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At least 253 records · Page 14

Comparison of permeability predictions on cemented sandstones with physics-based and machine learning approaches

Permeability prediction has been an important problem since the time of Darcy. Most approaches to solve this problem have used either idealized physical models or empirical relations. In recent years, machine learning (ML) has led to more accurate and robust, but less interpretable empirical models. Using 211 core samples collected from 12 wells in the Garn Sandstone from the North Sea, this study compared idealized physical models based on the Carman-Kozeny equation to interpretable ML models. We found that ML models trained on estimates of physical properties are more accurate than physical models. The results show evidence of a threshold of about 10% volume fraction, above which pore-filling cement strongly affects permeability.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Electrolyte management in porous battery components. Static measurements

The interaction between the porous hydrogen and nickel electrodes and microporous separator with respect to electrolyte management in nickel/hydrogen cells has been investigated. The distribution of electrolyte among the components has been measured and correlated with the pore size distributions, total void volume, and resistance of a variety of electrodes and separators. Calculations are used to show the effects of systematically varying these properties.

Abbey, K. M.↗

High-thermal-gradient Superalloy Crystal Growth

Single, (001)-oriented crystals of PWA 1480 were processed in alumina/silica shell molds in a laboratory high gradient furnace. The furnace employs a graphite resistance heated element, a radiation baffle, and a water cooled radiation trap below the baffle. All crystals were grown in vacuum (10 torr) and all heat transfer was radiative. The element is constructed with a variable cross section that is tapered just above the baffle to maximize heat input and therefore thermal gradient. A maximum alloy temperature of 1600 C was used. A thermal gradient of 130 deg C/cm was recorded at 1370 C just above the solidus of the PWA 1480 alloys. Crystal bars with 14.4 and 17.5 mm diameters were grown in alumina/silica shell molds. Each crystal was started from a 1.6 mm pencil seed at a rate of 76 mm/hr and slowly accelerated to a rate of 200 mm/hr under computer control. Volume percent porosity and average pore size were measured as functions of distance in representative bars. Low cycle fatigue behavior and stress rupture properties were determined.

Pearson, D. D.↗

Ultrasonic measurement of porosity in casts and welds

The development of a quantitative nondestructive method which involves ultrasonic attenuation measurements in frequency domain to determine volume fraction of porosity in aluminum cast is discussed. The aluminum alloy A357 casting samples were produced at the Ohio State University Foundry with controlled porosity contents ranging from 0% to 6%. A computer controlled system was used to direct ultrasonic beam to a test sample to different places to conduct ultrasonic attenuation measurements. The plot of attenuation coefficients as a function of frequency was then evaluated based on existing theories to determine volume fraction of porosity and pore size.

Adler, L.↗

EcAMSat: Effect of Space-Flight on Antibiotic Resistance of a Pathogenic Bacterium and its Genetic Basis

Human immune response is compromised in space and incidence of urinary tract infections (UTI) in astronauts has been reported. We have found that the causative agent of UTI, the uropathogenic Escherichia coli, becomes more resistant to gentamicin (Gm), which is commonly used to treat this disease, under modeled microgravity conditions (MMG), the increase being controlled by the stress response master regulator, σs. While the wild type bacterium becomes virtually invincible under MMG, the strain missing this sigma factor barely survives. We report here preparatory ground work for testing this finding in space flight on a nanosatellite. We have shown that the effect of Gm treatment on culture viability is directly correlated to increased Alamar Blue (AB) reduction; we have identified conditions to keep the experimental elements - the bacterial cultures, Gm, and AB - in a state of viability and potency to permit successful spaceflight experimentation given the necessary constraints. Spaceflight kinetics of AB reduction will be transmitted from the satellite via telemetry. The PharmaSat hardware previously used for space experimentation with yeast was modified to permit studies with bacteria by reducing the filter pore size and increasing fluidics volume to enable more fluid exchanges. Several verification tests have been run using the nanosatellite's flight software and prototype hardware. Cells were grown to stationary phase to induce the σs-controlled stress resistance and treated with Gm. Without Gm, the mutant took longer than the wild type to reduce the AB; this time difference increased almost 8 fold at 55 μg/mL Gm concentration. Thus, using flight hardware the mutant shows similarly increased sensitivity to Gm compared to the wild type to that found in our pilot microtiter plate experiments. Previous inflight experiments have given contradictory results concerning bacterial antibiotic resistance; none has yet explored the involvement of specific genes in this phenomenon. With our system ready to fly in late 2015/early 2016, these questions can be approached

