Browsing by Subject "characterization"
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Item Carbon foam characterization tensile evaluation of carbon foam ligaments(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Verdugo Rodriguez, Rogelio AlbertoA methodology for ligament isolation and specimen preparation for tensile testing of single ligaments from the unit cell of open-cell carbon foams has been successfully developed and implemented. Results are presented for ligaments of three different carbon foam designations. Two of them are reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) foams of 20 and 45 pores-per- inch (ppi) coated with SiC by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the other is a RVC 20 ppi foam without coating. Scanning electron microscopy and digital imaging analysis is used to analyze the fracture surfaces posts tests. The ultimate strength of each ligament evaluated. Weibull statistics is used to describe the strength distribution of ligaments. While the distribution of strengths of the carbon foam ligaments (RVC) could be described with a one-population distribution, it is found that a two-population Weibull distribution is necessary to describe the distribution of strength of the SiC coated ligaments.Item Characterization and stabilization of arsenic in water treatment residuals(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) Wee, Hun YoungThe characterization of water treatment residuals containing arsenic was investigated in the first study. Arsenic desorption and leachability from the residuals were the focus of this study. Arsenic leaching from water treatment residuals was found to be underestimated by the toxicity characteristic leaching test (TCLP) due to the pH of the leachates being favorable for As(V) adsorption. Competitive desorption of arsenic with phosphate was significant because phosphate tends to compete with As(V) on the surface of the metal hydroxide for adsorption sites. However, arsenic desorption by the competition of sulfate and chloride was found to be negligible. The pH in the leachate was a critical variable in controlling arsenic stability in the residuals. The release of arsenic from the residuals was elevated at low and high pH due to the increase dissolution of the adsorbents such as Fe and Al hydroxides. In the second phase of the study, the stabilization techniques for arsenic contained residuals and were examined to develop methods to suitably stabilize arsenic to eliminate and/or minimize leaching. A decrease of arsenic leaching was achieved by the addition of lime to the residuals and believed to be due to the formation of less soluble and stable calcium-arsenic compounds. However, it is suggested that the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) should be added with the lime for the long term stabilization because lime can be slowly consumed when directly exposed to atmospheric CO2. The solidification and stabilization (S/S) technique with lime and OPC was shown to be successfully applied by the immobilization of a wide variety of arsenic tainted water treatment residuals.Item Characterization of Shape Memory Alloys Using Artificial Neural Networks(2014-04-28) Henrickson, James VShape memory alloys are capable of delivering advantageous solutions to a wide range of engineering-based problems. Implementation of these solutions, however, is often complicated by the hysteretic, non-linear, thermomechanical behavior of the material. Existing constitutive models are largely capable of accurately describing this unique behavior, but they require prior characterization of material parameters. Current characterization procedures necessitate extensive data collection and data processing, creating a high barrier of entry for shape memory alloy application. This thesis develops a novel approach in which a form of computational intelligence is applied to the task of shape memory alloy material parameter characterization. Specifically, this work develops a methodology in which an artificial neural network is trained to identify transformation temperatures and stress influence coefficients of shape memory alloy specimens using strain-temperature coordinates as inputs. Training data is generated through the use of an existing shape memory alloy constitutive model. Factorial and Taguchi-based methods of generating training data are implemented and compared. Results show that trained artificial neural networks are capable of identifying shape memory alloy material parameters with satisfactory accuracy. Comparison of the implemented training data generation methods indicates that the Taguchi-based approach yields an artificial neural network that outperforms that of the factorial-based approach despite requiring significantly fewer training data specimens.Item Fabrication and characterization of porous shape memory alloys(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Penrod, Luke EdwardThis work details an investigation into the production of porous shape memory alloys (SMAs) via hot isostatic press (HIP) from prealloyed powders. HIPing is one of three main methods for producing porous SMAs, the other two are conventional sintering and selfpropagating hightemperature synthesis (SHS). Conventional sintering is characterized by its long processing time at near atmospheric pressure and samples made this way are limited in porosity range. The SHS method consists of preloading a chamber with elemental