Genetic Analysis of Structural Styles in the Makran Accretionary Wedge–Insight from Physical Simulations

The Makran accretionary wedge has the smallest subduction angle among any accretionary prism in the world. The factors controlling the spacing and morphological development of its deep thrust faults, as well as the formation mechanism of shallow normal faults, remain unclear. Meanwhile, the factors affecting the continuity of plane faults must be comprehensively discussed. Clarifying the development characteristics and deformation mechanisms of the Makran accretionary wedge is crucial to effectively guide the exploration of gas hydrate deposits in the area. This study aims to interpret seismic data to identify typical structures in the Makran accretionary wedge, including deep imbricate thrust faults, shallow and small normal faults, wedge-shaped piggyback basins, mud diapirs with fuzzy and disorderly characteristics of reflection, décollements with a northward tilt of 1° – 2°, and large seamounts. Physical simulation-based experiments are performed to comprehensively analyze the results of the plane, section, and slices of the wedge. Results reveal that the distances between and shapes of thrust faults in the deep parts of the Makran accretionary wedge are controlled by the bottom décollement. The uplift of the thrust fault-related folds and the upwelling of the mud diapirs primarily contribute to the formation of small normal faults in the shallow part of the area. The mud diapirs originate from plastic material at the bottom, while those that have developed in the area near the trench are larger. Seamounts and mud diapirs break the continuity of fault plane distribution.

An online physical simulation method for enhanced oil recovery by air injection in shale oil

In order to understand the mechanism of air flooding shale oil, an online physical simulation method for enhanced shale oil recovery by air injection was established by integrating CT scanning and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR). The development effect of shale oil by air flooding under different depletion pressures, the micro-production characteristics of pore throats with different sizes and the mechanism of shale oil recovery by air flooding were analyzed. The effects of air oxygen content, permeability, gas injection pressure, and fractures on the air flooding effect in shale and crude oil production in pores with different sizes were analyzed. The recovery of shale oil can be greatly improved by injecting air into the depleted shale reservoir, but the oil displacement efficiency and the production degree of different levels of pore throats vary with the injection timing. The higher the air oxygen content and the stronger the low-temperature oxidation, the higher the production degree of pores with different sizes and the higher the shale oil recovery. The higher the permeability and the better the pore throat connectivity, the stronger the fluid flow capacity and the higher the shale oil recovery. As the injection pressure increases, the lower limit of the production degree of pore throats decreases, but gas channeling may occur to cause a premature breakthrough;as a result, the recovery increases and then decreases. Fractures can effectively increase the contact area between gas and crude oil, and increase the air sweep coefficient and matrix oil drainage area by supplying oil to fractures through the matrix, which means that a proper fracturing before air injection can help to improve the oil displacement effect under a reasonable production pressure difference.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL-TIME PHYSICS SIMULATION ENGINE FOR e-ENTERTAINMENT

We present our recent research results regarding the designing and implementation of real-time physics simulation engines,which aim at developing physics-inspired e-entertainment such as computer games,mobile applications,interactive TV and other smart media in Korea.Our real-time physics engine consists of three functional components:rigid body dynamics simulation,deformable body simulation,and data-driven physics simulation.The core simulation techniques to realize these simulation components include real-time collision detection and response,large-scale model simulation,and character model control.In this paper,we highlight these features and demonstrate their performances.We also showcase some of the gaming applications that we have integrated our physics engine into.

Melting and floating processes of inorganic materials in molten steel:Visualization physical simulation and mathematical modelling

It has been demonstrated that heat absorption method by using the inorganic material rod to cool the molten steel can significantly reduce the macrosegregation level of the large steel ingot.However,owing to the opacity of the molten steel,the physical mechanism of the heat absorption method is not clear.In this work,a transparent hydraulic physical model with water and paraffin wax was built to simulate the melting and floating processes of inorganic materials in the molten steel.A mathematical simulation was also carried out to analyze the connection between the actual ingot and the physical model.Results show that it is feasible to simulate the molten steel and inorganic materials with water and paraffin wax.With the help of the physical model,the process of the melting of paraffin wax and its floating to the surface of water were clearly observed,during which the temperature of water at some characteristic positions in the mold was recorded.The visualization findings demonstrate that the melting and floating processes of paraffin wax can help to bring the heat from the center of the mold to the top surface more quickly,which reduces the superheat and significantly accelerates the cooling rate of water.The experimental results show that for the water with a certain superheat,the use of a larger mass of paraffin wax can accelerate the cooling of the water,but there is a risk of incomplete melting of the paraffin wax.A higher superheat of water will lead to a quicker melting rate for a given mass of paraffin wax,while a lower superheat leads to the incomplete melting of paraffin wax as well.