uropathogenic E. coli↗

Behavior of Tidally Triggered Earthquakes Depends on Fluid Conditions

Seismicity at The Geysers geothermal field and in Oklahoma is heavily influenced by industrial activities related to energy production, though the mechanism in which earthquakes are induced or triggered is different. At The Geysers, much of the seismicity is linked to thermoelastic stresses caused by injecting cold water into hot rocks, whereas in Oklahoma, the seismicity is linked to a reduction of confining stress on faults due to increasing pore pressure resulting from wastewater injections. Here, in this study, we show that these contrasting conditions are also evident in tidally triggered earthquakes. At The Geysers, earthquakes preferentially occur during maximum extensional stress, which does not occur at the same time as maximum shear stress on optimally oriented faults in the regional stress field. In Oklahoma, earthquakes preferentially occur during maximum shear stress on optimally oriented faults rather than maximum extensional stress. The magnitude of tidal extensional stress is naturally much greater than tidal shear stress. However, in a fluid-saturated environment, pore pressure responds to changes in volume, which can counteract or reduce the effect of the applied stress. The difference in behavior at these two sites is indicative of the level of coupling between applied stress and pore pressure, corresponding to unsaturated conditions at The Geysers and high pore pressure in Oklahoma.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Effects of Interactions Between Produced Formation Fluid and Rock Matrix on Pore Structure of Caney Shale, Southern Oklahoma

ABSTRACT: Rock-fluid interactions change properties of shales during exploitation. To investigate effects of rock-fluid interactions on pore structure of shales matrix after hydraulic fracturing, powder samples from two late Mississippian Caney Shale cores in the Ardmore Basin, southern Oklahoma, were used to react with formation produced fluid from the field in the batch reactor analysis. X-ray diffraction for mineralogy and Low-pressure nitrogen adsorption isotherms for pore structure were measured for original, after-7days, and after-30days samples. Results show that the samples consist mainly of quartz, followed by clay minerals, carbonates, and feldspar. The pore sizes of micropore (<2 nm) and mesopore (2-50 nm) increase 14%-233% due to dissolution of pyrite, feldspar, and carbonates after 7 days. Due to the transformation from smectite to illite and the increase of pore size, the specific surface area (SSA) decreases after 7-days interactions. After 30-days interactions, the micropore volume slightly increases and the mesopore and macropore volume decreases. Due to the decrease of pore size, the SSA of 30-days reacted samples increases correspondingly and is lower (for the clay-rich sample) or higher (for the calcareous sample) than that of the unreacted samples. Findings improve our understanding of dynamic alteration of shale properties during production. 1. INTRODUCTION Energy demand will continuously grow owing to the increasing global population as well as energy consumption (EIA, 2023). On the other hand, shale gas and oil reshaped the energy market in the United States, enabling the United States to become a net-export of natural gas country in 2017 (EIA, 2023). However, shale reservoirs are challenging tight formations that are still poorly understood in the extraction and production of hydrocarbons (Ross and Bustin, 2009; Curtis et al., 2012; Xiong et al., 2015, 2021a; Li Y. et al., 2016; Gong et al., 2019a; Benge et al., 2021; Awejori et al., 2022; Huang et al., 2022). One of the most challenging topics is the rock-fluid interactions post hydraulic fracturing and its subsequent impacts on the pore structures of fractured formation matrix.

