Extended finite element-based cohesive zone method for modeling simultaneous hydraulic fracture height growth in layered reservoirs

In this study,a fully coupled hydromechanical model within the extended finite element method(XFEM)-based cohesive zone method(CZM)is employed to investigate the simultaneous height growth behavior of multi-cluster hydraulic fractures in layered porous reservoirs with modulus contrast.The coupled hydromechanical model is first verified against an analytical solution and a laboratory experiment.Then,the fracture geometry(e.g.height,aperture,and area)and fluid pressure evolutions of multiple hydraulic fractures placed in a porous reservoir interbedded with alternating stiff and soft layers are investigated using the model.The stress and pore pressure distributions within the layered reservoir during fluid injection are also presented.The simulation results reveal that stress umbrellas are easily to form among multiple hydraulic fractures’tips when propagating in soft layers,which impedes the simultaneous height growth.It is also observed that the impediment effect of soft layer is much more significant in the fractures suppressed by the preferential growth of adjoining fractures.After that,the combined effect of in situ stress ratio and fracturing spacing on the multi-fracture height growth is presented,and the results elucidate the influence of in situ stress ratio on the height growth behavior depending on the fracture spacing.Finally,it is found that the inclusion of soft layers changes the aperture distribution of outmost and interior hydraulic fractures.The results obtained from this study may provide some insights on the understanding of hydraulic fracture height containment observed in filed.

Structural Engineering of Hierarchical Magnetic/Carbon Nanocomposites via In Situ Growth for High-Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Materials exhibiting high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption have garnered considerable scientific and technological attention,yet encounter significant challenges.Developing new materials and innovative structural design concepts is crucial for expanding the application field of electromagnetic wave absorption.Particularly,hierarchical structure engineering has emerged as a promising approach to enhance the physical and chemical properties of materials,providing immense potential for creating versatile electromagnetic wave absorption materials.Herein,an exceptional multi-dimensional hierarchical structure was meticulously devised,unleashing the full microwave attenuation capabilities through in situ growth,selfreduction,and multi-heterogeneous interface integration.The hierarchical structure features a three-dimensional carbon framework,where magnetic nanoparticles grow in situ on the carbon skeleton,creating a necklace-like structure.Furthermore,magnetic nanosheets assemble within this framework.Enhanced impedance matching was achieved by precisely adjusting component proportions,and intelligent integration of diverse interfaces bolstered dielectric polarization.The obtain Fe_(3)O_(4)-Fe nanoparticles/carbon nanofibers/Al-Fe_(3)O_(4)-Fe nanosheets composites demonstrated outstanding performance with a minimum reflection loss(RLmin)value of−59.3 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth(RL≤−10 dB)extending up to 5.6 GHz at 2.2 mm.These notable accomplishments offer fresh insights into the precision design of high-efficient electromagnetic wave absorption materials.

Analytical investigations of in situ stress inversion from borehole breakout geometries

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of deriving in situ horizontal stresses from the breakout width and depth using the analytical method.Twenty-three breakout data with different borehole sizes were collected and three failure criteria were studied.Based on the Kirsch equations,relatively accurate major horizontal stress(sH)estimations from known minor horizontal stress(sh)were achieved with percentage errors ranging from 0.33%to 44.08%using the breakout width.The Mogi-Coulomb failure criterion(average error:13.1%)outperformed modified Wiebols-Cook(average error:19.09%)and modified Lade(average error:18.09%)failure criteria.However,none of the tested constitutive models could yield reasonable sh predictions from known sH using the same approach due to the analytical expression of the redistributed stress and the nature of the constitutive models.In consideration of this issue,the horizontal stress ratio(sH/sh)is suggested as an alternative input,which could estimate both sH and sh with the same level of accuracy.Moreover,the estimation accuracies for both large-scale and laboratory-scale breakouts are comparable,suggesting the applicability of this approach across different breakout sizes.For breakout depth,conformal mapping and complex variable method were used to calculate the stress concentration around the breakout tip,allowing the expression of redistributed stresses using binomials composed of sH and sh.Nevertheless,analysis of the breakout depth stabilisation mechanism indicates that additional parameters are required to utilise normalised breakout depth for stress estimation compared to breakout width.These parameters are challenging to obtain,especially under field conditions,meaning utilising normalised breakout depth analytically in practical applications faces significant challenges and remains infeasible at this stage.Nonetheless,the normalised breakout depth should still be considered a critical input for any empirical and statistical stress estimation method given its significant correlation with horizontal stresses.The outcome of this paper is expected to contribute valuable insights into the breakout stabilisation mechanisms and estimation of in situ stress magnitudes based on borehole breakout geometries.

