Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Data Analysis Of Low-Salinity Waterflooding To Enhance The Oil Recovery In Sandstone Reservoirs, Nadia Ariani

Masters Theses

"The lack of a single reasonable general mechanism to describe how low-salinity waterflooding can improve oil recovery in both laboratory and field pilot projects has increased the interests of many researchers and stakeholders. There has not been observed the relationship of formation brine salinity and injected brine salinity to see how much salinity is reduced to produce the maximum enhanced oil recovery by LSWF. There is no guidance in what EOR stage the LSWF is best implemented. This work collects data from various published literature to develop a comprehensive data set regarding low-salinity waterflooding in sandstone reservoirs. The LSWF mechanisms …

An Integrated Method For Understanding The Fluid Flow Behavior And Forecasting Well Deliverability In Gas Condensate Reservoirs With Water Aquifer Drive, Abdulaziz Mustafa Em. Ellafi

Masters Theses

"Gas condensate reservoirs constitute a significant portion of global hydrocarbon reserves. In these reservoirs, as bottomhole pressure falls below the dew point, liquid develops in the pore space. This results in the formation of a liquid bank near the wellbore region that decreases gas mobility, which then reduces gas inflow. Some gas condensate reservoirs have bottom aquifer drive, which also negatively impacts gas production. This research used a field case study to demonstrate an integrated workflow for forecasting well deliverability in a gas condensate field in Libya. The workflow began with the interpretation of open-hole log data to identify the …

Proppant Transport With Varying Injection Points And Its Impact On Proppant Development Inside A Fracture, Shail Janakbhai Soni

Masters Theses

"This study presents experimental work which examines the effect of perforation placement and density on proppant placement within a hydraulic fracture. The study also investigates the effect of proppant angularity.

Experiments were conducted with ceramic proppant injected in a fracture slot model consisting of three injection points at the bottom, middle and top of the fracture slot, and two outlets, at the bottom and top of the fracture model. The effect of single point injection height was investigated by injecting solely at the bottom, middle or top of the apparatus, for both bottom and top outlet conditions. Multiple injection points …

The Role Of Flexural Slip In The Development Of Chevron Folds, Yuxing Wu

Masters Theses

"Chevron folds are characterized by straight limbs and narrow hinge zones. One of the conceptual models to initiate and develop chevron folds involves flexural slip during folding. While some kinematical models show the necessity for slip to initiate during chevron folding, recent numerical modeling studies of visco-elastic effective single layer buckle folding have shown that flexural slip does not result in chevron folds. In this study, several 2D finite element analysis models are run, distinguished by 1) geometry of the initial perturbation (sinusoidal and white noise), 2) varying thewavelength of the initial perturbation (10%, 50%, and 100% of the dominant …

Bifunctional Porous Polymeric Fiber As A Catalyst For N-Phenylglycine Synthesis And Carbonation Of Propylene Oxide To Propylene Carbonate, Ahmed Abdulghani Almuslem

Masters Theses

"In this study, development of a polymeric bi-functional porous catalyst that can be used in various applications such as batch, packed-bed, and continuous flow reactors and the formation of highly important chemicals that have many applications in the industry. With this material many homogenous reactions can be conducted in heterogeneous environment which is more efficient and profitable. The catalyst was formed by grafting hollow fiber with APS then immobilized with Br using 1,2-dibromoprobane (Br/APS/PAI-HFs). The formed catalyst was tested with BET and FTIR to confirm the immobilization of Br. A porous polymeric material Br/APS/PAI-HFs provides the ability for ring opining …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Ability Of Keratotic Tissue To Act As A Prognostic Indicator Of Hip Fracture Risk, J. Renwick Beattie, Diane Feskanich, M. Clare Caraher, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Studies have shown that Raman spectroscopic analysis of fingernail clippings can help differentiate between post-menopausal women who have and who have not suffered a fracture. However, all studies to date have been retrospective in nature, comparing the proteins in nails sourced from women, post-fracture. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of a prospective test for hip fracture based on spectroscopic analysis of nail tissue. Archived toenail samples from post-menopausal women aged 50 to 63 years in the Nurses' Health Study were obtained and analysed by Raman spectroscopy. Nails were matched case-controls sourced from 161 women; 82 …

An Analysis Of Common Drill Stem Vibration Models, Mohammed F. Al Dushaishi, Runar Nygaard, Daniel S. Stutts

