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

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At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Acoustic concentration of particles in fluid flow

Disclosed herein is a acoustic concentration of particles in a fluid flow that includes a substantially acoustically transparent membrane and a vibration generator that define a fluid flow path therebetween. The fluid flow path is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a fluid outlet and the vibration generator is disposed adjacent the fluid flow path and is capable of producing an acoustic field in the fluid flow path. The acoustic field produces at least one pressure minima in the fluid flow path at a predetermined location within the fluid flow path and forces predetermined particles in the fluid flow path to the at least one pressure minima.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

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 CO2-reactive polymer aqueous solution [polyallylamine (PAA) 1wt% in water] combined with CO2, can be used as a less water-intensive fracturing fluid for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Our previous results show that in hot dry rock (HDR), PAA/CO2 fracturing fluids outperformed other fluids such as water, CO2, and CO2/water in generating large fractures with less fluid consumed. The objective of this work is to study the effect of initial water saturation of rock on the performance of StimuFrac fluid in ½ foot cubic rock samples and under representative EGS pressure/temperature conditions using cyclic and constant flow rate injection strategies. The fracturing results are compared with results using different fracturing fluids in terms of controlling fracture propagation rates, fracture hydraulic conductivity, breakdown pressures and volumes of fluids required. Methods/Procedures/Process: In all tests, water was initially injected into the rock to increase the water saturation before the fracturing processes to simulate actual geothermal reservoir conditions. For the cyclic injection, one complete cycle consisted of (1) a PAA slug (or water slug) injection followed by (2) CO2 injection to initiate the fracture. In the second step of the first cycle, the pressure of CO2 is increased until a maximum pressure is reached (fracture is initiated at this moment), and then the injection of CO2 is allowed for another 30 seconds to propagate the fracture. Then, the two-step cycle of PAA followed by CO2 injection (up to 2-4 mL/min) was continued. For the constant flow rate injection strategies, the initial water saturation was increased by injecting water at 1000 psi and 200°C for three days. After that, an initial slug of water, CO2, or PAA was injected and then fracturing was initiated and propagated by injecting CO2 at a constant flow rate. Applications/Significance/Novelty: The results of this study suggest that water saturation, especially near the wellbore region, will significantly affect the fracturing fluid transmission into the rock porous media by changing the relative permeability of CO2 or water, thus affecting the fracture initiation and propagation. In this study, fracturing with cyclic injection or constant flow rate injection methods were performed using three different kinds of fluids systems. These fluids are water, CO2, or CO2 with PAA. Splitting the rock samples in half after fracturing reveals that the fracture propagation is significantly limited under these high water saturated conditions compared to dry initial conditions: The fractures propagate less than 1/3 length of the distance from the wellbore to rock surface, and in some cases no fracture is generated. This may be caused by the fact that leak-off is dominating the fracturing process and the injected fluid flow rate is not high enough to overcome the leak-off even under high flow rate injection conditions. Additionally, CO2 could be leaking off into the wellbore annulus and this may be making it more difficult to generate pressure gradients away from the near-wellbore region.

Jian, Guoqing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Significance and complications of drilling fluid rheology in geothermal drilling: A review

The harsh downhole conditions of high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) encountered in geothermal wells make the drilling operation challenging. Drilling in such environments requires a special drilling mud formulation with high thermal stability and good rheological properties to fulfill the drilling fluid functions. Therefore, great efforts should be put into selecting the suitable drilling fluid, optimize and monitor the drilling fluid properties throughout drilling operations, and predicting its performance under downhole conditions. Rheological properties significantly impact many drilling parameters such as hole cleaning, fluid and wellbore stability, wellbore hydraulics, torque and drag, and other drilling issues. This paper discusses water-based drilling fluids' flow behavior under HPHT conditions and highlights the significance of fluid rheology in geothermal drilling. The common challenges and complications related to fluid rheology encountered in geothermal drilling are addressed in this paper, such as hole cleaning, wellbore hydraulics, and drilling fluid stability. This article also reviews the recent advances in drilling mud systems, rheology enhancement, and rheological properties measurements at surface and subsurface conditions. Furthermore, the rheology models of drilling fluid at elevated temperatures are reviewed to fully understand their flow behavior and establish a method for drilling engineers to optimize fluid formulations for geothermal drilling.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterizing Pore-Scale Geochemical Alterations in Eagle Ford and Barnett Shale from Exposure to Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid and CO 2 /H 2 O

