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At least 487 records · Page 27

Liquid rocket combustor computer code development

The Advanced Rocket Injector/Combustor Code (ARICC) that has been developed to model the complete chemical/fluid/thermal processes occurring inside rocket combustion chambers are highlighted. The code, derived from the CONCHAS-SPRAY code originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory incorporates powerful features such as the ability to model complex injector combustion chamber geometries, Lagrangian tracking of droplets, full chemical equilibrium and kinetic reactions for multiple species, a fractional volume of fluid (VOF) description of liquid jet injection in addition to the gaseous phase fluid dynamics, and turbulent mass, energy, and momentum transport. Atomization and droplet dynamic models from earlier generation codes are transplated into the present code. Currently, ARICC is specialized for liquid oxygen/hydrogen propellants, although other fuel/oxidizer pairs can be easily substituted.

Liang, P. Y.↗

Advanced Technologies for Monitoring CO2 Saturation and Pore Pressure in Geologic Formations: Linking the Chemical and Physical Effects to Elastic and Transport Properties

Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities were measured over a range of confining pressures while injecting CO2 and brine into the samples. Pore fluid pressure was also varied and monitored together with porosity during injection. Effective medium models were developed to understand the mechanisms and impact of observed changes and to provide the means for implementation of the interpretation methodologies in the field. Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities in carbonate rocks show as much as 20-50% decrease after injection of the reactive CO2-brine mixture; the changes were caused by permanent changes to the rock elastic frame associated with dissolution of mineral. Velocity decreases were observed under both dry and fluid-saturated conditions, and the amount of change was correlated with the initial pore fabrics. Scanning Electron Microscope images of carbonate rock microstructures were taken before and after injection of CO2-rich water. The images reveal enlargement of the pores, dissolution of micrite (micron-scale calcite crystals), and pitting of grain surfaces caused by the fluid- solid chemical reactivity. The magnitude of the changes correlates with the rock microtexture – tight, high surface area samples showed the largest changes in permeability and smallest changes in porosity and elastic stiffness compared to those in rocks with looser texture and larger intergranular pore space. Changes to the pore space also occurred from flow of fine particles with the injected fluid. Carbonates with grain-coating materials, such as residual oil, experienced very little permanent change during injection. In the tight micrite/spar cement component, dissolution is controlled by diffusion: the mass transfer of products and reactants is thus slow and the fluid is expected to be close to thermodynamical equilibrium with the calcite, leading to very little dissolution, or even precipitation. In the microporous rounded micrite and macropores, dissolution is controlled by advection: because of an efficient mass transfer of reactants and products, the fluid remains acidic, far from thermodynamical equilibrium and the dissolution of calcite is important. These conclusions are consistent with the lab observations. Sandstones from the Tuscaloosa formation in Mississippi were also subjected to injection under representative in situ stress and pore pressure conditions. Again, both P- and S-wave velocities decreased with injection. Time-lapse SEM images indicated permanent changes induced in the sandstone microstructure by chamosite dissolution upon injection of CO2-rich brine. After injection, the sandstone showed an overall cleaner microstructure. Two main changes are involved: (a) clay dissolution between grains and at the grain contact and (b) rearrangement of grains due to compaction under pressure Theoretical and empirical models were developed to quantify the elastic changes associated with injection. Permanent changes to the rock frame resulted in seismic velocity-porosity trends that mimic natural diagenetic changes. Hence, when laboratory measurments are not available for a candidate site, these trends can be estimated from depth trends in well logs. New theoretical equations were developed to predict the changes in elastic moduli upon substitution of pore-filling material. These equations reduce to Gassmann’s equations for the case of constant frame properties, low seismic frequencies, and fluid changes in the pore space. The new models also predict the change dissolution or precipitation of mineral, which cannot be described with the conventional Gassmann theory.

