Search Results (1,560)

Amidst global climate change, carbon emissions across the edible vegetable oil supply chain are critical for sustainable development. This paper systematically reviews the existing literature, employing life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze key factors influencing carbon footprints at stages including cultivation, processing, and transportation. It reveals the differential impacts of fertilizer application, energy structures, and regional policies. Unlike previous reviews that focus on single crops or regions, this study uniquely integrates global data across major edible oils, identifying three critical gaps: methodological inconsistency (60% of studies deviate from the requirements and guidelines for LCA); data imbalance (80% concentrated on soybean/rapeseed); weak policy-technical linkage. Key findings: fertilizer emissions dominate cultivation (40–60% of total footprint), while renewable energy substitution in processing reduces emissions by 35%. Future efforts should prioritize multidisciplinary integration, enhanced data infrastructure, and policy scenario analysis to provide scientific insights for the low-carbon transformation of the global edible oil industry. Full article

This study proposes a multi-objective optimization scheduling method for edible oil transportation in smart manufacturing, focusing on centralized control and addressing challenges such as complex pipelines and shared resource constraints. The method employs the A* and Dijkstra pathfinding algorithm to determine the shortest pipeline route for each task, and estimates pipeline resource usage to derive a node cost weight function. Additionally, the transport time is calculated using the Hagen–Poiseuille law by considering the viscosity coefficients of different oil types. To minimize both cost and time, task execution sequences are optimized based on a Pareto front approach. A 3D digital model of the pipeline system was developed using C#, SolidWorks Professional, and the Helix Toolkit V2.24.0 to simulate a realistic production environment. This model is integrated with a 3D visual human–machine interface(HMI) that displays the status of each task before execution and provides real-time scheduling adjustment and decision-making support. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves scheduling efficiency by over 43% across various scenarios, significantly enhancing overall pipeline transport performance. The proposed method is applicable to pipeline scheduling and transportation management in digital factories, contributing to improved operational efficiency and system integration. Full article

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) have the potential to revolutionize the oil and gas transportation sector, due to their increased strengths and efficiencies as pipelines. Conventional pipelines frequently face serious problems such as extreme weather, pressure changes, corrosion, and stress-induced pipe bursts. By analyzing the mechanical and thermal performance of FGM-based pipes under various operating conditions, this study investigates the possibility of using them as a more reliable substitute. In the current study, the post-buckling and nonlinear vibration behaviors of pipes composed of FGMs transporting heavy crude oil were examined using a Timoshenko beam framework. The material properties of the FGM pipe were observed to change gradually across the thickness, following a power-law distribution, and were influenced by temperature variations. In this regard, two types of FGM pipes are considered: one with a metal-rich inner surface and ceramic-rich outer surface, and the other with a reverse configuration featuring metal on the outside and ceramic on the inside. The nonlinear governing equations (NGEs) describing the system’s nonlinear dynamic response were formulated by considering nonlinear strain terms through the von Kármán assumptions and employing Hamilton’s principle. These equations were then discretized using Galerkin’s method to facilitate the analytical investigation. The Runge–Kutta method was employed to address the nonlinear vibration problem. It is concluded that, compared with pipelines made from conventional materials, those constructed with FGMs exhibit enhanced thermal resistance and improved mechanical strength. Full article

The paper provides an analysis of the causes of accidents in oil and gas pipeline systems. As part of a comprehensive overview of the topic, it also presents the historical development of pipeline systems, from the first commercial oil pipelines in the United States to modern infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on the role of regulatory requirements and measures (prevention, detection, and mitigation) to improve transport efficiency and pipeline safety. The research uses historical accident data from various databases to identify the main causes of accidents and analyse trends. The focus is on factors such as corrosion, third-party interference, and natural disasters that can lead to accidents. A comparison of the various accident databases shows that there are different practises and approaches to operation and reporting. As each database differs in terms of inclusion criteria, the categories are divided into five main groups to allow systematic interpretation of the data and cross-comparison of accident causes. Regional differences in the causes of accidents involving oil and gas pipelines in Europe, the USA, and Canada are visible. However, an integrated analysis shows that the number of accidents is declining in almost all categories. The majority of all recorded accidents are in the “Human factors and Operational disruption” and “Corrosion and Material damage” groups. It is recommended to use the database as required, as each category has its own specifics. Full article

