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At least 1,585 records · Page 88

A data-driven framework for sparsity-enhanced surrogates with arbitrary mutually dependent randomness

The challenge of quantifying uncertainty propagation in real-world systems is rooted in the high-dimensionality of the stochastic input and the frequent lack of explicit knowledge of its probability distribution. Traditional approaches show limitations for such problems, especially when the size of the training data is limited. To address these diculties, we have developed a general framework of constructing surrogate models on spaces of stochastic input with arbitrary probability measure irrespective of the mutual dependencies between individual components of the random inputs and the analytical form. The present Data-driven Sparsity-enhancing Rotation for Arbitrary Randomness (DSRAR) framework includes a data-driven construction of multivariate polynomial basis for arbitrary mutually dependent probability measure and a sparsity enhancement rotation procedure. This sparsity-enhancing rotation method was initially proposed in our previous work [1] for Gaussian density distributions, which may not be feasible for non-Gaussian distributions due to the loss of orthogonality after the rotation. To remedy such diculties, we developed a new data-driven approach to construct orthonormal polynomials for polynomials for arbitrary mutually dependent (amdP) randomness, ensuring the constructed basis maintains the orthogonality/near-orthogonality with respect to the density of the rotated random vector, where directly applying the regular polynomial chaos including arbitrary polynomial chaos (aPC) [2] shows limitations due to the assumption of the mutual independence between the components of the random inputs. The developed DSRAR framework leads to accurate recovery, with only limited training data, of a sparse representation of the target functions. The eectiveness of our method is demonstrated in challenging problems such as PDEs and realistic molecular systems within high-dimensional conformational space (O(10)) where the underlying density is implicitly represented by a large collection of sample data, as well as systems with explicitly given non-Gaussian probabilistic measures.

Lei, Huan↗

Prototype energy models for data centers

Data centers in the United States consume about two percent of the nation’s electricity. Because heat gains from IT equipment drive cooling demand, data centers offer unique opportunities for energy savings. However, no prototype energy model for data centers is available in the suite of existing U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Prototype Building Models. Here we present the development of two new data center prototype models and their implementation in OpenStudio and EnergyPlus. The small-size data center model represents a computer room in a building served by computer room air conditioners (CRACs); while the large-sized model represents stand-alone data centers served by computer room air handlers (CRAHs) with a central chiller plant. For each data center model, two levels of IT equipment (ITE) load density were considered, to cover the wide range of IT power density of data centers: 40 and 100 W/ft 2 (430 and 1076 W/m 2 ) for the computer room, and 100 and 500 W/ft 2 (1076 and 5382 W/m 2 ) for the stand-alone data center. All other assumptions, such as building envelope, lighting, HVAC efficiencies and schedules, were based on the minimal requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1 at various vintages. We introduced a novel concept of supply and return air approach temperatures to capture the essential effects of non-uniform airflow and temperature distribution in data centers. The approach temperatures were pre-computed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for various configurations of ITE loads and airflow containment management in data centers. A new feature was developed in EnergyPlus to implement the approach temperature method. A case study was conducted to demonstrate the use of the data center models. The two data center models cover all U.S. climate zones and can be used to evaluate energy saving measures for data centers, as well as to support development of data center energy efficiency codes and standards.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Assessing global fossil fuel availability in a scenario framework

This study assesses global, long-term economic availability of coal, oil and gas within the Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP) scenario framework considering alternative assumptions as to highly uncertain future developments of technology, policy and the economy. Diverse sets of trajectories are formulated varying the challenges to mitigation and adaptation of climate change. The potential CO2 emissions from fossil fuels make it a crucial element subject to deep uncertainties. The analysis is based on a well-established data set of cost-quantity combinations that assumes favorable techno-economic developments, but ignores additional constraints on the extraction sector. This study significantly extends that analysis to include alternative assumptions for the fossil fuel sector consistent with the SSP scenario families and applies these filters to the original data set, thus resulting in alternative cumulative fossil fuel availability curves. In a Middle-of-the-Road scenario, low cost fossil fuels embody carbon consistent with a RCP6.0 emission profile, if all the CO2 were emitted freely during the 21st century. In scenarios with high challenges to mitigation, the assumed embodied carbon in low-cost fossil fuels can trigger a RCP8.5 scenario; low mitigation challenges scenarios are still consistent with a RCP4.5 scenario.

