Integrated numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing and production in shale gas well considering gas-water two-phase flow

Based on the displacement discontinuity method and the discrete fracture unified pipe network model,a sequential iterative numerical method was used to build a fracturing-production integrated numerical model of shale gas well considering the two-phase flow of gas and water.The model accounts for the influence of natural fractures and matrix properties on the fracturing process and directly applies post-fracturing formation pressure and water saturation distribution to subsequent well shut-in and production simulation,allowing for a more accurate fracturing-production integrated simulation.The results show that the reservoir physical properties have great impacts on fracture propagation,and the reasonable prediction of formation pressure and reservoir fluid distribution after the fracturing is critical to accurately predict the gas and fluid production of the shale gas wells.Compared with the conventional method,the proposed model can more accurately simulate the water and gas production by considering the impact of fracturing on both matrix pressure and water saturation.The established model is applied to the integrated fracturing-production simulation of practical horizontal shale gas wells.The simulation results are in good agreement with the practical production data,thus verifying the accuracy of the model.

Effects of CH_(4)/CO_(2) multi-component gas on components and properties of tight oil during CO_(2) utilization and storage: Physical experiment and composition numerical simulation

An essential technology of carbon capture, utilization and storage-enhanced oil recovery (CCUS-EOR) for tight oil reservoirs is CO_(2) huff-puff followed by associated produced gas reinjection. In this paper, the effects of multi-component gas on the properties and components of tight oil are studied. First, the core displacement experiments using the CH_(4)/CO_(2) multi-component gas are conducted to determine the oil displacement efficiency under different CO_(2) and CH_(4) ratios. Then, a viscometer and a liquid density balance are used to investigate the change characteristics of oil viscosity and density after multi-component gas displacement with different CO_(2) and CH_(4) ratios. In addition, a laboratory scale numerical model is established to validate the experimental results. Finally, a composition model of multi-stage fractured horizontal well in tight oil reservoir considering nano-confinement effects is established to investigate the effects of multi-component gas on the components of produced dead oil and formation crude oil. The experimental results show that the oil displacement efficiency of multi-component gas displacement is greater than that of single-component gas displacement. The CH_(4) decreases the viscosity and density of light oil, while CO_(2) decreases the viscosity but increases the density. And the numerical simulation results show that CO_(2) extracts more heavy components from the liquid phase into the vapor phase, while CH_(4) extracts more light components from the liquid phase into the vapor phase during cyclic gas injection. The multi-component gas can extract both the light components and the heavy components from oil, and the balanced production of each component can be achieved by using multi-component gas huff-puff.

Study of 3-D Numerical Simulation for Gas Transfer in the Goaf of the Coal Mining

In order to simulate field distribution rules,mathematical models for 3-D air flows and gas transfer in the goaf of the coal mining are established,based on theories of permeability and dynamic dispersion through porous media. A gas dispersion equation in a 3-D field is calculated by use of numerical method on a weighted upstream multi-element balance. Based on data of an example with a U type ventilation mode,surface charts of air pressure distribution and gas concentration are drawn by Graphtool software. Finally,a comparison between actually measured results in the model test and the numerical simulation results is made to proves the numerical implementation feasible.

3D numerical simulation of boreholes for gas drainage based on the pore–fracture dual media

A gas migration controlling equation was formulated based on the characteristics of the dual pore–fracture media of coal mass and in consideration of the matrix exchange between pores and fractures.A model of permeability dynamic evolution was established by analyzing the variation in effective stress during gas drainage and the action mechanism of the effect of coal matrix desorption on porosity and fracture in the coal body.A coupling model can then be obtained to characterize gas compressibility and coal deformability under the gas–solid coupling of loading coal.In addition,a 3D model of boreholes was established and solved for gas drainage based on the relevant physical parameters of real mines.The comparison and analysis results for the law of gas migration and the evolution of coal body permeability around the boreholes before and after gas extraction between the dual media and the single-seepage field models can provide a theoretical basis for further research on the action mechanism of gas drainage.

Theoretical and numerical simulation of critical gas supply of refuge chamber

The personnel in refuge chamber absorb O_2 and exhale CO_2 all the time. Supplying O_2 and removing CO_2 are the basic function of refuge chamber. After disaster occurs, the supply of the compressed air or oxygen for personnel in refuge chamber is limited. Thus, how to effectively use the compressed air and oxygen and try to improve the time of supply has a great significance. Supplying more oxygen will result in waste, while supplying less oxygen will cause its concentration to be lower, and harm life safety. This research uses the theoretical calculation and numerical simulation, finds critical gas supply for refuge chamber, and illuminates the change law of gas concentration with critical gas supply in refuge chamber,which provides theoretical guidance for effective use of compressed air and oxygen in refuge chamber.

