Solid Phase Deposition Research Articles

Numerical simulation of non-stationary regime of a submerged combustion setup operation

Relevance. The need to evaporate large quantities of brines at potash industry enterprises. Evaporation of brines in surface evaporators is difficult due to the encrustation of heat exchange surfaces by salt deposits. Therefore, such evaporation is most expedient to be carried out in submerged combustion apparatuses, since they do not contain heat-transmitting surfaces. However, in this type of apparatus, malfunctions may occur due to uncontrolled solid phase deposition. At the moment, the dynamics of the solid phase in submerged combustion devices is poorly studied. This study is part of a scientific program aimed at a comprehensive review of the laws of motion of solid particles in submerged combustion apparatuses. Aim. To study the hydrodynamic processes in the submerged combustion setup in the time interval corresponding to the beginning of its operation; describe the patterns of solid phase motion as a function of time. Object. Laboratory setup of submerged combustion. A simplified model of the thermal mode of operation without the subsequent transition of the liquid phase to steam is analyzed. Methods. The study was conducted by numerical experiment. The hybrid finite volume method was used in simulation in combination with the technology of the finite element method. The multiphase system was considered as two coexisting subsystems: gas–liquid and liquid–solid. Results. The paper considers the final time interval of the setup operation. It is found that during the time under consideration, a stationary mode of solid particle deposition is achieved. The authors have detected liquid flow velocity oscillations, leading to fluctuations in the mass flow rate of solid particles at the bottom of the setup. It was found that the velocity at the tip of the flue gas jet escaping from the burner nozzle, as well as the pressure at the nozzle section, have a similar form of oscillation. The authors substantiated the hypothesis about the determining influence of the instability of the jet movement of flue gases on the oscillatory behavior of the entire hydrodynamic system.

The process of sucrose crystallization in the supersaturated solution

Crystallization processes of the solid phase in supersaturated solutions of products of plant origin are used in processing technologies. The theory of diffusion (molecular) mass transfer of the target substance has become widespread when solving problems of technology improvement. The driving force of this process is the difference in the concentration of the solid phase in the solution towards the crystallization center, where the concentration of the solid phase is reduced. During the analytical and quantitative study of the process of solid phase deposition in the crystallization center, Fick's diffusion laws have been used. The influence of solution temperature, concentration of the solid phase, its geometry and dispersed composition on the course of this process have been considered. Based on a diffusion model of the process of crystal formation of sucrose in a vacuum apparatus, a numerical analysis of factors in sugar production technology not covered in the literature has been presented. The problem of quantitative analysis of the process of sucrose crystallization in the working volume of a vacuum apparatus for the production of sugar and other products of plant origin of high commercial standards requires further in-depth study.

Investigation on coupling deposition and plugging of hydrate and wax in gas–liquid annular flow: Experiments and mechanism

The coupling deposition and plugging caused by hydrate formation and wax precipitation during the development of deep water natural gas resources bring new industrial challenges and theoretical difficulty. We designed a single-pass pipeline with two types to investigate deposition behavior and systematically performed the coupling deposition and plugging of hydrate and wax experiments in gas–liquid annular flow. The experimental results illustrate that the single solid phase of hydrate is covered layer sheet deposition, while the coupling solid phase of hydrate and wax is bulk aggregations arch bridge deposition. Meanwhile, the natural eddy zone in reducing pipeline accelerates coupling solid particles deposition. Our finds provided the first knowledge on the double effect that wax crystals inhibit particles adhesion and gel network increases aggregations arch bridge blockage. For the low water content in emulsion system, the gel network provides gathering place for hydrate particles, and the arch bridge structure formed by aggregations accelerates the pipeline blockage. The plugging time is shortened by up to 72.6% with the wax concentration increase from 0 wt% to 3 wt%. For the high water content in emulsion system, the majority of wax crystals adsorbed on the hydrate particles and reduce particles cohesion force, which increase the plugging time. Combined with the microscopic morphology evolution perspective of hydrate particles coupled wax, the coupling deposition of hydrate and wax in gas–liquid annular flow has four stages: gas–liquid flow, coupling solid phase formation, coupling solid phase deposition and sloughing, and coupling solid phase plugging. This study can provide theoretical support and design basis for flow assurance program of deep water gas fields and low temperature natural gas transportation pipelines.

