Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “VISCOSITY”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,351 records · Page 75
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

In‐mold rheology and automated process control for injection molding of recycled polypropylene

Abstract Manufacturing plastic parts with secondary feedstocks has risen to the forefront of importance in recent years. However, the variation in molecular weight and rheology of secondary feedstock can lead to inconsistent part quality. This work evaluates the effectiveness of a novel closed‐loop adaptive process control system that adjusts nozzle pressure in response to in‐mold pressure data. Five different recycled polypropylene blends, with a broad distribution of flow properties, were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the control system at reducing processing variation. The experimental results show that the process control strategy reduced the variation within the mold, as seen by in‐mold pressure curves and calculated in‐mold viscosity values. Additionally, the parameters that control the automated process adjustments were investigated, showing the importance of optimization. The analysis of the correlation between in‐mold rheology and mechanical properties showed a slight variation in the mechanical properties and parts weight with a coefficient of variation of under 5%. Overall, the results demonstrate the ability of pressure‐controlled molding and automated viscosity adjustment to reduce the variability when molding a secondary feedstock. Highlights Pressure‐controlled injection molding of recycled polypropylene. Automated closed‐loop adaptive process control methodology. Methodology resulted in a reduction in pressure variation during molding. Changes in mechanical properties and in‐mold viscosity were investigated. Results show the potential of pressure‐controlled molding at reducing variation.

Krantz, Joshua↗
DOE OSTI2018

The influence of dynamic rheological properties on carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherimide for large-scale extrusion-based additive manufacturing

Printing high-performance thermoplastics on large scale extrusion-based additive manufacturing platforms requires stability over a range of processing conditions. Yet, research on the melt dynamics and processing conditions of these thermoplastics in big area additive manufacturing (BAAM) are limited. This report characterizes the dynamic rheological behavior of polyetherimide (PEI), a high-performance thermoplastic, as well as carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced PEI composites as a BAAM feedstock material. The viscoelastic properties, such as the storage and loss moduli and complex viscosity, are investigated in relation to the BAAM extrusion process. The results show that CF-PEI composites behave like a viscous liquid during BAAM extrusion. The addition of CF to PEI enhances the shear thinning effect and significantly increases the complex viscosity (2.5× increase for 20% CF, and 3× for 30% CF). The increased viscosity increases the torque on the extruder, which may be alleviated by increasing the material processing temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mafic explosive volcanism at Llaima Volcano: 3D x-ray microtomography reconstruction of pyroclasts to constrain shallow conduit processes

Abstract Mafic volcanic activity is dominated by effusive to mildly explosive eruptions. Plinian and ignimbrite-forming mafic eruptions, while rare, are also possible; however, the conditions that promote such explosivity are still being explored. Eruption style is determined by the ability of gas to escape as magma ascends, which tends to be easier in low-viscosity, mafic magmas. If magma permeability is sufficiently high to reduce bubble overpressure during ascent, volatiles may escape from the magma, inhibiting violent explosive activity. In contrast, if the permeability is sufficiently low to retain the gas phase within the magma during ascent, bubble overpressure may drive magma fragmentation. Rapid ascent may induce disequilibrium crystallization, increasing viscosity and affecting the bubble network with consequences for permeability, and hence, explosivity. To explore the conditions that promote strongly explosive mafic volcanism, we combine microlite textural analyses with synchrotron x-ray computed microtomography of 10 pyroclasts from the 12.6 ka mafic Curacautín Ignimbrite (Llaima Volcano, Chile). We quantify microlite crystal size distributions (CSD), microlite number densities, porosity, bubble interconnectivity, bubble number density, and geometrical properties of the porous media to investigate the role of magma degassing processes at mafic explosive eruptions. We use an analytical technique to estimate permeability and tortuosity by combing the Kozeny-Carman relationship, tortuosity factor, and pyroclast vesicle textures. The groundmass of our samples is composed of up to 44% plagioclase microlites, > 85% of which are < 10 µm in length. In addition, we identify two populations of vesicles in our samples: (1) a convoluted interconnected vesicle network produced by extensive coalescence of smaller vesicles (> 99% of pore volume), and (2) a population of very small and completely isolated vesicles (< 1% of porosity). Computed permeability ranges from 3.0 × 10 −13 to 6.3 × 10 −12 m 2 , which are lower than the similarly explosive mafic eruptions of Tarawera (1886; New Zealand) and Etna (112 BC; Italy). The combination of our CSDs, microlite number densities, and 3D vesicle textures evidence rapid ascent that induced high disequilibrium conditions, promoting rapid syn-eruptive crystallization of microlites within the shallow conduit. We interpret that microlite crystallization increased viscosity while simultaneously forcing bubbles to deform as they grew together, resulting in the permeable by highly tortuous network of vesicles. Using the bubble number densities for the isolated vesicles (0.1-3 −3 × 10 4 bubbles per mm 3 ), we obtain a minimum average decompression rate of 1.4 MPa/s. Despite the textural evidence that the Curacautín magma reached the percolation threshold, we propose that rapid ascent suppressed outgassing and increased bubble overpressures, leading to explosive fragmentation. Further, using the porosity and permeability of our samples, we estimated that a bubble overpressure > 5 MPa could have been sufficient to fragment the Curacautín magma. Other mafic explosive eruptions report similar disequilibrium conditions induced by rapid ascent rate, implying that syn-eruptive disequilibrium conditions may control the explosivity of mafic eruptions more generally.

