Enhance liquid nitrogen fracturing performance on hot dry rock by cyclic injection

Producing complex fracture networks in a safe way plays a critical role in the hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal energy exploitation. However, conventional hydraulic fracturing (HF) generally produces high breakdown pressure and results only in single main fracture morphology. Furthermore, HF has also other problems such as the increased risk of seismic events and consuption of large amount of water. In this work, a new stimulation method based on cyclic soft stimulation (CSS) and liquid nitrogen (LN2) fracturing, known as cyclic LN2 fracturing is explored, which we believe has the potential to solve the above issues related to HF. The fracturing performances including breakdown pressure and fracture morphology on granites under true-triaxial stresses are investigated and compared with cyclic water fracturing. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) tests and X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning tests were used for quantitative characterization of fracture parameters and to evaluate the cyclic LN2 fracturing performances. The results demonstrate that the cyclic LN2 fracturing results in reduced breakdown pressure, with between 21% and 67% lower pressure compared with using cyclic water fracturing. Cyclic LN2 fracturing tends to produce more complex and branched fractures, whereas cyclic water fracturing usually produces a single main fracture under a low number of cycles and pressure levels. Thermally-induced fractures mostly occur around the interfaces of different particles. This study shows the potential benefits of cyclic LN2 fracturing on HDR. It is expected to provide theoretical guidance for the cyclic LN2 fracturing application in HDR reservoirs.

Experimental Investigation on Fracturing Behaviors after Liquid Nitrogen Pre-Injection in High-Temperature Sandstone

The fracturing process of sandstone is inherently complex due to its loose internal structure and deformation adaptability.Liquid nitrogen pre-injection has emerged as a promising approach to damage reservoir rocks,effectively reducing fracture pressure and establishing intricate fracture networks,thus offering a potential solution for reservoir reconstruction.To unravel the fundamental mechanisms governing sandstone fracturing behaviors following liquid nitrogen pre-injection,sandstone fracturing experiments were conducted under varying durations of liquid nitrogen injection,rock temperature,and in-situ stress conditions.The experiments showcased the evolution of injection pressure and fracture characteristics under different testing conditions,complemented by electron microscope analysis to elucidate the factors driving the complex fracture characteristics of sandstone.The findings revealed a significant decrease in fracture pressure after liquid nitrogen pre-injection,accompanied by a notable increase in the complexity of the fracture network and the roughness of the fracture surface.Moreover,prolonging the duration of liquid nitrogen injection and elevating reservoir temperature further contributed to reducing fracture pressure,consequently enhancing fracture complexity and surface roughness.Conversely,the application of confining pressure amplified fracture pressure while intensifying the degree of fracturing.Notably,the investigation highlighted the increased presence of microcracks in sandstone resulting from liquid nitrogen preinjection,facilitating fluid diffusion during fracturing and yielding lower fracture pressures,thereby enhancing the effectiveness of sandstone reservoir reformation.The research results can provide theoretical guidance for geothermal reservoir reconstruction.

Efficacy and safety of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for treatment of Barrett's esophagus

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy as a primary or rescue treatment for BE,with and without dysplasia,or intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC).METHODS This was a retrospective,single-center study carried out in a tertiary care center including 45 patients with BE who was treatment-na?ve or who had persistent intestinal metaplasia(IM),dysplasia,or IMC despite prior therapy.Barrett's mucosa was resected via EMR when clinically appropriate,then patients underwent cryotherapy until eradication or until deemed to have failed treatment.Surveillance biopsies were taken at standard intervals.RESULTS From 2010 through 2014,33 patients were studied regarding the efficacy of cryotherapy.Overall,29 patients (88%) responded to cryotherapy,with 84% having complete regression of all dysplasia and cancer.Complete eradication of cancer and dysplasia was seen in 75% of subjects with IMC; the remaining two subjects did not respond to cryotherapy.Following cryotherapy,15 patients with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) had 30% complete regression,50% IM,and 7% low-grade dysplasia (LGD); one subject had persistent HGD.Complete eradication of dysplasia occurred in all 5 patients with LGD.In 5 patients with IM,complete regression occurred in 4,and IM persisted in one.In 136 cryotherapy sessions amongst 45 patients,adverse events included chest pain (1%),stricture (4%),and one gastrointestinal bleed in a patient on dual antiplatelet therapy who had previously undergone EMR.CONCLUSION Cryotherapy is an efficacious and safe treatment modality for Barrett's esophagus with and without dysplasia or intramucosal adenocarcinoma.