powders and then initiating an explosion at one end, which then propagates through the material in a very short time. HIPing provides a compromise between the two methods, requiring approximately 5 hours per cycle while operating in a very controlled environment. The HIPing method gives fine control of both temperature and pressure during the run which allows for the production of samples with varying porosity as well as for finetuning of the process for other characteristics. By starting with prealloyed powder, this study seeks to avoid the drawbacks while retaining the benefits of HIPing with elemental powders. In an extension of previous work with elemental powders, this study will apply the HIP method to a compact of prealloyed powders. It is hoped that the use of these powders will limit the formation of alternate phases as well as reducing oxidation formed during preparation. In addition, the nearspherical shape of the powders will encourage an even pore distribution. Processing techniques will be presented as well as a detailed investigation of the thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting material.Item Interpretation, Analysis and Design of Inter-well Tracer Tests in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs(2013-08-19) Alramadhan, Aymen AbduljalilIn order to understand the complex fracture network that controls water movement in Sherrod Area of Spraberry Field in West Texas and to better manage the on-going waterflood performance, a field scale inter-well tracer test was implemented. This test presents the largest inter-well tracer test in naturally fractured reservoirs reported in the industry and includes the injection of 13 different tracers and sampling of 110 producers in an area covering 6533 acres. Sherrod tracer test generated a total of 598 tracer responses from 51 out of the 110 sampled producers. Tracer responses showed a wide range of velocities from 14 ft/day to ultra-high velocities exceeding 10,000 ft/day with same-day tracer breakthrough. Re-injection of produced water has caused the tracers to be re-injected and added an additional challenge to diagnose and distinguish tracer responses affected by water recycling. Historical performance of the field showed simultaneous water breakthrough of a large number of wells covering entire Sherrod area. This research investigate analytical, numerical, and inversion modeling approaches in order to categorize, history match, and connect tracer responses with water-cut responses with the objective to construct multiple fracture realizations based entirely on water-cut and tracers? profiles. In addition, the research highlight best practices in the design of inter-well tracer tests in naturally fractured reservoirs through lessons learned from Sherrod Area. The large number of tracer responses from Sherrod case presents a case of naturally fractured reservoir characterization entirely based on dynamic data. Results indicates that tracer responses could be categorized based on statistical analysis of tracer recoveries of all pairs of injectors and producers with each category showing distinguishing behavior in tracers? movement and breakthrough time. In addition, it showed that tracer and water-cut responses in the field are dominantly controlled by the fracture system revealing minimum information about the matrix system. Numerical simulation studies showed limitation in dual porosity formulation/solvers to model tracer velocities exceeding 2200 ft/day. Inversion modeling using Gradzone Analysis showed that east and north-west of Sherrod have significantly lower pore volume compared to south-west.Item Optimized procedures for extractioin, purification and characterization of exopolymeric substances (eps) from two bacteria (sagittula stellata and pseudomonas fluorescens biovar ii) with relevance to the study of actinide binding in aquatic environments(2009-05-15) Xu, ChenThe extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of marine bacterium Sagittula stellata and soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Biovar II, were extracted by six methods referred to the bibliography, efficacies of which were compared based on the EPS yield, composition as well as cell disturbance. Purification methods on these EPS were also improved, which proved to be more cost-effective and involve less interference from broth, compared to previous methods. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) proved to be a useful tool, providing the ?fingerprints? of the EPS extracted by different methods or after each purification step. Studies of the EPS production and composition at different growth stages provided abundant information and a basis for further in-depth studies. Results from SEC demonstrated that bacterial EPS had a constant molecular weight distribution all through the life but with various polymers in different proportions. Three fractions were successfully isolated by a combination of SEC and anion exchange chromatography for ?non-attched? EPS produced by Pseudomonas flurorescens Biovar II. Protein turned out to be a major component of EPS in their native states, which was mixed with the broth material and couldn?t be recognized previously. The EPS harvested at the optimal time of the bacterial life was purified according to the improved method and was more enriched in polysaccharides, with small amounts of proteins, giving the molecules amphiphilic properties. In addition, simultaneous determination of neutral sugars and uronic acids by GC-EI-MS provided more information on the monosaccharide composition of the exopolysaccharides. