Effective Permeability Research Articles

Optimizing FeSiCr-Based Soft Magnetic Composites Using the Deionized Water as the Phosphating Solvent.

To prepare a soft magnetic powder core, the magnetic powder surface has to be insulated by phosphating treatment. Organic chemicals such as ethanol and acetone are generally used as solvents for phosphoric acid, which may cause serious environmental problems. This work proposed deionized water as the environmentally friendly phosphating solvent for FeSiCr powder. The soft magnetic composites (SMCs) were prepared using phosphoric acid for inorganic coating and modified silicon polymer for organic coating. The effect of different phosphating solvents, including deionized water, ethanol, and acetone, on the structure and magnetic properties of SMCs were investigated. It is found that the solvent affects the phosphating solution's stability and the phosphoric acid's ionization. The phosphoric acid is more stable in deionized water than in ethanol and acetone. The phosphating reaction in deionized water is also more stable in deionized water, resulting in a dense phosphate coating on the particle surface. The effects of phosphoric acid concentration and temperature on the magnetic properties of FeSiCr-based SMCs were further studied. With the increase in phosphoric acid concentration and temperature, the magnetic permeability and saturation magnetization of the powder core decrease, and the core loss decreases, followed by an increase. The optimized combination of properties was obtained for the SMCs phosphated with 0.2 wt.% phosphoric acid in deionized water at 35 °C, including a high effective permeability μe of 25.7, high quality factor Q of 80.2, low core loss Pcv of 709.5 mW/cm3 measured at 0.05 T @ 100 kHz, and high withstanding voltage of 276 V, due to the formation of uniform and dense insulating coating layers. In addition, the SMCs prepared with phosphated powder show good corrosion resistance. The anti-corrosion properties of the SMCs using deionized water as a phosphating solvent are better than those using ethanol and acetone.

Analysis of fractures generated by faults at micro- and macro-scale and the influence on the secondary permeability: application to the Nevado del Ruiz area (Colombia)

This research contributes to the knowledge of the geothermal area of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano (Colombia) by analyzing the secondary permeability and connectivity of fractures at microstructural and macrostructural level. Although the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano (NRV) area has had geothermal exploration studies for power generation since 1968, there is still no exploitation of its geothermal resources. The NRV geothermal reservoir is characterized by a low primary permeability and the presence of several geological faults crossing a tectonically active and complex region. The analysis was performed comparing a zone affected by intense faulting with another one characterized by the same lithology, but with less influence of faulting and located further from the volcano. Fractures were characterized at outcrops with the window sampling method, and petrographic analysis was performed to confirm the mineralogy of samples collected. At the microstructural scale it was found that faulting does not necessarily influence the interconnectivity of fractures, but it does influence their intensity, quantity, and strike. To analyze the influence of fractures on groundwater flow, it is suggested to consider three main aspects: secondary permeability, connectivity, and fracture intensity. The lithology of major geothermal interest in the NVR area (Pes) presented greater connectivity and fracture intensity, which, combined with the high foliation observed in field, increase its effective permeability. The secondary permeability of different lithologies in the NRV area ranged between 1.15 × 10–6 and 10.32 × 10–7 m2. Most of the hot springs were in areas of high macrostructural connectivity, supporting the idea that groundwater flow is dominated by the secondary permeability of rocks. Estimation of the secondary permeability and identification of areas of high fracturing and connectivity, contributes to the understanding of the NRV geothermal area, which is a key aspect when drilling for successful well production. The methodology presented is useful in the initial exploration phase in fractured geothermal reservoirs.

3D Characterization of Pore Structure and Pore Scale Seepage Simulation of Sandstone Based on Computational Tomography

The microscopic pore structure of sandstone determines its macroscopic permeability. Based on computer tomography (CT) technology, CT scans were performed on three different types of sandstone pore structures, namely coarse sandstone, medium sandstone, and fine sandstone. And the three-dimensional microscopic structure of sandstone pores was reconstructed. Furthermore, based on the Navier–Stokes equations, the fluid flow process in the pore structure of sandstone was simulated, and the effective permeability of sandstone was obtained. By extracting the pore structure from sandstone CT images, the average porosity of coarse sandstone, medium sandstone, and fine sandstone was 16.43%, 12.03%, and 11.64%, respectively. And the porosity of unconnected pores is less than 0.5%. The porosity and permeability of coarse sandstone are higher than those of medium sandstone and fine sandstone with an average value of 1.7 D. The porosity of medium sandstone and fine sandstone is relatively similar. However, the average pore radius and pore throat radius of medium sandstone are larger than those of fine sandstone. More importantly, although the permeability and porosity of sandstone are generally linearly related, when the porosity is low, the data show a large dispersion, and auxiliary indicators such as pore structure characteristic parameters such as pore throat radius should be adopted to evaluate the permeability of sandstone. The flow trajectory of fluid in the pore structure of sandstone is revealed through the streamline of fluid in the pore structure, revealing the mechanism of fluid flow.

