AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Failure mode analysis for lime/limestone FGD systems. Volume 1. Description of study and analysis of results. [Flue gas desulfurization]

Objective was to improve the reliability of lime/limestone FGD (flue gas desulfurization) systems by identifying the root cause of failure in full-scale installations so that recommendations for remedial measures could be made to system users. A systematic approach for determining FGD system failure causes and potential solutions were developed based upon past experience in field reliability studies. Visits were made to 37 utility sites which included 61 separate FGD systems to collect data for the reliability analysis. The FGD subsystems causing the most amount of downtime at the system and plant levels (rather than the module level) are ductwork, stacks, thickeners, and pipes and valves. The most troublesome failure modes for these key subsystems are acid attack of stack linings and corrosion of outlet ducts. The sulfur and chloride content of the coal affect FGD system reliability; reliability decreases as the sulfur or chloride content increases. For reliability purposes, FGD system designs should exclude subsystems that are nonessential for operation. Spare modules are recommended because they reduce the effects of failures on overall system operation. Subsystems with high failure rates (e.g., pumps) or major failure effects (e.g., outlet ducts and flues) should be considered as candidates for redundancy. Future studies should concentrate on the subsystems with the key failure modes: stack linings and outlet ducts.

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Atmospheric fluidized bed combustion: A technical source book: Final report

Although years of study and evaluation have been spent on the energy problem, only recently have preferred choices become more clearly defined. Atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion (AFBC) is one of but a few choices that offers a promise to use high sulfur coal, in the near term, in an environmentally acceptable manner. Most of the research and development work on AFBC has been done in the past 20 years. It was first motivated by human concerns about the environment and subsequently heightened by the 1973 energy crisis. During these 20 years, significant progress has been made and many research results have been published. As the technology matured toward commercialization, engineers often had difficulty finding the required information that is scattered throughout extensive literature. Furthermore, while there is a need for quick access to the accumulated knowledge for those engaged in designing AFBC systems and subsystems, the need for such access is equally important to AFBC users, who must operate these new combustion systems. This Source Book is the result of an effort to satisfy those needs first perceived by the DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) under whose sponsorship this Source Book was compiled. The book, in our view, is an example of one of the many ways the Federal Government can assist in the development of a new technology. The primary goal of the Source Book is to bring together relevant information on AFBC under one compilation and place it at the disposal of scientists and engineers engaged in the design and/or use of AFBC systems.

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High-temperature, solid oxide electrolyte fuel cell power generation system. Quarterly report, June 1, 1980-August 31, 1980

Design and development progress is detailed. Porous support tube quality continues to improve, both through modification of extrusion equipment and through the use of pre-calcined, blended powder materials in the starting, batch material. Apparatus has been assembled and is operational to measure support tube gas diffusion and permeation coefficients. Candidate air electrode materials, having more stable physical and chemical properties, to replace tin-doped indium oxide, are being examined. Series-cell stack tests have been tested: (1) to establish the effect of variable-length cells in a stack on fuel utilization and performance, and (2) to evaluate the performance of a stack having a flame sprayed, air cathode. Results in both of these areas is very encouraging: 90% fuel utilization was obtained in the stack with variable cell length, and up to 1000 mA/cm/sup 2/ was obtained in the stack with a flame sprayed, doped lanthanum cobalt oxide cathode. The HTSOE fuel cell stack was found to be tolerant to 50 ppM H/sub 2/S in exit gas at 85% depletion (of CO/H/sub 2/ mixture), when operated at 150 mA/cm/sup 2/ for 800 h at 1000/sup 0/C. Apparatus for AC and DC bench testing of stacks under variable fuel, oxidant, temperature conditions has been constructed and is operational.

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Gas separation by pressure swing adsorption for producing hydrogen from coal: Final report

This project demonstrated the feasibility of producing high purity hydrogen from a coal gasification product gas mixture by Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) using a commercial 5A zeolite as the adsorbent. The major advantage of PSA over conventional hydrogen upgrading processes is associated with lower overall production costs. This is mainly due to the integration of PSA into H/sub 2/ production plants as a single unit operation by replacing the low temperature carbon monoxide shift, carbon dioxide wash and methanation steps. In this way, hydrogen production costs are typically reduced from 7 to 40%. A single bed PSA process was designed to simulate the various steps of commercial multibed PSA plants. A new and very important step, ''Vacuum Purge'', was also investigated. 45 refs., 38 figs., 50 tabs.

