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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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Key Learnings from Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site - 2 (HFTS-2), Delaware Basin

Hydraulic fractures (HF) play a dominant role in oil and gas production from unconventional reservoirs, fracture characteristics, geometry, and extent are generally not well known and are typically inferred from various monitoring methods or subsurface models. The Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site-2 (HFTS-2) is a field-based research experiment performed in the Wolfcamp formation of the Permian (Delaware) Basin. HFTS-2, a unique joint industry program (JIP) that brings together government, academia, and industry, focused on field data acquisition and interpretation. The project has built a comprehensive HF research dataset that includes microseismic (MS), 1,500 ft of core, diagnostic formation injection tests (DFIT), fluid characterization, advanced logs, geochemistry, downhole gauges, varying completions, and permanent fiber optic (FO) cable in vertical and horizontal wells. These data were integrated and used to characterize HF geometry/dimensions and resulting depletion profiles, gain insights for completion design, and achieve a better understanding of parent well depletion effects on child well performance. The analysis and integration of the comprehensive HFTS-2 diagnostics dataset provide insights for optimal well placement and completions and improves understanding about the effects of parent well depletion. Furthermore, this dataset can be used to blind test and develop subsurface workflows for unconventional resources. Key learnings from HFTS-2 and the new technologies tested can easily be transferred to other unconventional plays.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Utah FORGE: Triaxial Direct Shear Results - February 2025

This dataset contains results from nine triaxial direct shear tests conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory on samples from FORGE Well 16A(78)-32. The primary objectives of this work were to determine the shear strength in both intact and residual states, evaluate dilation against displacement, assess permeability in relation to displacement, time, and normal stress, understand the relationship between aperture and normal stress, and monitor the effluent chemistry as a function of time. The data includes time-series measurements of stress, displacement, permeability, and effluent chemistry, with and without experimental dilution corrections. Additional materials include profilometry data, photographic documentation of the experimental setups and apparatus, and test notes. The dataset is organized into folders corresponding to each test, containing hydromechanical data, effluent chemistry measurements, and images. The hydromechanical data consists of detailed time-series records capturing parameters such as shear force, confining pressure, permeability, and temperature. Effluent chemistry data tracks fluid composition changes over time. Also included are conference papers, presentation slides, and a summary document outlining the experiments.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Distributed Acoustic Sensing to Estimate the Permeability

Optical fiber in a borehole can be interrogated with distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) to capture fracture displacements with the potential to map surrounding fracture networks. We designed a laboratory experiment to test the capability of DAS to determine borehole flow characteristics, and we show that for the first time DAS can be used to remotely estimate permeability. Optical fiber was wrapped around a bead filled pipe and the pressure drop and flow velocity were measured to directly calculate permeability. A machine learning model using statistical features from continuous DAS estimated the bulk permeability. Fluid interactions with the permeable material demonstrate insufficient resolution using DAS amplitude-based measurements for estimating pressure drop to infer permeability. Variations in the spectral domain relate DAS measurements to the pressure drop and provide consistent permeability estimates. Resolution with DAS is sufficient to estimate permeability and provides a reliable method to monitor at depth in borehole conditions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Environmental impact of solution pH on the formation and migration of iron colloids in deep subsurface energy systems

Deep subsurface stimulation processes often promote fluid-rock interactions that can lead to the formation of small colloidal particles that are suspected to migrate through the rock matrix, partially or fully clog pores and microfractures, and promote the mobilization of contaminants. Thus, the goal of this work is to understand the geochemical changes of the host rock in response to reservoir stimulation that promote the formation and migration of colloids. Two different carbonate-rich shales were exposed to different solution pHs (pH = 2 and 7). In this study, iron and other mineral transformations at the shale-fluid interface were first characterized by synchrotron-based XRF mapping. Then, colloids that were able to migrate from the shale into the bulk fluid were characterized by synchrotron-based extended X-ray absorption structure (EXAFS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (sp-icpTOF-MS). When exposed to the pH = 2 solution, extensive mineral dissolution and secondary precipitation was observed; iron-(oxyhydr)oxide colloids colocated with silicates were observed by SEM at the fluid-shale interfaces, and the mobilization of chromium and nickel with these iron colloids into the bulk fluid was detected by sp-icpTOF-MS. Iron EXAFS spectra of the solution at the shale-fluid interface suggests the rapid (within minutes) formation of ferrihydrite-like nanoparticles. Thus, we demonstrate that the pH neutralization promotes the mobilization of existing silicate minerals and the rapid formation of new iron colloids. These Fe colloids have the potential to migrate through the shale matrix and mobilize other heavy metals (such as Cr and Ni, in this study) and impacting groundwater quality, as well produced waters from these hydraulic fracturing operations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Closing the Loop Between In Situ Stress Complexity and EGS Fracture Complexity (Quarterly Research Performance Progress Report: Q3Y3)