Development of in situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy

Ex situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)have inherent limitations,such as being prone to sample contamination and unstable surfaces during sample transfer from the MBE chamber.In recent years,the need for improved accuracy and reliability in measurement has driven the increasing adoption of in situ characterization techniques.These techniques,such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction,scanning tunneling microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,allow direct observation of film growth processes in real time without exposing the sample to air,hence offering insights into the growth mechanisms of epitaxial films with controlled properties.By combining multiple in situ characterization techniques with MBE,researchers can better understand film growth processes,realizing novel materials with customized properties and extensive applications.This review aims to overview the benefits and achievements of in situ characterization techniques in MBE and their applications for material science research.In addition,through further analysis of these techniques regarding their challenges and potential solutions,particularly highlighting the assistance of machine learning to correlate in situ characterization with other material information,we hope to provide a guideline for future efforts in the development of novel monitoring and control schemes for MBE growth processes with improved material properties.

Preparation of Al-Al_3Ti in situ composites by direct reaction method

Al-Al3Ti composites were prepared by a direct reaction method, in which Al3Ti was formed by the reaction of Ti and Al in aluminum alloy melt. The morphology of Al3Ti changes apparently from the fine particle, needle-like to large block with the increase of Al3Ti content. The addition of magnesium can markedly change the morphology of Al3Ti and reduce their size. Short rod-like Al3Ti was formed and homogeneous distribution was obtained with the addition of 3 wt.% Mg. The effect of Al3Ti and Mg on the microstructure of Al-Al3Ti composites and the mechanism were also discussed.

Recent progresses in the suppression method based on the growth mechanism of lithium dendrite

Lithium secondary batteries（LSBs） with high energy densities need to be further developed for future applications in portable electronic devices, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and smart grids. Lithium metal is the most promising electrode for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the formation of lithium dendrite on the anode surface leads to serious safety concerns and low coulombic efficiency.Recently, researchers have made great efforts and significant progresses to solve these problems. Here we review the growth mechanism and suppression method of lithium dendrite for LSBs’ anode protection. We also establish the relationship between the growth mechanism and suppression method. The research direction for building better LSBs is given by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of these methods based on the growth mechanism.

Investigation of in situ Growth of SrMoO_4 Nanoplates by Microcalorimetry

SrMoO4 nanoplates were synthesized by a facile reverse microemulsion method at room temperature.Energy evolution of this in situ growth process was monitored by means of a microcalorimeter.A sharp exothermic peak for the initial reaction and two discontinuous relatively weak exothermic peaks for the subsequent crystal growth emerged on the microcalorimetric heat flow curve.Based on the in situ thermokinetic data,the rate constants of the nucleation process and crystallization process at 298.15 K were calculated to be 4.078×10-3 and 5.033×10-4 s-1,respectively.The growth mechanism and energy evolution were investigated.

In situ growth of 3D walnut-like nano-architecture Mo-Ni2P@NiFeLDH/NF arrays for synergistically enhanced overall water splitting

