Nanofluids are proven to be efficient agents for wettability alteration in subsurface applications including enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Nanofluids can also be used for CO2-storage applications where the CO2-wet rocks can be rendered strongly water-wet, however no attention has been given to this aspect in the past. Thus in this work we presents contact angle (θ) measurements for CO2/brine/calcite system as function of pressure (0.1 MPa, 5 MPa, 10 MPa, 15 MPa, and 20 MPa), temperature (23 °C, 50 °C and 70 °C), and salinity (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% NaCl) before and after nano-treatment to address the wettability alteration efficiency. Moreover, the effect of treatment pressure and temperature, treatment fluid concentration (SiO2 wt%) and the period of nano-treatment on the wettability of calcite is examined. We find that nano-treatment alters the wettability significantly i.e. intermediate-wet calcite turns strongly water-wet after treatment (e.g. at 20 MPa and 50 °C, θ = 64° for intermediate-wet calcite, and θ = 28° for nano-treated calcite). Consequently, pre-injection of nanofluids will significantly enhanced the storage potential. It was also found that the permanent shift in wettability after nano-treatment is a function of treatment conditions including temperature, pressure, and treatment duration time and that surfaces treated under high pressure and low temperature yield better wettability alteration efficiency. We point out that the change in wettability is attributed to the changes in surface properties of the nano-treated sample. The results of the study thus depict that nanoparticles can significantly enhance storage potential and de-risk storage projects.
In this study, cadmium oxide (CdO) was deposited on glass bases by thermal chemical spraying technique at three concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.15) M and then was irradiated by CO2 laser with 10.6 μm wave length and 1W power. The results of the atomic force microscope AFM test showed that the surfaces of these CdO thin films were homogenous and that the laser irradiated effect resulted in decreasing the roughness of the surface as well as the heights of the granular peaks, indicating a greater uniformity and homogeneity of the surfaces. The optical properties were studied to determine laser effect. The results of optical tests of these thin films showed that the photoluminescence spectra and absorption s
... Show MoreGas-assisted gravity drainage (GAGD) has emerged as a promising enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method that utilizes the natural buoyancy of injected gas to mobilize oil in gravity-dominated systems. The scope of this work is to experimentally evaluate the performance of CO2-assisted GAGD in the presence of bottom-water support, a common reservoir condition that complicates gas flooding efficiency. The primary objectives are to (i) assess the impact of injection pressure and oil production rate on oil recovery, (ii) determine the operational conditions that maintain gravity dominance and delay breakthrough, and (iii) identify the trade-offs between maximizing recovery and minimizing ga
The modification of hydrophobic rock surfaces to the water-wet state via nanofluid treatment has shown promise in enhancing their geological storage capabilities and the efficiency of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) containment. Despite this, the specific influence of silica (SiO2) nanoparticles on the interactions between H2, brine, and rock within basaltic formations remains underexplored. The present study focuses on the effect of SiO2 nanoparticles on the wettability of Saudi Arabian basalt (SAB) under downhole conditions (323 K and pressures ranging from 1 to 20 MPa) by using the tilted plate technique to measure the contact angles between H2/brine and the rock surfaces. The findings reveal that the SAB's hydrophobicity intensif
... Show MoreOne of the most popular causes for implant infection is dental plaque bacteria. Previous studies have shown the bactericidal effect of CO2 laser irradiation on bacteria associated with soft tissue surrounding the implant materials. No published studies have examined the effect of irradiation by CO2 laser on Streptococcus oralis and Staphylococcus aureus.The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of CO2 laser on bacteria that are causing dental implant infections. This study was carried out on two isolates of bacterial species out of 25 samples, isolated from patients having soft tissue infections around the dental implant. These two pure isolates including Streptococcus oralis and Staphylococcus aureus were identified
... Show MoreThis paper represents an experimentalattempt to predict the influence of CO2-MAG welding variables on the shape factors of the weld joint geometry. Theinput variables were welding arc voltage, wire feeding speed and gas flow rate to investigate their effects on the shape factorsof the weld joint geometry in terms of weld joint dimensions (bead width, reinforcement height, and penetration). Design of experiment with response surface methodology technique was employed to buildmathematical models for shape factors in terms of the input welding variables. Thepredicted models were found quadratic type and statistically checked by ANOVA analysis for adequacy purpose. Also, numerical and graphical optimizations were carried out
... Show MoreIn present work an investigation for precise hole drilling via continuous wave (CW) CO2 laser at 150 W maximum output power and wavelength 10.6 μm was achieved with the assistance of computerized numerical controlled (CNC) machine and assist gases. The drilling process was done for thin sheets (0.1 – 0.3 mm) of two types of metals; stainless steel (sst) 321H, steel 33 (st). Changing light and process parameters such as laser power, exposure time and gas pressure was important for getting the optimum results. The obtained results were supported with computational results using the COMSOL 3.5a software code.