Many low-temperature applications, such as rocket engines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport pumps, necessitate ultra-low-temperature operational environments. In these conditions, the properties of lubricating oils and greases are significantly influenced by temperature, leading to the widespread adoption of solid lubrication. Currently, there is no international research regarding the influence of bearing coatings on the subsurface stress distribution in raceways. The Lundberg–Palmgren (L-P) theory states that subsurface stress variations govern bearing lifespan. Therefore, this paper utilizes existing formulas and Python programming to calculate the subsurface stress field of the inner raceway in a MoS₂ solid-lubricated angular contact ball bearing. Furthermore, it analyzes the impacts of factors such as coating material properties, slide-to-roll ratio, traction coefficient, and load on its subsurface stress field. The results reveal that for solid-lubricated ball bearings, as the load increases, the maximum subsurface stress shifts closer to the center of the contact area, and the maximum subsurface shear stress becomes more concentrated. As the traction coefficient increases, the stress on the XZ-plane side increases and its position moves closer to the surface, while the opposite trend is observed on the other side. Additionally, the maximum value of the subsurface von Mises stress is approximately 0.64P₀, and the maximum value of the orthogonal shear stress component τ_yz in the subsurface is approximately 0.25P₀. Full article

In the wake of the continuous development of the international strategic petroleum reserve system, the tonnage and quantity of oil tankers have been increasing. This trend has driven the expansion of offshore oil exploration and transportation, resulting in frequent incidents of ship oil spills. Catastrophic impacts have been exerted on the marine environment by these accidents, posing a serious threat to economic development and ecological security. Therefore, there is an urgent need for efficient and reliable methods to detect oil spills in a timely manner and minimize potential losses as much as possible. In response to this challenge, a marine radar oil film segmentation method based on feature fusion and the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is proposed in this study. Initially, the raw experimental data are preprocessed to obtain denoised radar images. Subsequently, grayscale adjustment and local contrast enhancement operations are carried out on the denoised images. Next, the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features and Tamura features are extracted from the locally contrast-enhanced images. Then, the generalized least squares (GLS) method is employed to fuse the extracted texture features, yielding a new feature fusion map. Afterwards, the optimal processing threshold is determined to obtain effective wave regions by using the bimodal graph direct method. Finally, the ABC algorithm is utilized to segment the oil films. This method can provide data support for oil spill detection in marine radar images. Full article

Polymer flooding is a widely used enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method for improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of oil production. Optimizing polymer concentration is critical for maximizing recovery while minimizing economic and environmental costs. Here, we present a systematic experimental study which shows that even very low concentrations of polymers yield relatively high recovery rates at adverse mobility ratios (230 cP oil). A series of core flood experiments were conducted on Bentheimer sandstone rock, with polymer concentrations ranging from 40 ppm (1.35 cP) to 600 ppm (10.0 cP). Beyond a mobility ratio threshold, increasing polymer concentration did not significantly enhance recovery. This plateau in performance was attributed to the persistence of viscous fingering and oil crossflow into pre-established water channels. The study suggests that low concentrations of polymer may mobilize oil at high mobility ratios by making use of the pre-established water channels as transport paths for the oil and that the rheology of the polymer enhances this effect. These findings enable reductions in the polymer concentration in fields with adverse mobility ratios, leading to substantial reductions in chemical usage, energy consumption, and environmental impact of the extraction process. Full article

Efficient lubrication lowers friction, wear, and energy losses in automotive drivetrain components. Advanced lubricants are key to sustainable transportation performance, durability, and efficiency. This study analyzes the tribological performance of Group III base oil with CuO and ZnO nanoadditive mixtures. These additives enhance the performance of Group III base oils, making them highly relevant for automotive lubricant applications. An Optimol SRV5 tribometer performed ball-on-disk sliding contact tests with 100Cr6 steel specimens subjected to a 50 N force and a temperature of 100 °C. The test settings are designed to mimic the boundary and mixed lubrication regimes commonly seen in the automobile industry. During the tests, the effect of nanoparticles on friction was measured. Microscopic wear analysis was performed on the worn specimens. The results demonstrate that adding 0.3 wt% CuO nanoparticles to Group III base oil achieves a 19% reduction in dynamic friction and a 47% decrease in disk wear volume compared to additive-free oil. Notably, a 2:1 CuO-to-ZnO mixture produced synergy, delivering up to a 27% friction reduction and a 54% decrease in disk wear. The results show the synergistic effect of CuO and ZnO in reducing friction and wear on specimens. This study highlights the potential of nanoparticles for lubricant development and automotive applications. Full article