The in situ growth of nano-array on material structure is a novel and high-efficient strategy to design catalysts,however,it still remains a challenge to fabricate unique nano-architecture electrocatalyst with prominent activity and superior durability for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Herein,a unique nano-architecture catalyst is successfully synthesized by using NiFe LDH nanosheets as framework to the in situ growth Mo-doped Ni2 P ultrafine nanosheets(marked as Mo-Ni2 P@NiFe LDH/NF).The unique 3 D core-shell nano-architecture is favorable for enhancing electron transfer/mass diffusion,providing abundant active sites,prompting O2/H2 gas release,and creating the synergistic effect between Mo-Ni2 P and NiFe LDH.Therefore,comparing with pure NiFe LDH/NF and MoNi2 P/NF electrodes,walnut-like Mo-Ni2 P@Ni Fe LDH/NF catalyst exhibits significantly improved electrocatalytic activities and durability towards OER(269 m V@40 m A cm^-2),HER(82 mV@10 mA cm^-2),and overall water splitting(1.46 V@10 m A cm^-2),respectively.Such electrocatalytic activity of Mo-Ni2 P@NiFe LDH/NF is comparable with that of majority reported non-precious metal catalysts and even precious catalysts(IrO2 and Pt/C).This work presents a new perspective strategy to fabricate ingeniously bifunctional electrocatalysts with well-designed structure and superior performance for clean energy conversion technologies or storage devices.

Key Techniques and Applications of Adaptive Growth Method for Stiffener Layout Design of Plates and Shells

The application of the adaptive growth method is limited because several key techniques during the design process need manual intervention of designers. Key techniques of the method including the ground structure construction and seed selection are studied, so as to make it possible to improve the effectiveness and applicability of the adaptive growth method in stiffener layout design optimization of plates and shells. Three schemes of ground structures, which are comprised by different shell elements and beam elements, are proposed. It is found that the main stiffener layouts resulted from different ground structures are almost the same, but the ground structure comprised by 8-nodes shell elements and both 3-nodes and 2-nodes beam elements can result in clearest stiffener layout, and has good adaptability and low computational cost. An automatic seed selection approach is proposed, which is based on such selection rules that the seeds should be positioned on where the structural strain energy is great for the minimum compliance problem, and satisfy the dispersancy requirement. The adaptive growth method with the suggested key techniques is integrated into an ANSYS-based program, which provides a design tool for the stiffener layout design optimization of plates and shells. Typical design examples, including plate and shell structures to achieve minimum compliance and maximum bulking stability are illustrated. In addition, as a practical mechanical structural design example, the stiffener layout of an inlet structure for a large-scale electrostatic precipitator is also demonstrated. The design results show that the adaptive growth method integrated with the suggested key techniques can effectively and flexibly deal with stiffener layout design problem for plates and shells with complex geometrical shape and loading conditions to achieve various design objectives, thus it provides a new solution method for engineering structural topology design optimization.

Application of the Method of Characteristics to Population Balance Models Considering Growth and Nucleation Phenomena

The population balance modeling is regarded as a universally accepted mathematical framework for dynamic simulation of various particulate processes, such as crystallization, granulation and polymerization. This article is concerned with the application of the method of characteristics (MOC) for solving population balance models describing batch crystallization process. The growth and nucleation are considered as dominant phenomena, while the breakage and aggregation are neglected. The numerical solutions of such PBEs require high order accuracy due to the occurrence of steep moving fronts and narrow peaks in the solutions. The MOC has been found to be a very effective technique for resolving sharp discontinuities. Different case studies are carried out to analyze the accuracy of proposed algorithm. For validation, the results of MOC are compared with the available analytical solutions and the results of finite volume schemes. The results of MOC were found to be in good agreement with analytical solutions and superior than those obtained by finite volume schemes.

Analysis on high-temperature oxidation and growth stress of iron-based alloy using phase field method

High-temperature oxidation is an important property to evaluate thermal protection materials. However, since oxidation is a complex process involving microstructure evolution, its quantitative analysis has always been a challenge. In this work, a phase field method （PFM） based on the thermodynamics theory is developed to simulate the oxidation behavior and oxidation induced growth stress. It involves microstructure evolution and solves the problem of quantitatively computational analysis for the oxidation behavior and growth stress. Employing this method, the diffusion process, oxidation performance, and stress evolution axe predicted for Fe-Cr-A1-Y alloys. The numerical results agree well with the experimental data. The linear relationship between the maximum growth stress and the environment oxygen concentration is found. PFM provides a powerful tool to investigate high-temperature oxidation in complex environments.

