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The concept of creating heterogeneous structures by nanocasting techniques from a combination of several homogeneous surfactant templated structures to model reservoir rock properties has not been approached prior to this research project, and will be used to test and provide better understanding of gas adsorption theories such as the pore blocking phenomenon (Seaton, 1991). Porous media with controlled pore sizes and geometry can be used to mimic a variety of reservoir rock structures, as it can be engineered to consist of a network of elements which, individually, could have either regular or irregular converging and diverging portions. The restrictions in these elements are called throats, and the bulges pores. Catalysts developed from a range of Nanotechnology applications could be used in down-hole catalytic upgrading of heavy oil. They could also be used as catalyst supports or to analyse the coking performance of catalysts. These studies will highlight the pore structure effects associated with capillary trapping mechanisms in rocks, and potentially allow the manipulation of transport rates of fluids within the pore structure of catalysts. Mercury-injection capillary pressure is typically favoured for geological applications such as inferring the size and sorting of pore throats. The difference between mercury injection and withdrawal curves will be used to provide information on recovery efficiency, and also to investigate pore level heterogeneity. Mercury porosimetry studies are carried out to provide a better understanding of the retraction curve and the mechanisms controlling the extrusion process and subsequently the entrapment of the non-wetting phase. The use of model porous media with controlled pore size and surface chemistry allows these two effects to be de-convolved and studied separately. The nanotechnology techniques employed mean that uncertainty regarding exact pore geometry is alleviated because tight control of pore geometry is possible. Trapping of oil and gas on a microscopic scale in a petroleum reservoir rock is affected by the geometric and topologic properties of the pores, by the properties of the fluids and by properties related to fluid-rock interaction such as wettability. Several distinct mechanisms of trapping may occur during displacement of one fluid by another in a porous media, however in strongly water-wet rocks with large aspect ratios, trapping in individual pores caused by associated restricting throats (may be/is) the most important mechanism of trapping. The results of the proposed research will be both relevant to the Irene Osagie Evbuomwan PhD. Thesis (2009) 9 oil and gas as well as the solid mineral sector for application as catalyst or catalyst supports. By providing a better understanding of the relationship between reservoir rock pore space geometry and surface chemistry on the residual oil levels, a more accurate assessment of the potential of a particular reservoir could be generated. The analysis of gas adsorption/desorption isotherms is widely used for the characterization of porous materials with regard to their surface area, pore size, pore size distribution and porosity, which is important for optimizing their use in many practical applications. Although nitrogen adsorption at liquid nitrogen temperature is considered to be the standard procedure, recent studies clearly reveal that the use of additional probe molecules (e.g. argon, butane, carbon dioxide, water, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons e.g. cyclohexane and ethane) allows not only to check for consistency, but also leads to a more comprehensive and accurate micro/mesopore size analysis of many adsorbents. Furthermore, significant progress has been achieved during recent years with regard to the understanding of the adsorption mechanism of fluids in materials with highly ordered pore structures (e.g., M41S materials, SBA-15). This has led to major improvements in the pore size analysis of nanoporous materials. However, there are still many open questions concerning the phase and sorption behaviour of fluids in more complex pore systems, such as materials of a heterogeneous nature/differing pore structures, which are of interest for practical applications in catalysis, separation, and adsorption. In order to address some of these open questions, we have performed systematic adsorption experiments on novel nanoporous materials with well defined pore structure synthesised within this research and also on commercial porous silicas. The results of this study and experiments allow understanding and separating in detail the influence of phenomena such as, pore blocking, advanced condensation and delayed condensation on adsorption hysteresis and consequently the shape of the adsorption isotherms. The consequences of these results for an accurate and comprehensive pore size analysis of nanomaterials consisting of more complex nanoporous pore networks are also investigated.