Three-dimensional transient numerical simulation for gas exchange process in a four-stroke motorcycle engine

Three-dimensional transient numerical simulation of gas exchange process in a four-stroke motorcycle engine with a semi-spherical combustion chamber with two tilt valves was studied. Combination of the grid re-meshing method and the snapper technique made the valves move smoothly. The flow structure and pattern in a complete engine cycle were described in detail. Tumble ratios around the x-axis and y-axis were analyzed. Comparison of computed pressure with experimental pressure under motored condition revealed that the simulation had high calculation precision; CFD simulation can be regarded as an im-portant tool for resolving the complex aerodynamic behavior in motorcycle engines.

CFD numerical simulation of dispersion law of indoor gas leakage based on weather conditions

The calculation model was established by k-ε turbulence stress which reflects the change of indoor gas leak's volume fraction,and the CFD software was used to numerically simulate the volume fraction of gas after the gas of continuity leakage,at the same time the changes of gas leak were studied. The results show that the process of gas leakage is different with the change of conditions of indoor and outdoor. Because of the different influencing factors,when the gas leak reaches a certain stable value,the volume fraction,velocity and the explosion of regional are different in the same state indoor. In some regions the gas will explode which meets the fire even if the mean volume fraction of the gas cannot achieve the explosion limit.

Study of the numerical simulation of tight sandstone gas molecular diffusion based on digital core technology

Diffusion is an important mass transfer mode of tight sandstone gas. Since nano-pores are extensively developed in the interior of tight sandstone, a considerable body of research indicates that the type of diffusion is mainly molecular diffusion based on Fick＇s law. However, accurate modeling and understanding the physics of gas transport phenomena in nanoporous media is still a challenge for researchers and traditional investigation（analytical and experimental methods） have many limitations in studying the generic behavior. In this paper, we used Nano-CT to observe the pore structures of samples of the tight sandstone of western of Sichuan. Combined with advanced image processing technology, threedimensional distributions of the nanometer-sized pores were reconstructed and a tight sandstone digital core model was built, as well the pore structure parameters were analyzed quantitatively. Based on the digital core model, the diffusion process of methane molecules from a higher concentration area to a lower concentration area was simulated by a finite volume method. Finally, the reservoir＇s concentration evolution was visualized and the intrinsic molecular diffusivity tensor which reflects the diffusion capabilities of this rock was calculated. Through comparisons, we found that our calculated result was in good agreement with other empirical results. This study provides a new research method for tight sandstone digital rock physics. It is a foundation for future tight sandstone gas percolation theory and numerical simulation research.

Heat calculation and numerical simulation in steam mining of permafrost gas hydrate

Steam mining method was injecting hot steam into the borehole to heat the hydrate strata at the same time of depressurization mining,which could promote further decomposition and expand mining areas of gas hydrate. Steam heat calculation would provide the basis for the design of heating device and the choice of the field test parameters. There were piping heat loss in the process of mining. The heat transfer of steam flowing in the pipe was steady,so the heat loss could be obtained easily by formula calculation. The power of stratum heating should be determined by numerical simulation for the process of heating was dynamic and the equations were usually nonlinear. The selected mining conditions were 500-millimeter mining radius,10 centigrade mining temperature and 180 centigrade steam temperature. Heat loss and best heating power,obtained by formula calculation and numerical simulation,were 21. 35 W/m and 20 kW.

A study on periodic boundary condition in direct numerical simulation for gas–solid flow

Direct numerical simulation(DNS) of gas–solid flow at high resolution has been carried out by coupling the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) for gas flow and the discrete element method(DEM) for solid particles. However,the body force periodic boundary condition(FPBC) commonly used to cut down the huge computational cost of such simulation has faced accuracy concerns. In this study, a novel two-region periodic boundary condition(TPBC) is presented to remedy this problem, with the flow driven in the region with body force and freely evolving in the other region. With simulation cases for simple circulating fluidized bed risers, the validity and advantages of TPBC are demonstrated with more reasonable heterogeneity of the particle distribution as compared to the corresponding case with FPBC.

Gas-solid coupling analysis and numerical simulation of the dynamic process of gas drainage

Based on the basic theory of gas seepage and coal seam deformation, using the numerical simulation method, this paper established the gas-solid coupling model of gas drainage from borehole. Using multi-physical coupling analysis software, the authors studied the stress change conditions around the drainage borehole, the influence of the gas drainage effect caused by the drilling gap, and the gas drainage effect under the conditions of different borehole radius and different permeabilities. The results show that the effective drainage radius is 1.03 m during 30 days of drainage. The effect of the diameter change of the drainage borehole is limited, but the influence of coal seam permeability is much bigger. After the same drainage period, the greater the permeability of coal seam is, the bigger the drainage radius is. For a low permeability coal seam, coal miners should take pressure-relief measures and increase the permeability to improve the drainage effects before draining gas through drilling.

