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At least 253 records · Page 14

Experimental and numerical study of swept ramp injection into a supersonic flowfield

Time-averaged measurements of pressure, temperature, velocity, and injectant mole fraction are presented using the planar laser-induced iodine fluorescence technique in the complex three-dimensional compressible flowfield around a swept ramp fuel injector. Within the range of thermodynamic conditions present in the test case studied, the technique's accuracy is estimated to be 4% for pressure, temperature, and velocity and 3% for injectant mole fraction. Comparisons with numerical simulations using the SPARK three-dimensional Navier-Stokes computer code with an algebraic turbulence model are made at the centerplane of the flowfield as well as on three crossflow planes downstream of the injector. Calculations and measurements are in good agreement throughout the flowfield, with deviations on the order of 5%; however, in specific regions, such as in the base of the ramp, deviations are larger. A weak asymmetry in the incoming flowfield appears to be amplified by boundary-layer separation occurring when the ramp-generated shock reflects off the tunnel walls. Ramp-generated vortices are weaker in the calculated results due to the effects of numerical viscosity in the vortex cores. This leads to less turning and mixing of the jet plume than observed in the experiments. The rate of decay of the maximum injectant mole fraction with streamwise distance is greater for the present ramp injection scheme than for previously measured transverse injection schemes. In this recirculation region at the base of the injector, laminar calculations show better agreement with the measurements than turbulent calculations.

Donohue, James M.↗

Heat Transfer to Fuel Sprays Injected into Heated Gases

This report presents the results of a study made of the influence of several variables on the pressure decrease accompanying injection of a relatively cool liquid into a heated compressed gas. Indirectly, this pressure decrease and the time rate of change of it are indicative of the total heat transferred as well as the rate of heat transfer between the gas and the injected liquid. Air, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide were used as ambient gases; diesel fuel and benzene were the injected liquids. The gas densities and gas-fuel ratios covered approximately the range used in compression-ignition engines. The gas temperatures ranged from 150 degrees c. to 350 degrees c.

Selden, Robert F↗

Dynamic modeling studies of basin-scale pressure interference and CO 2 plume evolution in multi-well geologic CO 2 storage

This research employs numerical modeling to analyze how CO 2 plumes and pressure fronts evolve when CO 2 is injected into a single storage formation from multiple projects located in proximity. Here, this analysis also evaluates the extent to which injection well spacing alleviates pressure buildup in the absence of active pressure management tactics. The simulation approach was based on a single, homogenous saline aquifer in which CO 2 injection occurs under a one-injector baseline case and several multi-well cases where well spacing varies. Analysis results show that the extent of pressure buildup is in the range of tens or a few hundreds of kilometers and contingent upon the defining pressure buildup demarcating the front edge. For the geological setting evaluated in this paper, our analysis suggests that without active basin pressure management strategies, commercial-scale projects would likely need to be sited far apart to avoid pressure interference from one another. Analysis results show the radius of CO 2 plume varies approximately from 2 to 3 km from injection wells (each injecting 1 Mt/year for 30 years) depending on cases and modeling parameters assumed. Given the pressure interference, this paper thus draws attention to the importance of greater coordination among storage operators and regulatory stakeholders. Because this analysis assumes a very specific geologic setting, this exploratory analysis bears further investigations across other geologic scenarios.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Liquid fuel spray processes in high-pressure gas flow

Atomization of single liquid jets injected downstream in high pressure and high velocity airflow was investigated to determine the effect of airstream pressure on mean drop size as measured with a scanning radiometer. For aerodynamic - wave breakup of liquid jets, the ratio of orifice diameter D sub o to measured mean drop diameter D sub m which is assumed equal to D sub 32 or Sauter mean diameter, was correlated with the product of the Weber and Reynolds numbers WeRe and the dimensionless group G1/square root of c, where G is the gravitational acceleration, 1 the mean free molecular path, and square root of C the root mean square velocity, as follows; D sub o/D sub 32 = 1.2 (WeRe) to the 0.4 (G1/square root of c) to the 0.15 for values of WeRe 1 million and an airstream pressure range of 0.10 to 2.10 MPa.