Extraction Cost↗

The genomic effects of cell phone exposure on the reproductive system

Highlights: • Electromagnetic fields (EMF) causes an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant mechanismsEMF increases reactive oxygen species production. • Exposure to EMF leads to disruptions in spermatogenic cells. • Exposure to GSM-modulated EMF causes an increase in superoxide formation levels in human spermatozoa. Humans are exposed to increasing levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) at various frequencies as technology advances. In this context, improving understanding of the biological effects of EMF remains an important, high priority issue. Although a number of studies in this issue and elsewhere have focused on the mechanisms of the oxidative stress caused by EMF, the precise understanding of the processes involved remains to be elucidated. Due to unclear results among the studies, the issue of EMF exposure in the literature should be evaluated at the genomic level on the reproductive system. Based on this requirement, a detail review of recently published studies is necessary. The main objectives of this study are to show differences between negative and positive effect of EMF on the reproductive system of animal and human. Extensive review of literature has been made based on well known data bases like Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus. This paper reviews the current literature and is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the genotoxic effects of EMF emitted from mobile phones and wireless systems on the human reproductive system, especially on fertility. The current literature reveals that mobile phones can affect cellular functions via non-thermal effects. Although the cellular targets of global system for mobile communications (GSM)-modulated EMF are associated with the cell membrane, the subject is still controversial. Studies regarding the genotoxic effects of EMF have generally focused on DNA damage. Possible mechanisms are related to ROS formation due to oxidative stress. EMF increases ROS production by enhancing the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase in the cell membrane. Further detailed studies are needed to elucidate DNA damage mechanisms and apoptotic pathways during oogenesis and spermatogenesis in germ cells exposed to EMF.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

Contribution of climate and land cover changes to reduction in soil erosion rates within small cultivated catchments in the eastern part of the Russian Plain during the last 60 years

Highlights: • The soil erosion has decreased at least 2–3 times over the last 30 years at the RP. • The increase in winter air temperature is the key reason for the soil loss reduction. • The crop rotation changes is the factor of erosion rate reduction at the forest zone. The eastern part of the Russian Plain is an important agricultural region of European Russia with high proportion of cultivated lands in the steppe, forest-steppe and forest (southern part) landscape zones. Soil erosion is the main process of land degradation and surface water contamination there. Climate and land cover changes have been observed in this region during the last 30 years. However, field quantitative assessments of soil erosion rates are not available for the eastern part of European Russia due to the lack of monitoring data as well as the evaluation of erosion/deposition processes in cultivated catchments using other field methods. Three representative small cultivated catchments with high (> 80%) proportion of cultivated lands were selected in the forest (southern part), forest-steppe and steppe zones of the study region to evaluate sedimentation rates in dry valley bottoms of the catchments for two-time intervals (1963–1986 and 1987–2016) based on the application of the bomb-derived and Chernobyl-derived {sup 137}Cs isotope for sediment dating. The 3–4 depth {sup 137}Cs profiles were used to assess the sedimentation rates within the each investigated catchment. It was established that the sedimentation rates have considerably decreased (at least 2–3 times) over the last 30 years compared to 1963–1986 in all the investigated catchments. This is in agreement with results of erosion rate calculations using erosion models for the forest zone, however not consistent with erosion rates assessments for the forest-steppe and steppe zones. According to the model calculations, erosion rates show a slight decrease in the forest-steppe zone and increase in the steppe zone. The reduction in surface runoff during snowmelt period is one of the reasons for decrease in erosion rates within cultivated slopes for all the investigated catchments. The increase in proportion of perennial grasses in the regional crop rotation is another important reason for the decrease in erosion rates for the catchment located in the south of the forest zone. The importance of land cover changes in a major decrease of soil losses from the cultivated fields of the investigated catchments located in the forest-steppe and steppe zones cannot be identified due to the lack detailed information about crop rotation for those particular sites. However, available regional information about crop rotation changes for the two-time intervals (1960–1980 and 1996–2012) do not explain very high reduction in sedimentation rates in the dry valley bottoms after 1986.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Isotopic signatures as tools to reconstruct the primordial architecture of the Solar System

