The role of eddies in solute transport and recovery in rock fractures: Implication for groundwater remediation

A better understanding of solute transport and retention mechanism in rock fractures has been challenging due to difficulty in their direct observations in microscale rough‐walled fractures. Six representative troughs in a rough‐walled fracture were selected for microscale observations of eddy formation with increasing flow velocity and its effect on spatiotemporal changes of solute concentration. This experimental study was enabled by a microscale visualization technique of micro particle image velocimetry. With increasing flow velocity (Re ≤ 2.86), no eddies were generated, and solutes along the main streamlines transported rapidly, whereas those near the wall moved slowly. A larger amount of solutes remained trapped at all troughs at Re = 2.86 than Re < 1. For Re = 8.57, weak eddies started to be developed at the troughs on the lee side, which little contributed to overall solute flushing in the fracture. Accordingly, a large of amount of water was needed for solute flushing. The flow condition of 1 < Re < 10, before a full development of eddies, was least favourable in terms of time and amount of remediation fluid required to reach a target concentration. After large eddies were fully developed at troughs on the lee side for Re = 17.13, solutes were substantially reduced by eddies with less amount of water. Fully developed eddies were found to enhance solute transport and recovery, as opposed to a general consensus that eddies trap and delay solutes. Direct inflow into troughs on the stoss side also made a great contribution to solute flushing out of the troughs. This study indicates that fully developed eddies or strong inflows at troughs are highly possible to form for Re > 10 and this flow range could be favourable for efficient remediation.     

Comparison of taxon calibrations,modern analogue techniques,and forest-stand simulation models for the quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation: A critique

Taxon calibrations based on eastern North America or on the southeastern United States alone suggest a different forest composition from that based on Wisconsin/Michigan, which is argued as preferable. Questions are raised about how well comparison with modern analogues distinguishes forest characteristics. The simulation model used by Delcourt and Delcourt is thought to be inappropriate, partly because it is constrained by faulty climatic data. Models are seen as complementary to other techniques rather than as an alternative methodology.     

裂缝性油藏控水堵水方法研究与应用

随着油田逐渐进入后期开采,调堵井的数量不断增加,所面临的问题是如何在高温、高盐以及裂缝性等恶劣油藏条件下提高采收率技术。目前凝胶类和颗粒类堵剂依然是裂缝性油藏化学调堵体系的主流;另外基于对水体分布、能量预测等油藏地质条件全面认识下的各种物理堵水技术也得到了较好应用。从裂缝性油藏控水堵水难点出发,介绍了国内外的配套技术,重点综述了恶劣油藏条件下的各种凝胶体系,并分析了提高凝胶体系热稳定性的研究思路,认为聚合物高温碳化作用对凝胶的使用有着变革性意义。用某种高吸水材料配成的软颗粒状凝胶完井液130℃高温下与低渗岩心动态污染时,在岩心端面形成强度高、韧性好的黄-黑色胶质暂堵层,极大地避免了漏失,降低了水相圈闭的损害,在中国东海天外天高温低渗气田A1s、A7完井中取得了较好应用效果。另外,丙烯酰胺与丙烯酸叔丁酯的共聚物(PAtBA)用聚乙烯亚胺作交联剂的凝胶体系在国外已得到了成功的应用,聚乙烯亚胺有着低毒、环境友好等诸多优点,研制出性能更优越的聚合物与之交联对未来的凝胶体系研究有着重要意义。最后从控水-堵水-治水整体思路出发,提出了对今后的研究设想。     

Valency Study of Vanadium in Stone Coal Ash of Jiangxi Province

Vanadium-bearing stone coal is a new vanadium resource;recovery ofV_2O_5 from the coal has been investigated.It has been found that a satisfactoryextraction of V_2O_5 depends on both the oxidation of V and its reaction with so-dium salt.V in the coal ash of Yushan mainly exists in two oxidation states:98％V(Ⅲ)and2％V(Ⅳ).The distribution of valency of V shows that organicmatter determines V valency at low temperatures,at about470℃,V(Ⅲ)iscompletely oxidized to V(Ⅳ);above500℃,the temperature is the most impor-tant factor for the oxidation of V .At higher temperatures no more V is oxidizedto V(Ⅴ);an equilibrium is established after92％of V is oxidized to V(Ⅴ).The roles of NaCl in the recovery of V_2O_5 from the coal ash were discussed.The best conditions for roasting are temperature750-800℃for1 h.underthe oxidation-chlorination atmosphere.When the ore:NaCl=100:10 by weight,η_roast reaches85.5％.According to the results,a flowsheet for V_2O_5 extrac-tion from coal ash has been proposed.     

How a wet tropical rainforest copes with repeated volcanic destruction

The Holocene Period for the province of West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, is characterised by periodic catastrophic volcanism. The region is mantled in dense wet tropical rainforest, and has been occupied by people since the Pleistocene. Analyses of peat from two nearby sites within a lowland rainforest environment provide us with a macro-level landscape account of the periodic destruction and recovery of the coastal forests during seven periods of volcanic activity in the latter part (2900 yr ago to present) of the Holocene. Radiocarbon dating shows the very close correlation of the peat and tephra layers at both sites, yet the pollen analysis reveals different vegetation communities. These initial results allow us to begin identifying the processes of recovery, and to recognise different ecological pressures placed on vegetation at these neighbouring sites. Evidence of hydrological changes are observed beginning with a marine incursion recorded at Garu Site 3 1360 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The distinct differences in the vegetation re-establishment and community regeneration rates suggest the greater level of disturbance at Garu Site 1 could be related to the depth of the ashfall, although the proximity of a known human settlement may also be a contributing factor. Of note, palynologically, we found that the fern spore flora is particularly rich and believe it will be useful for ecological interpretation.     

