AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Report on progress in underground coal gasification. [22 references]

The feasibility of underground gasification of coal is reviewed as a result of the changed conditions resulting from the energy crisis, experience in various countries, and certain new ideas developed by MERC (which were later found to be very similar to methods proven in the Soviet Union). While underground gasification of coal has been tried in many countries, it is only in the Soviet Union that the process became commercial; while many of the trial efforts were not very successful, some progress was being made; but the process could not compete with the cheap oil and natural gas available in many areas. After the energy crisis, MERC reviewed the concept and developed some new ideas; other US groups also became more enthusiastic. The following concepts are discussed:  lignite and subbituminous coals are considered more satisfactory for underground gasification than higher-rank coals; using air, a gas of only 100-150 Btu/SCF can be produced, which must be used locally, or it can be uprated by surface gasification; certain methods developed by MERC and by the Soviets appear to avoid problems encountered earlier. The method seems attractive for recovery of the large amounts of coal that exist in thin, low-grade seams and as an alternative to the complex, surface gasification methods undergoing development. (LTN)

Tags: kmd
Gas miscible displacement enhanced oil recovery

The general goal of the Gas Miscible Displacement Project is to support high-risk, long-term CO/sub 2//EOR research that does not duplicate or displace private and other public R and D efforts. More specifically, the project goals are: (1) to understand the CO/sub 2/ process displacement mechanisms; (2) to provide predictive capability to forecast recovery from the process; and (3) to improve the process recovery efficiency. In order to accomplish these goals, the following research priorities have been identified: (1) better mobility control of injected fluids; (2) improved techniques for reservoir evaluation through investigating geologic and reservoir heterogeneity, residual oil saturation, and fracturing; (3) improved understanding of oil swelling, viscosity reduction, and extraction/vaporization phenomena; (4) improved predictive modeling; and (5) field-performance appraisal for tertiary oil recovery. The objectives of the research for FY 83 and FY 84 are: to provide a better understanding of the mechanism of the carbon dioxide miscible displacement process; to increase the displacement and sweep efficiencies of the injected fluids; to provide predictive modelig capability for the gas miscible displacement process; and to study the effects of reservoir heterogeneity.

Tags: kmd
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory oil shale project. Quarterly report, July-September 1982. [Surface retorting]

Highlights of progress accomplished during the quarter ending September 1982 are summarized under the headings: recycle chemistry; sulfur chemistry; char gasification kinetics; retort modeling; biomarkers in oil shale-occurrence and applications; trace sulfur-gas formation by triple quadrupole mass spectroscopy; high-pressure pyrolysis related to radiofrequency in-situ processing; and stickiness of retorting oil shale particles on stainless steel. (DMC)

Tags: kmd
Oil shale: Technology status report

This report documents the status of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Oil Shale Program as of the end of FY 86. The report consists of (1) a status of oil shale development, (2) a description of the DOE Oil Shale Program, (3) an FY 86 oil shale research summary, and (4) a summary of FY 86 accomplishments. Discoveries were made in FY 86 about the physical and chemical properties and behavior of oil shales, process chemistry and kinetics, in situ retorting, advanced processes, and the environmental behavior and fate of wastes. The DOE Oil Shale Program shows an increasing emphasis on eastern US oil shales and in the development of advanced oil shale processing concepts. With the award to Foster Wheeler for the design of oil shale conceptual plants, the first step in the development of a systems analysis capability for the complete oil shale process has been taken. Unocal's Parachute Creek project, the only commercial oil shale plant operating in the United States, is operating at about 4000 bbl/day. The shale oil is upgraded at Parachute Creek for input to a conventional refinery. 67 refs., 21 figs., 3 tabs.