Xiong, Fengyang↗

Gravitational Effects on Distortion in Sintering

During sintering a powder compact gains strength through low-temperature interparticle bonding, usually induced by solid-state surface diffusion, followed by further strength contributions from high-temperature densification. In cases where a liquid phase forms, sintering densification is accelerated and shape retention is sustained while open pores remain and contribute capillary forces. Unfortunately, sintering densification requires the compact become thermally softened to a point where creep strain rates reach levels near 10(exp -2)/s when the liquid forms. On the other hand, thermal softening of the powder compact substantially reduces the strength at high temperatures. Therefore, the in situ strength evolution during sintering is a primary focus to separate compact densification (as required for high performance) with minimized distortion (as required for net-shaping). With respect to gravitation effects on distortion during sintering there are two points of substantial weakness - prior to significant interparticle bonding and during final pore closure. This research is focused on understanding the competition among interparticle neck growth, densification, thermal softening, grain boundary wetting, capillary effects associated with liquid wetting and residual porosity, and gravity. Most surprising is the apparent role of gravity, where the deviatoric stress acting on the powder structure induces skeletal formation that reduces distortion. In contrast with theory, microgravity samples exhibit more distortion yet fail to fully densify. Results are presented on the experimental concepts supporting an emerging model of sintering strength evolution that enables understanding of both distortion and densification. The experiments have relied on tungsten heavy alloys, various combinations of dihedral angle, pore size, initial porosity, liquid:solid ratio, and heating rates. On Earth, the dominant factor with respect to distortion is the starting body heterogeneity. Current modeling efforts are seeking some means to uniformly predict the distortion based on a starting pore structure heterogeneity parameter. Densification is largely unaffected by the initial pore structure, but distortion is highly variable, suggesting that nonuniform pore closure might be a significant parameter during sintering. With respect to flight experiments, plans include removal of the solid body forces acting on the solid grains, allowing stabilization of the pore structure and examination of the buoyancy effects with regard to distortion. In microgravity there is the surprising result that compacts do not densify, yet distort a factor that is contrary to all current sintering models. Densification without distortion during liquid phase sintering was achieved by manipulating microstructure and its evolution during sintering. Microstructure parameters such as the solid volume fraction, dihedral angle, initial porosity, and pore size were varied to measure densification and distortion behavior during LPS using W-Ni-Cu alloys. Green compacts were formed using ethylene-bis-stearamide as a pore-forming agent with the amount of polymer controlling the initial porosity. Different initial pore sizes were generated by varying the polymer particle size. Dihedral angle was varied by changing the Ni:Cu ratio in the alloys. Finally, the solid volume fraction was adjusted via the tungsten content. Distortion was quantified using profiles determined with a coordinate measuring machine to calculate a distortion parameter. Sintering results showed that solid volume fraction and dihedral angle are the dominant factors on densification and distortion during liquid phase sintering. Distortion decreases with increasing solid volume fraction and dihedral angle, while initial porosity and pore size have no observable effect on distortion at nearly full densification. Various strategies emerge to improve distortion control in liquid phase sintering.

German, Randall M.↗

Ectopic bone formation by marrow stromal osteoblast transplantation using poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) foams implanted into the rat mesentery

Porous biodegradable poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) foams were seeded with rat marrow stromal cells and implanted into the rat mesentery to investigate in vivo bone formation at an ectopic site. Cells were seeded at a density of 6.83 x 10(5) cells/cm2 onto polymer foams having pore sizes ranging from either 150 to 300 to 710 microns and cultured for 7 days in vitro prior to implantation. The polymer/cell constructs were harvested after 1, 7, 28, or 49 days in vivo and processed for histology and gel permeation chromatography. Visual observation of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections and von Kossa-stained sections revealed the formation of mineralized bonelike tissue in the constructs within 7 days postimplantation. Ingrowth of vascular tissue was also found adjacent to the islands of bone, supplying the necessary metabolic requirements to the newly formed tissue. Mineralization and bone tissue formation were investigated by histomorphometry. The average penetration depth of mineralized tissue in the construct ranged from 190 +/- 50 microns for foams with 500-710-microns pores to 370 +/- 160 microns for foams with 150-300-microns pores after 49 days in vivo. The mineralized bone volume per surface area and total bone volume per surface area had maximal values of 0.28 +/- 0.21 mm (500-710-microns pore size, day 28) and 0.038 +/- 0.024 mm (150-300-microns, day 28), respectively. As much as 11% of the foam volume penetrated by bone tissue was filled with mineralized tissue. No significant trends over time were observed for any of the measured values (penetration depth, bone volume/surface area, or percent mineralized bone volume). These results suggest the feasibility of bone formation by osteoblast transplantation in an orthotopic site where not only bone formation from transplanted cells but also ingrowth from adjacent bone may occur.

