Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “production data”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

Comparative Economic Analysis Between Bioenergy and Forage Types of Switchgrass for Sustainable Biofuel Feedstock Production: A Data Envelopment Analysis and Cost–Benefit Analysis Approach

ABSTRACT The capacity to produce switchgrass efficiently and cost‐effectively across diverse environments can be pivotal in achieving the short‐ and medium‐term Sustainable Aviation Fuel targets set by the U.S. Department of Energy. This study evaluated the economic performance of forage‐ and bioenergy‐type switchgrass cultivars and their response to N fertilization under diverse marginal environments across the US Midwest that included Illinois (IL), Iowa (IA), Nebraska (NE), and South Dakota (SD). Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate the efficiency of 23 Decision‐Making Units (DMUs)—cultivar types and N fertilization rate combinations—while a cost–benefit analysis calculated their profitability over 5 years. Results showed that two energy‐type cultivars—“Independence” and “Liberty”—were superior economically to the forage cultivars. Independence performed best with the highest profit margin when fertilized at 56 kg N ha −1 , particularly in the US hardiness zone 6a (Urbana, IL). Liberty exhibited the highest profit margins in hardiness zone 5b (Madrid, IA, and Ithaca, NE) at 56 kg N ha −1 and showed exceptional profitability with 28 kg N ha −1 in hardiness zone 6b (Brighton, IL). Switchgrass cultivar “Carthage” showed better efficiency score and profitability results in hardiness zone 4b (South Shore, SD) at 56 kg N ha −1 . The profit trends observed in current study sites may indicate broader patterns across similar US hardiness zones. This study provides valuable insights for decision‐makers to optimize input strategies for biomass production of bioenergy switchgrass to meet renewable energy demands.

Arshad, Muhammad Umer [Department of Crop Sciences↗

Surrogate models for development of unconventional shale reservoirs by an integrated numerical approach of hydraulic fracturing, flow and geomechanics, and machine learning

We develop well-completion surrogate models by taking an integrated workflow of hydraulic fracturing, flow, geomechanics, and machine learning simulation. There are three steps in the proposed workflow. First, history-matching processes are conducted with the field data including pumping and production data for characterization. Second, full-physics simulation is performed with various parameters of the field development (e.g., cluster spacing, clusters per stage, pumping rates and times, amount of proppant, and well spacing) to generate multiple simulation results by changing the parameters of the completion design with well-known hydraulic fracturing, reservoir, geomechanics simulators to calculate fracture geometry, reservoir depressurization, induced stress changes. The workflow is demonstrated over a field in the Southern Midland Basin. Here, we take two completion scenarios: a single well case followed by a multi-well case. Finally, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) machine learning algorithm is employed to create surrogate models that can replicate the full-physics simulation results. Furthermore, results show that the trained models applied in the single well and multi-well cases for a particular geological system can provide good accuracy close to those provided by full-physics simulations. Specifically, the site-specific surrogate models can predict fracture parameters (length, height, and surface area) and cumulative production accurately with computational efficiency, suggesting our proposed workflow can be used as a pragmatic tool for expediting the well completion optimization process.

Geomechanics↗

Efficient prediction of concentrating solar power plant productivity using data clustering

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants convert solar energy to electricity and can be deployed with a thermal storage capability to shift electricity generation from time periods with available solar resource to those with high electricity demand or electricity price. Rigorous optimization of plant design and operational strategies can improve the market-competitiveness and commercial viability; however, such optimization may require hundreds of annual performance simulations, each of which can be computationally expensive when including considerations such as optimization of dispatch scheduling, sub-hourly time resolution, and stochastic effects due to uncertain weather or electricity price forecasts. This paper proposes a methodology to reduce the computational burden associated with simulation of electricity yield and revenue for CSP plants over a single- or multi-year period. Data-clustering techniques are employed to select a small number of limited-duration time blocks for simulation that, when appropriately weighted, can reproduce generation and revenue over a single year or within each year of a multi-year period. After selection of appropriate data features and weighting factors defining similarity between time-series profiles, the methodology captured annual revenue within 2.3%, 1.7%, or 1.2% using simulation of 10, 30, or 50 three-day exemplar time blocks, respectively, for each of three single-year location/weather/market scenarios and five plant configurations ranging from low to high solar multiple and storage capacity. When applied to multi-year datasets, the proposed methodology can capture inter-year variability that is unavailable from typical meteorological year (TMY) datasets while simultaneously requiring simulation of less than a single year of data.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Data for Production of a δ-Lactam from Glucose through Integrating Biological and Chemical Catalysis

