Gas Concentration Gradient Research Articles

A novel hybrid information-based PF-WOA algorithm for gas source localization in 3D space

Abstract In recent years, dangerous gas leakage events occur frequently. Rapid and accurate location of gas leakage sources by mobile robots is the key to avoid the expansion of disasters. In order to solve the problem of discontinuous gas concentration gradient and sparse gas environment in three-dimensional space, particle filter, and whale swarm optimization algorithm are integrated to locate gas source. Firstly, the Z-shape search and comb search are used to locate the plume, and then, the particle filter algorithm is combined with the whale optimization method to guide the particle movement, and the random inertial disturbance term is designed to improve the convergence speed and search accuracy of the algorithm. Experimental results in three-dimensional environment show that the proposed information-driven particle filter whale optimization hybrid algorithm effectively guides the robot in localizing gas source within a certain range, significantly enhancing both the efficiency and accuracy of localization compared to other algorithms.

Increasing LNAPL density and viscosity are indicators of Natural Source Zone Depletion

Natural source zone depletion (NSZD) acts to reduce the mass and/or toxicity of light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) in the shallow subsurface. Several indirect measurement techniques are commonly used to estimate LNAPL mass depletion based on CO 2 generation by hydrocarbon mineralisation, heat production by exothermic biodegradation processes, and sub-surface gas concentration gradients. This paper presents data on LNAPL density and viscosity and shows changes that result from NSZD processes. Increasing trends in LNAPL density and viscosity were observed that provided a qualitative line-of-evidence for NSZD. When LNAPL density and viscosity were combined with contemporaneous LNAPL chemistry analysis it was possible to correlate changes in the physical properties to depletion of alkanes from the LNAPL in a manner that would inform a quantitative NSZD assessment. LNAPL density and viscosity measurements are relatively cheap and reproducible, and increasing trends in LNAPL density and viscosity provide additional lines-of-evidence for NSZD.

Enhanced bubble growth near an advancing solidification front

Frozen water might appear opaque since gas bubbles can get trapped in the ice during the freezing process. They nucleate and then grow near the advancing solidification front, due to the formation of a gas supersaturation region in its vicinity. A delicate interplay between the rate of mass transfer and the rate of freezing dictates the final shapes and sizes of the entrapped gas bubbles. In this work, we experimentally and numerically investigate the initial growth of such gas bubbles that nucleate and grow near the advancing ice front. We show that the initial growth of these bubbles is governed by diffusion and is enhanced due to a combination of the presence of the background gas concentration gradient and the motion of the approaching front. Additionally, we recast the problem into that of mass transfer to a moving spherical object in a homogeneous concentration field, finding good agreement between our experimental data and the existing scaling relations for that latter problem. Lastly, we address how fluid flow around the bubble might further affect this growth and qualitatively explore this through numerical simulations.

Detecting Smell/Gas-Source Direction Using Output Voltage Characteristics of a CMOS Smell Sensor

Various organisms, such as dogs and moths, can locate their prey and mates by sensing their smells. Following this manner, if an engineering device with the capability to detect a smell or gas source is realized, it can have a wide range of potential applications, such as searching for landmines, locating gas leaks, and rapid detection of fire. A previous study on the estimation of smell and gas-flow direction successfully detected the smell/gas-source direction in low-wind-velocity environments using a semiconductor gas sensor array. However, some problems are generally associated with the use of semiconductor gas sensors due to the use of heaters. This study aimed to detect the location of a smell/gas source using an integrated CMOS smell sensor array, which operates at room temperature without a heater. The experiment showed that under ideal conditions, the order of gas responses and concentration gradient of the gas enabled the estimation of the direction of the smell/gas-source location on one side of the sensor.

Liquid respiratory desaturation. The first experience of application on large biological objects