Global energy consumption will increase in the next decades and it is expected to largely rely on fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels is intimately related to CO₂ emissions and the potential for global warming. Geological CO₂ storage aims to mitigate the global warming problem by sequestering CO₂ underground. Coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical phenomena determine the successful operation and long term stability of CO₂ geological storage. This research explores various coupled phenomena, identifies different zones in the storage reservoir, and investigates their implications in CO₂ geological storage. Spatial patterns in mineral dissolution and precipitation are examined based on a comprehensive mass balance formulation. CO₂-dissolved fluid flow is modeled using a novel technique that couples laminar flow, advective and diffusive mass transport of species, mineral dissolution, and consequent pore changes to study the reactive fluid transport at the scale of a single rock fracture. The methodology is extended to the scale of a porous medium using pore network simulations to study both CO₂ reservoirs and caprocks. The two-phase flow problem between immiscible CO₂ and the formation fluid (water or brine) is investigated experimentally. Plug tests on shale and cement specimens are used to investigate CO₂ breakthrough pressure. Sealing strategies are explored to plug existing cracks and increase the CO₂ breakthrough pressure. Finally, CO₂-water-surfactant mixtures are evaluated to reduce the CO₂-water interfacial tension in view of enhanced sweep efficiency. Results can be used to identify optimal CO₂ injection and remediation strategies to maximize the efficiency of CO₂ injection and to attain long-term storage.

The main objective of this thesis is to present a simple and robust hands-on technology for the fabrication of a microfluidic chip in a laboratory. The purpose of this new technology is to replace the existing PDMS based microfluidic chip used for optical trapping of diverse single nano particles. It also lists the different fabrication methods attempted and the successful integration of this chip to the optical trap system which is used to study binding at the single molecular level. Microfluidics is a quickly growing field which deals with manipulating the fluids in channels whose dimensions are few tens of micrometers. Its potential has a major impact on fields like chemical analysis and synthesis techniques, biological analysis and separation techniques, and optics and information technology. One of the main application of these microfluidic chips is in optofluidics, which is the emerging field of integrated photonics with fluidics. This provides freedom to both fields and permits the realization of optical and fluidic property. It requires small volumes of fluids and connections and eventually performs better than conventional methods of robotic fluid handling. Here, the microfluidic chip is targeted for optical trapping with double nano-hole aperture to trap a single protein. The double nanoholes integrated with this microfluidic chip show that stable trapping can be achieved below flow rates of few μL/min. This has provided many possibilities of co-trapping of proteins and study their interactions. / Graduate

This research presents an analysis of multiphase flow classified as dispersed solid and characterized by solid - gaseous medium granular mineral materials (silica) in a transport process in a discharge chute. The device is subsequently inserted into the tubular chamber with a rotatable differential pressure and temperature, to drag the mineral in the discharge chute which carries the flow direction of the mineral two exit points for the process. The objective of this work is to analyze the behavior of the material in the original geometry of the discharge chute, identifying flow paths, pressure loss and velocity discharge and subsequently propose a modified geometry permits to make a comparison between them, applying dynamic computational fluid. This study and simulation of the behavior of the scale models were developed considering the physical and chemical characteristics of the material as well as process data, generating information for creating the models, processing, and post -analysis simulation in CFX 12.0 software. The results of the simulations by comparison between the original geometry of the discharge chute and the modified geometry showed considerable variations in pressure drop, reduced velocities, and also the discharge points of sedimentation of the material due to better flow characteristics. The study leads to the conclusion that the modification made and simulated by CFD between geometries, has resulted in pressure discharge velocities in the gas phase and the solid phase decreases, and an improvement in the flow path which reduces wear and lessens sedimentation of material inside the machine. / Esta pesquisa apresenta uma análise de escoamento multifásico classificado como disperso contínuo e caracterizado pelo meio sólido-gasoso de material mineral granulado (sílica) em um processo de transporte em uma calha de descarga. O equipamento esta inserido posteriormente a uma câmara tubular rotativa com diferencial de pressão e temperatura, para o arraste do mineral na calha de descarga, que realiza o direcionamento do fluxo mineral por dois pontos de saída para o processo. O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar a análise do comportamento do material na geometria original da calha de descarga, identificando as trajetórias de fluxo, perda de pressão e velocidade de descarga e posteriormente propor uma geometria modificada permitindo a realização de uma comparação entre ambas, aplicando dinâmica dos fluidos computacional. O estudo e simulação do comportamento dos modelos foram desenvolvidos em escala, considerando as características físicas e químicas do material assim como dados de processo, gerando informações para criação dos modelos, processamento, simulação e pós-análise no software CFX 12.0. Os resultados obtidos pela comparação das simulações entre a geometria original da calha de descarga e a geometria modificada mostraram variações consideráveis de perda de pressão, redução das velocidades de descarga e também dos pontos de sedimentação do material devido a melhores características de escoamento. A pesquisa permite concluir que a modificação realizada e simulada por meio de CFD entre as geometrias, resultou em reduções de pressão, velocidades de descarga na fase gasosa e na fase sólida, além de uma melhoria na trajetória de fluxo o que reduz o desgaste e diminui sedimentação de material no interior do equipamento.