The significant reorganization of the early Solar System due to giant planet migration has hampered our understanding of where planetary bodies formed. Previously employed proxies for reconstructing the primordial planetary architecture, such as water content or oxidation state, are complicated by post-accretionary processes. Furthermore we investigate basaltic achondrites for their nucleosynthetic isotope signatures in the elements neodymium (Nd) and zirconium (Zr) and show that they are—similar to previously investigated chondritic meteorites—characterized by a relative deficit in isotopes produced by the s-process of nucleosynthesis. Importantly, these data are well correlated with nucleosynthetic signatures observed in other elements, demonstrating that s-process matter was heterogeneously distributed throughout the early Solar System. By comparing these isotopic signatures with potential proxies for Solar System reconstruction and computer modeling, we here argue that this isotopic heterogeneity in bulk meteoritic materials is linked to the original heliocentric distance of formation. Such scaling of nucleosynthetic signatures with heliocentric distance could permit reconstruction of the primordial architecture of the Solar System by ‘cosmolocating’ the accretion orbits of meteoritic parent bodies as a function of incorporated s-process matter.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

PET Motion Compensation for Radiation Therapy Using a CT-Based Mid-Position Motion Model: Methodology and Clinical Evaluation

Purpose: Four-dimensional positron emission tomography (4D PET) imaging of the thorax produces sharper images with reduced motion artifacts. Current radiation therapy planning systems, however, do not facilitate 4D plan optimization. When images are acquired in a 2-minute time slot, the signal-to-noise ratio of each 4D frame is low, compromising image quality. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the construction of mid-position 3D PET scans, with motion compensated using a 4D computed tomography (CT)-derived motion model. Methods and Materials: All voxels of 4D PET were registered to the time-averaged position by using a motion model derived from the 4D CT frames. After the registration the scans were summed, resulting in a motion-compensated 3D mid-position PET scan. The method was tested with a phantom dataset as well as data from 27 lung cancer patients. Results: PET motion compensation using a CT-based motion model improved image quality of both phantoms and patients in terms of increased maximum SUV (SUV{sub max}) values and decreased apparent volumes. In homogenous phantom data, a strong relationship was found between the amplitude-to-diameter ratio and the effects of the method. In heterogeneous patient data, the effect correlated better with the motion amplitude. In case of large amplitudes, motion compensation may increase SUV{sub max} up to 25% and reduce the diameter of the 50% SUV{sub max} volume by 10%. Conclusions: 4D CT-based motion-compensated mid-position PET scans provide improved quantitative data in terms of uptake values and volumes at the time-averaged position, thereby facilitating more accurate radiation therapy treatment planning of pulmonary lesions.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Magnetothermal properties of Tm x Dy 1- x Al 2 ( x = 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75)

Here, we describe magnetic, thermal, and magnetocaloric properties of rare earth intermetallic compounds Tm x Dy 1-x Al 2 with 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75. Using model Hamiltonian we consider contributions of the crystalline electric field anisotropy in both Tm and Dy magnetic sublattices, disorder in exchange interactions among Tm-Tm, Dy-Dy and Tm-Dy magnetic ions, and the Zeeman effect. Employing earlier reported and new experimental measurements, we first determine a single free variable – the intersublattice magnetic exchange parameter – to properly model the temperature and magnetic field dependencies of heat capacity and magnetization, and then use the modeling results to explain the emergence of an anomalous spin reorientation transition and its influence on the magnetocaloric effect in the title compounds. Theoretical results agree with experimental data reasonably well.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Production of polyacrylonitrile/ionic covalent organic framework hybrid nanofibers for effective removal of chromium(VI) from water

