水力压裂的支撑剂输送分析

为了研究水力压裂中支撑剂输送过程,本文建立了支撑剂二维输送方程,以及含砂液的二维运动方程。这两个方程考虑了支撑剂沉降,并且采用了含砂液的流态指数和稠度系数与支撑剂体积浓度的函数关系。这两个方程与水力压裂三维裂缝模型中描述裂缝宽度与裂缝面上压力关系的积分方程是耦合的。裂缝延伸判据采用应力强度因子法则。应用有限元方法,模拟了水力压裂中的支撑剂输送过程。计算结果反映了支撑剂输送过程中的输送和沉降。     

Standardization of Radon Measurements: II. Accuracy and Proficiency Testing

The accuracy of in situ environmental radon measurement techniques is reviewed and new data for charcoal canister, alpha-track (track-etch) and electret detectors are presented. Deficiencies reported at the 1987 meeting in Wurenlingen. Federal Republic of Germany, for measurements using charcoal detectors are confirmed by the new results. Accuracy and precision of the alpha-track measurements laboratory were better than in 1987. Electret detectors appear to provide a convenient, accurate, and precise system for the measurement of radon concentration. The need for comprehensive, “blind” proficiency-testing programs is discussed.     

α-particle emission probabilities in the decay of U

²³⁵U decays by α-particle emission to ²³¹Th. The decay scheme of this nuclide is very complex, with more than 20 alpha branches. Recommended values for P_α of this nuclide are based on measurements carried out in 1975. This work presents the results of new measurements made with Si detectors and sources of enriched uranium in the frame of the EUROMET 591 cooperation project. The use of improved measurement techniques and numerical analysis of spectra allowed a new set of P_α values for 13 lines with improved uncertainties to be obtained.     

An International Marine-Atmospheric 222Rn Measurement Intercomparison in Bermuda Part II: Results for the Participating Laboratories

As part of an international measurement intercomparison of instruments used to measure atmospheric ²²²Rn, four participating laboratories made nearly simultaneous measurements of ²²²Rn activity concentration in commonly sampled, ambient air over approximately a 2 week period, and three of these four laboratories participated in the measurement comparison of 14 introduced samples with known, but undisclosed (“blind”) ²²²Rn activity concentration. The exercise was conducted in Bermuda in October 1991. The ²²²Rn activity concentrations in ambient Bermudian air over the course of the intercomparison ranged from a few hundredths of a Bq · m⁻³ to about 2 Bq · m⁻³, while the standardized sample additions covered a range from approximately 2.5 Bq · m⁻³ to 35 Bq · m⁻³. The overall uncertainty in the latter concentrations was in the general range of 10 %, approximating a 3 standard deviation uncertainty interval. The results of the intercomparison indicated that two of the laboratories were within very good agreement with the standard additions, and almost within expected statistical variations. These same two laboratories, however, at lower ambient concentrations, exhibited a systematic difference with an averaged offset of roughly 0.3 Bq · m⁻³. The third laboratory participating in the measurement of standardized sample additions was systematically low by about 65 % to 70 %, with respect to the standard addition which was also confirmed in their ambient air concentration measurements. The fourth laboratory, participating in only the ambient measurement part of the intercomparison, was also systematically low by at least 40 % with respect to the first two laboratories.     

Characterization of natural sand proppant used in hydraulic fracturing fluids

Natural sand was the first material introduced as a proppant to hydraulic fracturing operations to keep induced rock fractures both open and conductive. It has remained the most commonly used proppant for this process, since its economic advantages are obvious. In this context, the growth of the unconventional gas industry in Algeria has raised many environmental and economical concerns in terms of local sand valorization for a possible use as proppant agents. This paper deals with the physical analysis of 10 sand samples of two types: quarry sand samples and Aeolian dune sand samples, from different geographic locations in Algeria according to ISO 13503-2 which provides standard testing procedures for evaluating certain physical properties of proppants used in hydraulic fracturing and gravel packing operations. These assessments should enable to compare the physical characteristics of the various tested sands and to select the useful ones to evaluate their interaction with one chemical (SP breaker) in fracturing fluid system by sorption under several operating conditions (temperature, proppant dosage, SP breaker concentration).     

Influence of phytic acid concentration on performance of phytic acid conversion coatings on the AZ91D magnesium alloy

In this study, the phytic acid conversion coating, a new environmentally friendly chemical protective coating for magnesium alloys, was prepared. The influences of phytic acid concentration on the formation process, microstructure, chemical state and corrosion resistance of the conversion coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy were investigated by means of weight gain measurement, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. And the depth profile of all elements in the optimal conversion coatings was analyzed by auger electron spectroscopy (AES).The results show that the growth, microstructure, chemical state and corrosion resistance of the conversion coatings are all obviously affected by the phytic acid concentration. The concentration of 5 g l⁻¹ corresponds to the maximum weight gain. The main elements of the coating are Mg, Al, O, P, and C, which are distributed gradually in depth. The functional groups of conversion coatings formed in higher concentration phytic acid solution are closer to the constituent of phytic acid than those formed in lower concentration phytic acid solution. The coatings formed in 1–5 g l⁻¹ are integrated and uniform. However, those formed in 20–50 g l⁻¹ have some micro-cracks on the α phase. The coating formed in 5 g l⁻¹ has the best corrosion resistance, whose open circuit current density decreases about six orders than that of the untreated sample, although the coatings deposited in 1–20 g l⁻¹ can all improve the corrosion resistance of AZ91D.     

