Physical and numerical modeling of horizontal gas-hydrate wells

Methane hydrate, which is usually found under deep seabed or permafrost zones, is a potential energy resource for future years. Depressurization of horizontal wells bored in methane hydrate layer is considered as one possible method for hydrate dissociation and methane extraction from the hosting soil. Since hydrate is likely to behave as a bonding material to sandy soils, supported well construction is necessary to avoid well-collapse due to the loss of the apparent cohesion during depressurization. This paper describes both physical and numerical modeling of such horizontal support wells. The experimental part involves depressurization of small well models in a large pressure cell, while the numerical part simulates the corresponding problem. While the experiment models simulate only gas saturated initial conditions, the numerical analysis simulates both gas-saturated and more realistic water-saturated conditions based on effective stress coupled flow-deformation formulation of these three phases. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group.

电磁激波管中电流面的Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性

<正> 1.激波管中的流动 我们现在考虑如图1所示的电磁激波管。放电之后,有一个强激波向右传播,后面是一个电流层,它分开了等离子体与磁场。1959年,Wright和Black曾详细地研究了在放电初期电磁激波管中的流动。在假定电流i与时间t成正比之后,他们求出了一个相似解。这时电流层以等加速度a向右方运动,可以预料,这将会发生Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性,由于加速度a大,不稳定性增长率ω也很大。 我们令电流面以等加速度a向右运动(见图2)。电流面的坐标x_0(t)与速度v_0(t)分

Statistical formulation and experimental determination of growth rate of micrometre cracks under impact loading

A new statistical formulation and a relevant experimental approach to determine the growth rate of microcracks were proposed. The method consists of experimental measurements and a statistical analysis' on the basis of the conservation law of number density of microcracks in phase space. As a practical example of the method, the growth rate of microcracks appearing in an aluminium alloy subjected to planar impact loading was determined to be ca. 10 mu m/mu s under a tensile stress of 1470 MPa and load duration between 0.26 mu s and 0.80 mu s.

Numerical study of bifurcation solutions of spherical Taylor-Couette flow

The steady bifurcation flows in a spherical gap (gap ratio sigma=0.18) with rotating inner and stationary outer spheres are simulated numerically for Re(c1)less than or equal to Re less than or equal to 1 500 by solving steady axisymmetric incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using a finite difference method. The simulation shows that there exist two steady stable flows with 1 or 2 vortices per hemisphere for 775 less than or equal to Re less than or equal to 1 220 and three steady stable flows with 0, 1, or 2 vortices for 1 220

不可压缩流体三维Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性的大涡模拟

对不可压缩流体三维Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性问题建立被动标量输运模型，用大涡模拟方法计算了正弦初始扰动和随机初始扰动下不稳定性发展各个阶段的瞬时速度度场和标量场，以及混合过程中计算尺度和亚格子尺度上的平均湍流脉动能、平均剪切应力和被动标量通量；分析了 界面形状、被动标量浓度分布的演化规律及气泡、尖钉速度和混合层宽度随时间的变化规律，计算结果与其他数值模拟和实验结果相吻合，验证了大涡模拟方法应用于该问题的可行性。

Coupled deformation-flow analysis for methane hydrate production by depressurized wells

A formulation for coupled flow-deformation analysis of methane-hydrate extraction problems is presented. By assuming that the hydrate does not flow, a two phase flow formulation is considered, based on Darcy's law and capillary pressure relation. The formulation is implemented in the finite difference code FLAC. The code was used to investigate the stability of a methane extraction well by depressurizing the well. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

The role of the term spread in an augmented Taylor rule: An empirical investigation

Using US data for the period 1967:5-2002:4, this paper empirically investigates the performance of an augmented version of the Taylor rule (ATR) that (i) allows for the presence of switching regimes, (ii) considers the long-short term spread in addition to the typical variables, (iii) uses an alternative monthly indicator of general economic activity suggested by Stock and Watson (1999), and (iv) considers interest rate smoothing. The estimation results show the existence of switching regimes, one characterized by low volatility and the other by high volatility. Moreover, the scale of the responses of the Federal funds rate to movements in the term spread, inflation and the economic activity index depend on the regime. The estimation results also show robust empirical evidence that the ATR has been more stable during the term of office of Chairman Greenspan than in the pre-Greenspan period. However, a closer look at the Greenspan period shows the existence of two alternative regimes and that the response of the Fed funds rate to inflation has not been significant during this period once the term spread is considered.

The Influence of Formulation, Buffering, pH and Divalent Cations on the Activity of Endothall on Hydrilla.

Endothall has been used as an aquatic herbicide for more than 40 years and provides very effective weed control of many weeds. Early research regarding the mechanism-of-action of endothall contradicts the symptomology normally associated with the product. Recent studies suggest endothall is a respiratory toxin but the mechanism-of-action remains unknown. To further elucidate the activity of endothall, several endothall formulations were evaluated for their effects on ion leakage, oxygen consumption and photosynthetic oxygen evolution from hydrilla shoot tips. The influence of pH, buffering and divalent cations was also evaluated. (PDF contains 6 pages.)