Mechanism and reservoir simulation study of the autothermic pyrolysis in-situ conversion process for oil shale recovery

The autothermic pyrolysis in-situ conversion process (ATS) consumes latent heat of residual organic matter after kerogen pyrolysis by oxidation reaction, and it has the advantages of low development cost and exploitation of deep oil shale resources. However, the heating mechanism and the characteristic of different reaction zones are still unclear. In this study, an ATS numerical simulation model was proposed for the development of oil shale, which considers the pyrolysis of kerogen, high-temperature oxidation, and low-temperature oxidation. Based on the above model, the mechanism of the ATS was analyzed and the effects of preheating temperature, O_(2) content, and injection rate on recovery factor and energy efficiency were studied. The results showed that the ATS in the formation can be divided into five characteristic zones by evolution of the oil and O_(2) distribution, and the solid organic matter, including residue zone, autothermic zone, pyrolysis zone, preheating zone, and original zone. Energy efficiency was much higher for the ATS than for the high-temperature nitrogen injection in-situ conversion process (HNICP). There is a threshold value of the preheating temperature, the oil content, and the injection rate during the ATS, which is 400 °C, 0.18, and 1100 m3/day, respectively, in this study.

Activation of 2D MoS_(2) electrodes induced by high-rate lithiation processes

MoS_(2) is a highly promising material for application in lithium-ion battery anodes due to its high theoretical capacity and low cost.However,problems with a fast capacity decay over cycling,especially at the first cycles,and poor rate performance have deterred its practical implementation.Herein,electrodes comprised solely of few-layers 2D MoS_(2) nanosheets have been manufactured by scalable liquid-phase exfoliation and spray deposition methods.The long-standing controversy questioning the reversibility of conversion processes of MoS_(2)-based electrodes was addressed.Raman studies revealed that,in 2D MoS_(2) electrodes,conversion processes are indeed reversible,where nanostructure played a key role.Cycling of the electrodes at high current rates revealed an intriguing phenomenon consisting of a continuously increasing capacity after ca.100-200 cycles.This phenomenon was comprehensively addressed by a variety of electrochemical and microscopy methods that revealed underlying physical activation mechanisms that involved a range of profound electrode structural changes.Activation mechanisms delivered a capacitive electrode of a superior rate performance and cycling stability,as compared to the corresponding pristine electrodes,and to MoS_(2) electrodes previously reported.Herein,we have devised a methodology to overcome the problem of cycling stability of 2D MoS_(2) electrodes.Moreover,activation of electrodes constitutes a methodology that could be applied to enhance the energy storage performance of electrodes based on other 2D nanomaterials,or combinations thereof,strategically combining chemistries to engineer electrodes of superior energy storage properties.

Three-wavelength generation from cascaded wavelength conversion in monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate

Tunable coherent emission is generated in a single-pass, cascaded wavelength conversion process from mode-locked laser-pumped monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate（PPLN）. Three ranges of wavelength, including visible output from 628 nm to 639 nm, near-infrared output from 797 nm to 816 nm, and mid-infrared output from 3167 nm to 3459 nm,were obtained from the monolithic PPLN, which consists of a 10-mm section for 532-nm-pumped optical parametric generation（OPG） and a 7-mm section for 1064-nm-pumped sum frequency generation（SFG）. A pump-to-signal conversion efficiency of 23.4% for OPG at 50°C and a quantum efficiency of 26.2% for SFG at 200°C were obtained.

Assessment of recoverable oil and gas resources by in-situ conversion of shale——Case study of extracting the Chang 7_(3) shale in the Ordos Basin

The purpose of this study is to investigate the entire evolution process of shales with various total organic contents(TOC)in order to build models for quantitative evaluation of oil and gas yields and establish methods for assessing recoverable oil and gas resources from in-situ conversion of organic matters in shale.Thermal simulation experiments under in-situ conversion conditions were conducted on Chang 7_(3) shales from the Ordos Basin in a semi-open system with large capacity.The results showed that TOC and R_(o) were the key factors affecting the in-situ transformation potential of shale.The remaining oil and gas yields increased linearly with TOC but inconsistently with R_(o).R_(o) ranged 0.75%—1.25%and 1.05%—2.3%,respectively,corresponding to the main oil generation stage and gas generation stage of shale in-situ transformation.Thus a model to evaluate the remaining oil/gas yield with TOC and R_(o) was obtained.The TOC of shale suitable for in-situ conversion should be greater than 6%,whereas its R_(o) should be less than 1.0%.Shales with 0.75%(R_(o))could obtain the best economic benefit.The results provided a theoretical basis and evaluation methodology for predicting the hydrocarbon resources from in-situ conversion of shale and for the identification of the optimum“sweet spots”.The assessment of the Chang 7_(3) shale in the Ordos Basin indicated that the recoverable oil and gas resources from in-situ conversion of organic matters in shale are substantial,with oil and gas resources reaching approximately 450×10^(8) t and 30×10^(12)m^(3),respectively,from an area of 4.27×10^(4) km^(2).

