Article
Energy & Fuels
Dong Kangxing, Li Qiaoer, Liu Wei, Zhao Xinrui, Zhang Shanren
Summary: Horizontal well volume fracturing is crucial for efficient shale reservoir development, with perforation being a basic requirement. A numerical model was established for spiral perforation hydraulic fracture propagation in near well bore horizontal wells, revealing lower initiation pressure for vertical perforation and easier energy release, leading to the formation of 1-2 major fractures. The optimal hole density is suggested to be 8 P/m, with significant uneven fracture development observed at densities higher than 8 P/m.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ming-Hui Li, Fu-Jian Zhou, Bo Wang, Xiao-Dong Hu, Dao-Bing Wang, Xiao-Ying Zhuang, Shao-Bo Han, Guo-Peng Huang
Summary: Intra-stage multi-cluster temporary plugging and diverting fracturing (ITPF) is an effective technique for uniform reservoir stimulation in shale gas reservoirs. A new three-dimensional FEM based on CZM was developed to investigate multiple planar fracture propagation during ITPF. It was found that perforation plugging can promote a more uniform fluid distribution in multiple fractures, with optimal plugging parameters identified for field design during IPTF.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
C. Cheng
Summary: The history of oil and gas well stimulation through hydraulic fracturing has shown a pursuit of optimal designs tailored to reservoir properties. By expanding the principle of design diversity to develop optimal portfolio combinations of multiple designs, it can substantially increase return and decrease risk, improving stimulation efficiency for oil/gas wells. This approach is fundamentally dependent upon uncertainty in hydraulic fracturing optimization, and can have a profound impact on efficiency and risk, as well as cost and environmental impacts, in oil and gas development.
COMPUTERS AND GEOTECHNICS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingying Xu, Xiangui Liu, Zhiming Hu, Xianggang Duan, Jin Chang
Summary: This paper presents a review of the pressure drawdown management mechanisms for shale gas formations, with a focus on the influence of water-shale interaction on the managed pressure drop mechanism. Different types of production simulation research methods and the pros and cons of numerical simulations are discussed. An optimized theoretical model is crucial for accurately estimating long-term production and capturing the actual shale gas reservoir depletion phenomenon.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Bo Cai, Rui Gao, Chunming He, Jin Chen, Ning Cheng, Tiancheng Liang, Guifu Duan, Chuanyou Meng, Haifeng Fu, Haoyu Zhang
Summary: This study analyzes the effective stress characteristics of proppants during multi-stage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells and considers the geomechanics and long-term production characteristics of reservoirs. The results show that the stress on proppants is influenced by geological factors as well as injection volume, spacing, fluid type, displacement, and post-fracture management. Increasing injection intensity, reducing fracture spacing, using low-viscosity fracturing fluid, and implementing a reasonable flowback system can enhance the effective conductivity of proppants. Furthermore, the analysis of nearly 300 horizontal wells reveals that the effective stress of proppants in horizontal wells is only 50-60% of that in vertical wells, indicating a different proppant selection criterion and the potential to replace ceramsite proppant with quartz sand to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiheng Zhao, Youcheng Zheng, Bo Zeng, Yi Song
Summary: The Longmaxi Formations in the Luzhou block exhibit thick shale formations and huge shale gas resources, but the natural fractures and high in situ stress make traditional hydraulic fracturing technology insufficient for profitable development. Through large-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments and numerical simulations, high-efficiency fracturing technology was developed to increase shale gas production effectively in deep shale layers. This technology has shown remarkable results in improving fracture complexity and conductivity, significantly increasing effective fracture volume and production rates.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tiannan Deng, Ziqiang Zeng, Jiuping Xu
Summary: This study proposes a cost-effective direct method of interpreting flow profiles from temperature measurements, by establishing a copula-based statistical method. The method is applied on a horizontal gas well and compared with production logging data, showing satisfactory error rate between 6.7% and 11.8%. Sensitivity analyses verify the robustness of this method, providing a reliable solution to interpret production profiles from relatively inaccurate temperature data.
PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Wenrui Shi, Chaomo Zhang, Shu Jiang, Yong Liao, Yuanhui Shi, Aiguo Feng, Steven Young
Summary: This study analyzes the pressure-boosting stimulation pattern and prediction method in the Fuling shale gas field, finding that this pattern can improve gas transmission capacity, maintain production, and increase recovery. The Blasingame analysis method can effectively predict production changes over the next decade. The research results provide valuable guidance for improving gas recovery in the Fuling and similar shale gas fields.
Article
Mechanics
Kaikai Zhao, Doug Stead, Hongpu Kang, Fuqiang Gao, Davide Donati
Summary: This study investigates the interference among multiple fractures using a fully-coupled three-dimensional lattice-spring code. The results demonstrate that simultaneously propagating hydraulic fractures can move towards or away from each other, resulting in non-planar geometry and branching. Higher Young’s modulus values amplify the interaction of multiple fractures, while treatments with higher fluid viscosity/injection rate induce more branches.
ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mingjun Li, Xiangyi Yi, Chengyong Li
Summary: Horizontal wells and fracturing treatment are effective ways to develop coalbed methane reservoirs, however, research on gas flow behavior and pressure distribution in such reservoirs is limited. Mathematical models and type curves were used to analyze the percolation characteristics of multiple-fractured horizontal wells in coalbed methane reservoirs, with important parameters analyzed. The characteristics of coalbed methane reservoirs are more complex than conventional gas reservoirs.
ENERGY SOURCES PART A-RECOVERY UTILIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Fuping Feng, Xu Han, Yu Suo, Heyuan Wang, Qinyou Ye, Yongwei Duan
Summary: A synchronous propagation model of hydraulic fractures and cementing interfacial cracks in hydraulic fracturing was established, showing that cement elastic modulus, fracture spacing, and number of fractures have significant impacts on the interface failure range. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of cement slurry systems and fracturing parameters.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jingchen Zhang, Baocheng Wu, Fei Wang, Shanzhi Shi, Jinjun Liu, Mingxing Wang, Jie Li, Nicholas Izuchukwu Osuji
Summary: The tight conglomerate oilfields in the Mahu area of China are difficult to develop due to their strong heterogeneity, large horizontal stress differences, and undeveloped natural fractures. However, new development processes including temporary blocking diversion and large section-multiple clusters have been implemented in recent years. This study presents an experimental study of multiple temporary plugging and refracturing technology in long horizontal well sections, in combination with electromagnetic and microseismic monitoring, to address poor fracturing development effect in the area.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xian Shi, Lei Han, Qiaorong Han, Caiyun Xiao, Qihong Feng, Sen Wang, Yukun Du
Summary: Different fracture behaviors were studied in laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments on tight concrete samples with acoustic emission monitoring. The results showed that in-plane perforations can greatly reduce the breakdown pressure and create a simple fan-like structure, while helical perforations had a positive relationship between treatment parameters and breakdown pressure.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL GAS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Wenchao Liu, Chen Liu, Yaoyao Duan, Jie Yu, Hedong Sun, Xuemei Yan, Chengcheng Qiao, Yuejie Yang
Summary: This study investigates the maximum fracture spacing in low-permeability liquid reservoirs by constructing an integrated flow model with consideration of key petrophysical characteristics. A kinematic equation for non-Darcy seepage flow is developed to account for the non-homogeneous properties of the stimulated rock volume area (StRV) and its stress sensitivity. The equation is then used to build a mathematical model for pressure distribution determination within the StRV, which is utilized to propose an optimal value for the maximum fracture spacing. The effects of fractal index, initial matrix permeability, depletion, and stress sensitivity coefficient on the pressure distribution are also studied.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Zhiheng Zhao, Youcheng Zheng, Yili Kang, Bo Zeng, Yi Song
Summary: Hydraulic fracturing with multiple clusters is an important method to improve fracture complexity in shale formations. However, in Changning shale block of China, the anisotropy of mechanical property and stress shadowing effect between multiclusters can lead to nonuniform fracture extension and reduced treatment performance. Through numerical simulations, it was found that reducing cluster number and increasing cluster spacing and flow rate can promote the growth of interior fractures and lower the standard deviation of fracture length. Implementing nonuniform perforation distribution in the target shale area can further enhance fracture propagation.
Review
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
P. Cardiff, I. Demirdzic
Summary: The finite volume method has been proven suitable for solid mechanics analyses since the late 1980s and early 1990s. There are several variations of the method, which can be classified in different ways. This article provides an overview, historical perspective, comparison, and critical analysis of the different approaches, with a close comparison to the finite element method. It also looks towards future research directions for finite volume solid mechanics.
ARCHIVES OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Ivan Batistic, Philip Cardiff, Zeljko Tukovic
Summary: This paper introduces a new contact boundary condition for finite volume simulations of frictional contact problems, based on penalty based segment-to-segment contact force calculation method. Compared to pointwise contact force calculation algorithm, this approach allows for more accurate and robust treatment of contact area edge.
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Seevani Bali, Zeljko Tukovic, Philip Cardiff, Alojz Ivankovic, Vikram Pakrashi
Summary: This article introduces a novel finite volume formulation for geometrically exact beams undergoing large displacements and finite rotations, and demonstrates its effectiveness through various tests.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Thomas F. Flint, Gowthaman Parivendhan, Alojz Ivankovic, Michael C. Smith, Philip Cardiff
Summary: High energy density advanced manufacturing processes are difficult to simulate, but the OpenFOAM solver beamWeldFoam is capable of simulating these processes using specific mathematical models and algorithms.
Article
Thermodynamics
I. Demirdzic, P. Cardiff
Summary: A general approach to deriving symmetry plane boundary conditions for cell-centered finite-volume continuum mechanics is introduced in this paper. This method is applicable to scalar, vector, and tensor solution variables. The contribution of symmetry plane cell faces is decomposed into implicit and explicit parts, enabling the use of segregated solution algorithms. The derived symmetry plane discretizations are shown to be consistent with the discretization on the internal faces through several unstructured mesh test cases.