An analytical model for permeability of fractal tree-like branched networks composed of converging–diverging capillaries

Seepage processes in tree-fractal networks have attracted extensive research, but the results of most of these studies presuppose a constant pore cross section. This research investigates fluid flow in a fractal tree-like branching network composed of five different types of circular cross section pipes and establishes the effective permeability of the network. Furthermore, the effective permeability of the fractal tree-like network is compared with that of a typical parallel channel network, and the effect of structural parameters on the seepage process of the tree-like branching network is systematically investigated. The effective permeability of all pipelines increased sharply with an increase in the internal diameter ratio at first and then decreased. Furthermore, a considerable advantage was seen in the permeability of the fractal tree network over the traditional parallel channel network, with the benefit becoming more noticeable as branching levels increased. The clear physics of the model offers a useful framework for studying seepage processes.

EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY OF REGULAR ARRAYS AND WAVY CHANNELS

EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY OF REGULAR ARRAYS AND WAVY CHANNELS

Effects of positional disorder upon the nonlocal effective parameters of a metamaterial composed of coated spheres

An electromagnetic characterization of a bianisotropic medium based on nonlocal homogenization theory with small positional disorders has been presented. The proposed theory is general and can be used for any type of random positional disorders provided that the probability density functions associated with these positional disorders are known. Later, the proposed general theory was used for a nonlocal metamaterial composed of coated spheres with Gaussian types of positional disorder in the microwave and infrared range of frequencies. It is studied that by increasing the positional disorder, the epsilon negative, mu negative and double negative bandwidths of a metamaterial reduce and even vanish for some special cases. It is found that the bandwidths of absorption peaks associated with the imaginary parts of effective permittivity and effective permeability become wider with the increase in positional disorder. It is also concluded that magnetoelectric coupling arising due to lattice effects become almost negligible for the relatively large positional disorder for a weak nonlocal or spatially dispersive metamaterial. The proposed findings are helpful in the designing of nonlocal disordered metamaterials.

Fluid flow and solute transport simulations in tight geologic formations: Discrete fracture network and continuous time random walk analyses

Understanding the effect of fracture network heterogeneity on flow and transport in tight formations with low permeability values is of great importance in a wide variety of applications, such as groundwater pollution and storage as well as water production. Although numerous studies have investigated solute transport in fractured media, investigation about scale effects on flow and transport in low-permeability aquifers is limited. More specifically, we are not aware of any study that has addressed how the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model parameters vary with scale and fracture network properties. To this end, we performed a set of numerical simulations in sparse fracture networks of sizes L = 20, 35, and 50 m under two different volumetric fracture counts (p30 = 0.05 and 0.1) using the discrete fracture network approach. The fractures in the networks were elliptical in shape, and their radii followed a truncated power-law distribution with exponents α = 1.5, 2, and 2.5. We simulated fluid flow using the Reynolds equation, and solute transport was simulated using particle tracking. The solute transport behavior was quantified by fitting the solution of the CTRW transport equation to the arrival time distributions. Results showed that as the truncated power law exponent α increased, the permeability of the networks decreased. In all the fracture networks studied, we found non-Fickian solute transport behavior deduced from small values of β(0.69≤β≤1.25), the exponent in the truncated power-law arrival time distribution in the CTRW model. In our fracture networks, the aperture size spanned less than one order of magnitude meaning that the fracture permeability distribution was relatively narrow. Therefore, the observed non-Fickian behavior should be attributed to sparse fracture networks and low connectivity. We found that the effective permeability, keff, at p30 = 0.05 was more scale-dependent compared to that at p30 = 0.1 because the fracture networks with p30 = 0.05 were less connected and, thus, more heterogeneous. Our simulation also disclosed the scale dependence of the CTRW model parameters. We conducted multiple linear regression analysis to link the CTRW model parameters to the network size as well as the geometrical and topological properties of the network. Results of regression analysis showed that all the CTRW model parameters except the average solute velocity were significantly dependent on the system size L (p-value < 0.05). Further investigations using a broader range of fracture network properties, such as broader aperture size distributions, smaller and larger network sizes and volumetric fracture counts are still required.