Hexavalent Cr(VI) found in industrial wastewater is a proven carcinogen which causes serious health issues in humans around the world. This study presents a novel method to enhance the Cr(VI) oxyanion removal from wastewater by polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers through incorporation of a guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic framework (BT-DG) in the nanofibers structure. In this work, simple electrospinning technique was employed to produce PAN nanofibers and BT-DG was synthesized through condensation between benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde and N,N'-diaminoguanidine monohydrochloride. In-situ polymerization of BT-DG onto PAN nanofibers resulted in generation of hybrid PAN-BT-DG nanofibers. This modified PAN-BT-DG was characterized by obtaining its point of zero charge (PZC), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphology and surface elements and oxidation states by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). PAN-BT-DG exhibited positive surface charge below pH 4, making it an outstanding adsorbent, for Cr(VI) removal. Cr(VI) adsorption onto PAN-BT-DG followed pseudo second order kinetics and adsorption data fitted well to Freundlich isotherm model. Highest Cr(VI) removal was obtained at 55 °C with a maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 173 mg/g at pH 3. Kinetic studies revealed that Cr(VI) adsorption onto PAN-BT-DG is endothermic and thermodynamically feasible. Desorption studies were conducted on PAN-BT-DG using 1 M NaOH as the stripping solvent and PAN-BT-DG exhibited excellent regeneration after five consecutive cycles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Analysing the 100year sea level record of Leixões, Portugal

A new data set from the tide gauge at Leixões (North–West Portugal) has recently been transferred from its paper format into a digital time series of hourly sea level values. By measuring sea level variations since 1890, this tide gauge station is one of the few in the world with over 100 yr of digitised hourly records and the longest for the South West of Europe and Iberian Peninsula. This paper presents the procedures adopted to recover the Leixões sea level data from paper chart records as well as the data quality control and data editing methodologies. The mean rate of sea level change between 1906 and 2008 is -0.70 ± 0.27 mm yr -1 , which does not agree with the global mean sea level rise of 1-2 mm yr -1 . No evidence for vertical land movement was found and Global Isostatic Adjustment influence on sea level, at this location, can be neglected. It is likely that prevailing weather systems in the North Atlantic, especially in the winter, and local atmospheric pressure, influence sea levels at Leixões. A further contribution is found from tides and surges. The evolution of the port cannot be ignored when trying to understand sea level change.

Engineering↗

On the transferability of residence time distributions in two 10-km long river sections with similar hydromorphic units

Quantifying hydrologic exchange fluxes (HEFs) at the stream-groundwater interface and their residence time distributions (RTDs) in the subsurface are important for managing the water quality and ecosystem health in dynamic river corridors. However, direct simulating high-spatial resolution HEFs and RTDs can be time-consuming, especially for watershed-scale modeling. Efficient surrogate models linking RTDs to hydromorphic units (HUs) can be alternatives for simulating RTDs in large-scale models. A common concern of these surrogate models, though, is the transferability of the relationship between the RTDs and HUs from one river corridor to another. To address this issue, this work evaluates the HEFs and resulting RTD-HU relationships for two 10-km long river corridors along the Columbia River leveraging a one-way coupled three-dimensional transient surface-subsurface water transport modeling framework we previously developed. Applying such a framework at the two river corridors with similar HUs allows for quantitative comparisons of HEFs and RTDs using both statistical tests and machine learning classification models. Finally, our comparison shows that the similarity and transferability of the RTD-HU relationship is very low for the two investigated river sections, which suggests that devising a general algorithm to estimate RTDs based solely on surface water hydrodynamics and short-distance river channel topography data, as well as HU classification, might be nearly impossible.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel

Here, an investigation of molybdate melts containing sodium molybdate (Na 2 MoO 4 ) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) to achieve the separation of uranium from fission products by crystallization has been performed. The separation is based on the difference in solubility of the fission product metal oxides compared to the uranium oxide or molybdate in the molybdate melt. The molybdate melt dissolves uranium dioxide at high temperatures, and upon cooling, uranium precipitates as uranium dioxide or molybdate, whereas the fission product metals remain soluble in the melt. Small-scale experiments using gram quantities of uranium dioxide have been performed to investigate the feasibility of UO 2 purification from the fission products. The composition of the uranium precipitate as well as data for partitioning of several fission product surrogates between the uranium precipitate and molybdate melt for various melt compositions are presented and discussed. The fission products Cs, Sr, Ru and Rh all displayed very large distribution ratios. The fission products Zr, Pd, and the lanthanides also displayed good distribution ratios (D > 10). A melt consisting of 20 wt% MoO 3 -50 wt% Na 2 MoO 4 -30 wt% UO 2 heated to 1313 K and cooled to 1123 K for the physical separation of the UO 2 product from the melt, and washed once with Na 2 MoO 4 displays optimum conditions for separation of the UO 2 from the fission products.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Detailed measurements of local thickness changes for U-7Mo dispersion fuel plates with Al-3.5Si matrix after irradiation at different powers in the RERTR-9B experiment

