Search Results (24)

It is imperative to understand the shear mechanical properties and pore evolution of granite under thermal shock to assess the fracturing of hot dry rock reservoirs. In this study, variable-angle shear tests were performed on coarse- and fine-grained granite samples following liquid nitrogen (LN₂) cooling under different high-temperature conditions. The effect of thermal treatment temperature, particle type, and cooling method on the shear strength, cohesion, and angle of internal friction of granite was then analyzed. To this end, low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the pore size distribution and microstructural evolution of granite. The experimental results indicate that both the shear strength and cohesion of granite initially increase and then decrease with the rise in thermal treatment temperature. The maximum increases in shear strength and cohesion are 38.0% and 36.7%, respectively, while the maximum decreases reach 43.7% and 42.4%. Notably, the most pronounced thermal hardening effect is observed at 200 °C. In contrast, the internal friction angle exhibits a decreasing-then-increasing trend as the temperature rises, with a maximum reduction of 5.4% and a maximum increase of 14.5%. In addition, fine-grained granite exhibits superior shear strength and a more pronounced thermal hardening effect compared to coarse-grained granite. Furthermore, the damage effect caused by thermal shock increases with increasing heat treatment temperature, with the damage effect induced by liquid nitrogen cooling being particularly significant compared to water cooling. Furthermore, for both types of granite at the same shear angle, an increase in the heat treatment temperature results in a corresponding increase in the total fracture area, with the fracture area after liquid nitrogen cooling being more significant. The macroscopic failure mode changes from a mixed compression–shear failure mode to a direct shear failure mode with increasing shear angle. NMR testing shows that liquid nitrogen cooling can effectively increase the proportion of medium pores and large pores in the granite and increase the connectivity of internal pores; specifically, in coarse-grained granite, medium pores and large pores collectively increased by 10.5%, while in fine-grained granite, the total increase in medium pores reached 51%. As the heat treatment temperature increases, the type of crack that develops in granite changes from intragranular to transgranular. In addition, the fracture surface of granite is more prone to form micropores and small pores when cooled with liquid nitrogen, increasing the connectivity of the crack network. The results of this research will be useful for fracturing hot dry rock reservoirs. Full article

Geothermal energy can be obtained from hot dry rock (HDR). The target temperatures for heat extraction from HDR range from 100 to 400 °C. Artificial fracturing is employed to stimulate HDR and create a network of fractures for geothermal resource extraction. Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is environmentally friendly and shows better performance in reservoir stimulation than does conventional fracturing. In this study, triaxial compression experiments and acoustic emission location techniques were used to evaluate the impacts of temperatures and confining pressures on the mechanical property deterioration caused by LN₂ cooling. The numerical simulation of LN₂ fracturing was performed, and the results were compared with those for water and nitrogen fracturing. The results demonstrate that the confining pressure mitigated the deterioration effect of LN₂ on the crack initiation stress, crack damage stress, and peak stress. From 20 to 60 MPa, LN₂-induced reductions in these three stress parameters ranged between 7.73–18.51%, 3.46–12.15%, and 2.51–8.50%, respectively. Cryogenic LN₂ increased the number and complexity of cracks generated during rock failure, further enhancing the fracture performance. Compared with those for water and nitrogen fracturing, the initiation pressures of LN₂ fracturing decreased by 61.54% and 68.75%, and the instability pressures of LN₂ fracturing decreased by 20.00% and 29.41%, respectively. These results contribute to the theoretical foundation for LN₂ fracturing in HDR. Full article