As demand increases for an affordable energy source that is tied to an environmental obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, there is a growing consideration in shale production utilizing processes such as 1) enhancing hydrocarbon recovery via carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) flooding, 2) using CO 2 as a fracturing agent to minimize water use, and 3) storing CO 2 in depleted shale formations to mitigate emissions to the atmosphere. Understanding the geochemical reactions and alterations that occur as shale is exposed to fluids and CO 2 is necessary to develop and optimize each of these processes for field applications. While the majority of shale formations are stimulated using traditional fracturing fluid, some may be fractured using CO 2 or other non-traditional means. We examine the effect fracturing fluid has on shale and how it behaves with secondary exposure to dry CO 2 or CO 2 -saturated water using in situ Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), feature relocation scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface area and pore size analysis using volumetric gas sorption. These techniques were performed on Eagle Ford and Barnett shale samples that were exposed to fracturing fluid and unexposed (as received). Shales that have been exposed to traditional fracturing fluid experienced two reaction fronts. The first reaction front was formed during exposure to the fracturing fluid (pH of ~1.4). A secondary reaction front was formed as a result of CO 2 -saturated fluid exposure in the form of carbonic acid (pH ~5.6). These two different reaction mechanisms drove multiple dissolution and precipitation cycles which altered petrophysical properties of the shale and could lead to a significant impact on flow pathways. FTIR showed that equilibration of carbonate dissolution and precipitation cycles could take as long as 35 days. Samples exposed to fracturing fluid showed significantly less carbonate reactivity compared to those exposed to water. Pore size analysis results indicate exposure to fracturing fluid blocked small nanopores (10-15 nm) reducing BET surface area and total pore volume. SEM results show barite precipitated heavily during exposure to fracturing fluid. It appeared that carbonic acid was able to extract sulfur from organic matter to form gypsum evaporites. The mineralogical (barite precipitation and calcite dissolution/precipitation) and pore-scale alterations observed in these samples may lead to enhancement of flow pathways for injected CO 2 or produced hydrocarbons.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dielectric Fluids for the Direct Forced Convection Cooling of Power Electronics

The future of electrification of vehicles and other systems will require the creation of high-power density power electronics with low junction-to-fluid thermal resistance cooling solutions. One way to create this solution is to move high-heat-flux liquid cooling (single- or two-phase) as close to the power electronics components as possible. One novel approach involves submersion in dielectric fluids as the cooling solution. We first provide the range of fluid properties and develop a figure of merit (FOM) to aid in dielectric fluid selection. Next, we perform computational fluid dynamics/heat transfer (CFD/HT) modeling using single-phase cooling (submerged jet impingement on an enhanced surface) to validate the dielectric fluid FOM. Results of the study show that the developed FOM is a good representation of the performance of the fluids when compared to the results of the CFD/HT analysis. Both FOM and the CFD/HT analysis show that based on pure thermohydraulic considerations, several commercially available fluids present higher performance, on the order of 5% of water. Finally, the FOM can be used to quickly assess the thermohydraulic performance of a dielectric fluid, as well as the secondary application-specific properties such as boiling point, saturation pressure, flash point, and global warming potential, thereby allowing for fluid candidates to be readily compared.

computational fluid dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2023

A sharp interface Lagrangian-Eulerian method for flexible-body fluid-structure interaction