Ingebo, R. D.↗

Liquid fuel spray processes in high-pressure gas flow

Atomization of single liquid jets injected downstream in high pressure and high velocity airflow was investigated to determine the effect of airstream pressure on mean drop size as measured with a scanning radiometer. For aerodynamic - wave breakup of liquid jets, the ratio of orifice diameter D sub o to measured mean drop diameter D sub m which is assumed equal to D sub 32 or Sauter mean diameter, was correlated with the product of the Weber and Reynolds numbers WeRe and the dimensionless group G1/square root of c, where G is the gravitational acceleration, 1 the mean free molecular path, and square root of C the root mean square velocity, as follows; D sub o/D sub 32 = 1.2 (WeRe) to the 0.4 (G1/square root of c) to the 0.15 for values of WeRe 1 million and an airstream pressure range of 0.10 to 2.10 MPa.

Ingebo, R. D.↗

Electron beam injection experiments - The beam-plasma discharge at low pressures and magnetic field strengths

The paper describes electron beam injection experiments which clarify observational results obtained in rocket flights. A column of enhanced density plasma, exceeding the density expected from ionization by primary beam electrons, was observed in a large vacuum system at low magnetic fields (1 to 1.5 G) and low ambient pressures (10 to the minus 6 to 10 to the minus 5 torr). The peak luminosity of the discharge was about 10 times that of the beam alone, and the radius increased by a factor of three. In the absence of the discharge, RF emission is observed at 1.1 to 1.2 times the cyclotron frequency, and a strong band of RF noise with upper frequency cutoff at about the cyclotron frequency is observed in the discharge mode, along with higher frequency noise at or near the plasma frequency. The onset of the plasma discharge is critically dependent on beam current. The described results agree with observations obtained at much higher densities and magnetic fields in fusion research studies.

Bernstein, W.↗

Effect of initial water saturation on the performance of fracturing fluids with and without polyallylamine under simulated EGS conditions

Objectives/Scope: StimuFrac (US Patents 9,873,828 B2 and 9,447,315 B2), a CO 2 - reactive polymer aqueous solution [polyallylamine (PAA) 1wt% in water] combined with CO 2 , can be used as a potentially less water-intensive fracturing fluid for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Our previous results show that in hot dry rock (HDR), PAA/CO 2 fracturing fluids outperformed other fluids such as water, CO 2 , and CO 2 /water in generating large fractures with less fluid consumed. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of initial water saturation on the performance of StimuFrac by conducting hydraulic fracturing tests with ½ foot cubic rock samples held under representative EGS stress/temperature conditions and by using cyclic injection strategies (under constant injection rate). The resulting fracture hydraulic conductivities, breakdown pressures, and volumes of fluids required are compared. Methods/Procedures/Process: To simulate geothermal reservoir conditions, in all tests, the rock sample was held under triaxial confinement and at 200 °C, and different volumes of water were initially injected into the rock sample before any fracturing processes were initiated. For the single-cycle PAA (or water) alternating CO 2 (PAG or WAG) injection fracturing experiments, one complete cycle consisted of two steps: (1) injecting a PAA slug (or water slug) followed by (2) injecting CO 2 to initiate and propagate the fracture. For experiments involving multiple injection cycles, the CO 2 injection pressure is increased until it peaks and begins to decline (indicating fracture initiation at this moment), and then continued being injected for another 30 seconds to propagate the fracture. Then, these two-step cycles [injection of PAA (or water) followed by CO 2 injection (up to 2-4 mL/min)] are repeated. Applications/Significance/Novelty: The results of this study suggest that water saturation significantly affects the fracturing fluid transmission into the rock pore space, thus affecting the fracture initiation and propagation. In this study, fracturing tests via a single injection cycle or multiple injection cycles were performed. Splitting the rock samples in half after testing reveals that fracture propagation is significantly limited under high water saturation conditions (three-day initial water injection) compared to stimulation experiments performed in hot dry rock. The fractures propagate less than 1/3 of the distance from the wellbore to the outer rock surface, and in some cases, no fracture is generated. This may be caused by leak-off dominating the fracturing process and the fluid injection rate is insufficient to overcome leak-off, even under high injection rate conditions. Additionally, CO 2 could be leaking off into the wellbore annulus and this may be making it more difficult to generate sufficiently high-pressure gradients away from the near-wellbore region. Under low water saturation conditions (dry rock or after 1-day initial water injection), PAA/CO 2 consistently generated significantly larger fractures compared with the other fluids. CO 2 generated large fractures only in the hot dry rock and only when using high injection rates, though data variability is high.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Experimental and numerical study of swept ramp injection into a supersonic flowfield