Study of deep transportation and plugging performance of deformable gel particles in porous media

Deformable gel particles(DGPs) possess the capability of deep profile control and flooding. However, the deep migration behavior and plugging mechanism along their path remain unclear. Breakage, an inevitable phenomenon during particle migration, significantly impacts the deep plugging effect. Due to the complexity of the process, few studies have been conducted on this subject. In this paper, we conducted DGP flow experiments using a physical model of a multi-point sandpack under various injection rates and particle sizes. Particle size and concentration tests were performed at each measurement point to investigate the transportation behavior of particles in the deep part of the reservoir. The residual resistance coefficient and concentration changes along the porous media were combined to analyze the plugging performance of DGPs. Furthermore, the particle breakage along their path was revealed by analyzing the changes in particle size along the way. A mathematical model of breakage and concentration changes along the path was established. The results showed that the passage after breakage is a significant migration behavior of particles in porous media. The particles were reduced to less than half of their initial size at the front of the porous media. Breakage is an essential reason for the continuous decreases in particle concentration, size, and residual resistance coefficient. However, the particles can remain in porous media after breakage and play a significant role in deep plugging. Higher injection rates or larger particle sizes resulted in faster breakage along the injection direction, higher degrees of breakage, and faster decreases in residual resistance coefficient along the path. These conditions also led to a weaker deep plugging ability. Smaller particles were more evenly retained along the path, but more particles flowed out of the porous media, resulting in a poor deep plugging effect. The particle size is a function of particle size before injection, transport distance, and different injection parameters(injection rate or the diameter ratio of DGP to throat). Likewise, the particle concentration is a function of initial concentration, transport distance, and different injection parameters. These models can be utilized to optimize particle injection parameters, thereby achieving the goal of fine-tuning oil displacement.

Formation mechanism of fault accommodation zones under combined stress in graben basin:Implications from geomechanical modeling

A fault accommodation zone is a type of structure that is defined as regulating displacement and strain between faults structure.Increasing numbers of fault accommodation zones are being identified in graben basins,indicating the potential exploration target and petroleum accumulation areas.This study aims to analyze the formation mechanism and development of fault accommodation zones under combined stress by a numerical simulation method considering geomechanical modeling.Using three-dimensional(3-D)seismic interpretation and fractal dimension method,exampled with the Dongxin fault zone,the fault activity and fault combination pattern were conducted to quantitatively characterize the activity difference in fault accommodation zones.Combined with mechanical experiment test,a geomehcanical model was established for fault accommodation zones in a graben basin.Integrating the paleostress numerical simulations and structural physical simulation experiment,the developmental characteristics and genetic mechanism of fault accommodation zones were summarized.Influenced by multi movements and combined stresses,three significant tectonic evolution stages of the Dongxing Fault Zone(DXFZ)were distinguished:During the E_(s)^(3)sedimentary period,the large difference in the stress,strain,and rupture distribution in various faults were significant,and this stage was the key generation period for the prototype of the DXFZ,including the FAZ between large-scale faults.During the E_(s)^(2)sedimentary period,the EW-trending symmetric with opposite dipping normal faults and the NE-SW trending faults with large scale were furtherly developed.The junction area of two secondary normal faults were prone to be ruptured,performing significant period for inheriting and developing characteristics of fault accommodation zones.During the Es1 sedimentary period,the high-order faults in the DXFZ exhibited the obvious fault depressions and strike-slip activity,and the fault accommodation zones were furtherly inherited and developed.This stage was the molded and formative period of the FAZ,the low-order faults,and the depression in the DXFZ.