We present a new strategy for the production of a δ-lactam from glucose that integrates biological production of triacetic acid lactone (TAL, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2H-2-one) with catalytic transformation of TAL into 6-methylpiperidin-2-one (MPO) through metabolic engineering, isomerization, amination, and catalytic hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis. We developed a sustainable and antibiotic-free fed-batch fermentation using genetically modified Rhodotorula toruloides IFO0880. This process achieved a yield of 2-hydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (2H4P) at 0.05 g/g of glucose, corresponding to a 9.9 g/L titer. By adjusting the pH of the fermentation broth to 2, 2H4P was quantitatively converted into TAL. The TAL in the fermentation broth was directly converted by aminolysis into 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1H)-one (HMPO), which achieved an 18.5% yield with 94.3% purity. The HMPO yield was lower in the fermentation broth than in a clean feedstock (32.2%), suggesting that the biological impurities are inhibitors in this reaction. Further investigation revealed that lower pH levels and reduced TAL concentrations in the fermentation broth significantly decreased HMPO yields. Subsequently, the precipitated HMPO was filtered and dried and then subjected to the final catalytic conversion in H2O solvent, achieving a MPO yield of 91.8%. This integrated approach demonstrated the direct use of TAL in the filtered aqueous fermentation broth without the need to isolate TAL.

Catalysis↗

Data for Production of Designer Xylose-Acetic Acid Enriched Hydrolysate from Bioenergy Sorghum, Oilcane, and Energycane Bagasses

Xylan accounts for up to 40% of the structural carbohydrates in lignocellulosic feedstocks. Along with xylan, acetic acid in sources of hemicellulose can be recovered and marketed as a commodity chemical. Through vibrant bioprocessing innovations, converting xylose and acetic acid into high-value bioproducts via microbial cultures improves the feasibility of lignocellulosic biorefineries. Enzymatic hydrolysis using xylanase supplemented with acetylxylan esterase (AXE) was applied to prepare xylose-acetic acid enriched hydrolysates from bioenergy sorghum, oilcane, or energycane using sequential hydrothermal-mechanical pretreatment. Various biomass solids contents (15 to 25%, w/v) and xylanase loadings (140 to 280 FXU/g biomass) were tested to maximize xylose and acetic acid titers. The xylose and acetic acid yields were significantly improved by supplementing with AXE. The optimal yields of xylose and acetic acid were 92.29% and 62.26% obtained from hydrolyzing energycane and oilcane at 25% and 15% w/v biomass solids using 280 FXU xylanase/g biomass and AXE, respectively.

Biomass Analytics↗

Downhole laser system with an improved laser output production and data collection

One or more embodiments relates to a method of growing ultrasmooth and high quantum efficiency CsTe photocathodes. The method includes exposing a substrate of Cs using an alkali source such as an effusion cell; and controlling co-evaporating growth and co-deposition forming a CsTe growth. The method further includes monitoring a stoichiometry of the CsTe growth.

Mcintyre, Dustin↗

Downhole laser system with an improved laser output production and data collection

One or more embodiments relates to a method of growing ultrasmooth and high quantum efficiency CsTe photocathodes. The method includes exposing a substrate of Cs using an alkali source such as an effusion cell; and controlling co-evaporating growth and co-deposition forming a CsTe growth. The method further includes monitoring a stoichiometry of the CsTe growth.

McIntyre, Dustin↗

A Multi-Instrument Cloud Condensation Nuclei Spectrum Product (Final Technical Report)

