A novel responsive stabilizing Janus nanosilica as a nanoplugging agent in water-based drilling fluids for exploiting hostile shale environments

Thermo-responsive nanocomposites have recently emerged as potential nanoplugging agents for shale stabilization in high-temperature water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs). However, their inhibitory properties have not been very effective in high-temperature drilling operations. Thermo-responsive Janus nanocomposites are expected to strongly interact with clay particles from the inward hemisphere of nanomaterials, which drive the establishment of a tighter hydrophobic membrane over the shale surface at the outward hemisphere under geothermal conditions for shale stabilization. This work combines the synergistic benefits of thermo-responsive and zwitterionic nanomaterials to synchronously enhance the chemical inhibitions and plugging performances in shale under harsh conditions. A novel thermoresponsive Janus nanosilica(TRJS) exhibiting zwitterionic character was synthesized, characterized,and assessed as shale stabilizer for WBDFs at high temperatures. Compared to pristine nanosilica(Si NP)and symmetrical thermo-responsive nanosilica(TRS), TRJS exhibited anti-polyelectrolyte behaviour, in which electrolyte ions screened the electrostatic attraction between the charged particles, potentially stabilizing nanomaterial in hostile shaly environments(i.e., up to saturated brine or API brine). Macroscopically, TRJS exhibited higher chemical inhibition than Si NP and TRS in brine, prompting a better capability to control pressure penetration. TRJS adsorbed onto the clay surface via chemisorption and hydrogen bonding, and the interactions became substantial in brine, according to the results of electrophoretic mobility, surface wettability, and X-ray diffraction. Thus, contributing to the firm trapping of TRJS into the nanopore structure of the shale, triggering the formation of a tight hydrophobic membrane over the shale surface from the outward hemisphere. The addition of TRJS into WBDF had no deleterious effect on fluid properties after hot-treatment at 190℃, implying that TRJS could find potential use as a shale stabilizer in WBDFs in hostile environments.

A Gel-Based Solidification Technology for Large Fracture Plugging

Fault fractures usually have large openings and considerable extension. Accordingly, cross-linked gel materials aregenerally considered more suitable plugging agents than water-based gels because the latter often undergo contaminationvia formation water, which prevents them from being effective over long times. Hence, in this study, aset of oil-based composite gels based on waste grease and epoxy resin has been developed. These materials havebeen observed to possess high compressive strength and resistance to the aforementioned contamination, therebyleading to notable increase in plugging success rate. The compressive strength, thickening time, and resistance toformation water pollution of these gels have been evaluated indoors. The results show that the compressivestrength of the gel can reach 11 MPa;additionally, the related gelation time can be controlled to be more than3 h, thereby providing a safe construction time;Invasion of formation water has a small effect on the gel strengthand does not shorten the thickening time. All considered performance indicators of the oil-based gel confirm itssuitability as a plugging agent for fault fractures.

Dynamic plugging regulating strategy of pipeline robot based on reinforcement learning

Pipeline isolation plugging robot (PIPR) is an important tool in pipeline maintenance operation. During the plugging process, the violent vibration will occur by the flow field, which can cause serious damage to the pipeline and PIPR. In this paper, we propose a dynamic regulating strategy to reduce the plugging-induced vibration by regulating the spoiler angle and plugging velocity. Firstly, the dynamic plugging simulation and experiment are performed to study the flow field changes during dynamic plugging. And the pressure difference is proposed to evaluate the degree of flow field vibration. Secondly, the mathematical models of pressure difference with plugging states and spoiler angles are established based on the extreme learning machine (ELM) optimized by improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA). Finally, a modified Q-learning algorithm based on simulated annealing is applied to determine the optimal strategy for the spoiler angle and plugging velocity in real time. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the plugging-induced vibration by 19.9% and 32.7% on average, compared with single-regulating methods. This study can effectively ensure the stability of the plugging process.

