Orientador: Marcus Aloizio Martinez de Aguiar / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T21:59:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marchiori_MarceloAmorim_D.pdf: 14108629 bytes, checksum: e8989db76188a0a28d89f5a05d230eea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Estudamos o efeito do acoplamento de um oscilador harmônico a um ambiente externo modelado por N osciladores não-lineares de dois graus de liberdade, cujo regime dinâmico varia, do regular ao caótico, de acordo com um parâmetro de controle. O acoplamento entre o oscilador e o ambiente é bilinear nas coordenadas de cada subsistema e reescala de acordo com o tamanho do ambiente. O foco está centrado nas condições, sobre o número de graus de liberdade e o regime dinâmico dos osciladores não-lineares, para que ocorra a dissipação de energia e termalização do sistema. O trabalho foi desenvolvido num contexto clássico e baseado em um única realização dinâmica, opondo-se à média de ensemble sobre várias realizações. O principal resultado desta tese, é que um ambiente caótico finito, composto por um número razoavelmente pequeno de graus de liberdade, pode simular a ação de um reservatório térmico infinito, dissipando a energia do oscilador a uma taxa exponencial e conduzindo-o à termalização com uma distribuição de Boltzmann para uma temperatura muito bem definida. Baseados na Teoria de Resposta Linear, desenvolvemos um modelo analítico simples que justifica a reescala do acoplamento e reproduz as simulações numéricas quando o ambiente está no regime caótico / Abstract: We study the coupling of a harmonic oscillator (HO) to an external environment modeled by N two-degrees-of-freedom nonlinear oscillators, ranging from integrable to chaotic according to a control parameter. The coupling between the HO and the environment is bilinear in the coordinates and scales with the environment size. We study the conditions for energy dissipation and thermalization as a function of N and of the dynamical regime of the nonlinear oscillators. The study is classical and based on a single realization of the dynamics, as opposed to ensemble averages over many realizations. The main result of this thesis is that the chaotic finite environment, composed by a fairly small number of degrees of freedom, can simulate the action of a infinite thermal reservoir, promoting the dissipation at an exponential rate and leading to the thermalization in a Boltzmann distribution of energies for a welldefined temperature. We develop a simple analytical treatment, based on the linear response theory, that justifies the coupling scaling and reproduces the numerical simulations when the environment is in the chaotic regime / Doutorado / Física Geral / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: José Ricardo Figueiredo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T13:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernandes_BrunoGimenez_M.pdf: 2463368 bytes, checksum: 7a65b802c5c28920eb9aaf7dd78e4ec9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: O objetivo do presente trabalho está na otimização econômica de um sistema com bomba de calor utilizado no aquecimento de água para banho em um edifício com reservatório térmico, para armazenamento de água quente. A otimização da bomba de calor envolve relações termodinâmicas, econômicas, de transferência de calor e mecânica dos fluidos, com o objetivo de obter o menor custo de aquecimento equivalente (CEA) da bomba de calor e do sistema. Dando continuidade a outros trabalhos já realizados na Unicamp, destacam-se neste trabalho a inclusão de perdas de carga na bomba de calor, maiores limites das variáveis não lineares a serem otimizadas, relações de transferência de calor mais realistas e a simulação do reservatório térmico de água, obtendo um volume compatível com a demanda do edifício e a eficiência da bomba de calor, durante sua utilização. No projeto preliminar, é utilizado o método de Substituição - Newton Raphson, obtendo as áreas iniciais de transferência de calor dos trocadores de calor (evaporador e condensador), o coeficiente de desempenho (COP), vazão do fluido refrigerante R- 134a (utilizado na bomba de calor), a potência do compressor, entre outros. No projeto otimizado, os valores obtidos na simulação anterior são considerados como estimativas iniciais no processo de otimização. Nesse processo o algoritmo de otimização escolhido é a Programação Quadrática Sequencial (SQP), disponível na função fmincon do MatLab'MARCA REGISTRADA'. Nas simulações do reservatório térmico, a estimativa de volume foi de 3 a 30 m3, obtendo a variação da temperatura para cada um dos volumes, é avaliado o menor trabalho médio do compressor da bomba de calor, com a variação de cada temperatura do reservatório, para que possa ser escolhido um volume adequado. Na finalização do projeto, são obtidos os melhores valores das áreas de troca de calor do evaporador e condensador, valor mínimo do CEA (função objetivo em questão) e volume do reservatório térmico, conforme condições de perdas de calor do sistema (reservatório e tubulação) e trabalhos de entrada, necessários em seu funcionamento / Abstract: The purpose of this work is the economic optimization of a system with heat pump