Growth and characterization of superconducting Ca_(1-x)Na_(x)Fe_(2)As_(2) single crystals by NaAs-flux method

High-quality superconducting Ca_(1-x)Na_(x)Fe_(2)As_(2)single crystals have been successfully grown by the NaAs-flux method,with sodium doping level x=0.4–0.64.The typical sizes of these crystals are more than 10 mm in ab-plane and~0.1 mm along c-axis in thickness.X-ray diffraction,resistance and magnetization measurements are carried out to characterize the quality of these crystals.While no signature of magnetic phase transitions is detected in the normal state,bulk superconductivity is found for these samples,with a sharp transition at T_(c) ranging from 19.8 K(x=0.4)to 34.8 K(x=0.64).The doping dependences of the c-axis parameter and T_(c) are consistent with previous reports,suggesting a possible connection between the lattice parameters and superconductivity.

Study on the Bubble Growth and Departure with A Lattice Boltzmann Method

For the growth and departure of bubbles from an orifice, a free energy lattice Boltzmann model is adopted to deal with this complex multiphase flow phenomenon. A virtual layer is set at the boundary of the flow domain to deal with the no-slip boundary condition. Effects of the viscosity, surface tension, gas inertial force and buoyancy on the characteristics of bubbles when they grow and departure from an orifice in quiescent liquid are studied. The releasing period and departure diameter of the bubble are influenced by the residual gas at the orifice, and the interaction between bubbles is taken into consideration. The relations between the releasing period or departure diameter and the gravity acceleration show fair agreements with previous numerical and theoretical results. And the influence of the gas outflow velocity on bubble formation is discussed as well. For the bubbles growing in cross-flow field, effects of the cross-flow speed and the gas outflow velocity on the bubble formation are discussed, which is related to the application in ship resistance reduction. And optimal choice of the ship speed and gas outflow velocity is studied. Cases in this paper also prove that this high density ratio LBM model has its flexibility and effectiveness on multiphase flow simulations.

Growth mechanism of reinforcements in in-situ synthesized (TiB+TiC)/Ti composites

The growth mechanism of reinforcement in in situ synthesized (TiB+TiC)/Ti composites was investigated. The results show that reinforcements nucleate and grow in a way of dissolution precipitation. The morphologies of reinforcements are closely related to the solidification paths and crystal structure of reinforcements. TiB, as a reinforcement, is liable to grow along [010] direction and forms in short fibre shape due to its B27 structure, whereas primary TiC is liable to form composition undercooling and grow in dendritic shape. TiC phases precipitated in binary eutectic and ternary eutectic reactions grow in equiaxial shape. The addition of aluminum element refines TiB and TiC particles, and makes TiC reinforcements grow into the equiaxial particles easily. The addition of graphite adjusts the solidification paths and forms more TiC with dendritic shape. [

Clinical role and importance of fluorescence in situ hybridization method in diagnosis of H pylori infection and determination of clarithromycin resistance in H pylori eradication therapy

H pylori is etiologically associated with gastritis, gas-tric and duodenal ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Eradicating H pylori may convert rapidly the outcome of related diseases with the use of more accurate diagnostic molecular tests. Indeed some of the tests cannot give the evidence of current infection; H pylori can be detected by noninvasive and invasive methods, the latter requiring an endoscopy. Eradication failure is a big problem in H pylori infection. Recently, clarithromycin resistance in H pylori strains is increasing and eradicati-on therapy of this bacterium is becoming more difficult. Molecular methods have frequently been applied besides phenotypic methods for susceptibility testing to detect clarithromycin resistance due to mutations in the 2143 and 2144 positions of 23S rRNA gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method on paraffin embedded tissue is a rapid, accurate and cost-effective method for the detection of H pylori infection and to determine clarithromycin resistance within three hours according to the gold standards as a non-culture method. This method can also be applied to fresh biopsy samples and the isolated colonies from a culture of H pylori, detecting both the culturable bacillary forms and the coccoid forms of H pylori, besides the paraffin embedded tissue secti-ons. This technique is helpful for determining the bac-terial density and the results of treatment where clarith-romycin has been widely used in populations to increase the efficacy of the treatment and to clarify the treatment failure in vitro.