Direct transformation of fossil carbon into chemicals: A review

Despite the long tradition of fossil carbon(coal,char,and related carbon-based materials)for fueling mankind,the science of transforming them into chemicals is still demandingly progressing in the current energy scenario,especially when considering its responsibilities to the global climate change.Traditionally,there are four routes of preparing chemicals directly from fossil carbon,including hydrogasification,gasification,direct liquefaction,and oxidation,in the macroscope of gas-solid reaction(hydrogasification and gasification)and liquid-solid reaction(direct liquefaction and oxidation).When the study goes to microscale,the gas-solid reaction can be considered as the reaction between the severe condensed radicals and gas,while the liquid-solid reaction is the direct reaction between the radical and the activated-molecule.To have a full overview of the area,this review systematically summarizes the main factors in these processes and shows our own perspectives as follows,(ⅰ)stabilizing the free radicals generated from coal and then directly converting them has the highest efficiency in coal utilization;(ⅱ)the research on the self-catalytic process of coal structure will have a profound impact on the direct preparation of chemicals from fossil carbon.Further discussions are also proposed to guide the future study of the area into a more sustainable direction.

Methods for seismic sedimentology research on continental basins

In contrast to marine deposits, continental deposits in China are characterized by diverse sedimentary types, rapid changes in sedimentary facies, complex lithology, and thin, small sand bodies. In seismic sedimentology studies on continental lacustrine basins, new thinking and more detailed and effective technical means are needed to generate lithological data cubes and conduct seismic geo- morphologic analyses. Based on a series of tests and studies, this paper presents the concepts of time-equivalent seismic attributes and seismic sedimentary bodies and a ＂four-step approach＂ for the seismic sedimentologic study of conti- nental basins： Step 1, build a time-equivalent stratigraphic framework based on vertical analysis and horizontal corre- lation of lithofacies, electrofacies, seismic facies, and pale- ontological combinations; Step 2, further build a sedimentary facies model based on the analysis of single- well facies with outcrop, coring, and lab test data; Step 3, convert the seismic data into a lithological data cube reflecting different lithologies by means of seismic tech- niques; and Step 4, perform a time-equivalent attribute analysis and convert the planar attribute into a sedimentary facies map under the guidance of the sedimentary facies model. The whole process, highlighting the verification and calibration of geological data, is an iteration and feedback procedure of geoseismic data. The key technologies include the following： （1） a seismic data-lithology conversion technique applicable to complex lithology, which can convert the seismic reflection from interface types to rock layers; and （2） time-equivalent seismic unit analysis and a time- equivalent seismic attribute extraction technique. Finally, this paper demonstrates the validity of the approach with an example from the Qikou Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin and subsequent drilling results.

Adsorption of Thiourea and Formation of Nickel-thiourea Complexes at Initial Stage of Nickel Deposition

The effect of thiourea(TU) on the nickel deposition process was analyzed by means of linear-sweep voltammetry. Raman spectroscopy and infrared reflectance spectroscopy were used to investigate the adsorption of TU and the formation of nickel-TU complexes on copper surface. The experimental results indicate that the nucleation and the preceding conversion step are involved in the deposition of nickel on copper electrodes. TU makes the onset nucleation potential negative due to the formation of nickel-TU complexes, which can accelerate the nickel deposition. Moreover, the S atom in the TU molecule adsorbed on copper surface facilitates the coordination of TU to Ni 2+ . Meanwhile, TU might be adsorbed at a flatter orientation if no Ni 2+ is on the surface, while at a perpendicular orientation when Ni 2+ is coadsorbed.

Subtle Alignment of Organic Semiconductors at the Donor/Acceptor Heterojunction Facilitates the Photoelectric Conversion Process

The aligned molecular packing structure is vital to the anisotropic charge transport in conjugated polymer and small molecule thin films.However,how this molecular packing motif influences the photoelectric conversion process at the donor/acceptor heterojunction is still mysterious.Herein,we employed a PM6/Y6 bilayer model to investigate the long-range alignment of molecular packing induced photoelectric conversion process.Both PM6 and Y6 layers were properly controlled to exhibit the uniaxially oriented molecular packing compared to their as-cast counterparts,as revealed by the polarized absorption spectra and transmission electron microscopy.After analyzing the photovoltaic performance of bilayer devices,the smaller energy loss,lower energetic disorder,and longer charge carrier lifetime can be observed in the bilayer devices with aligned Y6 molecules,which contribute to a higher power conversion efficiency(PCE)than the as-cast devices.While the molecular packing structure of PM6 layer exhibited negligible influence on the device performance,probably resulting from the intrinsic semicrystalline nature of PM6 molecules.Our results indicate that the alignment of small molecular acceptor at the donor/acceptor interfaces should be a powerful strategy to facilitate the photoelectric conversion process,which will definitely pave the way to highly efficient bulk heterojunction photovoltaic device.

