Calcium sulfate whisker prepared by flue gas desulfurization gypsum:A physical–chemical coupling production process

In this paper,the solid waste desulfurization gypsum produced by coal-fired power plants was used as a raw material to prepare calcium sulfate whiskers with high application prospects.Calcium sulfate whiskers with uniform morphology and high aspect ratio can be prepared by hydrothermal method in sulfuric acid solution.A new process of desulfurization gypsum activated by high-energy grinding to reduce the reaction temperature and sulfuric acid concentration was developed.Through the comparison of product morphology,the best grinding time was determined to be 3.5 h.The mechanism of desulfurization gypsum through physical–chemical coupling to reduce energy consumption was clarified.The activation of desulfurization gypsum by grinding and the acidic environment provided by the sulfuric acid solution made the calcium sulfate solution reached rapid saturation and accelerated the nucleation rate.By calculating the conversion and crystallization rate of calcium sulfate whiskers,it was found that there were obvious"autocatalytic"kinetic characteristics during the crystallization process.

Heat-fluid-solid coupling model for gas-bearing coal seam and numerical modeling on gas drainage promotion by heat injection

Improving the absorbed gas to active desorption and seepage and delaying gas drainage attenuation are considered as key methods for increasing drainage efficiency and gas output.According to the solid mechanics theory,the nonlinear Darcy seepage theory and thermodynamics,the heat-fluid-solid coupling model for gassy coal has been improved.The numerical model was founded from the improved multi-field coupling model by COMSOL Multiphysics and gas drainage by borehole down the coal seam enhanced by heat injection was modelled.The results show that the heatfluid-solid model with adsorption effects for gassy coal was well simulated by the improved multi-field model.The mechanism of coal seam gas desorption seepage under the combined action of temperature,stress and adsorption can be well described.Gas desorption and seepage can be enhanced by heat injection into coal seams.The gas drainage rate was directly proportional to the temperature of injected heat in the scope of 30-150 ℃ and increasing in the whole modelleddrainage process (0-1000 d).The increased level was maximum in the initial drainage time and decreasing gradually along with drainage time.The increasing ratio of drainage rate was maximum when the temperature raised from 30 to 60 ℃.Although the drainage rate would increase along with increasing temperature,when exceeding 60 ℃,the increasing ratio of drainage rate with rising temperature would decrease.Gas drainage promotion was more effective in coal seams with lower permeability than with higher permeability.The coal seam temperature in a 5 m distance surrounding the heat injection borehole would rise to around 60 ℃ in 3 months.That was much less than the time of gas drainage in the coal mines in sites with low permeability coal seams.Therefore,it is valuable and feasible to inject heat into coal seams to promote gas drainage,and this has strong feasibility for coal seams with low permeability which are widespread in China.

Mechanical criterion for coal and gas outburst:a perspective from multiphysics coupling

Although a series of hypotheses have been proposed,the mechanism underlying coal and gas outburst remains unclear.Given the low-index outbursts encountered in mining practice,we attempt to explore this mechanism using a multiphysics coupling model considering the effects of coal strength and gas mass transfer on failure.Based on force analysis of coal ahead of the heading face,a risk identification index C_(m)and a critical criterion(C_(m)≥1)of coal instability are proposed.According to this criterion,the driving force of an outburst consists of stress and gas pressure gradients along the heading direction of the roadway,whereas resistance depends on the shear and tensile strengths of the coal.The results show that outburst risk decreases slightly,followed by a rapid increase,with increasing vertical stress,whereas it decreases with increasing coal strength and increases with gas pressure monotonically.Using the response surface method,a coupled multi-factor model for the risk identification index is developed.The results indicate strong interactions among the controlling factors.Moreover,the critical values of the factors corresponding to outburst change depending on the environment of the coal seams,rather than being constants.As the buried depth of a coal seam increases,the critical values of gas pressure and coal strength decrease slightly,followed by a rapid increase.According to its controlling factors,outburst can be divided into stress-dominated,coal-strength-dominated,gas-pressure-dominated,and multi-factor compound types.Based on this classification,a classified control method is proposed to enable more targeted outburst prevention.

