2,104 research outputs found

    State of stress across UK regions

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    Knowledge of the in- situ stress field is a key constraint for a variety of sub surface activities and crucial for the safe and sustainable use of the sub surface. However is a lack of available stress magnitude data across the UK. This report assesses legacy stress magnitude data along with new analysis to characterise the UK onshore stress field. To investigate the UK onshore in-situ stress field, three regions were studied. The regions were selected based on the potential availability of information to characterise the stress field and their resource potential for unconventional shale resources, highlighted by Andrews et al. (2013). The study focused on: East Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire, Cheshire and Lancashire and the Weald. The vertical stress across the UK varies between 23 and 26 MPakm-1 with higher values recorded in Cheshire and Scotland compared to East Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and the Weald. Pore pressure measurements from Cheshire, Lancashire, East Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire are hydrostatic with a gradient of 10.19 MPakm-1. Leak off test and formation integrity test data has been used to estimate the gradient of minimum horizontal stress in Cheshire, Lancashire East Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire. This estimates show that the minimum horizontal stress gradient is two MPakm-1 higher in Cheshire and Lancashire than East Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire, which is similar to the differences in vertical stress gradients. Legacy maximum horizontal stress data has been compiled from a variety of techniques from the Coal Authority and peer review publications. This data shows that the maximum horizontal stress > vertical stress, When combined with the leak off test and formation integrity test data (which shows vertical stress > minimum horizontal stress) this indicates that the UK is predominately a strike slip faulting environment. Above 1200 m there are indications of reverse faulting though these are largely confined to igneous rocks in Cornwall, Leicestershire and Cumbria. The available information shows that there are similarities in the stress field across the UK though due to the geographic and stratigraphic constraints on the data more information would help to better characterise the stress field

    In-situ stress orientations in the UK Southern North Sea: regional trends, deviations and detachment of the post-Zechstein stress field

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    The orientation of the maximum horizontal compressive stress (SHmax) in the UK Southern North Sea has been determined using data derived from borehole breakout analysis of four-arm caliper logs. The results agree with existing stress models for NW Europe, confirming that horizontal stresses in the region have an approximately NW–SE orientation of SHmax. This is interpreted as being a result of plate boundary convergence. Local deviations in the SHmax orientations are observed spatially and also vertically within some wells. Some of these deviations are attributed to rotations of the stress field adjacent to faults or between different fault blocks. The data also suggest detachment of the stress regime in the post-Permian cover rocks, caused by the presence of a thick underlying Permian-aged evaporite sequence and associated halokinesis. Analyses of borehole resistivity image logs have been used to verify the SHmax orientations in some wells. These image logs validate some of the stress indicators whilst highlighting a number of deficiencies in the use of four-arm caliper data to characterise borehole breakouts. From the available data it is difficult to unambiguously define the nature of variations from the mean SHmax orientations observed. Further analyses of image log data over greater depth-ranges are therefore required in order to investigate more fully the effects of stress rotations near faults and apparent stress detachment above salt-cored anticlinal structures

    Poisoning-tolerant metal hydride materials and their application for hydrogen separation from CO2/CO containing gas mixtures

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    Metal hydride materials offer attractive solutions in addressing problems associated with hydrogen separation and purification from waste flue gases. However, a challenging problem is the deterioration of hydrogen charging performances resulting from the surface chemical action of electrophilic gases. In this work, the feasibility study of poisoning tolerance of surface modified AB5-type hydride forming materials and their application for hydrogen separation from process gases containing carbon dioxide and monoxide was carried out. Target composition of La(Ni,Co,Mn,Al)5 substrate was chosen to provide maximum reversible hydrogen capacity at the process conditions. The selected substrate alloy has been shown to be effectively surface-modified by fluorination followed by electroless deposition of palladium. The surface-modified material exhibited good coating quality, high cycle stability and minimal deterioration of kinetics of selective hydrogen absorption at room temperature, from gas mixtures containing 10% CO2 and up to 100 ppm CO. The experimental prototype of a hydrogen separation unit, based on the surface-modified metal hydride material, was tested and exhibited stable hydrogen separation and purification performances when exposed to feedstocks containing concentrations of CO2Web of Scienc