Introduction. This article is a continuation of the publication of the experimental studies results of prevention of acute decompression sickness (aDCS) in laboratory animals by the method of liquid respiratory desaturation (LRDS). LRDS is a method of preventing decompression disorders by the excretion of metabolically indifferent gases (in particular nitrogen) from the body during spontaneous respiration with liquid or artificial liquid lung ventilation (ALLV), by dissolved gas concentration gradient "from tissues to respiratory fluid". The method allows to provide rapid desaturation of the body from metabolically indifferent gases in the process of liquid respiration before and/or during decompression, thereby creating conditions for application of ultra-fast decompression profiles without the risk of decompression disorders.
 The aim of the study was to confirm the possibility of LRDS being a method of DCS prevention on large laboratory animals (minipigs).
 Materials and methods. The studies were performed on Wiessenau minipigs (n=8) — male and female, aged 4–5.5 months and weighing 7.1–11.2 kg. Animals of the control (n=4) and experimental (n=4) groups were subjected by compression by keeping in an air environment under high pressure (absolute 0.5 MPa for 60 minutes) to saturate tissues with indifferent gas (nitrogen). After compression experimental group was exposed to 30-minute ALLV with a liquid (perfluorodecalin) saturated with an oxygen under normobaric conditions. Air environment pressure during procedure of artificial lung ventilation was kept at 0.5 MPa. Decompression of the control and experimental groups was carried out in non-stop manner for 80 and 40 seconds respectively. The investigation of severity of clinical manifestations of DCS (changes in hemodynamic and respiratory parameters) including ultrasonic examination of gas bubbles in the heart and large vessels of the liver and as well as survival of animals in groups and pathoanatomical changes was performed.
 Results of the study. Clinical manifestations, ultrasonic scanning of the heart and venous vessels of the liver, as well as morphological examination data indicated the development of severe acute post-decompression disorders (PDD) in animals of the control group, which caused deaths in 100% of cases. Meanwhile all animals in experimental group survived and their state was stable. According to ultrasonic examination, the presence of small number of gas bubbles in the right-side heart chambers and liver's venous vessels being noted, but they disappeared after several hours. Deviations of the respiration's parameters function from background values (shortness of breath of a mixed type with the participation of auxiliary muscles, etc.) observed from the 2nd to the 4th day after ALLV, as well as compensatory reactions from the cardiovascular system (heart rate variability and instability of hemodynamic parameters) were caused by ALLV.
 Conclusions. Compressed air exposure 0.5 MPa for 60 minutes followed by 80 seconds of non-stop decompression allows to provoke the severe acute PDD minipigs model, manifested by pronounced intravascular gas formation, the development of acute respiratory and cardiovascular insufficiency causing the development of adverse outcomes.
 The ultrasound method of visual assessment of intravascular gas formation severity, adapted for minipigs, together with the dynamics of changes in the indicators of respiratory and cardiovascular systems makes possible to assess not only state of animal under anesthesia, but also the effectiveness of PDD prevention measures.
 The usage of ALLV with PFC liquid completely saturated with 100% oxygen under normobaric conditions makes possible partial removal of indifferent gas (nitrogen) dissolved in tissues of experimental animals during exposition in a compressed air environment before decompression and thereby carry out the prevention of DCS by LRDS method. It makes possible to implement successfully ultra-fast decompression profiles, incompatible with life in the control group.
 The state of animals from experimental group after LRDS is characterized by lung impairment caused by ALLV in hyperbaric conditions accompanied by temporary changes of external respiration function and compensatory reactions of cardiovascular system, observed during first 4 days.
 Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Clinical Study Protocol was approved by local Ethics Committee of The Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health».

Analysis of the response to cigarette smoke exposure in cell coculture and monoculture based on bionic-lung microfluidic chips

BackgroundIn vitro toxicity assessment studies with various experimental models and exposure modalities frequently generate diverse outcomes. In the prevalent experimental, aerosol pollutants are dissolved in culture medium through capture for exposure to two-dimensional planar cellular models in multiwell plates via immersion. However, this approach can generate restricted and inconclusive experimental data, significantly constraining the applicability of risk assessment outcomes. Herein, the in vitro cocultivation of lung epithelial and/or vascular endothelial cells was performed using self-designed bionic-lung microfluidic chip housing a gas-concentration gradient generator (GCGG) unit. Exposure experiments involving a concentration gradient of cigarette smoke (CS) aerosol were then conducted through an original assembled real-time aerosol exposure system. ResultsTranscriptomic analysis revealed a potential involvement of the cGMP-signaling pathway following online CS aerosol exposure on different cell culture models. Furthermore, distinct responses to different concentrations of CS aerosol exposure on different culture models were highlighted by detecting inflammation- and oxidative stress-related biomarkers (i.e., cell viability, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, GM-CSF, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase). SignificantThe results underscore the importance of improving chip biomimicry while addressing multi-throughput demands, given the substantial influence of the coculture model on cellular responses triggered by CS. Furthermore, the coculture model exhibited a mutually beneficial protective effect on cells at low CS concentrations within the GCGG unit, yet revealed a mutually amplified damaging effect at higher CS concentrations in contrast to the monoculture model.