Time-averaged measurements of pressure, temperature, velocity, and injectant mole fraction are presented using the planar laser-induced iodine fluorescence (PLIIF) techniques in the complex 3D compressible flowfield around a swept ramp fuel injector. Within the range of thermodynamic conditions present in the test case studied, the technique's accuracy is estimated to be 4 percent for pressure, 4 percent for temperature, 4 percent for velocity, and 3 percent for injectant mole fraction. Comparisons to numerical simulations using the SPARK 3D Navier-Stokes computer code with an algebraic turbulence model are made at the centerplane of the flowfield as well as on three crossflow planes downstream of the injector, and good agreement is found. A weak asymmetry in the incoming flowfield appears to be amplified by boundary layer separation occuring when the the ramp generated shock reflects off the tunnel walls. In the near field of the injector, laminar calculations show better agreement to the measurements than turbulent calculations.

Donohue, James M.↗

Preliminary test results of electrical charged particle generator for application to fog dispersal

A charged particle generator for use in fog dispersal applications was built and preliminary tests were carried out. The parameter used as a measure of performance was the current measured with a needle probe positioned in the charged jet connected to ground through an ammeter. The needle was movable and allowed the current profile throughout the jet to be determined. The measured current is referred to as the current output. The major independent parameters were liquid water injection rate, plenum pressure, and corona voltage. Optimum current output was achieved at the approximate pressure of 30 psig, corona voltage of 5600 volts, and liquid water injection rate of 6 cc/min. The results of the test with the prototype charged particle generator clearly demonstrate that a current on the order of 20 microamperes can be routinely achieved with the system. This measurement of current does not necessarily represent the total issuing from the nozzle current which is expected to be larger. From these results, confidence was established that a charged particle generator which will operate continuously and consistently can be designed, constructed, and operated. Further work is required, however, to better understand the physical mechanisms involved and to optimize the system for fog dispersal application.

Frost, W.↗

Penetration and Duration of Fuel Sprays from a Pump Injection System

High-speed motion pictures were taken of individual fuel sprays from a pump injection system. The changes in the spray-tip penetration with changes in the pump speed, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, discharge-orifice area, injection-tube length and diameter, and pump throttle setting were measured. In addition, the effects of the variables on the time lag and duration of injection can be controlled by the dimensions of the injection tube, the area of the discharge orifice, and the injection-valve opening and closing pressures.

Rothrock, A M↗

Penetration and Duration of Fuel Sprays from a Pump Injection System

High-speed motion pictures were taken of individual fuel sprays from a pump injection system. The changes in the spray-tip penetration with changes in the pump speed, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, discharge-orifice area, injection-tube length and diameter, and pump throttle setting were measured. The pump was used with and without a check valve. The results show that the penetration of the spray tip can be controlled by the dimensions of the injection tube, the area of the discharge orifice, and the injection-valve opening and closing pressures.