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) spectra of the bacterial EPS spiked with Pu/Th, and Pu-enriched Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) soil organic colloid spiked with Th showed similar activity distributions of both actinides along the pH gradient, with the activities of both actinides focusing on the low pH region. Characterizations of this Pu-enriched IEF extract from RFETS soil by spectrophotometric methods and ATR-FTIR indicated the co-presence of lipids, proteins and polysaccharides, in contrast to the bacterial EPS, which showed a simpler composition. This suggests that Th/Pu binding to organic macromolecules is more determined by the availability of binding functional groups rather than the exact specific compounds.Item Reservoir characterization and development opportunities in Jacob Field, South-Central Texas(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Hernandez Depaz, Mirko JoshoeThe Jacob field was discovered in the year 1931. In the year 2002, due to the low productivity of the field, the company wanted to determine whether to keep operating, abandon or sell the field. So they asked Texas A&M University to perform the study, determine the oil potential, and make recommendations to improve production. Since no previous reservoir study was performed in this field, the original oil in place and the current status of depletion was unknown. Therefore a complete integrated study was needed in order to learn about the reservoir and evaluate it in a qualitative and quantitative manner, before making any recommendation. The current pay zone underlying the Jacob field forms a monocline structure composed of unconsolidated young clastic sediments deposited in the Eocene epoch of the stratigraphic column of the Nueces River Basin, mainly due to a fluvial deltaic system developed in south Texas. The original oil in place for this pay zone was estimated to be 18.12 MMSTB and the cumulative production as of October 2003, 3.8 MMSTB. The analysis of the production data available had shown that the pay zone is being flooded by a strong water encroachment from the lower sides of the structure. This behavior was confirmed by the anisotropy analysis from core and log data, which shows that the reservoir tends to be more homogeneous in the direction of the water encroachment. It seems that there is not much room for further development in the current pay zone in the Jacob field (the remaining reserves were estimated to be 10 MSTB as of October 2003). However, the presence of a continuous shallow clean sandstone, not properly tested, of better reservoir properties than the actual pay zone was noticed. Moreover, this clean sandstone showed oil and gas presence in thirteen wells in the drilling cuttings. Therefore further development should concentrate more on investigating and developing the oil potential of the latter sandstone as well as accelerating the reserves production in the actual pay zone by means of waterflooding and/or infill drilling.Item Reservoir characterization using wavelet transforms(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Rivera Vega, NestorAutomated detection of geological boundaries and determination of cyclic events controlling deposition can facilitate stratigraphic analysis and reservoir characterization. This study applies the wavelet transformation, a recent advance in signal analysis techniques, to interpret cyclicity, determine its controlling factors, and detect zone boundaries. We tested the cyclostratigraphic assessments using well log and core data from a well in a fluvio-eolian sequence in the Ormskirk Sandstone, Irish Sea. The boundary detection technique was tested using log data from 10 wells in the Apiay field, Colombia. We processed the wavelet coefficients for each zone of the Ormskirk Formation and determined the wavelengths of the strongest cyclicities. Comparing these periodicities with Milankovitch cycles, we found a strong correspondence of the two. This suggests that climate exercised an important control on depositional cyclicity, as had been concluded in previous studies of the Ormskirk Sandstone. The wavelet coefficients from the log data in the Apiay field were combined to form features. These vectors were used in conjunction with pattern recognition techniques to perform detection in 7 boundaries. For the upper two units, the boundary was detected within 10 feet of their actual depth, in 90% of the wells. The mean detection performance in the Apiay field is 50%. We compared our method with other traditional techniques which do not focus on selecting optimal features for boundary identification. Those methods resulted in detection performances of 40% for the uppermost boundary, which lag behind the 90% performance of our method. Automated determination of geologic boundaries will expedite studies, and knowledge of the controlling deposition factors will enhance stratigraphic and reservoir characterization models. We expect that automated boundary detection and cyclicity analysis will prove to be valuable and time-saving methods for establishing correlations and their uncertainties in many types of oil and gas reservoirs, thus facilitating reservoir exploration and management.Item Reservoir characterization, performance monitoring of waterflooding and development opportunities in Germania Spraberry Unit.