Valdivia, Pedro↗
DOE OSTI2023

Microseismic Monitoring of Laboratory Hydraulic Fracturing Experiments in Granitic Rocks for Different Fracture Propagation Regimes

While hydraulic fracturing (HF) is a widely employed process, the underlying fracturing processes are still heavily contested. The attributes of the HF generated fracture network can exhibit substantial variation when dealing with specific HF propagation regimes encountered in the field. In this study, HF experiments were performed on true-triaxially loaded Barre granite cubes, with microseismic monitoring, to identify and characterize the fracturing mechanisms associated with different viscosity injection fluids. Utilizing fluids with high (oil/1450 cP) and low (water/1 cP) viscosity represented two key HF propagation regimes: viscosity- and toughness-dominated. The experiments conducted with oil involved higher breakdown pressures, larger fluid volumes, and slower fracture propagation speeds. Furthermore, the frequency–magnitude distribution (b value) for all experiments (1.9–2.3) was similar to those encountered for large-scale operations. Slightly larger b values were encountered during the initiation phase (2.4–2.7) relative to the fracture propagation and post-fracturing phases (1.9–2.2). Techniques such as polarity and moment-tensor inversion were utilized to characterize the source mechanisms. For the HF experiments with oil, tensile fractures were most dominant (92%) in the initiation phase compared to fracture propagation and post-fracturing phases (70–75%). Similar tensile fracturing dominancy was not observed with water, attributable to fluid permeation and leak-off. Regardless of the injection fluid or classification criteria employed, tensile fractures were the dominant type consistently, with fewer occurring in water experiments but the specific ratio of crack types varied with different source mechanism criteria employed.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Thermophysical Investigations of Ultrasonically Assisted Magnetic Nanofluids for Heat Transfer

The NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles synthesized and used to prepare stable water-based magnetic nanofluids of various concentrations by ultrasonically assisted two-step techniques. Thermophysical investigations are made on the nanofluids at different temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 °C. The measurements revealed that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids significantly enhances with an increase in the percentage of nanoparticle volume fraction. The thermal conductivity measurements showed that the maximum enhancement is 32.65% achieved at 1% nanoparticle volume fraction and at 80 °C. Specific heat of nanofluids was decreased with increasing nanoparticle volume fractions, and it augments with increasing temperature. Viscosity measurements showed that nanofluid had a Newtonian behavior at all nanoparticle volume fractions and temperatures considered. The viscosity of the nanofluid increased with increasing nanoparticle concentration and decreasing temperature. Experimental results revealed that the viscosity sensitivity to temperature variation is minor, while it is more sensitive to the variations of nanoparticle volume fraction. The density of nanofluids was increased with increasing nanoparticle volume fractions and decreased with increasing temperature. Lastly, efforts were made to provide a precise correlation to estimate the thermal conductivity, as well as other thermophysical properties at various temperatures and volume fractions of nanoparticles. The comparison between the results and the correlation results showed a good agreement.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics pore-scale simulations of unstable immiscible flow in porous media

We have conducted a series of high-resolution numerical experiments using the Pair-Wise Force Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (PF-SPH) multiphase flow model. First, we derived analytical expressions relating parameters in the PF-SPH model to the surface tension and static contact angle. Next, we used the model to study viscous fingering, capillary fingering, and stable displacement of immiscible fluids in porous media for a wide range of capillary numbers and viscosity ratios. We demonstrated that the steady state saturation profiles and the boundaries of viscous fingering, capillary fingering, and stable displacement regions compare favorably with micromodel laboratory experimental results. For displacing fluid with low viscosity, we observed that the displacement pattern changes from viscous fingering to stable displacement with increasing injection rate. When a high viscosity fluid is injected, transition behavior from capillary fingering to stable displacement occurred as the flow rate was increased. These observation also agree with the results of the micromodel laboratory experiments.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2015