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Zero-order trace element distribution model for the Great Plains Coal Gasification Plant: Topical report

The Morgantown Energy Technology Center of the US DOE is developing a series for models of environmental systems. Both zero-order and detailed models are being developed. Detailed models are based on fundamental engineering principles and the use of detailed physical and chemical property data; reliance on empirical relationships and correlations is minimized. The key advantage of detailed models is their predictive capabilities and utility in performing valid comparative analyses. An important prerequisite to the development of detailed models in the availability of representative, long-term process and environmental data. These data are needed both to develop the models as well as to validate them. Zero-order models are less rigorous and have less predictive capability than detailed models since they are based on empirical estimates and simple correlations. However, they can be developed relatively quickly and are significantly less expensive to develop and use compared to detailed models. Zero-order models are useful in identifying potential environmental or control technology problems. As such, they can help direct future research and development efforts. They can provide useful information when comprehensive data are unavailable for detailed modeling, and can be used as a screening tool to identify process alternatives which appear to warrant more detailed modeling. This report describes a zero-order trace element distribution model for the Great Plains Coal Gasification Plant located near Beulah, North Dakota. The model estimates how trace elements entering the plant in the feed coal are distributed to the plant's process and waste streams. Elements that may be introduced to the plant's waste streams from sorbents and/or catalysts (e.g., Vanadium in makeup Stretford solution) are not considered in the model. 13 refs.

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SUPRI (Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute) heavy oil research program

This report is a summary of the work performed under Department of Energy contract FG19-87BC14126 during the period February 22, 1987 to February 21, 1990. During that period the Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute has published twenty-two technical reports and professional papers. This report presents in general terms the scope of work of SUPRI which is divided in five main projects: reservoir properties, in-situ combustion, improvement of steam injection by additives, well-to-well formation evaluation, and field support services. The results obtained during the period of performance of the contract are then presented in the form of abstracts from the technical reports and papers written during the period of performance.

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Effects of coal combustion and gasification  process contaminants on pulmonary defense mechanisms. 3rd quarter and final progress report

This project has involved the study of the effects of effluents from coal combustion processes on alveolar macrophage function using the rat and rabbit as the experimental animals. A number of alveolar macrophage functions are inhibited by several heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb) which are contained in the respirable particulates of coal combustion flyash. Lysosomal enzyme activities and lysosomal enzyme latency are inhibited but only at high metal concentrations. The same was found for phagocytosis. The oxidative responses to zymosan challenge were much more sensitive to the effects of metals with chemiluminescence being the most sensitive. 7 figures, 7 tables.

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Geologic characterization of tight gas reservoirs: Annual report, FY 1987

The objectives of US Geological Survey (USGS) work are to conduct geologic research characterizing tight gas-bearing sequences in the western United States. Additional critical objects are to provide geologic consulting and research support for ongoing Multiwell Experiment (MWX) engineering, petrophysical, log-analysis, and well-testing research. The USGS research during the last few years has been in the Greater Green River, Piceance, and Uinta basins of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. However, beginning in FY-87 our efforts have been restricted for the most part to the Greater Green River basin. 16 refs., 20 figs.

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A dual-gas tracer technique for determining trapped gas saturation during steady foam flow in porous media

Foam is a possible mobility control agent for effective oil displacement from reservoirs. Micromodel studies and prior gas-phase tracer experiments show that a significant fraction of the gas in a foam exists as trapped bubbles which, therefore, have a major impact on the flow resistance. To obtain quantitative measurements of trapped gas saturations, we have developed a unique experimental apparatus employing dual gas tracers. During steady foam flow in a porous medium, dilute sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}) and methane (CH{sub 4}) tracers in a nitrogen carrier are injected, and the effluent concentration is monitored by gas chromatography. The measured tracer histories are fit to a simple mass transfer model which describes any partitioning between the mobil and trapped foam phases. Tracer effluent concentrations predicted by the model are strongly influenced by the solubility of each tracer in the liquid phase. Hence, multiple gas tracers provide a discriminating assessment of trapped gas saturation during foam flow through porous media. New trapped gas saturations are reported for an aqueous C{sub 14-16} {alpha}-olefin sulfonate foamer solution and nitrogen flowing through a 2.3-{mu}m{sup 2} fired Berea sandstone at 10{sup 5} Pa (1 atm) back pressure and at room temperature. 26 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

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Distribution of a crystalline nickel (II) porphyrin in the Green River Formation

Development of effective mitigation strategies for handling solid wastes from oil shale production requires knowledge of the types and the distribution of organic and inorganic phases. Characterization of the mineral phases of a resource is essential in order to improve retorting efficiency and maximize recovery, as well to dispose of the waste in an environmentally safe manner. Nickel is one of the metals considered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to be of primary environmental concern. In the sediments of the Green River Formation, abelsonite, a nickel porphyrin, has been encountered in the raw oil shale. Because of its organo-metallic structure, abelsonite, when thermally processed, would be expected to contribute virtually all of its nickel to the process waste materials. It is the potential increase in nickel concentrations in spent shale that merits the investigation of the distribution of this material. 40 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs.