A wealth of observational data exists on the characteristics of atmospheric particulate matter, over multiple years, at the DOE ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) Central Facility site. This site is located in a region of the country that frequently experiences weather extremes, and that is removed from many local sources of pollution but is affected by transported smoke, dust, and urban emissions. The relationships between particulate matter, cloud formation and evolution, and precipitation are therefore of strong interest, and are being explored via modeling on a variety of scales. These models require as input detailed information on the characteristics of particles capable of serving as the nuclei for cloud formation. Sufficient data exist to be able to put together a picture of the nature of the total aerosol and the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) subset, and their variability, through merged data products. This study was aimed at exploiting the multiple measurement types at SGP to develop the first such multi-year estimates. Further, the resulting data were analyzed to understand temporal patterns ranging from hourly to seasonal, thereby gaining insights into the particle sources affecting the atmosphere in this region. DOE-funded datasets that were analyzed in this study include total particle number concentrations, submicron aerosol scattering coefficients, dry aerosol size distributions, and more recently, time-resolved submicron aerosol chemical composition. Data are also available for the number concentrations of particles that are activated in a cloud condensation nucleus instrument at a series of setpoint supersaturations, providing direct observations of the number concentrations of “CCN”. This variable is the quantity that is generally desired for inclusion in numerical models that seek to represent and predict the impacts of varying aerosol characteristics on the formation and microphysical properties of clouds. One limitation of the use of direct CCN observations is that they are not available for supersaturations larger than about 1%, which is insufficient for deep convection and may be insufficient even for shallow convection, depending on the nature of the available CCN and the dynamics of the cloud. We developed a data-based approach to representing the full aerosol size spectrum with size-dependent hygroscopicity, and used this to extrapolate CCN spectra beyond the limited measurements. Five years of SGP aerosol data (2009 -2013) were analyzed. As a side product of our work, we identified and communicated several previously-unflagged data quality issues. The resulting merged aerosol distributions, along with fits for seasonal averages, were published and submitted to the ARM archive as a special value-added product (VAP; submitted as a PI product). CCN spectra were computed for the same data period and will similarly be published and submitted to the archive for use by the community. We also note that our methodologies and findings have been discussed at several Joint ARM User Facility/Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Principal Investigators Meetings and that recent ARM/ASR aerosol data reporting strategies have included similar ideas for data merging, indicating that this work has had a lasting impact on ARM aerosol data acquisition and reporting. The proposed work advances the science of the interactions of aerosols, clouds and precipitation, with direct application to improve representation of such interactions for clouds in regional and global climate models. The archived data will continue to serve research studies in the future.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Evaluation of E3SM land model snow simulations over the western United States

Abstract. Seasonal snow has crucial impacts on climate, ecosystems, and humans, but it is vulnerable to global warming. The land component (ELM) of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) mechanistically simulates snow processes from accumulation, canopy interception, compaction, and snow aging to melt. Although high-quality field measurements, remote sensing snow products, and data assimilation products with high spatio-temporal resolution are available, there has been no systematic evaluation of the snow properties and phenology in ELM. This study comprehensively evaluates ELM snow simulations over the western United States at 0.125∘ resolution during 2001–2019 using the Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) in situ networks, MODIS remote sensing products (i.e., MCD43 surface albedo product), the spatially and temporally complete (STC) snow-covered area and grain size (MODSCAG) and MODIS dust and radiative forcing in snow (MODDRFS) products (STC-MODSCAG/STC-MODDRFS), and the snow property inversion from remote sensing (SPIReS) product and two data assimilation products of snow water equivalent and snow depth – i.e., University of Arizona (UA) and SNOw Data Assimilation System (SNODAS). Overall the ELM simulations are consistent with the benchmarking datasets and reproduce the spatio-temporal patterns, interannual variability, and elevation gradients for different snow properties including snow cover fraction (fsno), surface albedo (αsur) over snow cover regions, snow water equivalent (SWE), and snow depth (Dsno). However, there are large biases of fsno with dense forest cover and αsur in the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada in winter, compared to the MODIS products. There are large discrepancies of snow albedo, snow grain size, and light-absorbing particle-induced snow albedo reduction between ELM and the MODIS products, attributed to uncertainties in the aerosol forcing data, snow aging processes in ELM, and remote sensing retrievals. Against UA and SNODAS, ELM has a mean bias of −20.7 mm (−35.9 %) and −20.4 mm (−35.5 %), respectively, for spring, and −13.8 mm (−27.8 %) and −10.2 mm (−22.2 %), respectively, for winter. ELM shows a relatively high correlation with SNOTEL SWE, with mean correlation coefficients of 0.69 but negative mean biases of −122.7 mm. Compared to the snow phenology of STC-MODSCAG and SPIReS, ELM shows delayed snow accumulation onset dates by 17.3 and 12.4 d, earlier snow end dates by 35.5 and 26.8 d, and shorter snow durations by 52.9 and 39.5 d, respectively. This study underscores the need for diagnosing model biases and improving ELM representations of snow properties and snow phenology in mountainous areas for more credible simulation and future projection of mountain snowpack.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Enhancing Discoverability and Management of Atmospheric Data at Scale: Solutions from the ARM Data Center