This paper introduces a sharp-interface approach to simulating fluid-structure interaction (FSI) involving flexible bodies described by general nonlinear material models and across a broad range of mass density ratios. This new flexible-body immersed Lagrangian-Eulerian (ILE) scheme extends our prior work on integrating partitioned and immersed approaches to rigid-body FSI. Our numerical approach incorporates the geometrical and domain solution flexibility of the immersed boundary (IB) method with an accuracy comparable to body-fitted approaches that sharply resolve flows and stresses up to the fluid-structure interface. Unlike many IB methods, our ILE formulation uses distinct momentum equations for the fluid and solid subregions with a Dirichlet-Neumann coupling strategy that connects fluid and solid subproblems through simple interface conditions. As in earlier work, we use approximate Lagrange multiplier forces to treat the kinematic interface conditions along the fluid-structure interface. This penalty approach simplifies the linear solvers needed by our formulation by introducing two representations of the fluid-structure interface, one that moves with the fluid and another that moves with the structure, that are connected by stiff springs. This approach also enables the use of multi-rate time stepping, which allows us to use different time step sizes for the fluid and structure subproblems. Our fluid solver relies on an immersed interface method (IIM) for discrete surfaces to impose stress jump conditions along complex interfaces while enabling the use of fast structured-grid solvers for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The dynamics of the volumetric structural mesh are determined using a standard finite element approach to large-deformation nonlinear elasticity via a nearly incompressible solid mechanics formulation. This formulation also readily accommodates compressible structures with a constant total volume, and it can handle fully compressible solid structures for cases in which at least part of the solid boundary does not contact the incompressible fluid. Selected grid convergence studies demonstrate second-order convergence in volume conservation and in the pointwise discrepancies between corresponding positions of the two interface representations as well as between first and second-order convergence in the structural displacements. The time stepping scheme is also demonstrated to yield second-order convergence. To assess and validate the robustness and accuracy of the new algorithm, comparisons are made with computational and experimental FSI benchmarks. Test cases include both smooth and sharp geometries in various flow conditions. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the capabilities of this methodology by applying it to model the transport and capture of a geometrically realistic, deformable blood clot in an inferior vena cava filter.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermodynamic analysis of a two-stage binary-fluid ejector heat pump water heater

Ejector heat pump water heaters (EHPWHs) could significantly increase the thermal efficiency of domestic water heating and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study addresses two major technical barriers to using EHPWHs in domestic water heating—low heating cycle coefficient of performance (COP) and low condensation temperatures—using binary fluid pairs as a working fluid in a two-stage ejector system. A comprehensive, geometry-free model of binary-fluid ejectors was built and validated to predict the entrainment ratios of binary-fluid ejectors. A thermodynamic model of a two-stage binary-fluid ejector EHPWH was built to predict the heating cycle COP of EHPWHs. The performance of the EHPWH was theoretically evaluated using HFE7000 and Novec649 as primary fluids and R600 and R1234ze(Z) as secondary fluids. HFE7000/R600 gave the highest heating cycle COP (i.e., 1.356) in producing domestic hot water at 60.0 °C. An optimum evaporation temperature of the primary fluid was identified for the maximum effective entrainment ratio and effective pressure lift ratio of two-stage ejectors. Here, the effective entrainment ratio of the two-stage ejector dominated the heating cycle COP of the EHPWH. Primary fluids with lower latent heats of evaporation and/or secondary fluids with higher latent heats of evaporation yielded higher heating cycle COPs of EHPWHs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Interfacial and Confinement-Mediated Organization of Gas Hydrates, Water, Organic Fluids, and Nanoparticles for the Utilization of Subsurface Energy and Geological Resources

Harnessing the subsurface geologic environments in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner is challenged by uncertainties associated with predicting the fate of fluids and sustaining porosity and permeability in subsurface geologic environments. Some of these uncertainties arise from confined and interfacially induced structures of fluids in subsurface geologic environments. The formation of gas hydrates, phase transitions of confined fluids, assembly and deposition of heavy hydrocarbons, and the agglomeration and fate of nanoparticles in confined environments are summarized in this review. Nanoscale confinement contributes to anisotropic structures and dynamics of fluids, which is the basis for anomalous phase transition thermodynamics, reactivity, transport, and geomechanical behavior. In this review, we discuss the structures of confined fluids and deviation in observed properties from bulk fluids. The factors influencing the structures of confined fluids can be generally divided into two groups: (a) pore characteristics including pore size, pore surface chemistry, and pore geometry and (b) confined fluid/solid characteristics such as molecular structure, concentrations, charges, pore filling, and presence of additives. Scientific advancements and knowledge gaps in our understanding of the structures of confined fluids and the associated differences in observed properties compared to bulk fluids are discussed. Here, the phenomena discussed in this review are of particular relevance to our efforts in harnessing the subsurface environments for a low carbon future by increasing the utilization of geothermal energy, using CO 2 as a working fluid, and storing CO 2 in subsurface geologic environments.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Estimating Energy Consumption of Mobile Fluid Power in the United States

