Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Thermo-Chemical Conversion Of Coal-Biomass Blends: Kinetics Modeling Of Pyrolysis, Moving Bed Gasification And Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis, Abhijit Bhagavatula

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The past few years have seen an upsurge in the use of renewable biomass as a source of energy due to growing concerns over greenhouse gas emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels and the need for energy independence due to depleting fossil fuel resources. Although coal will continue to be a major source of energy for many years, there is still great interest in replacing part of the coal used in energy generation with renewable biomass. Combustion converts inherent chemical energy of carbonaceous feedstock to only thermal energy. On the other hand, partial oxidation processes like gasification convert …

Performance And Stability For Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Membranes For The Dehumidification Of Methane, Dora Frances Sullivan-González

Honors Theses

The biogas production from organic waste—animal, sewage, landfill material— could be a valuable renewable fuel. Before this biogas—predominately bio-methane— can be converted to fuel, it must be dehumidified. Typically membrane-based gas dehumidification uses hydrophilic polymer membrane materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and cellulose acetate (CA). The main problems with polymer dehumidification membranes are methane loss and the susceptibility of polymer materials to plasticization by H2O. Room temperature ionic liquid membranes (RTIL- membranes), according to recent literature, are not plasticized by water and have large water/CH4 selectivities. We built on the initial literature RTIL-dehumidification data by looking at a series of …

The Cooling Effect Of Cryotherapy On Power And Accuracy In The Pitching Arms Of Baseball Players, David Kimble Wilbanks

Honors Theses

As the human body does work, energy is released in the form of heat. The ability to perform the same action repeatedly and at the same intensity requires energy to be maintained. By preserving energy in sports, a reduction of injuries and an increase in performance duration would most likely be observed. More specifically in sports, for 200 years of baseball history, the pitcher has attempted to keep their arm warm during resting intervals of a game, in belief this would help sustain their level of performance. This study attempted to overturn this view. I hypothesized that by cooling their …

Hydrogen Generation From Ammonia Borane And Water Through The Combustion Reactions With Mechanically Alloyed Al/Mg Powder, Daniel Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Finding and developing a safe and effective method for hydrogen storage is integral to its use as an alternative source of energy. The goal of the studies described in this Thesis was to investigate the feasibility of developing combustible hydrogen-generating compositions based on ammonia borane and novel energetic materials such as nanocomposite and mechanically alloyed reactive materials, recently obtained by Prof. Edward Dreizin's team at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Such compositions could be stored for long time and release hydrogen on demand, upon ignition. The first phase of the research included thermodynamic calculations for combustion of ammonia …

A Circuit-Based Algorithm For Two-Phase Flow At The Pore Scale In Porous Media, Todd Dorethy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Models of two-phase flow in porous media are of practical interest in many fields of science and engineering such as in oil recovery and hydrology. For this class of problem, an immiscible fluid is injected into a single-phase, porous medium to evict its valuable, native fluid. Because the aim is to amass as much of the indigenous fluid as possible, models attempt to output reliable flow regime patterns depicting how well the invading fluid displaces the native fluid.

Flow regime patterns generally depend upon the geometry of the domain, stimulation at the boundaries, and properties of the invading and native …

Development Of A Pressure Swing Adsorption Process For Co2 Capture From Flue Gas Using Solid Amine Sorbents, Anahita Abdollahi Govar

Theses and Dissertations

Solid amines are comprised of adsorbent materials, like silica gel, that contain amine based organic compounds, either physically or chemically, attached within their pores. The major characteristic of these sorbents that makes them interesting for CO₂ capture from flue gas is that unlike zeolites they are not negatively affected by the presence of water. The current work has been focusing on the development of a novel PSA cycle for CO₂ capture from flue gas using a solid-amine sorbent composed of PEI physically immobilized on a commercial silica substrate. The goal was to achieve > 90% recovery and > 95 vol. …

Differential Spectral Imaging Of The Cn Violet Band In Laser-Induced Plasmas On Tnt Simulant Molecules, J. Merten, M. Jones, S. Hoke, S. Allen

Publications

Dual channel emission imaging of m-nitrobenzoic acid and benzoic acid was performed in order to visualize the morphology of the CN violet band emission of a TNT analogue. The CN channel was corrected for continuum emission using a simultaneously imaged background channel. Simultaneous dual channel imaging alleviated problems with shot to shot variation in the plasma morphology due to the friable substrates and showed differences between plasmas formed on the two targets.