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Excessive drill stem (DS) vibration while rotary drilling of oil and gas wells causes damages to drill bits and bottom hole assemblies (BHAs). In an attempt to mitigate DS vibrations, theoretical modeling of DS dynamics is used to predict severe vibration conditions. To construct the model, decisions have to be made on which beam theory to be used, how to implement forces acting on the DS, and the geometry of the DS. The objective of this paper is to emphasize the effect of these assumptions on DS vibration behavior under different, yet realistic, drilling conditions. The nonlinear equations of motion …

Miscible Gases Based Eor In Unconventional Liquids Rich Reservoirs: What We Can Learn, Dheiaa Alfarge, Mortadha Alsaba, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Over the last decade, Unconventional Liquids Rich Reservoirs (ULR) have become the main target for oil and gas investors as conventional formations started to deplete and diminish in numbers. These unconventional plays have a huge oil reserve; however, the primary oil recovery factor is predicted to be less than 10%. Unconventional Improved Oil Recovery (UIOR) techniques are still a new concept in the oil industry since there is no commercial project reported for any IOR technique yet. Miscible gas based EOR technique might be the most potential strategy to improve oil recovery in such complex plays. In this study, a …

Advanced Ion Management To Improve Oil Recovery In Oil-Wet Carbonate-Sandstone Composite Reservoirs, Ali K. Alhuraishawy, Baojun Bai, Mingzhen Wei, Waleed H. Al-Bazzaz

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Waterflooding with different ionic composition called advanced ion management which play a role with ionic composition of injected water to enhance the oil production. In the last decade, many studies pointed out that the composition of injected water could changes rock wettability during waterflooding. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of SO4 and low salinity water on improving oil recovery in oil-wet carbonate reservoirs. Sulfate ion concentration, low salinity water, rock composition, porosity, and permeability were examined using a designed model. Typical seawater, increase SO₄, two and three times in the seawater, and …

New Insights Of Low Salinity Water Flooding In Low Permeability-Low Porosity Clay Rich Sandstone Reservoir, Ali K. Alhuraishawy, Baojun Bai, Mingzhen Wei, Waleed H. Al-Bazzaz

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the EOR technologies is low-salinity water flooding (LSWF) is an EOR method that operates at a lower cost than other EOR methods, which makes it a preferred area of interest for oil industry economists, who continue to call for EOR costs to come down. The aim is to minimize the possible cost to recover as much oil as possible. The performance of low salinity waterflooding in decreasing residual oil saturation in low permeability-porosity clay-rich sandstone reservoir. Porosity test, core flooding test, XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were achieved in this study. Salinity effect on the porosity, …

Application Of Integrated Reservoir Geomechanics For Well Planning Of High-Angled Wells In A Mature Oil Field, Ahmed K. Abbas, Ralph E. Flori, Yousif M.B. Al-Asadi, Mortadha Alsaba, Nasser A. Al-Hamad

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Zubair oil reservoir has a significant potential to contribute to the petroleum supply in Iraq. Drilling highly deviated wells is a commonly used approach to enhance the production in mature fields. Drilling these wells in the Zubair Formation has been a challenge due to severe wellbore instability issues. This study presents how integrated reservoir geomechanics was used for efficient well planning and safe drilling of nearly horizontal wells (75° Inclination) through Zubair depleted sandstone oil reservoir. In this study, an integrated workflow was implemented mainly to build a geomechanical model using offset well data. The in-situ principal stresses and their …

Using Managed Pressure Drilling To Reduce Stuck Pipe Problem, Ethar H.K. Alkamil, Husam R. Abbood, Ralph E. Flori, George Medley, Sagar Nauduri, Mortadha Alsaba

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Differences between mud pressure in a wellbore and pore pressure in high permeability rocks can lead to differential sticking, particularly when drilling deviated wells and encountering mud losses. Several solutions, all challenging, can be used to address this problem, where the conventional mitigation method of managing the mud weight (MW) is often used. However, managed pressure drilling (MPD) offers a promising solution with a positive risk-adjusted cost and other benefits. Wells in the E oilfield in southern Iraq are typically drilled overbalanced and therefore often experience a high percentage of non-productive time (NPT) due to differential sticking. This study evaluates …

A Novel Ultra-Low Interfacial Tension Nanofluid For Enhanced Oil Recovery In Super-Low Permeability Reservoirs, Derong Xu, Baojun Bai, Ziyu Meng, Qiong Zhou, Zhe Li, Yao Lu, Hairong Wu, Jirui Hou, Wanli Kang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The exploration and development of super-low permeability reservoirs have become a global focus in recent years. However, conventional flooding systems commonly face problems of high injection pressure and poor displacement efficiency in super-low permeability reservoirs. Thus, it is imperative to find new flooding agents that tackle such problems. In this study, a novel ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) nanofluid was formulated, consisting of surfactants to achieve ultra-low IFT and silica nanoparticles to reduce injection pressure. The compatibility test between the surfactants and silica nanoparticles in 10,000 mg/L NaCl solution at 90 °C was conducted to ensure their adaption to harsh reservoir …