This report estimates the market size and energy consumption of mobile off-road applications utilizing hydraulic fluid power, and summarizes technology gaps and implementation barriers. Mobile fluid power is the use of hydraulic fluids under pressure to transmit power in mobile equipment applications. The mobile off-road fluid power sector includes various uses of hydraulic fluid power equipment with fundamentally diverse end-use application and operational requirements, such as a skid steer loader, a wheel loader or an agriculture tractor. The agriculture and construction segments dominate the mobile off-road fluid power market in component unit sales volume. An estimated range of energy consumed by the mobile off-road fluid power sector is 0.36 - 1.8 quads per year, which was 1.3 percent - 6.5 percent of the total energy consumed in 2016 by the transportation sector. Opportunities for efficiency improvements within the fluid power system result from needs to level and reduce the peak system load requirements and develop new technologies to reduce fluid power system level losses, both of which may be facilitated by characterizing duty cycles to define standardized performance test methods. There are currently no commonly accepted standardized test methods for evaluating equipment level efficiency over a duty cycle. The off-road transportation sector currently meets criteria emissions requirements, and there are no efficiency regulations requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to invest in new architecture development to improve the fuel economy of mobile off-road fluid power systems. In addition, the end-user efficiency interests are outweighed by low equipment purchase or lease price concerns, required payback periods, and reliability and durability requirements of new architecture. Current economics, low market volumes with high product diversity, and regulation compliance challenge OEM investment in commercialization of new architecture development.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2014

Dissertation Defense Computational Fluid Dynamics Uncertainty Analysis for Payload Fairing Spacecraft Environmental Control Systems

Spacecraft thermal protection systems are at risk of being damaged due to airflow produced from Environmental Control Systems. There are inherent uncertainties and errors associated with using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict the airflow field around a spacecraft from the Environmental Control System. This paper describes an approach to quantify the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict airflow speeds around an encapsulated spacecraft without the use of test data. Quantifying the uncertainty in analytical predictions is imperative to the success of any simulation-based product. The method could provide an alternative to traditional "validation by test only" mentality. This method could be extended to other disciplines and has potential to provide uncertainty for any numerical simulation, thus lowering the cost of performing these verifications while increasing the confidence in those predictions. Spacecraft requirements can include a maximum airflow speed to protect delicate instruments during ground processing. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to verify these requirements; however, the model must be validated by test data. This research includes the following three objectives and methods. Objective one is develop, model, and perform a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of three (3) generic, non-proprietary, environmental control systems and spacecraft configurations. Several commercially available and open source solvers have the capability to model the turbulent, highly three-dimensional, incompressible flow regime. The proposed method uses FLUENT, STARCCM+, and OPENFOAM. Objective two is to perform an uncertainty analysis of the Computational Fluid Dynamics model using the methodology found in "Comprehensive Approach to Verification and Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations". This method requires three separate grids and solutions, which quantify the error bars around Computational Fluid Dynamics predictions. The method accounts for all uncertainty terms from both numerical and input variables. Objective three is to compile a table of uncertainty parameters that could be used to estimate the error in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model of the Environmental Control System /spacecraft system. Previous studies have looked at the uncertainty in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model for a single output variable at a single point, for example the re-attachment length of a backward facing step. For the flow regime being analyzed (turbulent, three-dimensional, incompressible), the error at a single point can propagate into the solution both via flow physics and numerical methods. Calculating the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to accurately predict airflow speeds around encapsulated spacecraft in is imperative to the success of future missions.