Experimental investigation of shale breakdown pressure under liquid nitrogen pre-conditioning before nitrogen fracturing

Cryogenic fracturing with liquid nitrogen(LN_(2))offers the benefits of reducing the water consumption and adverse environmental impacts induced by water-based fracturing,as well as potentially enhancing the fracture complexity.We performed a series of laboratory experiments to explore the key mechanisms governing the breakdown pressures of shale during cryogenic fracturing.In this study,cylindrical shale samples were pre-conditioned by exposing a borehole to low-temperature LN_(2) for a certain time period,and then,the samples were fractured using gaseous N_(2) under triaxial stress and a high reservoir temperature.The effects of various key parameters on the breakdown pressure were investigated,including the duration of the low-temperature LN_(2) treatment,the confining pressure,the reservoir temperature,and the direction of the shale bedding relative to the borehole axis.The results demonstrate that the injection of low-temperature LN_(2) as a pre-fracturing fluid into a borehole can significantly reduce the breakdown pressure of the shale during subsequent nitrogen fracturing.This reduction in breakdown pressure can be further intensified by increasing the duration of the LN_(2) pre-conditioning.Without LN_(2) pre-conditioning,the breakdown pressure initially increases and then decreases with increasing reservoir temperature.When LN_(2) pre-conditioning is applied,the breakdown pressure keeps decreasing with increasing reservoir temperature.As the confining pressure increased,the breakdown pressure increased linearly in the tests with and without LN_(2) pre-conditioning.The experimental results demonstrate that LN_(2) preconditioning before N_(2) fracturing is a promising waterless fracturing technique that reduces the breakdown pressure and enhances the fracture complexity.

A Mathematical Model of Heat Transfer in Problems of Pipeline Plugging Agent Freezing Induced by Liquid Nitrogen

A mathematical model for one-dimensional heat transfer in pipelines undergoing freezing induced by liquid nitrogen is elaborated.The basic premise of this technology is that the content within a pipeline is frozen to form a plug or two plugs at a position upstream and downstream from a location where work a modification or a repair must be executed.Based on the variable separation method,the present model aims to solve the related coupled heat conduction and moving-boundary phase change problem.An experiment with a 219 mm long pipe,where water was taken as the plugging agent,is presented to demonstrate the relevance and reliability of the proposed model(results show that the error is within 18%).Thereafter,the model is applied to predict the cooling and freezing process of pipelines with different inner diameters at different liquid nitrogen refrigeration temperatures when water is used as the plugging agent.

Theoretical study on the ideal open cycle of the liquid nitrogen engine

This article described the characteristics of the liquid nitrogen engine's ideal open cycle.Using two interconnecting strokes to achieve the power output can mitigate the trade-off between high efficiency and the potential mechanical complexity of multiple-cylinder engines. The total specific energy of the binary media (methane-nitrogen) cycle system could be much higher than the unitary medium (liquid nitrogen) cycle system. By theoretical analysis, the reasonably acceptable driving range proved the feasibility of the liquid nitrogen engine used for supplying power for a lightweight car.

Numerical Prediction for Subcooled Boiling Flow of Liquid Nitrogen in a Vertical Tube with MUSIG Model

Multiple size group(MUSIG) model combined with a three-dimensional two-fluid model were employed to predict subcooled boiling flow of liquid nitrogen in a vertical upward tube. Based on the mechanism of boiling heat transfer, some important bubble model parameters were amended to be applicable to the modeling of liquid nitrogen. The distribution of different discrete bubble classes was demonstrated numerically and the distribution patterns of void fraction in the wall-heated tube were analyzed. It was found that the average void fraction increases nonlinearly along the axial direction with wall heat flux and it decreases with inlet mass flow rate and subcooled temperature. The local void fraction exhibited a U-shape distribution in the radial direction. The partition of the wall heat flux along the tube was obtained. The results showed that heat flux consumed on evaporation is the leading part of surface heat transfer at the rear region of subcooled boiling. The turning point in the pressure drop curve reflects the instability of bubbly flow. Good agreement was achieved on the local heat transfer coefficient against experimental measurements, which demonstrated the accuracy of the numerical model.