Inspirations from Field-Reservoir CO2 Flooding with Different Miscible Degrees under Cross-Scale Oil Reservoir Conditions.

In recent years, CO2 flooding has become one of the main enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, especially for tight formations in different oilfields around the world. Most of the CO2 flooding projects carried out in the world are based on miscible flooding, however, this technique is less effective in China because of the depth of the reservoirs and the heavy components of the crude oil. Near-miscible flooding and immiscible flooding have also been gradually applied to China's domestic oil fields, and have achieved certain oil increase effects, but there are still some challenges such as gas channeling, corrosion, and solid phase deposition in the process of CO2 flooding. In this paper, through a detailed review of recent domestic and foreign cases of enhanced oil recovery, the effects of development methods of low permeability and ultralow permeability reservoirs under different miscible degrees are analyzed, and the solutions to some of the existing problems in field tests and experience are systematically summarized. According to the results of field tests, both miscible flooding and near-miscible flooding have similar effects and can achieve better recovery increment, with a long effect period and slow gas breakthrough speed. In addition, the problems of gas channeling, corrosion, and solid phase deposition occurring in the process of CO2 flooding are analyzed, and solutions such as a change in injection methods and coatings are put forward, which effectively promote the development of CO2 flooding technology. Those suggestions are of great significance for improving the oil recovery rate of unconventional oil reservoirs, ensuring the national energy supply, and low-carbon emissions reduction in China.

Optimization for Current-Enhanced Solid-Phase Deposition of Multi-Layer Graphene with High Crystallinity and Uniformity

Solid-phase deposition (SPD) is a preferable method to fabricate multi-layer graphene (MLG) for device applications since MLG can be deposited directly on substrates without transfer. Previously, we reported that current application during SPD enhances the MLG growth. In this study, we investigated the effects of applied current and heating rate on the crystallinity and uniformity of MLG precipitated from carbon (C) / nickel (Ni) structures. It was found that higher current and slower heating rate lead to improve the MLG crystallinity. Moreover, the uniformity was improved by the optimization of Ni and C thickness which could control the nucleation and growth of MLG during SPD. As a result, a uniform MLG with a high G/D ratio of 5.5 was obtained at a low temperature of 365 °C.

Metal-/carboxylate-directed four d10 piperazine-amide-based coordination polymers for the fluorescent detection of nitrophenol and nitroaniline in various water environments

Four piperazine-amide-bridged d10 metal-organic coordination polymers, namely, [Zn(L)0.5(1,3-BDC)∙H2O]∙H2O (1), [Cd(L)(1,3-BDC)] (2), [Zn(L)0.5(5-MIP) ∙H2O]·H2O (3), [Cd(L)(5-MIP)] (4) were synthesized by the L ligand [N, N'-bis[(3-pyridin)acrylophenone] piperazine (L)] and two carboxylic acids with Zn/Cd(II) chloride under hydrothermal conditions. The title complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is a 1D ladder-like structure. Complex 2 is a 3D NaCl type framework. Complexes 3 and 4 are 63 and 44 connected 2D structures. The different structural details of the title complexes directed by caroxylates and the central metals were compared. The complexes 1–4 can be used as excellent fluorescent sensors toward nitrophenol (NOP) and nitroaniline (NA) with a low limit of detection and a high quenching constant, and have good anti-interference and recyclable characteristics. The feasibility of actual sample detection was verified by tap water, river water and wastewater samples. Taking complex 3 as an example, the mechanism was also explored by fluorescence lifetime experiment and the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The 3-modified visual detection cloth and test paper were also prepared by solid phase deposition method.