Fluid-solid coupling model for studying wellbore instability in drilling of gas hydrate bearing sediments

As the oil or gas exploration and development activities in deep and ultra- deep waters become more and more, encountering gas hydrate bearing sediments （HBS） is almost inevitable. The variation in temperature and pressure can destabilize gas hydrate in nearby formation around the borehole, which may reduce the strength of the formation and result in wellbore instability. A non-isothermal, transient, two-phase, and fluid-solid coupling mathematical model is proposed to simulate the complex stability performance of a wellbore drilled in HBS. In the model, the phase transition of hydrate dissociation, the heat exchange between drilling fluid and formation, the change of mechanical and petrophysical properties, the gas-water two-phase seepage, and its interaction with rock deformation are considered. A finite element simulator is developed, and the impact of drilling mud on wellbore instability in HBS is simulated. Results indicate that the re- duction in pressure and the increase in temperature of the drilling fluid can accelerate hydrate decomposition and lead to mechanical properties getting worse tremendously. The cohesion decreases by 25% when the hydrate totally dissociates in HBS. This easily causes the wellbore instability accordingly. In the first two hours after the formation is drilled, the regions of hydrate dissociation and wellbore instability extend quickly. Then, with the soaking time of drilling fluid increasing, the regions enlarge little. Choosing the low temperature drilling fluid and increasing the drilling mud pressure appropriately can benefit the wellbore stability of HBS. The established model turns out to be an efficient tool in numerical studies of the hydrate dissociation behavior and wellbore stability of HBS.

Dynamic Coupling Correlation of Gas Film in Dry Gas Seal with Spiral Groove

In working state, the dynamic performance of dry gas seal, generated by the rotating end face with spiral grooves, is determined by the open force of gas film and leakage flow rate. Generally, the open force and the leakage flow rate can be obtained by finite element method, computational fluid dynamics method and experimental measurement method. However, it will take much time to carry out the above measurements and calculations. In this paper, the approximate model of parallel grooves based on the narrow groove theory is used to establish the dynamic equations of the gas film for the purpose of obtaining the dynamic parameters of gas film. The nonlinear differential equations of gas film model are solved by Runge-Kutta method and shooting method. The numerical values of the pressure profiles, leakage flux and opening force on the seal surface are integrated, and then compared to experimental data for the reliability of the numerical simulation. The results show that the numerical simulation curves are in good agreement with experimental values. Furthermore, the opening force and the leakage flux are proved to be strongly correlated with the operating parameters. Then, the function-coupling method is introduced to analyze the numerical results to obtain the correlation formulae of the opening force and leakage flux respectively with the operating parameters, i.e., the inlet pressure and the rotating speed. This study intends to provide an effective way to predict the aerodynamic performance for designing and optimizing the groove styles in dry gas seal rapidly and accurately.

Spin-orbit coupling adjusting topological superfluid of mass-imbalanced Fermi gas

Topological superfluid state is different from the normal superfluid one due to the excitation energy gap on the boundary.How to obtain the topological superfluid state by using spin-orbit coupling to control the s-waves paired mass-imbalanced Fermi gas is a recent novel topic.In this paper,we study the topological superfluid phase diagram of two-dimensional mass-imbalanced Fermi gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling at zero temperature.We find that due to the competition among mass imbalance,pairing interaction and spin-orbit coupling,there is a double-well structure in the thermodynamic potential,which affects the properties of the ground state of the system.We comprehensively give the phase diagrams of the system on the plane of spin-orbit coupling and chemical potential,and the phase diagrams on the plane of the reduced mass ratio and two-body binding energy.This study not only points out the stable region of topolog-ical superfluid state of mass-imbalanced Fermi gas,but also provides a detailed theoretical basis for better observation of topological superfluid state in experiments.

Two-way coupling model for shock-induced laminar boundary-layer flows of a dusty gas

The present paper describes a numerical two-way coupling model for shock-induced laminar boundary-layer flows of a dust-laden gas and studies the transverse migration of fine particles under the action of Saffman lift force. The governing equations are formulated in the dilute twophase continuum framework with consideration of the finiteness of the particle Reynolds and Knudsen numbers. The full Lagrangian method is explored for calculating the dispersedphase flow fields （including the number density of particles） in the regions of intersecting particle trajectories. The computation results show a significant reaction of the particles on the two-phase boundary-layer structure when the mass loading ratio of particles takes finite values.

Topological superfluid in a two-dimensional polarized Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling and adiabatic rotation

We study the properties of superfluid in a two-dimensional （2D） polarized Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling and adiabatic rotation which are trapped in a harmonic potential. Due to the competition between polarization, spin-orbit coupling, and adiabatic rotation, the Fermi gas exhibits many intriguing phenomena. By using the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer （BCS） mean-field method with local density approximation, we investigate the dependence of order parameter solution on the spin-orbit coupling strength and the rotation velocity. The energy spectra with different rotation velocities are studied in detail. Besides, the conditions for the zero-energy Majorana fermions in topological superfluid phase to be observed are obtained. By investigating distributions of number density, we find that the rotation has opposite effect on the distribution of number density with different spins, which leads to the enhancement of the polarization of Fermi gas. Here, we focus on the region of BCS pairing and ignore the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state.