Microstructural characterization of precipitates in Cu–10 wt.%Al–0.8 wt.%Be shape-memory alloy

Microstructural characterization of α₁-plate and γ₂ phase precipitated in hypoeutectoid Cu–10 wt.%Al–0.8 wt.%Be shape-memory alloy (SMA) aged at 200 °C for different periods of time (20–160 h) is researched in this study. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) was employed to investigate the α₁-plate with 18R long period stacking order structure (LPSO) in the SMA aged for 20 h. According to the atomic shuffling revealed in HRTEM-micrograph, the atomic model of the 18R LPSO is proposed. The quantitative mapping of electron energy loss spectrometry shows that the α₁-plates in the SMA aged for 160 h contain lower aluminum concentration than the parent phase matrix. The lattice image of the nanometer-sized γ₂ phase precipitated homogeneously in the SMA aged for 160 h is also revealed by using HRTEM. Precipitation of the nanometer-sized γ₂ phase cannot be impeded by means of the addition of beryllium and quenching, and such precipitate does not grow up in the SMA aged for periods of time less than 160 h.     

Estimation of Proppant Size Distribution Using Image Analysis

The determination of proppant settling velocity in fracturing fluids is of significant importance in fracturing design. In order to characterize proppant shape and surface roughness effect on its settling velocity, equivalent hydraulic diameter of proppant settling in 0.1% wt polyacrylamide solution was presented. According to the measured proppant geometric diameter using image analysis, the correlation between equivalent hydraulic diameter and geometric diameter has been established, and goodness of fit is perfect with average relative error of 4.21%. Comparison between proppant equivalent hydraulic diameter and its Stokes diameter falling in glycerol has been conducted, and the proppant Stokes diameter is larger than the geometric diameter. However, due to the shear-thinning property and low apparent viscosity of 0.1% wt polyacrylamide solution, the proppant equivalent hydraulic diameter is smaller than the geometric diameter.     

Simulation of the transport and placement of multi-sized proppant in hydraulic fractures using a coupled CFD-DEM approach

The productivity of fractured wells is mainly governed by propped fractures, so it is of significant importance to find out where the injected proppants go during hydraulic fracturing treatments, as this is essential to scheduling proppant injection in fracturing design. Using a coupled CFD-DEM model, the transport and placement of multi-sized proppants in fractures in vertical and horizontal wells were systematically investigated, and the effects of having multi-sized particles relative to uniformly-sized ones on the proppant placement were quantitatively characterized. When a proppant-laden fluid is injected into a fracture in vertical wells, a small proppant bank quickly forms. The injected large and small proppant particles are almost uniformly mixed, with just a small-proppant region at the back side of the bank. In comparison in horizontal wells, a proppant dune first forms near the wellbore in a fracture, and the large proppant particles are more likely to accumulate near the wellbore while the small particles are transported deeper into the fracture. The main transport mechanisms of proppant particles are settlement and fluidization, which cause a three-layer flow pattern (stationary proppant bed, fluidization layer and clean fluid layer) to form. In addition, vortex is also an important proppant transport mechanism, especially in a fracture in horizontal wells, where the vortex drags the injected proppant particles to different locations causing a dual-dune profile. The effect of fracture tip screen-out on the proppant placement was investigated. Screen-out can significantly change the flow field in a fracture and this will subsequently affect final proppant placement. Ultimately, the process of graded proppant injection was realistically modeled, which shows small proppants to be transported deeper into the fracture, while large proppants accumulate near the wellbore.     

A current mode detector array for -ray asymmetry measurements

We have built a CsI(Tl) γ-ray detector array for the NPDGamma experiment to search for a small parity-violating directional asymmetry in the angular distribution of 2.2 MeV γ-rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons by protons with a sensitivity of several ppb. The weak pion–nucleon coupling constant can be determined from this asymmetry. The small size of the asymmetry requires a high cold neutron flux, control of systematic errors at the ppb level, and the use of current mode γ-ray detection with vacuum photodiodes and low-noise solid-state preamplifiers. The average detector photoelectron yield was determined to be 1300 photoelectrons per MeV. The RMS width seen in the measurement is therefore dominated by the fluctuations in the number of γ-rays absorbed in the detector (counting statistics) rather than the intrinsic detector noise. The detectors were tested for noise performance, sensitivity to magnetic fields, pedestal stability and cosmic background. False asymmetries due to gain changes and electronic pickup in the detector system were measured to be consistent with zero to an accuracy of 10^-9 in a few hours. We report on the design, operating criteria, and the results of measurements performed to test the detector array.