In situ formation of self-antistacking FeCoO_(x) on N-doped graphene:A 3D-on-2D nanoarchitecture for long-life Zn-air batteries

Before the practical application of rechargeable Zn-air batteries(ZABs),a critical issue regarding the inherent slow reaction kinetics of the oxygen reduction(ORR)and oxygen evolution(OER)must be addressed.Here,we fabricate a cost-effective bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst with a self-antistacking structure,where three-dimensional(3D)Fe-Co bimetallic oxide particles(FeCoO_(x))are directly grown on 2D N-doped graphene(NG).The in situ grown FeCoO_(x)particles can alleviate the NG interlaminar restacking,ensuring abundant channels for diffusion of O_(2)/OH−species,while the NG allows rapid electron flow.Benefiting from this self-antistacking 3D-on-2D structure and synergetic electrocatalysis,FeCoO_(x)@NG demonstrated excellent activity for both ORR and OER(ΔE=0.78 V),which is superior to that of the binary mixtures of Pt/C and RuO_(2)(ΔE=0.83 V).A homemade ZAB with 20%-FeCoO_(x)@NG delivers a specific capacity of 758.9 mAh g^(−1),a peak power density of 215 mW cm^(−2),and long-term cyclability for over 400 h.These research results suggest that designing a bimetallic oxide/N-doped carbon 3D-on-2D nanoarchitecture using an in situ growth strategy is an attractive and feasible solution to overcome electrocatalytic problems in ZABs.

Analysis on method for effective in-situ stress measurement in hot dry rock reservoir

With the rapid increase of energy demand and the increasingly highlighted environmental problems, clean, safe and widely distributed geothermal resources have become a hot spot for renewable resources development. The state of in-situ stress is a major control parameter for multiple links including well location, fracture inspiration and reservoir assessment, so how to determine the accurate state of in-situ stress in the deep thermal reservoir becomes a core problem drawing widely attention and urgent to be solved. Based on features of hot dry rock reservoir in terms of temperature and pressure and the comparison analysis, this article proposes the method of Anelastic Strain Recovery(ASR) as an effective method for determining the state of in-situ stress in the area with HDR resources distributed and explains the availability of ASR method by application examples.

In Situ Growth of Vanadium Oxide on Reduced Graphene Oxide for the Low-Temperature NO-SCR by NH3

The vanadium oxide/reduced graphene oxide (V2O5/rGO) composite catalyst which determined the selective catalytic reduction activity (SCR) of NO with NH3 was prepared by a simple solvothermal method. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, X-ray energy spectrometer (XPS) and N2 sorption isotherm measurement (BET). Results of NH3-SCR showed that the NO conversion of V2O5/rGO catalyst could reach 54.3% at 100 °C. And the removal of NO increased to 74.6% when the temperature was up to 220℃. By characterizing the microstructure and morphology of the V2O5/rGO catalysts prepared by in-situ growth and mechanical mixing methods, it was further shown that V2O5 nanoparticles were highly dispersed and in situ growth on the rGO surface. Based on X-ray energy spectrometer, V2O5/rGO catalyst had good low temperature denitrification performance due to the chemical adsorption oxygen and low-valent vanadium oxide contained in V2O5/rGO catalyst, which was beneficial to the redox reaction between V2O5 and graphene.

ANALYSIS OF THE GROWTH MECHANISM OF TiAl_3 WHISKERS PREPARED BY IN SITU REACTION IN MOLTEN ALUMINUM

Some TiAl3 whiskers are found to be produced simultaneously during the formation process of TiB2 Particulates fabricated by in situ reaction in molten aluminum. The thec t of temperature of molten aluminum on the morphologies of the TiAl3 whiskers and the growth mechanism of the whiskers are studied in this paper. The results show that the aspect rutio of the TiAl3 whiskers decreases with the increase of the temperoture. The growth of the whiskers is proved to be controlled by a Vapor-LiquidSoltd (VLS) mechanism. The titanium and aluminum atoms in the catalytic droplet,however, have been coofrmed to react with each othen which is dtherent from other whlskcrs growing by a VLS mcchanism where the compostion in the catalytic droplet is a constant.