As part of Task 1, we have started by testing our modeling capabilities by reproducing isothermal DFIT simulations presented in the literature. To start, we have been working towards adjusting numerical parameters to reproduce DFIT tests with different fracture geometries. Then, we have focused modeling the DFIT conducted at well 58-32 (cycle 4 in zone 2). Specifically, we have carefully analyzed the influence of the aperture-contact stress relationship and investigated how two different laws affect model results. We have also introduced thermal effects in the model and rerun the simulations to estimate the effect of cooling on the DFIT response. Due to the small amount of fluid injected during a DFIT, thermal effects seem to be moderate.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2016

Ground Truthing Orbital Clay Mineral Observations with the APXS Onboard Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been exploring approximately 22 km diameter Endeavour crater since 2011. Its rim segments predate the Hesperian-age Burns formation and expose Noachian-age material, which is associated with orbital Fe3+-Mg-rich clay mineral observations [1,2]. Moving to an orders of magnitude smaller instrumental field of view on the ground, the clay minerals were challenging to pinpoint on the basis of geochemical data because they appear to be the result of near-isochemical weathering of the local bedrock [3,4]. However, the APXS revealed a more complex mineral story as fracture fills and so-called red zones appear to contain more Al-rich clay minerals [5,6], which had not been observed from orbit. These observations are important to constrain clay mineral formation processes. More detail will be added as Opportunity is heading into her 10th extended mission, during which she will investigate Noachian bedrock that predates Endeavour crater, study sedimentary rocks inside Endeavour crater, and explore a fluid-carved gully. ESA's ExoMars rover will land on Noachian-age Oxia Planum where abundant Fe3+-Mg-rich clay minerals have been observed from orbit, but the story will undoubtedly become more complex once seen from the ground.

Schroeder, C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Unusual Microtopography on an Apollo 12 Soil Grain

We have observed the presence of a previously undescribed microtopography in several regions on the surface of a lunar grain from Apollo regolith sample 12070,29. This microtopography consists of flattened triangular prisms, henceforth referred to as denticles, set in an orderly arrangement. We propose three possible processes to describe the presence of these structures: (1) radiation; (2) aqueous activity; or (3) impact. Radiation—the surface of the Earth’s moon is subject to energetic ion and photon irradiation which can produce a multitude of morphological effects on grain surfaces including erosion/sputtering, vesicle formation, and amorphization of crystalline phases. Under certain conditions surface erosion can result in the formation of well-ordered nanostructures including mounds, dots, wave-shaped, rippled or corrugated features typically <10s nm in size and organized into pattered arrays. However larger pyramid-shaped features up to approx. 300 nm at the base, similar in shape to lunar denticles, were produced on Cu substrates ex-posed to ion beam sputtering.. Aqueous alteration—recent reports of purported water on the Moon imply the possibility of brief, limited exposure of surface materials to aqueous fluids. Aqueous corrosion of silicates can result in the formation of crystallographically controlled denticulated features, up to 10s of micron at the base, arranged in a patterned formation. Impact—the surface of the moon is impacted by meteorites, particularly by micron-size particles, resulting in the formation of a variety of crater types. While it is difficult to envision a scenario in which a patterned array could be formed by impact, fracturing along planes of crystallographic structural weakness due to external stress could explain these features.

