Combined imbibition system with black nanosheet and low-salinity water for improving oil recovery in tight sandstone reservoirs

Nanomaterials and low-salinity water(LSW)are two popular enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods that have been widely studied in recent years.The former is used for in-depth conformance improvement and the latter for microscopic oil displacement(by altering the potential and contact angle).However,there are few literature on combining them to achieve synergistic effects,especially for tight sandstone res-ervoirs.Based on the reservoir conditions of the Jimusar Oilfield,this study investigated the oil recovery mechanism of the combined imbibition system,which was composed of black nanosheet(BN)and LSW.Its performances including decreasing interfacial tension,emulsification,and wettability alterations were evaluated.The imbibition differences between the single system of BN and LSW and the combined BN-LsW imbibition system were then compared.Results showed that the combined imbibition system had a better emulsification effect on the crude oil and could also alter the wettability of the core surface.Moreover,the combined system could increase both the imbibition rate and the ultimate oil recovery.The nuclear magnetic T2 spectrum also indicated that the addition of black nanosheets could divert more fluid into small pores and thus improve the microscopic sweep efficiency.

Effect of nano TiO_(2) and SiO_(2) on gelation performance of HPAM/PEI gels for high-temperature reservoir conformance improvement

Nanoparticles have been widely used in polymer gel systems in recent years to improve gelation performance under high-temperature reservoir conditions. However, different types of nanoparticles have different effects on their gelation performance, which has been little researched. In this study, the high-temperature gelation performance, chemical structure, and microstructure of polymer gels prepared from two nanomaterials (i.e., nano-SiO_(2) and nano-TiO_(2)) were measured. The conventional HPAM/PEI polymer gel system was employed as the control sample. Results showed that the addition of nano-TiO_(2) could significantly enhance the gel strength of HPAM/PEI gel at 80 ℃. The gel strength of the enhanced HPAM/PEI gel with 0.1 wt% nano-TiO_(2) could reach grade I. The system also had excellent high-temperature stability at 150 ℃. The enhanced HPAM/PEI gel with 0.02 wt% nano-TiO_(2) reached the maximum gel strength at 150 ℃ with a storage modulus (G′) of 15 Pa, which can meet the need for efficient plugging. However, the nano-SiO_(2) enhanced HPAM/PEI polymer gel system showed weaker gel strength than that with nano-TiO_(2) at both 80 and 150 ℃ with G′ lower than 5 Pa. Microstructures showed that the nano-TiO_(2) enhanced HPAM/PEI gel had denser three-dimensional (3D) mesh structures, which makes the nano-TiO_(2) enhanced HPAM/PEI gel more firmly bound to water. The FT-IR results also confirmed that the chemical structure of the nano-TiO_(2) enhanced HPAM/PEI gel was more thermally stable than nano-SiO_(2) since there was a large amount of –OH groups on the structure surface. Therefore, nano-TiO_(2) was more suitable as the reinforcing material for HPAM/PEI gels for high-temperature petroleum reservoir conformance improvement.

Evaluation on elevated-temperature stability of modified 718-type alloys with varied phase configurations

Inconel 718 is a Ni–Fe-based superalloy widely used in aerospace engines because of its excellent mechanical properties.However,the inferior stability of theγ″phase limits the application of Inconel 718,which coarsens rapidly at temperatures greater than 650°C.Further improving the temperature tolerance of Inconel 718 requires optimization of the phase configuration via modification of the alloy’s chemical composition.Given the aforementioned objective,this work was conducted to study the precipitation behavior and thermal stability of the strengthening phases with various structures in modified Inconel 718 alloys by tailoring the Al/Ti ratio.With increasing Al/Ti ratio,three particle configurations were formed:γ′/γ″composite,isolatedγ′,andγ′/γ″/γ′composite particles.The results of aging tests demonstrate that the isolatedγ′and theγ′/γ″/γ′composite structure exhibited better thermal stability at temperature as high as 800°C.The isolatedγ′exhibited a reduced coarsening rate compared with theγ′/γ″/γ′composite particles because the isolatedγ′phase was rich in Al,Ti,and Nb.However,theγ′/γ″composite particles coarsened and decomposed rapidly during aging at temperatures greater than 700°C because of the lower stability resulting from the larger number ofγ″particles.The obtained results provide necessary data for the compositional optimization of novel 718-type alloys.