Surface Confinement of Atomically Thin Pt Nanoclusters on 2D δ‐Mon for Durable pH‐Universal Hydrogen Evolution

AbstractEngineering precious metals’ sub‐nanometer cluster on 2D earth‐abundant supports provides a promising approach for the development of high‐efficient electrocatalysts in pursuit of green hydrogen. Herein, a novel solid phase deposition approach is demonstrated for the homogenous confinement of atomically thin Pt nanoclusters on 2D delta‐MoN as a viable catalyst for pH‐universal hydrogen evolution reaction. Notably, the optimized material (MoN‐5% Pt) exhibits excellent catalytic performance as evidenced by low overpotentials required, excellent mass activity exceeding 20 A mgPt−1 at 100 mV overpotential, and outstanding stability with negligible activity degradation. The enhanced performance is attributed to (1) novel nanostructure, constituting atomically thin Pt nanoclusters confined on 2D δ‐MoN substrate, thus rendering high atomic utilization and seamless surface mass transfer, and (2) influence of strong metal‐support interaction that effectively limits structural deformation and performance degradation. Theoretical simulations reveal that the strong metal‐support interaction induces substantial charge redistribution across the heterointerface, initiating an energy‐favorable multi‐active site microkinetics in which Pt atoms with an optimal hydrogen adsorption energy making way for enhanced H2 evolution, while Mo atoms situated at the heterointerface enhance water absorption/dissociation steps, enriching the catalytic surface with adsorbed hydrogen atoms.

Obtaining of thin films of manganese silicides on a Si surface by the method of solid-phase deposition and investigation of their electronic structure

The regularities of the formation of thin Mn/Si (111) nanofilms during solid-phase deposition of Mn on Si under conditions of ultrahigh vacuum ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Pa) and thin Mn4Si7/Si (111) nanofilms during annealing of the Mn/Si system have been studied. It has been established that silicon atoms diffuse into the Mn film up to a thickness of [Formula: see text]–12 monolayers, and Mn in Si up to [Formula: see text]–10 monolayers, therefore, a transition layer of nonstoichiometric MnxSiy silicide is formed at the Mn–Si interface. After heating at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]K, the higher manganese silicide (HMS) Mn4Si7 is formed. In particular, it was found that the bandgap of Mn4Si7is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV, and the electron affinity is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV and in the work, the optimal thermal diffusion conditions for the formation of stoichiometric Mn4Si7 silicide are determined. It is shown that at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]K, a partial formation of a chemical bond between manganese and silicon atoms occurs. At 1100[Formula: see text]K, a thin Mn4Si7 film with a good stoichiometric composition is formed.

Precipitation of Barium Sulphate during the Waterflooding Process in Polish Offshore Oilfields—Case Analysis

The fundamentals of scaling during waterflooding of an oilfield are presented. Mineral precipitation is described using both the kinetics approach, with the corresponding equations given, and the thermodynamic models’ theoretical foundation discussed—mainly specific ion interaction and Pitzer models. This paper focuses on the process of mixing incompatible waters during both water injection and production from an oilfield, as this was identified as a primary reason for barium sulphate precipitation. Two methods of minimizing the risk of solid phase deposition during the mixing of water using the addition of inhibitors and removal of sulfur compounds through a membrane system before water injection into the bed are shown. In addition, formation damage to the near-well zone is discussed with its implications for field operators. Using thermodynamics, especially equations based on the HKF-SRK modified model, this paper describes typical conditions for barium sulphate precipitation during hydrocarbon production on a Polish offshore oilfield. The case study is presented using scaling tendency (ST) and solid concentration values to distinguish the most vulnerable places of solid deposition, both topside and subsurface. The importance of avoiding the mixing of incompatible waters is documented and shown in comparison to a non-mixing scenario.

Improving recovery efficiency by CO2 injection at late stage of steam assisted gravity drainage