Liquid nitrogen level meter for high-temperature superconductor (HTS)

Many kinds of high temperature superconductor (HTS) power machines such as HTS cable,HTS fault current limiter and HTS magnet are cooled by liquid nitrogen.The level of liquid nitrogen should be monitored and controlled to ensure the thermal stability and the dielectric strength as well.To measure the level,capacitance method and differential pressure method are usually used.However,each method has installation difficulties and measurement errors for unsteady state operation with varying system pressure.A new liquid level meter using a 2G HTS conductor is described,which has similar structure with the liquid helium level meter with NbTi filament.The level meter is fabricated with a parallel connected heater,which helps the separation of the superconducting region and normal region,considering the critical temperature,large heat capacity of conductor and cooling characteristics.The level of liquid nitrogen can be obtained from the measured voltage signal along the 2G HTS conductor.Design,fabrication and test results of the new liquid nitrogen level meter are presented.

AN APPROACH TO CALCULATE THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE LIQUID NITROGEN FILM ON SOLIDS FROM AN ADSORPTION ISOTHERM

The equations, used in this paper to calculate the surface tension of the liquid nitrogen film formed by the physical adsorption on many different model solids (e.g. spherical partiele, plane particle and spherical cavity pores or cylindrical pores at the openings of both ends in solid bodies), have been derived on the thermodynamie principle. The calculated results have shown that the surface tension (γ) of the adsorbed liquid nitrogen film on most of non-porous solid surfaces diminishes with the rise of the nitrogen gas pressure (p) or of the adsorbed layers (n) at 77.3K; when p reaches the vapour pressure (p_s) of the bulk liquid nitrogen, y turns into the surface tension (γ_o) of the bulk liquid nitrogen; whgn p /p, 【0.98, there is an obvious difference between γ and γ_O.

Mechanism of drilling rate improvement using high-pressure liquid nitrogen jet

To address the high rock strength and low drilling rate issues in deep oil/gas and geothermal exploitation, we performed mechanical property tests on three kinds of rock samples(granite, shale and sandstone) subjected to liquid nitrogen(LN2) cooling and conducted rock-breaking experiments using LN2 jet. Rock-breaking characteristics and mechanisms of LN2 jet, heat transfer features between LN2 and rock and thermal stress evolution in rock were analyzed. A novel high-pressure LN2 jet assisted drilling method was proposed accordingly. The study results show that LN2 thermal shock can significantly reduce uniaxial compression strength and elastic modulus of rock. Rock damage and corresponding mechanical deterioration become more pronounced with increasing rock temperature. The LN2 jet has merits of high rock-breaking efficiency and low threshold rock-breaking pressure. Rock failure under LN2 jet impact is characterized by large volume breakage and the rock-breaking performance becomes more significant with increase of rock temperature. Under the impact of LN2 jet, the damage of granite is the most remarkable among the three rock samples. Thus, this method works better for high temperature granite formations. It has a good application prospect in speeding up drilling rate in deep hot dry rock geothermal reservoirs.

Effects of Temperature and Liquid Nitrogen(LN2)on Coal’s Mechanical and Acoustic Emission(AE)Properties

Liquid nitrogen has shown excellent performances as a good fracturing medium in the extraction of unconventional natural gas,and its application in coalbed methane extraction is currently a research hotspot.This study focuses on the acoustic emission properties of coal specimens treated utilizing liquid nitrogen with varying initial temperatures in a three-point bending environment.Through examination of the load-displacement curves of the considered coal samples,their mechanical properties are also revealed for different initial temperatures and cycling frequencies.The findings demonstrate a gradual decline in the maximum load capacity of coal rock as the temperature rises.Similarly,when subjected to the same temperature,an escalation in the cycling frequency leads to a reduction in the peak load of coal rock.This suggests that both temperature and cycling frequency exert a notable impact on the fracturing efficacy of liquid nitrogen.Freeze-thaw cycling treatments and exposure to high-temperature conditions can activate preexisting damage in the coal rock,and,accordingly,influence its mechanical properties.In particular,throughout the progressive loading of coal rock samples,the failure mechanisms are predominantly characterized by the occurrence of tensile cracks,succeeded by the development,spread,and fracture of shear fissures.