Mavko, G.↗

Development of the T+M coupled flow–geomechanical simulator to describe fracture propagation and coupled flow–thermal–geomechanical processes in tight/shale gas systems

We developed a hydraulic fracturing simulator by coupling a flow simulator to a geomechanics code, namely T+M simulator. Modeling of the vertical fracture development involves continuous updating of the boundary conditions and of the data connectivity, based on the finite element method for geomechanics. The T+M simulator can model the initial fracture development during the hydraulic fracturing operations, after which the domain description changes from single continuum to double or multiple continua in order to rigorously model both flow and geomechanics for fracture-rock matrix systems. The T+H simulator provides two-way coupling between fluid-heat flow and geomechanics, accounting for thermoporomechanics, treats nonlinear permeability and geomechanical moduli explicitly, and dynamically tracks changes in the fracture(s) and in the pore volume. We also fully accounts for leak-off in all directions during hydraulic fracturing. We first validate the T+M simulator, matching numerical solutions with the analytical solutions for poromechanical effects, static fractures, and fracture propagations. Then, from numerical simulation of various cases of the planar fracture propagation, shear failure can limit the vertical fracture propagation of tensile failure, because of leak-off into the reservoirs. Slow injection causes more leak-off, compared with fast injection, when the same amount of fluid is injected. Changes in initial total stress and contributions of shear effective stress to tensile failure can also affect formation of the fractured areas, and the geomechanical responses are still well-posed.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Pressure falloff testing to characterize CO 2 plume and dry-out zone during CO 2 injection in saline aquifers

The fluid mobilities and the lateral extent of the CO 2 plume and the dry-out zone are among important unknowns required to effectively manage CO 2 storage in saline aquifers projects. These unknowns can be derived from pressure falloff testing which has been widely used to characterize the subsurface. This paper provides a three-region analytical solution for falloff pressure during the infinite-acting period of CO 2 injection in saline aquifers. The solution is derived using Laplace transformation technique of the governing diffusivity equations and the accompanying initial and boundary conditions. The exact solution is validated against numerical results obtained from a black-oil reservoir simulator for two cases. The solution is approximated into simple forms in real-time domain considering different time periods. Then, a graphical semi-log analysis technique based on the approximate solutions is provided as an interpretation tool of falloff tests where the fluid mobilities and the extents of dry-out zone and CO 2 plume can be inferred. The interpretation technique is applied to synthetic falloff test data to investigate its potential and reliability.

02 PETROLEUM↗

An experimental study of turbine vane heat transfer with leading edge and downstream film cooling

This paper presents the effects of downstream film cooling, with and without leading edge showerhead film cooling, on turbine-vane external heat transfer. Steady-state experimental measurements were made in a three-vane linear two-dimensional cascade. The principal independent parameters were maintained over ranges consistent with actual engine conditions. The test matrix was structured to provide an assessment of the independent influence of parameters of interest, namely, exit Mach number, exit Reynolds number, coolant-to-gas temperature ratio, and coolant-to-gas pressure ratio. The data obtained indicate that considerable cooling benefits can be achieved by utilizing downstream film cooling. The downstream film cooling process was shown to be a complex interaction of two competing mechanisms. The thermal dilution effect, associated with the injection of relatively cold fluid, results in a decrease in the heat transfer to the airfoil. Conversely, the turbulence augmentation, produced by the injection process, results in increased heat transfer to the airfoil.

Nirmalan, V.↗

Active Aircraft Pylon Noise Control System

An active pylon noise control system for an aircraft includes a pylon structure connecting an engine system with an airframe surface of the aircraft and having at least one aperture to supply a gas or fluid therethrough, an intake portion attached to the pylon structure to intake a gas or fluid, a regulator connected with the intake portion via a plurality of pipes, to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid, a plenum chamber formed within the pylon structure and connected with the regulator, and configured to receive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator, and a plurality of injectors in communication with the plenum chamber to actively inject the gas or fluid through the plurality of apertures of the pylon structure.

Thomas, Russell H.↗

Active Aircraft Pylon Noise Control System

An active pylon noise control system for an aircraft includes a pylon structure connecting an engine system with an airframe surface of the aircraft and having at least one aperture to supply a gas or fluid therethrough, an intake portion attached to the pylon structure to intake a gas or fluid, a regulator connected with the intake portion via a plurality of pipes, to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid, a plenum chamber formed within the pylon structure and connected with the regulator, and configured to receive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator, and a plurality of injectors in communication with the plenum chamber to actively inject the gas or fluid through the plurality of apertures of the pylon structure.