A Laboratory Experimental Study on Enhancing the Oil Recovery Mechanisms of Polymeric Surfactants.

In order to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of polymer surfactants and analyze their oil displacement mechanisms, three types of poly-surfactant used in the Daqing oil field were chosen to be researched, and the oil displacement effects were studied using poly-surfactants of different viscosity, dehydrating rate, and core permeability. The main purpose is to determine the reasonable range of different characteristic indexes of polymeric surfactant flooding. The oil displacement effect of 15 cores was analyzed, and the effects of viscosity, the dehydrating rate of emulsion, and permeability on EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) were analyzed. The oil displacement mechanisms of polymeric surfactants were researched using a photolithographic glass core. This paper explores the mechanism underlying production enhancement as an EOR target, while simultaneously conducting laboratory tests to assess the physical and chemical properties of polymeric surfactants. The poly-surfactant agents exhibit a notable increase in viscosity, with the optimal displacement effect observed at a core effective permeability exceeding 400 mD, resulting in a potential EOR of 15% or higher. Moreover, at a viscosity ranging between 40 and 70 mPa·s, the total EOR can reach 73%, with the peak efficiency occurring at a viscosity of 60 mPa·s. The water loss rate of the emulsion, ranging between 30% and 70%, achieves optimal performance at 50%. The poly-surfactants' higher viscosity extends the oil sweep area, enhancing recovery efficiency, and noticeably reducing residual oil compared to water flooding. During poly-surfactant flooding, a substantial amount of residual oil is extracted and transformed into droplets. The rapid emulsification of the polymeric surfactant solution with crude oil forms a stable emulsion, contributing to its significant oil recovery effect. This research provides valuable technical support for EOR in thin and low-quality reservoirs of onshore multi-layered sandstone reservoirs.

Research on an effective permeability prediction method for shale reservoirs based on imbibition experiments

Research on an effective permeability prediction method for shale reservoirs based on imbibition experiments

Relating permeability and electrical conductivity in partially saturated porous media by means of the Johnson–Koplik–Schwartz characteristic length

SUMMARY In this work, we revisit the seminal concept of Johnson–Koplik–Schwartz (JKS) length Λ, that is a characteristic length representing an effective pore size which controls various transport-related properties of porous media, such as, the permeability and the electrical conductivity. We present a novel closed-form equation that predicts the behaviour of Λ in partially saturated media, for different saturation states. Using previous models in the literature that predict the intrinsic and relative electrical conductivities under partially saturated conditions, we infer the JKS length Λ and the electrical formation factor F as functions of water saturation and properties associated with the pore-size distribution of the probed porous medium. The proposed method permits to estimate the effective permeability and the relative permeability directly from electrical conductivity measurements, thus opening new-avenues for the remote characterization of partially saturated media. We believe that this new model will prove useful for various characterization and modelling applications from reservoir (CO2 or hydrogen storage) to vadose zone studies.

Design and mathematical modeling of DNG metamaterial having six-band capabilities with high effective medium ratio

ABSTRACT In this paper, six-band double negative (DNG) metamaterial with a substantially high effective medium ratio (EMR) under the S and C microwave band is designed and investigated for multiple microwave applications. The proposed metamaterial unit cell consists of four Plus Appended Split Ring Resonator (PASRR) cells, which are combined with variable sides and positions by plus (+) shape stubs at the centre. All four Plus Appended Split Ring Resonator (PASRR) cells are mutually coupled with each other to vary the electrical length to achieve hexa Bands DNG characteristics in a lossy FR-4 epoxy substrate with the thickness of 1.5748 mm. A parameter extraction method has been used to extract effective permittivity (ε eff), permeability (μ eff) and refractive index (n). Moreover, the equivalent circuit model is obtained. Ansys HFSSTM software & Keysight ADSTM software are used to obtain the simulated and theoretical results, respectively, which agree measured with simulated and theoretical results.

Critical state-induced emergence of superior magnetic performances in an iron-based amorphous soft magnetic composite

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) play a pivotal role in the development of high-frequency, miniaturization and complex forming of modern electronics. However, they usually suffer from a trade-off between high magnetization and good magnetic softness (high permeability and low core loss). In this work, utilizing the order modulation strategy, a critical state in a FeSiBCCr amorphous soft magnetic composite (ASMC), consisting of massive crystal-like orders (CLOs, ∼1 nm in size) with the feature of α-Fe, is designed. This critical-state structure endows the amorphous powder with the enhanced ferromagnetic exchange interactions and the optimized magnetic domains with uniform orientation and fewer micro-vortex dots. Superior comprehensive soft magnetic properties at high frequency emerge in the ASMC, such as a high saturation magnetization (M s) of 170 emu g−1 and effective permeability (μ e) of 65 combined with a core loss (P cv) as low as 70 mW cm−3 (0.01 T, 1 MHz). This study provides a new strategy for the development of high-frequency ASMCs, possessing suitable comprehensive soft magnetic performance to match the requirements of the modern magnetic devices used in the third-generation semiconductors and new energy fields.