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Advanced turbine design for coal-fueled engines

The investigators conclude that: (1) Turbine erosion resistance was shown to be improved by a factor of 5 by varying the turbine design. Increasing the number of stages and increasing the mean radius reduces the peak predicted erosion rates for 2-D flows on the blade airfoil from values which are 6 times those of the vane to values of erosion which are comparable to those of the vane airfoils. (2) Turbine erosion was a strong function of airfoil shape depending on particle diameter. Different airfoil shapes for the same turbine operating condition resulted in a factor of 7 change in airfoil erosion for the smallest particles studied (5 micron). (3) Predicted erosion for the various turbines analyzed was a strong function of particle diameter and weaker function of particle density. (4) Three dimensional secondary flows were shown to cause increases in peak and average erosion on the vane and blade airfoils. Additionally, the interblade secondary flows and stationary outer case caused unique erosion patterns which were not obtainable with 2-D analyses. (5) Analysis of the results indicate that hot gas cleanup systems are necessary to achieve acceptable turbine life in direct-fired, coal-fueled systems. In addition, serious consequences arise when hot gas filter systems fail for even short time periods. For a complete failure of the filter system, a 0.030 in. thick corrosion-resistant protective coating on a turbine blade would be eroded at some locations within eight minutes.

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Application of microbial processes to viscosity reduction of heavy crude oil: Final report. [Biosurfactants]

The objectives of this research were to evaluate roles for microbial processes that would effectively reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oils. These objectives relate to applications such as enhanced oil recovery, transportation of heavy oil and tar sand or oil shale displacement technology. The research concerned the elucidation of the chemical nature and physical properties of biosurfactant in relationship to specific characteristics for application in oil production, processing and transportation. The accomplishments of this research program have been the isolation of microorganisms with the ability to reduce the viscosity of heavy oils 95% or greater through the formation of stable oil-in-water emulsions by extracellular biosurfactants. These microorganisms produce surface active products (biosurfactants) that are equal to, if not superior, to many synthetic surfactants. One bacterial isolate (H-13A) was studied in detail concerning the general physiology of biosurfactant production, the chemical nature and physical properties of the biosurfactant. The biosurfactant exhibits good surface-active properties in the presence of brine and divalent cations, is active between pH 3.5 to 12.0, is stable to 150/sup 0/C, forms stable oil-in-water emulsions, and exhibits phase behavior with formation of a middle phase. Biosurfactant applications studies have demonstrated 95 to 98% viscosity reduction of heavy oils, oil displacement from sand packs and tar sands, and a potential for oil displacement from rock matrices. 10 refs., 6 figs., 14 tabs.

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Enhanced oil recovery by surfactant-enhanced volumetric sweep efficiency: First annual report for the period September 30, 1985-September 30, 1986. [Sandpacks]

Surfactant-enhanced volumetric sweep efficiency is a novel EOR method which utilizes precipitation/coacervation of surfactants to plug the most permeable regions of the reservoir, improving the efficiency of a waterflooding operation. This technique does not rely on reduction of interfacial tension between aqueous and oleic phases to enhance oil recovery. Therefore, even though surfactants are involved, this new technique is not a substitute or improvement on classical surfactant flooding; however, it has the potantial to compete with polymer flooding as an alternative sweep efficiency improvement method. In surfactant-enhanced volumetric sweep efficiency, a slug containing one kind of surfactant is injected into the reservoir, followed by a brine spacer. This is followed by injection of a second kind of surfactant which has lower adsorption than the first surfactant used. Anionic and cationic surfactants are one possible combination for this application. These may form either a precipitate or a coacervate upon mixing. Phase boundaries for some specific systems of this type have been determined over a wide range of conditions and a model developed to describe this behavior. Another possibility is the use of nonionic surfactants, which may form coacervate under proper conditions. The adsorption behavior of mixtures of anionic and nonionic surfactants was measured to aid in modeling the chromatographic effects with these surfactants in the reservoir. Studies with sandpacks of different permeabilities in parallel configuration using mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants have demonstrated the capability of this method to reduce flow rates through a more permeable sandpack more than that through a less permeable sandpack. 4 refs., 23 figs., 8 tabs.