Methodology of creation and development of information systems for technological safety of mining facilities

Purpose. To develop methodological approaches to the process of informatization of technological security (TS) and to propose a project of step-by-step development of the architecture of information system (IS) of TS, which will contribute to effective integration of digital and mining technologies. To develop a mathematical model for finding the number of sensors required for probabilistic assessment of the concentration gradients of hazardous gases. Methodology. General and special methods of knowledge are used: structural analysis – to establish the structure and tasks of IS of TS; logical generalization – for formation of methodological system of directions of TS information measures; system analysis – to establish synergistic effect of complex implementation of the indicated directions; scientific abstraction – for development of a project for IS architecture derivation; mathematical formalization – for development of mathematical model for estimating gradients of concentration gases and the number of sensors. Findings. A project for the phased development of IS architecture of mining facilities based on the implementation of diffusion principle is developed, which will allow solving a complex of issues: integrated monitoring of danger of gas environment of underground structure for detection of gas traps and permanent determination of concentration gradients of hazardous gases, implementation of intelligent safety loops using analytical resources of technological mining process. A methodological system of directions for diffusion implementation of TS information measures is formed. The use of the method of system analysis made it possible to point out the synergistic effect of the complex implementation of the directions of implementation of TS information measures. Originality. A project for the phased development of the information system architecture of the technological safety of mining enterprises has been developed. A mathematical model has been developed to estimate the concentration gradients of hazardous gases and the number of sensors to ensure the appropriate level of probability of finding a sensor in each cell of the underground mine. Practical value. The methodological approach makes it possible to form an IS that implements a comprehensive approach to ensuring the appropriate level of technological safety of mining facilities.

Coarsening of Foams Driven by Concentration Gradients of Gases of Different Solubilities.

The evolution of a foam driven by the transfer of two gases of different solubilities across the soap films is studied. A bamboo foam, or a train of films, is used as a model system; it is made of a poorly soluble gas and put into contact with a reservoir of a soluble gas at an initial time. The measurement of the time evolution of the volume of each bubble shows that the foam swells as it progressively incorporates the soluble gas. The dynamics is modeled from the gas fluxes across each film. The continuous limit of this model at a large number of bubbles is studied in detail: it gives an effective nonlinear diffusion equation, which fits the data very well. The corresponding diffusion constant, given by the product of the permeability of the soluble gas and the initial size of the bubbles, is shown to be the key parameter governing the coarsening dynamics of the foam.

Microfluidic design for in-vitro liver zonation-a numerical analysis using COMSOL Multiphysics.

The liver is one of the most important organs, with a complex physiology. Current in-vitro approaches are not accurate for disease modeling and drug toxicity research. One of those features is liver zonation, where cells display different physiological states due to different levels of oxygen and nutrient supplements. Organ-on-a-chip technology employs microfluidic platforms that enable a controlled environment for in-vitro cell culture. In this study, we propose a microfluidic design embedding a gas channel (of ambient air), creating an oxygen gradient. We numerically simulate different flow rates and cell densities with the COMSOL Multiphysics package considering cell-specific consumption rates of oxygen and glucose. We establish the cell density and flow rate for optimum oxygen and glucose distribution in the cell culture chamber. Furthermore, we show that a physiologically relevant concentration of oxygen and glucose in the chip is reached after 24h and 30min, respectively. The proposed microfluidic design and optimal parameters we identify in this paper provide a tool for in-vitro liver zonation studies. However, the microfluidic design is not exclusively for liver cell experiments but is foreseen to be applicable in cell studies where different gas concentration gradients are critical, e.g., studying hypoxia or toxic gas impact.

Higher Apparent Gas Transfer Velocities for CO2 Compared to CH4 in Small Lakes.

Large greenhouse gas emissions occur via the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from the surface layer of lakes. Such emissions are modeled from the air-water gas concentration gradient and the gas transfer velocity (k). The links between k and the physical properties of the gas and water have led to the development of methods to convert k between gases through Schmidt number normalization. However, recent observations have found that such normalization of apparent k estimates from field measurements can yield different results for CH4 and CO2. We estimated k for CO2 and CH4 from measurements of concentration gradients and fluxes in four contrasting lakes and found consistently higher (on an average 1.7 times) normalized apparent k values for CO2 than CH4. From these results, we infer that several gas-specific factors, including chemical and biological processes within the water surface microlayer, can influence apparent k estimates. We highlight the importance of accurately measuring relevant air-water gas concentration gradients and considering gas-specific processes when estimating k.

