To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fract...To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fractures,this study considered the combined impact of geological-engineering factors on conductivity.Using reservoir production parameters and the discrete elementmethod,multispherical proppants were constructed.Additionally,a 3D fracture model,based on the specified conditions of the L block,employed coupled(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete ElementMethod)for joint simulations to quantitatively analyze the transport and placement patterns of multispherical proppants in intersecting fractures.Results indicate that turbulent kinetic energy is an intrinsic factor affecting proppant transport.Moreover,the efficiency of placement and migration distance of low-sphericity quartz sand constructed by the DEM in the main fracture are significantly reduced compared to spherical ceramic proppants,with a 27.7%decrease in the volume fraction of the fracture surface,subsequently affecting the placement concentration and damaging fracture conductivity.Compared to small-angle fractures,controlling artificial and natural fractures to expand at angles of 45°to 60°increases the effective support length by approximately 20.6%.During hydraulic fracturing of gas wells,ensuring the fracture support area and post-closure conductivity can be achieved by controlling the sphericity of proppants and adjusting the perforation direction to control the direction of artificial fractures.展开更多
Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry technology was employed to investigate the planar three-dimensional velocity field and the process of proppant entry into branch fractures in a fracture configuration of“vertic...Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry technology was employed to investigate the planar three-dimensional velocity field and the process of proppant entry into branch fractures in a fracture configuration of“vertical main fracture-vertical branch fracture”intersecting at a 90°angle.This study analyzed the effects of pumping rate,fracturing fluid viscosity,proppant particle size,and fracture width on the transport behavior of proppant into branch fractures.Based on the deflection behavior of proppant,the main fractures can be divided into five regions:pre-entry transition,pre-entry stabilization,deflection entry at the fracture mouth,rear absorption entry,and movement away from the fracture mouth.Proppant primarily deflects into the branch fracture at the fracture mouth,with a small portion drawn in from the rear of the intersection.Increasing the pumping rate,reducing the proppant particle size,and widening the branch fracture are conducive to promoting proppant deflection into the branch.With increasing fracturing fluid viscosity,the ability of proppant to enter the branch fracture first improves and then declines,indicating that excessively high viscosity is unfavorable for proppant entry into the branch.During field operations,a high pumping rate and micro-to small-sized proppant can be used in the early stage to ensure effective placement in the branch fractures,followed by medium-to large-sized proppant to ensure adequate placement in the main fracture and enhance the overall conductivity of the fracture network.展开更多
Proppant flowback in the post-fracturing flowback period not only reduces the fracture conductivity but also damages equipment.Due to the current lack of experimental or numerical simulation methods for proppant flowb...Proppant flowback in the post-fracturing flowback period not only reduces the fracture conductivity but also damages equipment.Due to the current lack of experimental or numerical simulation methods for proppant flowback in partial closure fracture,the mechanisms and patterns of proppant flowback remain unclear.This makes it difficult to predict the risks of proppant flowback,leaving flowback program design without theoretical guidance and resulting in high uncertainty in prevention effectiveness.This paper has further modified the CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)coupling interface by introducing fracture closure pressure into the particle motion equation.Based on the dynamic mesh,the fracture width in the CFD model is adjusted in real time to establish a numerical simulation method that considers fracture closure and synchronous changes in the flow field.By establishing flow similarity at the perforations,a near-wellbore flow field is created in the scaled model that is representative of field conditions,ensuring the practical value of the experimental results.Based on proppant particle force analysis during flowback,we investigated the impact of closure pressure,friction coefficient,perforation parameters,fracture dip angle,proppant particle size combination on proppant flowback.The research indicates that the existence of a threshold closure pressure arises from the competition between the lateral force(driving flowback)exerted by fracture closure on particles and the frictional force(resisting flowback)acting on particles.Below this threshold,increasing closure pressure enhances near-wellbore proppant flowback;above this threshold,increased closure pressure reduces proppant flowback.This threshold value is determined to be 1 MPa under the simulation conditions of this paper.The friction coefficient between particles and the fracture wall has greater impact on particle flowback than the friction coefficient between particles.In the vertical direction of the fracture,flowback is more probable for particles above the perforation.There is higher risk of particle flowback in horizontal fractures.The lateral distribution of large and small particles is more effective in preventing flowback than the vertical distribution.In the horizontal direction,particles nearer to the perforation have a higher probability of flowback.Strategies for proppant flowback control:the flow rate should be kept low initially,and then increased after the bottomhole pressure has been appropriately reduced;perforations should be placed in the upper part of the reservoir(vertical well);the sand concentration should not be increased in the later stages of fracturing to reduce the accumulation of proppant above the perforations;different size proppants should be injected in smaller sizes followed by larger sizes,with a slug of clean fluid in between to achieve a side-by-side placement of larger and smaller proppant,thereby mitigating proppant flowback.展开更多
Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 me...Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 mesh ceramic particles and quartz sand proppant clusters were elaborated using computed tomography(CT)scanning.These models were used to develop a numerical simulation framework based on the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM),enabling the investigation of gas-water flow behavior within proppant-filled fractures under varying driving forces and surface tensions.Simulation results at a closure pressure of 15 MPa have revealed that ceramic particles exhibit a simpler and more porous internal structure than quartz sand of the same size.Under identical flow conditions,ceramic proppants demonstrate higher fluid replacement efficiency.Replacement efficiency increases with higher porosity,greater driving force,and lower surface tension.Furthermore,fluid displacement is strongly influenced by pore geometry:flow is faster in straighter and wider channels,with preferential movement through larger pores forming dominant flow paths.The replacement velocity exhibits a characteristic time evolution,initially rapid,then gradually decreasing,correlating positively with the development of these dominant channels.展开更多
To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhom...To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhomogeneous reservoirs with varying brittleness index(BI).Various auto-correlation Gaussian rough fracture models were created using Matlab to assess roughness through the fractal dimension method.This research innovatively combined Boolean operations to establish three-dimensional rough fracture models,incorporating(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete Element Method)with a bidirectional method for cosimulation.The proppant transport in fractures was categorized into three zones based on the difference in the turbulent kinetic energy.Artificially induced fracture roughness increases fluid retention and turbulence,causing plugging effects and limiting proppant flow into branch fractures.Additionally,compared with the superior deposition and significant support effects of the spherical proppant,the low-sphericity proppant traveled farther under fracturing fluid,inducing more pronounced plugging near curved fracture intersections;the variation in fracture intersection angles primarily impacted the wall shear stress within the flow field,indicating smaller angles led to higher shear energy at the intersection.Compared with the intersection angle of 30°,the height and area deposited in the 90 branch fracture increased by 52.25%and 65.33%,respectively:notably,injecting proppant from smaller to larger particles(S:M:L)and a low velocity effectively ensured fracture conductivity near the wellbore at joint roughness coefficient(JRC)≥46 while achieving satis-factory placement in the branch fracture,making it a recommended approach.展开更多
Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres wi...Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres with artificial inherent pores are an important type of lightweight proppant,enabling their transport to distant fracture extremities and enhancing fracture conductivity.However,the focus frequently gravitates towards the low-density advantage,often overlooking the pore geometry impacts on compressive strength by traditional strength evaluation.This paper numerically bypasses such limitations by using a combined finite and discrete element method(FDEM)considering experimental results.The mesh size of the model undergoes validation,followed by the calibration of cohesive element parameters via the single particle compression test.The stimulation elucidates that proppants with a smaller pore size(40μm)manifest crack propagation evolution at a more rapid pace in comparison to their larger-pore counterparts,though the influence of pore diameter on overall strength is subtle.The inception of pores not only alters the trajectory of crack progression but also,with an increase in porosity,leads to a discernible decline in proppant compressive strength.Intriguingly,upon crossing a porosity threshold of 10%,the decrement in strength becomes more gradual.A denser congregation of pores accelerates crack propagation,undermining proppant robustness,suggesting that under analogous conditions,hollow proppants might not match the strength of their porous counterparts.This exploration elucidates the underlying mechanisms of proppant failure from a microstructural perspective,furnishing pivotal insights that may guide future refinements in the architectural design of porous proppant.展开更多
Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges asso...Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges associated with the low-permeability reservoirs in the Lufeng Oilfield of the South China Sea—including high heterogeneity,complex lithology,and suboptimal fracturing outcomes—JRC(Joint Roughness Coefficient)was employed to quantitatively characterize the lithological properties of the target formation.A CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)two-way coupling approach was then utilized to construct a fracture channel model that simulates proppant transport dynamics.Theproppant particle size under different lithology was optimized.Theresults show that:(1)In rough fractures,proppant particles exhibit more chaotic migration behavior compared to their movement on smooth surfaces,thereby increasing the risk of fracture plugging;(2)Within the same particle size range,for proppants with mesh sizes of 40/70 or 20/40,fracture conductivity decreases as roughness increases.In contrast,for 30/50 mesh proppants,conductivity initially increases and then decreases with rising roughness;(3)Under identical roughness conditions,the following recommendations apply based on fracture conductivity behavior relative to proppant particle size:When JRC<46,conductivity increases with larger particle sizes,with 20/40 mesh proppant recommended;When JRC>46,conductivity decreases as particle size increases;40/70 mesh proppant is thus recommended to maintain effective conductivity;At JRC=46,conductivity first increases then decreases with increasing particle size,making 30/50mesh the optimal choice.Theresearch findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing fracturing designs and enhancing fracturing performance in the field.展开更多