Role of activin A in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury

AIM: To investigate the expression and role of activin A in a mouse model of acute chemical liver injury. METHODS: Acute liver injury in C57BL/6 male mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) (0.5 mL/kg, body weight) dissolved in olive oil (1:19 v/v). Mice were sacrificed 1, 3, 5 and 7 d after the treatment. The levels of alanine aminotrans-ferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were examined and pathological changes of liver observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining to evaluate the liver injury. Activin A protein levels in serum and hepatic tissue homogenate of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expres-sion pattern of activin A protein in livers of mice was examined by immunohistochemistry. Activin type Ⅱ A receptor (ActRⅡA) and Smad3 expressions in the liver were analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In order to further investigate the role of activin A, we also utilized activin A blocking experiment by anti-activin A antibody (500 μg/kg, body weight) injection into mouse tail vein. RESULTS: In CCl4-treated mice, serum ALT and AST levels were significantly increased, compared with that in control mice (P<0.01). Furthermore, the serious necrosis was observed around hepatic portal areas in CCl4-treated mice. Simultaneously, activin A levels in serum and hepatic tissue homogenate of mice treated with CCl4 for 1, 3 and 5 d increased significantly, com-pared with that in control mice (P<0.01). Activin A protein expression in hepatocytes not within the ne-crotic area was also upregulated in mice following CCl4 treatment. Not only activin A, but also ActRⅡA and activin signaling molecule Smad3 mRNA expressions in injury liver induced by CCl4 were significantly higher than that in control liver. In addition, levels of serum ALT and AST in CCl4-treated mice were significantly decreased by injection of anti-activin A antibody to block endogenous activin A action, compared with that in CCl4-treated mice by injection of immunoglobulin G instead of anti-activin A antibody (P<0.01), and the severity of liver injury was also reduced remarkably. CONCLUSION: These data show that activin A is in-volved in CCl4-induced acute liver injury. Blocking ac-tivin A actions may be a therapeutic approach for acute liver injury.

Development of re-crosslinkable dispersed particle gels for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs

Micro-scale and nano-scale dispersed gel particles(DPG)are capable of deep migration in oil reservoirs due to their deformability,viscoelasticity,and suitable particle size.Therefore,it has been widely studied and applied in reservoir conformance control in recent years.However,for highly permeable channels,their plugging performance is still limited.In addition,conventional in situ cross-linked polymer gels(ISCPGs)have fast gelation time under extremely high-temperature conditions,which often causes problems such as difficulty in pumping.Therefore,a re-cross linkable dispersed particle gel(RDPG)system applied for conformance control in highly permeable channels of extremely high-temperature petroleum reservoirs was investigated.The particle size distribution,gelation time,gel strength,injection performance,and perfo rmance strength in po rous media were investigated using a laser particle size meter,the Sydansk bottle test method,rheometer,and core displacement experiments,respectively.Results show that the RDPG suspension can be stable for more than 6 months at room temperature with storage modulus G’much lower than 10 Pa.It can pass through the pore throat by elastic deformation effect and does not cause strong blockage.Moreover,it can undergo re-crosslinking reaction at 150℃to form a strong bulk gel.The gel strength G’of re-crosslinked RDPG can be as high as 69.3 Pa,which meets the strength requirement of conformance control.The RDPG suspension has the properties of easy injection,and it also has strong plugging,and high-temperature resistance after re-crosslinked in the core,which can be a very promising material for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs.

Degradable preformed particle gel as temporary plugging agent for low-temperature unconventional petroleum reservoirs:Effect of molecular weight of the cross-linking agent

The development of unconventional petroleum resources has gradually become an important succession for increasing oil production.However,the related engineers and researchers are paying more and more attention to the application of temporary plugging agents(TPAs)for their efficient development.TPAs can expand the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)and facilitate the flow of oil and gas to the bottom of the well.Particle-gels used as temporary plugging agents have the characteristics of the simple injection process,good deformation,high plugging strength,and complete self-degradation performance,which have been widely applied in recent years.In this paper,five samples of DPPG polymerized by different molecular weights of cross-linking agents were prepared.In addition,infrared spectroscopy analysis,differential calorimetry scanning(DSC)analysis,static particle gel swelling and degradation performance evaluation experiments,and dynamic temporary plugging performance experiments in cores were conducted at 34°C.Results show that as the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent(at 0.01 g)in the DPPG molecule decreased from 1,000 to 200 Da,the fewer cross-linking sites of DPPG,the looser the microscopic three-dimensional mesh structure formed.The swelling ratio increased from 7 to 33 times.However,the complete degradation time increased from 40 to 210 min.Moreover,the DSC results confirmed that the higher the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent,the worse is chemical stability and the more prone it to self-degradation.DPPG samples had good temporary plugging performance in reservoir cores.DPPGs prepared by the cross-linking agent with smaller molecular weight has a stronger swelling ratio,higher gel strength,and greater plugging strength in the core permeabilities.Moreover,the degraded DPPG is less damaging to the cores.However,their slower degradation rates take a slightly longer times to reach complete degradation.The results of this paper can provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the development of particle gel-type temporary plugging agents(TPA)with controllable degradation time in low-temperature reservoirs.It can help to expand the application range of existing DPPG reservoir conditions.