CFD↗
NASA NTRS2014

Dissertation Defense: Computational Fluid Dynamics Uncertainty Analysis for Payload Fairing Spacecraft Environmental Control Systems

Spacecraft thermal protection systems are at risk of being damaged due to airflow produced from Environmental Control Systems. There are inherent uncertainties and errors associated with using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict the airflow field around a spacecraft from the Environmental Control System. This paper describes an approach to quantify the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict airflow speeds around an encapsulated spacecraft without the use of test data. Quantifying the uncertainty in analytical predictions is imperative to the success of any simulation-based product. The method could provide an alternative to traditional validation by test only mentality. This method could be extended to other disciplines and has potential to provide uncertainty for any numerical simulation, thus lowering the cost of performing these verifications while increasing the confidence in those predictions.Spacecraft requirements can include a maximum airflow speed to protect delicate instruments during ground processing. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to verify these requirements; however, the model must be validated by test data. This research includes the following three objectives and methods. Objective one is develop, model, and perform a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of three (3) generic, non-proprietary, environmental control systems and spacecraft configurations. Several commercially available and open source solvers have the capability to model the turbulent, highly three-dimensional, incompressible flow regime. The proposed method uses FLUENT, STARCCM+, and OPENFOAM. Objective two is to perform an uncertainty analysis of the Computational Fluid Dynamics model using the methodology found in Comprehensive Approach to Verification and Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations. This method requires three separate grids and solutions, which quantify the error bars around Computational Fluid Dynamics predictions. The method accounts for all uncertainty terms from both numerical and input variables. Objective three is to compile a table of uncertainty parameters that could be used to estimate the error in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model of the Environmental Control System spacecraft system.Previous studies have looked at the uncertainty in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model for a single output variable at a single point, for example the re-attachment length of a backward facing step. For the flow regime being analyzed (turbulent, three-dimensional, incompressible), the error at a single point can propagate into the solution both via flow physics and numerical methods. Calculating the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to accurately predict airflow speeds around encapsulated spacecraft in is imperative to the success of future missions.

Fluid Dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Unveiling stimulation fluid-driven alterations in shale pore architecture through combined interpretation of TD-NMR and multi-component gas adsorption

The hydraulic fracturing stimulation process can alter petrophysical and flow properties of the shale matrix in unconventional reservoirs. These alterations can result from interactions with native and exogenous fluids, and can be detrimental to reservoir productivity. Different experimental procedures have been proposed to study reactive processes and thereby understand the aforementioned interactions. Most published works do not consider the rock initial saturation with formation fluid, or the effect of organic matter (OM). To gain insights into these effects, two reactive experimental sets, differing in experimental conditions, were conducted. In the first set, at 125°C and 45 MPa, a stimulation fluid surrogate was put in contact with Baxter Shale samples, previously saturated and equilibrated with synthetic formation fluid. A baseline consisted of exposure to formation fluid exclusively. In the second set, at 0.08 MPa and 25°C, contact with stimulation fluid took place as in the first set. Two additional assays in this second set either skipped the initial formation fluid saturation or removed the OM, respectively. Petrophysical properties analyses, focused on the pore architecture, relied on the combined interpretation of gas adsorption and Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR). Results show that the presence of the formation fluid significantly restricts pore space accessibility to the stimulation fluid and mitigates the pore-architecture alteration to the macro-pore region. Mineral dissolution and precipitation dominate over surface or wettability alteration. Next, results suggest that the OM restricts accessibility to some pores. Ultimately, the equilibration process with synthetic formation fluid drives mainly surface alteration, unhindered by OM.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sequentially coupled flow and geomechanical simulation with a discrete fracture model for analyzing fracturing fluid recovery and distribution in fractured ultra-low permeability gas reservoirs