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Project Rio Blanco definition plan. Vol. 2. Detonation-related detailed tasks

Project Rio Blanco is the first phase of a 3-phase program to demonstrate the potential of commercial development of a natural-gas field by nuclear stimulation techniques in the Piceance Basin in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. Because the gas is tightly held within the surrounding rock, this field cannot be developed by conventional stimulation methods. The first phase will consist of simultaneously detonating 3 nuclear explosives at different depths within the Fort Union and Mesaverde formations. The detonation of the explosives is designed to stimulate a 1,350-ft vertical section of the Fort Union and Mesaverde formations. After a 3-mo. waiting period, a reentry well will be drilled into the gas-filled chimney, and the reservoir testing and evaluation will start. Because of the extensive detail required in planning Project Rio Blanco, the Definition Plan is presented in 3 volumes. The tasks needed for the operational scope of work related to the detonation such as site construction, power installation and distribution, drilling of the emplacement well, stemming plans, seismic effects documentation, and ground-water protection program are discussed in V. 2.

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Proect Rio Blanco:  technical studies II

Project Rio Blanco is the first nuclear experiment utilizing the detonation of multiple explosives in a single well bore to stimulate natural gas production. To support the formulation of a project definition document for this experiment, as well as to estimate the environmental consequences of the detonation, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has continued to pursue technical studies in several pertinent areas. This document presents results obtained since the issuance of UCID-15968 (Jan. 24, 1972), and includes the elucidation of rock properties as determined with samples taken from the emplacement well, a prediction of explosion effects (using the rock properties previously mentioned), an updated analysis of both the reservoir characteristics and the estimated gas production from the stimulated well, and a revised treatment of predicted gas quality. Add-on experimental programs are described and discussed.

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Material properties of Devonian shale for stimulation-technology development

Material properties are used in the design of hydraulic fracturing treatments to establish a relation between the volume of fluid used in a job and the expected extent of the fracture. In Devonian shales this is important in determining the volume of fluid necessary to intersect the natural fracture system. In an attempt to provide a consistent and self-contained data base on the physical properties of Devonian shale, Science Applications has reviewed and collected previously generated data from numerous sources and has performed additional experiments so as to define the applicability of some of the quasi-static data to the evaluation of dynamic treatments. The review, experiments and evaluation which have been conducted on Devonian shale physical properties have resulted in the following principle conclusions: the elastic properties and yield surfaces defined by triaxial tests on Devonian shale may be significantly dependent upon shale type and organic richness, but a more systematic approach to core selection and testing will be required to establish correlations. Sufficient material property data for modeling and stimulation design exist only on a very site-specific basis, and more testing is required for identifying generic and regional trends. Dynamic experiments employing modified split-Hopkinson-bar techniques were so controlled by anisotropic sample failure that quantitative data on dynamic yield strength could not be obtained. There is a strong need for the development of experimental techniques and the generation of concordant data on the dynamic yield characteristics of Devonian shale at strain rates representative of explosive and tailored-pulse-loading. 9 figures, 17 tables.

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Mechanical properties of Devonian shales from the Appalachian Basin

A prime objective of the current study has been to establish wherever possible regional or stratigraphic trends in the various properties required by stimulation research. Lithologically Devonian shales tend to fall into two categories: gray shales and organic-rich black shales. Two black/gray pairs, Huron/Hanover and Marcellus/Mahantango, were selected from four localities in Pennsylvania and Ohio for comprehensive testing. Over 130 experiments were run on these zones to determine elasticity, fracture properties, yield and ultimate strength, and ductility. The results of these tests and previous tests run on core from West Virginia and Kentucky provide a basis for the following conclusions about Devonian shale mechanical properties and their applications in stimulation research: elasticity of Devonian shale matrix material showed no strong trends with respect to either lithology, locality, or confining pressure. Gray shales tended to have a slightly higher Young's modulus than black shales, but the difference between the averages was less than the standard deviation of each average. Ultimate strength, yield strength, and ductility all increase with increasing confining pressure, which is typical for most rocks. Ultimate strength and yield strength tend to be higher for gray shales, whereas black shales tend to be more ductile. Tensile strength showed no particular trends either regionally or lithologically, whereas fracture energy seemed to have the most consistent trends of any material property measured. Black shales tended to have a higher fracture energy, and fracture energy for both black and gray shales tended to increase with depth of burial. Two promising topics for continued study are the effect of confining pressure on fracture energy and the effect of deformation rate on material properties. 16 figures, 9 tables.

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