used to heat water for bathing in a building with a thermal reservoir for hot water storage. Optimization of heat pump involves thermodynamic relations, economics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics, in order to obtain the lowest cost of heating equivalent (CEA) and heat pump system. Continuing to other work already done at Unicamp, stands out in this work to include pressure losses in the heat pump, higher limits of non-linear variables to be optimized, relations of heat transfer and more realistic simulation of the thermal reservoir water obtaining a volume compatible with the demand of the building and the efficiency of the heat pump during its use. In the preliminary design, the method is used Substiution - Newton Raphson, getting the initial areas of heat transfer of heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser), the coefficient of performance (COP), flow of refrigerant R-134a (used in Heat pump), the compressor power, among others. In the optimized design, the values obtained in previous simulation as initial estimates are considered in the optimization process. In this case the optimization algorithm chosen is the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP), available in the MatLab'TRADE MARK' function fmincon. In simulations of the thermal reservoir, the estimated volume was 3 to 30 m3, resulting temperature variation for each of the volumes is the lowest rated working medium of the heat pump compressor, with the temperature variation in each reservoir, can be chosen so that a suitable volume. At project completion, the best values are obtained from the areas of heat transfer from the evaporator and condenser, the minimum value of CEA (objective function in question) and the thermal reservoir volume, as conditions of heat losses from the system (tank and piping) and work input required for its operation / Mestrado / Termica e Fluidos / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente dissertação estuda com detalhes a evolução temporal fora do equilíbrio de um condensado de Bose-Einstein homogêneo diluído imerso em um reservatório térmico. Nós modelamos o sistema através de um campo de Bose escalar complexo. É apropriado descrever o comportamento microscópico desse sistema por meio da teoria quântica de campos através do formalismo de Schwinger-Keldysh. Usando esse formalismo, de tempo real a dinâmica do condensado é solucionada por um grupo de equações integro-diferencial auto consistente, essas são solucionadas numericamente. Estudamos também o cenário quench, e como a densidade do gás e as interações entre as flutuações tem o efeito de provocar as instabilidades nesse sistema. Aplicamos esse desenvolvimento para estudar o comportamento de duas espécies homogêneas de um gás de Bose diluído imerso em um reservatório térmico. / This Dissertation study the detailed out of equilibrium time evolution of a homogeneous diluted Bose-Einstein condensate in thermal bath. We modeled the system by means of one bosonic complex scalar field. The microscopic behavior of such an environment can be appropriately described by the non-equilibrium Schwinger-Keldysh formalism in a quantum field theory approach. Using this formalism, real-time dynamics of the condensate is encoded in a set of self-consistent integral-differential equations that we solved numerically. We studied, in the quench scenario, how the role of the interactions in the generation of the initial instability and the subsequent time evolution of the condensate. We also applied this technique to the study of a two-species homogeneous diluted Bose gas in a thermal bath.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente dissertação estuda com detalhes a evolução temporal fora do equilíbrio de um condensado de Bose-Einstein homogêneo diluído imerso em um reservatório térmico. Nós modelamos o sistema através de um campo de Bose escalar complexo. É apropriado descrever o comportamento microscópico desse sistema por meio da teoria quântica de campos através do formalismo de Schwinger-Keldysh. Usando esse formalismo, de tempo real a dinâmica do condensado é solucionada por um grupo de equações integro-diferencial auto consistente, essas são solucionadas numericamente. Estudamos também o cenário quench, e como a densidade do gás e as interações entre as flutuações tem o efeito de provocar as instabilidades nesse sistema. Aplicamos esse desenvolvimento para estudar o comportamento de duas espécies homogêneas de um gás de Bose diluído imerso em um reservatório térmico. / This Dissertation study the detailed out of equilibrium time evolution of a homogeneous diluted Bose-Einstein condensate in thermal bath. We modeled the system by means of one bosonic complex scalar field. The microscopic behavior of such an environment can be appropriately described by the non-equilibrium Schwinger-Keldysh formalism in a quantum field theory approach. Using this formalism, real-time dynamics of the condensate is encoded in a set of self-consistent integral-differential equations that we solved numerically. We studied, in the quench scenario, how the role of the interactions in the generation of the initial instability and the subsequent time evolution of the condensate. We also applied this technique to the study of a two-species homogeneous diluted Bose gas in a thermal bath.