Methane hydrate re-formation and blockage mechanism in a pore-level water-gas flow process

Hydrate re-formation increases blockage risk and further reduces gas production efficiency. Considering the huge water production and gas migration, it is essential to determine the key parameters that control hydrate re-formation and blockage in the two-phase flow process. However, little research reveals the mechanism of hydrate re-formation in the water-dominated two-phase flow system. In this study, two-phase flow in hydrate sediment is simulated by controlling the water-gas flow rate, and the effect of effective sectional velocity on hydrate re-formation characteristics is analyzed. The experimental results showed that temperature and pressure followed a three-stage change trend in the water-dominated two-phase flow process: including hydrate re-formation induction stage I, mass hydrate re-formation and agglomeration stage II, and pore gas consumption stage III. Moreover, a lower effective sectional velocity of water (WESV) would reduce the gas concentration gradient between water and hydrate to enhance the hydrate re-formation process. Meanwhile, the gas phase impeded the mass transfer on the water-hydrate interface and acted as the nucleation site to promote hydrate re-formation. Furthermore, it was noticed that the relationship between the onset time of flow blockage and WESV was linearly positive, however, the amount of hydrate re-formation reduced with increasing WESV.

Numerical Simulation of CO2-ECBM Based on Multi-Physical Field Coupling Model

In this paper, heat injection and CO2 injection are combined, and the influence of coal seam parameters on CO2-ECBM is analyzed to improve the production of CH4 and CO2 reserves and the effective control of both greenhouse gases. A multi-physical field coupling model of CO2-ECBM was established based on Darcy’s law, Fick’s law of diffusion, the extended Langmuir model for adsorption, and the equation of state. Numerical simulation of CO2-ECBM under different coal seam parameters was carried out by COMSOL Multiphysics. The results show that increasing the injection pressure of the CO2 injection well and the initial pressure of the coal seam can effectively increase the gas pressure and concentration gradient, which has a positive effect on improving the extraction concentration of CH4 and the sequestration concentration of CO2 in the coal seam. The increase of the initial temperature of the coal seam will promote the desorption and diffusion of the binary elemental gas, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of coalbed methane and a decrease in the displacement effect. In the process of displacement, the greater the initial permeability, the greater the fracture opening of the coal seam, which is more conducive to the seepage transport of the gas. The closer to the position of the injection well, the better the displacement effect and the lower the permeability rate ratio.

Study on Gas Migration Law of Mining Coal Seam under the Influence of Normal Fault

In order to study the coupling law of mining and gas migration in close coal seams in fault structure area, taking the coal mining face in Guizhou as the research background, the development of mining fracture field and gas migration law of No. 5 coal seam and No. 9 coal seam were studied. Based on the development of mining-induced fracture field in coal seam, the fracture distribution was binarized and quantitatively analyzed by using fractal dimension, and the gas migration law of mining-induced fractures in No. 5 coal seam and No. 9 coal seam was simulated and studied. The results show that under the condition of U-shaped ventilation, the gas accumulates seriously in the upper corner of the mining fracture field, and the gas generally floats and accumulates to the separated layer development area of the overlying strata. Due to the existence of faults, even if the mining-induced fracture field in goaf of No. 9 coal seam is within the mining-induced pressure relief range of No. 5 coal seam, the gas concentration in the mining-induced fracture field is still high, and the variation gradient of gas concentration is large. The gas will circulate actively and accumulate easily near the fault structure, and the gas concentration at the high level of the fault is slightly higher than that at the low level. The research results can provide some reference for the mining of close coal seams in the fault structure area, the comprehensive prevention and control of gas, and the safe and efficient production of coal mines.

Ultrathin Ni-Co nanosheets with disparate-CO2-affinity nanodomains in membranes to improve gas separation