Plugging behaviors of temporary plugging particles in hydraulic fractures

Using the visualized experimental device of temporary plugging in hydraulic fractures, the plugging behaviors of temporary plugging particles with different sizes and concentrations in hydraulic fractures were experimentally analyzed under the conditions of different carrier fluid displacements and viscosities. The results show that the greater the carrier fluid viscosity and displacement, the more difficult it is to form a plugging layer, and that the larger the size and concentration of the temporary plugging particle, the less difficult it is to form a plugging layer. When the ratio of particle size to fracture width is 0.45, the formation of the plugging layer is mainly controlled by the mass concentration of the temporary plugging particle and the viscosity of the carrier fluid, and a stable plugging layer cannot form if the mass concentration of the temporary plugging particle is less than 20 kg/m^(3)or the viscosity of the carrier fluid is greater than 3 mPa·s. When the ratio of particle size to fracture width is 0.60, the formation of the plugging layer is mainly controlled by the mass concentration of the temporary plugging particle, and a stable plugging layer cannot form if the mass concentration of the temporary plugging particle is less than 10 kg/m^(3). When the ratio of particle size to fracture width is 0.75, the formation of the plugging layer is basically not affected by other parameters, and a stable plugging layer can form within the experimental conditions. The formation process of plugging layer includes two stages and four modes. The main controlling factors affecting the formation mode are the ratio of particle size to fracture width, carrier fluid displacement and carrier fluid viscosity.

Numerical Analysis of Dynamical Effects Associated with a Plugging String in a Horizontal Well

The finite element method has been applied to simulate the dynamics of a water plugging string in a complex horizontal well of a low-permeability oilfield.The force associated with the pipe string and the packer has been determined under the sucking action of the oil well pump.Such analysis has been conducted for a real drilling well,taking into account the process of lifting,lowering,unblocking and water plugging.Comparison between field measured data and simulation data indicates that the model is reliable and accurate.The packer creep effect under different pressure differences has also been investigated in the framework of the same model.

Complex fracture propagation model and plugging timing optimization for temporary plugging fracturing in naturally fractured shale

In this paper,a viscoelasticity-plastic damage constitutive equation for naturally fractured shale is deduced,coupling nonlinear tensile-shear mixed fracture mode.Dynamic perforation-erosion on fluid re-distribution among multi-clusters are considered as well.DFN-FEM(discrete fracture network combined with finite element method)was developed to simulate the multi-cluster complex fractures propagation within temporary plugging fracturing(TPF).Numerical results are matched with field injection and micro-seismic monitoring data.Based on geomechanical characteristics of Weiyuan deep shale gas reservoir in Sichuan Basin,SW China,a multi-cluster complex fractures propagation model is built for TPF.To study complex fractures propagation and the permeability-enhanced region evolution,intersecting and competition mechanisms between the fractures before and after TPF treatment are revealed.Simulation results show that:fracture from middle cluster is restricted by the fractures from side-clusters,and side-clusters plugging is benefit for multi fractures propagation in uniformity;optimized TPF timing should be delayed within a higher density or strike of natural fractures;Within a reservoir-featured natural fractures distribution,optimized TPF timing for most clustered method is 2/3 of total fluid injection time as the optimal plugging time under different clustering modes.

Experimental study of the temporary plugging capability of diverters to block hydraulic fractures in high-temperature geothermal reservoirs

The effective plugging of artificial fractures is key to the success of temporary plugging and diverting fracturing technology,which is one of the most promising ways to improve the heat recovery efficiency of hot dry rock.At present,how temporary plugging agents plug artificial fractures under high temperature remains unclear.In this paper,by establishing an improved experimental system for the evaluation of temporary plugging performance at high temperature,we clarified the effects of high temperature,injection rate,and fracture width on the pressure response and plugging efficiency of the fracture.The results revealed that the temporary plugging process of artificial fractures in hot dry rock can be divided into four main stages:the initial stage of temporary plugging,the bridging stage of the particles,the plugging formation stage,and the high-pressure dense plugging stage.As the temperature increases,the distribution distance of the temporary plugging agent,the number of pressure fluctuations,and the time required for crack plugging increases.Particularly,when the temperature increases by 100℃,the complete plugging time increases by 90.7%.