Testing And Evaluation Of Shale Stability For Zubair Shale Formation, Ahmed K. Abbas, Ralph E. Flori, Ahmed Al-Anssari, Mortadha Alsaba

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Zubair Formation consists of approximately 55% shale, which causes almost 70% of wellbore problems due to incompatibilities of drilling fluids and shale formations. The most common and effective solution to shale instability is through the design and selection of drilling fluids. Understanding the interaction between drilling fluids and shale has been a challenge due to the complexity of both physical and chemical variations in shale formations. This paper presents some of the important laboratory and well-site testing techniques that are often used by mud engineers for characterizing and remediating drilling fluids and shale interaction. Well-preserved shale samples were analyzed to …

Hydrodynamics Related Performance Evaluation Of Upflow Moving Bed Hydrotreater Reactor (Mbr) Using Developed Experimental Methods And Cfd Simulation, Vineet Alexander

Doctoral Dissertations

"Upflow Moving Bed Hydrotreater (MBR) reactor is used for hydrotreating resid crude oil. It is a two-phase upflow reactor having a catalyst bed with conical bottom, and plena. At industrial conditions the reactor is not performing at its best and encountering issues such as hot spots, catalyst agglomeration inside the catalyst bed leading to frequent shutdown of the reactor. The root cause of these problems are linked to the improper hydrodynamics inside the catalyst bed. To investigate this, the industrial scale MBR is scaled down to a pilot scale and indicative and key hydrodynamic parameters are investigated using developed experimental …

Process Simulation And Experimental Investigation Of Biofuel Production In A High Rate Anaerobic Digestion Process, Haider Al-Rubaye

Doctoral Dissertations

"The non-hazardous waste management hierarchy of the US EPA calls for “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” (or the three R’s) of wastes. The anaerobic digestion process is one of the most important methods that used to treat the wastes and at the same time generate energy out of it. The anaerobic digestion process generates a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide gases which is known as biogas.

The biogas composition is about 50-70% methane and 10-30% of carbon dioxide and trace amount of other gases like hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. This biogas can be used in power generation, heating systems and …

The Significance Of Grouping And Missed Bubbles On Interfacial Area Concentration And Void Fraction, Chandller Stephen-Leslie Mills

Doctoral Dissertations

"The two-fluid model is used in nuclear reactor safety codes. Two of the important constitutive relations will be discussed in this study, the interfacial area concentration and void fraction. The Interfacial area concentration is directly affected by the number of bubbles and how these bubbles are categorized into groups. In this study, a new algorithm was implemented to account for trailing bubbles, bubbles with short response times, and the categorization of bubbles based upon diameter for all group 1 bubbles. The optical and conductivity probes were used to determine the void fraction and interfacial area concentration in a bubble column. …

Hydraulic Fracture Design Optimization For Nubian Sandstone Formation In Libya, Housameddin Mohamed Sherif

Masters Theses

There is growing interest in developing unconventional oil and gas reserves in Libya, such as the tight portions of the Nubian sandstone.

Well-X7 is a development well drilled to a TD of 13,005' penetrating the Upper Nubain Sandstone (UNSS) at 12,122'-12,207' and the Lower Nubain Sandstone (LNSS) at 12,524'-12,880' KB. Based on open hole logs, the UNSS has 71 ft of net pay and the LNSS was found to have 295 ft of net pay. Openhole logs also showed low permeabilities of 2.5 and 3 md for the UNSS and LNSS, respectively. The well was initially perforated in both zones …

Nanoparticle-Based Plasmonic Transduction For Modulation Of Electrically Excitable Cells, Parveen Bazard, Robert D. Frisina, Joseph P. Walton, Venkat R. Bhethanabotla

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

There is a compelling need for the development of new sensory and neural prosthetic devices which are capable of more precise point stimulation. Current prosthetic devices suffer from the limitation of low spatial resolution due to the non-specific stimulation characteristics of electrical stimulation, i.e., the spread of electric fields generated. We present a visible light stimulation method for modulating the firing patterns of electrically excitable cells using surface plasmon resonance phenomena. In in-vitro studies using gold (Au) nanoparticle-coated nanoelectrodes, we show that this method (substrate coated with nanoparticles) has the potential for incorporating this new technology into neural stimulation prosthetics, …