One of the biggest challenges of Pebax-based membranes is how to simultaneously achieve high CO2 permeability and selectivity. Hence, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were designed and fabricated by incorporating the ultrathin Ni-Co nanosheet (Ni-Co-NS) fillers into Pebax® MH 1657 (Pebax) matrix to improve CO2 separation performance. The ultrathin Ni-Co-NS fillers had disparate-CO2-affinity nanodomains and were endowed with three main functions in the Pebax/Ni-Co-NS MMMs: i) First, Ni and Co metals constituted CO2-philic and non-CO2-philic nanodomains, respectively, because the two metals had disparate CO2 adsorption enthalpy. CO2-philic nanodomains rendered a high affinity capacity, whereas non-CO2-philic nanodomains rendered low-friction diffusion. Thus, a combination of the disparate-CO2-affinity nanodomains significantly facilitated CO2 transport. ii) Second, the pore size of the nanosheets decreased from 0.79 nm to 0.49 nm by introducing the second Co metal into Ni-NS, and the decreased pores size contributed to strengthen CO2/CH4 selectivity. iii) Third, the uniform nanopores of Ni-Co-NS that paralleled to the gas concentration gradient constituted high-speed CO2 transport channels, which was conducive to improving CO2 permeability of MMMs. Therefore, CO2 separation performance of MMMs was remarkably improved by Ni-Co-NS fillers. Pebax/Ni-Co-NS MMMs with the content of 5 wt% Ni-Co-NS fillers showed the highest CO2 permeability of 483 ± 11 Barrer and CO2/CH4 selectivity of 39 ± 1.1. It implies that the introduction of nanosheets with two different metals is an effective method to fabricate MMMs with an excellent CO2 separation performance.

Calculation of gas concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient in coal particles: Influencing mechanism of gas pressure and desorption time on diffusion behavior

To investigate the effects of equilibrium pressure and desorption time on gas diffusion in coal particles, we described the time-varying diffusion process by introducing an indeterminate function of desorption time. Using gas desorption data, we established an analytical model for calculating the gas diffusion coefficient under the different desorption times. The analytical solution of the concentration-dependent diffusion model is equivalent to that of the unipore diffusion model at the initial desorption time. Still, the diffusion coefficient decreased with the decrease of gas equilibrium pressure and the extension of desorption time. Additionally, the numerical method compared adsorbed and free gas effects on gas desorption. The results demonstrated that the diffusion coefficient considered adsorbed gas was more significant than the analytical solution's. The diffusion coefficient in the free gas system was overestimated due to the change of diffusion distance and decreased to the actual value over desorption time. However, the attenuation rate of diffusion coefficients in the adsorbed gas system positively correlates with gas pressure. The concentration gradient of free gas is the driving force for gas diffusion. The simulation and experimental results show that the free to total gas ratio has a strong linear relationship with the diffusion coefficient, which explains the influencing mechanism of gas pressure and desorption time on the gas diffusion.

Microstructural changes enhance oxygen transport in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit during maturation and ripening.

Climacteric ripening of tomato fruit is initiated by a characteristic surge of the production rate of ethylene, accompanied by an increase in respiration rate. As both activities consume O2 and produce CO2 , gas concentration gradients develop in the fruit that cause diffusive transport. This may, in turn, affect respiration and ethylene biosynthesis. Gas diffusion in fruit depends on the amount and connectivity of cells and intercellular spaces in 3D. We investigated micromorphological changes in different tomato tissues during development and ripening by visualizing cells and pores based on high-resolution micro-computed tomography, and computed effective O2 diffusivity coefficients based on microstructural features of the tissues. We demonstrated that mesocarp and septa tissues have larger cells but small and more disconnected pores than the placenta and columella, resulting in relatively lower effective O2 diffusivity coefficients. Cell disintegration occurred in the mesocarp and septa during ripening, indicating lysigenous air pore formation and resulting in a gradual increase of the effective O2 diffusivity. The results suggest that hypoxic conditions caused by the increasing size and, hence, diffusion resistance of the growing fruit may induce an increase of tissue porosity that results in a greatly enhanced O2 diffusivity and, thus, helps to alleviate them.

Experimental study on the influence of aerated gas pressure and confining pressure on low-rank coal gas adsorption process

To deeply study the variation characteristics of the gas content in the process of gas adsorption for coal samples under different gas pressures and confining pressures, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology was used to carry out experimental research on the gas adsorption of coal. The relationship between the T2 spectrum amplitude integral and the gas quantity was analyzed. The results show the following: (1) When the samples were inflated for 11 h at each gas pressure point (0.31, 0.74, 1.11, and 1.46 MPa), after ∼5 h of adsorption, the amount of adsorbed gas exceeded 85.0% of the total adsorption capacity; additionally, as the adsorption time increased, the amount of adsorbed gas gradually tended to stabilize. When the gas pressure was >1 MPa, the amount of adsorbed gas exceeded 90.0% of the total adsorption capacity; Higher the pressure of aerated gas, greater the gas pressure gradient or concentration gradient on the surface of the coal sample and the greater the driving force for gas molecules to seep or diffuse into the coal sample. (2) When the samples were inflated for 11 h at each confining pressure point (3, 4, 5, and 7 MPa), the adsorbed gas increased by ∼85.0% of the total adsorbed gas in the first 5 h. When the pressure was <5 MPa, the amount of adsorbed gas exceeded 85.0% of the total amount of adsorption; that is, the increase in adsorbed gas was the largest at ∼5 h in the adsorption process for the columnar coal sample under different confining pressures, and the increase was ∼5.0% from 7–11 h. When the large pores in the coal sample closed, the amount of gas that seeped into the deep part of the coal sample within the same aeration time was reduced.