    Impact of in situ stress and fault reactivation on seal integrity in the East Irish Sea Basin, UK

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    Despite having been affected by several stages of exhumation during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic, the contemporary stress state of the East Irish Sea Basin (EISB) is poorly characterised. As the basin is mature in terms of exploitation of hydrocarbons, future exploration beyond the conventional Sherwood Sandstone Group reservoir (Triassic) necessitates a greater understanding of the in situ stress field, while proposed natural gas storage and carbon sequestration schemes also require detailed stress field information. Using petroleum well data, the in situ stress field of the EISB has been characterised to assess the mechanical seal integrity. A strike-slip stress regime most-likely prevails in the basin, meaning the Maximum Horizontal Stress (SHmax) is the greatest of the principal stresses. Interpretation of stress orientation data suggests that SHmax is oriented 152° ± 12°, consistent with mean stress orientations across the wider region associated with plate boundary forces. Some degree of structural control appears to influence the orientation of SHmax, with orientations locally aligned sub-parallel to major Permo-Triassic basin-bounding faults

    Community pharmacists as vaccine providers

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    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the history of pharmacist involvement as vaccine providers in the USA and discuss examples of growing interests in other parts of the world. Design/methodology/approach - Literature searches were performed in PubMed as well as pharmacy-related journals. Findings - Pharmacists have been involved with the storage and management of vaccines for more than a century. Based on the unmet needs in meeting national goals for vaccination rates among adults in the USA, efforts led to training and recognizing pharmacists as vaccine providers which is now within the scope of practice for a pharmacist in all US states and territories. Pharmacists complete a comprehensive training program in vaccine sciences, regulatory considerations, as well as demonstration of skills in administering vaccines. Over 300,000 pharmacists have been trained in vaccine delivery and this represents the majority of the pharmacist workforce in the USA. There are examples of the beneficial impact of pharmacist involvement as vaccine providers in community pharmacy settings. Research limitations/implications - This review is based on a thorough review of the literature but was not conducted in a systematic fashion. Originality/value - This review provides a historical perspective and evidence of the benefit of pharmacists as vaccine providers

    Amplification of evanescent waves in a lossy left-handed material slab

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    We carry out finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, with a specially-designed boundary condition, on pure evanescent waves interacting with a lossy left-handed material (LHM) slab. Our results provide the first full-wave numerical evidence for the amplification of evanescent waves inside a LHM slab of finite absorption. The amplification is due to the interactions between the evanescent waves and the coupled surface polaritons at the two surfaces of the LHM slab and the physical process can be described by a simple model.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

    Isotopic and spin selectivity of H_2 adsorbed in bundles of carbon nanotubes

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    Due to its large surface area and strongly attractive potential, a bundle of carbon nanotubes is an ideal substrate material for gas storage. In addition, adsorption in nanotubes can be exploited in order to separate the components of a mixture. In this paper, we investigate the preferential adsorption of D_2 versus H_2(isotope selectivity) and of ortho versus para(spin selectivity) molecules confined in the one-dimensional grooves and interstitial channels of carbon nanotube bundles. We perform selectivity calculations in the low coverage regime, neglecting interactions between adsorbate molecules. We find substantial spin selectivity for a range of temperatures up to 100 K, and even greater isotope selectivity for an extended range of temperatures,up to 300 K. This isotope selectivity is consistent with recent experimental data, which exhibit a large difference between the isosteric heats of D_2 and H_2 adsorbed in these bundles.Comment: Paper submitted to Phys.Rev. B; 17 pages, 2 tables, 6 figure

    Dissipative Dynamics of a Josephson Junction In the Bose-Gases

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    The dissipative dynamics of a Josephson junction in the Bose-gases is considered within the framework of the model of a tunneling Hamiltonian. The effective action which describes the dynamics of the phase difference across the junction is derived using functional integration method. The dynamic equation obtained for the phase difference across the junction is analyzed for the finite temperatures in the low frequency limit involving the radiation terms. The asymmetric case of the Bose-gases with the different order parameters is calculated as well
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