To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin wer...To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin were selected for SCCO_(2)-water-shale interaction experiments.X-ray diffraction(XRD),SEM large-area high-resolution imaging,automated mineral identification and characterization system(AMICS),and nanoindentation tests were employed to examine the micro-mechanical damage mechanisms of fracture surfaces and the evolving patterns of proppant embedment characteristics.The results reveal that:Prolonged interaction time reduces the contents of dolomite,feldspar,and clay minerals,while quartz content increases,with dolomite showing the most pronounced dissolution effect.As interaction time increases,the hardness and elasticity modulus of shale follow a power-law decay pattern,with the peak degradation rate occurring at 1 d,followed by a gradual decline of degradation velocity.Increasing interaction time results in growth in both the number and depth of embedment pits on the sample surface.After more than 3 d of interaction,clustered proppant embedment is observed,accompanied by the formation of deep embedment pits on the surface.展开更多
As an efficient surface modification approach,the plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)technique can boost the capability of wear protection in Mg and its alloys by applying a hard and thick ceramic coating.In this proce...As an efficient surface modification approach,the plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)technique can boost the capability of wear protection in Mg and its alloys by applying a hard and thick ceramic coating.In this procedure,more efficient protection can be acquired via adding additives(in the form of particle,powder,sheet,etc.)into solutions and producing composite coatings.These additives result in more efficient protection against wear via getting stuck in the cracks and pores of coatings and rising the thickness,hardness,and diminishing the porosity size and content.The efficiency of each additive can be changed owing to its intrinsic properties like melting point,size,participation type(reactive,partly reactive,or inert)and potential of zeta.In this review,the effects of distinct additives in nano-and micro-scale size on wear behavior of PEO coatings on Mg and its alloys is going to be reviewed.展开更多
A novel wet-chemical method was presented for the preparation of the micro-sized and uniform spherical Ag powders on a mass-production scale.The well-defined particles were synthesized by mixing the iron(II) sulfate h...A novel wet-chemical method was presented for the preparation of the micro-sized and uniform spherical Ag powders on a mass-production scale.The well-defined particles were synthesized by mixing the iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate solution with silver nitrate solution directly by high-speed stirring at room temperature.It is found that a large number of micro-sized and uniform spherical particles with rough surfaces are obtained.The mass ratio of iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate to silver nitrate greatly affects the shape of particles,and when it is relatively low,spherical particles cannot be obtained.The reaction temperature has a great impact on the particle size.As the reaction temperature increases from 8 to 15°C,the mean diameter of particles decreases from 3.5 to 1.6 μm.The additive n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone improves the surface smoothness and compactness of the particles while the particle size is kept unchanged.Scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were used to characterize the particle products.展开更多
The rapid development of micro-electronics raises the demand of their power sources to be simplified,miniaturized and highly integratable with other electronics on a chip.In-plane Micro-sized energy storage devices(ME...The rapid development of micro-electronics raises the demand of their power sources to be simplified,miniaturized and highly integratable with other electronics on a chip.In-plane Micro-sized energy storage devices(MESDs),which are composed of interdigitated electrodes on a single chip,have aroused particular attentions since they could be easily integrated with other miniaturized electronics,reducing the complexity of overall chip design via removing complex interconnections with bulky power sources.This review highlights the achievements in the device fabrication of in-plane MESDs,as well as their integration and intelligent designs.We also discussed the current challenges and future perspectives for the development of in-plane MESDs.展开更多
Micro-sized silicon anodes have shown much promise in large-scale industrial production of high-energy lithium batteries.However,large volume change(>300%)of silicon anodes causes severe particle pulverization and ...Micro-sized silicon anodes have shown much promise in large-scale industrial production of high-energy lithium batteries.However,large volume change(>300%)of silicon anodes causes severe particle pulverization and the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interphases during cycling,leading to rapid capacity decay and short cycle life of lithium-ion batteries.When addressing such issues,binder plays key roles in obtaining good structural integrity of silicon anodes.Herein,we report a biopolymer composite binder composed of rigid poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)and flexible silk fibroin(SF)tailored for micro-sized silicon anodes.The PAA/SF binder shows robust gradient binding energy via chemical interactions between carboxyl and amide groups,which can effectively accommodate large volume change of silicon.This PAA/SF binder also shows much stronger adhesion force and improved binding towards high-surface/defective carbon additives,resulting in better electrochemical stability and higher coulombic efficiency,than conventional PAA binder.As such,micro-sized silicon/carbon anodes fabricated with novel PAA/SF binder exhibit much better cyclability(up to 500 cycles at 0.5 C)and enhanced rate capability compared with conventional PAA-based anodes.This work provides new insights into the design of functional binders for high-capacity electrodes suffering from large volume change for the development of nextgeneration lithium batteries.展开更多