Synthesis Of Regioselectively Acylated Quercetin Analogues With Improved Antiplatelet Activity, Yu Duan, Na Sun, Min Xue, Xiaolan Wang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The aim of the present study was to report on a complete synthetic approach, namely benzylation-hydrolysis-acylation-hydrogenation, to the synthesis of regioselectively acylated quercetin analogues using low-cost rutin as a starting material. Three quercetin analogues, quercetin-3-O-propionate (Q-pr), quercetin-3-O-butyrate (Q-bu) and quercetin-3-O-valerate (Q-va), containing 3-, 4- and 5-carbon aliphatic acyl chains, respectively, were synthesized and characterized with ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR and mass spectrometry. Compared with quercetin, all three analogues exhibited improved lipophilicity. The lipophilicity of the analogue increased with increasing acyl chain length. Q-va exhibited the highest lipophilicity among the three analogues, but a lower water …

A Multiscale Modeling Study Of Particle Size Effects On The Tissue Penetration Efficacy Of Drug-Delivery Nanoparticles, Mohammad Aminul Islam, Sutapa Barua, Dipak Barua

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Particle size is a key parameter for drug-delivery nanoparticle design. It is believed that the size of a nanoparticle may have important effects on its ability to overcome the transport barriers in biological tissues. Nonetheless, such effects remain poorly understood. Using a multiscale model, this work investigates particle size effects on the tissue distribution and penetration efficacy of drug-delivery nanoparticles.

Results: We have developed a multiscale spatiotemporal model of nanoparticle transport in biological tissues. The model implements a time-adaptive Brownian Dynamics algorithm that links microscale particle-cell interactions and adhesion dynamics to tissue-scale particle dispersion and penetration. The model accounts …

Metabolomic Effects Of Ceo₂, Sio₂ And Cuo Metal Oxide Nanomaterials On Hepg2 Cells, Kirk T. Kitchin, Steve Stirdivant, Brian L. Robinette, Benjamin T. Castellon, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: To better assess potential hepatotoxicity of nanomaterials, human liver HepG2 cells were exposed for 3 days to five different CeO₂ (either 30 or 100 μg/ml), 3 SiO₂ based (30 μg/ml) or 1 CuO (3 μg/ml) nanomaterials with dry primary particle sizes ranging from 15 to 213 nm. Metabolomic assessment of exposed cells was then performed using four mass spectroscopy dependent platforms (LC and GC), finding 344 biochemicals.

Results: Four CeO₂, 1 SiO₂ and 1 CuO nanomaterials increased hepatocyte concentrations of many lipids, particularly free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols but only CuO elevated lysolipids and …

Titanium Addition Influences Antibacterial Activity Of Bioactive Glass Coatings On Metallic Implants, Omar Rodriguez, Wendy Stone, Emil H. Schemitsch, Paul Zalzal, Stephen Waldman, Marcello Papini, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In an attempt to combat the possibility of bacterial infection and insufficient bone growth around metallic, surgical implants, bioactive glasses may be employed as coatings. In this work, silica-based and borate-based glass series were synthesized for this purpose and subsequently characterized in terms of antibacterial behavior, solubility and cytotoxicity. Borate-based glasses were found to exhibit significantly superior antibacterial properties and increased solubility compared to their silica-based counterparts, with BRT0 and BRT3 (borate-based glasses with 0 and 15 mol% of titanium dioxide incorporated, respectively) outperforming the remainder of the glasses, both borate and silicate based, in these respects. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy …

Potency And Cytotoxicity Of A Novel Gallium-Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glass/Chitosan Composite Scaffold As Hemostatic Agents, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ehsan Zeimaran, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Nicola Gargiulo, Hassan Mahmood Jindal, Sangeetha Vasudevaraj Naveen, Shamala Devi Sekaran, Tunku Kamarul, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chitosan-based hemostats are promising candidates for immediate hemorrhage control. However, they have some disadvantages and require further improvement to achieve the desired hemostatic efficiency. Here, a series of 1% Ga2O3-containing mesoporous bioactive glass-chitosan composite scaffolds (Ga-MBG/CHT) were constructed by the lyophilization process and the effect of various concentrations of Ga-MBG (10, 30, and 50 wt %) on the hemostatic function of the CHT scaffold was assessed as compared to that of Celox Rapid gauze (CXR), a current commercially available chitosan-coated hemostatic gauze. The prepared scaffolds exhibited >79% porosity and showed increased water uptake compared to that in CXR. The results …