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) is a multi-laboratory and multi-institutional U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science National User Facility. The ARM Data Center (ADC), located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, collects, archives, and shares vast atmospheric data crucial for climate research. The ADC manages over 7 PB of data from 460 instruments worldwide, processing it into more than 11,000 diverse data products using the Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) for machine-independent accessibility. The primary challenge addressed in this paper is the efficient management and distribution of vast and diverse datasets essential for the climate research community, enhancing accessibility through advanced tools like Data Discovery. The ADC has developed advanced infrastructure and software architecture to handle the continuous influx of heterogeneous data to enhance data discoverability, resulting in increased scientific collaboration. In 2023, users from over 34 countries downloaded and utilized ARM data, resulting in 1,455 publications. The ADC’s efforts have significantly improved the discoverability and usability of atmospheric data, fostering extensive scientific research and collaboration. This paper details the solutions implemented by the ADC team for efficient data discovery and distribution, and it demonstrates ARM’s capability of staging processed data for scientific analysis.

Shah, Chirag [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000203145737)↗

Unconventional Wells Interference: Supervised Machine Learning for Detecting Fracture Hits

The primary objective of the study was development of a machine learning (ML)-based workflow for fracture hit (“frac hit”) detection and monitoring using shale oil-field data such as drilling surveys, production history (oil and produced water), pressure, and fracking start time and duration records. The ML method takes advantage of long short-term memory (LSTM) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks to identify the frac hits due to hydraulic communication between the fracking child well(s) and the producing parent well(s) within the same pad (intra-pad interaction) and/or on different pads (inter-pad interaction). It utilizes time series of pressure and production data from within a pad and from adjacent pads. The workflow can capture time variable features of frac hits when the model architecture is deep and wide enough, with enough trainable parameters for deep learning and feature extraction, as demonstrated in this paper by using training and testing subsets of the field data from selected neighboring pads with over a couple of hundred wells. The study was focused on frac-hit interaction among paired wells and demonstrated that the ML model, once trained, can predict the frac-hit probability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Long-term measurements of ice nucleating particles at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites worldwide

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) play a critical role in cloud microphysics and precipitation formation, yet long-term, spatially extensive observational datasets remain limited. Here, we present one of the most comprehensive publicly available datasets of immersion-mode INP concentrations using a single analytical method, generated through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. INP filter samples have been collected across a broad range of environments – including agricultural plains, Arctic coastlines, high-elevation mountain sites, marine regions, and urban areas – via fixed observatories, mobile facility deployments, and vertically-resolved tethered balloon system operations. We describe the standardized processing and quality assurance pipeline, from filter collection and processing using the Ice Nucleation Spectrometer to final data products archived on the ARM Data Discovery portal. The dataset includes both total INP concentrations and selectively treated samples, allowing for classification of biological, organic, and inorganic INP types. It features a continuous 5-year record of INP measurements from a central U.S. site, with data collection still ongoing. Seasonal and site-specific differences in INP concentrations are illustrated through intercomparisons at −10 and −20 °C, revealing distinct regional sources and atmospheric drivers. We also outline mechanisms for researchers to access existing data, request additional sample analyses, and propose future field campaigns involving ARM INP measurements. This dataset supports a wide range of scientific applications, from observational and mechanistic studies to model development, and provides critical constraints on aerosol-cloud interactions across diverse atmospheric regimes (Creamean et al., 2024, 2020b; https://doi.org/10.5439/1770816).