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.

Spatial coupling relationships of gas hydrate formation in the Tibetan Plateau

At present, gas hydrates are known to occur in continental high latitude permafrost regions and deep sea sediments. For middle latitude permafrost regions of the Tibetan Plateau, further research is required to ascertain its potential development of gas hydrates. This paper reviewed pertinent literature on gas hydrates in the Tibetan Plateau. Both geological and ge- ographical data are synthesized to reveal the relationship between gas hydrate formation and petroleum geological evo- lution, Plateau uplift, formation of permafrost, and glacial processes. Previous studies indicate that numerous residual basins in the Plateau have been formed by original sedimentary basins accompanied by rapid uplift of the Plateau. Ex- tensive marine Mesozoic hydrocarbon source rocks in these basins could provide rich sources of materials forming gas hydrates in permafrost. Primary hydrocarbon-generating period in the Plateau is from late Jurassic to early Cretaceous, while secondary hydrocarbon generation, regionally or locally, occurs mainly in the Paleogene. Before rapid uplift of the Plateau, oil-gas reservoirs were continuously destroyed and assembled to form new reservoirs due to structural and thermal dynamics, forcing hydrocarbon migration. Since 3.4 Ma B.P., the Plateau has undergone strong uplift and extensive gla- ciation, periglacier processes prevailed, hydrocarbon gas again migrated, and free gas beneath ice sheets within sedi- mentary materials interacted with water, generating gas hydrates which were finally preserved under a cap formed by frozen layers through rapid cooling in the Plateau. Taken as a whole, it can be safely concluded that there is great temporal and spatial coupling relationships between evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and generation of gas hydrates.

Prediction of Sedimentary Microfacies Distribution by Coupling Stochastic Modeling Method in Oil and Gas Energy Resource Exploitation

In view of the problem that a single modeling method cannot predict the distribution of microfacies, a new idea of coupling modeling method to comprehensively predict the distribution of sedimentary microfacies was proposed, breaking the tradition that different sedimentary microfacies used the same modeling method in the past. Because different sedimentary microfacies have different distribution characteristics and geometric shapes, it is more accurate to select different simulation methods for prediction. In this paper, the coupling modeling method was to establish the distribution of sedimentary microfacies with simple geometry through the point indicating process simulation, and then predict the microfacies with complex spatial distribution through the sequential indicator simulation method. Taking the DC block of Bohai basin as an example, a high-precision reservoir sedimentary microfacies model was established by the above coupling modeling method, and the model verification results showed that the sedimentary microfacies model had a high consistency with the underground. The coupling microfacies modeling method had higher accuracy and reliability than the traditional modeling method, which provided a new idea for the prediction of sedimentary microfacies.

A coupled DEM and LBM model for simulation of outbursts of coal and gas

An outburst of coal and gas is a major hazard in underground coal mining. It is generally accepted that an outburst occurs when certain conditions of stress, coal gassiness and physical-mechanical properties of coal are met. Outbursting is recognized as a two-step process, i.e., initiation and development. In this paper, we present a fully-coupled solid and fluid code to model the entire process of an outburst. The deformation, failure and fracture of solid （coal） are modeled with the discrete element method, and the flow of fluid （gas and water） such as free flow and Darcy flow are modeled with the lattice Boltzmann method. These two methods are coupled in a two-way process, i.e., the solid part provides a moving boundary condition and transfers momentum to the fluid, while the fluid exerts a dragging force upon the solid. Gas desorption from coal occurs at the solid-fluid boundary, and gas diffusion is implemented in the solid code where particles are assumed to be porous. A simple 2D example to simulate the process of an outburst with the model is also presented in this paper to demonstrate the capability of the coupled model.

Spheroidization of silica powders by radio frequency inductively coupled plasma with Ar–H2 and Ar–N2 as the sheath gases at atmospheric pressure

Amorphous spherical silica powders were prepared by inductively coupled thermal plasma treatment at a radio frequency of 36.2 MHz. The effects of the added content of hydrogen and nitrogen into argon(serving as the sheath gas), as well as the carrier gas flow rate, on the spheroidization rate of silica powders, were investigated. The prepared silica powders before and after plasma treatment were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and laser granulometric analysis. Results indicated that the average size of the silica particles increased, and the transformation of crystals into the amorphous state occurred after plasma treatment. Discharge image processing was employed to analyze the effect of the plasma temperature field on the spheroidization rate. The spheroidization rate of the silica powder increased with the increase of the hydrogen content in the sheath gas. On the other hand, the spheroidization rate of the silica power first increased and then decreased with the increase of the nitrogen content in the sheath gas. Moreover, the amorphous content increased with the increase of the spheroidization rate of the silica powder.