Magnetic Field Analysis and Development of Disk Axial–Radial Hybrid Excitation Generator for Range Extenders in Extended-Range Electric Vehicles

Magnetic Field Analysis and Development of Disk Axial–Radial Hybrid Excitation Generator for Range Extenders in Extended-Range Electric Vehicles

Industrial-scale fabrication of FeSiBC cores with balanced soft magnetic properties by transverse magnetic field annealing and mixing of carbonyl iron powder

In this study, the effects of transverse magnetic field annealing and mixing fine powder on the soft magnetic properties of FeSiBC soft magnetic powder cores (SMPCs) are investigated. The results show that with the increase of transverse magnetic field intensity, the core loss of FeSiBC SMPCs decreases and then increases with a continuous increase in permeability compared to the zero magnetic field treatment. Wherein, the effective permeability of the powder cores is increased from 58.07 to 59.63 after transverse magnetic field annealing at a magnetic field intensity of 900 Gs and annealing temperature of 430 ℃. It shows that mixing the FeSiBC amorphous crushed powder with fine powder and transverse magnetic field annealing are effective ways to further promote amorphous SMPCs to meet the requirements of the development of electronic devices, and the prepared high-performance SMPCs also have a certain prospect of industrial application.

Wettability alteration of quartz sand using Z-type Langmuir–Blodgett hydrophobic films

This paper presents the results of a study of the effect of sand treatment on its filtration and wetting properties by applying Langmuir multimolecular film coatings of fatty acids. It has been established that the coefficient of water filtration through sand treated with a 2% solution of stearic acid in chloroform is reduced by 82%. It is shown that a change in the filtration properties of sand is associated with an alteration in the wettability of sand from water-wet to oil-wet due to the formation of oriented Z-type Langmuir–Blodgett hydrophobic films on the surface of sand grains. The effective permeability of sand for water decreases after the formation of hydrophobic Langmuir–Blodgett Z-type films and waterflooding becomes more effective. Treatment of sand with palmitic and oleic acids, as well as simple mixing of sand with a 2% solution of stearic acid in chloroform, has little effect on the filtration properties of sand. COMSOL multiphysics simulation of filtration process and oil displacement in treated and untreated sand with fatty acid was used.

Investigation of REV scale and anisotropy for 2D permeable fracture Networks: The role of geological entropy

To investigate the intrinsic association between geometrical properties and permeability of anisotropic fractured media, a methodology of geological entropy is applied to anisotropic fracture networks for the evaluation of seepage fields. By integrating the synthetic effect of fracture geometrical parameters (e.g., trace length, spacing, dip angle, and aperture), the global connectivity of fracture networks is quantified by the entropy scale (Hs), while the directional entropy scale (Hs,α) is used to characterize the local geometrical anisotropy in arbitrary orientations. A series of hydraulic representative elementary volumes (REVs) of fracture patterns with various geometrical properties are acquired based on continuum analysis. The permeability in the continuum scale is obtained from steady-state flow simulations. Sensitivity analyses are performed to understand the geometrical dependence of permeability parameters regarding entropy indices. It is found that a systematic increase in trace length, spacing, and dip angle is correlated with an increase, decrease, and equilibrium in entropy, respectively, which corresponds to a change in hydraulic REV sizes that can be expressed as a power-law function related to the Hs. Moreover, Hs,α can well explain the permeability anisotropy resulting from the spatial order of fracture networks, and a unified mathematical relationship for the effective permeability coefficients in arbitrary orientations versus the Hs,α is proposed, independent of variations in fracture patterns and scales. The results indicate that geological entropy, related to the geometrical properties and spatial distribution of fractures, is appropriate to characterize the permeability of anisotropic systems.