NASA Discipline Developmental Biology↗

Pore architecture and particulate organic matter in soils under monoculture switchgrass and restored prairie in contrasting topography

Bioenergy cropping systems can substantially contribute to climate change mitigation. However, limited information is available on how they affect soil characteristics, including pores and particulate organic matter (POM), both essential components of the soil C cycle. The objective of this study was to determine effects of bioenergy systems and field topography on soil pore characteristics, POM, and POM decomposition under new plant growth. We collected intact soil cores from two systems: monoculture switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and native prairie, at two contrasting topographical positions (depressions and slopes), planting half of the cores with switchgrass. Pore and POM characteristics were obtained using X-ray computed micro-tomography (μCT) (18.2 µm resolution) before and after new switchgrass growth. Diverse prairie vegetation led to higher soil C than switchgrass, with concomitantly higher volumes of 30–90 μm radius pores and greater solid-pore interface. Yet, that effect was present only in the coarse-textured soils on slopes and coincided with higher root biomass of prairie vegetation. Surprisingly, new switchgrass growth did not intensify decomposition of POM, but even somewhat decreased it in monoculture switchgrass as compared to non-planted controls. Our results suggest that topography can play a substantial role in regulating factors driving C sequestration in bioenergy systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Swelling and permeability effects during propellant cookoff

Large rocket motors may violently explode when exposed to accidental fires. Even hot metal fragments from a nearby accident may penetrate the propellant and ultimately cause thermal ignition. A mechanistic understanding of heated propellants leading to thermal runaway is a major unsolved problem. Here we show that thermal ignition in propellants can be predicted using a universal cookoff model coupled to a micromechanics pressurization model. Our model predicts the time to thermal ignition in cookoff experiments with variable headspace volumes. Furthermore, we found that experiments with headspace volumes are more prone to deformation which distorts pores and causes increased permeability when the propellant expands into this headspace. Delayed ignition with larger headspace volume correlates with lower headspace pressures during decomposition. We found that our predictions matched experimental measurements best when the initial propellant was impermeable to gas flow rather than being permeable. Similar behavior is expected with other energetic materials with rubbery binders. Our model is validated using data from a separate laboratory. We also present an uncertainty analysis using Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) of thermal ignition caused by a steel fragment embedded in the propellant.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Reversible Surface Energy Storage in Molecular-Scale Porous Materials

Forcible wetting of hydrophobic pores represents a viable method for energy storage in the form of interfacial energy. The energy used to fill the pores can be recovered as pressure–volume work upon decompression. For efficient recovery, the expulsion pressure should not be significantly lower than the pressure required for infiltration. Hysteresis of the wetting/drying cycle associated with the kinetic barrier to liquid expulsion results in energy dissipation and reduced storage efficiency. In the present work, we use open ensemble (Grand Canonical) Monte Carlo simulations to study the improvement of energy recovery with decreasing diameters of planar pores. Near-complete reversibility is achieved at pore widths barely accommodating a monolayer of the liquid, thus minimizing the area of the liquid/gas interface during the cavitation process. At the same time, these conditions lead to a steep increase in the infiltration pressure required to overcome steric wall/water repulsion in a tight confinement and a considerable reduction in the translational entropy of confined molecules. In principle, similar effects can be expected when increasing the size of the liquid particles without altering the absorbent porosity. While the latter approach is easier to follow in laboratory work, we discuss the advantages of reducing the pore diameter, which reduces the cycling hysteresis while simultaneously improving the stored-energy density in the material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ice in Channels and Ice-Rock Mixtures in Valleys on Mars: Did They Slide on Deformable Rubble Like Antarctic Ice Streams?