Exploration and Practice of Nitrogen Addition Process for LF Refining Ladle Bottom Blowing Nitrogen Steel Liquid

This article discusses and analyzes the law of nitrogen increase in liquid steel and the main factors affect-ing the nitrogen increasing of molten steel,through the way of adding nitrogen to molten steel by bottom blowing nitrogen gas in LF refining process.It is considered that the main factors affecting the nitrogen increasing instability of molten steel are the initial temperature of LF refining,nitrogen relative element,surface active elements[O]and[S]of steel liquid,and bottom blowing rate of ladle.The large-scale production practice shows that T[O]not more than 50×10-6 and[S]is not more than 0.020 in LF refining at the initial temperature of not less than 1570.The liquid steel nitrogen enrichment test is carried out by ladle bottom blowing nitrogen gas after 20 min of refining,the flow rate is set as(6.0~7.0)NL/min per ton,and it is turned to 2 NL/min at 6 min before the end of refining,the nitrogen increasing rate of liquid steel is basically stable at(5~6)×10-6 per minute.

A Review on the Precise Control of the Liquid Nitrogen Supplying System in Transonic Cryogenic Wind Tunnel

The liquid nitrogen(LN2)supplying system,one of the four key systems of the cryogenic wind tunnel(CWT),is an essential guarantee for the precise control,fast and safe regulation of the wind tunnel’s total temperature.Firstly,the technical schemes,advantages and disadvantages of different LN2 supplying systems are discussed and analyzed based on the operation conditions and test requirements of different CWTs.Then,together with the development of the pilot cryogenic transonic wind tunnel(PCTW),the key technologies of the system,including the supplying mode,rapid and accurate regulation of injection pressure,development of large scale cryogenic centrifugal pump,and matching technology between pumps and pipe network,have been summarized and the solutions to the existing issues are given.Finally,a supplying process suitable for large-scale CWT is proposed,which has the ability of independent commissioning,rapid regulation,accurate control of injection pressure and transient response to the wind tunnel’s wide range of working conditions.The breakthrough in LN2 supplying system enables China to construct a CWT for the future competitive high Reynolds number aircraft.

Fatigue behaviors and damage mechanisms for Nb_(3)Sn triple-helical structure at liquid nitrogen temperature

Nb_(3)Sn triple‐helical structure is the elementary structure in the superconducting cable of ITER magnets and undergoes prolonged fatigue loading in extreme environments leading to serious damage degradation.In this paper,the fatigue behaviors of the Nb_(3)Sn triple‐helical structure have been investigated by the strain cycling fatigue experiments at liquid nitrogen temperature.The results indicate that Nb_(3)Sn triple‐helical structures with short twist‐pitches possess excellent fatigue damage resistance than that of long twist‐pitches,such as longer fatigue life,slower damage degradation,and smaller energy dissipation.Meanwhile,a theoretical model of damage evolution has been established to reveal the effects of twist‐pitches on fatigue properties for triplehelical structures,which is also validated by the present experimental data.Furthermore,one can see that the Nb_(3)Sn superconducting wires in a triple‐helical structure with the shorter twist‐pitches have a larger elongation of helical structure and less cyclic deformation,which can be considered as the main mechanism of better fatigue damage properties for the triple‐helical structures during the strain cycling processes.These findings provide a better understanding of the fatigue properties and damage mechanisms for Nb_(3)Sn triple‐helical structures in superconducting cables of ITER magnets.