Study on gas–liquid flow characteristics in stirred tank with dual-impeller based on CFD-PBM coupled model

Study on gas–liquid flow in stirred tank with two combinations of dual-impeller(six-bent-bladed turbine(6BT)+six-inclined-blade down-pumping turbine(6 ITD),the six-bent-bladed turbine(6BT)+six-inclinedblade up-pumping turbine(6ITU))was conducted using computational fluid dynamics(CFD)and population balance model(PBM)(CFD-PBM)coupled model.The local bubble size was captured by particle image velocimetry(PIV)measurement.The gas holdup,bubble size distribution and gas–liquid interfacial area were explored at different conditions through numerical simulation.The results showed that the 4 mm bubbles accounted for the largest proportion of 33%at the gas flow rates Q=0.76 m^(3)·h^(-1) and 22%at Q=1.52 m^(3)·h^(-1) for combined impeller of 6BT+6ITU,while the bubbles of 4.7 mm and 5.5 mm were the largest proportion for 6BT+6ITD combination,i.e.25%at Q=0.76 m^(3)·h^(-1) and 22%at Q=1.52 m^(3)·h^(-1),respectively,which indicated that 6BT+6ITU could reduce bubble size effectively and promote gas dispersion.In addition,the gas holdup around impellers was increased obviously with the speed compared with gas flow rate.So it was concluded that 6ITU impeller could be more conductive to the bubble dispersion with more uniform bubble size,which embodied the advantages of 6BT+6ITU combination in gas–liquid mixing.

A new numerical approach of coupled modeling for solid deformation and gas leak flow in multi-coal-seams

From the viewpoint of interaction mechanics for solid and gas, a coupled mathematical model was presented for solid coal/rock deformation and gas leak flow in parallel deformable coal seams. Numerical solutions using the SIP (Strong Implicit Proce- dure) method to the coupled mathematical model for double parallel coal seams were also developed in detail. Numerical simulations for the prediction of the safety range using protection layer mining were performed with experimental data from a mine with potential danger of coal/gas outbursts. Analyses show that the numerical simulation results are consistent with the measured data in situ.

Gas flow characteristics of argon inductively coupled plasma and advections of plasma species under incompressible and compressible flows

In this work, incompressible and compressible flows of background gas are characterized in argon inductively coupled plasma by using a fluid model, and the respective influence of the two flows on the plasma properties is specified. In the incompressible flow, only the velocity variable is calculated, while in the compressible flow, both the velocity and density variables are calculated. The compressible flow is more realistic; nevertheless, a comparison of the two types of flow is convenient for people to investigate the respective role of velocity and density variables. The peripheral symmetric profile of metastable density near the chamber sidewall is broken in the incompressible flow. At the compressible flow, the electron density increases and the electron temperature decreases. Meanwhile, the metastable density peak shifts to the dielectric window from the discharge center, besides for the peripheral density profile distortion, similar to the incompressible flow.The velocity profile at incompressible flow is not altered when changing the inlet velocity, whereas clear peak shift of velocity profile from the inlet to the outlet at compressible flow is observed as increasing the gas flow rate. The shift of velocity peak is more obvious at low pressures for it is easy to compress the rarefied gas. The velocity profile variations at compressible flow show people the concrete residing processes of background molecule and plasma species in the chamber at different flow rates. Of more significance is it implied that in the usual linear method that people use to calculate the residence time, one important parameter in the gas flow dynamics, needs to be rectified. The spatial profile of pressure simulated exhibits obvious spatial gradient. This is helpful for experimentalists to understand their gas pressure measurements that are always taken at the chamber outlet. At the end, the work specification and limitations are listed.

Kinetics of oxidative coupling of methane:Bridging the gap between comprehension and description

The development of notions about the mechanism of the oxidative coupling of methane （OCM） over oxide catalysts and corresponding progress in its kinetic description are reviewed and discussed. The latter becomes essential at the stage of scaling up and optimization of the process in pilot and industrial reactors. It is demonstrated that the main achievements in the development of kinetic models can be reached by combining the approaches conventionally used in homogeneous gas-phase kinetics and in heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, some important features of the OCM process can be described if several elementary reactions of free radical species （formation and transformation） with surface active sites are included into the detailed scheme of methane oxidation in gas. However, some important features, such as a non-additive character of the reciprocal influence of methane and ethane in the case of their simultaneous presence in the reaction mixture, cannot yet be described and comprehended in the framework of schemes developed so far. Possible ways towards an advanced kinetic model, accounting the main principles of catalyst functioning （redox nature of active sites） and pathways of product formation （via free radicals） are traced.