The Materials Management and Minimization program is developing fuel designs to replace highly enriched fuel with fuels of low enrichment. Swelling is an important irradiation behavior that needs to be well understood. Data from high resolution thickness measurements performed on U-7Mo dispersion fuel plates with Al-Si alloy matrices that were irradiated at high power is sparse. This paper reports the results of detailed thickness measurements performed on two dispersion fuel plates that were irradiated at relatively high power to high fission densities in the Advanced Test Reactor in the same RERTR-9B experiment. Both plates were irradiated to similar fission densities, but one was irradiated at a higher power than the other. The goal of this work is to identify any differences in the swelling behavior when fuel plates are irradiated at different powers to the same fission densities. Based on the results of detailed thickness measurments, more swelling occurs when a U-7Mo dispersion fuel with Al-3.5Si matrix is irradiated to a high fission density at high power compared to one irradiated at a lower power to high fission density.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Characterization of zirconium carbide microspheres synthesized via internal gelation

Microspheres of zirconium carbide with grain size 40-320 nm were synthesized using internal gelation techniques and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and neutron total scattering. Compared with a polycrystalline benchmark ZrC sample prepared by plasma vapor phase deposition, the microspheres display lower variance in grain size and considerably lower microstrain representative of a more homogenous internal microstructure. However, excess carbon was present in the microspheres, evident in both the X-ray and neutron diffraction data as well as a corresponding hypostoichiometric ZrC phase. Furthermore, the excess carbon phase is assumed to be pockets of carbon that remained unreacted through the combined internal gelation and subsequent carbothermic reduction synthesis process. Atomic-scale structural characterization with neutron PDF analysis confirmed the presence of localized nano-sized domains of graphite-like carbon material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

{sup 1}H and {sup 23}Na MAS NMR spectroscopy of cationic species in CO{sub 2} selective alkaline earth metal porous silicoaluminophosphates prepared via liquid and solid state ion exchange

The location of extraframework cations in Sr{sup 2+} and Ba{sup 2+} ion-exchanged SAPO-34 was estimated by means of {sup 1}H and {sup 23}Na MAS NMR spectroscopy and spectral deconvolution. Incorporation of the alkaline earth metal cations onto the SAPO framework was achieved via liquid state ion exchange, coupled partial detemplation/solid-state ion exchange, and combination of both techniques. MAS NMR revealed that the level of ion exchange was limited by the presence of protons and sodium cations near hexagonal prisms (site SI), which are relatively difficult to exchange with the alkaline earth metal due to steric and charge repulsion criteria. In addition, the presence of ammonium cations in the supercages facilitated the exchange of otherwise tenacious hydrogen as corroborated by unit cell compositional data as well as enhanced CO{sub 2} adsorption at low partial pressures. The extraframework ammonium species were produced from partial detemplation of the structure-directing agent employed for the SAPO-34 synthesis, tetraethylammonium. - Graphical abstract: MAS NMR was used to elucidate the position the cationic species in alkaline earth metal exchanged silicoaluminophosphates. These species played a significant role during the ion exchange process and, therefore, the materials ultimate CO{sub 2} adsorption performance. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Location of extraframework Sr{sup 2+} or Ba{sup 2+} cations was estimated by means of {sup 1}H and {sup 23}Na MAS NMR. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Level of Sr{sup 2+} or Ba{sup 2+} ion exchange was limited by the presence of protons and sodium cations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Presence of ammonium cations in the supercages facilitated the exchange. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sr{sup 2+} and Ba{sup 2+} ion exchanged SAPOs are outstanding CO{sub 2} adsorbents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Neutron and X-ray diffraction studies on the high temperature phase of Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}, the new isostructural compound NaMn{sub 4}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3} and their mixed crystals Na{sub x}Mn{sub 4.5-x/2}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3} (0{<=}x{<=}1)