Experiment of dynamic seepage of tight/shale oil under matrix fracture coupling

A physical simulation method with a combination of dynamic displacement and imbibition was established by integrating nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and CT scanning.The microscopic production mechanism of tight/shale oil in pore throat by dynamic imbibition and the influencing factors on the development effect of dynamic imbibition were analyzed.The dynamic seepage process of fracking-soaking-backflow-production integration was simulated,which reveals the dynamic production characteristics at different development stages and their contribution to enhancing oil recovery(EOR).The seepage of tight/shale reservoirs can be divided into three stages:strong displacement and weak imbibition as oil produced rapidly by displacement from macropores and fractures,weak displacement and strong imbibition as oil produced slowly by reverse imbibition from small pores,and weak displacement and weak imbibition at dynamic equilibrium.The greater displacement pressure results in the higher displacement recovery and the lower imbibition recovery.However,if the displacement pressure is too high,the injected water is easy to break through the front and reduce the recovery degree.The higher the permeability,the greater the imbibition and displacement recovery,the shorter the time of imbibition balance,and the higher the final recovery.The fractures can effectively increase the imbibition contact area between matrix and water,reduce the oil-water seepage resistance,promote the oil-water displacement between matrix and fracture,and improve the oil displacement rate and recovery of the matrix.The soaking after fracturing is beneficial to the imbibition replacement and energy storage of the fluid;also,the effective use of the carrying of the backflow fluid and the displacement in the mining stage is the key to enhancing oil recovery.

Mechanical behaviors of backfill-rock composites: Physical shear test and back-analysis

The shear behavior of backfill-rock composites is crucial for mine safety and the management of surface subsidence.For exposing the shear failure mechanism of backfill-rock composites,we conducted shear tests on backfill-rock composites under three constant normal loads,compared with the unfilled rock.To investigate the macro-and meso-failure characteristics of the samples in the shear tests,the cracking behavior of samples was recorded by a high-speed camera and acoustic emission monitoring.In parallel with the experimental test,the numerical models of backfill-rock composites and unfilled rock were established using the discrete element method to analyze the continuous-discontinuous shearing process.Based on the damage mechanics and statistics,a novel shear constitutive model was proposed to describe mechanical behavior.The results show that backfill-rock composites had a special bimodal phenomenon of shearing load-deformation curve,i.e.the first shearing peak corresponded to rock break and the second shearing peak induced by the broken of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill.Moreover,the shearing characteristic curves of the backfill-rock composites could be roughly divided into four stages,i.e.the shear failure of the specimens experienced:stage I:stress concentration;stage II:crack propagation;stage III:crack coalescence;stage IV:shearing friction.The numerical simulation shows that the existence of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill inevitably altered the coalescence type and failure mode of the specimens and had a strengthening effect on the shear strength of backfillrock composites.Based on damage mechanics and statistics,a shear constitutive model was proposed to describe the shear fracture characteristics of specimens,especially the bimodal phenomenon.Finally,the micro-and meso-mechanisms of shear failure were discussed by combining the micro-test and numerical results.The research can advance the better understanding of the shear behavior of backfill-rock composites and contribute to the safety of mining engineering.

Discussion on the application prospect of the transient electromagnetic method based on the dual launcher and mine advanced detection

The dual transmitter implements the equivalent anti-magnetic flux transient electromagnetic method, which can effectively reduce the scope of the transient electromagnetic detection blind area. However, this method is rarely reported in the detection of pipelines in urban geophysical exploration and the application of coal mines. Based on this, this paper realizes the equivalent anti-magnetic flux transient electromagnetic method based on the dual launcher. The suppression effect of this method on the blind area is analyzed by physical simulation. And the detection experiment of underground pipelines is carried out outdoors. The results show that the dual launcher can significantly reduce the turn-off time, thereby effectively reducing the impact of the blind area on the detection results, and the pipeline detection results verify the device’s effectiveness. Finally, based on the ground experimental results, the application prospect of mine advanced detection is discussed. Compared with other detection fields, the formation of blind areas is mainly caused by the equipment. If the dual launcher can be used to reduce the blind area, the accuracy of advanced detection can be improved more effectively. The above research results are of great significance for improving the detection accuracy of the underground transient electromagnetic method.

Production of Artificial Fog in the PAVIN Fog and Rain Platform: In Search of Big Droplets Fog

In fog, visibility is reduced. This reduction in visibility is measured by the meteorological optical range (MOR), which is important for studying human perception and various sensors in foggy conditions. The Cerema PAVIN Fog & Rain platform is capable of producing calibrated fog in order to better analyses it and understand its consequences. The problem is that the droplets produced by the platform are not large enough to resemble real fog. This can have a major impact on measurements since the interaction between electromagnetic waves and fog depends on the wavelength and diameter of the droplets. To remedy this, Cerema is building a new platform with new equipment capable of generating fog. This study analyses different nozzles and associated usage parameters such as the type of water used and the pressure used. The aim is to select the best nozzle with the associated parameters for producing large-diameter droplets and therefore more realistic fog.