Tags: kmd
Application of molecular dynamics to macroscopic particles

Molecular dynamics research is reviewed with emphasis on current nonequilibrium calculational techniques used to calculate transport coefficients in systems of polyatomic molecules. Many of the numerical methods and numerical-experiment evaluation techniques of that field could be adapted to macroscopic granular material studies. There are, however, significant differences between macroscopic and molecular interactions - differences that considerably modify some of the computational methods and also the interpretation of the calculational results. Macroscopic particles interact with nonconservative interaction forces. Macroscopically available energy is lost from the system during most dynamic interactions - through plastic deformation, friction and breakage. Cundall and Strack are using simplified models of the interaction forces acting between essentially rigid macroscopic particles to study quasi-static deformations in assemblies of two-dimensional circular particles. We are using somewhat similar two-dimensional models in a study of nonequilibrium shearing flow of granular materials. Several verification calculations and tests have confirmed the ability of these computer models to predict the dynamic interactions of macroscopic particles. Preliminary results from shearing flow calculations and corresponding laboratory tests are also in qualitative agreement. Plans for a quantitative study of shear stress dependence on shear rate and other parameters are discussed.

Tags: kmd
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of pyridines

The proton NMR spectra of 32 pyridines in two solvents carbon tetrachloride and benzen-d6, are presented. The chemical-shift and differential-shift values are correlated with the substitutent position and with the solvent media. The ring protons and the protons on alkyl substituents are tabulated. The paramagnetic shift of the protons adjacent to the nitrogen is discussed, and a proposed structure for the pyridine-benzene complex that is consistent with the observed anomalous paramagnetic shift is presented. The utility of the data in the identification of pyridine compounds found in shale-oil naphtha is demonstrated.

Tags: kmd
Methodology for modeling the migration of EOR chemicals in fresh water aquifers

The objective of this study is to develop a method for modeling the transport of EOR chemicals accidentally released to fresh water aquifers. Six examples involving hypothetical releases of EOR chemicals at surrogate aquifer sites are used to illustrate the application of this method. Typical injection rates and concentrations of EOR chemicals used at current or proposed projects were obtained from the literature and used as the basis for the hypothetical accidents. Four surrogate aquifer sites were selected from States where chemical flooding methods are employed. Each site is based on real hydrological data but presented in such a way to avoid identification with existing EOR fields. A significant amount of data is required to model ground water systems. The hypothetical examples help to indicate the type of data needed. The computer results illustrate that high levels of contamination are possible for many years. In addition, due to these high levels of contamination, it is possible for contaminants to migrate offsite of the EOR field. There are a variety of pathways through which EOR chemicals could be accidentally released to fresh water aquifers during normal EOR operations. There is insufficient EOR experience to date, however, to forecast risks accurately. 119 references, 10 figures, 9 tables.

Tags: kmd
Adsorption of organic acids from dilute aqueous solution onto activated carbon

The radioisotope technique was used to study the removal of organic acid contaminants from dilute aqueous solutions onto activated carbon. Acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, n-hexanoic acid and n-heptanoic acid were studied at 278, 298, and 313/sup 0/K. Three bi-solute acid mixtures (acetic and propionic acids, acetic and butanoic acids, and propionic and butanoic acids) were studied at 278 and 298/sup 0/K. Isotherms of the single-solute systems were obtained at three different temperatures in the very dilute concentration region (less than 1% by weight). These data are very important in the prediction of bi-solute equilibrium data. A Polanyi-based competitive adsorption potential theory was used to predict the bi-solute equilibrium uptakes. Average errors between calculated and experimental data ranges from 4% to 14%. It was found that the competitive adsorption potential theory gives slightly better results than the ideal adsorbed solution theory.

