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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Overview of Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site 2 in the Permian Delaware Basin (HFTS-2)

Here, the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site 2 (HFTS-2) is a large collaborative field-based R&D program in the Permian Delaware Basin, funded by the US Department of Energy through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the E&P industry, with support from academia. The projects' main objective is to improve the understating of the hydraulic fracturing process through utilization of advanced diagnostics and collection of through-fracture cores to provide undisputable evidence and attributes of the created hydraulic fractures. At the HFTS-2, in excess of $30 million was used to perform hydraulic fracturing research focusing on the Wolfcamp formation at a field site hosted and operated by Occidental. In addition to the research data collected by the project, Occidental provided a significant amount of background data for about a dozen existing wells in the test area as well as access to previously collected core. Additional technical and laboratory support was provided by the program members. Building on learnings and unanswered questions from HFTS-1 in the Permian Midland basin, the HFTS-2 used eight new producing wells and two existing (parent) wells to perform hydraulic fracturing research. Multiple science wells were drilled to sample and characterize the subsurface, including the collection of 540 feet of core in a vertical pilot hole and 948 feet of high-angle through-fracture core. The project installed permanent fiber optic cables in 3 wells to monitor near wellbore signals during fracturing and to collect cross-well strain measurements. Additional advanced diagnostics included a significant formation evaluation program on the vertical whole core, multi array moment tensor inversion capable microseismic survey, multi-well time-lapse geochemistry analysis, analysis of proppant distribution in producing child and slant core well, and others. We will provide an overview of the HFTS-2 project, including list of the consortium members, details of the test site, experiments performed, and technologies tested.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Geological heterogeneity: Goal-oriented simplification of structure and characterization needs

Geological heterogeneity, i.e. the spatial variability of discrete hydrogeological units, is investigated in an aquifer analog of glacio-fluvial sediments to determine how such a geological structure can be simplified for characterization needs. Here, the aquifer analog consists of ten hydrofacies whereas the scarcity of measurements in typical field studies precludes such detailed spatial models of hydraulic properties. Of particular interest is the role of connectivity of the hydrofacies structure, along with its effect on the connectivity of mass transport, in site characterization for predicting early arrival times. Transport through three realizations of the aquifer analog is modeled with numerical particle tracking to ascertain the fast flow channel through which early arriving particles travel. Three simplification schemes of two-facies models are considered to represent the aquifer analogs, and the velocity within the fast flow channel is used to estimate the apparent hydraulic conductivity of the new facies. The facies models in which the discontinuous patches of high hydraulic conductivity are separated from the rest of the domain yield the closest match in early arrival times compared to the aquifer analog, but assuming a continuous high hydraulic conductivity channel connecting these patches yields underestimated early arrivals times within the range of variability between the realizations, which implies that the three simplification schemes could be advised but pose different implications for field measurement campaigns. Overall, the results suggest that the result of transport connectivity, i.e. early arrival times, within realistic geological heterogeneity can be conserved even when the underlying structural connectivity is modified.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reservoir Characterization and Techno-Economic Analysis of Enhanced Geothermal and Closed-Loop Systems in the Wattenberg Field of the Denver-Julesburg Basin, Colorado