Thomas-Keprta, K. L.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Constraint energy minimizing generalized multiscale finite element method for multi-continuum Richards equations

In fluid flow simulation, the multi-continuum model is a useful strategy. When the heterogeneity and contrast of coefficients are high, the system becomes multiscale, and some kinds of reduced order methods are demanded. Combining these techniques with nonlinearity, we will consider in this paper a dual-continuum model which is generalized as a multi-continuum model for a coupled system of nonlinear Richards equations as unsaturated flows, in complex heterogeneous fractured porous media; and we will solve it by a novel multiscale approach utilizing the constraint energy minimizing generalized multiscale finite element method (CEM-GMsFEM). In particular, such a nonlinear system will be discretized in time and then linearized by Picard iteration (whose global convergence is proved theoretically). Subsequently, we tackle the resulting linearized equations by the CEM-GMsFEM and obtain proper offline multiscale basis functions to span the multiscale space (which contains the pressure solution). More specifically, we first introduce two new sources of samples, and the GMsFEM is used over each coarse block to build local auxiliary multiscale basis functions via solving local spectral problems, that are crucial for detecting high-contrast channels. Second, per oversampled coarse region, local multiscale basis functions are created through the CEM as constrainedly minimizing an energy functional. Various numerical tests for our approach reveal that the error converges with the coarse-grid size and that only few oversampling layers as well as basis functions are needed.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1983

Cooling and deformation of sulfur flows

A simple one-dimensional cooling analysis is used to consider the cooling of a flow of pure sulfur on the Ionian surface by a combination of upward radiation and downward conduction, and some speculations on the nature of surface structures and optical properties for such a flow are made. It is concluded that surface folding caused by compressive stresses, crustal foundering due to tensile fracturing and density inversions, and local turbulence may result in regularly spaced surface ridges periodically interrupted by upwellings of liquid sulfur onto the frozen surface of the flow. The model suggests that although the color of the surface crust of a quickly quenched sulfur flow will not necessarily reflect the local internal temperature of the flow, diapiric upwellings and convection from beneath this crust should indicate the progressive cooling of the inner, more fluid zones of the flow.

Fink, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Jupiter System Data Analysis Program: Mechanisms, Manifestation, and Implications of Cryomagmatism on Europa

The objectives of the work completed under NASA Grant NAG5-8898 were (i) to document and characterize the low-albedo diffuse surfaces associated with triple bands and lenticulae, (ii) to determine their mechanisms of formation, and (iii) to assess the implications of these features for the resurfacing (in space and time) of the Europa and the nature of the Europan interior. The approach involved a combination of processing and analysis of Solid State Imaging data returned by the Galileo spacecraft during the primary and extended mission phases, together with numerical modeling of the physical processes interpreted to the observed features. We have modeled the formation of Europan triple explosive venting of cryoclastic material from bands and lenticulae halos by two processes: (i) a liquid layer in the Europan interior, and (ii) lag deposit formation by the thermal influence of subsurface cryomagmatic intrusions. We favor the latter hypothesis for explaining these features, and further suggest that a liquid water or brine intrusion is required to provide sufficient lateral heating of surface ice to explain the 25 km size of the largest features. (Solid ice diapirs, even under the most favorable conditions, become thermally exhausted before they heat significant lateral distances). We argue that water circulating in open fractures, or repeated cryomagmatic 'diking' events would provide sufficient thermal input to produce the observed features. Thus our work argues for the existence of a liquid beneath Europa's surface. Our results might most easily be explained by the presence of a continuous liquid layer (the putative Europan ocean); this would concur with the findings of the Galileo magnetometer team. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that discrete liquid pockets provide injections of fluid closer to the surface.

Fagents, Sarah A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Astrobiology of the Subsurface: Caves and Rock Fracture Habitats on Earth, Mars and Beyond

The Astrobiology of the Subsurface: Exploring Cave Habitats on Earth, Mars and Beyond. We are using the spectacular underground landscapes of Earth caves as models for the subsurfaces of other planets. Caves have been detected on the Moon and Mars and are strongly suspected for other bodies in the Solar System including some of the ice covered Ocean Worlds that orbit gas giant planets. The caves we explore and study include many extreme conditions of relevance to planetary astrobiology exploration including high and low temperatures, gas atmospheres poisonous to humans but where exotic microbes can fluorish, highly acidic or salty fluids, heavy metals, and high background radiation levels. Some cave microorganisms eat their way through bedrock, some live in battery acid conditions, some produce unusual biominerals and rare cave formations, and many produce compounds of potential pharmaceutical and industrial significance. We study these unique lifeforms and the physical and chemical biosignatures that they leave behind. Such traces can be used to provide a Field Guide to Unknown Organisms for developing life detection space missions.