Thomas, Russell H.↗

Probing multiscale dissolution dynamics in natural rocks through microfluidics and compositional analysis

Mineral dissolution significantly impacts many geological systems. Carbon released by diagenesis, carbon sequestration, and acid injection are examples where geochemical reactions, fluid flow, and solute transport are strongly coupled. The complexity in these systems involves interplay between various mechanisms that operate at timescales ranging from microseconds to years. Current experimental techniques characterize dissolution processes using static images that are acquired with long measurement times and/or low spatial resolution. These limitations prevent direct observation of how dissolution reactions progress within an intact rock with spatially heterogeneous mineralogy and morphology. We utilize microfluidic cells embedded with thin rock samples to visualize dissolution with significant temporal resolution (100 ms) in a large observation window (3 × 3 mm). Here we injected acidic fluid into eight shale samples ranging from 8 to 86 wt % carbonate. The pre- and postreaction microstructures are characterized at the scale of pores (0.1 to 1 µm) and fractures (1 to 1,000 µm). We observe that nonreactive particle exposure, fracture morphology, and loss of rock strength are strongly dependent on both the relative volume of reactive grains and their distribution. Time-resolved images of the rock unveil the spatiotemporal dynamics of dissolution, including two-phase flow effects in real time and illustrate the changes in the fracture interface across the range of compositions. Moreover, the dynamical data provide an approach for characterizing reactivity parameters of natural heterogeneous samples when porous media effects are not negligible. The platform and workflow provide real-time characterization of geochemical reactions and inform various subsurface engineering processes.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Transportability of exogenous microbial community correlates with interwell connectivity in deep aquifers

Subsurface resource engineering operations often utilize continuous injection of externally-sourced water into geological reservoirs for formation pressure maintenance, resource recovery or energy/waste storage. Such injected water generally contains naturally occurring microbes. Little is known, however, about how the injectate microbes transport through geological media as a community, how such transportability is affected by injector-producer connectivity, and whether such knowledge can be utilized for flowpath characterization. In this study, we analyzed daily-to-weekly timeseries microbial community data from the injected- and produced-fluids of a ten-month flow test at a deep, well-characterized engineered aquifer. We found that the injectate microbial community was distinct from the indigenous community at the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) level, and that the transportability of injectate community towards a given producer, quantified by an “nASV-Overlap” metric we propose, had strong and significant positive correlation with known injector-producer connectivities at our site. This suggests that the better the connectivity, the higher the probability for more injectate species to flow through the interwell region and arrive at a producer. Because interwell connectivity is an important yet usually unknown parameter in subsurface resource engineering, such correlation in turn points to nASV-Overlap as a useful indicator of interwell connectivity for aquifer characterization and long-term monitoring. Based on our findings, an nASV-Overlap-based microbial tracing approach was developed for characterizing and monitoring the relative connectivities across multiple producers with a given injector. A side-by-side comparison between the new nASV-Overlap approach and traditional artificial tracer methods is presented, and their respective strengths and limitations are discussed.

Deep biosphere↗

Two-Stage, Integrated, Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs: An Approach for Sustainable Energy Production, CO 2 -Sequestration Security, and Reduced Environmental Risk

We introduce a hybrid two-stage energy-recovery approach to sequester CO 2 and produce geothermal energy at low environmental risk and low cost by integrating geothermal production with CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) in saline, sedimentary formations. Our approach combines the benefits of the approach proposed by Buscheck et al. (2011b), which uses brine as the working fluid, with those of the approach first suggested by Brown (2000) and analyzed by Pruess (2006), using CO 2 as the working fluid, and then extended to saline-formation CCS by Randolph and Saar (2011a). During stage one of our hybrid approach, formation brine, which is extracted to provide pressure relief for CO 2 injection, is the working fluid for energy recovery. Produced brine is applied to a consumptive beneficial use: feedstock for fresh water production through desalination, saline cooling water, or make-up water to be injected into a neighboring reservoir operation, such as in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), where there is often a shortage of a working fluid. For stage one, it is important to find economically feasible disposition options to reduce the volume of brine requiring reinjection in the integrated geothermal-CCS reservoir (Buscheck et al. 2012a). During stage two, which begins as CO 2 reaches the production wells; coproduced brine and CO 2 are the working fluids. We present preliminary reservoir engineering analyses of this approach, using a simple conceptual model of a homogeneous, permeable CO 2 storage formation/geothermal reservoir, bounded by relatively impermeable sealing units. We assess both the CO 2 sequestration capacity and geothermal energy production potential as a function of well spacing between CO 2 injectors and brine/CO 2 producers for various well patterns and for a range of subsurface conditions.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Curved film cooling admission tube