Optimization of the Plugging Agent Dosage for High Temperature Salt Profile Control in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

After steam discharge in heavy oil reservoirs,the distribution of temperature,pressure,and permeability in different wells becomes irregular.Flow channels can easily be produced,which affect the sweep efficiency of the oil displacement.Previous studies have shown that the salting-out plugging method can effectively block these channels in high-temperature reservoirs,improve the suction profile,and increase oil production.In the present study,the optimal dosage of the plugging agent is determined taking into account connection transmissibility and inter-well volumes.Together with the connectivity model,a water flooding simulation model is introduced.Moreover,a non-gradient stochastic disturbance algorithm is used to obtain the optimal plugging agent dosage,which provides the basis for the high-temperature salting-out plugging agent adjustment in the field.

Fatigue Life Analysis of Coiled Tubing in Deep Well Jet Plugging Removal

The coiled tubing plugging has become the main means of plugging in gas Wells in Xinjiang. These Wells are deep and have high pressure, which can easily affect the fatigue life of the operating coiled tubing. In order to improve the life of coiled tubing in high-pressure gas Wells, this paper studies the plugging conditions of coiled tubing in high-pressure ultra-deep Wells. Firstly, the cross section deformation of coiled tubing under high internal pressure is analyzed. Secondly, the factors influencing the fatigue life of coiled tubing and the influence of surface damage on the fatigue life of coiled tubing were studied. Finally, the mechanism of furrow damage caused by coiled tubing and the main measures to reduce furrow damage are analyzed. The following suggestions are made to improve the life of coiled tubing: select the right material and the right size coiled tubing;Use appropriate measures to prevent premature coiled tubing failure and reduce operating costs.

Influence of Incomplete Soil Plugs on Bearing Capacities of Bucket Foundations in Clay

Due to the uneven seabed and heaving of soil during pumping,incomplete soil plugs may occur during the installation of bucket foundations,and the impacts on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations need to be evaluated.In this paper,the contact ratio(the ratio of the top diameter of the soil plug to the diameter of the bucket)and the soil plug ratio(the ratio of the soil heave height to the skirt height)are defined to describe the shape and size of the incomplete soil plug.Then,finite element models are established to investigate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations with incomplete soil plugs and the influences of the contact ratios,and the soil plug ratios on the bearing capacities are analyzed.The results show that the vertical bearing capacity of bucket foundations in homogeneous soil continuously improves with the increase of the contact ratio.However,in normally consolidated soil,the vertical bearing capacity barely changes when the contact ratio is smaller than 0.75,while the bearing capacity suddenly increases when the contact ratio increases to 1 due to the change of failure mode.The contact ratio hardly affects the horizontal bearing capacity of bucket foundations.Moreover,the moment bearing capacity improves with the increase of the contact ratio for small aspect ratios,but hardly varies with increasing contact ratio for aspect ratios larger than 0.5.Consequently,the reduction coefficient method is proposed based on this analysis to calculate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations considering the influence of incomplete soil plugs.The comparison results show that the proposed reduction coefficient method can be used to evaluate the influences of incomplete soil plug on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations.

Theory,technology and application of grouted bolting in soft rock roadways of deep coal mines