A common driving mechanism of metamorphic processes, from which secondary mineralizations and structures develop in a protolith, is known to be a change of the immediate P-T environment that a rock resides in. A factor in this process, which is poorly understood, however, is how the presence of metamorphic fluids in a system, influences the alteration of primary igneous rocks. How these volatile solutions interact with the solid mediums of the crust is thereby a topic which requires further research to unravel.    Incidentally, an opportunity to study the result of these interactions, has presented itself in the southern part (59o80’92”N, 17o59’91”E) of Hågadalen-Nåsten nature reserve in Uppsala, Sweden. In this area, a green mineral assemblage, believed to belong to the epidote group, has been observed. This mineral is theorized to have formed as a result of fluid-rock interactions that have occurred in the region and is therefore a subject of interest. A detailed study of the origin of this mineral assemblage could possibly shed light on the finer aspects of the fluid-rocks interactions that have occurred, and also provide and account of the transport of fluids throughout the local bedrock. The aim of this project was to identify the minerology and formation process of this green mineral, which occupies the joints in a cliff of granitic composition. The determination of how and when this mineral assemblage formed is believed to grant a more in depth understanding of the metamorphic and metasomatic processes that have transpired at this location, in addition to providing an account of the fluid transport and fluid-rock interactions in the area.   Through fieldwork and sampling, combined with descriptions of the regional bedrock provided by SGU, the local lithology was determined. With this information, in addition to data collected from optic microscopy and an EMP analysis, the mineral was identified to be an iron rich epidote, showing signs of weak zoning. The formation of this secondary mineralization can be determined to be the result of the alteration of anorthite to saussurite (saussuritization of plagioclase) in addition to the direct precipitation of epidote from the liquid medium onto joint surfaces. Through the use of BSEM, it could also be determined that a majority of the fluids migrated through open fracture systems in the bedrock. / Förändringar av de tryck och temperaturregimer som bergarter befinner sig inom, har sedan länge varit en känd orsak bakom de metamorfa processer, ur vilket sekundära mineraliseringar och strukturer uppstår i protoliten. Något som inte är lika väl studerat är dock rollen som fluider spelar i dessa förändringsprocesser, samt hur dessa volatila lösningar interagerar med skorpans solida faser.   I södra delen av Hågadalen-Nåstens naturreservat (59o80’92”N, 17o59’91”E2) har dock möjligheten till att studera resultatet av dessa interaktioner uppstått. Detta då en grön mineralsammansättning troligen tillhörande epidot gruppen, har upptäckts, vars ursprung tros komma ur fluid- och bergarts interaktioner i området. En studie av detta mineral är därav av intresse, eftersom det skulle ge en inblick i hur dessa fluider har transporterats genom den lokala berggrunden, samt vilken påverkan dessa fluid-interaktioner har haft på områdets bergarter.   Detta projekt syftade mot att identifiera mineralogin samt bildningsprocessen av detta gröna mineral som fyller ut sprickor i en vertikal klippvägg, av överhängande granitisk karaktär. En utredning kring hur och när detta mineral har bildats tros kunna ge en fördjupad förståelse kring de metamorfa och metasomatiska processer som har ägt rum i närområdet, samt antyda hur dessa fluider har migrerat genom den tidigorogena berggrunden och vilken påverkan detta har haft på bergsmassivet.      Genom observationer och provtagning i fällt, samt en studie av SGU:s beskrivning av berggrunden i området 11I Uppsala NV, har de den lokala litologin samt de geologiska processerna som påverkat närområdet utretts. Denna information, i kombination med optisk mikroskopi och en EMP analys, användes för att fastställa mineralets kemiska karaktär och kristallsystemstillhörighet. Resultaten från dessa analysmetoder lade grunden för att identifiera mineralet som en järn-rik, svagt zonerad, epidot.       Troliga processer som har legat bakom bildandet av denna sekundära mineralisering bedöms vara omvandlingen av anortit till saussurit (saussuritisering av plagioklas) samt kristallisering av epidot direkt ur fluider som cirkulerat i området. Genom observationer av BSE bilder från tunnslip, fastställdes även att majoriteten av dessa fluider har transporterats genom redan befintliga spricksystem i berggrunden.