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At least 307 records · Page 17

Implementation of the Glued Sphere Discrete Element Model for Non-Spherical Particles in MFiX Software

To enhance solver capabilities, simulation flexibility and model validation within the MFiX software, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is funding efforts to develop and integrate the glued-sphere discrete element method into the latest version of MFiX as a dedicated computational module. The glued-sphere discrete element method is a numerical technique to depict the behavior of non-spherical particles in granular flows or particulate systems by representing them as a collection of component spheres. These spheres are bonded together to approximate the shape and mechanical/chemical properties of a more complex particle. The method effectively reuses the existing sphere-sphere collision algorithm, interphase momentum and heat transfer calculations utilized in the traditional discrete element method, extending these capabilities to non-spherical particles. Additionally, this method explicitly resolves intra-particle temperature and species distributions. The MFiX glued-sphere computational module includes tools for generating glued sphere configurations, a dedicated solver, and visualization capabilities in post-processing. More specifically within the computational module, collision detection and calculations were first performed on component spheres and then mapped onto non-spherical particles. The linear spring-dashpot model was utilized to simulate the sphere-sphere interactions.

Ke, Renjie↗

Site-specific Design Case Study for Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermal process that converts wet biomass to renewable hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks (i.e., renewable naphtha, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)). It can utilize a wide range of pure and blended wet feedstocks, including sewage sludge from water resource recovery facilities (WRRF), food and agriculture wastes, algae, fats, oils and greases (FOG) and blends of dry and wet wastes/feedstocks. Historically, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and annual state of technology (SOT) assessments with standard economic assumptions used by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) were conducted for the wet waste HTL pathway leveraging experimental data collected from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) continuous flow reactor systems. The objective of the SOT assessment has been to guide and track progress of BETO’s HTL research and development (R&D) toward reduced cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the pathway. However, gaps exist between BETO’s traditional SOT updates and the needs of key external stakeholders that – if addressed – will accelerate technology adoption. This Business Case Study aims to bridge this gap by providing an updated design, TEA, and LCA based on PNNL’s FY23 R&D with added analyses and information that provide enhanced relevance for stakeholders of the HTL technology. This includes specific siting, regional wet waste resource inventory and transportation cost analyses, fuel market information, sustainable fuel policy impacts, economic metrics of net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis, and statistical analysis of cost and technical uncertainties of the HTL plant design. The study focuses on the “Detroit combined statistical area (CSA)” region for siting of a wet waste HTL plant adjacent to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) facility with guidance from industry participants. Regional resource and siting analyses were conducted to identify feedstock availability, scale, and cost, as well as a beneficial site location. TEA with detailed rigorous capital cost estimation for the specific site application was conducted to evaluate the key economic metrics of most value to industrial partners. These include total capital investment, operating costs, minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the biocrude and fuel blendstock, and NPV and internal rate of return IRR with sustainable fuel credits. Life cycle analysis was conducted to evaluate the supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the wet waste HTL process as compared with petroleum derived diesel. This study is also informed by years of R&D and process de-risking learnings and was conducted with a basic engineering HTL plant design and costing that akin to a “first-of-a-kind” plant economics. This differs from our conventional “nth plant ” SOT assessments. Specifically, the HTL process model has been updated with more operationally reliable methods for feed heating and phase separations. Further, we have implemented additional spare equipment for redundancy, a more rigorous installed equipment cost estimation approach, and additional costs associated with feed formatting and delivery, building, piping and site development. An Excel-based cost sheet based on the basic engineering design is also released alongside the report that allows users to conduct customized TEA with their own feed composition and financial assumptions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Portable Soft X-Ray Diagnostics for Transformative Fusion-Energy Concepts (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

