient detail to make in-depth studies and specific recommendations. The final goal is to include all aspects of regional energy systems from native supplies of energy resources to the economic activities of the region.

To develop a comprehensive model, the system has been partitioned into subsystems, so that a detailed model can be made for each subsystem. The detailed model …

A Computer-Automated Laboratory System In A University Environment, James H. Tracey, Hardy J. Pottinger, Richard D. Rechtien

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A computer-automated laboratory system at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, which serves a wide variety of instruction and research disciplines including Geophysics, Cloud Physics, and Computer Graphics, is described. The system serves as an example for campuses which are relatively small in geographic area and with budget limitations which dictate a step-by-step evolution. The paper describes 1) the constraints and economics realized in the development of the system, 2) the characteristics of the minicomputer network, and 3) an evaluation of the system philosophy and performance. Also included is a description of diverse laboratory projects supported by the computer-automated system. © …

Alcohol Assisted Hydrocarbon Fuels: A Comparison Of Exhaust Emissions And Fuel Consumption Using Steady-State And Dynamic Engine Test Facilities, D. J. Bushnell, J. M. Simonsen

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This paper presents experimental data which exemplifies the differences in emission level testing on internal combustion engines when dynamic engine tests are used instead of steady-state engine tests. A comparison of the two test methods is made using hydrocarbon fuels with varying amounts of methanol. Emissions measured include the nitric oxides, unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Emission levels and fuel consumption are reported for the various volumetric percentages of methanol in the fuel.

Of special significance are the different trends the emission levels establish when subjected to a dynamic engine test as compared to the results for the steady-state tests. …

Energy, Environment And Incremental Decision Making, Jeff V. Conopask, Robert R. Reynolds Jr.

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

During the late 1960's and early 70's a variety of environmental/energy oriented legislation was enacted by the Congress. The most important of these acts, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), required that environmental impact statements be filed when various private and public activities have a potential for impacting man and his environment. (17) Impact statement requirements go beyond the currently practiced cost/benefit analysis, which is often just a production (direct) impact assessment. Heretofore, indirect or second round economic and social effects of consequence affecting other national goals were seldom counted.

1st Umr-Mec Conference On Energy Resources -- Entire Proceedings, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

No abstract provided.

Oil Shale And Its Potential Utilization, G. U. Dineen

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The large deposits of oil shale in the Green River Formation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming offer a potential source of significant quantities of liquid fuels. This paper discusses the location and potential of the resource; the present state of technology for producing shale oil by both aboveground and in situ processes; the characteristics of shale oil; environmental aspects of oil-shale utilization; and recent developments, particularly results of the Department of the Interior’s Prototype Oil Shale Leasing Program, that suggest inauguration of commercial oil-shale processing.

Energy Saving Projects Recently Completed At A Large Petroleum Refinery, J. A. Marshall, A. D. Kiehne

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

A significant reduction in energy consumption per barrel of crude oil processed has been effected at Shell Oil's Wood River, Illinois, Refinery during the past two years. Some of the projects which have resulted in reduced energy consumption are:

1. Improved furnace efficiency through closer surveillance and through installation of optimizing controllers on certain furnaces.

2. Lowered reflux-to-feed ratios on certain fractionating columns following reoptimization of operating conditions with current fuel values.

3. Additional heat exchangers purchased and installed on plants originally designed and optimized at lower fuel values.

This paper discusses examples of each of the above projects and …

The Role Of Natural Gas And Lng In Supplying Our Energy Needs, D. L. Caldwell

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The domestic natural gas industry experienced a spectacular growth during the two decades from 1950 to 1970. Demand for gas continues to rise and production has peaked at a time when the price for other energy sources is escalating. A price increase can stimulate production over the short term. Massive LNG imports can help the intermediate term supply. The long term natural gas situation is bleak and substitute natural gas sources must be employed. A conservation program and reordering of priorities for energy sources is essential for the United States as well as most industrial nations.

A Technique For Improving Stability Of Petroleum Reservoir Simulation Models, M. D. Arnold, T. C. Wilson, A. Herbert Harvey

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Computational instability may occur in the mathematical simulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs when small inaccuracies in the calculated pressures cause loss of diagonal dominance in the matrix of coefficients. The problem can be resolved by the use of a more precise technique for computation of pressures. However, this stability problem is still troublesome to users of certain types of reservoir simulators. A computational technique which has been found effective in resolving the problem is presented.