Nitrogen foam is a promising enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique with significant potential for tertiary oil recovery. This improves the efficiency of the oil displacement during the gas drive processes while expanding the swept volume. However, in the high-temperature, high-salinity reservoirs of the Tahe Oilfield, conventional N₂ foam systems show suboptimal performance, as their effectiveness is heavily limited by temperature and salinity. Consequently, enhancing the foam stability under these harsh conditions is crucial for unlocking new opportunities for the development of Tahe fracture-vuggy reservoirs. In this study, the Waring–Blender method was used to prepare weathered coal particles as a foam stabilizer. Compared to conventional foam stabilizers, weathered coal particles were found to enhance the stability of the liquid film under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions. Firstly, the foaming properties of the six foaming agents were comprehensively evaluated and their foaming properties were observed at different concentrations. YL-3J with a mass concentration of 0.7% was selected. The foaming stabilization performance of four types of solid particles was evaluated and weathered coal solid particles with a mass concentration of 15% and particle size of 300 mesh were selected. Therefore, the particle-reinforced foam system was determined to consist of “foaming agent YL-3J (0.7%) + weathered coal (15.0%) + nitrogen”. This system exhibited a foaming volume of 310 mL at 150 °C and salinity of 210,000 mg/L, with a half-life of 1920 s. Finally, through interfacial tension and viscoelastic modulus tests, the synergistic mechanism between weathered coal particles and surfactants was demonstrated. The incorporation of weathered coal particles reduced the interfacial tension of the system. The formation of a skeleton at the foam interface increased the apparent viscosity and viscoelastic modulus, reduced the liquid drainage rate from the foam, and mitigated the disproportionation effect. These effects enhanced the temperature, salinity resistance, and stability of the foam. Consequently, they contributed to the stable flow of foam under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions in the reservoir, thereby improving the oil displacement efficiency of the system. Full article

This study presents research on the stress distribution characteristics of rock in the bottomhole and the influence laws of various parameters under the impact of liquid nitrogen jet. A multi-field coupled numerical model considering transient flow field, conjugate heat transfer, and nonlinear solid deformation was established to investigate the damage-induced fracturing mechanism of rock under liquid nitrogen jet. The study compares the impact effects of liquid nitrogen jet and water jet on rock and analyzes the variations in the stress field under different parameters. Due to its extremely low temperature, the liquid nitrogen jet creates a strong thermal stress gradient in a short time, significantly increasing the maximum principal stress and Mises stress in the rock compared to a water jet. Solid parameters, particularly the confining pressure and elastic modulus of the rock, have a more significant impact on stress distribution, while fluid parameters such as outlet pressure and fluid temperature have a smaller and more volatile effect. An increase in confining pressure inhibits tensile failure in the rock, while a higher elastic modulus enhances both tensile and shear failure. The initial rock temperature significantly affects the stress distribution, with optimal tensile failure observed at intermediate temperatures. The liquid nitrogen jet achieves a higher maximum velocity and overflow velocity than the water jet, contributing to more effective rock fracturing. The results provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of liquid nitrogen jet drilling parameters, which can help improve drilling efficiency. Full article

The exploration of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal energy is essential to fulfill the energy demands of the increasing population. Investigating the physical and mechanical properties of heated rock under different cooling methods has significant implications for the exploitation of HDR. In this study, ultrasonic testing, uniaxial strength compression experiments, Brazilian splitting tests, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were conducted on heated granite after different cooling methods, including cooling in air, cooling in water, cooling in liquid nitrogen, and cycle cooling in liquid nitrogen. The results demonstrated that the density, P-wave velocity (V_p), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), tensile strength (σ_t), and elastic modulus (E) of heated granite tend to decrease as the cooling rate increases. Notably, heated granite subjected to cyclic liquid nitrogen cooling exhibits a more pronounced decline in physical and mechanical properties and a higher degree of damage. Furthermore, the cooling treatments also lead to an increase in rock pore size and porosity. At a faster cooling rate, the fracture surfaces of the granite transition from smooth to rough, suggesting enhanced fracture propagation and complexity. These findings provide critical theoretical insights into optimizing stimulation performance strategies for HDR exploitation. Full article