A comparison of three methods to assess natural source zone depletion at paved fuel retail sites

Natural source zone depletion (NSZD) encompasses all processes that result in petroleum hydrocarbon light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) mass loss. Vertical gas transport between the subsurface and atmosphere is a key component of NSZD. Gas exchange with the atmosphere may be restricted at sites with ground cover, which is typical for European fuel retail sites. This raises questions of whether, and to what extent, the generic NSZD conceptual model applies at these sites. Here, we present a study that evaluated how concrete and asphalt pavement affected NSZD processes and data interpretation for three NSZD assessment methods: soil gas concentration gradient, biogenic heat and carbon dioxide traps. All methods demonstrated that NSZD was occurring and NSZD rates were generally within the low end of values reported in the literature for unpaved sites. However, there was considerable variability in the rates, which highlights the need for careful examination of the conceptual site model and potential interferences for each method. The results demonstrate the viability of soil gas and temperature data collected from existing monitoring wells screened into the unsaturated zone without the need for additional, intrusive subsurface installations. The results also provide useful guidance for developing optimal long-term NSZD monitoring approaches, where necessary.

Intelligent Mobile Wireless Network for Toxic Gas Cloud Monitoring and Tracking.

Intelligent wireless networks that comprise self-organizing autonomous vehicles equipped with punctual sensors and radio modules support many hostile and harsh environment monitoring systems. This work’s contribution shows the benefits of applying such networks to estimate clouds’ boundaries created by hazardous toxic substances heavier than air when accidentally released into the atmosphere. The paper addresses issues concerning sensing networks’ design, focussing on a computing scheme for online motion trajectory calculation and data exchange. A three-stage approach that incorporates three algorithms for sensing devices’ displacement calculation in a collaborative network according to the current task, namely exploration and gas cloud detection, boundary detection and estimation, and tracking the evolving cloud, is presented. A network connectivity-maintaining virtual force mobility model is used to calculate subsequent sensor positions, and multi-hop communication is used for data exchange. The main focus is on the efficient tracking of the cloud boundary. The proposed sensing scheme is sensitive to crucial mobility model parameters. The paper presents five procedures for calculating the optimal values of these parameters. In contrast to widely used techniques, the presented approach to gas cloud monitoring does not calculate sensors’ displacements based on exact values of gas concentration and concentration gradients. The sensor readings are reduced to two values: the gas concentration below or greater than the safe value. The utility and efficiency of the presented method were justified through extensive simulations, giving encouraging results. The test cases were carried out on several scenarios with regular and irregular shapes of clouds generated using a widely used box model that describes the heavy gas dispersion in the atmospheric air. The simulation results demonstrate that using only a rough measurement indicating that the threshold concentration value was exceeded can detect and efficiently track a gas cloud boundary. This makes the sensing system less sensitive to the quality of the gas concentration measurement. Thus, it can be easily used to detect real phenomena. Significant results are recommendations on selecting procedures for computing mobility model parameters while tracking clouds with different shapes and determining optimal values of these parameters in convex and nonconvex cloud boundaries.

Modeling of natural-gas diffusion in oil-saturated tight porous media

In this paper, we propose a novel analytical solution to predict the diffusion coefficient and depth of natural gas penetration during soaking period of the cyclic gas injection process.Our analytical solution is derived by modeling gas-phase pressure declines using mass-balance and continuity equations. We model mass transport during the soaking period as a counter-diffusion process, and find that gas diffusion coefficient (D) and counter-current oil velocity are controlled by the pressure gradient at the early soaking times and by the gas concentration gradient when the soaking progresses. We calculate the depth of gas penetration in an oil-saturated core plug, and show that during the soaking period oil production rate ∝t. In addition, the model can be used to predict the swelled oil volume by gas dissolution.We verified our model using the experimental data of C1 and a mixture of C1 and C2 with the molar ratio of 70/30 as the injected gas. The results reveal that DC1/C2DC1≈2. Finally, a thermodynamic consistency check was performed by comparing the amount of leaked-off gas in the experiments and that predicted by the model. The results show that these values are in the same range.