A time-gated extreme-ultraviolet spectrometer was fielded on a transformative fusion-energy device, FuZE-Q at Zap Energy, Inc. (ZEI), a sheared-flow-stabilized z-pinch. Plasma emission spectra were collected in the 5–40 nm wavelength (30–250 eV) range. This was the first time a direct-vacuum-coupled, high-voltage, deposition-sensitive diagnostic was fielded on this type of dense-plasma fusion device. To overcome the special challenges of such a coupling, a unique, highly effective implementation was developed, with fast (10-ns risetime) pulsed high-voltage electronics and a multi-stage differential pumping system. This enabled the UNR spectrometer to collect three independently timed spectra per FuZE-Q shot while also protecting sensitive internal components. Analysis of line emission identified oxygen (N-, C-, B-, Be-, Li-, and He-like O), peaking in intensity shortly after maximum current (>500 kA). Spectral databases and collisional-radiative modeling have been used to identify impurities and estimate edge-plasma temperatures.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Supporting data for Site-specific Design Case Study for Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermal process that converts wet biomass to renewable hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks (i.e., renewable naphtha, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)). It can utilize a wide range of pure and blended wet feedstocks, including sewage sludge from water resource recovery facilities (WRRF), food and agriculture wastes, algae, fats, oils and greases (FOG) and blends of dry and wet wastes/feedstocks. Historically, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and annual state of technology (SOT) assessments with standard economic assumptions used by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) were conducted for the wet waste HTL pathway leveraging experimental data collected from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) continuous flow reactor systems. The objective of the SOT assessment has been to guide and track progress of BETO’s HTL research and development (R&D) toward reduced cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the pathway. However, gaps exist between BETO’s traditional SOT updates and the needs of key external stakeholders that – if addressed – will accelerate technology adoption. This Business Case Study aims to bridge this gap by providing an updated design, TEA, and LCA based on PNNL’s FY23 R&D with added analyses and information that provide enhanced relevance for stakeholders of the HTL technology. This includes specific siting, regional wet waste resource inventory and transportation cost analyses, fuel market information, sustainable fuel policy impacts, economic metrics of net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis, and statistical analysis of cost and technical uncertainties of the HTL plant design. The study focuses on the “Detroit combined statistical area (CSA)” region for siting of a wet waste HTL plant adjacent to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) facility with guidance from industry participants. Regional resource and siting analyses were conducted to identify feedstock availability, scale, and cost, as well as a beneficial site location. TEA with detailed rigorous capital cost estimation for the specific site application was conducted to evaluate the key economic metrics of most value to industrial partners. These include total capital investment, operating costs, minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the biocrude and fuel blendstock, and NPV and internal rate of return IRR with sustainable fuel credits. Life cycle analysis was conducted to evaluate the supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the wet waste HTL process as compared with petroleum derived diesel. This study is also informed by years of R&D and process de-risking learnings and was conducted with a basic engineering HTL plant design and costing that akin to a “first-of-a-kind” plant economics. This differs from our conventional “nth plant ” SOT assessments. Specifically, the HTL process model has been updated with more operationally reliable methods for feed heating and phase separations. Further, we have implemented additional spare equipment for redundancy, a more rigorous installed equipment cost estimation approach, and additional costs associated with feed formatting and delivery, building, piping and site development. An Excel-based cost sheet based on the basic engineering design is also released alongside the report that allows users to conduct customized TEA with their own feed composition and financial assumptions.

Li, Shuyun↗

Dependence of Uranium Oxide Polymorphism on Plasma Synthesis Conditions

Here, we synthesized uranium oxide nanoparticles using a plasma flow reactor (PFR) and studied the effects of three different experimental parameters on the resulting morphologies and speciation of the particles: (1) collection duration, (2) collection substrate temperature, and (3) radial collection position due to radial temperature gradients in the PFR. We also induced three distinct temperature histories along the axis of the plasma flow reactor by varying the gas flow rates downstream of the plasma torch. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses of collected particles showed two phases of uranium oxides (fcc-UO 2 and α-UO 3 ). The chemical compositions of the resulting uranium oxide particles were not altered by the three parameters investigated in this work but varied based on the temperature history induced. Preheating of the collection substrate led to deposition of fewer particles, which is attributed to a reduction in thermophoretic force caused by the reduced temperature gradient for preheated substrates. The relative amounts of UO 2 to UO 3 and particle size varied depending on the cooling history employed during synthesis.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

PFLOTRAN-SIP: A PFLOTRAN Module for Simulating Spectral-Induced Polarization of Electrical Impedance Data