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:57:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RaimundoNAC.pdf: 846914 bytes, checksum: 05f5ca2a386c7e7ce11ac1dae42ab71d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-06-01 / An solar alternative system for water heating is presented. Is composed for one low cost alternative collector and alternative thermal reservoir for hot water storing. The collector of the system has box confectioned in composite material and use absorption coils formed for PVC tubes. The box of hot water storage was confectioned from a plastic polyethylene drum used for storage of water and garbage, coated for a cylinder confectioned in fiber glass. The principle of functioning of the system is the same of the conventionally. Its regimen of work is the thermosiphon for a volume of 250 liters water. The main characteristic of the system in considered study is its low cost, allowing a bigger socialization of the use of solar energy. It will be demonstrated the viabilities thermal, economic and of materials of the system of considered heating, and its competitiveness in relation to the available collectors commercially. Relative aspects will be boarded also the susceptibility the thermal degradation and for UV for the PVC tubes. It will be shown that such system of alternative heating, that has as main characteristic its low cost, presents viabilities thermal, economic and of materials / Apresenta-se um sistema de aquecimento solar de ?gua, trabalhando em regime de termossif?o, constitu?do por um, coletor solar alternativo e um reservat?rio armazenador de ?gua tamb?m alternativo. O coletor foi constru?do com um material comp?sito a base de gesso e isopor e o reservat?rio t?rmico a partir de um tambor de polietileno de 200 litros utilizado para armazenamento de ?gua e lixo recoberto por um cilindro em fibra de vidro, tendo isopor triturado entre as duas superf?cies. A utiliza??o do comp?sito e a nova forma de obten??o da grade absorvedora permitem que o coletor apresente apenas tr?s elementos ao inv?s dos cinco caracter?sticos de um coletor convencional, diminuindo, portanto o seu custo. A superf?cie absorvedora dos coletores foi montada utilizando-se tubos de PVC pintados de preto fosco, ligados atrav?s de uma configura??o em paralelo, utilizando como elementos de liga??o conex?es em T de PVC de mesmo di?metro. Ser?o apresentados dados de efici?ncia e perda t?rmicas que demonstram a efici?ncia t?rmica do sistema de aquecimento proposto Abordarse-? tamb?m aspectos relativos a susceptibilidade de degrada??o dos tubos de PVC quando expostos a radia??o solar. Mostrar-se-? que tal sistema de aquecimento alternativo, que tem como principal caracter?stica seu baixo custo, apresenta viabilidades t?rmica, econ?mica e de materiais

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:57:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 NatanaeyfleRGS.pdf: 3490813 bytes, checksum: f204addb5db220050260ffb91221e262 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / A solar alternative system for water heating is presented. It work on a thermosiphon, consisting of one or two alternative collectors and a water storage tank also alternative, whose main purpose is to socialize the use of energy mainly to be used by people of low income. The collectors were built from the use of pets bottles, cans of beer and soft drinks and tubes of PVC, ? " and the thermal reservoirs from a drum of polyethylene used for storage of water and garbage placed inside cylinder of fiber glass and EPS ground between the two surfaces. Such collectors are formed by three elements: pet bottles, cans and tubes absorbers. The heating units, which form the collector contains inside the cans that can be closed, in original form or in the form of plate. The collectors have an absorber grid formed by eight absorbers PVC tube, connected through connections at T of the same material and diameter. It will be presented data of the thermal parameters which demonstrate the efficiency of the heating system proposed. Relative aspects will be boarded also the susceptibility the thermal degradation and for UV for the PVC tubes. It will be demonstrated that this alternative heating system, which has as its main feature low cost, presents thermal, economic and materials viabilities / Apresenta-se um sistema de aquecimento de ?gua solar atrav?s do uso da energia solar, trabalhando em regime de termossif?o, constitu?do por um ou dois coletores, coletores alternativos e um reservat?rio armazenador de ?gua tamb?m alternativo, cuja principal finalidade ? socializar o uso da energia principalmente para ser utilizada por popula??es de baixa renda. Os coletores foram constru?dos a partir da utiliza??o de garrafas pet, latas de cervejas e refrigerantes e tubos de PVC de ? e os reservat?rios t?rmicos a partir de um tambor de polietileno utilizado para armazenamento de ?gua e lixo colocado no interior de cilindro em fibra de vidro, tendo isopor triturado entre as duas superf?cies. Tais coletores s?o formados por apenas tr?s elementos: garrafa pet, latas e tubos absorvedores. As unidades de aquecimento que formam o coletor cont?m em seu interior as latas que podem estar fechadas, vazadas ou em forma de aletas. Os coletores possuem uma grade absorvedora formada por oito tubos absorvedores de PVC, ligados atrav?s de conex?es em T do mesmo material e di?metro. Ser?o apresentados dados de rendimento e perda t?rmicos que demonstram a efici?ncia do sistema de aquecimento proposto Abordar-se-? tamb?m aspectos relativos a susceptibilidade de degrada??o dos tubos de PVC quando expostos a radia??o solar. Mostrar-se-? que tal sistema de aquecimento alternativo, que tem como principal caracter?stica seu baixo custo, apresenta viabilidades t?rmica, econ?mica e de materiais