Recent studies of ice streams in Antarctica reveal a mechanism of basal motion that may apply to channels and valleys on Mars. The mechanism is sliding of the ice on deformable water-saturated till under high pore pressures. It has been suggested by Lucchitta that ice was present in outflow channels on Mars and gave them their distinctive morphology. This ice may have slid like Antarctic ice streams but on rubbly weathering products rather than till. However, to generate water under high pore pressures, elevated heatflow is needed to melt the base of the ice. Either volcanism or higher heatflow more than 2 b.y. ago could have raised the basal temperature. Regarding valley networks, higher heatflow 3 b.y. ago could have allowed sliding of ice-saturated overburden at a few hundred meters depth. If the original, pristine valleys were somewhat deeper than they are now, they could have formed by the same mechanism. Recent sounding of the seafloor in front of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica reveals large persistent patterns of longitudinal megaflutes and drumlinoid forms, which bear remarkable resemblance to longitudinal grooves and highly elongated streamlined islands found on the floors of martian outflow channels. The flutes are interpreted to have formed at the base of ice streams during the last glacial advance. Additional similarities of Antarctic ice streams with martian outflow channels are apparent. Antarctic ice streams are 30 to 80 km wide and hundreds of kilometers long. Martian outflow channels have similar dimensions. Ice stream beds are below sea level. Carr determined that most common floor elevations of martian outflow channels lie below martian datum, which may have been close to or below past martian sea levels. The Antarctic ice stream bed gradient is flat and locally may go uphill, and surface slopes are exceptionally. Martian channels also have floor gradients that are shallow or go uphill locally and have low surface gradients. The depth to the bed in ice streams is 1 to 1.5 km. At bankful stage, the depth of the fluid in outflow channels was 1 to 2 km, according to the height of bordering scarps. The similarity between Antarctic ice streams and martian outflow channels suggests that ice may have flowed through and shaped the outflow channels, and that perhaps the mechanism of motion of Antarctic ice streams also operated in outflow channels. In addition, sliding on deformable rubble may explain the formation of small valley networks. The large Siple Coast Antarctic ice streams are thought to slide over longitudinally grooved, deforming till, where much of the movement is within the till. The till is saturated with water at high pore pressures that nearly supports all of the weight of the ice. The small differential between overburden pressure and pore pressure at the bed is more important than the volume of water, but water needs to be supplied to the till interface. For pore pressures to remain high, the ice streams have to act as a seal that blocks the flow of water through them, and the rock underneath has to be of low permeability to prevent the water from draining away.

Lucchitta, B. K.↗

Electron tomography unravels new insights into fiber cell wall nanostructure; exploring 3D macromolecular biopolymeric nano-architecture of spruce fiber secondary walls

Lignocellulose biomass has a tremendous potential as renewable biomaterials for fostering the “bio-based society” and circular bioeconomy paradigm. It requires efficient use and breakdown of fiber cell walls containing mainly cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin biopolymers. Despite their great importance, there is an extensive debate on the true structure of fiber walls and knowledge on the macromolecular nano-organization is limited and remains elusive in 3D. We employed dual-axis electron tomography that allows visualization of previously unseen 3D macromolecular organization/biopolymeric nano-architecture of the secondary S2 layer of Norway spruce fiber wall. Unprecedented 3D nano-structural details with novel insights into cellulose microfibrils (~2 nm diameter), macrofibrils, nano-pore network and cell wall chemistry (volume %) across the S2 were explored and quantified including simulation of structure related permeability. Matrix polymer association with cellulose varied between microfibrils and macrofibrils with lignin directly associated with MFs. Simulated bio-nano-mechanical properties revealed stress distribution within the S2 and showed similar properties between the idealized 3D model and the native S2 (actual tomogram). Present work has great potential for significant advancements in lignocellulose research on nano-scale understanding of cell wall assembly/disassembly processes leading to more efficient industrial processes of functionalization, valorization and target modification technologies.