Electrospinning Applications Air Filtration And Superhydrophobic Materials, Negar Ghochaghi, Adetoun Taiwo

Graduate Research Posters

Electrospinning is a widely applicable technique that generates non-woven fibers in the micro and nano range. In this project two of its applications are highlighted namely filtration media and enhancement of wettability. The first project demonstrates that electrospinning can be used to produce new fiber filtration media with controlled microstructure. The bimodal and unimodal orthogonal and random filters were made and characterized against their filtration efficiency and pressure drop. Figure of Merit (FOM) was also calculated and discussed. It is shown that the FOM increases when the electrospun fibers are arranged into alternating layers of aligned course and fine fibers. …

Modelling Of Biomass Gasification Integrated With A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System, Wayne Doherty

Doctoral

Biomass is of major interest as a renewable energy source in the context of climate change and energy security. Traditional biomass conversion technologies achieve low electrical efficiencies. Biomass gasification (BG) coupled with fuel cells offer higher efficiencies. Gasification is a process in which a carbonaceous fuel is converted to a combustible gas. It occurs when a controlled amount of oxidant is reacted at high temperatures with available carbon in a fuel within a gasifier. Two technologies (circulating fluidised bed air gasification and dual fluidised bed steam gasification) were modelled. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are well suited to integration with …

Phenol Deoxygenation Over Hydrotreating Catalysts, Madelyn R B Ball

Honors Theses and Capstones

Phenol deoxygenation has been investigated as a model reaction for the deoxygenation of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel. Hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel is a drop-in fuel for petroleum diesel, and is a premium diesel with a high cetane number. As the first step in this research, two molybdenum catalysts were prepared, characterized and tested in a small-scale reactor. These catalysts were found to produce small amounts of benzene and cyclohexanol in the product stream, and confirmed the activity of the catalyst. A commercial cobalt molybdenum catalyst (Harshaw HT-400) was also tested and benzene, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexane were identified as products. Future …

Bioremediation Of Hydrocarbons Via Geobacillus, Amanda T. Lade

Honors Theses and Capstones

Hydrocarbon remediation is a vital aspect of environmental cleanup, especially in soil and groundwater to ensure the health and safety of the public’s drinking water. A possible solution to this contamination is bioremediation, the use of microorganisms to degrade pollutants. This research analyzes the effectiveness of Geobacillus as a hydrocarbon degrader for the use of bioremediation. Twelve strains were identified from oil-contaminated sources and grown in minimal media with crude oil as the carbon source. Growth was observed in the crude oil samples, demonstrating the possibility of bioremediation of hydrocarbons via Geobacillus.

Developing Genetic Tools For Geobacillus, Brittany Artale

Honors Theses and Capstones

Bacillus and Geobacillus are the primary bacterium used in biotechnology industries due to their ability to excrete extracellular materials such as proteins, enzymes and other byproducts. Bacillus subtilis, has a well-characterized competence machinery, giving way to characterized genetic tools. However, a significant problem associated with working with Bacillus is the regulation of endospore formation. An alternative to Bacillus is Geobacillus, a thermophilic bacterium. Thermophiles offer significant advantages over other bacteria as host organisms in biofuel, bioremediation, and biocatalyst processes. However, the genetic tools and competency associated with Geobacillus is still unknown. Through, genetic engineering the ability …

Evaluating N-Benzylgalactonoamidines As Putative Transition State Analogs For Β-Galactoside Hydrolysis, Qui-Hua Fan, Susanne Striegler, Rebekah Langston, James Barnett

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Experimental evidence is provided for p-methylbenzyl-D-galactonoamidine to function as a true transition state analog for the enzymatic hydrolysis of aryl-β-D-galactopyranosides by β-galactosidase (A. oryzae). The compound exhibits inhibition constants in the low nanomolar concentration range (12–56 nM) for a selection of substrates. Along these lines, a streamlined synthetic method based on phase-transfer catalysis was optimized to afford the required variety of new aryl-β-D-galactopyranosides. Last, the stability of the galactonoamidines under the assay conditions was confirmed.