Rothrock, A M↗

An Assessment of Combustion Dynamics in a Low-Nox, Second-Generation Swirl-Venturi Lean Direct Injection Combustion Concept

Dynamic pressure measurements were taken during flame-tube emissions testing of three second-generation swirl-venturi lean direct injection (SV-LDI) combustor configurations. These measurements show that combustion dynamics were typically small. However, a small number of points showed high combustion dynamics, with peak-to-peak dynamic pressure fluctuations above 0.5 psi. High combustion dynamics occurred at low inlet temperatures in all three SV-LDI configurations, so combustion dynamics were explored further at low temperature conditions. A point with greater than 1.5 psi peak-to-peak dynamic pressure fluctuations was identified at an inlet temperature of 450!F, a pressure of 100 psia, an air pressure drop of 3%, and an overall equivalence ratio of 0.35. This is an off design condition: the temperature and pressure are typical of 7% power conditions, but the equivalence ratio is high. At this condition, the combustion dynamics depended strongly on the fuel staging. Combustion dynamics could be reduced significantly without changing the overall equivalence ratio by shifting the fuel distribution between stages. Shifting the fuel distribution also decreased NOx emissions.

low emissions combustors↗

Method for optimization of huff-n-puff gas injections in hydrocarbon reservoirs

Methods for optimization of liquid oil production by huff-n-puff in shale reservoirs to achieve an improved (and optimal) oil recovery factor. The process determines and utilizes the optimum huff and puff times, number of cycles and soaking time under practical operation and reservoir conditions. The huff time in the process is a period so long that the pressure near the wellbore reaches the set maximum injection pressure during the huff period. The puff time in the process is the time required for the pressure near the wellbore to reach the set minimum production pressure during the puff period. Soaking is typically not necessary during the huff-n-puff gas injection in shale oil reservoirs. The number of huff-n-puff cycles is determinable by the time in which the economic rate cut-off is reached.

Sheng, James J.↗

Method for optimization of huff-n-puff gas injection in hydrocarbon reservoirs

Methods for optimization of liquid oil production by huff-n-puff in shale reservoirs to achieve an improved (and optimal) oil recovery factor. The process determines and utilizes the optimum huff and puff times, number of cycles and soaking time under practical operation and reservoir conditions. The huff time in the process is a period so long that the pressure near the wellbore reaches the set maximum injection pressure during the huff period. The puff time in the process is the time required for the pressure near the wellbore to reach the set minimum production pressure during the puff period. Soaking is typically not necessary during the huff-n-puff gas injection in shale oil reservoirs. The number of huff-n-puff cycles is determinable by the time in which the economic rate cut-off is reached.

Sheng, James J.↗

Reply to Comment by Peterie Et Al. on “Accelerated Fill‐Up of the Arbuckle Group Aquifer and Links to U.S. Midcontinent Seismicity”

Abstract Peterie et al. question one observation in our paper: associating pressure increases to injection volumes at distances of up to 25 km from an injection well. In this reply, we show that the comment misunderstands our analysis and the evidence that led to this conclusion. We also show that gauge‐depth‐corrected pressures, used by the authors to produce statewide pressure maps, are discrepant with the static fluid level data, provided in our original compilation and analysis. The discrepancies are a result of the pressure correction method employed, which naïvely substitutes formation pressure for bottomhole pressure to calculate wellbore fluid density. Their linearly interpolated pressure maps, based on sparse data, contain interpolation and extrapolation artifacts that contradict injection trends in the state, the Theis solution, and the superposition principle. We reiterate that pressure and static fluid level increases in Class I wells existed prior to 2013, most notably in central Kansas, where recent earthquakes are cited in the comment as evidence of a pressure plume emanating from the Kansas‐Oklahoma border, 90 km away. We show that the space‐time pattern of seismicity in this area is inconsistent with a northward propagating pressure plume and, instead, seismicity appears to be centered on and near a cluster of high‐rate injection wells, two of which are among the highest rate wells in the state. These observations, along with recent M4 + earthquakes during continued decreases in wastewater injection in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, question the usefulness of the comment for understanding and managing societally significant earthquakes.

Ansari, Esmail↗

The N.A.C.A. Photographic Apparatus for Studying Fuel Sprays from Oil Engine Injection Valves and Test Results from Several Researches

Apparatus for recording photographically the start, growth, and cut-off of oil sprays from injection valves has been developed at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. The apparatus consists of a high-tension transformer by means of which a bank of condensers is charged to a high voltage. The controlled discharge of these condensers in sequence, at a rate of several thousand per second, produces electric sparks of sufficient intensity to illuminate the moving spray for photographing. The sprays are injected from various types of valves into a chamber containing gases at pressures up to 600 pounds per square inch. Several series of pictures are shown. The results give the effects of injection pressure, chamber pressure, specific gravity of the fuel oil used, and injection-valve design, upon spray characteristics.

