A CT-scanner study of foam dynamics in porous media

International audienceWe report an experimental study of N2-foam injection in a Bentheimer sandstone coupled with X-ray Computed Tomography (CT-scanner). The measurements of pressure drop and gas saturation at different flow rates and foam qualities allowed us to describe the foam dynamics under transient and steady-state flow conditions. The brine displacement by foam shows a transient piston-like displacement pattern taking place in two successive phases. Saturation profiles reveal permanent entrance effects related to the injection procedure, and transient downstream end effects related to the gradual foam build-up. Entrance effects are attenuated with a high foam quality and at low total flow rate. The rheological behavior of foam was studied in terms of apparent foam viscosity and foamed-gas mobility as a function of foam quality and gas interstitial velocity. In the low-quality regime, foam exhibits a shear-thinning behavior that can be modelled by a power function. Furthermore, for a fixed total velocity, the quasi-invariance of strong foam apparent viscosity values is shown to result from the slight increase of trapped gas saturation, within the commonly-admitted assumption of invariant foam texture in the low-quality regime. An increase in gas mobility was observed above a certain value of the foam quality. That transition between low-quality and high-quality regimes was related to a limiting capillary pressure of foam in the porous medium under consideration

A CT-scanner study of foam dynamics in porous media

We report an experimental study of N2-foam injection in a Bentheimer sandstone coupled with X-ray Computed Tomography (CT-scanner). The measurements of pressure drop and gas saturation at different flow rates and foam qualities allowed us to describe the foam dynamics under transient and steady-state flow conditions. The brine displacement by foam shows a transient piston-like displacement pattern taking place in two successive phases. Saturation profiles reveal permanent entrance effects related to the injection procedure, and transient downstream end effects related to the gradual foam build-up. Entrance effects are attenuated with a high foam quality and at low total flow rate. The rheological behavior of foam was studied in terms of apparent foam viscosity and foamed-gas mobility as a function of foam quality and gas interstitial velocity. In the low-quality regime, foam exhibits a shear-thinning behavior that can be modelled by a power function. Furthermore, for a fixed total velocity, the quasi-invariance of strong foam apparent viscosity values is shown to result from the slight increase of trapped gas saturation, within the commonly-admitted assumption of invariant foam texture in the low-quality regime. An increase in gas mobility was observed above a certain value of the foam quality. That transition between low-quality and high-quality regimes was related to a limiting capillary pressure of foam in the porous medium under consideration

STUDY OF AGGLOMERATION OF ICE PARTICLES AND OF TRICHLOROFLUOROMETHANE HYDRATE PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN A HYDROCARBON PHASE

This work deals with the problem of pipeline plugging by gas hydrates during oil production. Gas hydrates are crystals resulting from water and gas molecules association under high pressure and low temperature conditions. Such thermodynamical conditions are generally encountered during oil production and transport, particularly in deep offshore fields or in cold areas. Due to an agglomeration process which is still debated, hydrate occurrence can lead to plug formation. This study aims at improving the understanding in this mechanism process, in the case of water-in-oil emulsions. Therefore, ice or hydrate particle agglomeration is compared. Ice or trichlorofluoromethane (CCl3F) hydrate particles dispersed in xylene with asphaltenes as surfactant is chosen as a model system. As CCl3F hydrates are stable under atmospheric pressure, it allows us to apply different techniques without being limited by high pressure conditions. The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique is used. The very different relaxation rate for solids or liquids is used to monitor in situ the ratio between solid and total hydrogen or fluorine as a function of time with controlled shearing conditions. Thus, a kinetic study is realized, that enabled to know the amount of ice formed. The apparent viscosity of the system, during crystallization and plugging, is also followed with rheometry in order to characterize agglomeration. This experimental approach allows us to highlight that physico-chemistry of interface water/oil has an important role in agglomeration. It enables us to discuss different mechanisms of agglomeration of ice and hydrate particles in a hydrocarbon phase.Non UBCUnreviewe

The synthesis of colloidal particles of calcium thiophosphates in a microemulsion: influence of the parameters of the process

International audienceThe synthesis of colloidal particles of calcium thiophosphate from calcium oxide and phosphorus pentasulfide catalyzed by water in a microemulsion medium involves a reaction process which is controlled by out-of-equilibrium steps. The reaction product, the yield and the colloidal stability then strongly depend on the process. In particular, the rate of addition of the water in the reaction medium is of importance. Its influence was investigated by means of a kinetic study where both the products of the chemical reaction and the structure of the suspension were studied as a function of the conversion. A progressive addition of water leads to stable suspensions of calcium thiophosphate particles of small size with high yields. On the contrary, a one-shot addition of water leads to a suspension with a bimodal size distribution and with lower yields. The transient formation of calcium hydroxide colloidal particles is proposed as the origin of the formation of larger particles found in the one-shot process

Predicting mechanical degradation indicators of silver fir wooden strips using near infrared spectroscopy

International audienceThe management of ecological engineering structures making up a timber structure requires periodical evaluations, including the level of decay of the constituent parts of the timber structure. Methods exist to measure the level of decay in the laboratory or in the field. However, they are rarely suitable for the conditions of ecological engineering structures, or give partial information. The aim of this study was to predict two mechanical degradation indicators (DwMOE and DwMOR) of silver fir (Abies alba) wooden strips during microbial decomposition using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). For 1.5 years, the degradation of 180 squared wooden strips, 30 mm wide and 500 mm long, buried in a greenhouse near Grenoble, France (Altitude: 200 m) was monitored. DwMOE and DwMOR were set from the normalized losses in modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR), two mechanical properties classically used for timber-structure design. A calibration set of 109 samples was selected to build two separate predictive models of DwMOE and DwMOR using partial least square regression. The NIR-based models applied to a validation set of 47 samples indicated good prediction performance. The model has a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.15 and a coefficient of determination (r2p) of 0.79. The DwMOR model has a RMSEP of 0.13 and a r2-value of 0.91. These results highlight the considerable potential of NIRS in assessing the extension of decay in wooden logs

RNR2 repression by p21 restricts reverse transcription of HIV-1 and related-lentiviruses in macrophages

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p21-mediated RNR2 repression restricts HIV-1 replication in macrophages by inhibiting dNTP biosynthesis pathway

International audienceMacrophages are a major target cell for HIV-1, and their infection contributes to HIV pathogenesis. We have previously shown that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 inhibits the replication of HIV-1 and other primate lentiviruses in human monocyte-derived macrophages by impairing reverse transcription of the viral genome. In the attempt to understand the p21-mediated restriction mechanisms, we found that p21 impairs HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)mac reverse transcription in macrophages by reducing the intracellular deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) pool to levels below those required for viral cDNA synthesis by a SAM domain and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1)-independent pathway. We found that p21 blocks dNTP biosynthesis by down-regulating the expression of the RNR2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme essential for the reduction of ribonucleotides to dNTP. p21 inhibits RNR2 transcription by repressing E2F1 transcription factor, its transcriptional activator. Our findings unravel a cellular pathway that restricts HIV-1 and other primate lentiviruses by affecting dNTP synthesis, thereby pointing to new potential cellular targets for anti-HIV therapeutic strategies

Reply to Pauls et al.: p21 is a master regulator of HIV replication in macrophages through dNTP synthesis block

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