3-D reconstruction↗

Secondary electron emission of reticulated foam materials

Complex material surfaces can reduce secondary electron emission (SEE) and sputtering via geometric trapping. In this work, the SEE yields for a range of open-cell reticulated carbon foam geometries are characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The total reduction in the SEE yield from carbon foams with a 3% volume fill density and 10–100 pores per inch (PPI) is shown to be between 23.5% and 35.0%. Contributions of a foam backplate are assessed by experimentally and analytically defining the critical parameter, transparency. The transparency of a foam is quantified and is shown to affect the primary electron angular dependence on the SEE yield. For the same thickness of 6 mm, it is found that higher PPI decreases foam transparency from 32% to 0% and reduces the SEE yield. The SEE yield from carbon foams is also shown to have weaker dependence on the morphology of the surface compared with fuzzes and velvets and less variation across individual sample surfaces due to the rigidity of their ligament structures and isotropic geometries.

Physics↗

Uniaxial tensile mechanical properties from a scratch on ultra-fine grained tungsten

We demonstrate that surface-based mechanical testing can be used to quantify a wide range of mechanical properties determined using traditional uniaxial tension experiments. These include mapping of dynamic stress–strain behaviour, which can be used as a screening tool for uniaxial tensile ductility (uniform elongation), fracture toughness (K C ), which is shown to be in good agreement with reported plane-strain K IC , as well work-hardening exponents (n), activation volumes (V) energies (Q) and strain-rate sensitivity (m) exponents as a function of temperature. Advantages of the surface-based approach are the ability to work with significantly smaller volumes and accommodate processing defects like pores, voids and cracks. These methods are applied to ultra-fine grained tungsten (average grain size of 650 nm), as it is an ideal candidate for alloy development efforts in advanced energy systems. Tungsten is a useful baseline as it exhibits a near-ambient temperature (approx. 200°C) ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), enabling validation efforts for the proposed methods, and extraordinary material properties, including the highest melting temperature of any metal and complex temperature and strain-rate dependencies linked to transitions in dislocation mechanisms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of Process Parameter and Build Rate Variations on Defect Formation in Laser Powder Bed Fusion SS316L

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process that has gained interest for its material fabrication due to multiple advantages, such as the ability to print parts with small feature sizes, good mechanical properties, reduced material waste, etc. However, variations in the key process parameters in LPBF may result in the instantiation of porosity defects and variation in build rate. Particularly, volumetric energy density (VED) is a variable that encapsulates a number of those parameters and represents the amount of energy input from the laser source to the feedstock. VED has been traditionally used to inform the quality of the printed part but different values of VED are presented as optimal values for certain material systems. An optimal VED value can be maintained by changing the key process parameters so that various combinations yield a constant value. In this study, an optimal constant VED value is maintained while printing SS316L with variable key processing parameters. Porosity analysis is performed using optical microscopy, as well as X-ray computed tomography, to reveal the volume density and distribution of those pores. Two primary defect categories are identified, namely lack of fusion and porosity induced by balling defects. The findings indicate that, even at optimal VED, variations in process parameters can significantly influence defect type, underscoring the sensitivity of defect formation to the variation of these parameters. Furthermore, a minor change in the build rate, driven by adjustments in process parameters, was found to influence defect categories. These findings emphasize that fine tuning the process parameters and build rate is essential to minimize defects. Finally, fiducial marks have been identified as a source of unintentional porosity defects. These results enable the refinement of process parameters, ultimately optimizing LPBF to achieve enhanced material density and expedite the printing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Probing porous media with gas diffusion NMR

We show that gas diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (GD-NMR) provides a powerful technique for probing the structure of porous media. In random packs of glass beads, using both laser-polarized and thermally polarized xenon gas, we find that GD-NMR can accurately measure the pore space surface-area-to-volume ratio, S/V rho, and the tortuosity, alpha (the latter quantity being directly related to the system's transport properties). We also show that GD-NMR provides a good measure of the tortuosity of sandstone and complex carbonate rocks.

NASA Discipline Environmental Health↗