More accurate characterization and prediction of the in-situ distribution of fracturing fluid in fractured reservoirs are needed for enhancing well productivity. In this study, an implicit-sequentially coupled flow/geomechanics simulator incorporating an efficient discrete fracture model is developed to model fluid distribution and recovery performance of ultra-low permeability gas reservoirs. The finite-volume and finite-element methods are used for space discretization of the flow and geomechanics equations, respectively, while the backward Euler method is employed for time discretization. The flow and geomechanics equations are solved sequentially based on fixed-stress splitting. An efficient discrete-fracture model is used to explicitly model the fractured system. Flexible unstructured gridding is employed to model arbitrarily-oriented fractures. The interrelations among pore volume, permeability and geomechanical conditions are considered dynamically using two-way coupled flow and geomechanics computations. The geometry of fracture (networks) due to hydraulic fracturing has significant impacts on the fracturing fluid recovery efficiency and ensuing fluid distribution. Under the same injection volume, the fracturing fluid recovery is higher when the fracture geometry is planar. Fluid recovery is relatively lower whenever natural fractures are activated during fracturing treatments; flowback time is also shortened when complex fracture network with enlarged fracture interface is present. Fracturing fluid in hydraulic fractures may leak off into the natural fractures and subsequently imbibes into the surrounding matrix due to capillarity effects. The fracturing fluid recovery and in-situ fluid distribution are sensitive to the shut-in duration and fracture closure behavior. This study analyzes the coupled flow-geomechanical responses of fractured gas reservoirs during the post-fracturing periods. Understanding the fate of the fracturing fluid can provide insights on, to some extent, the stimulated fracture volume, size of the water invasion zone, and efficiency of the fracturing design. The simulation predictions can also provide more accurate initial reservoir conditions (e.g. distributions of different phases and pressure) for long-term well performance estimation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Generalized fluid theory including non-Maxwellian kinetic effects

The results obtained by the plasma physics community for the validation and the prediction of turbulence and transport in magnetized plasmas come mainly from the use of very central processing unit (CPU)-consuming particle-in-cell or (gyro)kinetic codes which naturally include non-Maxwellian kinetic effects. To date, fluid codes are not considered to be relevant for the description of these kinetic effects. Here, after revisiting the limitations of the current fluid theory developed in the 19th century, we generalize the fluid theory including kinetic effects such as non-Maxwellian super-thermal tails with as few fluid equations as possible. The collisionless and collisional fluid closures from the nonlinear Landau Fokker–Planck collision operator are shown for an arbitrary collisionality. Indeed, the first fluid models associated with two examples of collisionless fluid closures are obtained by assuming an analytic non-Maxwellian distribution function. One of the main differences with the literature is our analytic representation of the distribution function in the velocity phase space with as few hidden variables as possible thanks to the use of non-orthogonal basis sets. These new non-Maxwellian fluid equations could initiate the next generation of fluid codes including kinetic effects and can be expanded to other scientific disciplines such as astrophysics, condensed matter or hydrodynamics. As a validation test, we perform a numerical simulation based on a minimal reduced INMDF fluid model. The result of this test is the discovery of the origin of particle and heat diffusion. The diffusion is due to the competition between a growing INMDF on short time scales due to spatial gradients and the thermalization on longer time scales. Here, the results shown here could provide the insights to break some of the unsolved puzzles of turbulence.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of maturity and mineralogy on fluid-rock reactions in the Marcellus Shale

Natural gas extraction from the Appalachian Basin has significantly increased in the past decade. The push to properly dispose, reuse, or recycle the large amounts of produced fluids associated with hydraulic fracturing operations and design better fracturing fluids has necessitated a better understanding of the subsurface chemical reactions taking place during hydrocarbon extraction. Using autoclave reactors, this study mimics the conditions of deep subsurface shale reservoirs to observe the chemical evolution of fluids during the shut-in phase of hydraulic fracturing (HF), a period when hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs) remain confined in the reservoir. The experiment was conducted by combining a synthetic hydraulic fracturing fluid and powdered shale core samples in high temperature/pressure static autoclave reactors for 14 days. Shale samples of varying maturity and mineralogy were used to assess the effect of these variations on the proliferation of inorganic ions and low molecular weight volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mainly benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) and monosubstituted carboxylic acids. Ion chromatography results indicate that the relative abundance of ions present was similar to that of water produced from HF operations in the Marcellus Shale basin. There was an increase of SO 4 2- and PO 4 3- and a decrease in Ba 2+ upon fluid-shale reaction. Major ionic shifts indicate calcite dissolution in two of the fluid-shale reactions and barite precipitation in all fluid-shale reactions. Toluene, xylene, and carboxylic acids were produced in the shale-free control experiment. The most substantial increase in BTEX analytes was observed in reactions with low maturity shale, while the high maturity shale reaction produced no measurable BTEX compounds. Total organic carbon decreased in all reactions including fracturing fluid and shale, suggesting adsorption onto the organic matter (OM) matrix. The results from this study highlight that both the nature of OM and mineralogy play a key role in determining the fate of inorganic and organic compounds during fluid–shale interactions in the subsurface shale reservoir. Overall this study aims to contribute to the growing understanding of complex chemical interactions that occur in the shale reservoirs during HF, which is vital for determining the potential environmental impacts of HF and designing more efficient HFF and produced water recycling techniques for environmentally conscious natural gas production.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Lattice Boltzmann method for diffusion-limited partial dissolution of fluids