The purpose of the current study is to explore the frictional behavior of a micro- sized superconducting fiber at the low-temperature condition. At first, a highly precise tribometer composed of a superconducting fibe...The purpose of the current study is to explore the frictional behavior of a micro- sized superconducting fiber at the low-temperature condition. At first, a highly precise tribometer composed of a superconducting fiber wrapping around a cylinder made of pure Cu was immersed in liquid nitrogen. The force and displacement resolutions of the experimental system were as high as 0.01 mN and 0.03 ~m, respectively. The NbTi fibers with diameters ranging from 22.9 to 115 ~m were used in the experiments, and their frictional behaviors in three media, i.e., liquid nitrogen, air and water, were systemically investigated. It was found that the frictional force in air showed a remarkable size effect. The existence of water medium could significantly reduce the frictional force, but could not eliminate the size effect. For the samples with the same diameter, the frictional force in liquid nitrogen was about 1.4 times of that in air, accompanied with remark- able stick-slip phenomenon. Notably, the fiber＇s frictional behavior in liquid nitrogen showed no dependence on diameter. In order to interpret these phenomena, the frictional behaviors of the fibers in air, water and liquid nitrogen were simulated using a modified spring-slider model, by taking into account the influence of hydrophilicity on surface roughness, and the influence of surface roughness on the fiber＇s frictional behavior. The simulation results were consistent with the experimental data qualitatively.展开更多
A micro-sized tube heat exchanger(MTHE) was fabricated, and its performance in heat transfer and pressure drop was experimentally studied. The single-phase forced convection heat transfer correlation on the sides of t...A micro-sized tube heat exchanger(MTHE) was fabricated, and its performance in heat transfer and pressure drop was experimentally studied. The single-phase forced convection heat transfer correlation on the sides of the MTHE tubes was proposed and compared with previous experimental data in the Reynolds number range of 500—1 800. The average deviation of the correlation in calculating the Nusselt number was about 6.59%. The entrance effect in the thermal entrance region was discussed. In the same range of Reynolds number, the pressure drop and friction coefficient were found to be considerably higher than those predicted by the conventional correlations. The product of friction factor and Reynolds number was also a constant, but much higher than the conventional.展开更多
A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to per...A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.展开更多
The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a...The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.展开更多
Electromagnetic anisotropic characteristics in micro-sized water bamboo blind shape are observed by high frequency electromagnetic computation,which is applied to the material constants estimation.In assuming that the...Electromagnetic anisotropic characteristics in micro-sized water bamboo blind shape are observed by high frequency electromagnetic computation,which is applied to the material constants estimation.In assuming that the micro-sized unit structure is repeated in 3-dimensional space and its size is much smaller than the electromagnetic wave length,the micro-sized electromagnetic field calculation is carried out.If the micro-structure shapes of the material are different even if they are the same volume rate,different dielectric constant characteristics are provided.The reasons are considered to be a generation of de-electrification within the dielectric material.展开更多
The coagulation time and position of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in molten metal during ultrasonic separation process were investigated, and the motion course of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in an ultra...The coagulation time and position of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in molten metal during ultrasonic separation process were investigated, and the motion course of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in an ultrasonic standing wave field was numerically simulated. The results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the movement of inclusions depends on the balance between the acoustic radiation force, effective buoyancy force and viscous drag force. It is presented that micro-sized inclusions, agglomerated at antinode-planes may be removed further with horizon tal ultrasound.``展开更多
The abrasive waterjet (AWJ) is now widely used in the advanced cutting processes of polymers,metals,glass,ceramics and composite materials like thin multiple-layered material (TMM).Various research and development eff...The abrasive waterjet (AWJ) is now widely used in the advanced cutting processes of polymers,metals,glass,ceramics and composite materials like thin multiple-layered material (TMM).Various research and development efforts have recently been made to understand the science of AWJ.However,the interaction mechanism between a workpiece and high-velocity abrasive particles still remains a complicated problem.In this work,the material removal mechanisms of AWJ such as micro penetration and micro dent were experimentally investigated.In addition,a new computer simulation model considering high strain rate effect was proposed to understand the micro impact behavior of high-velocity micro-sized abrasives in AWJ cutting.展开更多
The development of small and micro-sized enterprises is of vital significance for the steady and rapid social economy. In recent years, the developing environment for the small and micro-sized enterprises in Hubei pro...The development of small and micro-sized enterprises is of vital significance for the steady and rapid social economy. In recent years, the developing environment for the small and micro-sized enterprises in Hubei province has become increasingly severe, and the problems such as high management cost, high taxes and fees, financing difficulties, and labor shortages of the small and micro-sized enterprises have been more obvious, so that the further development, transformation, and upgrading of the small and micro-sized enterprises are severely restricted. In order to promote the development of the small and micro-sized enterprises, the developing environment for the small and micro-sized enterprises should be further optimized, the tax environment for supporting the development of the small and micro-sized enterprises should be well improved, the financing system should be promoted to be sound, the industrial structure should be actively adjusted, and also the development quality should be increased.展开更多
基金funded by the project of the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNOOC in the 14th Five-Year Plan(No.KJGG2022-0701)the CNOOC Research Institute(No.2020PFS-03).