Entropy-based viscous regularization for the multi-dimensional Euler equations in low-Mach and transonic flows

We present a new version of the entropy viscosity method, a viscous regularization technique for hyperbolic conservation laws, that is well-suited for low-Mach flows. By means of a low-Mach asymptotic study, new expressions for the entropy viscosity coefficients are derived. These definitions are valid for a wide range of Mach numbers, from subsonic flows (with very low Mach numbers) to supersonic flows, and no longer depend on an analytical expression for the entropy function. In addition, the entropy viscosity method is extended to Euler equations with variable area for nozzle flow problems. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using various 1-D and 2-D benchmark tests: flow in a converging–diverging nozzle; Leblanc shock tube; slow moving shock; strong shock for liquid phase; low-Mach flows around a cylinder and over a circular hump; and supersonic flow in a compression corner. Convergence studies are performed for smooth solutions and solutions with shocks present.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2018

An experimental and numerical study of wellbore leakage mitigation using pH-triggered polymer gelant

The potential leakage of hydrocarbon fluids or carbon dioxide from subsurface formations is a primary concern in wellbore integrity, oil and gas production, and CO 2 storage. Leaky wells with fractured cement or debonded microannuli are common sources of subsurface fluid leakage. The hydrocarbon fluid or CO 2 can migrate through such pathways to shallower formations and ultimately to surface. Cement fractures may have apertures on the order of microns, which are difficult to seal with typical workover techniques. A material that provides low viscosity during the injection but much higher viscosity after injection, with a minimum pressure gradient to yield flow at the target zone, is a potentially effective approach to seal the leakage pathways through cement fractures. pH-triggered polymers are such a material: aqueous solutions with low viscosity at low pH, containing pH-sensitive microgels which viscosify upon neutralization to become highly swollen gels with substantial yield stress that can block fluid flow. For the wellbore leakage application, the large alkalinity of wellbore cement provides the required neutralization. Our coreflood and rheological experiments show that pH-triggered polymer sealants such as polyacrylic acid polymer provide a robust seal if the process is properly designed; however, its long-term applicability depends on the dynamic geochemical environment of the wellbore. The process comprises three stages: (1) injection of a chelating agent as the preflush to ensure a favorable environment for the polymer gel, (2) injection of polymer solution, and (3) shut-in for the polymer gelation. A systematic study was done to understand the conditions under which the polymer gel remains stable and effectively seals the leakage pathways. A numerical model, based on polymer rheological properties and governing mechanisms observed in the laboratory experiments, was developed to simulate the reactive flow and transport of pH-triggered polymers in narrow fractures. Comparison with experiments shows a generally good agreement, despite the relative simplicity of the model. The numerical model was used to investigate further the underlying mechanisms of the process. The results can be used to design effectively the remediation process for a known fracture aperture size of the target zone.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

The effect of original and initial saturation on residual nonwetting phase capillary trapping efficiency

Injection of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into geological formations is a strategy for both atmospheric greenhouse gas reduction (climate change mitigation) and enhanced oil recovery. To understand CO 2 trapping efficiency, the capillary trapping behaviors that immobilize subsurface fluids were analyzed at the pore-scale using pairs of proxy fluids representing the range of in situ nonwetting and wetting fluid properties encountered in geologic storage reservoirs. The pairs of fluids were cycled through imbibition and drainage processes using a flow cell apparatus containing a sintered glass bead column. Computed x-ray microtomography (microCT) was used to identify immobilized nonwetting fluid after imbibition and drainage events. From microCT images, the trapped residual (post-secondary imbibition) nonwetting phase was spatially correlated to both the original (post-primary imbibition) and the initial (post-primary drainage) nonwetting phase; this relationship is referred to here as the original saturation dependence (SO-dependence) and initial saturation dependence (SI-dependence), respectively. Significant trends of decreasing SO- and SI-dependence with increasing wetting and nonwetting fluid phase viscosities were observed. This finding implies that the amount of CO 2 injected and ultimately trapped is dependent on the nonwetting phase (e.g. oil or gas) already present in the formation, as well as on the manner in which supercritical CO 2 is initially injected, which are factors not considered in current trapping models. To explore the potential effect that varying viscosity and interfacial tension (IFT) might have on this process, we report on a variety of fluid pairs with different viscosities and IFT.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Containment strategy for subsurface H 2 storage based on time-dependent soft solids