The high recovery performance of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) makes it a popular option for heavy oil resources. Currently, most of the heavy oil reservoirs developed by SAGD in China are in the late development phase, with high energy consumption due to reduced thermal efficiency. The use of SAGD wind-down processes involving CO2 in combination with steam for heavy oil recovery is considered as a viable alternative to limit energy consumption, and also reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by leaving CO2 behind in the reservoir. Study reveals that the dissolution and demulsification of CO2 steam chamber temperature reaches 200 ◦C, the amount of solid phase deposition induced in crude oil can reduce the viscosity of emulsified heavy oil by more than 50%. When the by CO2 extraction is only 0.016 kg/m3 , the rock wettability changes from lipophilic to hydrophilic, and the higher the reservoir temperature, the stronger the hydrophilicity is, which reduces the adhesion power of the oil phase and facilitates the stripping of crude oil from the rock surface. Numerical simulation studies have been carried out utilizing STARS to obtain energy efficient utilization and improved steam chamber characteristics. Heat loss from SAGD baseline is 1.77 times that with CO2 injection process, but the recovery factor is only 2.48% higher. At the initial stage with CO2 injection, the steam chamber continues its lateral expanding, which increases the recovery factor at the initial stage of CO2 injection by about 6%. One year after CO2 injection, gas channeling results in lower recovery than traditional SAGD process, and 38.4% of the injected CO2 is stored in the reservoir from this study. Cited as: Gong, H., Yu, C., Jiang, Q., Su, N., Zhao, X., Fan, Z. Improving recovery efficiency by CO2 injection at late stage of steam assisted gravity drainage. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2022, 6(4): 276-285. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2022.04.02

Solid Phase Deposition Pattern Concerning Formation Oil in YD 7 Reservoir of Tarim Oilfield and Its Application: A Case Study

Yudong (YD) 7 reservoir in the Yingmaili area of Tarim Oilfield is one of the key areas of oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin. However, due to the serious plugging problem caused by solid phase precipitation particles such as wax and paraffin, it is necessary to study the well flow phase behavior and solid phase precipitation law of typical high-production wells in this block to obtain the phase enveloping line and provide theoretical support for preventing solid phase precipitation of formation crude oil. In this study, the PVT tester and the self-designed microscopic solid deposition tester are used to obtain the phase enveloping line of formation crude oil, and the change law of the “gas–liquid–solid” phase behavior when the formation crude oil changes with temperature and pressure is observed. The morphological process of solid precipitation is recorded and analyzed through a microscopic visualization window. Finally, the solid phase precipitation point of formation crude oil is verified using a laser solid phase deposition tester. The experimental results show that under atmospheric pressure, the solid phase precipitation temperature point of surface crude oil is 34.05 °C, the maximum instantaneous precipitation is 0.01178%, and the maximum cumulative precipitation is 8.34%. The solid phase precipitation point of formation crude oil changes under different temperatures and pressures. Under different pressures and temperatures, it shows multiphase changes such as liquid–solid, liquid phase, gas–liquid–solid, gas–liquid, and gas phases. Limited by equipment, we can only observe the first four phase behaviors in the laboratory. In the process of solid phase precipitation, formation crude oil shows a fine needle shape at the initial stage and finally adhesions and aggregations in the form of an increasing crystal nucleus as the center, thus blocking the formation or wellbore. Combined with the analysis of production data, it can be seen that there is a solid precipitation problem in well YD 702 over 1200 m in the wellbore and the solid phase precipitation problem from the wellbore to the surface pipeline. This study provides theoretical support for preventing solid phase precipitation in the YD 7 reservoir and provides a reference for other oil fields with solid phase precipitation blocking problems.

Influence of preliminary ion bombardment on the formation of Co and CoSi-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=- nanofilms on Si surface during solid-phase deposition

In this work, to obtain ordered nanophases of Co and CoSi2, nuclei are preliminarily created on the Si surface by bombardment with Ar+ ions with E0=0.5 keV and D=8· 1013 cm-2. It was found that a narrow band gap (Eg~ 0.3 eV) appears in the band structure at the Co layer thickness of less than 3 ML. The metallic properties of the Co film manifest themselves at a thickness of more than 4-5 ML. Heating the Co/Si(111) system at T=900 K leads to the formation of nanophases and CoSi2 nanofilms. The Eg value is 0.8 eV for the CoSi2 nanophases with theta~ 3 ML and 0.6 eV for the CoSi2 film. Keywords: nanophase, epitaxy, low-energy bombardment, surface, single crystal, island growth, ion dose, degree of coverage.