Ultralow-temperature fluids (such as liquid nitrogen, liquid CO₂) are novel waterless fracturing technologies designed for dry, water-sensitive reservoirs. Due to their ultralow temperatures, high compression ratios, strong frost heaving forces, and low viscosities, they offer a solution for enhancing the fracturing and permeability of low-permeability reservoirs. In this study, we focus on the combined effects of high-pressure fluid rock breaking, low-temperature freeze-thaw fracturing, and liquid-gas phase transformation expansion on coal-rock in low-permeability reservoirs during liquid nitrogen fracturing (LNF). We systematically analyze the factors that limit the LNF effectiveness, and we discuss the pore fracture process induced by low-temperature fracturing in coal-rock and its impact on the permeability. Based on this analysis, we propose a model and flow for fracturing low-permeability reservoirs with low-temperature fluids. The analysis suggests that the Leidenfrost effect and phase change after ultralow-temperature fluids enter the coal support the theoretical feasibility of high-pressure fluid rock breaking. The thermal impact and temperature exchange rate between the fluid and coal determine the temperature difference gradient, which directly affects the mismatch deformation and fracture development scale of different coal-rock structures. The low-temperature phase change coupling fracturing of ultralow-temperature fluids is the key to the formation of reservoir fracture networks. The coal-rock components, natural fissures, temperature difference gradients, and number of cycles are the key factors in low-temperature fracturing. In contrast to those in conventional hydraulic fracturing, the propagation and interaction of fractures under low-temperature conditions involve multifield coupling and synergistic temperature, fluid flow, fracture development, and stress distribution processes. The key factors determining the feasibility of the large-scale application of ultralow-temperature fluid fracturing in the future are the reconstruction of fracture networks and the enhancement of the permeability response in low-permeability reservoirs. Based on these considerations, we propose a model and process for LNF in low-permeability reservoirs. The research findings presented herein provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for understanding waterless fracturing mechanisms in deep reservoirs. Full article

In this work, the tensile deformation mechanisms of the Fe₅₅Co_17.5Cr_12.5Ni₁₀Mo_5−xC_x-based medium-entropy alloy at room temperature (R.T.), 77 K, and 4.2 K are studied. The formation of micro-defects and martensitic transformation to delay the cryogenic fracture are observed. The results show that FeCoCrNiMo_5−xC_x-based alloys exhibit outstanding mechanical properties under cryogenic conditions. Under an R.T. condition, the primary contributing mechanism of strain hardening is twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP), whereas at 77 K and 4.2 K, the activation of martensitic transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) becomes the main strengthening mechanism during cryogenic tensile deformation. Additionally, the carbide precipitation along with increased dislocation density can significantly improve yield and tensile strength. Furthermore, the marked reduction in stacking fault energy (SFE) at cryogenic temperatures can promote mechanisms such as twinning and martensitic transformations, which are pivotal for enhancing ductility under extreme conditions. The Mo₄C₁ alloy obtains the optimal strength–ductility combination at cryogenic-to-room temperatures. The tensile strength and elongation of the Mo4C1 alloy are 776 MPa and 50.5% at R.T., 1418 MPa and 71.2% in liquid nitrogen 77 K, 1670 MPa and 80.0% in liquid helium 4.2 K, respectively. Full article

Rock burst, an important kind of geological disaster, often occurs in underground construction. Rock burst risk assessment, as an important part of engineering risk assessment, cannot be ignored. Liquid nitrogen fracturing is a new technology used in the geological, oil, and gas industries to enhance productivity. It involves injecting liquid nitrogen into reservoir rocks to induce fractures and increase permeability, effectively reducing rock burst occurrences and facilitating the flow of oil or gas toward the wellbore. The research on rock burst risk assessment technology is the basis of reducing rock burst geological disasters, which has important theoretical and practical significance. This article examines the temperature treatment of two types of rocks at 25 °C, 100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, and 400 °C, followed by immersion in a liquid nitrogen tank. The temperature difference between the liquid nitrogen and the rocks may trigger rock bursting. The research focused on analyzing various characteristics of rock samples when exposed to liquid nitrogen. This included studying the stress–strain curve, elastic modulus, strength, cross-section analysis, wave velocity, and other relevant aspects. Under the influence of high temperature and a liquid nitrogen jet, the wave velocity of rocks often changes. The structural characteristics and possible hidden dangers of rocks can be understood more comprehensively through section scanning analysis. The stress–strain curve describes the deformation and failure behavior of rocks under different stress levels, which can help to evaluate their stability and structural performance. The investigation specifically focused on the behavior of rocks subjected to high temperatures and liquid nitrogen. By analyzing the stress–strain curves, researchers were able to identify the precursors and deformation processes that occur before significant deformation or failure. These findings have implications for the mechanical properties and stability of the rocks. Full article