CO₂ transport is a crucial part of CCUS. Nonetheless, due to the physical property differences between CO₂ and natural gas and oil, CO₂ pipeline transport is distinct from natural gas and oil transport. Gaseous CO₂ transportation has become the preferred scheme for transporting impurity-containing CO₂ tail gas in purification plants due to its advantages of simple technology, low cost, and high safety, which are well suited to the scenarios of low transportation volume and short distance in purification plants. The research on its physical property and state parameters is precisely aimed at optimizing the process design of gaseous transportation so as to further improve transportation efficiency and safety. Therefore, it has important engineering practical significance. Firstly, this paper collected and analyzed the research cases of CO₂ transport both domestically and internationally, revealing that phase state and physical property testing of CO₂ gas containing impurities is the basic condition for studying CO₂ transport. Subsequently, the exhaust gas captured by the purification plant was captured after hydrodesulfurization treatment, and the characteristics of the exhaust gas components were obtained by comparing before and after treatment. By preparing fluid samples with varied CO₂ content and conducting the flash evaporation test and PV relationship test, the compression factor and density of natural gas under different temperatures and pressures were obtained. It is concluded that under the same pressure in general, the higher the CO₂ content, the smaller the compression factor. Except for pure CO_2, the higher the CO₂ content, the higher the density under constant pressure, which is related to the content of C₂ and heavier hydrocarbon components. At the same temperature, the higher the CO₂ content, the higher the viscosity under the same pressure; the lower the pressure, the slower the viscosity growth slows down. The higher the CO₂ content at the same temperature, the higher the specific heat at constant pressure. With the decrease in temperature, the CO₂ content reaching the highest specific heat at the identical pressure gradually decreases. Finally, BWRS, PR, and SRK equations of state were utilized to calculate the compression factor and density of the gas mixture with a molar composition of 50% CO₂ and the gas mixture with a molar composition of 100% CO₂. Compared with the experimental results, the most suitable equation of state is selected as the PR equation, which refers to the parameter setting of critical nodes of CO₂ gas transport. Full article

In recent years, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions have increased at the fastest rates ever recorded. This is a trend that contradicts global efforts to stabilise greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations and prevent long-term climate change. Over 90% of global transport relies on oil-based fuels. The continued use of diesel and petrol raises concerns related to oil costs, supply security, GHG emissions, and the release of air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. This study explored electric vehicle (EV) charging networks by assessing environmental impacts through GHG and petroleum savings, developing dynamic pricing strategies, and forecasting infrastructure needs. A substantial dataset of over 259,000 EV charging records from Palo Alto, California, was statistically analysed. Machine learning models were applied to generate insights that support sustainable and economically viable electric transport planning for policymakers, urban planners, and other stakeholders. Findings indicate that GHG and gasoline savings are directly proportional to energy consumed, with conversion rates of 0.42 kg CO₂ and 0.125 gallons per kilowatt-hour (kWh), respectively. Additionally, dynamic pricing strategies such as a 20% discount on underutilised days and a 15% surcharge during peak hours are proposed to optimise charging behaviour and improve station efficiency. Full article

With growing reliance on hydraulic fracturing to develop tight oil and gas reservoirs characterized by low porosity and permeability, optimizing proppant transport and placement has become critical to sustaining fracture conductivity and production. However, how fracture geometry influences proppant distribution under varying field conditions remains insufficiently understood. This study employed computational fluid dynamics to investigate proppant transport and placement in hydraulic fractures of which the aperture tapers linearly along their length. Four taper rate models (δ = 0, 1/1500, 1/750, and 1/500) were analyzed under a range of operational parameters: injection velocities (1.38–3.24 m/s), sand concentrations (2–8%), proppant particle sizes (0.21–0.85 mm), and proppant densities (1760–3200 kg/m³). Equilibrium proppant pack height was adopted as the key metric for pack morphology. The results show that increasing injection rate and taper rate both serve to lower pack heights and enhance downstream transport, while a higher sand concentration, larger particle size, and greater density tend to raise pack heights and promote more stable pack geometries. In tapering fractures, higher δ values amplify flow acceleration and turbulence, yielding flatter, “table-top” proppant distributions and extended placement lengths. Fine, low-density proppants more readily penetrate to the fracture tip, whereas coarse or dense particles form taller inlet packs but can still be carried farther under high taper conditions. These findings offer quantitative guidance for optimizing fracture geometry, injection parameters, and proppant design to improve conductivity and reduce sand-plugging risk in tight formations. These insights address the challenge of achieving effective proppant placement in complex fractures and provide quantitative guidance for tailoring fracture geometry, injection parameters, and proppant properties to improve conductivity and mitigate sand plugging risks in tight formations. Full article