Scalable exfoliation for few-layered hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets(BNNSs) by microwave-assisted expansion and liquid nitrogen intercalation

The low cost and facile scalable exfoliation route for two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)was still indispensable for potential applications.In this work,we presented a convenient and scalable exfoliation for few-layer BNNSs.Taking advantage of the advantages of swift heating of microwave and ultra low temperature vaporization of liquid nitrogen,bulk h-BN was high-efficiently exfoliated into fewlayer BNNSs.The as-exfoliated BNNSs had a 2-6 nm thickness and approximately 7.91%yield,exhibiting scalable,facile and environment-friendly features.Furthermo re,the as-exfoliated BNNSs we re applied as additive in oil for reducing friction of oil.The COF of the BNNSs-based grease reduced by 20.10% compared to grease,and the antiwear performance decreased by 55.8% and 45.1% relative to grease and h-BN-based grease.

Two-Phase Flow Pressure Drop of Liquid Nitrogen Boiling in the Straight Section Downstream of U-Bend

The gas-liquid(two-phase) flow pressure drop of liquid nitrogen boiling in the straight section downstream of U-bend is investigated experimentally. The mass flux ranges from 32 to 280 kg/(m2· s). The inlet pressure of U-tube is from 140 to 272 kPa. And the curvature ratio is from 6.67 to 15. The tube wall including the U-bend is heated uniformly and the heat flux ranges from 0 to 22 kW/m2. The tube with higher inlet pressure has higher pressure drop in the downstream section of the bend. The bended degree of the U-bend influences the pressure drop in the downstream straight section of U-bend. A new correlation taking the effect of the secondary flow into account is proposed for the two-phase slip speed ratio. The pressure drop in the straight section downstream of U-bend calculated by the new correlation agrees well with experimental measurements.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INFLUENCE OF LIQUID NITROGEN PRESERVATION ON ANTIGENICITY OF HUMAN HOMOGRAFT AORTIC VALVE

To illustrate the effect of liquid nitrogen preservation on antigenicity of human homograft aortic valve (HAV), human aortic valve tissue were cocultured together with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Following detections were done to show the difference of antigenicity of HAV indirectly at different period after being preserved in liquid nitrogen: ① 3H TdR incorporation (cpm) was observed after tissue cell cocultured and stimulation index (SI) was calculated;② Density of IL 2 in medium was measured by MTT means. The results indicated that antigenicity of fresh HAV was the strongest; with the prolong of being preserved, antigenicity decreased gradually. It decreased significantly within first 48 h preserved at 4℃, then decreased significantly after preserved in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. 2 weeks later, antigenicity decreased to the lowest level.

High efficiency linear compressor driven pulse tube cryocooler operating in liquid nitrogen temperature

The inertance tube is one of the key components of a pulse tube cryocooler. It has great influence not only on the efficiency of the pulse tube cryocooler, but also on the efficiency of the linear compressor. Meanwhile, it is very difficult to predict the impedance of an inertance tube because of the turbulent flow. In this paper, using a quasi-turbulent model, the inertance tube is optimized to match a linear compressor driven pulse tube cryocooler. Experimental results show that this model can predict the impedance quite well. With 127 W input electric power, the pulse tube cryocooler obtains 9.4 W cooling power at a temperature of 77 K. The relative Carnot efficiency of the whole system reaches 19.8%.

Measurement of boiling heat transfer coefficient in liquid nitrogen bath by inverse heat conduction method

Inverse heat conduction method (IHCM) is one of the most effective approaches to obtaining the boiling heat transfer coefficient from measured results. This paper focuses on its application in cryogenic boiling heat transfer. Experiments were conducted on the heat transfer of a stainless steel block in a liquid nitrogen bath, with the assumption of a 1D conduction condition to realize fast acquisition of the temperature of the test points inside the block. With the inverse-heat conduction theory and the explicit finite difference model, a solving program was developed to calculate the heat flux and the boiling heat transfer coefficient of a stainless steel block in liquid nitrogen bath based on the temperature acquisition data. Considering the oscillating data and some unsmooth transition points in the inverse-heat-conduction calculation result of the heat-transfer coefficient, a two-step data-fitting procedure was proposed to obtain the expression for the boiling heat transfer coefficients. The coefficient was then verified for accuracy by a comparison between the simulation results using this expression and the verifying experimental results of a stainless steel block. The maximum error with a revised segment fitting is around 6%, which verifies the feasibility of using IHCM to measure the boiling heat transfer coefficient in liquid nitrogen bath.