Mathematical Simulation Of Gas And Water Coning In Petroleum Reservoirs By The Dynamic Material Balance Technique, Visheshwar Nath Simlote

Doctoral Dissertations

"The prediction of coning behavior at a producing oil well is one of the most difficult numerical simulation problems. Because of the convergent flow patterns and small sizes of the inner grid blocks, the radial coordinate models used to study the problem have a tendency to become unstable. Since several hundred pore volumes may flow through the inner grid blocks during a rather small time interval, instabilities are likely to occur in the saturation calculations for these grid blocks. The dynamic approach to saturation calculations is a method which first computes the correct material balance and then calculates the saturation …

An Application Of Residual Relaxation To Mathematical Simulation Of Petroleum Reservoirs, Grufron Achmad

Doctoral Dissertations

"Stability and convergence have long been primary concerns in the application of numerical techniques to the simulation of petroleum reservoir performance. An iterative method based on sequentially reducing the residual to zero at each grid point has been developed. It has been shown analytically that this residual relaxation method is stable, convergent, and consistent.

A three-phase areal model was developed to simulate a hypothetical homogeneous petroleum reservoir, and various computational methods were tested with this model. The residual relaxation method developed in this study (RELAX) was found to converge as rapidly as SIP, and much faster than either LSOR or …

Numerical Simulation Of Individual Wells In A Field Simulation Model, Ali Mohammed Akbar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Conventional numerical simulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs is inadequate for the prediction of bottom-hole pressures at production wells. This problem can be overcome by using a special mathematical model which combines individual well simulation with reservoir simulation. Severe computational instability is commonly encountered in the radial models due to the relatively small grid-blocks and high fluid velocities in the vicinity of the well bore. This instability is found to be more pronounced during depletion of the reservoir when the pressure near the well bore is below bubble-point pressure. A new technique is introduced here for saturation calculations in the critical region …

Heat Transfer Of A High Prandtl Number Oil In Laminar Flow, John Robert Lee Iii

Masters Theses

"A numerical model was developed for the purpose of studying the flow and heat transfer of a hypothetical oil in laminar flow within a horizontal pipeline. Free convection, work of compression, and axial conduction were neglected, but the fluid properties - i.e., density, specific heat, viscosity, and thermal conductivity - were allowed to vary and the effect of viscous dissipation was included in the analysis of the system.

The mathematical forms of the momentum, continuity, and energy equations require that numerical solutions be obtained with a digital computer. These numerical approximations of the partial differential equations are presented and the …

A Technique For Improving Material Balance Accuracy In Reservoir Simulation Models, A. R. Merchant, Marion D. Arnold, A. Herbert Harvey

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One criterion for determining the precision of pressures calculated by a simulation model is the accuracy of the material balance. A high degree of precision in the calculated pressures is a necessary but not sufficient condition for elimination of significant errors in the prediction of fluid migration in the reservoir. A new procedure, called error matrix technique, has been developed for reduction of material balance errors. This reduction is accomplished by adjusting potential gradients at every grid point in the simulation model so that the material balance is accurately maintained. Performance of a hypothetical oil reservoir was simulated both by …

Stratigraphic Relations Of Members Of The Needles Range Formation At Type Localities In Southwestern Utah, M. G. Best, R. T. Shuey, C. F. Caskey, S. Kerry Grant

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Needles Range Formation is one of the most extensive of the middle Tertiary ash-flow sheets in the Great Basin of Nevada and western Utah. The original definition of the formation by Mackin (1960) named two members and mentioned three type localities. Our recent studies have shown that this published information now requires revision. To provide a firm basis for stratigraphic studies of the Needles Range Formation, this paper presents geologic maps, measured sections, and paleomagnetic data for three type localities in southwestern Utah. These include the northern Needles Range and Wah Wah Springs localities previously mentioned by Mackin, plus …

Convergence Of Material Balance In Mathematical Simulation Of Petroleum Reservoirs, Abdul Rashid Merchant

Doctoral Dissertations

One criterion for determining the precision of pressures calculated by a simulation model is the accuracy of the material balance. A high degree of precision in the calculated pressures is a necessary condition for elimination of error in prediction of fluid migration in the reservoir. However, this condition is not sufficient to guarantee accuracy of the simulation, since inaccuracies are introduced by truncation errors, machine round-off errors, and by the use of finite difference approximations to represent nonlinear partial differential equations.