Spectral induced polarization (SIP) is a non-intrusive geophysical method that collects chargeability information (the ability of a material to retain charge) in the time domain or its phase shift in the frequency domain. Although SIP is a temporal method, it cannot measure the dynamics of flow and solute/species transport in the subsurface over long times (i.e., 10–100 s of years). Data collected with the SIP technique need to be coupled with fluid flow and reactive-transport models in order to capture long-term dynamics. To address this challenge, PFLOTRAN-SIP was built to couple SIP data to fluid flow and solute transport processes. Specifically, this framework couples the subsurface flow and transport simulator PFLOTRAN and geoelectrical simulator E4D without sacrificing computational performance. PFLOTRAN solves the coupled flow and solute-transport process models in order to estimate solute concentrations, which were used in Archie’s model to compute bulk electrical conductivities at near-zero frequency. These bulk electrical conductivities were modified while using the Cole–Cole model to account for frequency dependence. Using the estimated frequency-dependent bulk conductivities, E4D simulated the real and complex electrical potential signals for selected frequencies for SIP. These frequency-dependent bulk conductivities contain information that is relevant to geochemical changes in the system. This study demonstrated that the PFLOTRAN-SIP framework is able to detect the presence of a tracer in the subsurface. SIP offers a significant benefit over ERT in the form of greater information content. It provided multiple datasets at different frequencies that better constrained the tracer distribution in the subsurface. Consequently, this framework allows for practitioners of environmental hydrogeophysics and biogeophysics to monitor the subsurface with improved resolution.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Sequential flows by irrelevant operators

We explore whether one can T\overline{T} T T ¯ deform a collection of theories that are already T\overline{T} T T ¯ -deformed. This allows us to define classes of irrelevant deformations that know about subsystems. In some basic cases, we explore the spectrum that results from this procedure and we provide numerical evidence in favor of modular invariance. We also study the flow of the classical Lagrangian for free bosons and free fermions under successive deformations. Some of the models found by sequentially flowing are likely to have interesting holographic interpretations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Evaluating Energy Efficiency Opportunities from Connected and Automated Vehicle Deployments Coupled with Shared Mobility in California

Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) can be considered to be a disruptive transportation technology, with the potential to significantly improve overall transportation system efficiency; however, CAVs may increase induce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and bring on greater energy consumption. Further, shared mobility is another disruptive transportation event that is reshaping our travel patterns. The primary goal of this project was to extensively collect data from vehicles and associated infrastructure equipped with CAV technologies from both real-world experiments and simulation studies mainly deployed in California, and develop a comprehensive framework for evaluating energy efficiency opportunities from large-scale (e.g., statewide) introduction of CAVs and a wide deployment of shared mobility systems in a variety of scenarios. To quantify the combined impact of CAV and shared mobility on travel behavior, traffic performance, and energy efficiency, a unique mesoscopic simulation-based model was developed for mobility and energy efficiency evaluation considering these disruptive transportation technologies. As a complement to existing studies on nationwide evaluation of CAVs’ energy impacts, this project was focused on data collection efforts and CAV applications under congested traffic environments that are frequently experienced on a massive scale across the major metropolitan areas in California. Extensive real-world data collection supplemented with simulation studies were conducted to cover a variety of CAV and shared mobility scenarios, particularly on scenarios less-explored in the existing research. Another key component of this project was to consider the interaction between different CAV technologies and shared mobility models, and the compound effect on energy efficiency. A comprehensive modeling suite was developed to quantify the impact of new mobility technologies on travel behavior and traffic performance. The developed modeling framework includes an energy intensity module, mode choice module and activity generation module that are integrated into an agent-based BEAM simulation platform to perform impact analysis based on a variety of scenarios. In addition, the RouteE model has been upgraded to incorporate the impact of CAVs on traffic flow, VMT and energy intensity, using micro-simulation data collected from both freeways and urban arterials. A novel fundamental influencing factor (FIF) mode choice model was developed to link CAV and shared mobility components with travel behaviors, and adapted into the BEAM-centered model framework. A statewide energy inventory was constructed under various CAV technology deployment scenarios by incorporating datasets and models for predicting vehicle market share and vehicle usage, which are tightly associated with the penetration of shared mobility systems. Based applying this modeling suite to a calibrated network in Riverside California, it was found that cooperative automated driving in general will improve mobility, but automated vehicles, even when deployed in a shared autonomous fleet, will likely bring an increase of VMT (up to 36%) due to mode shifts and deadheading. Ride-hailing vehicles typically have better energy efficiency and a higher share of electric vehicles, which helps offset the negative impact from VMT increases when estimating the system-level energy consumption. In general, simulation results show a 6% increase in energy consumption for the scenarios with an increasing shift to ride-hailing modes. The statewide analysis based on the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) sample data is consistent with the findings from the Riverside network and validate the developed clustering-prediction modeling methodology. The outcomes from this project will help close the knowledge gap on recognizing the potential performance and energy impacts of a broad deployment of CAV and shared mobility technologies across a wide range of roadway infrastructure with varying levels of congestion. Results from this project: 1) will support policymakers in steering CAV development and deployment towards an energy favorable direction; 2) reduce uncertainties in estimating energy saving opportunities from new mobility technologies and services; 3) increase the confidence of CAV technology investors both on the infrastructure side (i.e., transportation agencies) and on the vehicle side (i.e., OEMs); and 4) expedite the deployment of energy-efficient CAV and shared mobility applications.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