Creamean, Jessie M. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Co↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Single Particle Soot Photometer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Single Particle Soot Photometer (Droplet Measurements Technology) Data Notes: Contact us if you want additional data products from this instrument. Reported data is the black carbon (rBC) number and mass concentration with diagnostic flags. The SP2 measures incandescence from particles that is induced with a 1064 Nd-YAG laser. Particles that absorb the laser energy and then emit radiation is assumed to contain black carbon. The amount of intensity of radiation is related to the mass of absorbing material in the particle. Here, we calibrate the incandescence intensity to size selected Regal Black (Cabot) nebulized from solution. Data provided for the EPCAPE campaign used the combined broadband high-gain + low-gain channels (BHBL). Each channel has a lower threshold of detection equivalent to 2-s of the respective channel noise. Thresholding has been applied to select between the high-gain and low-gain channels. The detection limit is 80-540 nm (Deq) or 0.36- 55 fg. It is assumed that rBC is the only aerosol type that is in significant concentration in the sampled atmosphere that absorbs the laser energy. Particle data are integrated over 10 second windows to calculate a rBC number and mass concentration. QC/QA: • Diagnostic flags that impacted measured concentration: - Sample, Sheath, and Purge Flow Rates: Despite observing fluctuations in all flows, the rBC detection and mass quantification are generally observed to be stable, although large changes in sample flow rate did impact detection efficiency. A flag was implemented for sample flow deviations >12 cm3/min from the set point averaged over 30 seconds - Laser Power: Detection efficiency decreases with laser power and deviations in laser power also affect mass quantification. Flag for laser power is set for deviations in laser current from the set value >5 mA. - Primary Detector Threshold: Primary thresholding is the signal value which determines whether a “particle” is recorded. Thresholding errors occur when the threshold value is too HIGH and real particles are ignored. • Several periods without data: - 16-18 Nov: Ultra Zero Air generator failure, flows deviated significantly from set points. rBC # conc recovered but questionable. - 20-21 Nov: Offline for calibrations for several hours each day. - 25-27 Nov: Data is missing. - 30 Nov: Power outage 3 Dec: SP2 hard-drive full. - 3 Dec: Power Outage Header: - BHBL_NumbConc[#/cc]: Refers to the number concentration of refractory black carbon (rBC) measured from combined broadband high-gain and low-gain channels, expressed in particles per cubic centimeter. - BHBL_BCMass_Conc[ug/m3]: Refers to the mass concentration of refractory black carbon (rBC) measured from combined broadband high-gain and low-gain channels, expressed in micrograms per cubic meter. - NoData_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag that indicates whether no data was recorded during a measurement. - NoBC_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether no black carbon particles were recorded during the measurement. - Laser_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations in laser current during the measurement. - SampleFlow_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations from the set sample flow rate during the measurement. - PrimThresh_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations from the set primary threshold during the measurement, potentially ignoring real particles. - Manual_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating manual intervention or adjustments during the measurement. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active or inactive during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data Catalog Project - A Browsable, Searchable, Metadata System

Modern experiments are typically conducted by large, extended, where researchers rely on other team members to produce much of the data they use. The experiments record very large numbers of measurements which can be difficult for users to find, access and understand. We are developing a system for users to annotate their data products with structured metadata, providing data consumers with a discoverable, browsable data index. Machine understandable metadata captures the underlying semantics of the recorded data, which can then be consumed by both programs, and interactively by users. Collaborators can use these metadata to select and understand recorded measurements.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