(Texas A&M University, 2005-08-29) Hernandez Hernandez, Erwin EnriqueThe Germania Unit is located in Midland County, 12 miles east of Midland, Texas and is part of the Spraberry Formation in the Midland Basin which is one of the largest known oil reservoirs in the world bearing between 8.9 billion barrels and 10.5 billion barrels of oil originally in place. The field is considered geologically complex since it comprises typically low porosity, low permeability fine sandstones, and siltstones that are interbedded with shaly non-reservoir rocks. Natural fractures existing over a regional area have long been known to dominate all aspects of performance in the Spraberry Trend Area. Two stages of depletion have taken place over 46 years of production: Primary production under solution gas drive and secondary recovery via water injection through two different injection patterns. The cumulative production and injection in Germania as of July 2003 were 3.24 million barrels and 3.44 million barrels respectively and the production level is 470 BOPD through 64 active wells with an average rate per well of 7.3 BOPD and average water cut of 60 percent. This performance is considered very low and along with the low amount of water injected, waterflood recovery has never been thoroughly understood. In this research, production and injection data were analyzed and integrated to optimize the reservoir management strategies for Germania Spraberry Unit. This study addresses reservoir characterization and monitoring of the waterflood project with the aim of proposing alternatives development, taking into account current and future conditions of the reservoir. Consequently, this project will be performed to provide a significant reservoir characterization in an uncharacterized area of Spraberry and evaluate the performance of the waterflooding to provide facts, information and knowledge to obtain the maximum economic recovery from this reservoir and finally understand waterflood management in Spraberry. Thus, this research describes the reservoir, and comprises the performance of the reservoir under waterflooding, and controlled surveillance to improve field performance. This research should serve as a guide for future work in reservoir simulation and reservoir management and can be used to evaluate various scenarios for additional development as well as to optimize the operating practices in the field. The results indicate that under the current conditions, a total of 1.410 million barrels of oil can be produced in the next 20 years through the 64 active wells and suggest that the unit can be successfully flooded with the current injection rate of 1600 BWPD and pattern consisting of 6 injection wells aligned about 36 degrees respect to the major fracture orientation. This incremental is based in both extrapolations and numerical simulation studies conducted in Spraberry.Item Synthesis and Characterization of NiMnGa Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy Thin Films(2011-10-21) Jetta, NishithaNi-Mn-Ga is a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy that can be used for future sensors and actuators. It has been shown that magnetic field can induce phase transformation and consequently large strain in stoichiometric Ni2MnGa. Since then considerable progress has been made in understanding the underlying science of shape memory and ferromagnetic shape memory in bulk materials. Ni-Mn-Ga thin films, however is a relatively under explored area. Ferromagnetic shape memory alloy thin films are conceived as the future MEMS sensor and actuator materials. With a 9.5 percent strain rate reported from magnetic reorientation, Ni-Mn-Ga thin films hold great promise as actuator materials. Thin films come with a number of advantages and challenges as compared to their bulk counterparts. While properties like mechanical strength, uniformity are much better in thin film form, high stress and constraint from the substrate pose a significant challenge for reorientation and shape memory behavior. In either case, it is very important to understand their behavior and examine their properties. This thesis is an effort to contribute to the literature of Ni-Mn-Ga thin films as ferromagnetic shape memory alloys. The focus of this project is to develop a recipe for fabricating NiMnGa thin films with desired composition and microstructure and hence unique properties for future MEMS actuator materials and characterize their properties to aid better understanding of their behavior. In this project NiMnGa thin films have been fabricated using magnetron sputtering on a variety of substrates. Magnetron sputtering technique allows us to tailor the composition of films which is crucial for controlling the phase transformation properties of NiMnGa films. The composition is tailored by varying several deposition parameters. Microstructure of the films has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Mechanical properties of as-deposited films have been probed using nano-indentation technique. The chemistry of sputtered films is determined quantitatively by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS). Phase transformation is studied by using a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in-situ heating in TEM and in-situ XRD instruments. Magnetic properties of films are examined using superconducting quantum interface device (SQUID).