First STAX detector installation at the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE)

The Source Term Analysis of Xenon (STAX) project has been installing stack detectors at medical isotope production facilities to measure radioxenon emissions to investigate the effect of radioxenon releases on nuclear explosion monitoring. This paper outlines the installation of the first STAX detection system at the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE) in Fleurus, Belgium which has been operating for over three years and transferring collected data to the STAX repository. Information about the equipment installed, the data flow established, and calculations for determination of radioxenon releases from the facility are presented. Further. data quality was investigated to confirm values reported by STAX automated data processing and in a comparison of collected STAX data with data collected by IRE for regulatory reporting.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Ground based counterflow virtual impactor

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: Ground based counter flow virtual impactor (Brechtel Inc) Data Notes: A factor of 6.7 needs to be applied to all cloud droplet residual concentration to correct the enhancement of the concentration because all the residual samples collected at 100 lpm were delivered into the 15 lpm of CVI sample flow. [https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/5/1259/2012/amt-5-1259-2012.html] Header: - Visibility[m]: The atmospheric visibility at the time of measurement, expressed in meters. - QualityControl_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the measurement passed quality control checks. - Temperature[C]: The ambient temperature at the time of the measurement, expressed in degrees Celsius. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement. - RelativeHumidity[%]: The relative humidity at the time of the measurement, expressed as a percentage

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Collectivity in ultra-peripheral heavy-ion collisions

We present full (3+1 )D dynamical simulations to study collective behavior in ultra-peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions (UPC) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with the 3DGlauber+MUSIC+UrQMD framework [1, 2]. By extrapolating from asymmetric p+Pb collisions, we simulate a quasi-real photon γ* interacting with the Pb nucleus in an ultra-peripheral collision at the LHC, assuming strong final-state effects. We study the elliptic flow hierarchy between p+Pb and γ*+Pb collisions, which is dominated by the difference in longitudinal flow decorrelations. Our theoretical framework provides a quantitative tool to study collectivity in small asymmetric collision systems at current and future collider experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Softening by charging: how collective modes of ionic association in concentrated redoxmer/electrolyte solutions define the structural and dynamic properties in different states of charge

Understanding the physical and chemical processes occurring in concentrated electrolyte solutions is required to achieve redox flow batteries with high energy density. Highly concentrated electrolyte solutions are often studied in which collective crowded interactions between molecules and ions become predominant. In this work, experimental and computational methods were used to examine non-aqueous electrolyte solutions in two different states of charge as a function of redoxmer concentration. As the latter increases and the ionic association strengthens, the electric conductivity passes through a maximum and the solution increasingly gels, which is seen through a rapid non-linear increase in viscosity. We establish that the structural rigidity of ionic networks is closely connected with this loss of fluidity and show that charging generally yields softer ionic assemblies with weaker attractive forces and improved dynamical properties.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

CFD modeling of high-flux plate-and-frame membrane modules for industrial carbon capture

In this work, we study the application of membrane-based separation systems for carbon capture, considering plate-and-frame membrane modules. The successful deployment of membrane CO2 capture system relies on high-performing membranes as well as effective membrane modules that can fully exploit the developed membranes. A plate-and-frame membrane module is especially attractive for CO2 capture from industrial flue gas due to its lower pressure drop compared to its counterparts such as spiral wound modules and hollow fiber modules. To design better plate-and-frame modules, we investigate their basic unit - a single membrane stack through a combination of computational modeling and experimental investigations. The modeling approach is based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to represent a multiphysics problem, including the fluid flow and diffusion processes within a membrane module. We use experimental data collected under different operating conditions to validate the CFD model. Numerical results suggest a good agreement between experiments and model outputs for the CO2 recovery, CO2 mole fraction in the retentate and permeate, and stage-cut. The CFD model is able to predict accurately the flow behavior, providing valuable insights on the effects of fluid dynamics on mass transfer of CO2. We also carry out a sensitivity analysis to identify the effect of key parameters on the CO2 recovery and the CO2 purity of the outlet streams.