文摘To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fractures,this study considered the combined impact of geological-engineering factors on conductivity.Using reservoir production parameters and the discrete elementmethod,multispherical proppants were constructed.Additionally,a 3D fracture model,based on the specified conditions of the L block,employed coupled(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete ElementMethod)for joint simulations to quantitatively analyze the transport and placement patterns of multispherical proppants in intersecting fractures.Results indicate that turbulent kinetic energy is an intrinsic factor affecting proppant transport.Moreover,the efficiency of placement and migration distance of low-sphericity quartz sand constructed by the DEM in the main fracture are significantly reduced compared to spherical ceramic proppants,with a 27.7%decrease in the volume fraction of the fracture surface,subsequently affecting the placement concentration and damaging fracture conductivity.Compared to small-angle fractures,controlling artificial and natural fractures to expand at angles of 45°to 60°increases the effective support length by approximately 20.6%.During hydraulic fracturing of gas wells,ensuring the fracture support area and post-closure conductivity can be achieved by controlling the sphericity of proppants and adjusting the perforation direction to control the direction of artificial fractures.
基金Supported by Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U23B6004).
文摘Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry technology was employed to investigate the planar three-dimensional velocity field and the process of proppant entry into branch fractures in a fracture configuration of“vertical main fracture-vertical branch fracture”intersecting at a 90°angle.This study analyzed the effects of pumping rate,fracturing fluid viscosity,proppant particle size,and fracture width on the transport behavior of proppant into branch fractures.Based on the deflection behavior of proppant,the main fractures can be divided into five regions:pre-entry transition,pre-entry stabilization,deflection entry at the fracture mouth,rear absorption entry,and movement away from the fracture mouth.Proppant primarily deflects into the branch fracture at the fracture mouth,with a small portion drawn in from the rear of the intersection.Increasing the pumping rate,reducing the proppant particle size,and widening the branch fracture are conducive to promoting proppant deflection into the branch.With increasing fracturing fluid viscosity,the ability of proppant to enter the branch fracture first improves and then declines,indicating that excessively high viscosity is unfavorable for proppant entry into the branch.During field operations,a high pumping rate and micro-to small-sized proppant can be used in the early stage to ensure effective placement in the branch fractures,followed by medium-to large-sized proppant to ensure adequate placement in the main fracture and enhance the overall conductivity of the fracture network.
基金support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52474069)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52104060).
文摘Proppant flowback in the post-fracturing flowback period not only reduces the fracture conductivity but also damages equipment.Due to the current lack of experimental or numerical simulation methods for proppant flowback in partial closure fracture,the mechanisms and patterns of proppant flowback remain unclear.This makes it difficult to predict the risks of proppant flowback,leaving flowback program design without theoretical guidance and resulting in high uncertainty in prevention effectiveness.This paper has further modified the CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)coupling interface by introducing fracture closure pressure into the particle motion equation.Based on the dynamic mesh,the fracture width in the CFD model is adjusted in real time to establish a numerical simulation method that considers fracture closure and synchronous changes in the flow field.By establishing flow similarity at the perforations,a near-wellbore flow field is created in the scaled model that is representative of field conditions,ensuring the practical value of the experimental results.Based on proppant particle force analysis during flowback,we investigated the impact of closure pressure,friction coefficient,perforation parameters,fracture dip angle,proppant particle size combination on proppant flowback.The research indicates that the existence of a threshold closure pressure arises from the competition between the lateral force(driving flowback)exerted by fracture closure on particles and the frictional force(resisting flowback)acting on particles.Below this threshold,increasing closure pressure enhances near-wellbore proppant flowback;above this threshold,increased closure pressure reduces proppant flowback.This threshold value is determined to be 1 MPa under the simulation conditions of this paper.The friction coefficient between particles and the fracture wall has greater impact on particle flowback than the friction coefficient between particles.In the vertical direction of the fracture,flowback is more probable for particles above the perforation.There is higher risk of particle flowback in horizontal fractures.The lateral distribution of large and small particles is more effective in preventing flowback than the vertical distribution.In the horizontal direction,particles nearer to the perforation have a higher probability of flowback.Strategies for proppant flowback control:the flow rate should be kept low initially,and then increased after the bottomhole pressure has been appropriately reduced;perforations should be placed in the upper part of the reservoir(vertical well);the sand concentration should not be increased in the later stages of fracturing to reduce the accumulation of proppant above the perforations;different size proppants should be injected in smaller sizes followed by larger sizes,with a slug of clean fluid in between to achieve a side-by-side placement of larger and smaller proppant,thereby mitigating proppant flowback.