This report provides details of reservoir characterization and techno-economic analysis for enhanced geothermal systems and closed-loop geothermal systems in the Denver-Julesburg Basin Wattenberg area. The analysis contributes to the Geothermal Limitless Approach to Drilling Efficiencies (GLADE) project, a multi-institutional research initiative focused on advancing geothermal energy development by reducing drilling costs and improving the rate of penetration. The GLADE project brings together national laboratories, academic institutions, and industry partners, including the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office, Occidental Petroleum, the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Colorado School of Mines, Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University, and several drilling technology companies. As part of this effort, NLR developed and applied slender-body theory modeling tools and the GEOPHIRES simulator to support techno-economic analysis. The slender-body theory wellbore simulator evaluated thermal performance in U-loop, Eavor-type multilateral, and enhanced geothermal system well configurations. Results indicated that an optimized single U-loop design delivers an outlet temperature of 168.8 degrees Celsius,stabilizing at a final outlet temperature of 135.3 degrees Celsius. Heat production also improved significantly, with an average thermal output of 16.9 MWth and a final thermal output of 11.0 MWth. These results provided critical baseline data for selecting optimized systems for techno-economic analysis. Building on these outputs, NLR applied the GEOPHIRES techno-economic simulator to estimate the levelized cost of electricity for both the Eavor multilateral and enhanced geothermal systems. The sensitivity analysis showed that drilling costs exert a particularly strong impact on the levelized cost of electricity of multilateral systems. Therefore, advances in drilling technology and improved drilling rates could yield significant gains in the economic performance of these systems. In this context, the GLADE project directly supports the U.S. Department of Energy's mission to reduce the cost of geothermal energy and accelerate the deployment of next-generation geothermal technologies.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Effect of Lubricant Composition on White Etching Crack Failures

White etching cracks (WECs) are the dominant mode of failure for wind turbine gearbox bearings. These failures are characterized by subsurface initiation and local region of microstructural alterations adjacent to the crack faces. The definitive cause of WECs within the field is unknown, because of this laboratory replication has proved difficult. At a benchtop scale, specific lubricant formulations referred to as bad reference oils (BROs) are often employed to aid in the formation of WECs; however, exactly how these lubricants induce WECs is unknown. The present work intends to elucidate how these lubricants facilitate the formation of WECs by systematically varying the additives which are found in BROs and studying the effect that these additive combinations have on time until failure, as well as tribofilm development. It was found that the lubricant containing Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate alone led to the formation of WECs sooner than any lubricant studied. It was also documented that a lubricants frictional characteristics play a more dominant role than the tribofilm characteristics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Modeling of time-lapse seismic monitoring using CO 2 leakage simulations for a model CO 2 storage site with realistic geology: Application in assessment of early leak-detection capabilities

Time-lapse surface seismic surveys have been widely used at carbon sequestration sites for site characterization, monitoring subsurface CO 2 plume migration, and detecting potential CO 2 leakage from a storage reservoir. Monitoring in the first permeable unit directly above the primary seal is important for early detection of CO 2 leakage. Forward modeling of time-lapse seismic data can be used to assess the utility of the seismic method for CO 2 leakage detection. We develop a workflow for forward modeling of time-lapse seismic data, including constructing seismic velocity models using flow simulation outputs, modeling of pre-stack and post-stack synthetic seismic data following seismic data processing sequence and analysis of processed synthetic time-lapse seismic data. We apply the forward modeling and analysis workflow to assessing the detectability and the earliest detection time of seismic monitoring using the hypothetical CO 2 leakage scenarios for a model geologic storage site with realistic geology. We then derive the detection thresholds using the simulated normalized root-mean-square (NRMS) differences for the no-leakage case at a range of signal-to-noise ratios, representing the background noise levels in seismic data. We then compare NRMS differences triggered by the CO 2 leakage to the detection thresholds at each time step to quantify the detectability and the earliest detection time of seismic monitoring. We analyze the effects of the acquisition parameters and elastic parameters on the produced synthetic seismic data and earliest detection time. Our modeling results indicate that high signal-to-noise ratio is needed to detect the CO 2 leakage at the model site. Minimizing the background noise in seismic data is crucial for improving the detectability of the seismic method. Increasing the shot density or increasing the dominant frequency of the source wavelet is likely to increase the possibility of the leakage detection and reduce the time needed for the detection. The elastic parameters used in the rock physics modeling have significant effects on the resultant seismic velocity models and synthetic seismic data, highlighting their critical roles in understanding and interpreting time-lapse seismic reflection data associated with CO 2 monitoring, verification and accounting activities.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

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↗
DOE OSTI2024

3-D Geological Modeling for Numerical Flow Simulation Studies of Gas Hydrate Reservoirs at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 Pad in the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope

Accurate reservoir evaluation requires reliable three-dimensional (3-D) geological models. Here, this study conducted 3-D geological modeling for numerical flow simulation of the B1 sand gas hydrate reservoir at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 pad, Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope. The model integrates well logs, core, and seismic data to address spatial heterogeneity in geological structures and reservoir properties. Two modeling types were performed: structural framework modeling and petrophysical property modeling. For structural framework modeling, seismic data and well log markers were used to reproduce subsurface structures characterized by a normal fault system. A volume-based modeling algorithm and stair-stepping grid were applied. The resulting 3-D model comprised 2,640,000 grid cells across 264 layers, including seven fault grids. For petrophysical property modeling, total porosity was initially modeled using sequential Gaussian simulation with collocated cokriging. To reproduce the upward coarsening of the B1 sand, upscaled log-derived total porosity and a three-dimensional (3-D) trend depicting total porosity variation were used as primary and secondary data, respectively. Gas hydrate saturation distribution was modeled similarly, with secondary data from estimated porosity distribution and seismic-derived acoustic impedance map enhancing accuracy. Results indicate higher gas hydrate saturation in the upper part of the B1 sand and areas with higher acoustic impedance. Intrinsic permeability was modeled from the total porosity and clay-bound water volume, and effective permeability was derived from the gas hydrate saturation and intrinsic permeability distributions based on the “Tokyo model”. Effective permeability distributions were influenced by the total porosity, gas hydrate saturation, and intrinsic permeability. Within the same layer, higher gas hydrate saturation leads to decreased effective permeability. In total, 100 sets of multiple scenarios were prepared, providing input data for dynamic flow simulations to evaluate the effects of lateral heterogeneity in reservoir properties and the hydraulic characteristics of faults on production behavior for preassessment before the long-term production test.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Probing the Influence of Thermally Induced Structural Changes on the Microstructural Evolution in Shale using Multiscale X-ray Scattering Measurements

Various pathways to accelerate the recovery of hydrocarbons from unconventional subsurface environments have been proposed, including the use of high-temperature fluids. However, the influence of temperature on the structural and microstructural changes in complex subsurface materials characterized by compositional and morphological heterogeneity are not very well understood. In this study, in operando ultrasmall angle, small angle, and wide-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS/ SAXS/WAXS) measurements were performed to link the structural and morphological changes in shale when heated from 30 to 1150 °C. The structural changes observed from the wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements were complemented by the changes in the porosity, particle size, and surface morphology. Overall, we report the combined USAXS/SAXS measurements showed enhanced smoothness in the pore–solid interface on heating. The dehydroxylation of illite and calcination of calcium carbonate were noted prior to the formation of denser and sintered silicate and alumino-silicate phases such as Mg 2 SiO 4 (forsterite), Fe 0.3 Mg 0.7 (SiO 3 ) (enstatite), and Al 2.35 Si 0.64 O 4.82 (mullite).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Feature-based analysis of large-scale spatio-temporal sensor data on hybrid architectures

The analysis of large sensor datasets for structural and functional features has applications in many domains, including weather and climate modeling, characterization of subsurface reservoirs, and biomedicine. The vast amount of data obtained from state-of-the-art sensors and the computational cost of analysis operations create a barrier to such analyses. In this paper, we describe middleware system support to take advantage of large clusters of hybrid CPU–GPU nodes to address the data and compute-intensive requirements of feature-based analyses of large spatio-temporal datasets.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fallon FORGE: Geophysics and Geochemistry

The data is associated to the Fallon FORGE project and includes mudlogs for all wells used to characterize the subsurface, as wells as gravity, magnetotelluric, earthquake seismicity, and temperature data from the Navy GPO and Ormat. Also included are geologic maps from the USGS and Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology for the Fallon, NV area.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Utah FORGE: 3D Gravity Data