A significant amount of Viscous Oil (e.g., heavy oil, extra heavy oil, and bitumen) is trapped in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs also known as NFCRs. The word VO endowment in NFCRs is estimated at ~ 2 Trillion barrels mostly reported in Canada, the USA, Russia, and the Middle East. To date, contributions to the world daily oil production from this immense energy resource remains negligible mainly due to the lack of appropriate production technologies. Implementation of a VO production technology such as steam injection is expensive (high capital investment), time-consuming, and people-intensive. Hence, before selecting a production technology for detailed economic analysis, use of cursory or broad screening tools or guides is a convenient means of gaining a quick overview of the technical feasibility of the various possible production technologies applied to a particular reservoir. Technical screening tools are only available for the purpose of evaluation of the reservoir performance parameters in oil sands for various thermal VO exploitation technologies such as Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS), Horizontal well Cyclic steam Stimulation (HCS), and so on. Nevertheless, such tools are not applicable for VO NFCRs assessment without considerable modifications due to the different nature of these two reservoir types (e.g., presence and effects of fracture network on reservoir behavior, wettability, lithology, fabric, pore structure, and so on) and also different mechanisms of energy and mass transport. Considering the lack of robust and rapid technical reservoir screening tools for the purpose of quick assessment and performance prediction for VO NFCRs under thermal stimulation (e.g., steamflooding), developing such fast and precise tools seems inevitable and desirable. In this dissertation, an attempt was made to develop new screening tools for the purpose of reservoir performance prediction in VO NFCRs using all the field and laboratory available data on a particular thermal technology (vertical well steamflooding). Considering the complex and heterogeneous nature of the NFCRs, there is great uncertainty associated with the geological nature of the NFCRs such as fracture and porosity distribution in the reservoir which will affect any modeling tasks aiming at modeling of processes involved in thermal VO production from these types of technically difficult and economically unattractive reservoirs. Therefore, several modeling and analyses technqiues were used in order to understand the main parameters controlling the steamflooding process in NFCRs and also cope with the uncertainties associated with the nature of geologic, reservoir and fluid properties data. Thermal geomechanics effects are well-known in VO production from oil sands using thermal technologies such as SAGD and cyclic steam processes. Hence, possible impacts of thermal processes on VO NFCRs performance was studied despite the lack of adequate field data. This dissertation makes the following contributions to the literature and the oil industry: Two new statistical correlations were developed, introduced, and examined which can be utilized for the purpose of estimation of Cumulative Steam to Oil Ratio (CSOR) and Recovery Factor (RF) as measures of process performance and technical viability during vertical well steamflooding in VO Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs (NFCRs). The proposed correlations include vital parameters such as in situ fluid and reservoir properties. The data used are taken from experimental studies and also field trials of vertical well steamflooding pilots in viscous oil NFCRs reported in the literature. The error percentage for the proposed correlations is < 10% for the worst case and contains fewer empirical constants compared with existing correlations for oil sands. The interactions between the parameters were also considered. The initial oil saturation and oil viscosity are the most important predictive factors. The proposed correlations successfully predicted steam/oil ratios and recovery factors in two heavy oil NFCRs. These correlations are reported for the first time in the literature for this type of VO reservoirs. A 3-D mathematical model was developed, presented, and examined in this research work, investigating various parameters and mechanisms affecting VO recovery from NFCRs using vertical well steamflooding. The governing equations are written for the matrix and fractured medium, separately. Uncertainties associated with the shape factor for the communication between the matrix