文摘Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 mesh ceramic particles and quartz sand proppant clusters were elaborated using computed tomography(CT)scanning.These models were used to develop a numerical simulation framework based on the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM),enabling the investigation of gas-water flow behavior within proppant-filled fractures under varying driving forces and surface tensions.Simulation results at a closure pressure of 15 MPa have revealed that ceramic particles exhibit a simpler and more porous internal structure than quartz sand of the same size.Under identical flow conditions,ceramic proppants demonstrate higher fluid replacement efficiency.Replacement efficiency increases with higher porosity,greater driving force,and lower surface tension.Furthermore,fluid displacement is strongly influenced by pore geometry:flow is faster in straighter and wider channels,with preferential movement through larger pores forming dominant flow paths.The replacement velocity exhibits a characteristic time evolution,initially rapid,then gradually decreasing,correlating positively with the development of these dominant channels.
文摘To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhomogeneous reservoirs with varying brittleness index(BI).Various auto-correlation Gaussian rough fracture models were created using Matlab to assess roughness through the fractal dimension method.This research innovatively combined Boolean operations to establish three-dimensional rough fracture models,incorporating(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete Element Method)with a bidirectional method for cosimulation.The proppant transport in fractures was categorized into three zones based on the difference in the turbulent kinetic energy.Artificially induced fracture roughness increases fluid retention and turbulence,causing plugging effects and limiting proppant flow into branch fractures.Additionally,compared with the superior deposition and significant support effects of the spherical proppant,the low-sphericity proppant traveled farther under fracturing fluid,inducing more pronounced plugging near curved fracture intersections;the variation in fracture intersection angles primarily impacted the wall shear stress within the flow field,indicating smaller angles led to higher shear energy at the intersection.Compared with the intersection angle of 30°,the height and area deposited in the 90 branch fracture increased by 52.25%and 65.33%,respectively:notably,injecting proppant from smaller to larger particles(S:M:L)and a low velocity effectively ensured fracture conductivity near the wellbore at joint roughness coefficient(JRC)≥46 while achieving satis-factory placement in the branch fracture,making it a recommended approach.
基金the financial support provided by Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory Organized Research Project Funding(No.2023CXXM01)the ARC linkage program(No.LP200100420).
文摘Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres with artificial inherent pores are an important type of lightweight proppant,enabling their transport to distant fracture extremities and enhancing fracture conductivity.However,the focus frequently gravitates towards the low-density advantage,often overlooking the pore geometry impacts on compressive strength by traditional strength evaluation.This paper numerically bypasses such limitations by using a combined finite and discrete element method(FDEM)considering experimental results.The mesh size of the model undergoes validation,followed by the calibration of cohesive element parameters via the single particle compression test.The stimulation elucidates that proppants with a smaller pore size(40μm)manifest crack propagation evolution at a more rapid pace in comparison to their larger-pore counterparts,though the influence of pore diameter on overall strength is subtle.The inception of pores not only alters the trajectory of crack progression but also,with an increase in porosity,leads to a discernible decline in proppant compressive strength.Intriguingly,upon crossing a porosity threshold of 10%,the decrement in strength becomes more gradual.A denser congregation of pores accelerates crack propagation,undermining proppant robustness,suggesting that under analogous conditions,hollow proppants might not match the strength of their porous counterparts.This exploration elucidates the underlying mechanisms of proppant failure from a microstructural perspective,furnishing pivotal insights that may guide future refinements in the architectural design of porous proppant.
基金funded by China NationalOffshore Oil Corporation(CNOOC)14th Five-Year Plan Major Science and Technology Project:Research on Integrated Geological Engineering Technology for Fracturing and Development of Offshore Low-Permeability Reservoirs(Grant NO.KJGG2022-0701).Mao Jiang,Chengyong Peng,JiangshuWu and Xuesong Xing.https://www.cnooc.com.cn.
文摘Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges associated with the low-permeability reservoirs in the Lufeng Oilfield of the South China Sea—including high heterogeneity,complex lithology,and suboptimal fracturing outcomes—JRC(Joint Roughness Coefficient)was employed to quantitatively characterize the lithological properties of the target formation.A CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)two-way coupling approach was then utilized to construct a fracture channel model that simulates proppant transport dynamics.Theproppant particle size under different lithology was optimized.Theresults show that:(1)In rough fractures,proppant particles exhibit more chaotic migration behavior compared to their movement on smooth surfaces,thereby increasing the risk of fracture plugging;(2)Within the same particle size range,for proppants with mesh sizes of 40/70 or 20/40,fracture conductivity decreases as roughness increases.In contrast,for 30/50 mesh proppants,conductivity initially increases and then decreases with rising roughness;(3)Under identical roughness conditions,the following recommendations apply based on fracture conductivity behavior relative to proppant particle size:When JRC<46,conductivity increases with larger particle sizes,with 20/40 mesh proppant recommended;When JRC>46,conductivity decreases as particle size increases;40/70 mesh proppant is thus recommended to maintain effective conductivity;At JRC=46,conductivity first increases then decreases with increasing particle size,making 30/50mesh the optimal choice.Theresearch findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing fracturing designs and enhancing fracturing performance in the field.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52425402,52204021,52404038)Scientific Research Fund of China University of Petroleum(Beijing)(2462022BJRC002).