The Effect Of Engineered Nanotopography Of Electrospun Microfibers On Fiber Rigidity And Macrophage Cytokine Production, Nicholas J. Schaub, Anthony R. D'Amato, Andrew Mason, David T. Corr, Erin Y. Harmon, Michelle R. Lennartz, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Currently, it is unknown how the mechanical properties of electro spun fibers, and the presentation of surface nano topography influence macrophage gene expression and protein production. By further elucidating how specific fiber properties (mechanical properties or surface properties) alter macrophage behavior, it may be possible to create electro spun fiber scaffolds capable of initiating unique cellular and tissue responses. In this study, we determined the elastic modulus and rigidity of fibers with varying topographies created by finely controlling humidity and including a non-solvent during electrospinning. In total, five fiber scaffold types were produced. Analysis of fiber physical properties demonstrated no …

Efficiency Of Solar Cell Design And Materials, Grant Vonderhaar

Missouri S&T’s Peer to Peer

Fossil fuels have dominated the energy world ever since their introduction in the Industrial Revolution, and the world has grown more dependent on them in the Postmodern Era. However, the limited amount of fossil fuels in the world poses a problem for future generations; solar energy is the solution to this potential future energy crisis. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of solar panel materials so that solar panels can be refined until they can replace fossil fuels entirely. In this study, I have researched designs for solar cells and determined the most efficient design …

The Continuous Synthesis Of Pd Supported On Fe3o4 Nanoparticles: A Highly Effective And Magnetic Catalyst For Co Oxidation, Hany A. Elazab, Sherif Moussa, Kendra W. Brinkley, B. Frank Gupton, M. Samy El-Shall

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a facile approach used for the simultaneous reduction and synthesis of a well dispersed magnetically separable palladium nanoparticle supported on magnetite (Pd/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles) via continuous flow synthesis under microwave irradiation conditions, using a Wave Craft's microwave flow reactor commercially known as Arrhenius One, which can act as a unique process for the synthesis of highly active catalysts for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation catalysis. The prepared catalysts are magnetic, which is an advantage in the separation process of the catalyst from the reaction medium. The separation process is achieved by applying a strong external magnetic field …

Removal Of Retained Electrospinning Solvent Prolongs Drug Release From Electrospun Plla Fibers, Anthony R. D'Amato, Nicholas J. Schaub, Jesus M. Cardenas, Andrew S. Fiumara, Paul M. Troiano, Andrea Fischetti, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A major challenge in developing drug-releasing electro spun nanofibers is obtaining long-term drug release over many weeks with no burst release of drug. Here, we present new methods capable of prolonging the diffusive release of small molecule drugs from electro spun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofibers. The methods focus on removal of retained electrospinning solvent through fiber heating, maintaining fibers in a laboratory setting, or a combination of these methods. These post-fabrication methods altered the release characteristics of a model small molecule drug, 6-aminonicotinamide (6AN), from PLLA fibers. Specifically, untreated fibers released 6AN over 9 days, and fibers that underwent a …

The Effect Of Graphene On Catalytic Performance Of Palladium Nanoparticles Decorated With Fe3o4, Co3o4, And Ni (Oh)2: Potential Efficient Catalysts Used For Suzuki Cross—Coupling, Hany A. Elazab, Sherif Moussa, Ali R. Siamaki, B. Frank Gupton, M. Samy El-Shall

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Abstract: In this research, we report a scientific investigation of an efficient method used for the synthesis of highly active Palladium Nanoparticles decorated with Fe₃O₄, Co₃O₄, and Ni (OH)2 Supported on Graphene as Potential Efficient Catalysts for Suzuki Cross—Coupling. Pd/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles supported on graphene nanosheets (Pd/Fe₃O₄/G) showed an excellent catalytic activity for Suzuki coupling reactions and recycled for up to four times without loss of catalytic activity. An efficient magnetic catalyst has been successfully synthesized using a simple, reproducible fast and reliable method using microwave …

Heteromer Nanostars By Spontaneous Self-Assembly, Caitlin Brocker, Hannah Kim, Daniel Smith, Sutapa Barua

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Heteromer star-shaped nanoparticles have the potential to carry out therapeutic agents, improve intracellular uptake, and safely release drugs after prolonged periods of residence at the diseased site. A one-step seed mediation process was employed using polylactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), silver nitrate, and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride (THPC). Mixing these reagents followed by UV irradiation successfully produced heteromer nanostars containing a number of arm chains attached to a single core with a high yield. The release of THPC from heteromer nanostars was tested for its potential use for breast cancer treatment. The nanostars present a unique geometrical design exhibiting a significant …