Investigating The Effect Of Sio2-Tio2-Cao-Na 2o-Zno Bioactive Glass Doped Hydroxyapatite: Characterisation And Structural Evaluation, Chokchai Yatongchai, Anthony W. Wren, Declan J. Curran, Stuart Hampshire, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effects of increasing bioactive glass additions,

SiO₂-TiO₂-CaO-Na₂O-ZnO up to 25 wt% in increments of 5 wt%, on the physical and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) sintered at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1200°C for 2 h was investigated. Increasing both the glass content and the temperature resulted in increased HA decomposition. This resulted in the formation of a number of bioactive phases. However the presence of the liquidus glass phase did not result in increased densification levels. At 1000 and 1100°C the additions of 5 wt% glass resulted in a decrease in density which …

Information In Biological Systems And The Fluctuation Theorem, Yaşar Demirel

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Some critical trends in information theory, its role in living systems and utilization in fluctuation theory are discussed. The mutual information of thermodynamic coupling is incorporated into the generalized fluctuation theorem by using information theory and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Thermodynamically coupled dissipative structures in living systems are capable of degrading more energy, and processing complex information through developmental and environmental constraints. The generalized fluctuation theorem can quantify the hysteresis observed in the amount of the irreversible work in nonequilibrium regimes in the presence of information and thermodynamic coupling.

Carbon Dioxide - Heavy Oil Systems: Thermodynamics, Transport And Interfacial Stability, Truynh Quoc My Duy Tran

Doctoral Dissertations

"Conventional oil recovery leaves behind around 67% of original oil in place for light oils and all of it for heavy oils. The carbon dioxide flooding process is the cheapest among the recovery methods for the next stage. The interest here lies in recovering heavy oil. When CO₂ dissolves in oil, it increases the volume of oil, squeezes it out of narrow capillaries and the viscosity of oil drops by up to an order of magnitude. Starting with the available data with and without CO₂ in heavy oil, the free volume theory is used to predict these physical …

A Protocol For Rheological Characterization Of Hydrogels For Tissue Engineering Strategies, Jonathan M. Zuidema, Christopher J. Rivet, Ryan J. Gilbert, Faith A. Morrison

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hydrogels are studied extensively for many tissue engineering applications, and their mechanical properties influence both cellular and tissue compatibility. However, it is difficult to compare the mechanical properties of hydrogels between studies due to a lack of continuity between rheological protocols. This study outlines a straightforward protocol to accurately determine hydrogel equilibrium modulus and gelation time using a series of rheological tests. These protocols are applied to several hydrogel systems used within tissue engineering applications: agarose, collagen, fibrin, Matrigel™, and methylcellulose. The protocol is outlined in four steps: (1) Time sweeps to determine the gelation time of the hydrogel. (2) …

Effect Of Magnetic Nanoparticle Heating On Cortical Neuron Viability, Christopher J. Rivet, Yuan Yuan, Ryan J. Gilbert, Diana Andra Borca-Tasciuc

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Purpose: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are currently approved for use as an adjunctive treatment to glioblastoma multiforme radiotherapy. Radio frequency stimulation of the nanoparticles generates localized hyperthermia, which sensitizes the tumor to the effects of radiotherapy. Clinical trials reported thus far are promising, with an increase in patient survival rate; however, what are left unaddressed are the implications of this technology on the surrounding healthy tissue. Methods and materials: Amino silane-coated iron oxide nanoparticles suspended in culture medium were applied to chick embryonic cortical neuron cultures. Cultures were heated to 37 °C or 45 °C by an induction coil system …

Impact Of Slickwater Fracturing Fluid Compositions On The Petrophysical Properties Of Shale And Tightsand, Yongpeng Sun

Doctoral Dissertations

"A tight reservoir always requires hydraulic fracturing before production to increase production rate. The additives in hydraulic fluids are highly considerable for a successful stimulation. A friction reducer is often used to reduce the flowing friction in the wellbore during hydraulic fracturing. Extensive researches have been conducted to examine the extent it can reduce the fluid friction in tubings; however, no research has been reported on its behavior in a reservoir, which is related to the fracture extension. A breaker is also pumped into the formation to degrade the friction reducer. However, it is not clear that what is the …

Preformed Particle Gel Transport Through Fractures, Hao Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Polymer gel treatment is one of the most cost-effective methods to control water production in mature oil fields. The main objective of gel treatments is to reduce water or gas flow through high-permeability channels or fractures without damaging productive zones. Preformed particle gels (PPGs) have been applied for conformance control because they can overcome some potential drawbacks inherent in an in-situ gelation system.