Coal penetration enhancement technology is the key to increase the production of coalbed methane. Coal bodies are subjected to different peripheral pressures in the in situ strata, and the study of the changes in the mechanical strength of coal bodies under different peripheral pressures after the action of liquid nitrogen is crucial for the penetration enhancement of liquid nitrogen (LN₂)-fractured coal. In this paper, an MTS universal testing machine was utilized to carry out experiments to obtain the stress–strain curves of the coal under different freezing times under 1 MPa surrounding pressure and different surrounding pressures after 50 min of LN₂ action. The experimental results showed the following: (1) the uniaxial compressive strength and peak strain of coal samples in a frozen state are positively correlated under two conditions. The modulus of elasticity decreased before 100 min at different times of LN₂ action, and the modulus of elasticity was maximum at 5 MPa at different peripheral pressure actions; (2) the uniaxial compressive strength and peak strain of the frozen-thawed coal samples decreased before 100 min of LN₂ action at different times, and the modulus of elasticity continued to decrease. The uniaxial compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of coal samples in freeze–thaw state under different peripheral pressures were the largest at 5 MPa, and the peak strain was negatively correlated. (3) The elastic strain energy of the frozen coal samples under the action of LN₂ at different times was positively correlated with the freezing time before 80 min, and negatively correlated after 80 min. The elastic strain energy of the frozen coal samples was positively correlated with the freezing time. The elastic strain energy and freezing time of the two coal samples under different circumferential pressures were positively correlated before 5 MPa and negatively correlated after 5 MPa, with opposite dissipation energies. (4) The water–ice phase transition and temperature–thermal stresses on the internal structure of the coal in the presence of LN₂ cause significant damage. The degradation of coal samples in the freeze–thaw state is even higher under in situ ground pressure. Full article

Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) fracturing is a potential stimulation method in unconventional hydrocarbon recovery, showing its merits in being water free, creating low formation damage and being environmentally friendly. The microstructure evolution of rocks subjected to LN₂ cooling is a fundamental concern for the engineering application of LN₂ fracturing. In this paper, pore-scale imaging and characterization were performed on two rocks, i.e., tight sandstone and coal specimens subjected to LN₂ cooling using computed tomography scanning. The digital core technique was employed to reconstruct the microstructures of rocks and give a quantitative analysis of the pore structure evolution of both dry and water-saturated rocks. The results indicate that LN₂ cooling has a great effect on the pores’ morphology and their spatial distribution, leading to a great improvement in pore diameter and aspect ratio. When compared to the sandstone, coal is more sensitive to LN₂ cooling and thermal stresses, having a more noticeable growth in pore–throat size. The porosity growth of coal is 291% higher than that of sandstone. There is a growing trend in the irregularity and complexity of pore structures. After LN₂ cooling, the fractal dimensions of the pores of sandstone and coal grow by 11.7% and 0.87%, respectively, and the proportion of pores with a shape factor > 100 increases. More bundle-like and strip-shape pores with multiple branches are generated, which causes a significant growth in the throat size and the proportion of connected pores with a coordination number ≥ 1, enhancing the complexity and connectivity of pore structures dramatically. Additionally, pore water plays an important role in aggravating rock damage during LN₂ cooling, enhancing the pore space and connectivity. The porosities of the saturated sandstone and coal samples grow by 22.6% and 490.4%, respectively, after LN₂ cooling, which are 5.6% and 186.6% higher than dry samples. The generation of macropores ≥ 70 μm is the primary contributor to porosity growth during LN₂ cooling, although such pores account for only a small proportion of the total. These findings contribute to our understanding of the microscopic mechanism of LN₂ cooling on rock damage and may provide some guidance for the engineering application of LN₂ fracturing. Full article