Effective film cooling to protect a wall surface from a hot fluid which impinges on or flows along the surface is provided. A film of cooling fluid having increased area is provided by changing the direction of a stream of cooling fluid through an angle of from 135 deg. to 165 deg. before injecting it through the wall into the hot flowing gas. The 1, cooling fluid is injected from an orifice through a wall into a hot flowing gas at an angle to form a cooling fluid film. Cooling fluid is supplied to the orifice from a cooling fluid source via a turbulence control passageway having a curved portion between two straight portions. The angle through which the direction of the cooling fluid is turned results in less mixing of the cooling fluid with the hot gas, thereby substantially increasing the length of the film in a downstream direction.

Graham, R. W.↗

Shale-fluid interactions during forced lmbibition and flow-back

One way to minimize the need for disposal of flow-back waters produced during the hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs is, potentially, to recycle these fluids by recovering and re-injecting them during hydraulic fracturing of nearby new wells. These flow-back waters contain, however, large concentrations of dissolved salts. During hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs, a well may undergo extended shut-in periods, following the initial hydraulic-fracture stimulation. The concern here, therefore, is that the salts dissolved in the re-injected flow-back waters may precipitate in the subsurface, thus promoting scale formation; or alternately, because of their high salinity, these same fluids may cause the dissolution of various minerals present in the subsurface. Large divalent cations (e.g., Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺) and anions (e.g., CO3²⁻ and SO4²) may chemically interact with and cause the swelling of clay fractions, thus blocking pores in certain pore size ranges. All these phenomena (i.e., scale formation, clay swelling, minerals dissolution) can influence the petrophysical properties of the formation, including its permeability, porosity, contact angle, etc. One way to potentially overcome some of these technical challenges, is to pre-treat these flow-back waters, prior to re-injection (e.g., via chemical precipitation, followed by membrane filtration) in order to remove unwanted salts. However, such pre-treatment is costly, and the degree of salt removal needed to prevent formation damage is important in determining the economic viability of flow-back water recycle via re-injection. A key focus of this work, therefore, is to study the impact that the injection of flow-back waters, that have undergone varying degrees of pre-treatment and clean-up, will have on the flow-through characteristics of a tight-gas reservoir, particularly of the Marcellus Shale formation. To do so, we have carried-out forced-imbibition experiments with shale samples from various depths in the Marcellus formation, whose properties span high to low ranges of TOC, clay content and matrix permeabilities. We have studied the forced-imbibition characteristics, at an injection pressure of 24,233 kPa (3500 psig), of various flow-back fluids into shale cores saturated with methane at a pore pressure of 17,338 kPa (2500 psig) and a confining stress of 27,680 kPa (4000 psig). Following the forced imbibition experiments, we analyzed the cores for potential changes in permeability and porosity. Quantification of the ion content of the injected and recovered fluids was also performed using Ion Chromatography (IC). The IC analysis of the recovered fluids indicates substantial interactions and geochemical reactions between the invading fluids and the shale cores. The injection of flow-back fluids shows significant impact on the flow-through characteristics, with untreated flow-back fluids, which have the highest cation and anion content, also exhibiting the highest observable reductions in permeability (>90%).

defects, mechanical behavior, carbon sequestration↗

Fuel injection module for segmented annular combustion system

The present disclosure is directed to a fuel injection module for a segmented annular combustion system. The fuel injection module includes a housing body, a fuel nozzle portion, and at least one fuel injection lance. The fuel nozzle portion is fluidly coupled to a fuel nozzle plenum within the housing body, and the at least one fuel injection lance is fluidly coupled to an injector fuel plenum within the housing body. In some cases, the fuel nozzle portion is a bundled tube fuel nozzle having one or more subsets of tubes. The fuel injection lances are positioned along a radial side of the housing body or circumferentially between two subsets of tubes. Liquid fuel cartridges extend through the fuel nozzle portion, the fuel injection lances, or both.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Particle Imaging Velocimetry Technique Development for Laboratory Measurement of Fracture Flow Inside a Pressure Vessel Using Neutron Imaging