Caves↗
DOE OSTI2021

Well Stimulation Treatment in California: Evaluation of Disclosure Data, May 2015 – October 2019

In this document, disclosure data from 1,228 well stimulations occurring May 2015 to October 2019 in California are evaluated. This evaluation updates a previous study that was based on 618 well stimulations occurring May 2015 to June 2016 (Stringfellow, W.T., Camarillo, M.K., and Jordan, P. 2017, Status of Well Stimulation in California Since Implementation of SB-4 Regulations, Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA). While the goal of the previous study was to provide a summary of information obtained since passage of California Senate Bill No. 4—Oil and Gas, the goal of the current evaluation is to provide a basis for studying chemical indicators that could potentially be used to detect aquifer contamination. We evaluate chemical indicators is a separate document using the data contained herein as well as data from monitoring wells located within oil fields. Compared with the data used by Stringfellow et al. 2017, the current evaluation is based on a more diverse data set. While the previous study contained data for only two oil fields with more than 30 well stimulations, the current data set contains four oil fields with more than 30 well stimulations, making these data more ideal for comparisons using statistical tests. More producers and a new oil field, Buena Vista Nose, are represented in the current data set. Some well stimulation practices remain relatively unchanged since the previous study. Well stimulation is mostly occurring in Kern County with the exception of a single well stimulation in Orange County. Almost all well stimulations are hydraulic fracturing. The current data set contains two acid fracturing treatments and one matrix acidizing treatment. The median number of chemicals added per well stimulation—excluding water and proppant—was previously 21; the number in the expanded data set is 20. Median water added per well stimulation was previously 89,000 gallons and is now 98,000 gallons. While this water use represents a 10% increase, water use for hydraulic fracturing in California is still lower than water use in other oil and gas fields. Chemical formulations appear to have shifted since the previous study. This shift may be related to a change in the predominant service company. We identified 26 chemicals for which the frequency of use has changed by more than 30%. The total number of chemicals used has also expanded. Previously, 178 unique chemicals were identified as being added to well stimulation fluids. The total number of unique chemicals is now 205. Analytical data available for base and recovered fluids has expanded. The number of base fluid samples has increased from 12 to 35 and the number of recovered fluid samples has increased from 1,078 to 2,166. The expanded data set is more ideal for an evaluation of indicator chemicals and comparisons across different formations. The analytical data for recovered fluid samples indicates that many ions, radioactive constituents, and organics are consistently observed, making these chemicals ideal for consideration as potential indicators of aquifer contamination.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigating Material Properties of Subsurface Rock Formations Modified by Engineering Mineral Precipitation (Final Scientific and Technical Report)

Montana State University’s (MSU) Energy Research Institute (ERI), in collaboration with the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) and the Department of Civil Engineering (CE), has conducted a long‐term research program aimed at developing a novel cementing agent to address wellbore integrity and reduce the unwanted upward migration of fluids and greenhouse gases from the subsurface. The primary technology developed through this research program is known as ureolysis‐induced calcite precipitation (UICP), which harnesses bio‐chemical processes to precipitate calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). The same general process can also be called microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) when microbes provide the process-catalyzing urease enzyme. Both terms are used in this report. Results have conclusively demonstrated that, if properly controlled, UICP can successfully seal fractures, high permeability zones, and compromised cement in the vicinity of wellbores and in nearby caprock. This technology has been successfully deployed to mitigate annular leakage in two test wells and over sixty commercial wells with a 100% success rate. This success in downhole deployment generates consideration of other subsurface applications where UICP could provide benefit to the energy sector, such as shale property modification for unconventional oil and gas recovery. The focus of this research project was to investigate fundamental material and mechanical properties of select shale cores and analyze how these properties change due to engineered mineral precipitation with the intent to control these properties to achieve a range of engineering objectives. Ultimately, the project aim was to identify valuable new areas where application of UICP might contribute to national energy security and environmental protection. The research workplan coupled UICP treatment of core samples, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization, and mechanical strength testing at MSU with advanced X‐Ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging and numerical modeling performed by collaborators at two national laboratories, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Experimental results are useful to inform geo-mechanical models which could be applied to predict mineralized rock formation behavior at field scale. Our findings suggest that NMR and μCT methods to detect and quantify biomineral formation in shale fractures are complementary and consistent with each other. Either could be used to estimate the volume of new mineral formed by UICP in shale fractures. The use of surfactants and guar gum to enhance biomineral precipitation in shale fractures merits further research. UICP can, under some conditions, increase the tensile strength of sealed shale fractures beyond that of the intact shale. These findings demonstrate that continued research in this area may be valuable to understanding and improving shale resource recovery techniques.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1978