A lattice Boltzmann model for two partially miscible fluids is developed. By partially miscible, we mean that although there is a definite interfacial region separating the two fluids with a surface tension force acting at all points of the transition region, each fluid can nonetheless accept molecules from the other fluid up to a set solubility limit. We allow each fluid to diffuse into the other with the solubility and diffusivity in each fluid being input parameters. The approach is to define two regions within the fluid. One interfacial region having finite width, across which most of the concentration change occurs, and in which a surface tension force and color separation step are allowed for. And one miscible fluid region where the concentration of the binary fluids follows an advection-diffusion equation and the mixture as a whole obeys the Navier-Stokes incompressible flow equations. Numerical examples are presented in which the algorithm produces results that are quantitatively compared to exact analytical results as well as qualitatively examined for their reasonableness. The model has the ability to simulate how bubbles of one fluid flow through another while dissolving their contents as well as to a range of practical invasion problems such as injecting supercritical CO 2 into a porous material saturated with water for sequestration purposes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2001

New Fluid Prevents Railway Ice

Through a licensing agreement between NASA's Ames Research Center and Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. (MIS), two MIS products have been enhanced with NASA's anti-icing fluid technology. MIS offers the new fluid in two commercial products, the Zero Gravity(TM) Third Rail Anti-Icer/Deicer and the Ice Free Switch(R). Using NASA's fluid technology, these products form a protective-coating barrier that prevents the buildup of ice and snow. Applying the fluid to the railway components prior to ice or snowstorm works as an anti-icing fluid, remaining in place to melt precipitation as it hits the surface. It also functions as a deicing fluid. If applied to an already frozen switch or rail, it will quickly melt the ice, free the frozen parts, and then remain in place to prevent refreezing. Additional benefits include the ability to cling to vertical rail surfaces and resist the effects of rain and wind. With the Ice Free Switch, it takes only five minutes to treat the switch by spraying, brushing, or pouring on the product. Ice Free Switch requires as little as one gallon per switch whereas other deicing fluids require five to ten gallons of liquid to effectively melt ice. Zero Gravity serves the same anti-icing/deicing purposes but applies fluid to the third rail through a system that is easily installed onto mass transit cars. A tank of fluid and a dispensing system are placed underneath the train car and the fluid is applied as the train runs its route.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

The formation of spikes in the displacement of miscible fluids

We report on experiments in which a more viscous fluid displaces a less viscous one in a vertical cylindrical tube. These experiments were performed using silicone oils in a vertical pipette of small diameter. The more viscous fluid also had a slightly larger density than the less viscous fluid. In the initial configuration, the fluids were at rest, and the interface was nominally flat. A dye was added to the more viscous fluid for ease of observation of the interface between the fluids. The flow was initiated by pumping the more viscous fluid into the less viscous one. The displacement velocity was such that the Reynolds number was smaller than unity and the Peclet number for mass transfer between the fluids was large compared to unity. For upward displacement of the more viscous fluid from an initially stable configuration, an axisymmetric finger was observed under all conditions. However, a needle-shaped spike was seen to propagate from the main finger in many cases, similar to that observed by Petitjeans and Maxworthy for the displacement of a more viscous fluid by a less viscous one.

Rheology/methods↗