Design,fabrication,and characterization of Ti/Au transition-edge sensor with different dimensions of suspended beams

For photon detection, superconducting transition-edge sensor(TES) micro-calorimeters are excellent energy-resolving devices. In this study, we report our recent work in developing Ti-/Au-based TES. The Ti/Au TES devices were designed and implemented with a thickness ratio of 1:1 and different suspended structures using micromachining technology. The characteristics were evaluated and analyzed, including surface morphology, 3 D deformation of suspended Ti/Au TES device structure, I–V characteristics, and low-temperature superconductivity. The results showed that the surface of Ti/Au has good homogeneity and the surface roughness of Ti/Au is significantly increased compared with the substrate. The structure of Ti/Au bilayer film significantly affects the deformation of suspended devices, but the deformation does not affect the I–V characteristics of the devices. For devices with the Ti/Au bilayer(150 μm × 150 μm) and beams(100 μm × 25 μm), the transition temperature(T;) is 253 m K with a width of 6 m K, and the value of the temperature sensitivity α is 95.1.

Superconductivity of bilayer titanium/indium thin film grown on SiO2/Si(001)

Bilayer superconducting films with tunable transition temperature（Tc） are a critical ingredient to the fabrication of high-performance transition edge sensors. Commonly chosen materials include Mo/Au, Mo/Cu, Ti/Au, and Ti/Al systems. Here in this work, titanium/indium（Ti/In） bilayer superconducting films are successfully fabricated on SiO2/Si（001）substrates by molecular beam epitaxy（MBE）. The success in the epitaxial growth of indium on titanium is achieved by lowering the substrate temperature to-150？C during indium evaporation. We measure the critical temperature under a bias current of 10 μA, and obtain different superconducting transition temperatures ranging from 645 m K to 2.7 K by adjusting the thickness ratio of Ti/In. Our results demonstrate that the transition temperature decreases as the thickness ratio of Ti/In increases.

Effect of metformin combined with DPP-4 inhibitor on the micro-inflammatory status and insulin sensitivity of T2DM patients with metabolic syndrome

Objective: To investigate the effect of metformin combined with DPP-4 inhibitor on the micro-inflammatory status and insulin sensitivity of T2DM patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: A total of 78 T2DM patients with metabolic syndrome who were treated in the hospital were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the control group (n=41) who received metformin therapy and the combined group (n=37) who received metformin combined with DPP-4 inhibitor therapy, and both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The differences in micro-inflammatory state and insulin sensitivity were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in serum inflammatory factor contents and peripheral blood insulin sensitivity-related index levels between the two groups before treatment. After 12 weeks of treatment, serum inflammatory factors IL-1, hs-CRP and TNF-α contents of combined group were lower than those of control group;insulin sensitivity indexes FGP, FINS, ISI and HOMA-IR levels were lower than those of control group. Conclusion: metformin combined with DPP-4 inhibitor Sitagliptin can more effectively inhibit the micro-inflammatory state and improve the insulin sensitivity in T2DM patients with metabolic syndrome.

MemSC： A Scan-Resistant and Compact Cache Replacement Framework for Memory-Based Key-Value Cache Systems

Memory-based key-value cache systems, such as Memcached and Redis, have become indispensable components of data center infrastructures and have been used to cache performance-critical data to avoid expensive back-end database accesses. As the memory is usually not large enough to hold all the items, cache replacement must be performed to evict some cached items to make room for the newly coming items when there is no free space. Many real-world workloads target small items and have frequent bursts of scans （a scan is a sequence of one-time access requests）. The commonly used LRU policy does not work well under such workloads since LRU needs a large amount of metadata and tends to discard hot items with scans. Small decreases in hit ratio can result in large end-to-end losses in these systems. This paper presents MemSC, which is a scan-resistant and compact cache replacement framework for Memcached. MemSC assigns a multi-granularity reference flag for each item, which requires only a few bits （two bits are enough for general use） per item to support scanresistant cache replacement policies. To evaluate MemSC, we implement three representative cache replacement policies （MemSC-HM, MemSC-LH, and MemSC-LF） on MemSC and test them using various workloads. The experimental results show that MemSC outperforms prior techniques. Compared with the optimized LRU policy in Memcached, MemSC-LH reduces the cache miss ratio and the memory usage of the resulting system by up to 23% and 14% respectively.