Tags: kmd
Oil shale process chemistry as related to potential pollutants such as arsenic and sulfur. Final report, June 1, 1982-June 30, 1983

The process chemistry of sulfur and arsenic in oil shale retorting is being studied. After an introduction, Section II deals with identifying and quantifying the chemical forms of sulfur that were obtained in spent shale and retort off-gas from laboratory retorting experiments using a nitrogen atmosphere and covering a temperature range from 350/sup 0/C to 800/sup 0/C. The third section describes preliminary work on the separation of iron pyrite from oil shale by sedimentation using a liquid medium. Section IV describes some exploratory work on the analysis of raw shale for total arsenic by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA). Arsenic analyses were also carried out on materials obtained from the air atmosphere retorting experiments described in Section VI. Section V describes an exploratory experiment that included the high temperature water leaching of a spent shale. Work on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) described in Section VII includes a composited table of FTIR absorption peaks for oil shale minerals and a comparison of methylene peak heights with Fischer assay data on oil yields.

Tags: kmd
Synthesis of indanes, tetralins and carotanes, and characterization of indanes and tetralins. Final report, May 1, 1982-April 30, 1984. [Alkylated tetralins and indanes]

General routes for the preparation of 1- and 2-alkylindanes from indanone and the preparation of 4- and 5-alkylindanes from the corresponding bromoindenes have been developed. Similar approaches for the preparation of various alkylated tetralins have been developed. Infrared, NMR, and mass spectra, as well as melting points were obtained for the synthesized indanes and tetralins. Synthesis of a diastereomeric mixture of perhydro-..beta..-carotanes from ..beta..-carotene has been undertaken. A stereorational synthesis of other carotenes has also been initiated using a new enantioselective synthesis which employs steroids as chiral auxiliaries. 58 references, 2 figures, 5 tables.

Tags: kmd
Jet fuels potential of liquid by-products from the Great Plains Gasification Project

Three liquid by-products from the Great Plains Gasification Project--tar oil, crude phenols, and naphtha--were evaluated as potential sources of military jet fuels. Each was used as a feedstock for catalytic hydrogenation experiments to characterize its hydrogenation behavior and to determine the properties of intermediate products at various levels of process severity. Shell 424 Ni--Mo catalyst was employed in all experiments. Tar oil experiments were conducted at 2000 psig, with liquid hourly space velocities (LHSV) of 1.00, 0.50, or 0.33, hydrogen feed ratios from 6000 standard cubic feet per barrel (scfb) to 16,000 scfb, and at temperatures from 650{degree}F (343{degree}C) to 750{degree}F (399{degree}C). Phenols experiments were conducted at 2000 psig, LHSV of 0.50 or 1.00, with a hydrogen feed ratio of 6000 scfb and at temperatures ranging from 550{degree}F (289{degree}C) to 650{degree}F (343{degree}C). Naphtha experiments were conducted at 500 psig, with LHSV of 1.00, a hydrogen feed ratio of 1500 scfb, and temperatures of 300{degree}F (149{degree}C) to 500{degree}F (260{degree}C). Five products were collected, three of which were sufficiently saturated to serve as sources for preparation of test fuel samples. 3 refs., 19 tabs.

Tags: kmd
Aspen simulation of oil shale retort off-gas cleanup with venturi scrubbers

A significant fraction of the product energy from oil shale retorting is contained in the retort off gas. Most oil shale processes use the retort off gas from plant fuel. The H/sub 2/S and NH/sub 3/ in retort off gas produce too much SO/sub 2/ and NOX to allow burning without a pollution control system. We used the ASPEN flowsheet simulator to model retort off-gas cleanup by venturi scrubbers. Venturi scrubbers are commonly used to remove particulates from gas streams, but the scrubbing liquid also absorbs some NH/sub 3/ and H/sub 2/S from the gas. The ASPEN venturi scrubber model makes good predictions of the particulate removal efficiency. The ASPEN estimates for H/sub 2/S and NH/sub 3/ absorption are higher than the equilibrium absorption predictions made by a state-of-the-art sour water vapor-liquid equilibrium model, TIDES. The discrepancy probably results from trying to simulate an electrolyte system with a vapor-liquid equilibrium model that is designed for molecular systems. The simulation indicates that a venturi scrubber may absorb enough NH/sub 3/ to serve as the primary NH/sub 3/ removal system. The H/sub 2/S absorption is quite low, however, and some other process is needed to remove the H/sub 2/S. 17 references, 6 figures, 3 tables.

