Beneficial effects of wettability altering surfactants in oil-wet fractured reservoirs

In fractured reservoirs, an effective matrix-fracture mass transfer is required for oil recovery. Surfactants have long been considered for oil recovery enhancement, mainly in terms of their ability to reduce oil–water interfacial tension. These surfactants are effective when the fractured formations are water-wet, where capillary imbibition of surfactants from the fracture into the matrix contributes to oil recovery. However, another beneficial aspect of surfactants, namely their ability to alter wettability, remains to be explored and exploited. Surfactants capable of altering wettability can be especially beneficial in oil-wet fractured formations, where the surfactant in the fracture diffuses into the matrix and alters the wettability, enabling imbibition of even more surfactant into the matrix. This sequential process of initial diffusion followed by imbibition continues well into the matrix yielding significant enhancements in oil recovery.In order to test this hypothesis of sequential diffusion–imbibition phenomenon, Dual-Drop Dual-Crystal (DDDC) contact angle experiments have been conducted using fractured Yates dolomite reservoir fluids, two types of surfactants (nonionic and anionic) and dolomite rock substrates. A new experimental procedure was developed in which crude oil equilibrated with reservoir brine has been exposed to surfactant to simulate the matrix-fracture interactions in fractured reservoirs. This procedure enables the measurements of dynamic contact angles and oil–water interfacial tensions, in addition to providing the visual observations of the dynamic behavior of crude oil trapped in the rock matrix as it encounters the diffusing surfactant from the fractures. Both the measurements and visual observations indicate wettability alterations of the matrix surface from oil-wet to less oil-wet or intermediate wet by the surfactants. Thus this study is of practical importance to oil-wet fractured formations where surfactant-induced wettability alterations can result in significant oil recovery enhancements. In addition, this study has also identified the need to include contact angle term in the dimensionless Bond number formulations for better quantitative interpretation of rock–fluids interactions.     

Development and commissioning of decision support tools for sewerage management.

Managing sewerage systems is a highly complex task due to the dynamic nature of the facilities. Their performance strongly depends on the know-how applied by the operators. In order to define optimal operational settings, two decision support tools based on mathematical models have been developed. Moreover, easy-to-use interfaces have been created as well, aiding operators who presumably do not have the necessary skills to use modelling software. The two developed programs simulate the behaviour of both wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and sewer network systems, respectively. They have essentially the same structure, including raw data management and statistical analysis, a simulation layer using the application programming interface of the applied software and a layer responsible for the representation of the obtained results. Four user modes are provided in the two software including the simulation of historical data using the applied and novel operational settings, as well as modes concerning prediction of possible operation periods and updates. Concerning the WWTP software, it was successfully installed in Nantes (France) in June 2004. Moreover, the one managing sewer networks has been deployed in Saint-Malo (France) in January 2005. This paper presents the structure of the developed software and the first results obtained during the commissioning phase.     

Auditory motivated level-crossing approach to instantaneous frequency estimation

We address the problem of estimating the instantaneous frequency (IF) of a phase signal using its level-crossing (LC) information based on front-end auditory processing motivation. We show that the problem of IF estimation using LC information can be cast in the framework of estimation from irregularly sampled data. The formulation has the generality of estimating different types of IF without the need for a quasistationary assumption. We consider two types of IF-polynomial and bandlimited; we use polynomial interpolating functions for the former, and for the latter, we propose a novel "line plus sum of sines" model. The model parameters are estimated by linear regression. Considering the noisy case, LC data for different levels is analyzed, and methods for combining different estimators from LCs are discussed. Theoretical and extensive simulation results show that the performance of the zero-crossing (ZC) based IF estimator and the level-crossing based IF estimator with smaller level values is better than those obtained with higher level values or their combinations. The new technique reaches the Crame/spl acute/r-Rao bound (CRB) roughly above 4 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and its performance does not deteriorate rapidly with mismatch in the IF order compared with the other techniques in the literature.     

In Situ Performance Testing of Deteriorating Water Tanks for Durability Assessment

Reports of failure of existing concrete structures due to a lack of durability, rather than a deficiency in structural strength, has made concrete technologists, engineers, and researchers focus research on the parameters influencing durability performance with respect to time. Systematic performance monitoring, with respect to chosen durability parameters of existing concrete structures, will decide the direction of future research in this area. Inferences based on laboratory simulations and testing need to be confirmed by in situ field measurements and studies. In situ condition rating and performance monitoring surveys have been conducted by many researchers, scientists, and professional associations, and reported in literature. Inferences of few such studies are summarized and discussed. Deterioration of concrete structures constructed in recent times is observed at relatively faster rates, and has been mainly attributed to cracking. Cracking is associated with the use of faster-hydrating portland cements with increased fineness and the tricalcium silicate (C3S) content to support the high speed of modern construction. In the present research, a case study of deteriorated water tank structures situated in the semitropical region of India is presented. Some selected parameters—such as concrete cover, carbonation depth, chloride concentration, compressive strength, etc. which influence long term durability of structures—have been measured.     