3D Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Gas Filter

The filter paper and activated carbon which filled inside the gas filter have porous media characteristics. In order to study the flow field structure in the filter layer and the activated carbon layer, Computational Fluid Dynamics method is used to simulate the aerodynamic characteristics of a simplified gas filter. The inertial and viscosity parameters of porous media are solved by Forchheimer equation. The three-dimensional N-S equation and the modified low Reynolds number k-ε turbulence model are adopted to analyze the influence of the explosion-proof plate on the gas filter’s aerodynamic characteristics. The results showed that the air age in the upstream of the activated carbon plates was small, which easily caused the rapid penetration of the Poisonous gas. And in the downstream and around of the activated carbon plates, the air age is larger, formed dead zone, the utilization rate of activated carbon is lower. The explosion-proof plate increases the pressure drop of the gas filter, the air age distribution in the filter layer is more uniform and the utilization rate of filter paper is improved. However, the explosion-proof plate has little influence on the flow field structure of the activated carbon layer.

Further studies on the numerical simulation of bubble plumes in the cold seepage active region

Using the occurrence characteristics of bubble plumes in the South China Sea as a reference, this paper continues to study the seismic responses produced by bubble plumes in the cold seepage active region. To make the plume modelling scheme more reasonable, we modified the original modelling scheme and reconstructed a plume water body model based on the variation of its radius as bubbles rise in seawater. The plume seismic records of shot gathers were obtained by forward simulation. The seismic records of single shot show obvious characteristics of a scattering wave field and the periodic characteristics of the model. Seismic records of shot gathers were processed using prestack depth migration. The boundary of its imaging section has a good convergence effect. The migration sections can be imaged distinctly with higher accuracy. The aforementioned studies once again laid a foundation for the further study of the seismic responses produced by plumes. They also gradually probed a more suitable seismic data processing method for plumes and provided a theoretical guidance for the identification of plumes.

Estimating the Operation Status of Steam Cracking Furnace Using Numerical Simulation with Combustion Models

An accurate and complete geometric model was constructed to simulate the combustion, flow and temperature environment in the radiant section of the steam cracking furnace. Simulation of flow and radiation status has utilized the standard k-ε model and P1 model. The finite-rate/eddy-dissipation (finite-rate/ED) combustion model and non-premixed combustion model were both used to simulate accurately the combustion and the operation status of the steam cracking furnace. Three different surfaces of the steam cracking furnace were obtained from the simulation, namely:the flue gas temperature field of the entrance surface in long flame burners, the central surface location of tubes, and the crossover section surface. Detailed information on the flue gas temperature and the mass concentration fraction of these different surfaces in the steam cracking furnace can also be obtained by the simulation. This paper analyzed and compared the simulation results with the two combustion models, estimated the operation status of the steam cracking furnace, and reported that the finite-rate/ED model is appropriate to simulate the steam cracking furnace by comparing key simulation data with actual test data. This work has also provided a theoretical basis for simulating and operating the steam cracking furnace.

Desulfurization characteristics of slaked lime and regulation optimization of circulating fluidized bed flue gas desulfurization process--A combined experimental and numerical simulation study

Circulating fluidized bed flue gas desulfurization(CFB-FGD) process has been widely applied in recent years. However, high cost caused by the use of high-quality slaked lime and difficult operation due to the complex flow field are two issues which have received great attention. Accordingly, a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor was constructed to investigate the effects of physical properties and external conditions on desulfurization performance of slaked lime, and the conclusions were tried out in an industrial-scale CFB-FGD tower. After that, a numerical model of the tower was established based on computational particle fluid dynamics(CPFD) and two-film theory. After comparison and validation with actual operation data, the effects of operating parameters on gas-solid distribution and desulfurization characteristics were investigated. The results of experiments and industrial trials showed that the use of slaked lime with a calcium hydroxide content of approximately 80% and particle size greater than 40 μm could significantly reduce the cost of desulfurizer. Simulation results showed that the flow field in the desulfurization tower was skewed under the influence of circulating ash. We obtained optimal operating conditions of 7.5 kg·s^(-1)for the atomized water flow, 70 kg·s^(-1)for circulating ash flow, and 0.56 kg·s^(-1)for slaked lime flow, with desulfurization efficiency reaching 98.19% and the exit flue gas meeting the ultraclean emission and safety requirements. All parameters selected in the simulation were based on engineering examples and had certain application reference significance.