This paper presents a detailed structure analysis (combined Rietveld analysis of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data as well as quantum mechanical calculations) of the high temperature phase of Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} (space group I4 Macron 2d). Special attention is directed to the analysis of the local coordination around Mn{sup 2+} ions or vacancies within a stella quadrangula configuration of anions. Furthermore, the new compound NaMn{sub 4}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3} is described as well as a range of mixed crystals between NaMn{sub 4}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3} and Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} (described by the formula Na{sub x}Mn{sub 4.5-x/2}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3}, 0{<=}x{<=}1) which were synthesized by a solid state route. All compounds were shown to be isostructural to the high temperature phase Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of the new compound NaMn{sub 4}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3}. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We present neutron and X-ray diffraction studies on high temperature-Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structural details of partly filled stellae quadrangulae positions are discussed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Refined structural parameters and theoretical calculations are compared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigate the mixed crystal system Mn{sub 3}(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}-NaMn{sub 4}(VO{sub 4}){sub 3}.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Uniform Cu{sub 2}Cl(OH){sub 3} hierarchical microspheres: A novel adsorbent for methylene blue adsorptive removal from aqueous solution

Using the solution phase method without any surfactants or templates, the hierarchical of Cu{sub 2}Cl(OH){sub 3} microspheres were synthesized by freeze drying. The size and surface area of the microspheres are ca. 1–2 µm and 76.61 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}, respectively. A possible formation mechanism is presented based on the experimental results. Methylene blue was chosen to investigate the adsorption capacity of the as-prepared adsorbent. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as pH, initial dye concentration, and contact time were investigated. The results showed that the dye removal increased with the increasing in the initial concentration of the dye and also increased in the amount of microspheres used and initial pH. Adsorption data fitted well with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The thermodynamic analysis presented the exothermic, spontaneous and more ordered arrangement process. The microspheres could be employed effective for removal of dyes from aqueous solution. - Graphical abstract: The single-crystalline hierarchical Cu{sub 2}Cl(OH){sub 3} spheres can be prepared for the first time by using a template-free process through freeze-drying. Meanwhile, the hierarchical spheres exhibited high adsorption capacity to methylene blue. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Cu{sub 2}Cl(OH){sub 3} microspheres were successfully synthesized through a freeze drying process. • A possible formation mechanism of hierarchical microspheres was presented. • The Cu{sub 2}Cl(OH){sub 3} microspheres have high methylene blue adsorption capacity. • Methylene blue adsorption is a spontaneous and exothermic process. • The adsorption mechanism of microspheres onto dye was proposed in detail.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Pressure core analysis of geomechanical and fluid flow properties of seals associated with gas hydrate-bearing reservoirs in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, offshore India

Physical properties of the sediment directly overlying a gas hydrate reservoir provide important controls on the effectiveness of depressurizing that reservoir to extract methane from gas hydrate as an energy resource. The permeability of overlying sediment determines if a gas hydrate reservoir’s upper contact will provide an effective seal that enables efficient reservoir depressurization. Compressibility, stiffness and strength indicate how overlying sediment will deform as the in situ stress changes during production, providing engineering data for well designs. Assessing these properties requires minimally-disturbed sediment. India’s National Gas Hydrates Program Expedition 2 (NGHP-02) provided an opportunity to study these seal sediment properties, reducing disturbance from gas exsolution and bubble growth by collecting a pressure core from the seal sediment just above the primary gas hydrate reservoir at Site NGHP-02-08 in Area C of the Krishna-Godavari Basin. The effective stress chamber (ESC) and the direct shear chamber (DSC) devices in the suite of Pressure Core Characterization Tools (PCCTs) were used to measure permeability, compressibility, stiffness and shear strength at the in situ vertical stress. Geotechnical properties of the predominantly fine-grained seal layer at in situ vertical stress are in typical clay sediment ranges, with low measured permeability (0.02 mD), high compressibility (C c = 0.26 – 0.33) and low shear strength (404 kPa). Though pressure and temperature were maintained throughout the collection and measurement process to stabilize gas hydrate, the lack of effective stress in the pressure core storage chamber and the chamber pressurization with methane-free water caused core expansion and gas hydrate in a thin coarser-grained layer to dissolve. The PCCTs can reapply in situ stress with incremental loading steps during a consolidation test to account for sediment compaction. Lastly, gas hydrate dissolution can be limited by storing cores just above freezing temperatures, and by using solid spacers to reduce the storage chamber’s free volume.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