These resources describe the 3D geophysical inversion modeling of gravity data at the FORGE site near Milford, Utah. FORGE is the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy and the site in Utah has been selected by the U.S. Dept. of Energy for a 5-year R&D program to test technologies for the development of Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS). 3D modelling of gravity data at the FORGE site is to help characterize the subsurface geologic framework. Specifically, modelling of gravity data in 3D, used in conjunction with rock density measurements and other subsurface geologic information can provide an independent test of an existing 3D geologic model (e.g. Witter et al., 2018). Such an exercise can be useful for reducing uncertainty in 3D geologic models (Witter et al, 2019).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanisms for Microseismicity Occurrence Due to CO 2 Injection at Decatur, Illinois: A Coupled Multiphase Flow and Geomechanics Perspective

Here, we numerically investigate the mechanisms that resulted in induced seismicity occurrence associated with CO 2 injection at the Illinois Basin–Decatur Project (IBDP). We build a geologically consistent model that honors key stratigraphic horizons and 3D fault surfaces interpreted using surface seismic data and microseismicity locations. We populate our model with reservoir and geomechanical properties estimated using well-log and core data. We then performed coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics modeling to investigate the impact of CO 2 injection on fault stability using the Coulomb failure criteria. We calibrate our flow model using measured reservoir pressure during the CO 2 injection phase. Our model results show that pore-pressure diffusion along faults connecting the injection interval to the basement is essential to explain the destabilization of the regions where microseismicity occurred, and that poroelastic stresses alone would result in stabilization of those regions. Slip tendency analysis indicates that, due to their orientations with respect to the maximum horizontal stress direction, the faults where the microseismicity occurred were very close to failure prior to injection. These model results highlight the importance of accurate subsurface fault characterization for CO 2 sequestration operations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Scale-Dependent Fracture-Matrix Interactions and Their Impact on Radionuclide Transport: Development of efficient particle-tracking methods

Matrix Diffusion and Adsorption within a rock matrix are important mechanisms for retarding transport of radionuclides in fractured rock. Due to computational limitations and difficulties in characterizing complex subsurface systems, diffusive exchange between a fracture network and surrounding rock matrix is often modeled using simplified conceptual representations. There is significant uncertainty in “effective” parameters used in these models, such as the “effective matrix diffusivity”. Often, these parameters are estimated by fitting sparse breakthrough data, and estimated values fall outside meaningful ranges, because simplified interpretive models do not consider complex three-dimensional flow. There is limited understanding of the relationship between the effective parameters and rock mass characteristics including network structure and matrix properties. There is also evidence for an apparent scale-dependence in “effective matrix diffusion” coefficients. These observations raise questions on whether fracture-matrix interaction parameters estimated from small-scale tracer tests can be used for predicting radionuclide fate and transport at the scale of DOE field sites. High-resolution three-dimensional Discrete-Fracture-Network-Matrix (DFNM) models based on well-defined local scale transport equations can help to address some of these questions. Due to tremendous advances in computational technology over the last 10 years, DFNM modeling in relatively large domains is now feasible. The overarching objective of our research is to use DFNM modeling to improve fundamental understanding of how effective parameters in conceptual models are related to fracture network structure and matrix properties. An advanced three-dimensional DFNM model is being developed, which combines upscaled particle-tracking algorithms for fracture-matrix interaction and a parallel fracture-network flow simulator. The particle-tracking algorithms allow complexity in flow fields at different scales, and track transport across fracture-matrix interfaces based on rigorous local approximations to the transport equations. This modeling approach can incorporate aperture variability, multi-scale preferential flow and matrix heterogeneity. We developed efficient particle-tracking methods for handling matrix diffusion and adsorption on fracture walls and demonstrated their efficiency for use within the context of large-scale complex fracture network models with variability in apertures across a network of fractures and within individual fractures.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Utica Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory Final Scientific/Technical Report