In this study, lab experiments were performed to quantify PPG propagation through fractures and fracture-like channels by using screen models and open fracture models. The main findings in these experiments can guide the selection of best particle …

Study And Pilot Test On A Novel Eor Method - Coupling Ppg Conformance Control And Surfactant Flooding, Farag Awadh Muhammed

Doctoral Dissertations

"The interest in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods has re-emerged in recent years; however, significant challenges remain for the widespread deployment of these methods. One major downside to the successful application of EOR technologies in mature reservoirs is conformance problems (e.g. heterogeneity). To mitigate these problems, a novel EOR method which couple preformed particle gel (PPGs) conformance treatment with traditional surfactant flooding in one process is introduced.

This dissertation provides a comprehensive study for the proposed method. A series of laboratory tests were carried out to understand the chemical interaction between PPGs and surfactants. A new method to evaluate PPGs …

Metathesis Reaction Of Ethylene And 2-Butene On Molybdenum-Based Catalysts, Benjamas Netiworaruksa

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This dissertation studies and develops the supported molybdenum catalyst for metathesis reaction of ethylene and 2-butene to produce propylene. It was found that the major factor affecting the catalytic performance for metathesis reaction is the catalyst support. From this study, it was firstly revealed that the suitable support for molybdenum-based catalyst is the mixed support of alumina and zeolite. The catalyst containing alumina support prepared from aluminium nitrate physically mixed with HBeta support could provide high selectivity of propylene. The optimum ratio of the composite support of alumina and zeolite was 3:1. However, the most optimum support obtaining propylene selectivity …

การประมาณค่าสภาพด่างฟีนอล์ฟทาลีนและค่าสภาพกรดรวมในกระบวนการเตรียมพื้นผิวชิ้นงานด้วยวิธีการถดถอยบางส่วนกำลังสองน้อยที่สุด, ชลธร ช้างพิงงา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในกระบวนการเคลือบสี กระบวนการเตรียมพื้นผิวชิ้นงาน (Pretreatment process) เป็นการดำเนินงานที่สำคัญมากงานหนึ่ง ประกอบด้วยขั้นตอนการล้างด่าง (Degreasing step) เพื่อล้างเอาฝุ่นรวมถึงคราบไขมันออกจากชิ้นส่วนผลิตภัณฑ์ และขั้นตอนการเคลือบผิวโลหะ (Coating step) เพื่อเพิ่มพฤติกรรมการต้านทานการกัดกร่อนของโลหะ กระบวนการนี้ใช้สารเคมีเป็นจำนวนมาก ส่งผลให้เกิดมลภาวะทางน้ำ และเกิดค่าใช้จ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องในการบำบัดน้ำเสีย ความสามารถในการควบคุมเข้มข้นของสารละลายในกระบวนการเตรียมพื้นผิวชิ้นงานให้อยู่ในช่วงที่เหมาะสมก่อให้เกิดการใช้สารเคมีอย่างมีประสิทธิผล และส่งผลถึงคุณภาพของผลิตภัณฑ์ ความเข้มข้นของสารทำความสะอาดในบ่อล้างไขมันสามารถตรวจวัดได้ด้วยการไตเตรทค่าสภาพด่างฟีนอล์ฟทาลีน (Phenolphthalein Alkalinity: P-Alkalinity) และความเข้มข้นของสารละลายบ่อการเคลือบผิวสามารถตรวจวัดได้โดยการไตเตรตค่าสภาพกรดรวม (Total-Acidity) กระบวนการนี้ทำโดยคนนำมาซึ่งความผิดพลาดที่ไม่น่าพอใจ ดังนั้นการควบคุมความเข้มข้นของสารละลายในบ่อทั้งสองจึงกลายเป็นเรื่องที่ยากมากื งานวิจัยนี้จึงมุ่งเน้นการประมาณค่าสภาพด่างฟีนอล์ฟทาลีน และค่าสภาพกรดรวม ซึ่งแสดงถึงความเข้มข้นของสารละลายในบ่อล้างไขมันและบ่อเคลือบผิวตามลำดับ โดยอาศัยตัวแปรที่วัดค่าได้ ค่าความเป็นกรด-ด่าง ค่าสภาพการนำไฟฟ้า ค่าความหนาแน่น และอุณหภูมิ กระบวนเตรียมพื้นผิวชิ้นงานของโรงงานแห่งหนึ่งในอุตสาหกรรมผลิตเครื่องปรับอากาศจะนำมาใช้เป็นกรณีศึกษา วิธีการประมาณนี้จะอาศัยหลักการทางสถิติ และวิธีการถดถอยบางส่วนกำลังสองน้อยที่สุด (Partial Least Squared Regression: PLS) งานวิจัยพบว่าวิธีนี้จะให้ค่าประมาณสภาพด่างฟีนอล์ฟทาลีน และค่าสภาพกรดรวมที่มีค่าความคลาดเคลื่อนสูงสุดอยู่ที่ร้อยละ 7.45 และ 4.29 ตามลำดับ