Here, we propose an innovative containment strategy based on time-dependent soft solids, namely 2 wt% Laponite suspensions, to reinforce natural subsurface seals and engineer flow barriers, with an eye toward making H 2 subsurface storage scalable and geographically agnostic. This suspension can be injected at its initial low viscosity and elasticity into a porous medium, allowing for easy pumping and targeted delivery. Once inside the target zone, it matures into a soft solid with much higher viscosity and elasticity, acting as a potential flow barrier. We discuss the rheological properties of the suspensions and demonstrate that hydrogen does not adversely affect their microstructure, but rather increases the suspensions’ viscosity and elasticity. Moreover, the suspensions enhance the rock samples’ compressive strength, while hydrogen exposure increases their stiffness and ductility. The ability of rock samples saturated with the suspensions to contain higher injected gas pressures is enhanced by aging at higher temperatures.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2018

Viscoelastic diamine surfactant for stable carbon dioxide/water foams over a wide range in salinity and temperature

Hypothesis: The viscosity and stability of CO 2 /water foams at elevated temperature can be increased significantly with highly viscoelastic aqueous lamellae. The slow thinning of these viscoelastic lamellae leads to greater foam stability upon slowing down Ostwald ripening and coalescence. In the aqueous phase, the viscoelasticity may be increased by increasing the surfactant tail length to form more entangled micelles even at high temperatures and salinity. Experiments: Systematic measurements of the steady state shear viscosity of aqueous solutions of the diamine surfactant (C 16-18 N(CH 3 )C 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 ) were conducted at varying surfactant concentrations and salinity to determine the parameters for formation of entangled wormlike micelles. The apparent viscosity and stability of CO 2 /water foams were compared for systems with viscoelastic entangled micellar aqueous phases relative to those with much less viscous spherical micelles. Findings: We demonstrated for the first time stable CO 2 /water foams at temperatures up to 120 °C and CO 2 volumetric fractions up to 0.98 with a single diamine surfactant, C 16-18 N(CH 3 )C 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 . The foam stability was increased by increasing the packing parameter of the surfactant with a long tail and methyl substitution on the amine to form entangled viscoelastic wormlike micelles in the aqueous phase. The foam was more viscous and stable compared to foams with spherical micelles in the aqueous lamellae as seen with C 12-14 N(EO) 2 and C 16-18 N(EO)C 3 N(EO) 2 .

nuclear (including radiation effects), carbon sequ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy-conserving dissipative particle dynamics with temperature-dependent properties

The dynamic properties of fluid, including diffusivity and viscosity, are temperature-dependent and can significantly influence the flow dynamics of mesoscopic non-isothermal systems. To capture the correct temperature-dependence of a fluid, an energy-conserving dissipative particle dynamics (eDPD) model is developed by expressing the weighting terms of the dissipative force and the random force as functions of temperature. The diffusivity and viscosity of liquid water at various temperatures ranging from 273 K to 373 K are used as examples for verifying the proposed model. Simulations of a Poiseuille flow and a steady case of heat conduction for reproducing the Fourier law are carried out to validate the present eDPD formulation and the thermal boundary conditions. Results show that the present eDPD model recovers the standard DPD model when isothermal fluid systems are considered. For non-isothermal fluid systems, the present model can predict the diffusivity and viscosity consistent with available experimental data of liquid water at various temperatures. Moreover, an analytical formula for determining the mesoscopic heat friction is proposed. The validity of the formula is confirmed by reproducing the experimental data for Prandtl number of liquid water at various temperatures. The proposed method is demonstrated in water but it can be readily extended to other liquids. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONSERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic ionic liquids containing multiple paramagnetic lanthanide and transition metal centers and functionalized diglycolamide ligands

Magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) containing paramagnetic centers have gained widespread recognition as sustainable solvents due to their ability to respond to an external magnetic field. The physico-chemical properties of MILs are dependent on the choice of anion/cation ligands and metal centers; the search for highly tunable ligands and precursors that can confer favorable characteristics, such as low viscosity, is ongoing. Diglycolamides employed as cationic ligands have been previously shown to form hydrophobic MILs that can simultaneously incorporate multiple lanthanide metal centers in both the anion/cation. Despite their enhanced magnetic susceptibility, the effect of diglycolamide chemical structure modifications on the physico-chemical properties of MILs has not been thoroughly studied. Additionally, the possibility of forming diglycolamide-based MILs with popularly employed transition metals has not been investigated and combinations that can simultaneously embed two different types of metal centers in both the anion/cation have not been explored. In this study, thirty (30) MILs comprised of lanthanide and transition metals were synthesized by examining their chelation to both straight-chained and branched diglycolamides. Here, transition metal-based MILs were found to possess high thermal stabilities up to 235 °C compared to 192 °C for those comprised of lanthanides. While MILs comprised of rare-earth metal centers exhibited the lowest viscosities, substituting lanthanides with transition metals in just the anion or cation resulted in enhanced thermal stability and reduced viscosity. The effective magnetic moment for these MILs varied between 4.71 and 21.08 µ B and was much higher compared to all previous classes of MILs prepared using the same metals. Results from this study explore all possible modifications that can be made to these MILs in an effort to demonstrate their structural tunability, which is often highly desirable in various applications, including organic synthesis and chemical separations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effects of 2D filler on rheology of additive manufacturing polymers: Simulation and experiment on polyetherketoneketone-mica composites

Polymeric composites have attracted increasing interest in fundamental studies and industrial applications due to their often-superior characteristics over conventional pure polymers. In this work, we studied the relationship between the rheological properties, critical in processing methods such as additive manufacturing, and the structure of a polymer-2D filler system by experiment and simulation methods. Considering the high performance polymer polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) with 2D filler (mica) composite as an example, the effects of filler size, filler content, surface chemistry and shear rate were systematically investigated. Here, it is demonstrated that the interaction between the polymer and 2D filler brings two different consequences on tuning the viscosity of polymer-filler composite. The stronger interaction increases the shear stress of the polymer-2D filler composite system, leading to higher viscosity. On the other hand, the stronger interaction can promote more absorption of polymer chains on the surface, which makes the local polymer network disentangled and decreases the continuous viscosity from the polymer network. This work provides a fundamental understanding on the relationship between macroscopic rheological properties and the structural properties and energetics at molecular level of polymer-2D filler composite.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of the acoustic cavitation in ionic liquids in a horn-type ultrasound reactor

Most ultrasound-based processes root in empirical approaches. Because nearly all advances have been conducted in aqueous systems, there exists a paucity of information on sonoprocessing in other solvents, particularly ionic liquids (ILs). In this work, we modelled an ultrasonic horn-type sonoreactor and investigated the effects of ultrasound power, sonotrode immersion depth, and solvent’s thermodynamic properties on acoustic cavitation in nine imidazolium-based and three pyrrolidinium-based ILs. The model accounts for bubbles, acoustic impedance mismatch at interfaces, and treats the ILs as incompressible, Newtonian, and saturated with argon. Following a statistical analysis of the simulation results, we determined that viscosity and ultrasound input power are the most significant variables affecting the intensity of the acoustic pressure field (P), the volume of cavitation zones (V), and the magnitude of the maximum acoustic streaming surface velocity (u). V and u increase with the increase of ultrasound input power and the decrease in viscosity, whereas the magnitude of negative P decreases as ultrasound power and viscosity increase. Probe immersion depth positively correlates with V, but its impact on P and u is insignificant. 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ILs yielded the largest V and the fastest acoustic jets – 0.77cm 3 and 24.4ms -1 for 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride at 60W. 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium-based ILs generated the smallest V and lowest u – 0.17cm 3 and 1.7ms -1 for 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium p-toluene sulfonate at 20W. Sonochemiluminescence experiments validated the model.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Trends in Thermoresponsive Behavior of Lipophilic Polymers

In an effort to look for correlations between viscosity index trends of polymers in oils and size changes of polymers in solution with temperature, the determination of the size of thermo-responsive polymers of various architectures (linear, comb, star, and hyperbranched) using two experimental techniques – dynamic light scattering and small angle neutron scattering, and predictive molecular dynamics simulations is described herein. The aim of this work was to predict their behavior as viscosity index improvers (VIIs) using these tools which require minimal amounts of material, as opposed to measuring kinematic viscosities, which require multi-gram quantities. Conflicting trends were obtained using the different aforementioned techniques due to the inherent physics of the measurements. While we provide potential explanations for the trends observed, the focus of this work remains the assessment of any of these techniques as a predictive tool for polymer behavior in an oil matrix. It was concluded that none of the aforementioned techniques can entirely predict the polymer behavior as VIIs, at least in the temperature range studied (40 °C to 100 °C).

Bhattacharya, Priyanka↗