南京九华山铜矿伴生金的赋存状态及分布规律

九华山铜矿床中伴生金已具综合利用价值。金以矿物态为主,金矿物主要为银金矿、含银自然金。金矿物粒度较细,大于２００目者占２４．３４％,金矿物主要嵌布于黄铜矿粒间或裂隙中。金的理想回收率为６６．３０％,空间分布上,沿矿体走向金西低东高,倾向金北高南低,深度金随深度增加而增加。     

DEM simulations of methane hydrate exploitation by thermal recovery and depressurization methods

Methane hydrate (MH, also called fiery ice) exists in forms of pore filling, cementing and load-bearing skeleton in the methane hydrate bearing sediment (MHBS) and affects its mechanical behavior greatly. To study the changes of macro-scale and micro-scale mechanical behaviors of MHBS during exploitation by thermal recovery and depressurization methods, a novel 2D thermo-hydro-mechanical bonded contact model was proposed and implemented into a platform of distinct element method (DEM), PFC2D. MHBS samples were first biaxially compressed to different deviator stress levels to model different in-situ stress conditions. With the deviator stress maintained at constant, the temperature was then raised to simulate the thermal recovery process or the pore water pressure (i.e. confining pressure for MH bond) was decreased to simulate the depressurization process. DEM simulation results showed that: during exploitation, the axial strain increased with the increase of temperature (in the thermal recovery method) or decrease of pore water pressure (in the depressurization method); sample collapsed during MH dissociation if the deviator stress applied was larger than the compression strength of a pure host sand sample; sample experienced volume contraction but its void ratio was slightly larger than the pure host sand sample at the same axial strain throughout the test. By comparison with the laboratory test results, the new model was validated to be capable of reproducing the exploitation process by thermal recovery and depressurization methods. In addition, some micro-scale parameters, such as contact distribution, bond distribution, and averaged pure rotation rate, were also analyzed to investigate their relationships with the macroscopic responses.     

下二门油田H2Ⅲ油组交联聚合物驱后油藏剩余油分布特征

微观驱油试验表明,交联聚合物驱后剩余油进一步减少,主要以斑块状、小油滴状等形态分布于微孔隙中;数值模拟显示,下二门油田H2Ⅲ油组交联聚合物驱后80.8%的面积已为中强水淹,纵向上79.7%的剩余油分布于主力油层.受构造、储层物性及井网因素控制,未淹、弱水淹剩余油平面上主要分布在断层附近、断层破碎带、微构造高点和砂体上倾尖灭区等部位;纵向上主要分布于低渗透层段.针对剩余油分布特征,通过完善注采关系、优化注采结构,单元含水量的上升速度和产量递减幅度得到控制,采收率在交联聚合物驱的基础上进一步提高了2.01%.     

注入CO2提高煤层气产能的可行性研究

根据煤储层吸附一解吸机理,首次采用“解吸一注气一解吸”的实验方法,分别进行CH4,CO2的吸附一解吸和CO2注入置换煤层CH4实验,模拟了煤层气井“排采一注气一排采”的增产途径和效果。结果表明：在CH4和CO2二元体系的竞争吸附中,CO2组分的吸附速率是先快后慢,而CH4组分的吸附速率先慢后快,解吸时则相反,反映出CO2在竞争吸附中占据优势;注入CO2气体的数量越大和相对浓度越高,单位压降CH4解吸率和CO2吸附率就越高。实验结论对工业规模的煤层气开发试验具有指导意义。     

23,000 yr of vegetation history of the Upper Lerma, a tropical high-altitude basin in Central Mexico

Pollen analysis on a 9.54-m sediment core from lake Chignahuapan in the upper Lerma basin, the highest intermontane basin in Central Mexico (2570 m asl), documents vegetation and limnological changes over the past ∼23,000 ¹⁴C yr. The core was drilled near the archaeological site of Santa Cruz Atizapán, a site with a long history of human occupation, abandoned at the end of the Epiclassic period (ca. 900 AD). Six radiocarbon AMS dates and two well-dated volcanic events, the Upper Toluca Pumice with an age of 11,600 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and the Tres Cruces Tephra of 8500 ¹⁴C yr B.P., provide the chronological framework for the lacustrine sequence. From ca. 23,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. to ca. 11,600 ¹⁴C yr B.P. the plant communities were woodlands and grasslands based on the pollen data. The glacial advances MII-1 and MII-2 correlate with abundant non-arboreal pollen, mainly grasses, from ca. 21,000 to 16,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., and at ca. 12,600 ¹⁴C yr B.P. During the late Pleistocene, lake Chignahuapan was a shallow freshwater lake with a phase of lower level between 19,000 and 16,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. After 10,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., tree cover in the area increased, and a more variable lake level is documented. Late Holocene (ca. 3100 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) deforestation was concurrent with human population expansion at the beginning of the Formative period (1500 B.C.). Agriculture and manipulation of the lacustrine environment by human lakeshore populations appear at 1200 ¹⁴C yr B.P. (550 A.D.) with the appearance of Zea mays pollen and abundant charcoal particles.