Tags: kmd
Remote electromagnetic sensing of underground coal burns. Quarterly technical report, September--November 1977. Interim annual report

The main objective of this research project is to develop and field test an induction system and estimator algorithm for remote determination (at the surface) of the location, shape and size of underground coal burns. This report contains an Interim Annual Report followed by the 2nd Quarterly Report. Wideband induction responses were obtained on 4 traverses over Hanna II, Phase 2 and 3 during August 1977. These data have been computer processed to obtain 3-dimensional time and frequency response maps. These correlated well with chemical estimates of the burn location. The effects of horizontal pipes were simulated by adding conducting wire between wells. A computer program was developed for an induction system secondary response during a traverse over a buried metal sphere model of an underground coal burn. Peak response along the traverse was shown to be in good agreement with those previously computed for rectangular boxes. Dual parameter Bayes estimators were developed in closed form employing a quadratic cost function. Performance expressions were also obtained in closed form for the variance and mean square error.

Tags: kmd
Water elutriator system for recovering nonmagnetic metals from automobile shredder rejects. Report of investigations/1983

"An 18-in-diam column water elutriator was designed, tested, and operated by the Bureau of Mines for recovering nonferrous mixed metals from automobile shredder rejects. The water elutriator separated metals from nonmetals contained in shredded nonmagnetic rejects. The unit was constructed and integrated into a local automobile shredding operation.  Nonmagnetic rejects from the automobile shredder were fed onto the surface of a column of rising water. Dense materials fell through the rising water and were collected as a sink product at the bottom of the column; medium-density materials were removed as an intermediate product in a water flow through a discharge port located between the overflow and sink; and light materials were immediately carried out in the overflowing water at the top of the column as a float product.  Nearly 99 pct of the mixed metals were recovered from the nonmagnetic rejects as a 70-pct-metal concentrate. Other operating conditions yielded a 93.7-pct-pure-metal product resulting in a 93.1-pct metal recovery. Float rejects are combustibles, light plastics, foam rubber, and minimal amounts of coated and uncoated copper wire. The middling discharge contained mainly medium-density rubber, plastics, glass, rock, coated and uncoated copper wire, and frequently some thin-sheet stainless steel and wrought aluminum. Maximum metal recovery in the operating program was achieved using a water velocity of 52 fpm (650 gpm). Maximum purity was obtained with a velocity of 88 fpm (1,100 gpm). Water was recycled through a 12,000-gal baffled clarifying tank. Entrainment water losses with the float and middling rejects averaged 50 gpt of reject feed.  Records maintained by the shredder operator show a 34-pct increase in nonmagnetic metals recovery during a 1-yr operation of the water elutriator as compared to recoveries from a previously used air classification system."

Tags: kmd
Application of inorganic ion exchangers to metallurgy. Report of investigations/1983

"The Bureau of Mines surveyed a variety of inorganic ion-exchange materials to determine their suitability for removing valuable accessory elements and troublesome contaminants from metallurgical process and waste streams. Most of the materials, which included molecular sieves, heteropolyacid salts, and hydrous metal oxides, did not give adequate separations, did not have the necessary stability in strong acids or bases, or were not in a physical form suitable for ion-exchange use. Many of the suitable inorganic materials, especially the hydrous oxides, were capable of cation exchange with high capacity only in basic conditions, which caused hydrolysis of most of the cations tested.  Multivalent anions, such as arsenate and phosphate, were easily removed from acidic solutions by hydrous oxides. Hydrous zirconia was the best material for this purpose. Multivalent anions were not easily desorbed because of compound formation; therefore, conventional ion-exchange techniques could not be employed. As an alternative approach, hydrous ferric hydroxide was used as filter material to remove arsenate and phosphate from acid solutions. One gram of arsenic was removed from solution for each 20 g of ferric hydroxide. Ferric hydroxide is preferable to hydrous zirconia for use as a filter material because of low cost."