Liquid nitrogen fracturing has emerged as a promising technique in fluid fracturing, providing significant advantages for the utilization and development of geothermal energy. Similarly to hydraulic fracturing in reservoirs, liquid nitrogen fracturing entails a common challenge of fluid–rock interaction, encompassing the permeation and diffusion processes of fluids within rock pores and fractures. Geomechanical analysis plays a crucial role in evaluating the transfer and diffusion capabilities of fluids within rocks, enabling the prediction of fracturing outcomes and fracture network development. This technique is particularly advantageous for facilitating heat exchange with hot dry rocks and inducing fractures within rock formations. The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of liquid nitrogen fracturing on hot dry rocks, focusing specifically on granite specimens. The experimental design comprises two sets of granite samples to explore the impact of liquid nitrogen cooling cycles on the mode I fracture characteristics, acoustic emission features, and rock burst tendency of granite. By examining the mechanical properties, acoustic emission features, and rock burst tendencies under different cycling conditions, the effectiveness of liquid nitrogen fracturing technology is revealed. The results indicate that: (1) The ultimate load-bearing capacity of the samples gradually decreases with an increase in the number of cycling times. (2) The analysis of acoustic emission signals reveals a progressive increase in the cumulative energy of the samples with cycling times, indicating that cycling stimulates the release of stored energy within the samples. (3) After undergoing various cycling treatments, the granite surface becomes rougher, exhibiting increased porosity and notable mineral particle detachment. These results suggest that the cyclic application of high-temperature heating and liquid nitrogen cooling promotes the formation of internal fractures in granite. This phenomenon is believed to be influenced by the inherent heterogeneity and expansion–contraction of internal particles. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the morphological sections provides insights into the structural changes induced by liquid nitrogen fracturing in granite samples. Full article

As an anhydrous fracturing method, liquid nitrogen jet fracturing technology is expected to become an efficient development method for shale gas resources. In order to explore the influence of the pressurization effect in the liquid nitrogen jet channel, the flow field in the perforation tunnel during the liquid nitrogen jet fracturing process was simulated by computational fluid dynamics, and the complex flow mechanism of liquid nitrogen in the perforation tunnel was analyzed. The pressurization effect of liquid nitrogen jet and water jet fracturing was compared, and the influence of various parameters on the pressurization effect of liquid nitrogen jet fracturing was studied. The research results indicate that under the same conditions, liquid nitrogen jets have a pressurization effect comparable to water jets, and the difference between the pressurization values of the liquid nitrogen jet and the water jet in the perforation tunnel is not more than 0.4 MPa under different nozzle pressure drop conditions. The larger the nozzle pressure drop and nozzle diameter, the greater the pressure increase value in the perforation tunnel of liquid nitrogen jet fracturing, which decreases with the increase in casing hole diameter. Further analysis shows that the pressurization effect is most affected by the two parameters of casing hole diameter and nozzle diameter. The essential reason for its influence on the pressurization value is the squeezing effect of the jet on the perforation tunnel fluid and the sealing effect of the shrinking part of the perforation tunnel on the backflow. The ambient pressure, the temperature of liquid nitrogen, and the diameter of the wellbore have no obvious effect on the pressurization effect. Therefore, through the reasonable combination of casing hole diameter and nozzle diameter, the sealing effect of the contraction part of the perforation tunnel on the fluid and the squeezing effect on the fluid in the perforation tunnel will be affected, which will significantly improve the pressurization effect of the liquid nitrogen jet in the perforation tunnel. Full article