The grouted bolt,combining rock bolting with grouting techniques,provides an effective solution for controlling the surrounding rock in deep soft rock and fractured roadways.It has been extensively applied in numerous deep mining areas characterized by soft rock roadways,where it has demonstrated remarkable control results.This article systematically explores the evolution of grouted bolting,covering its theoretical foundations,design methods,materials,construction processes,monitoring measures,and methods for assessing its effectiveness.The overview encompassed several key elements,delving into anchoring theory and grouting reinforcement theory.The new principle of high pretensioned high-pressure splitting grouted bolting collaborative active control is introduced.A fresh method for dynamic information design is also highlighted.The discussion touches on both conventional grouting rock bolts and cable bolts,as well as innovative grouted rock bolts and cables characterized by their high pretension,strength,and sealing hole pressure.An examination of the merits and demerits of standard inorganic and organic grouting materials versus the new inorganic–organic composite materials,including their specific application conditions,was conducted.Additionally,the article presents various methods and instruments to assess the support effect of grouting rock bolts,cable bolts,and grouting reinforcement.Furthermore,it provides a foundation for understanding the factors influencing decisions on grouted bolting timing,the sequence of grouting,the pressure applied,the volume of grout used,and the strategic arrangement of grouted rock bolts and cable bolts.The application of the high pretensioned high-pressure splitting grouted bolting collaborative control technology in a typical kilometer-deep soft rock mine in China—the soft coal seam and soft rock roadway in the Kouzidong coal mine,Huainan coal mining area,was introduced.Finally,the existing problems in grouted bolting control technology for deep soft rock roadways are analyzed,and the future development trend of grouted bolting control technology is anticipated.

Mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of rock bolts subjected to static-dynamic loads

This study explores the effects of dynamic and static loading on rock bolt performance a key factor in maintaining the structural safety of coal mine roadways susceptible to coal bursts.Employing a housemade load frame to simulate various failure scenarios,pretension-impact-pull tests on rock bolts were conducted to scrutinize their dynamic responses under varied static load conditions and their failure traits under combined loads.The experimental results denote that with increased impact energy,maximum and average impact loads on rock bolts escalate significantly under pretension,initiating plastic deformation beyond a certain threshold.Despite minor reductions in the yield load due to impactinduced damage,pretension aids in constraining post-impact deformation rate and fluctuation degree of rock bolts.Moreover,impact-induced plastic deformation causes internal microstructure dislocation,fortifying the stiffness of the rock bolt support system.The magnitude of this fortification is directly related to the plastic deformation induced by the impact.These findings provide crucial guidance for designing rock bolt support in coal mine roadway excavation,emphasizing the necessity to consider both static and dynamic loads for improved safety and efficiency.

Failure characterization of fully grouted rock bolts under triaxial testing

Confining stresses serve as a pivotal determinant in shaping the behavior of grouted rock bolts.Nonetheless,prior investigations have oversimplified the three-dimensional stress state,primarily assuming hydrostatic stress conditions.Under these conditions,it is assumed that the intermediate principal stress(σ_(2))equals the minimum principal stress(σ_(3)).This assumption overlooks the potential variations in magnitudes of in situ stress conditions along all three directions near an underground opening where a rock bolt is installed.In this study,a series of push tests was meticulously conducted under triaxial conditions.These tests involved applying non-uniform confining stresses(σ_(2)≠σ_(3))to cubic specimens,aiming to unveil the previously overlooked influence of intermediate principal stresses on the strength properties of rock bolts.The results show that as the confining stresses increase from zero to higher levels,the pre-failure behavior changes from linear to nonlinear forms,resulting in an increase in initial stiffness from 2.08 kN/mm to 32.51 kN/mm.The load-displacement curves further illuminate distinct post-failure behavior at elevated levels of confining stresses,characterized by enhanced stiffness.Notably,the peak load capacity ranged from 27.9 kN to 46.5 kN as confining stresses advanced from σ_(2)=σ_(3)=0 to σ_(2)=20 MPa and σ_(3)=10 MPa.Additionally,the outcomes highlight an influence of confining stress on the lateral deformation of samples.Lower levels of confinement prompt overall dilation in lateral deformation,while higher confinements maintain a state of shrinkage.Furthermore,diverse failure modes have been identified,intricately tied to the arrangement of confining stresses.Lower confinements tend to induce a splitting mode of failure,whereas higher loads bring about a shift towards a pure interfacial shear-off and shear-crushed failure mechanism.