Dyakonov surface polaritons in bi-hyperbolic metamaterial

A periodically layered metamaterial (MM) structured with antiferromagnetic (AF) and ionic-crystal (IC) layers was proposed, which exhibits bi-hyperbolicity with effective hyperbolic permeability and permittivity. We investigated Dyakonov surface polaritons (DSPs) localized at this bi-hyperbolic metamaterial surface. For such a complicated material system, we analytically acquired one concise dispersion equation and corresponding wave solutions. From them, we found four DSPs, or DSP-I, DSP-II, DSP-III, and DSP-IV, and meanwhile one Dyakonov surface magnon and one Dyakonov surface phonon were found in this bi-hyperbolic metamaterial. The ATR spectra numerically calculated clearly proved the actual existence of the DSPs acquired from the dispersion equation and offered the path to excite and observe the DSPs. The DSP’s energy propagating direction is parallel to the air/MM interface, but not along the wave vector direction, and further it can approximatively be vertical to the wave-vector.

Enhancing frozen fish quality through polysaccharide-ice glazing: Insights from physical properties and preservation effects

Polysaccharide ice-glazing is a widely employed method for preserving frozen fish, with the choice of polysaccharide playing a crucial role in preservation effectiveness. This research investigates the impact of various polysaccharides, including neutral polysaccharides like konjac glucomannan (KGM) and pullulan (PUL), as well as ionic polysaccharides such as gellan gum (GG), κ-carrageenan (KC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and xanthan gum (XG), on the physical properties of ice. Additionally, we assess the influence of polysaccharide ice-glazing on the quality of frozen snakehead (Channa argus) fish fillets. Our study shows that the physical properties of polysaccharide-infused ice are affected by both polysaccharide type and concentration. Increasing the polysaccharide concentration led to a reduction in water activity within the supercooled polysaccharide solution. Additionally, the characteristics of ice formed by the polysaccharide solution, including ice crystal size, compressive strength, sublimation rate, and oxygen permeability, consistently decreased. In our comparative analysis, at equivalent polysaccharide concentrations, the PUL solution exhibited the lowest water activity. Notably, PUL-ice demonstrated superior performance, displaying the smallest ice crystal size, highest compressive strength, lowest ice sublimation rate, and the most effective oxygen permeability barrier. Following this in decreasing order of performance were the GG, KC, CMC, XG, and KGM samples. Moreover, when applied to glazing snakehead fish fillets, pullulan ice-glazing outperformed KGM ice-glazing in preserving fish quality, confirming the direct influence of polysaccharide-induced ice properties on fillet preservation outcomes. This study provides essential insights to guide informed decisions in the field of polysaccharide ice-glazing applications, aimed at enhancing the quality of frozen fish.

Predicting skin permeation-enhancing effect of fixed oils using saturated to unsaturated fatty acid ratio content

Background: Transdermal drug delivery is non-invasive and advantageous as it improves patient compliance.&#x0D; Objective: This study evaluated the effect of varying ratios of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in fixed oils on the permeation of ibuprofen across pig dorsal skin.&#x0D; Methods: The solubility of ibuprofen in soybean oil, theobroma oil, and shea butter (fixed oils) was evaluated and in vitro skin permeation studies were conducted using Franz diffusion cells.&#x0D; Results: A significant difference in permeability parameters, such as flux and effective skin permeability, in the different formulations was observed. Skin permeation depended on the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. It also depended on the type and concentration of individual saturated and unsaturated fatty acids present in the fixed oils. The skin permeation of ibuprofen increased with an increasing ratio of palmitic acid (PA) to oleic acid (OA) concentrations. The highest flux was obtained in the theobroma oil formulation, with a PA:OA ratio of 0.78. The lowest flux was obtained in the shea butter formulation, with a PA:OA ratio of 0.09. The PA:OA ratio was 0.46 in the soybean oil formulation.&#x0D; Conclusion: These results suggest that the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in fixed oils could be used as a model for predicting the rate of skin permeation of drugs in oil-based formulations. Depending on the desired rate of drug permeation, different combinations of the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids can be used in formulations for transdermal delivery.

Improved permeability and core loss of iron-based soft magnetic composites prepared by interface diffusion of nitrogen atoms

The magnetic properties of SMCs are typically challenging to further enhance, after compaction into a specific shape. However, in this study, a gas-nitriding process is employed to diffuse nitrogen atoms into iron-based magnetic toroidal after being prepared, resulting in an improvement in effective permeability and reduction in core losses. The results indicate that the saturation magnetization decreases with increasing nitriding time, reaching its minimum value at a nitriding time of 24 h, where Ms measure at 199.8 emu/g. The sample nitrided for 12 h exhibits superior effective permeability, high-frequency stability, DC-bias property, and total core loss, indicating its suitability for high-frequency applications. The gas-phase nitride process can further enhance the performance of the prepared soft magnetic composites, which is of significant value in scientific applications.