Unexpected/contrary behavior of aerosol mass concentration in response to the individual components'concentration reduction in Kitakyushu,Japan

In the suburbs of Kitakyushu,Japan,the inorganic aerosol mass concentration(IAM)was about 32.7μg/m^(3),with the aerosol pH of 3.3.To study the thermodynamics of aerosol when its individual components'concentration is reduced,sensitive tests were performed using the ISORROPIAⅡmodel,in which the seven control species—TNaCl,TNH_(4)^(+),TSO_(4)^(2-),TNO_(3)^(-),TMg^(2+),TK^(+),and TCa^(2+)—were taken into account.IAM and inorganic aerosol pH after reducing TNaCl,TNO_(3)^(-),TMg^(2+),TK^(+),and TCa^(2+)responded linearly(0%≤concentration reduction ratio(CRR)≤100%,with the exception of 100%in TNaCl);the nonlinear variations of these two parameters could be observed by controlling TNH_(4)^(+)and TSO_(4)^(2-).Unexpected aerosol behavior occurred at 100%reduction of TNaCl,which was caused by the sudden increase of NO_(3)^(-),NH_(4)^(+),and aerosol liquid water content(ALWC);the increase of IAM was also observed after controlling TSO_(4)^(2-)(60%≤CRR≤100%)and TCa^(2+)(0%≤CRR≤100%),which was mainly related to the variation of ALWC driven by the response of CaSO_(4).Multiple regression analysis showed that ALWC was statistically and strongly related to the variations of NO_(3)^(-),Cl-,SO_(4)^(2-),HSO_(4)^(-),HNO_(3),and NH_(3)(P<0.05),with regression coefficients of 1.68,5.23,1.83,2.81,0.34,and 0.57,respectively.The highest coefficient(5.23)was found for Cl^(-),revealing that sea salts significantly influenced particle responses.Overall,this study comprehensively investigated aerosol characteristics and inner responses for the reduction of components,which is of great significance for a better understanding of atmospheric chemistry in Kitakyushu,Japan.

Outdoor cultivation of microalgae in a coal-fired power plant for conversion of flue gas CO_(2)into microalgal direct combustion fuels

Microalgae have piqued renewed interest as a sustainable biofuel feedstock owing to their high CO_(2)conversion efficiency.However,the major limitation of microalga-based biofuel production is low productivity.In this study,CO_(2)in flue gas emitted from the coal-fired power plants was fixed through mass microalgal cultivation using only sunlight as an energy source.To minimize the cost and energy required to supply the flue gas and efficiently utilize the microalgal biomass,a polycarbonate(PC)greenhouse and polymeric photobioreactors were installed near the power plant stack.Four different microalgal strains(Chlamydomonas reinhardtii,Chlorella sorokiniana,Neochloris oleoabundans,and Neochloris oleoabundans#13)were subjected to semi-continuous culturing for 1 month.The maximum biomass productivity was achieved by the N.oleoabun-dans#13 strain(0.703 g L^(−1)day^(−1)).Additionally,polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the individual microalgal culture was not cross-contaminated with other microalgal cultures in this cultivation system,owing to the structural proper-ties of photobioreactor comprising individual modules.The lipid content and calorific productivity of N.oleoabundans#13 biomass were 45.70%and 3.553 kJ L^(−1)day^(−1),respectively,which indicate satisfactory performance of biomass as a direct combustion fuel.The CO_(2)fixation rate,which was calculated based on the carbon content in the biomass,was 0.309 g CO_(2)L^(−1)day^(−1).Therefore,large amounts of CO_(2)can be reduced using the large-scale microalgal cultivation system,which enables efficient biological CO_(2)conversion and maximizes microalgal biomass utilization.

Design strategies for MOF-derived porous functional materials: Preserving surfaces and nurturing pores

MOFs are among the most popular precursors and templates for deriving various porous materials,where the derivatives can inherit a large surface area,abundant active sites for targeted functionalities and a high degree of porosity inherited from their parent MOFs.Those unique structural features make them promising candidates in multiple applications.More interestingly,the structure and properties of these MOF derivatives can be modulated by the choice of the parent MOFs and the design in the conversion process.In this overview,the transformation pathways from MOFs into their porous derivatives,the principles underlying these transformations,and the behavior of the MOF components in the transition process are discussed.Recently,there has been tremendous progress in preserving and enhancing the surface area,the amount of active sites and the level of porosity of the MOF-derived materials for targeted applications,from the perspectives of both customizing the parent MOFs and tailoring the transformation process.To develop the rationally designed MOF-derived materials and thus to elucidate the precursor-process-product correlations,some typical examples of the MOF derivatives applied in electrochemical energy storage and conversion,water treatment,gas sensing,and biomedicine are discussed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the key design strategies.