Horizontal well spacing optimization and gas injection simulation for the ultra-low-permeability Yongjin reservoir

Optimal spacing for vertical wells can be effectively predicted with several published methods,but methods suitable for assessing the proper horizontal well spacing are rare.This work proposes a method for calculating the optimal horizontal well spacing for an ultra-low permeability reservoir e the Yongjin reservoir in the Juggar Basin,northwestern China.The result shows that a spacing of 640m is the most economical for the development of the reservoir.To better develop the reservoir,simulation approaches are used and a new model is built based on the calculated well spacing.Since the reservoir has an ultralow permeability,gas injection is regarded as the preferred enhanced oil recovery(EOR)method.Injection of different gases including carbon dioxide,methane,nitrogen and mixed gas are modelled.The results show that carbon dioxide injection is the most efficient and economical for the development of the reservoir.However,if the reservoir produces enough methane,reinjecting methane is even better than injecting carbon dioxide.

Numerical study on gas production via a horizontal well from hydrate reservoirs with different slope angles in the South China Sea

It is important to study the effect of hydrate production on the physical and mechanical properties of low-permeability clayey–silty reservoirs for the largescale exploitation of hydrate reservoirs in the South China Sea.In this study,a multiphysical-field coupling model,combined with actual exploration drilling data and the mechanical experimental data of hydrate cores in the laboratory,was established to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of low-permeability reservoirs with different slope angles during 5-year hydrate production by the depressurization method via a horizontal well.The result shows that the permeability of reservoirs severely affects gas production rate,and the maximum gas production amount of a 20-m-long horizontal well can reach186.8 m3/day during the 5-year hydrate production.Reservoirs with smaller slope angles show higher gas production rates.The depressurization propagation and hydrate dissociation mainly develop along the direction parallel to the slope.Besides,the mean effective stress of reservoirs is concentrated in the near-wellbore area with the on-going hydrate production,and gradually decreases with the increase of the slope angle.Different from the effective stress distribution law,the total reservoir settlement amount first decreases and then increases with the increase of the slope angle.The maximum settlement of reservoirs with a 0°slope angle is up to 3.4 m,and the displacement in the near-wellbore area is as high as2.2 m after 5 years of hydrate production.It is concluded that the pore pressure drop region of low-permeability reservoirs in the South China Sea is limited,and various slope angles further lead to differences in effective stress and strain of reservoirs during hydrate production,resulting in severe uneven settlement of reservoirs.

Numerical simulation of the effects of the impact velocity on the particle deposition characteristics in cold gas dynamic spraying

In this study, the effects of the impact velocity on the particle deposition characteristics in cold gas dynamic spraying （CGDS） of 304 stainless steel （SS） on an interstitial free （IF） steel substrate are numerical simulated by means of a finite element analysis （FEA）. The results have illustrated that when the particle impact velocity exceeds a critical value at which adiabatic shear instability of the particle starts to occur. Meanwhile, the fatten ratio and impact crater depth （or the effective contacting area ） increase rapidly. The particle-substrate bonding and deposition mechanism can be attributed to such an adiabatic shear deformation induced by both the compressive force and the slide friction force of particle. The critical velocity can be predicted by numerical simulation, which is useful to optimize the CGDS processing parameters for various materials.

Numerical simulation to evaluate gas diffusion of turbulent flow in mine ventilation system

Tracer gas technique is a method to analyze the airflow path, measure the airflow quantity, and detect any recirculation or leakages in underground mine. In addition, it is also possible to evaluate the axial gas diffusion of gas in turbulent bulk flow by utilizing the tracer gas data. This paper discussed about the measurement using tracer gas technique in Cibaliung Underground Mine, Indonesia and the evaluation of effective axial diffusion coefficient, E, by numerical simulation. In addition, a scheme to treat network flow in mine ventilation system was also proposed. The effective axial diffusion coefficient for each airway was evaluated based on Taylor's theoretical equation. It is found that the evaluated diffusion coefficient agrees well with Taylor's equation by considering that the wall friction factor, f, is higher than those for smooth pipe flow. It also shows that the value of effective diffusion coefficient can be inherently determined and the value is constant when matching with other measurements. Furthermore, there are possibilities to utilize the tracer gas measurement data to evaluate the airway friction factors.

Simulation of Gas-Water Two-Phase Flow in Tight Gas Reservoirs Considering the Gas Slip Effect

A mathematical model for the gas-water two-phase flow in tight gas reservoirs is elaborated.The model can account for the gas slip effect,stress sensitivity,and high-speed non-Darcy factors.The related equations are solved in the framework of a finite element method.The results are validated against those obtained by using the commercial software CMG(Computer Modeling Group software for advanced recovery process simulation).It is shown that the proposed method is reliable.It can capture the fracture rejection characteristics of tight gas reservoirs better than the CMG.A sensitivity analysis of various control factors(initial water saturation,reservoir parameters,and fracturing parameters)affecting the production in tight gas wells is conducted accordingly.Finally,a series of theoretical arguments are provided for a rational and effective development/exploitation of tight sandstone gas reservoirs.