Physical Simulation and Experimental Examination of ε-Cu Particles Dissolution Evolution During Welding of Copper Precipitation Strengthening Steel

The kinetics of ε-Cu particles dissolution in the matrix during welding of a copper-precipitation strengthening steel was determined by a combination of GleebleTM physical simulation, TEM examination and hardness meas urement. The ε-Cu particles underwent a coarsening and part dissolution and then complete dissolution reaction as the peak temperature increased from 750 to 1 000℃, which resulted in the decrease in the number density of ε-Cu particles and hardness in the heat affected zone （HAZ）. The results can be used to understand the evolution of this transformation and a softening behavior of the HAZ during welding of this type of steel.

Physical Simulation of Mold-Filling Processing of Thin-Walled Castings under Traveling Magnetic Field

Mold-filling process of thin-walled castings under the condition of traveling magnetic field has been studied by physical simulation method using gallium melt and fast speed photography. Flow morphology and its formation mechanism were obtained and discussed for thin-walled casting. The influences of magnetic field density on the filling ability, filling velocity and mold filling time have been studied. The differences in filling capability between gravity casting and casting under the traveling magnetic field have been compared. The results indicate that the mold filling ability of the gallium melt increases greatly under the condition of traveling magnetic field; the filling time is shortened from 18 s under gravity field to 3 s under the traveling magnetic field and average flow rate of the melt increases from 1.6 to 8.68 cm3/s; the change law of the cross-section morphology of the gallium melt during the mold filling is that at first, the cross-section area does not change, then it decreases gradually. When the front of the melt reaches the end of the mold cavity, the front melt will backfill the mold; the wider the width of mold cavity, the better the mold filling ability. The mold filling ability of gallium melt in mold with upper magnetic conductor is better than that without upper magnetic conductor.

Sweet spot prediction in tight sandstone reservoir based on well-bore rock physical simulation

To establish the relationship among reservoir characteristics and rock physical parameters,we construct the well-bore rock physical models firstly,considering the influence factors,such as mineral composition,shale content,porosity,fluid type and saturation.Then with analyzing the change rules of elastic parameters along with the above influence factors and the cross-plots among elastic parameters,the sensitive elastic parameters of tight sandstone reservoir are determined,and the rock physics template of sweet spot is constructed to guide pre-stack seismic inversion.The results show that velocity ratio and Poisson impedance are the most sensitive elastic parameters to indicate the lithologic and gas-bearing properties of sweet spot in tight sandstone reservoir.The high-quality sweet spot is characterized by the lower velocity ratio and Poisson impedance.Finally,the actual seismic data are selected to predict the sweet spots in tight sandstone gas reservoirs,so as to verify the validity of the rock physical simulation results.The significant consistency between the relative logging curves and inversion results in different wells implies that the utilization of well-bore rock physical simulation can guide the prediction of sweet spot in tight sandstone gas reservoirs.

Simulation of the Pressure-Sensitive Seepage Fracture Network in Oil Reservoirs with Multi-Group Fractures

Stress sensitivity is a very important index to understand the seepage characteristics of a reservoir.In this study,dedicated experiments and theoretical arguments based on the visualization of porous media are used to assess the effects of the fracture angle,spacing,and relevant elastic parameters on the principal value of the permeability tensor.The fracture apertures at different angles show different change rates,which influence the relative permeability for different sets of fractures.Furthermore,under the same pressure condition,the fractures with different angles show different degrees of deformation so that the principal value direction of permeability rotates.This phenomenon leads to a variation in the water seepage direction in typical water-injection applications,thereby hindering the expected exploitation effect of the original well network.Overall,the research findings in this paper can be used as guidance to improve the effectiveness of water injection exploitation in the oil field industry.