and fracture is eliminated through setting a continuity boundary condition at the interface. Using this boundary condition, the solution method employed differs from the most of the modeling simulations reported in the literature. A Newton-Raphson approach was also used for solving mass and energy balance equations. RF and CSOR were obtained as a function of steam injection rate and temperature and characteristics of the fractured media such as matrix size and permeability. The numerical solution clearly shows that fractures play an important role in better conduction of heat into the matrix part. It was also concluded that the matrix block size and total permeability are the most important parameters affecting the dependent variables involved in steamflooding. A hybrid Artificial Neural Network model optimized by co-implementation of a Particle Swarm Optimization method (ANN-PSO) was developed, presented, and tested in this research work for the purpose of estimation of the CSOR and RF during vertical well steamflooding in VO NFCRs. The developed PSO-ANN model, conventional ANN models, and statistical correlations were examined using field data. Comparison of the predictions and field data implies superiority of the proposed PSO-ANN model with an absolute average error percentage < 6.5% , a determination coefficient (R2) > 0.98, and Mean Squared Error (MSE) < 0.06, a substantial improvement in comparison with conventional ANN model and empirical correlations for prediction of RF and CSOR. This indicates excellent potential for application of hybrid PSO-ANN models to screen VO NFCRs for steamflooding. This is the first time that the ANN technique has been applied for the purpose of performance prediction of steamflooding in VO NFCRs and also reported in the literature. The predictive PSO-ANN model and statistical correlations have strong potentials to be merged with heavy oil recovery modeling softwares available for thermal methods. This combination is expected to speed up their performance, reduce their uncertainty, and enhance their prediction and modeling capabilities. An integrated geological-geophysical-geomechanical approach was designed, presented, and applied in the case of a NFCR for the purpose of fracture and in situ stresses characterization in NFCRs. The proposed methodology can be applied for fracture and in situ stresses characterization which is beneficial to various aspects of asset development such as well placement, drilling, production, thermal reservoir modeling incorporating geomechanics effects, technology assessment and so on. A conceptual study was also conducted on geomechanics effects in VO NFCRs during steamflooding which is not yet well understood and still requires further field, laboratory, and theoretical studies. This can be considered as a small step forward in this area identifying positive potential of such knowledge to the design of large scale thermal operations in VO NFCRs.

A significant amount of Viscous Oil (e.g., heavy oil, extra heavy oil, and bitumen) is trapped in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs also known as NFCRs. The word VO endowment in NFCRs is estimated at ~ 2 Trillion barrels mostly reported in Canada, the USA, Russia, and the Middle East. To date, contributions to the world daily oil production from this immense energy resource remains negligible mainly due to the lack of appropriate production technologies. Implementation of a VO production technology such as steam injection is expensive (high capital investment), time-consuming, and people-intensive. Hence, before selecting a production technology for detailed economic analysis, use of cursory or broad screening tools or guides is a convenient means of gaining a quick overview of the technical feasibility of the various possible production technologies applied to a particular reservoir. Technical screening tools are only available for the purpose of evaluation of the reservoir performance parameters in oil sands for various thermal VO exploitation technologies such as Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS), Horizontal well Cyclic steam Stimulation (HCS), and so on. Nevertheless, such tools are not applicable for VO NFCRs assessment without considerable modifications due to the different nature of these two reservoir types (e.g., presence and effects of fracture network on reservoir behavior, wettability, lithology, fabric, pore structure, and so on) and also different mechanisms of energy and mass transport. Considering the lack of robust and rapid technical reservoir screening tools for the purpose of quick assessment and performance prediction for VO NFCRs under thermal stimulation (e.g., steamflooding), developing such fast and precise tools seems inevitable and desirable. In this dissertation, an attempt was made to develop new screening tools for the purpose of reservoir performance prediction in VO NFCRs using all the field and laboratory available data on a particular thermal technology (vertical well steamflooding). Considering the complex and heterogeneous nature of the NFCRs, there is great uncertainty associated with the geological nature of the NFCRs such as fracture and porosity distribution in the reservoir which will affect