Stability analysis of tunnel face reinforced with face bolts

Face bolting has been widely utilized to enhance the stability of tunnel face,particularly in soft soil tunnels.However,the influence of bolt reinforcement and its layout on tunnel face stability has not been systematically studied.Based on the theory of linear elastic mechanics,this study delved into the specific mechanisms of bolt reinforcement on the tunnel face in both horizontal and vertical dimensions.It also identified the primary failure types of bolts.Additionally,a design approach for tunnel face bolts that incorporates spatial layout was established using the limit equilibrium method to enhance the conventional wedge-prism model.The proposed model was subsequently validated through various means,and the specific influence of relevant bolt design parameters on tunnel face stability was analyzed.Furthermore,design principles for tunnel face bolts under different geological conditions were presented.The findings indicate that bolt failure can be categorized into three stages:tensile failure,pullout failure,and comprehensive failure.Increasing cohesion,internal friction angle,bolt density,and overlap length can effectively enhance tunnel face stability.Due to significant variations in stratum conditions,tailored design approaches based on specific failure stages are necessary for bolt design.

Study on Chrome-free Purging Plugs for Steel Ladles

Purging plug refractories in China typically contain around 3 mass% of super-fine chromium oxide in the matrix in order to improve the performance of the purging plugs, primarily, slag corrosion and wear resistance. Alternatives to chromium oxide containing refractories have gained interest due to health concerns related to the formation of soluble chromium compounds over long storage periods of refractory wastes. Super-ground reactive alumina can replace chromium oxide in purging plug refractories and this paper discussed the new reactive alumina E-SY 88 in comparison to chromium oxide in a typical purging plug castable. The mixing behaviour, wet castable properties, as well as cured, dried, and fired properties at different temperatures up to 1 600 ℃ were compared. In addition, the hot modulus of rupture, creep behaviour, thermal shock resistance and slag corrosion resistance were tested. The microstructure after slag corrosion was investigated by SEM. The results prove that E-SY 88 is an economically viable technical alternative to chromium oxide in purging plug refractories.

Numerical Optimization by Finite Element Method of Stainless Steel/Glass-Epoxy Composite Bolted Joint under Tension and Compression

The aim of this study was to optimize the geometry and the design of metallic/composite single bolted joints subjected to tension-compression loading. For this purpose, it was necessary to evaluate the stress state in each component of the bolted join. The multi-material assembly was based on the principle of double lap bolted joint. It was composed of a symmetrical balanced woven glass-epoxy composite material plate fastened to two stainless sheets using a stainless pre-stressed bolt. In order to optimize the design and the geometry of the assembly, ten configurations were proposed and studied: a classical simple bolted joint, two joints with an insert (a BigHeadR insert and a stair one) embedded in the composite, two “waved” solutions, three symmetrical configurations composed of a succession of metallic and composites layers, without a sleeve, with one and with two sleeves, and two non-symmetrical constituted of metallic and composites layers associated with a stair-insert (one with a sleeve and one without). A tridimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to model each configuration mentioned above. The FE models taked into account the different materials, the effects of contact between the different sheets of the assembly and the pre-stress in the bolt. The stress state was analyzed in the composite part. The concept of stress concentration factor was used in order to evaluate the stress increase in the highly stressed regions and to compare the ten configurations studied. For this purpose, three stress concentration factors were defined: one for a monotonic loading in tension, another for a monotonic loading in compression, and the third for a tension-compression cyclic loading. The results of the FEM computations showed that the use of alternative metallic and composite layers associated with two sleeves gived low values of stress concentration factors, smaller than 1.4. In this case, there was no contact between the bolt and the composite part and the most stressed region was not the vicinity of the hole but the end of the longest layers of the metallic inserts.