Dosso, Cheick↗

A computational investigation of high-flux, plate-and-frame membrane modules for industrial carbon capture

In this work, we study the application of membrane-based separation systems for carbon capture, considering plate-and-frame membrane modules. The successful deployment of membrane CO 2 capture system relies on high-performing membranes as well as effective membrane modules that can fully exploit the developed membranes. A plate-and-frame membrane module is especially attractive for CO 2 capture from industrial flue gas due to its lower pressure drop compared to its counterparts such as spiral wound modules and hollow fiber modules. To design better plate-and-frame modules, we investigate their basic unit - a single membrane stack through a combination of computational modeling and experimental investigations. The modeling approach is based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to represent a multiphysics problem, including the fluid flow and diffusion processes within a membrane module. We use experimental data collected under different operating conditions to validate the CFD model. Numerical results suggest a good agreement between experiments and model outputs for the CO 2 recovery, CO 2 mole fraction in the retentate and permeate, and stage-cut. The CFD model is able to predict accurately the flow behavior, providing valuable insights on the effects of fluid dynamics on mass transfer of CO 2 . We also carry out a sensitivity analysis to identify the effect of key parameters on the CO 2 recovery and the CO 2 purity of the outlet streams.

CFD simulation↗

Going mobile to address emerging climate equity needs in the heterogeneous urban environment

We report the Brookhaven National Laboratory Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS) aims to address environmental equity needs in the context of a changing climate. As a first step towards this goal, the center developed a one-of-a-kind observatory tailored to the study of highly heterogeneous urban environments. This article describes the features of the mobile observatory that enable its rapid deployment either on or off the power grid, as well as its instrument payload. Beyond its unique design, the observatory optimizes data collection within the obstacle-laden urban environment using a new smart sampling paradigm. This setup facilitated the collection of previously poorly documented environmental properties including wind profiles throughout the atmospheric column. The mobile observatory captured unique observations during its first few intensive observation periods (IOPs).. Vertical air motion and infrared temperature measurements collected along the faces of the supertall One Vanderbilt skyscraper in Manhattan, NY reveal how solar and anthropogenic heating affect wind flow and thus the venting of heat, pollution, and contaminants in urban street canyons. Also, air temperature measurements collected during travel along a 150-km transect between Upton and Manhattan, NY offer a high-resolution view of the urban heat island and reveal that temperature disparities also exist within the city across different neighborhoods. Ultimately, the datasets collected by CMAS are poised to help guide equitable urban planning by highlighting existing disparities and characterizing the impact of urban features on the urban microclimate with the goal of improving human comfort.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Mars-Ward Ion Flows in the Martian Magnetotail: Mars Express Observations

In this work, we investigate Mars-ward planetary ions (O + and O 2 + ) in the Martian magnetotail that potentially reduce the amount of escaping ions. The global properties of Mars-ward flows in the Martian magnetotail are characterized, based on over 13-years of ion data (May 2007–December 2020) collected by the Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms instrument on Mars Express. We find that Mars-ward flows are frequently observed in the vicinity of the crustal fields, implying that crustal fields may play a key role in producing such flows. The occurrence rate and sunward flux are found higher during solar maximum than solar minimum. However, the occurrence rate and flux of Mars-ward flows are relatively low. This is different from the case at Venus, where the planetward flows can significantly decrease the total escape rates of ions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Using Natural Gas Liquids to Recover Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources (Final Report)