อิทธิพลของสารต้านจุลินทรีย์ซิงค์ออกไซด์และคาร์วาครอลต่อสมบัติของบรรจุภัณฑ์อาหารที่เตรียมจากพอลิบิวทิลีนซัคซิเนต, ศสิณี วิบูรณวงศ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

พอลิบิวทิลีนซัคซิเนต (PBS) เป็นพลาสติกย่อยสลายได้ทางธรรมชาติกลุ่มพอลิเอสเทอร์ ที่มีสมบัติใกล้เคียงกับพลาสติกจากปิโตรเคมี งานวิจัยนี้มุ่งพัฒนาฟิล์มบรรจุภัณฑ์อาหาร PBS ที่สามารถต้านเชื้อจุลินทรีย์ได้โดยการเติมสารต้านจุลินทรีย์ 2 ชนิด คือ ซิงค์ออกไซด์ (ZnO) ซึ่งจัดอยู่ในกลุ่มสารต้านจุลินทรีย์จากสารเคมี และคาร์วาครอล (Carvacrol) ซึ่งเป็นสารต้านจุลินทรีย์จากธรรมชาติ งานวิจัยนี้ศึกษาอิทธิพลของปริมาณสารต้านจุลินทรีย์แต่ละชนิด ร้อยละ 2, 4, 6, 8 และ10 โดยน้ำหนัก ต่อการยับยั้งเชื้อ E.coli (แบคทีเรียแกรมลบ) และ S.aureus (แบคทีเรียแกรมบวก) พร้อมทั้งศึกษาอิทธิพลของความหนาของฟิล์ม PBS ที่ผสมสารต้านเชื้อจุลินทรีย์แต่ละชนิด ระดับความหนา 50 75 และ 100 ไมโครเมตร ต่อสมบัติเชิงกลและการยับยั้งเชื้อ ผลการทดสอบบริเวณยับยั้งเชื้อ (Clear zone) ด้วยวิธีการแพร่ในอาหารเลี้ยงเชื้อแบบแข็ง (Agar diffusion method) พบว่า เริ่มพบบริเวณยับยั้งเชื้อ S.aureus และพบบริเวณยับยั้งเชื้อ E.coli เมื่อเติม ZnO ร้อยละ 6 โดยน้ำหนัก สำหรับฟิล์มหนา 50 ไมโครเมตร ในทำนองเดียวกัน เริ่มพบบริเวณยับยั้งเชื้อ S.aureus เมื่อเติม Carvacrol ร้อยละ 4 โดยน้ำหนัก แต่เริ่มพบบริเวณยับยั้งเชื้อ E.coli เมื่อเติม Carvacrol ร้อยละ 6 โดยน้ำหนัก ผลการทดสอบสมบัติเชิงกล พบว่า ฟิล์ม PBS/ZnO มีระยะยืด ณ จุดขาดและความต้านทานแรงกระแทกลดลง เมื่อปริมาณ ZnO มากขึ้น เพราะอนุภาค ZnO เป็นสารอนินทรีย์ที่มีความแข็งมากกว่า PBS และ ZnO มิได้สร้างพันธะยึดติดกับ PBS ดังยืนยันโดยผลทดสอบ FTIR การตรวจดูระดับจุลภาค พบ ZnO จับตัวเป็นกลุ่มก้อนเมื่อปริมาณ ZnO …