文摘To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin were selected for SCCO_(2)-water-shale interaction experiments.X-ray diffraction(XRD),SEM large-area high-resolution imaging,automated mineral identification and characterization system(AMICS),and nanoindentation tests were employed to examine the micro-mechanical damage mechanisms of fracture surfaces and the evolving patterns of proppant embedment characteristics.The results reveal that:Prolonged interaction time reduces the contents of dolomite,feldspar,and clay minerals,while quartz content increases,with dolomite showing the most pronounced dissolution effect.As interaction time increases,the hardness and elasticity modulus of shale follow a power-law decay pattern,with the peak degradation rate occurring at 1 d,followed by a gradual decline of degradation velocity.Increasing interaction time results in growth in both the number and depth of embedment pits on the sample surface.After more than 3 d of interaction,clustered proppant embedment is observed,accompanied by the formation of deep embedment pits on the surface.
文摘As an efficient surface modification approach,the plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)technique can boost the capability of wear protection in Mg and its alloys by applying a hard and thick ceramic coating.In this procedure,more efficient protection can be acquired via adding additives(in the form of particle,powder,sheet,etc.)into solutions and producing composite coatings.These additives result in more efficient protection against wear via getting stuck in the cracks and pores of coatings and rising the thickness,hardness,and diminishing the porosity size and content.The efficiency of each additive can be changed owing to its intrinsic properties like melting point,size,participation type(reactive,partly reactive,or inert)and potential of zeta.In this review,the effects of distinct additives in nano-and micro-scale size on wear behavior of PEO coatings on Mg and its alloys is going to be reviewed.
基金Project(2006AA04A110) supported by the National High-tech Research and Development Program of ChinaProject(60976076) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China。
文摘A novel wet-chemical method was presented for the preparation of the micro-sized and uniform spherical Ag powders on a mass-production scale.The well-defined particles were synthesized by mixing the iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate solution with silver nitrate solution directly by high-speed stirring at room temperature.It is found that a large number of micro-sized and uniform spherical particles with rough surfaces are obtained.The mass ratio of iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate to silver nitrate greatly affects the shape of particles,and when it is relatively low,spherical particles cannot be obtained.The reaction temperature has a great impact on the particle size.As the reaction temperature increases from 8 to 15°C,the mean diameter of particles decreases from 3.5 to 1.6 μm.The additive n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone improves the surface smoothness and compactness of the particles while the particle size is kept unchanged.Scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were used to characterize the particle products.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2019YFA0705600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51822205,21875121)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin(Grant Nos.18JCJQJC46300,19JCZDJC31900)the Ministry of Education of China(Grant No.B12015)the “Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter”,Nankai University(Grant No.63181206)。
文摘The rapid development of micro-electronics raises the demand of their power sources to be simplified,miniaturized and highly integratable with other electronics on a chip.In-plane Micro-sized energy storage devices(MESDs),which are composed of interdigitated electrodes on a single chip,have aroused particular attentions since they could be easily integrated with other miniaturized electronics,reducing the complexity of overall chip design via removing complex interconnections with bulky power sources.This review highlights the achievements in the device fabrication of in-plane MESDs,as well as their integration and intelligent designs.We also discussed the current challenges and future perspectives for the development of in-plane MESDs.
文摘Micro-sized silicon anodes have shown much promise in large-scale industrial production of high-energy lithium batteries.However,large volume change(>300%)of silicon anodes causes severe particle pulverization and the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interphases during cycling,leading to rapid capacity decay and short cycle life of lithium-ion batteries.When addressing such issues,binder plays key roles in obtaining good structural integrity of silicon anodes.Herein,we report a biopolymer composite binder composed of rigid poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)and flexible silk fibroin(SF)tailored for micro-sized silicon anodes.The PAA/SF binder shows robust gradient binding energy via chemical interactions between carboxyl and amide groups,which can effectively accommodate large volume change of silicon.This PAA/SF binder also shows much stronger adhesion force and improved binding towards high-surface/defective carbon additives,resulting in better electrochemical stability and higher coulombic efficiency,than conventional PAA binder.As such,micro-sized silicon/carbon anodes fabricated with novel PAA/SF binder exhibit much better cyclability(up to 500 cycles at 0.5 C)and enhanced rate capability compared with conventional PAA-based anodes.This work provides new insights into the design of functional binders for high-capacity electrodes suffering from large volume change for the development of nextgeneration lithium batteries.