Volcanism in the Noachis-Hellas region of Mars, 2

Mariner 9 and Viking Orbiter imagery has been examined to investigate volcanism in the Noachis-Hellas region of Mars. A wide variety of probable and possible volcanic features, including cinder cones, flood lavas, wrinkel ridges, cratered domes on the floors of impact craters, shield volcanoes, and possible stratovolcanoes has been observed. The flood lavas of ridged plains and broad, low shield volcanoes are indicative of very fluid lavas of ultrabasic or very basic basaltic composition. Evidence for relatively recent pyroclastic volcanism is present in numerous probable cinder cones and some isolated cratered mountains tentatively identified as stratovolcanoes. The volcanic complex and ridged plains at 68 deg S, 323 deg W appear to be relatively young. The occurrence of the five major volcanic centers of the Noachis-Hellas region at the intersections of ancient Hellas impact basin rings with a postulated northeast-trending fracture system suggests that large-scale volcanic activity may have begun soon after formation of the basin.

Peterson, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Observations of actively forming lava tubes and associated structures, Hawaii.

Fluid basalts were erupted in August, 1970, from a vent near Alae Crater and flowed southeast. Forming exclusively in pahoehoe basalt, tubes in general evolve from lava channels by crustal formation, although some tubes develop directly from the vent. The observation discussed shows that channel crusts and tube roofs form in several ways. Lava channels usually form along the axis of highest velocity within the flow and are often centered along older lava channels, stream beds, rifts, grabens, or fracture zones.

Greeley, R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiphoton and Harmonic Imaging of Microarchitected Materials

Microadditive manufacturing has revolutionized the production of complex, nano- to microscale components across various fields. This work investigates two-photon (2P) and three-photon (3P) fluorescence imaging, as well as third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy, to examine periodic microarchitected lattice structures fabricated using multiphoton lithography (MPL). By immersing the structures in refractive index matching fluids, we demonstrate high-fidelity 3D reconstructions of both fluorescent structures using 2P and 3P microscopy as well as low-fluorescence structures using THG microscopy. These results show that multiphoton fluorescence (MPF) imaging offers reduced signal decay with respect to depth compared to single-photon techniques in the examined structures. We further demonstrate the ability to nondestructively identify intentional internal modifications of the structure that are not immediately visible with scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and compression-induced fractures, highlighting the potential of these techniques for quality control and defect detection in microadditively manufactured components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1971

Cryogenic glass-filament-wound tank evaluation

High-pressure glass-filament-wound fluid storage vessels with thin aluminum liners were designed, fabricated, and tested at ambient and cryogenic temperatures which demonstrated the feasibility of producing such vessels as well as high performance and light weight. Significant developments and advancements were made in solving problems associated with the thin metal liners in the tanks, including liner bonding to the overwrap and high strain magnification at the vessel polar bosses. The vessels had very high burst strengths, and failed in cyclic fatigue tests by local liner fracture and leakage without structural failure of the composite tank wall. The weight of the tanks was only 40 to 55% of comparable 2219-T87 aluminum and Inconel 718 tanks.

Morris, E. E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Jan-Dec 2021 IC Project: w20_earthquake (Yearly Report)

The simulations conducted under this IC project used an in-house code developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory called HOSS (Hybrid Optimization Software Suite) and its extended version called HOSS-FSIS (fluid-structure interaction solver). HOSS has been under development in LANL’s Geophysics Group since 2004 and was used to simulate the signal propagation in pieces of material with pre-existing defects and also to simulate the near source effects of above ground nuclear explosions. One of the key feature of HOSS is that it is superior to pure finite element method and discrete element method implementations because it allows for a natural transition from continuum to discontinuum when the material breaks or fractures.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