Experimental investigation of enhancement of carbon dioxide foam stability, pore plugging, and oil recovery in the presence of silica nanoparticles

The influence of surface-modified silica(SiO_2) nanoparticles on the stability and pore plugging properties of foams in porous media was investigated in this study. The pore plugging ability of foams was estimated from the pressure drop induced during foam propagation in porous media. The results clearly showed that the modified Si02 nanoparticlestabilized foam exhibited high stability, and the differential pressure increased in porous media by as much as three times.The addition of SiO_2 nanoparticles to the foaming dispersions further mitigated the adverse effect of oil toward the foam pore plugging ability. Consequently, the oil recovery increased in the presence of nanoparticles by approximately 15%during the enhanced oil recovery experiment. The study suggested that the addition of surface-modified silica nanoparticles to the surfactant solution could considerably improve the conventional foam stability and pore plugging performance in porous media.

Analysis and Online Diagnosis on Plugging Fault of Servo Valve in Electro-hydraulic Regulating System of Steam Turbine

Through the study on the output signals of the electro-hydraulic regulating system in the thermal power plant, a novel method for online diagnosis of the plugging fault in the servo valve is presented. With the use of the AMESIM software, the changes of the piston displacement, the oil pressure, the magnitude attenuation and the phase lag of the system under different plugging states are studied after simulation. Besides, the influences of the symmetrical and unsymmetrical plugging on the system are also compared and the characteristic table is given. The duo-neural network is put forward to achieve an online diagnosis on the plugging fault of the servo valve. The first level of network helps to make the qualitative diagnosis of the plugging position while the second level is for the quantitative diagnosis of the degree of the plugged position. The research results show that plugging at different positions exerts different influences on the performance of the system. The unsymmetrical plugging mainly affects the regulation time while the symmetrical plugging leads to great changes in the magnitude attenuation and the phase lag.

Thermo-sensitive polymer nanospheres as a smart plugging agent for shale gas drilling operations

Emulsifier-free poly（methyl methacrylate-styrene） [P（MMA-St）] nanospheres with an average particle size of 100 nm were synthesized in an isopropyl alcoholwater medium by a solvothermal method. Then, through radical graft copolymerization of thermo-sensitive mono- mer N-isopropylacrylamide （NIPAm） and hydrophilic monomer acrylic acid （AA） onto the surface of P（MMA- St） nanospheres at 80 ℃, a series of thermo-sensitive polymer nanospheres, named SD-SEAL with different lower critical solution temperatures （LCST）, were prepared by adjusting the mole ratio of NIPAm to AA. The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, particle size distribution, and specific surface area analysis. The temperature-sensitive behavior was studied by light transmittance tests, while the sealing performance was investigated by pressure transmission tests with Lungmachi Formation shales. The experimental results showed that the synthesized nanoparticles are sensitive to temperature and had apparent LCST values which increased with an increase in hydrophilic monomer AA. When the temperature was higher than its LCST value, SD- SEAL played a dual role of physical plugging and chemical inhibition, slowed down pressure transmission, and reduced shale permeability remarkably. The plugged layer of shale was changed to being hydrophobic, which greatly improved the shale stability

Effect of the distributor plugging ways on fluidization quality and particle stratification in air dense medium fluidized bed

Gas-solid fluidized bed separation is a highly efficient and clean technique for coal separation,and can effectively remove ash and sulfur contained gangue minerals from coal.However,the fine coal plugging distributor often leads to uneven fluidization and affects the separation effect.In this paper,different plugging ways were designed to study their effects on the fluidization characteristics and particle mixing.It was found that when the plugging phenomenon occurs,the minimum fluidization velocity of the fluidized bed gradually decreases as the plugging area enlarges.The difference between the top and the bottom of the bed minimum fluidization velocity increases accordingly,and a“stagnation phenomenon”occurs in the bed.The standard deviation of pressure fluctuations at the top of the bed is smaller than that at the bottom of the bed,which is the opposite of normal conditions.As the area of the plugging increases,the dead zone on the side wall of the fluidized bed significantly increases.The size of the dead zone is rapid reducing at the initial stage.It was noticed that the stratification of the low-density products is particularly affected by plugging,whereas the stratification of high-density products is not obviously influenced by certain conditions.