Beardsley, Edward G↗

Impact of Fluidic Chevrons on Supersonic Jet Noise

The impact of fluidic chevrons on broadband shock noise and mixing noise for single stream and coannular jets was investigated. Air was injected into the core flow of a bypass ratio 5 nozzle system using a core fluidic chevron nozzle. For the single stream experiments, the fan stream was operated at the wind tunnel conditions and the core stream was operated at supersonic speeds. For the dual stream experiments, the fan stream was operated at supersonic speeds and the core stream was varied between subsonic and supersonic conditions. For the single stream jet at nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) below 2.0, increasing the injection pressure of the fluidic chevron increased high frequency noise at observation angles upstream of the nozzle exit and decreased mixing noise near the peak jet noise angle. When the NPR increased to a point where broadband shock noise dominated the acoustic spectra at upstream observation angles, the fluidic chevrons significantly decreased this noise. For dual stream jets, the fluidic chevrons reduced broadband shock noise levels when the fan NPR was below 2.3, but had little or no impact on shock noise with further increases in fan pressure. For all fan stream conditions investigated, the fluidic chevron became more effective at reducing mixing noise near the peak jet noise angle as the core pressure increased.

Henderson, Brenda↗

Development and Field Testing Novel Natural Gas Surface Process Equipment for Replacement of Water as Primary Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid (Final Report)

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI ® ), Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB), and Chevron Corporation ® (Chevron) developed a novel, optimized, and lightweight process for natural gas (NG) to replace water as a low-cost fracturing medium with a low environmental impact. Hydraulic fracturing is used to increase oil and NG production by injecting high-pressure fluid, primarily water, into a rock formation, which fractures the rock and releases trapped oil and NG. This method was developed to increase yield and make feasible production areas that would not otherwise be viable for large-scale oil and NG extraction using traditional drilling technologies. Since the fracturing fluid is composed of approximately 90% water, one of the principal drawbacks to hydraulic fracturing is its excessive water use and associated large environmental footprint. According to recent data collected at fracture sites within the United States, fracturing applications in North America can consume as much as 9 million gallons of water per well. During the fracturing process, some of the fracturing fluid is permanently lost and the portion that is recovered is contaminated by both fracturing chemicals and dissolved solids from the formation. The recovered water or flow-back represents a significant environmental challenge, as it must be treated before it can be reintroduced into the natural water system. Although there is some recycling for future fracturing, the majority of the flow-back water is hauled from the well site to a treatment facility or to an injection well for permanent underground disposal. To mitigate these issues, an optimized, lightweight and modular surface process using NG to replace a majority of the water was developed as a cost-effective and environmentally clean fracturing fluid. Using NG will result in significantly less consumption since the gas that is injected as a fracturing fluid will be mixed with the formation gas and extracted as if it were from the formation itself. This process will minimize the collection, waste, and treatment of large amounts of water and will reduce the environmental impact of transporting and storing the fracturing fluid. There are two major steps involved in utilizing NG as the primary fracturing medium: (1) increasing the supply pressure of NG to wellhead pressures suitable for fracturing and (2) mixing the required chemicals and proppant needed for the fracturing process at these elevated pressures. The second step (NG-proppant mixing at elevated pressures) still requires demonstration; but very similar processes have been demonstrated in the field with other gases such as nitrogen (N 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). However, the first step (a compact, on-site unit for generating high-pressure NG at costs feasible for fracturing) has not been developed and is currently not commercially available. Due to the inherent compressibility of NG, more energy is required to compress the gas than what is required to pump water (or other incompressible liquids) to the very high pressure required for downhole injection. This project aimed to develop a novel, hybrid method to overcome this challenge. The project accomplishments and findings are discussed in this report. Ultimately, the research and development efforts described herein demonstrate that fracturing with NG foam is a feasible alternative to using water.

02 PETROLEUM↗