Reaction of zirconium fluoride glass with water: kinetics of dissolution

When liquid water contacts a zirconium-barium-lanthanum fluoride glass, at least three different processes occur. Barium and zirconium fluoride dissolve into the water, water penetrates into the glass, and zirconium fluoride crystals grow on the glass surface, in static solution. The rate of dissolution, as measured by solution analysis, is possibly controlled by diffusion in the solid surface; surface blockage and surface reactions are other possible kinetic steps involved. Diffusion in solution is not the controlling mechanism. Hydrogen profiles in the glass surface suggest that the penetration rate of water into the glass is controlled by diffusion and a surface reaction.     

Microstructure and properties of MoSi2–MoB and MoSi2–Mo5Si3 molybdenum silicides

MoSi₂-based intermetallics containing different volume fractions of MoB or Mo₅Si₃ were fabricated by hot-pressing MoSi₂, MoB, and Mo₅Si₃ powders in vacuum. Both classes of alloys contained approximately 5 vol.% of dispersed silica phase. Additions of MoB or Mo₅Si₃ caused the average grain size to decrease. The decrease in the grain size was typically accompanied by an increase in flexure strength, a decrease in the room temperature fracture toughness, and a decrease in the hot strength (compressive creep strength) measured around 1200 °C, except when the Mo₅Si₃ effectively became the major phase. Oxidation measurements on the two classes of alloys were carried out in air. Both classes of alloys were protected from oxidation by an in-situ adherent scale that formed on exposure to high temperature. The scale, although not analyzed in detail, is commonly recognized in MoSi₂ containing materials as consisting mostly of SiO₂. The MoB containing materials showed an increase in the scale thickness and the cyclic oxidation rate at 1400 °C when compared with pure MoSi₂. However, in contrast with the pure MoSi₂ material, oxidation at 1400 °C began with a weight loss followed by a weight gain and the formation of the protective silica layer. The Mo₅Si₃ containing materials experienced substantial initial weight losses followed by regions of small weight changes. Overall, the MoB and Mo₅Si₃ additions to MoSi₂ tended to be detrimental for the mechanical and oxidative properties.     

Pad effects on material-removal rate in chemical-mechanical planarization

The role of a porous pad in controlling material-removal rate (MRR) during the chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process has been studied numerically. The numerical results are used to develop a phenomenological model that correlates the forces on each individual abrasive particle to the applied nominal pressure. The model provides a physical explanation for the experimentally observed domains of pressure-dependent MRR, where the pad deformation controls the load sharing between active-abrasive particles and direct pad-wafer contact. The predicted correlations between MRR and slurry characteristics, i.e., particle size and concentration, are in agreement with experimentally measured trends reported by Ouma¹ and Izumitani.²     

Photostability of polyetherurethaneureas

Polyetherurethaneureas (PEUUs) were synthesised from polyethylene-glycols (PEGs) of molecular weight 400, 600 and 1000, 4,4′-diphenylmethanediisocyanate (MDI) and aliphatic diamine chain extenders, 1,3-propanediamine (PDA) and 1,6-hexanediamine (HDA). Polymer films were irradiated with 365 nm light at 293 K and the effects of polyether soft segment length and urea hard segment on photo-oxidative stability were studied by following the variation in weight-average molecular weight (M _w), gel formation and stress-strain properties. Changes in ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy were monitored on photo-oxidation and hydroperoxide content determined. The soft segment length was increased by increasing the molecular weight of PEG from 400 to 1000 and hard segment structure was changed by variation of diamine. It was noted that the structure of urea and polyether soft segment length plays an important role in photostability of PEUUs. PDA chain extended PEUUs were more stable than HDA chain extended PEUUs.     

Regulation of endothelial permeability by beta-adrenoceptor agonists: contribution of beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors

The barrier function of cultured, macrovascular endothelial cells derived from bovine aorta was analyzed using confluent monolayers of cells and measuring the exchange of fluorescein dextrans of different molecular masses. The effects of beta-adrenoceptor agonists with different selectivity for beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors (AR) were investigated. Formoterol, a novel high-affinity agonist for beta 2-AR recently introduced in the treatment of bronchial asthma, showed a significant reduction of cell permeability with subnanomolar concentrations, whereas the catecholamines (-)-isoproterenol and (-)-norepinephrine only showed significant effects with micromolar concentrations. In order to elucidate if this difference in potential to regulate cell permeability is related to appropriate changes in the selectivity and affinity of the agonists for beta 2 AR, we investigated the beta AR-coupled adenylate cyclase (AC) in membranes from endothelial cells and compared AC stimulation with the binding of agonists to the receptors using [125I](-)-iodopindolol as radioligand. beta-Adrenoceptors revealed to be closely coupled to AC as assessed by a similar magnitude of effects by receptor agonists in comparison to GTP analogues and direct stimulants of AC activity. AC activity was increased by formoterol in parallel to its receptor occupancy of beta 2AR with nanomolar concentrations which were 50-fold higher than those used for the regulation of cell permeability indicating the existence of spare receptors. In contrast to formoterol, the catecholamines (-)-isoproterenol and (-)-norepinephrine stimulated AC activity through both beta 1AR and beta 2AR. From the overproportional high contribution of beta 1AR to AC stimulation (42%) in comparison to its low fraction (13%) in receptor binding we calculated that beta 1AR is 3-4-fold more effectively coupled to AC than beta 2 AR.