Effect Of Additives In Lubricant On Cobalt-Iron Alloy Lapping, Wiraya Anamnart

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

To maintain this flying height of read-write head (called slider) at 12 nm across the disk, read and writer elements will be lapped to meet designed surface roughness, surface topography, as well as magnetic property. The writer element was made from cobalt-iron alloy (CoFe). Final lapping process of sliders uses lubricant to control surface morphology and to avoid corrosion. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of additives on corrosion protection of CoFe. The corrosion was studied by potentiostat technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Water content was determined by Karl Fischer method. Thin film passivation was …

Studies Of Influencing Factors For Shale Gas Reservoir Performance, Jiaqi Wang

Masters Theses

"Shale gas resource plays a significant role in energy supply worldwide. For economic production of shale gas, technologies of horizontal well and hydraulic fracturing are used for shale gas reservoirs. Therefore, the productivity of the shale gas reservoirs will be influenced by both reservoir condition, and hydraulic fracture properties.

In this thesis, parameters that will influence shale gas production were classified into two categories: reservoir properties and hydraulic fracture properties. Published shale gas simulation studies were surveyed for determining the typical ranges of those properties. CMG-GEM was employed to finish the reservoir simulation work, and CMG-CMOST was used to complete …

Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Modeling Of Proppant Transport In A Plug-And-Perf Completion With Different Perforation Phasing, Jinlin Zhang

Masters Theses

"Perf-and-plug is a completion technique commonly used in multistage fracturing. Fracture performance modeling assumes that fluid and proppant distributes uniformly among all perforations along the length of the wellbore in a plug and perf completion Crespo et al. (2012) has conducted a limited proppant flow experiment using a 63 foot stage, and three 0.42 inch, zero phased simulated perforations. His work demonstrates proppant does not distribute evenly, but the work is limited to a single perforation scheme.

In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software has been used to simulate proppant transport and distribution in a single stage of a …

Gold-Magnetite Nanoparticle-Biomolecule Conjugates: Synthesis, Properties And Toxicity Studies, Akshay Pariti

Masters Theses

"This thesis study focuses on synthesizing and characterizing gold-magnetite optically active magnetic nanoparticle and its conjugation with biomolecules for biomedical applications, especially magnetic fluid hyperthermia treatment for cancerous tissue. Gold nanoparticles have already displayed their potential in the biomedical field. They exhibit excellent optical properties and possess strong surface chemistry which renders them suitable for various biomolecule attachments. Studies have showed gold nanoparticles to be a perfect biocompatible vector. However, clinical trials for gold mediated drug delivery and treatment studied in rat models identified some problems. Of these problems, the low retention time in bloodstream and inability to maneuver externally …

Evaluation Of Prosper For Modeling Long Lateral Gas Well Productivity In Toe Up, Toe Down, Horizontal Well Geometry, Abdussalam Mahmoud Mohamed

Masters Theses

"Most horizontal wells are not truly horizontal and may be drilled 'toe-up' or 'toe-down' to follow geological formations or in an attempt to keep the well from loading up. Challenges in directional drilling may also lead to horizontal gas wells with undulating wellbore profiles. This wellbore profile creates natural traps for heavy fluids in the lows and light fluid in the highs, which may result in chocked production. Hence, there is an interest in determining the best wellbore trajectory - toe-up, horizontal, or toe-down - for well unloading.

This study evaluates the capability of the well productivity software PROSPER to …

The Effect Of Using Different Rock Failure Criteria In Wellbore Stability Analysis, Reza Rahimi

Masters Theses

"Determination of the appropriate drilling fluid density by rock failure analysis is an essential step to control wellbore instability. To determine wellbore failure stresses, the rock strength has to be known, an appropriate constitutive model has to be selected, and finally an accurate rock failure criterion must be chosen. Linear-poro elastic modeling of the mechanical wellbore failure is the most common approach to investigate wellbore instability. Numerous failure criteria have been used for the rock failure analysis but there is not any commonly accepted agreement of which failure criteria to use. Rock failure criteria differ in two main characteristics. First, …