Analyzing crude oils from the Junggar Basin(NW China) using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC×GC-TOFMS)

As a new technology of analyzing crude oils, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography cou- pled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GCxGC- TOFMS） has received much research attention. Here we present a case study in the Junggar Basin of NW China. Results show that the hydrocarbons, including saturates and aromatics, were all well-separated without large co- elution, which cannot be realized by conventional one-dimensional GC-MS. The GC×GC technique is especially effective for analyzing aromatics and low-to-middle- molecular-weight hydrocarbons, such as diamondoids. The geochemical characteristics of crude oils in the study area were investigated through geochemical parameters extracted by GC×GC-TOFMS, improving upon the understanding obtained by GC-MS. Thus, the work here represents a new successful application of GC×GC- TOFMS, showing its broad usefulness in petroleum geochemistry.

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of CO2 enhanced gas recovery with an extended equation of state module for TOUGH2MP-FLAC3D

As one of the most important ways to reduce the greenhouse gas emission,carbon dioxide（CO2）enhanced gas recovery（CO2-EGR） is attractive since the gas recovery can be enhanced simultaneously with CO2sequestration.Based on the existing equation of state（EOS） module of TOUGH2 MP,extEOS7C is developed to calculate the phase partition of H2O-CO2-CH4-NaCl mixtures accurately with consideration of dissolved NaCI and brine properties at high pressure and temperature conditions.Verifications show that it can be applied up to the pressure of 100 MPa and temperature of 150℃.The module was implemented in the linked simulator TOUGH2MP-FLAC3 D for the coupled hydro-mechanical simulations.A simplified three-dimensional（3D）1/4 model（2.2 km×1 km×1 km） which consists of the whole reservoir,caprock and baserock was generated based on the geological conditions of a gas field in the North German Basin.The simulation results show that,under an injection rate of 200,000 t/yr and production rate of 200,000 sm3/d,CO2breakthrough occurred in the case with the initial reservoir pressure of 5 MPa but did not occur in the case of 42 MPa.Under low pressure conditions,the pressure driven horizontal transport is the dominant process;while under high pressure conditions,the density driven vertical flow is dominant.Under the considered conditions,the CO2-EGR caused only small pressure changes.The largest pore pressure increase（2 MPa） and uplift（7 mm） occurred at the caprock bottom induced by only CO2injection.The caprock had still the primary stress state and its integrity was not affected.The formation water salinity and temperature variations of ±20℃ had small influences on the CO2-EGR process.In order to slow down the breakthrough,it is suggested that CO2-EGR should be carried out before the reservoir pressure drops below the critical pressure of CO2.

Disasters of gas-coal spontaneous combustion in goaf of steeply inclined extra-thick coal seams

In light of the escalating global energy imperatives,mining of challenging-to-access resources,such as steeply inclined extra-thick coal seams(SIEC),has emerged as one of the future trends within the domain of energy advancement.However,there is a risk of gas and coal spontaneous combustion coupling disasters(GCC)within the goaf of SIEC due to the complex goaf structure engendered by the unique mining methodologies of SIEC.To ensure that SIEC is mined safely and efficiently,this study conducts research on the GCC within the goaf of SIEC using field observation,theoretical analysis,and numerical modeling.The results demonstrate that the dip angle,the structural dimensions in terms of width-to-length ratio,and compressive strength of the overlying rock are the key factors contributing to the goaf instability of SIEC.The gangue was asymmetrically filled,primarily accumulating within the central and lower portions of the goaf,and the filling height increased proportionally with the advancing caving height,the expansion coefficient,and the thickness of the surrounding rock formation.The GCC occurs in the goaf of SIEC,with an air-return side range of 41 m and an air-intake side range of 14 m,at the intersection area of the“<”-shaped oxygen concentration distribution(coal spontaneous combustion)and the“>”-shaped gas concentration distribution(gas explosion).The optimal nitrogen flow rate is 1000 m3/h with an injection port situated 25 m away from the working face for the highest nitrogen diffusion efficacy and lowest risk of gas explosion,coal spontaneous combustion,and GCC.It has significant engineering applications for ensuring the safe mining of SIEC threatened by the GCC.