LAI, EVI, NDVI, and kNDVI in 23 pantropical forests affected by 21 cyclones

Statement of purpose: Cyclones alter the function and composition of tropical forests, making effects of intensifying cyclones on carbon-rich forests a critical topic of study. Here, we quantified cyclone-induced damage and recovery of 21 cyclone disturbances affecting 23 pantropical forest sites between 1988-2017 utilizing leaf area index (LAI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and transformed NDVI (kNDVI) values from Google Earth Engine. Field observations collected in a meta-analysis (Bomfim et al., 2022, in review) were used to ground-truth and test effects of soil resource availability and disturbance factors on damage and recovery. This meta-analysis also served as the basis to begin vegetation index extraction, utilizing unique site and date combinations, from tropical forests effect by cyclone disturbances. We began collecting NDVI (5km resolution) from the NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Version 5 data product (Vermote, 2019) for all case studies included, 42. Next, we began extracting Landsat data from Landsat 4, 5, and 8, courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, in search of higher resolution data. We selected a 3 by 3 Landsat pixel area, leading to a 90m resolution data extraction. The specific imagery used includes Landsat 4 USGS Landsat 4 TM Collection 1 Tier 1 TOA (top of atmosphere) Reflectance, Landsat 5 USGS Landsat 5 TM (thematic mapper) Collection 1 Tier 1 TOA Reflectance, and Landsat 8 USGS Landsat 8 Collection 1 Tier 1 TOA Reflectance. Within Google Earth Engine, we selected the date and location (latitude and longitude), calculated NDVI, kNDVI, and EVI utilizing Landsat bands (see metadata_NGEE-tropics_cyclones), and extracted post- and pre-cyclone values for each case study to calculate cyclone-induced change in the vegetative index. Due to limited spatial resolution of Landsat remote sensing data, MODIS products were investigated next. First, the MOD13Q1.006 Terra Vegetation Indices 16-Day Global 250m product was used to extract 250m EVI and NDVI (Didan, 2015) and then the MCD15A3H.006 MODIS Leaf Area Index/FPAR 4-Day Global 500m product product was used to extract LAI 500m (Myneni et al., 2015). Pre- and post-cyclone values, change in the vegetative index, and standard deviation for all values are included in the main csv (see case_study_data.csv) for all vegetative indices collected, including LAI 500m, EVI 250m, NDVI 250m, NDVI 90m, kNDVI 90m, EVI 90m, and NDVI 5km. Lastly, recovery values were calculated utilizing a standardization method (see metadata_NGEE-tropics_cyclones) and recovery values for MODIS (see MODIS_recovery.csv) and Landsat (Landsat_recovery.csv) data are included.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Robust Carbon Dioxide Plume Imaging Using Joint Tomographic Inversion of Seismic Onset Time and Distributed Pressure and Temperature Measurements (Final Report)

We develop and demonstrate rapid and cost-effective methodologies for spatiotemporal tracking of CO2 plumes during geologic sequestration using joint inversion of seismic data and distributed pressure and temperature measurements. Key elements of our methodology are: (a) a computationally efficient approach to pressure and temperature propagation, (b) analysis of time lapse seismic data using a novel ‘seismic onset time’ approach to detect fluid front propagation, and (c) data assimilation and uncertainty assessment via joint inversion of pressure, temperature and time lapse seismic data, and (d) validating the numerical tomographic inversion using a CO2 injection demonstration projects, specifically data collected from the from the Petra Nova Parish Holdings CCUS project in the West Ranch Field, Texas and the Chester-16 reef CO2 injection site in Northern Michigan which is part of the DOE Midwestern Carbon Sequestration Project. The research team is led by Texas A&M University and includes Battelle as a subcontractor with support from Shell, Anadarko, Chevron and JX Nippon. A carbon dioxide (CO2) water-alternating-gas (WAG) pilot was conducted to gain insights into tertiary oil recovery potential via CO2 flood in the West Ranch Field as part of the Petra Nova project, the world’s largest post-combustion CO2 capture and utilization initiative. With a fluvial formation geology and large contrasts in permeability, this is a challenging and novel application of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). We build a predictive dynamic model of the subsurface that incorporates the multiphase and compositional data acquired during the pilot operation. The calibrated model is used for the carbon dioxide plume imaging. The study began with an initialization of the pilot sector model extracted from a calibrated full-field model. The pilot model calibration follows a two-step hierarchical workflow. First, we performed a large-scale update of the permeability distribution by integrating available bottomhole pressure and multiphase production data. In the second step, local permeability field is fine-tuned using a streamline-based method to match CO2 breakthrough times at the producers. The predictive capability of the calibrated model was verified through two blind validation tests: (1) the model showed good agreement with saturation logs acquired at two observation wells; and (2) the model reproduced the CO2 recovery as a fraction of the injected CO2. The use of seismic onset times has shown great promise for integrating near-continuous seismic surveys for updating geologic models. In this study, we analyze the impact of seismic survey frequency on the onset time approach aiming to extend the application of onset time to infrequent seismic surveys. In addition, we quantitatively examine the nonlinearity of the onset time method and compare it to the commonly used amplitude inversion method. We carry out a sensitivity analysis of seismic survey frequency based on the complete seismic survey data (over 175 surveys) of steam injection in a heavy oil reservoir (Peace River Unit) in Canada. Our results show that an adequate onset time map can be obtained from the infrequent seismic surveys by interpolation between seismic surveys as long as there is no change in the dominant underlying physics between the successive surveys. The study also shows that nonlinearity of the onset time method can be -smaller than that of the amplitude inversion method by several orders of magnitude. Application to the Brugge benchmark case shows that the onset time method obtains comparable permeability update as the traditional seismic amplitude inversion method with faster computation and improved convergence characteristics. We extend the streamline-based data integration approach to incorporate distributed temperature sensor (DTS) data using the concept of thermal tracer travel time. Then, a hierarchical workflow composed of evolutionary and streamline methods is employed to jointly history match the DTS and pressure data. Finally, CO2 saturation and streamline maps are used to visualize the CO2 plume movement during the sequestration process. The hierarchical workflow is applied to a carbon sequestration project in a carbonate reef reservoir within the Northern Niagaran Pinnacle Reef Trend in Michigan, USA. The monitoring data set consists of distributed temperature sensing (DTS) data acquired at the injection well and a monitoring well, flowing bottom-hole pressure data at the injection well, and time-lapse pressure measurements at several locations along the monitoring well. The history matching results indicate that the CO2 movement is mostly restricted to the intended zones of injection which is consistent with an independent warm-back analysis of the temperature data. In addition to employing simulation models and inverse methods for CO2 plume imaging, we also initialized a data-driven technology for detecting inter-well connectivity based on production and pressure data. Our machine-learning framework is built on the statistical recurrent unit (SRU) model and interprets well-based injection/production data into inter-well connectivity without relying on a geologic model. We test it on synthetic and field-scale CO2 EOR projects utilizing the water-alternating-gas (WAG) process. The validation of the proposed data-driven inter-well connectivity assessment is performed using synthetic data from simulation models where inter-well connectivity can be easily measured using the streamline-based flux allocation. The SRU model is shown to offer excellent prediction performance on the synthetic case. Despite significant measurement noise and frequent well shut-ins imposed in the field-scale case, the SRU model offers good prediction accuracy, the overall relative error of the phase production rates at most producers ranges from 10% to 30%. It is shown that the dominant connections identified by the data-driven method and streamline method are in close agreement. Texas A&M University, the lead organization in the project, was primarily responsible for the development of tomographic approaches for CO2 plume mapping in conjunction with distributed pressure, temperature and seismic onset time data. Battelle, as a subcontractor, was primarily responsible for the development of analytical and empirical methods for analyzing transient injection rate and pressure data from point/line sources such as injection and monitoring wells. An additional area of emphasis for Battelle was the use of machine learning for such tasks as inferring reservoir connectivity information from injection-production data, and identifying variable importance for machine learning-based proxy models developed from full-physics simulations. The two organizations also collaborated on the application of the tomographic inversion methodology for a field data set.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Evaluation of Use Cases and Types of Databases for Hosting Wind Power Data