A new procedure called Error Matrix Technique has been developed for reduction of material balance errors. This reduction is …

High Pressure Water Jet Cutting Of Rock, Richard Lee Henry

Masters Theses

"Three experiments are described that investigate the impingement of high pressure water jets on rock. The effect of jet pressure, stand-off distance, and time of impact on penetration and specific energy of rock removal are determined on Berea sandstone, Georgia marble, and Missouri granite. Pressures range from 5,000 psi to 25,000 psi, stand-off distances from 2.0 inches to 4.0 inches and time from 0.1 seconds to 5.0 seconds. The nozzle diameter used was 0.023 inches. The effect of nozzle speed and number of passes over the same area on depth of cut and specific energy are investigated on the above …

Umr Journal: Alaska -- Its Mineral Potentials And Environmental Challenges, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Arctic Ecology: A Decade Of Experience, John F. Schindler

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

A quick glance at the title of this presentation and the reader braces himself for another antipollution or “save-the-sod” type of discourse that has become so popular these days. I do not wish to detract from the importance or the need for such efforts but I would like to address myself to the the broader meaning of the term.

Ecology--the word comes from the Greek root “oikos” which means house or household. What I’d like to do is to tell you about this “house” I’ve been living in for the past 10 years.

The Environmental Challenges Facing Taps, A. V. Cardin

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Before the potential benefits of the recent oil discoveries on the North Slope of Alaska can be realized, the oil must be transported to refining and marketing areas. The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company has the responsibility for the first step in this transportation—to design and construct the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. We will pipe the oil from the discovery areas near Prudhoe Bay to an ice-free, deep-sea tanker loading terminal at Valdez of the South Coast of Alaska. From Valdez the oil will be transported to the West Coast by tankers. This is the most feasible system of a number …

The Environmental Challenges Of Alaskan Mineral Development, Earl T. Hayes

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

To meet the challenges and to develop Alaska as a source of mineral and fuel resources that are essential to all of us, we must conduct the research and planning necessary to see that the environment is not abused. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of thinking that we alone know what is best for Alaska. We must strive for cooperation -- cooperation between government and industry; between Federal and State governments; between the doer and the dreamer; and between the engineer and the ecologist. Remember, the quality of what we do today will determine the quality of Alaska in …

Mineral Potential Of Arctic Canada, R. G. Mccrossan, R. M. Procter

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Canada is on the threshold of a major new phase in the development of its Arctic resources. The Prudhoe Bay discovery triggered a boom in northern petroleum exploration that is just getting into high gear this year. Mining activity also has greatly expanded in the last few years with some 73 active exploration programs underway and several large new mines just coming into production. The size of these ventures is indicated by ore reserves of two lead-zinc mines to the value of 900 million dollars at Pine Point in southern Northwest Territories, and 1.2 billion dollars at the Anvil property …

Arctic Pipelining -- Tough, Costly, But Feasible, William H. Pearn

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

The development of vitally important Arctic petroleum resources presents new and interesting challenges. Although the answers to some questions will undoubtedly undoubtedly go unresolved until considerable operating experience has accrued, we can improve our present insight through an awareness of the work performed by others under similar conditions. This presentation focuses on Soviet pipelining experience in arctic and subarctic regions of Siberia.

Drilling Problems Associated With Arctic Minerals, Robert L. Parker

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

With major involvements in Alaska, the experience gained from these operations reflect the success of talented personnel in meeting the challenges of climate, equipment, logistics, perma-frost, etc. Real concern stems from present delays in the Arctic program due to financing involved as well as increasing dependency of the United States upon these reserves in today’s market and supply situation.

Arctic Oil And The S.S. Manhattan, Russell H. Venn

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

The discovery of oil on Alaska’s North Slope in 1968 not only focused attention on that remote part of our world, it set the stage for one of the most exciting and significant scientific expeditions of our time—the voyage of the ice breaking tanker SS Manhattan through the Northwest Passage.

In the space available I would like to discuss with you that historic expedition, how it came to be, and comment on the results, as we see them.