any modeling tasks aiming at modeling of processes involved in thermal VO production from these types of technically difficult and economically unattractive reservoirs. Therefore, several modeling and analyses technqiues were used in order to understand the main parameters controlling the steamflooding process in NFCRs and also cope with the uncertainties associated with the nature of geologic, reservoir and fluid properties data. Thermal geomechanics effects are well-known in VO production from oil sands using thermal technologies such as SAGD and cyclic steam processes. Hence, possible impacts of thermal processes on VO NFCRs performance was studied despite the lack of adequate field data. This dissertation makes the following contributions to the literature and the oil industry: Two new statistical correlations were developed, introduced, and examined which can be utilized for the purpose of estimation of Cumulative Steam to Oil Ratio (CSOR) and Recovery Factor (RF) as measures of process performance and technical viability during vertical well steamflooding in VO Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs (NFCRs). The proposed correlations include vital parameters such as in situ fluid and reservoir properties. The data used are taken from experimental studies and also field trials of vertical well steamflooding pilots in viscous oil NFCRs reported in the literature. The error percentage for the proposed correlations is < 10% for the worst case and contains fewer empirical constants compared with existing correlations for oil sands. The interactions between the parameters were also considered. The initial oil saturation and oil viscosity are the most important predictive factors. The proposed correlations successfully predicted steam/oil ratios and recovery factors in two heavy oil NFCRs. These correlations are reported for the first time in the literature for this type of VO reservoirs. A 3-D mathematical model was developed, presented, and examined in this research work, investigating various parameters and mechanisms affecting VO recovery from NFCRs using vertical well steamflooding. The governing equations are written for the matrix and fractured medium, separately. Uncertainties associated with the shape factor for the communication between the matrix and fracture is eliminated through setting a continuity boundary condition at the interface. Using this boundary condition, the solution method employed differs from the most of the modeling simulations reported in the literature. A Newton-Raphson approach was also used for solving mass and energy balance equations. RF and CSOR were obtained as a function of steam injection rate and temperature and characteristics of the fractured media such as matrix size and permeability. The numerical solution clearly shows that fractures play an important role in better conduction of heat into the matrix part. It was also concluded that the matrix block size and total permeability are the most important parameters affecting the dependent variables involved in steamflooding. A hybrid Artificial Neural Network model optimized by co-implementation of a Particle Swarm Optimization method (ANN-PSO) was developed, presented, and tested in this research work for the purpose of estimation of the CSOR and RF during vertical well steamflooding in VO NFCRs. The developed PSO-ANN model, conventional ANN models, and statistical correlations were examined using field data. Comparison of the predictions and field data implies superiority of the proposed PSO-ANN model with an absolute average error percentage < 6.5% , a determination coefficient (R2) > 0.98, and Mean Squared Error (MSE) < 0.06, a substantial improvement in comparison with conventional ANN model and empirical correlations for prediction of RF and CSOR. This indicates excellent potential for application of hybrid PSO-ANN models to screen VO NFCRs for steamflooding. This is the first time that the ANN technique has been applied for the purpose of performance prediction of steamflooding in VO NFCRs and also reported in the literature. The predictive PSO-ANN model and statistical correlations have strong potentials to be merged with heavy oil recovery modeling softwares available for thermal methods. This combination is expected to speed up their performance, reduce their uncertainty, and enhance their prediction and modeling capabilities. An integrated geological-geophysical-geomechanical approach was designed, presented, and applied in the case of a NFCR for the purpose of fracture and in situ stresses characterization in NFCRs. The proposed methodology can be applied for fracture and in situ stresses characterization which is beneficial to various aspects of asset development such as well placement, drilling, production, thermal reservoir modeling incorporating geomechanics effects, technology assessment and so on. A conceptual study was also conducted on geomechanics effects in VO NFCRs during steamflooding which is not yet well understood and still requires further field, laboratory, and theoretical studies. This can be considered as a small step forward in this area identifying positive potential of such knowledge to the design of large scale thermal operations in VO NFCRs.