Cryogenic fracturing, which uses liquid nitrogen (LN₂) as a fracturing fluid, is a waterless fracturing method. However, previous attempts to investigate the fracture morphology of rocks after LN₂ quenching have been mainly based on standard scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis at room temperature. This can be problematic since thermally-induced fractures created by temperature difference tend to close as a sample warms and thermal stress relaxes. To address this issue, we established a novel approach employing Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) to investigate the fracture patterns induced by liquid nitrogen quenching under cryogenic conditions. This method can achieve in-situ visualization of fractures and pores with a nano-scale resolution at −190 °C. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is also employed to illustrate the fracture distribution inside samples. Cryo-SEM and standard SEM are compared, and statistical assessments are conducted to quantify fracture aperture size and closure scale. The results demonstrate that Cryo-SEM can more accurately preserve native fracture morphology and provide a more accurate means of evaluating fracture scales generated during LN₂ quenching, particularly at higher temperature differences between rock and liquid nitrogen. Distinct fracture patterns and fracture width are observed for various rock types (i.e., coal, sandstone, shale, granite) by using these methods. More prominently, the maximum fracture width of coal, sandstone, shale and granite were 89.17 µm, 1.29 µm, 0.028 µm and 2.12 µm when the temperature difference between LN₂ and rock samples were 296 °C. LN₂ is shown to exhibit superior fracturing efficiency on coal and granite, characterized by complex fracture networks with branched fractures. This research contributes to our understanding of liquid nitrogen fracturing mechanisms and may offer effective approaches for unconventional reservoirs stimulation. Full article

To analyze the influence of liquid-nitrogen cooling on the damage and failure of high-temperature granite, granite samples were heated to 150~600 °C for natural cooling and liquid-nitrogen cooling treatment. Brazilian splitting tests were carried out as the samples returned to room temperature, and basic tensile and energy evolution parameters were obtained. Acoustic emission signal parameters during loading were recorded. The experimental results showed that the heating process caused damage to the granite samples, and liquid-nitrogen cooling further increased the degree of damage. Specifically, the ultrasonic velocity of liquid-nitrogen-cooled samples was lower than that of naturally cooled samples at each heating temperature. With an increase in heating temperature, the AE ring-down counts of liquid-nitrogen-cooled samples were higher than that of naturally cooled samples. At the same heating temperature, the dissipated energy of naturally cooled samples was greater than that of liquid-nitrogen-cooled samples. Liquid-nitrogen cooling could effectively promote the propagation of microcracks inside high-temperature granite and result in a reduction in the mechanical strength of granite, which could be conducive to the efficient fracture of high-temperature rock during fracturing. Full article

Titanium alloy has the advantages of low thermal conductivity, a small expansion coefficient and being non-magnetic, making it an ideal low-temperature structural material. In this paper, the typical TC4 titanium alloy in industrial titanium alloy is selected as the research object. The microstructure deformation law and mechanical behavior of TC4 titanium alloy at liquid nitrogen temperature are mainly investigated, and compared with the microstructure and properties at room temperature. The macroscopic and microscopic deformation mechanism of the simultaneous increase in elongation and hardening index of titanium alloy at low temperature is revealed, which provides a basic basis for the low-temperature deformation mechanism and strengthening and toughening design of titanium alloy. Based on the uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature (298 K) and low temperature (77 K), the effects of low temperature on the yield strength, elongation, tensile strength and work hardening curve of titanium alloy were compared and analyzed. The strength/plasticity synergistic improvement of TC4 titanium alloy under low-temperature deformation was found. At low temperature, the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of TC4 titanium alloy are improved compared with room temperature. The tensile strength increases from 847.93 MPa at 298 K to 1318.70 MPa at 77 K, and the elongation increases from 21.8% at 298 K to 24.9% at 77 K. The grain morphology, grain orientation, dislocation density and fracture morphology of titanium alloy under room temperature and low-temperature tensile conditions were studied by SEM and EBSD. The results of fracture morphology characterization at room temperature and low temperature show that TC4 titanium alloy exhibits ductile fracture characteristics and a large number of dimples are formed on the fracture surface. The dimple depth at low temperature is shallower than that at room temperature and the overall surface is more flat. Compared with room temperature deformation, the deformation process of TC4 titanium alloy in a low-temperature environment produces stronger dislocation pile-up and forms a large number of twins, but the grain rotation is more significant, which effectively alleviates the stress concentration and delays the initiation and propagation of cracks at grain boundaries. Full article