Numerical Study on Particle Deposition Characteristics of Impingement Effusion Cooling Structure

The paper investigates the effect of impingement velocity and particle diameters on the flow and solid-phase deposition characteristics of the impingement effusion cooling structure by numerical simulation of gas-solid two-phase flow using DPM with UDF. The results show that under the same condition of the particle diameter, both the particle deposition flux and the particle deposition rate become increase with the increasing of the impingement velocity while the dimensionless particle deposition rate increases first and then decreases; Under the same condition of the impingement velocity, with the increase of the particle diameter, the particle deposition flux increases, while the particle deposition rate and the dimensionless deposition rate of the particle both increase first and then decrease. Taken together, Brownian motion of particles, turbulent diffusion, and particle inertia and flow characteristics is the main factors that affect the solid-phase particle deposition behaviour.

NiCo2O4/CNF Separator Modifiers for Trapping and Catalyzing Polysulfides for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries with High Sulfur Loadings and Lean Electrolytes

The shuttle effect and sluggish conversion kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) restrict the practical application of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, we introduce nickel cobaltite/carbon nanofiber (NiCo₂O₄/CNF) composites as a chemical trapper and conversion accelerator for LiPSs. The experiment and density functional theory indicate that polar NiCo₂O₄ can strongly trap polysulfides through Ni–S and Co–S bonds. The CNF network provides structural stability and serves as a second barrier for polysulfides. Systematic studies on the solid₍ₛᵤₗfᵤᵣ₎–liquid₍ₚₒₗyₛᵤₗfᵢdₑₛ₎–solid₍ₛᵤₗfᵢdₑ₎ conversion reactions qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate that the well-designed NiCo₂O₄/CNF interface with strong polysulfides affinity, affluent polar nucleation sites, and fast Li⁺/e– transport can noteworthily catalyze the liquid-phase conversion of LiPSs and the solid-phase deposition of lithium sulfide (Li₂S) and protect the lithium anode as well. Thus, the NiCo₂O₄/CNF-based batteries can exhibit a high rate capability of 870 mAh g–¹ at 5 C and excellent cycling performance evidenced by a capacity retention of 95% after 200 cycles at 0.1 C with a sulfur loading of 6.3 mg cm–². Further increasing the sulfur loading to 7.9 mg cm–² and with a lean electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio of 7.2 μL mgₛ–¹, the Li–S battery can deliver a high areal capacity of 8.1 mAh cm–².

In-silico research of the influence of gas injection into the subsea crude oil pipeline on the paraffin solid phase deposition

The aim of the article is presenting of the preliminary results of simulations showing behaviour of paraffin deposits in submarine pipelines. The described parameters for changing the deposition of the solid paraffin phase with the flow of crude oil through the submarine pipeline inside the subsea system: subsea wellhead – platform processing system. The research includes considerations of the behaviour of paraffins in the presence of the injected gas phase. Author recommends using of phenomenon as an alternative way of securing submarine pipelines operating on the Baltic Sea. This analyse informs that the paraffin’ deposit is possible to adjust of it’s thickness buy using agents other than purely chemical paraffin point temperature depressants. It is supposed here that main impact on paraffin deposition behaviour get decreasing of sediments thickness on the walls of the submarine pipeline in the analysed sections. The reservoir fluid composition used in the simulation was taken from B3 fluid PVT analysis owned by LOTOS Petrobaltic S.A. General composition was used in Leda Flow 2.5 computer analysis in courtesy of Kongsberg Company.

Low-temperature synthesis of multilayer graphene directly on SiO2 by current-enhanced solid-phase deposition using Ni catalyst

Low-temperature deposition of multilayer graphene (MLG) directly on devices without transfer process is a critical issue for the realization of device applications of MLG such as interconnects and electrodes. Low-temperature synthesis of MLG at around 400 °C is obtained by current-enhanced solid-phase deposition (CE-SPD) using Ni as a catalyst, where current is applied to the C/Ni layer during annealing. MLG crystallinity, which is indicated by G/D ratio in Raman spectra, was improved about four times by applying current, compared to that without current at the same temperature. As the current increases, the G/D ratio is improved. It is considered that current has an effect in enhancing the grain-growth of MLG besides Joule’s heat and it leads to lower synthesis temperature.