This paper will describe recent progress made in developing neutron imaging based particle imaging velocimetry techniques for visualizing and quantifying flow structure through a high pressure flow cell with high temperature capability (up to 350 degrees C). This experimental capability has great potential for improving the understanding of flow through fractured systems in applications such as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). For example, flow structure measurement can be used to develop and validate single phase flow models used for simulation, experimentally identify critical transition regions and their dependence on fracture features such as surface roughness, and study multiphase fluid behavior within fractured systems. The developed method involves the controlled injection of a high contrast fluid into a water flow stream to produce droplets that can be tracked using neutron radiography. A description of the experimental setup will be provided along with an overview of the algorithms used to automatically track droplets and relate them to the velocity gradient in the flow stream. Experimental results will be reported along with volume of fluids based simulation techniques used to model observed flow.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Coupled Thermo–Hydro–Mechanical Modeling of Hydro-Shearing Stimulation in an Enhanced Geothermal System in the Raft River Geothermal Field, USA

The Raft River Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) demonstration project aims to improve the geothermal production by enhancing the reservoir permeability via shear stimulation in well RRG-9. In this paper, we performed a series of 3D thermo– hydro–mechanical (THM) simulations to investigate the influence of hydraulic and thermal effects on the development of this EGS. The model includes synthetic fracture populations based on borehole televiewer images and in-situ stress measurements from well RRG-9. Fracture permeability evolution is determined using an empirical permeability law developed from laboratory experiments. The model was calibrated by comparing the hydraulic response to field observations, including wellhead pressure, injection rate, and well injectivity. Particularly, we analyzed the enhancement of reservoir permeability and the spatial extent of the stimulation zone for the given injection schedule. Our results indicate that the permeability enhancement of fractured geothermal reservoir is caused by the combined effects of injection-induced cooling and fluid pressure increase. The decrease of temperature plays a dominant role in reactivation of natural fractures under the hydro-shearing mechanism, while the higher injection pressure promotes shear failure and enlarges the stimulation zone. Finally, for the specified extensional stress state, the model favors greatest permeability enhancement along the maximum horizontal principal stress, a moderate vertical enhancement, and a smaller gain along the minimum horizontal principal stress.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

T2Well-ECO2NV2 v1.0 beta

T2Well-ECO2NV2 combines the T2Well code for simulating coupled well-reservoir fluid and heat flow with the ECO2N Version 2.0 equation of state module for calculating the fluid properties of water-CO2-salt mixtures at high temperatures. The combination of these two capabilities in T2Well-ECO2NV2 creates the capability of simulating injection and withdrawal of fluids in high-Temperature geothermal or geologic carbon sequestration systems. While the previously released T2Well-ECO2N Version 1.0 was useful for geologic carbon sequestration, the new T2Well-ECO2NV2 has capabilities for higher temperature and thereby allows the simulation of CO2-rich geothermal systems.

Oldenburg, CurtisM↗

Fluid property and operational effects on swirl injector atomization

Results of atomization tests of rocket injection elements are correlated in terms of the test fluid properties and the injection element operating conditions. The type of element modeled has a central, swirling liquid oxidizer flow; and a coaxial, axial gaseous fuel flow. Results of the correlations describe the effect of geometry, fluid properties, and operating conditions on liquid atomization. The ranges of test conditions allow reasonable extrapolation to actual high-pressure engine operating conditions. At such conditions, the swirl element should produce exceptionally finely-atomized and well-distributed spray for high combustion performance. United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) completed a test program to measure fluid spray atomization, in terms of droplet size and droplet size distributions, for swirling-flow injection elements. Element sizes and dimensions covered ranges of dimensions representative of typical cryogenic (O2/H2) liquid rocket engine practice. Relevant dimensions include the element diameter, the tangential-entry metering slot length, and the coastal fuel slot radial gap. Test fluids included water, simulated Jet-A, and Freon 113. These fluids cover ranges of properties which include or approach those of liquid oxygen. Gaseous nitrogen simulated the coaxial gaseous hydrogen fuel flow.

Cox, G. B., Jr.↗

Segmented annular combustion system with dual fuel capability

A segmented annular combustion system with dual fuel capability includes an alternating arrangement of fuel injection modules and integrated combustor nozzles. The fuel injection module includes a bundled tube fuel nozzle portion and fuel injection lances, which are fluidly coupled via conduits to respective fuel plenums. A liquid fuel cartridge is disposed within the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion, within one of the plurality of fuel injection lances, or within both the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion and one of the plurality of fuel injection lances. A gas turbine having the segmented annular combustion system is also provided.

Berry, Jonathan Dwight↗