The goal of the National Wind Power Production Data Dashboard project is to develop a publicly available platform to model, process, and share wind power with uncertainty quantification for the current and future onshore and offshore wind plants across the continental United States. As of 2021, more than 70,000 utility-scale wind turbines have been installed across the United States and this number is expected to grow in the next few years. A large-scale wind power production database is needed for stakeholders (policy makers, operators, and researchers) to access easily for their decision-making. Currently, meeting that need is a challenge. Most wind power operators and system operators focus on regions of their own interest, and the data are usually inaccessible to the public.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Impact of Precipitation Parameters on the Specific Surface Area of PuO 2

Controlling the properties of PuO 2 through processing is of vital importance to environmental transport and fate, production of nuclear fuels, nuclear forensic analyses, stockpile stewardship, and storage of nuclear wastes applications. A number of processing conditions have been identified to control final product properties, including specific surface area (SSA), residual carbon content, adsorption of volatile species, morphology, and particle size. In this paper, a novel approach is developed for the prediction of PuO 2 SSA via the synthetic route of Pu(IV) oxalate precipitation followed by calcination. The proposed model utilizes multivariate regression methodology and leave one out formalism to link Savannah River Site (SRS) precipitation and calcination production data to the SSA of the final product. A comparison among the models provides insight into the accuracy and ability to identify variations amongst the processing data. Additionally, the models may also be used to fit new data outside of the parameters explored in a production facility. Finally, the trained model was compared to a similarly trained conventional model form to illustrate the influence of precipitation parameters on the prediction of the final SSA. The models presented here attempt to provide new methods for more accurate prediction of the PuO 2 product properties in a production scale environment for key environmental and nuclear applications.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