Surface Morphology of NiSi2/Si Films Obtained by the Method of Solid-Phase Deposition

Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy are used to study the formation of epitaxial layers of NiSi2 during Ni–Si deposition followed by annealing. It is shown that the formed NiSi2 film has an island structure when its thickness is h ≤ 150 A and at h ≥ 200 A the film is continuous. The band gap of the island and solid films is ~0.6 eV, while the values of the resistivity ρ differ by several orders of magnitude. It is found that the photoelectron spectrum of the NiSi2 film with h = 50 A has peaks characteristic of both Si and NiSi2. The formation of the main peaks in the photoelectron spectrum of NiSi2 is explained by hybridization of the M1, M2, M3 states of Si with the М3, М4, М5 states of Ni.

MoO3 films grown on polycrystalline Cu: Morphological, structural, and electronic properties

In this work, the authors investigated MoO3 films with thickness between 30 nm and 1 μm grown at room temperature by solid phase deposition on polycrystalline Cu substrates. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy revealed the presence of a homogenous MoO3 film with a “grainlike” morphology, while Raman spectroscopy showed an amorphous character of the film. Nanoindentation measurements evidenced a coating hardness and stiffness comparable with the copper substrate ones, while Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and secondary electron spectroscopy displayed a pure MoO3 stoichiometry and a work function ΦMoO3 = 6.5 eV, 1.8 eV higher than that of the Cu substrate. MoO3 films of thickness between 30 and 300 nm evidenced a metallic behavior, whereas for higher thickness, the resistance–temperature curves showed a semiconducting character.

Controlling the supermagnetic response of tetragonal α-FeSi2 nanoislands

We used solid phase (SPE) and reactive deposition (RDE) epitaxy to grow crystallographically identical – but morphologically different – islands. Tetragonal α-FeSi2 islands crystallized pseudomorphically in the α-FeSi2(1 1 2)〈1 1 0〉||Si(1 1 1)〈1 1 0〉 and α-FeSi2(1 1 0)〈1 1 1〉||Si(2 2 0)〈1 1 2〉 orientation relations, with flat (2 × 2)-reconstructed top facets. The SPE-grown islands self-ordered in the form of 1D chains decorating the vicinal Si(1 1 1) step bunch edges along a specific 11¯0 direction. The RDE-grown islands elongated along three equivalent 112¯ directions, and were typically shorter, narrower, and thinner than the SPE-grown ones. In both cases, vast majority of the islands evolved sufficiently close to one another to enable dipolar interactions. Analyzing response to applied magnetic field, we identified areas of the island perimeter rims as the source of uncompensated magnetic moments creating the superspins, lateral island shape anisotropy as the origin of magnetic anisotropy, and periodic 1D ordering of interacting SPE-islands as the origin of superferromagnetic order. In contrast, three-fold orientational domains of the smaller RDE islands showed behavior more consistent with a superspin glass state. The above comparison emphasizes importance of the number of atoms at the island perimeter rims, and the role of dipolar interactions between the islands, for the magnetic behavior of the system.

Analysis of the Law of Organic Solid Phase Precipitation and Deposition during Carbon Dioxide Displacement Process

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) has been regarded as an indispensable, strategic and pressing technology to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and mitigate the severe consequences of climate change. Its utilization and storage play important roles in this system and they can be applied for oceanic and underground geological sequestration especially for the oil gas reservoir that needs to improve recovery. For the carbon dioxide flooding process, the crude oil displacement generally shows a better performance with the increase of the pressure. However, carbon disposal is always complex. It could encounter organic solid phase precipitation and deposition in near miscibility environment. The law of multiphase and multicomponent diversification in the whole processes is still poorly understood. We thus used the method of slim tube to get dynamic data during the process. Indeed, the interval of near minimum miscibility pressure was determined. Analysis results of injectivity index and productivity index show that the reservoir blockage primarily appears as the displacement pressure is higher than the near minimum miscibility lower limit pressure and plays an important role in the production capacity. Extortionate or low pressure is not conducive to carbon dioxide displacement.