Force Feedback Coupling with Dynamics for Physical Simulation of Product Assembly and Operation Performance

Most existing force feedback methods are still difficult to meet the requirements of real-time force calculation in virtual assembly and operation with complex objects. In addition, there is often an assumption that the controlled objects are completely flee and the target object is only completely fixed or flee, thus, the dynamics of the kinematic chain where the controlled objects are located are neglected during the physical simulation of the product manipulation with force feedback interaction. This paper proposes a physical simulation method of product assembly and operation manipulation based on statistically learned contact force prediction model and the coupling of force feedback and dynamics. In the proposed method, based on hidden Markov model （HMM） and local weighting learning （LWL）, contact force prediction model is constructed, which can estimate the contact force in real time during interaction. Based on computational load balance model, the computing resources are dynamically assigned and the dynamics integral step is optimized. In addition, smoothing process is performed to the force feedback on the synchronization points. Consequently, we can solve the coupling and synchronization problems of high-frequency feedback force servo. low-frequency dynamics solver servo and scene rendering servo, and realize highly stable and accurate force feedback in the physical simulation of product assembly and operation manipulation. This research proposes a physical simulation method of product assembly and operation manipulation.

Physical simulation of fluid flow and production performance in extra-low permeability porous media

For extra-low permeability reservoirs, with a permeability of about 0.3×10?3 μm2, fluid flow and production performance in cores were studied. A long core holder with a multi-location piezometric measurement was specially designed. An artificial long core, about 700 mm long and with a cross section of 45mm×45mm, was used. In the experiment, pressure distribution along the core can be measured in real time. Single phase flow in the core was investigated. Different modes of production in long cores were also simulated including natural depletion, water flooding, and advanced water flooding. Through physical simulation, flow parameters were collected and production characteristics in extra-low permeability cores were studied. From experimental results, it can be seen that fluid flow in extra-low permeability cores is different from that in high permeability cores. Transmission of pressure in extra-low permeability cores is very slow, and it needs a long time for the pressure to become stable. The distribution curve of pressure along the core is nonlinear and the production rate in extra-low permeability reservoirs decreases sharply. The development effects of different production modes in extra-low permeability cores were compared with one another. Among the production modes, advanced water flooding has much potential for effective development of extra-low permeability reservoirs. Natural depletion and conventional water flooding can also be used in early production periods. In addition, the countermeasures and some ideas especially for the potential development of extra-low permeability reservoirs are suggested.

Physical Simulation of Multidirectional Irregular Wave Groups

Real waves are multidirectional waves. In the present study, the calculation method for the wave maker driving signals for generating multidirectional wave groups in physical wave basin is proposed. Its validity is first confirmed by a numerical model for which the incident boundary condition is determined by use of the proposed method. Then, the physical simulation of multidirectional wave groups is performed in laboratory wave basin. The experimental results show that multidirectional waves with expected wave groupiness, which includes not only its group height but also its group length, can be satisfactorily zenerated at the soecified oosition in the tphvsical wave basin.

THE PHYSICAL SIMULATION ON EXTRUSION PROCESS OF GLASS FIBER COMPOSITE WIRE COATED BY LEAD

The method of manufacturing the composite wire by extruding lead to coated glass fiber is described. The different composite wire that diameter is from 0.5 to 1.0mm has been produced by two kinds of different extruding technology (getting wire along horizontal direction and getting wire along perpendicular direction). The optimal extruding techno- logical parameter has been given in different extruding technology by the physical simulation (H: 300℃, 550kN, 0.16mm. P: 300℃, 215kN, 0.16mm). The effect on the coating speed by other extruding technological parameters in the different extruding technology has been discussed. The extruding temperature and extruding force is higher, the coating speed is faster. It has been pointed, that the affection on the extruding technology by the extruding temperature has also behaved as the extruding temperature rising up spontaneously. The reason for exiting the minimum extruding force and maximum extruding force also has been discussion in this paper. It is also important to the extruding process and coating speed that is the coating clearance.

DISCREPANCIES IN THE REGRESSION MODELLING OF RECRYSTALLIZATION RATE AS USING THE DATA FROM PHYSICAL SIMULATION TESTS

The analysis of numerous experimental equations published in the literature reveals awide scatter in the predictions for the static recrystallization kinetics of steels. Thepowers of the deformation variables, strain and strain rate, similarly as the powerof the grain size vary in these equations. These differences are highlighted and thetypical values are compared between torsion and compression tests. Potential errorsin physical simulation testing are discussed.

Numerical Simulation and Physical Simulation of Sea Wave Groups

Based on field wave data, an empirical formula of wave envelope spectrum is given in this paper. Then the methods of both numerical and physical simulation of sea wave groups with the given spectrum and groupiness parameters are suggested.