Tags: kmd
Automated multi-sample gas chromatographic analysis of fossil fuel gases

Fully automated gas chromatographic analysis of multiple Fischer Assay retort gas samples has been achieved. The system used includes a commercially available microprocessor-controlled gas chromatograph fitted with an in-house-designed and constructed automated gas sampling rack. This system allows unattended duplicate analysis of four samples and one standard; the total output of analyses per day is twice that using manual operation. Automation of the rack is achieved through microprocessor control of four time-programmable contact closures which operate a set of valves and a printer for sampling, regulating, and recording manifold pressure. Accuracies and precisions using the gas chromatograph sampling rack automatically are comparable to those achieved during manual operation.

Tags: kmd
Potential methods for methane extraction from geopressured brine at high temperature and pressure

Recovery of methane from Gulf Coast geopressured-geothermal reservoirs does not appear to be profitable without a rise in natural gas prices to offset high production costs. Fluid disposal by injection even into shallow aquifers is also expected to be costly. If injection into the production reservoir becomes necessary to maintain productivity and to minimize subsidence, the injection pumping costs approach and even exceed the value of the recoverable methane. An option aimed at reducing the injection pump operating costs is to maintain a higher than normal pressure at the production wellhead to reduce the injection-pumping work load. This option, however, is considerably less attractive if that portion of methane still dissolved at elevated pressure cannot be recovered. Therefore, there is a strong incentive to devise methods for extracting methane at high pressures and temperatures. Several methods have been identified and examined for technical feasibility, potential benefits, and problems of implementation. Liquid extraction with a very low water-soluble organic is a technically feasible method and looks promising as an applicable process. A candidate solvent is hexadecane, a paraffinic hydrocarbon with the necessary phase-equilibrium thermodynamic properties to satisfy the technical requirements for such an operation, without any obvious economic barriers. Gas stripping is another technically feasible method, but the economics do not look favorable because of gas dissolution losses. Freon refrigerants were considered because of their ease of product-stripping gas separation and nitrogen was considered because of its low cost. Brine-driven positive displacement pumps and hydraulic turbines directly coupled to pumps with provisions for methane exsolution are technically feasible concepts and could eliminate or greatly reduce pump power costs. These extraction operations will not preclude the option of recovering the thermal energy component, if desired. More detailed analyses of these methods including measurements of mutual solubilities, tests of small extraction columns, design and tests of prototype machines and gas separators, and estimates of process costs are now in progress.

Tags: kmd
Lead phase-out and octane enhancement

The major benefit derived from FCC modified operation is its potential for producing a maximum economic return. This scheme is particularly attractive when: spare alkylation capacity exists or can be made available by a moderate revamp; and sufficient isobutene supplies exist within the refinery for alkylation of incremental C3/C4 olefins. Otherwise, economics of n-butane isomerization or purchase of isobutene must be evaluated.

Tags: kmd
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY VOLUME I CHAPTER 4 TRACE ELEMENTS IN OIL SHALE MATERIALS

Concern about toxic element mobilization and potential public health and environmental consequences has led to investigations of elemental distributions in Green River Formation oil shale's and in the products of oil shale processing. The results of those studies and other previously unreported data are presented and reviewed here as they relate to the characterization of the environmentally important elements As, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, V and, Zn in spent shale, shale oil, process waters and off gases for representative surface and in situ retorting processes.

Tags: kmd
TECHNIQUES OF WATER-RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHAPTER A6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PRACTICES FOR THE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER AND FLUVIAL SEDIMENTS

The U. S. Geological Survey publishes a series of manuals describing procedures for planning and conducting specialized work in water-resources investigations. The manuals published to date are listed below  and may be ordered by mail from the Eastern Distribution Branch, Text Products Section, U. S> Geological Survey, 604 South Pickett St., Alexandria, Va. 22304.

Tags: kmd