This document presents final technical findings for the project Using Natural Gas Liquids to Recover Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources (FE0031782). The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy Oil and Gas Program to develop and advance technologies that can significantly improve the recovery efficiencies of unconventional oil and gas resources. The overall objective of this project is to improve the ultimate recovery from unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources in the United States by developing a method for using unrefined natural gas liquids (NGLs) as treatment fluids to improve hydrocarbon production. Horizontal extended-lateral drilling coupled with high volume hydraulic fracturing has significantly increased production from UOG resources in the U.S. However, the recovery efficiency is low compared to the estimated oil and gas in place. Recent data indicate that less than 10% of the oil in the liquid-rich UOG reservoirs is produced. Alternative completion methods using NGLs could increase production (Battelle, 2016; Wan et al., 2013; Wan, 2013; Downey et al, 2021); however, field validation tests are needed to develop an approach that is economical, efficient, and compatible in the UOG setting to advance towards commercial deployment. This project aims to develop and field test a method to improve recovery of oil resources in UOG shale plays by using Y-Grade NGLs, or a similar combination of NGLs, as treatment fluids. Refined NGLs have been used as a hydraulic treatment fluid in UOG plays for decades and are shown to be particularly effective because their miscibility with oil allows oil to flow more freely; however, the use of Y-Grade (unrefined) NGLs has not been studied. The use of Y-Grade NGLs would be advantageous over refined NGLs because Y-Grade NGLs do not require infrastructure or investment in refining and are already being produced from many UOG reservoirs. The concept was tested and monitored in the field at a commercial well site owned by project partner Hopco, Ltd. The project team, which consists of multiple oil and gas operators, Linde Gas North America LLC (Linde) and the Ohio Division of Geological Survey (ODGS), has extensive experience with oil and gas production in the Appalachian basin and the ability to work together quickly to solve technical issues and research needs. A key part of the proposed work was the use of existing wells for field testing and monitoring. A total of four wells (three vertical and one horizontal) were available for this project. One of the vertical wells was utilized as the test well for the NGL treatment test. A nearby vertical well was used for microseismic monitoring. The remaining vertical well and the horizontal well provided a baseline for typical UOG production in the oil window of the Utica/Point Pleasant (UPP). Major technical tasks of the project include characterization of the geotechnical properties of the UPP with an emphasis on the field site; design and planning for the NGLs testing; field testing and monitoring; analysis and integration of field data; and economic and resource/reserve assessment. The Shoman monitoring well and Doughty NGL treatment well were successfully plugged back during September-October 2020 in preparation for treatment and monitoring. A nitrogen diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT) was completed on the Doughty well on July 22, 2021, consisting of 133,000 scf (91 Bbl.) of nitrogen. A nitrogen foam frac was completed in the Utica-Point Pleasant interval on August 17, 2021 with funding from outside sources. A microseismic monitoring array was installed in the Shoman well and monitored microseismic activity during the Doughty well frac job. Y-Grade NGL injection commenced on August 26, 2021. A total of 215 Bbl. was injected but the job was shut down due to a small leak on the suction hose on the pump truck. The Y-Grade treatment resumed on August 27, 2021 and an additional 726 Bbl. of Y-Grade NGL was injected at a well head pressure of 3850 psi. Total volume of injected Y-Grade over the two days of injection was 941 Bbl. The well was shut-in for 17 days following injection to allow the Y-Grade NGLs to soak on the formation. Y-Grade treatment flow back commenced on 9/13/2021 on a weekly basis. Production data, including surface pressures, oil, nitrogen, natural gas, and flow times was measured and recorded. Periodic gas samples were collected and analyzed to determine composition of flowback gas. As of July 2022, the treatment well had produced 726 Bbl of oil and 2,888 mcf gas. In August 2022, tubing and packer in the well were removed and a pump was installed to enhance oil recovery. Currently, the operator is producing the well about 2 days a week for a few hours. The performance of the NGL treatment test was evaluated based on reservoir simulations of the treatment process, processing of well testing data, analysis of micro seismic monitoring data, and production data analysis. This analysis suggested that oil production in the small test would continue through 2025. Upscaling the treatment to a horizontal Utica Point-Pleasant well would allow more oil recovery, but the process would involve more investment, services, and operational support. An economic analysis was conducted for scenarios aimed at upscaling the NGL treatment process for more typical horizontal UPP wells in the Appalachian Basin.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Measurement of (anti)alpha production in central Pb–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV

In this letter, measurements of (anti)alpha production in central (0–10%) Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV are presented, including the first measurement of an antialpha transverse-momentum spectrum. Owing to its large mass, the production of (anti)alpha is expected to be sensitive to different particle production models. The production yields and transverse-momentum spectra of nuclei are of particular interest because they provide a stringent test of these models. The averaged antialpha and alpha spectrum is compared to the spectra of lighter particles, by including it into a common blast-wave fit capturing the hydrodynamic-like flow of all particles. This fit is indicating that the (anti)alpha also participates in the collective expansion of the medium created in the collision. A blast-wave fit including only protons, (anti)alpha, and other light nuclei results in a similar flow velocity as the fit that includes all particles. A similar flow velocity, but a significantly larger kinetic freeze-out temperature is obtained when only protons and light nuclei are included in the fit. The coalescence parameter B 4 is well described by calculations from a statistical hadronization model but significantly underestimated by calculations assuming nucleus formation via coalescence of nucleons. Similarly, the (anti)alpha-to-proton ratio is well described by the statistical hadronization model. On the other hand, coalescence calculations including approaches with different implementations of the (anti)alpha substructure tend to underestimate the data.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