NUMERICAL HEAT TRANSFER PART B-FUNDAMENTALS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Emad Tandis, Philip Cardiff
Summary: This article proposes two approaches, combining finite volume and machine learning techniques, to solve linear elastostatic problems. The first approach uses a classic supervised machine learning model and generates training data using finite volume-based solvers. The second approach uses a physics-informed model to enforce the governing equations without requiring ground-truth data. Both approaches can be used as surrogates or initializers for classical solvers, with the supervised approach requiring less computational effort. Overall, this article scores 8 out of 10.
ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING SOFTWARE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
I. L. Oliveira, P. Cardiff, C. E. Baccin, J. L. Gasche
Summary: This study investigated the effect of different modeling approaches on simulating the motion of an intracranial aneurysm (IA), finding that different wall morphology models yield smaller absolute differences in the mechanical response than different hyperelastic laws. The stretch levels of IA walls were more sensitive to the hyperelastic and material constants than the stress. These findings can guide modeling decisions for IA simulations, as each hyperelastic law had a different computational behavior.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Thomas F. Flint, Joseph D. Robson, Gowthaman Parivendhan, Philip Cardiff
Summary: The application of high energy density photonic sources to metallic substrates leads to localised topological evolution as the interface deforms under hydrodynamic forces. Understanding the deposition of laser energy, involving multiple reflection events, and using a thermal-fluid-dynamics framework, accurate predictions of important processes can be made. laserbeamFoam, a thermal-fluid-dynamics solver with ray-tracing and Fresnel equation implementation, is introduced in this work.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Ivan Batistic, Philip Cardiff, Alojz Ivankovic, Zeljko Tukovic
Summary: This article presents a new implicit coupling procedure for mechanical contact simulations using an implicit cell-centred finite volume method. Both contact boundaries are treated as Neumann conditions, where the prescribed contact force is calculated using a penalty law, which is linearised and updated within the iterative solution procedure. Compared to the currently available explicit treatment, the implicit treatment offers better efficiency for the same accuracy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Gowthaman Parivendhan, Philip Cardiff, Thomas Flint, Zeljko Tukovic, Muhannad Obeidi, Dermot Brabazon, Alojz Ivankovic
Summary: This study presents a numerical model of the Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) process that incorporates Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Method (DEM). The model successfully captures the particle distribution in the powder bed and the formation and dynamics of the melt pool. It considers factors such as surface tension, Marangoni convection, and recoil pressure at the metal/gas interface.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yuxiang Zhang, Conor Sweeney, Philip Cardiff, Fergal Cahill, Jennifer Keenahan
Summary: This study develops full-scale three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation models to accurately replicate wind conditions at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in Ireland. By comparing the calculated wind velocities with the collected data, it is shown that the CFD simulations have relative differences of less than 10% from the measured wind velocities, with a maximum relative difference of only 15% due to the inclusion of bridge and terrain geometry.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-BRIDGE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biology
I. L. Oliveira, P. Cardiff, C. E. Baccin, R. T. Tatit, J. L. Gasche
Summary: The properties of intracranial aneurysms walls are influenced by the adjacent hemodynamics. Our analysis found that the lumen curvature is the factor most correlated with regions of high stress and stretch. Additionally, there is a connection between the local curvature and specific hemodynamics conditions, indicating that the lumen curvature could be used to assess both mechanical response and hemodynamic conditions, and new rupture indicators could be based on the curvature.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Tatiana Stefanov, Bernard Ryan, Umair Javaid, Philip Cardiff, Alojz Ivankovic, Neal Murphy
Summary: The Mode I fracture energy of an elastomer-toughened ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive was tested for composite-to-composite joints. The impact of weak acid concentration in the adhesive formulations on the fracture behavior of the joints was examined for both real-time aged and accelerated aged batches. It was observed that the adhesive weak acid concentration increased in both types of aging and resulted in a lower polymerization rate. The adhesive weak acid concentration also influenced the fracture morphology and phase separation of the elastomer. Toughness was achieved at the expense of slower curing.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yuxiang Zhang, Reamonn MacReamoinn, Philip Cardiff, Jennifer Keenahan
Summary: Aerodynamic performance is crucial for the design of long-span bridges. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling offers a method to investigate this performance during both the design phase and operation of the bridge. This paper presents a framework using open-source software to analyze wind effects on long-span bridges, and validates the methodology with field data from two bridges.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Ke Wu, Zeljko Tukovic, Philip Cardiff, Alojz Ivankovic
Summary: This paper describes the development of a hierarchical multiscale procedure within the finite volume OpenFOAM framework for modeling the mechanical response of nonlinear heterogeneous solid materials. The developed model can consider nonperiodic microstructures and couple the macro-and microscales.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR MULTISCALE COMPUTATIONAL ENGINEERING
(2022)