The Ohio State University (OSU) was awarded a contract on October 1, 2014, from the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) to develop the Utica Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (USEEL) in the Utica-Point Pleasant shale play of the Appalachian Basin. It was designed to be an environmental and technology development lab that would enable the academic, industry, government, and non-governmental organization (NGO) research communities to better understand unconventional oil and gas (UOG) engineering practices and technology to increase production and safety, and decrease environmental effects. Political and economic consequences necessitated changes in project site location and design, from the Ohio State Eastern Agricultural Research Station (EARS) and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) in east-central Ohio to a site located at an Energy Corporation of America (ECA) Marcellus drill pad in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Although the overall project progressed little beyond planning and administration before termination on September 18, 2017, significant research and MS or PhD investigations were completed or continue today. An experimental study design for site specific and regional baseline assessments was developed utilizing ecoregions, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Hydraulic Unit Code watersheds, and GIS technology and databases. This can be utilized to build a defensible and scalable management and research framework for UOG investigations that can be extrapolated for predictive and comparative analyses. The most commonly mentioned perceived risks of shale energy development identified in a socioeconomic analysis included impacts to the environment and water resources, traffic and road deterioration, and crime. Economic benefits, such as the windfall wealth to residents, job opportunities, and the demand for hotels and restaurants emerged, as the main positive impact to the community. Preliminary results of an analysis of the location and mechanisms for extremely high pore pressures of the deep Utica-Point Pleasant formations of southwestern Pennsylvania and their possible relationship to high initial production rates indicate that the overpressure is caused by a combination disequilibrium compaction and fluid expansion. Drilling fluids research designed a proof-of-concept device to evaluate desalination and solvent separation in hydraulic fracturing flowback water that could facilitate water recycling and potentially mitigate deep-well injection. A groundwater study was devised to characterize the subsurface aquifers in terms of the geological framework and groundwater chemistry, including the chemistry of dissolved gases and salts. Brines and gases associated with hydrocarbon migration in groundwater (including noble gases and hydrocarbons) were to be specifically fingerprinted for use as tracers of fluid migration. Trace element analysis of fish otoliths, using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), is being utilized to assess surface water quality. This methodology will be used to reconstruct the exposure histories of fish from watersheds and discriminate between the signatures associated with hydraulic fracturing and coal mining activities.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2022

NRAP Recommended Practices for Containment Assurance and Leakage Risk Quantification

This report presents recommendations for quantitatively assessing and managing leakage risk and effective containment assurance at geologic carbon storage (GCS) sites, amidst uncertainty in site characteristics and performance. These recommended practices are a product of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP)—a multi-year collaborative research effort of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Energy Technology Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. These recommended practices are organized as a set of conceptual workflows that correspond with the stages of the GCS project lifecycle. They consider aspects of site characterization, quantification of potential leakage, assessing the spatial extent of potential environmental impacts, optimizing monitoring design for detection of potential leakage, evaluation of concordance between monitored and forecasted reservoir response, assessing conformance with expected/accepted performance, and determination of the timeline over which risk of impactful leakage can be expected to abate. These conceptual workflows are intended to aid stakeholders in making risk management decisions at GCS sites and to support development of sound, risk-based justifications for characterizing the subsurface, defining area of potential leakage impact, designing site monitoring plans, selecting leakage risk management/mitigation alternatives, and estimating site closure timelines.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Soil Gas Survey Results Supporting Groundwater Correction Action Plan (GCAP) Development for the Moab Site

A soil gas survey was performed at the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Site during the week of November 6, 2023. Soil gas surveys are used to characterize residual subsurface sources of volatile contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds, as well as contaminants that generate a surrogate indicator gas or otherwise influence soil gas composition. The primary objective of the Moab soil gas survey was to confirm, identify, quantify, and refine secondary contaminant source area locations for uranium and ammonium/ammonia (NH 4 + /NH 3 ) in the vadose zone and shallow groundwater. The overarching goal was to provide information to assist in developing the technical basis for the Groundwater Compliance Action Plan (GCAP). Specifically, the soil gas data will support the deployment of source control technologies; e.g., where supplementary capping, removal actions, or amendments might be beneficial.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