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 11622217）
文摘The purpose of the current study is to explore the frictional behavior of a micro- sized superconducting fiber at the low-temperature condition. At first, a highly precise tribometer composed of a superconducting fiber wrapping around a cylinder made of pure Cu was immersed in liquid nitrogen. The force and displacement resolutions of the experimental system were as high as 0.01 mN and 0.03 ~m, respectively. The NbTi fibers with diameters ranging from 22.9 to 115 ~m were used in the experiments, and their frictional behaviors in three media, i.e., liquid nitrogen, air and water, were systemically investigated. It was found that the frictional force in air showed a remarkable size effect. The existence of water medium could significantly reduce the frictional force, but could not eliminate the size effect. For the samples with the same diameter, the frictional force in liquid nitrogen was about 1.4 times of that in air, accompanied with remark- able stick-slip phenomenon. Notably, the fiber＇s frictional behavior in liquid nitrogen showed no dependence on diameter. In order to interpret these phenomena, the frictional behaviors of the fibers in air, water and liquid nitrogen were simulated using a modified spring-slider model, by taking into account the influence of hydrophilicity on surface roughness, and the influence of surface roughness on the fiber＇s frictional behavior. The simulation results were consistent with the experimental data qualitatively.
基金Supported by National Basic Research Program of China("973"Program,No.2011CB707203)
文摘A micro-sized tube heat exchanger(MTHE) was fabricated, and its performance in heat transfer and pressure drop was experimentally studied. The single-phase forced convection heat transfer correlation on the sides of the MTHE tubes was proposed and compared with previous experimental data in the Reynolds number range of 500—1 800. The average deviation of the correlation in calculating the Nusselt number was about 6.59%. The entrance effect in the thermal entrance region was discussed. In the same range of Reynolds number, the pressure drop and friction coefficient were found to be considerably higher than those predicted by the conventional correlations. The product of friction factor and Reynolds number was also a constant, but much higher than the conventional.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFE0137200)Outstanding Youth Natural Science Fund of Shaanxi Province(2022JC-37)+2 种基金Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi(2023-CX-TD-31)Natural Science Basic Research Project of Shaanxi Province(2024JC-YBQN-0381)National Natural Science Foundation of China(51874240,52204021)。
文摘A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.
基金Funding support from Heilongjiang"Open Competition"project(Grant No.DQYT2022-JS-758)is greatly acknowledgedFinancial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52304025 and 52174025)is acknowledged+1 种基金supports from Northeast Petroleum University and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundationsupport from the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program.
文摘The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.
基金supported in part by Hitech Research Center Project for Private University from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
文摘Electromagnetic anisotropic characteristics in micro-sized water bamboo blind shape are observed by high frequency electromagnetic computation,which is applied to the material constants estimation.In assuming that the micro-sized unit structure is repeated in 3-dimensional space and its size is much smaller than the electromagnetic wave length,the micro-sized electromagnetic field calculation is carried out.If the micro-structure shapes of the material are different even if they are the same volume rate,different dielectric constant characteristics are provided.The reasons are considered to be a generation of de-electrification within the dielectric material.
文摘The coagulation time and position of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in molten metal during ultrasonic separation process were investigated, and the motion course of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in an ultrasonic standing wave field was numerically simulated. The results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the movement of inclusions depends on the balance between the acoustic radiation force, effective buoyancy force and viscous drag force. It is presented that micro-sized inclusions, agglomerated at antinode-planes may be removed further with horizon tal ultrasound.``
文摘The abrasive waterjet (AWJ) is now widely used in the advanced cutting processes of polymers,metals,glass,ceramics and composite materials like thin multiple-layered material (TMM).Various research and development efforts have recently been made to understand the science of AWJ.However,the interaction mechanism between a workpiece and high-velocity abrasive particles still remains a complicated problem.In this work,the material removal mechanisms of AWJ such as micro penetration and micro dent were experimentally investigated.In addition,a new computer simulation model considering high strain rate effect was proposed to understand the micro impact behavior of high-velocity micro-sized abrasives in AWJ cutting.
文摘The development of small and micro-sized enterprises is of vital significance for the steady and rapid social economy. In recent years, the developing environment for the small and micro-sized enterprises in Hubei province has become increasingly severe, and the problems such as high management cost, high taxes and fees, financing difficulties, and labor shortages of the small and micro-sized enterprises have been more obvious, so that the further development, transformation, and upgrading of the small and micro-sized enterprises are severely restricted. In order to promote the development of the small and micro-sized enterprises, the developing environment for the small and micro-sized enterprises should be further optimized, the tax environment for supporting the development of the small and micro-sized enterprises should be well improved, the financing system should be promoted to be sound, the industrial structure should be actively adjusted, and also the development quality should be increased.