We present a theoretical model for the electrophoresis of a weakly charged oil drop migrating through an uncharged polymer gel medium saturated with an aqueous electrolyte solution. The surface charge of the drop arises from the specific adsorption of ions onto its interface. Unlike solid particles, liquid drops exhibit internal fluidity and interfacial dynamics, leading to distinct electrokinetic behavior. In this study, the drop motion is driven by long-range hydrodynamic effects from the surrounding gel, which are treated using the Debye–Bueche–Brinkman continuum framework. A simplified version of the Baygents–Saville theory is adopted, assuming that no ions are present inside the drop and that the surface charge distribution results from linear ion adsorption. An approximate analytical expression is derived for the electrophoretic mobility of the drop under the condition of low zeta potential. Importantly, the derived expression explicitly includes the Marangoni effect, which arises from spatial variations in interfacial tension due to non-uniform ion adsorption. This model provides a physically consistent and mathematically tractable basis for understanding the electrophoretic transport of oil drops in soft porous media such as hydrogels, with potential applications in microfluidics, separation processes, and biomimetic systems. These results also show that the theory could be applied to more complicated or biologically important soft materials. Full article

The growing global demand for energy necessitates the efficient utilization of unconventional petroleum resources, particularly heavy oil reserves. However, extracting, transporting, and processing these resources remain challenging due to their low mobility, low API gravity, and significant concentrations of resins, asphaltenes, heteroatoms, and metals. In recent years, various in situ upgrading techniques have been explored to enhance heavy oil quality, with catalytic aquathermolysis emerging as a promising approach. The effectiveness of this process largely depends on the development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly catalysts. This study investigates the upgrading performance of water-soluble ammonium alum, (NH₄)Al(SO₄)₂·12H₂O, for an extra-heavy oil sample from the Zarafshan Depression, located along the Tajikistan–Uzbekistan border. Comprehensive analyses demonstrate that the catalyst facilitates the breakdown of heavy oil components, particularly resins and asphaltenes, into lighter fractions. As a result, oil viscosity was significantly reduced by 94%, while sulfur content decreased from 896 ppm to 312 ppm. Furthermore, thermogravimetric (TG-DTG) analysis, coupled with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), revealed that the thermal decomposition of ammonium alum produces catalytically active Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. These findings suggest that ammonium alum is a highly effective water-soluble pre-catalyst for hydrothermal upgrading, offering a viable and sustainable solution for the development of extra-heavy oil fields. Full article

This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of oil released during the Agia Zoni II shipwreck in the Saronic Gulf in 2017, employing the OpenOil module of the OpenDrift framework. The simulation integrates oceanographic and meteorological data to model the transport, weathering, and fate of spilled oil over a six-day period. Oil behavior is examined across key transformation processes, including dispersion, emulsification, evaporation, and biodegradation, using particle-based modeling and a comprehensive set of environmental inputs. The modeled results are validated against in situ observations and visual inspection data, focusing on four critical dates. The study demonstrates OpenOil’s potential for accurately simulating oil dispersion dynamics in semi-enclosed marine environments and highlights the significance of environmental forcing, vertical mixing, and shoreline interactions in determining oil fate. It concludes with recommendations for improving real-time response strategies in similar spill scenarios. Full article

The accelerated growth of the transport sector has increased oil consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, intensifying global environmental challenges. The electrification of transportation has emerged as a key strategy to achieve sustainability targets, with electric vehicles (EVs) expected to account for 50% of global car sales by 2035. However, widespread adoption requires smart infrastructure capable of enabling dynamic in-motion charging. In this context, Electric Road Systems (ERSs), particularly those based on Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technologies, offer a promising solution by transferring energy between road-embedded transmitters and vehicle-mounted receivers. This study assesses the structural response and service life of conventional and electrified asphalt pavement sections representative of the Spanish road network. Several standard pavement configurations were analyzed under heavy traffic (dual axles, 13 tons) using a hybrid approach combining mechanistic–empirical multilayer modeling and three-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. The electrified designs integrate prefabricated charging units (CUs) placed at a 9 cm depth, disrupting the structural continuity of the pavement. The results reveal stress concentrations at the CU–asphalt interface and service life reductions of up to 50% in semiflexible pavements. Semirigid sections performed better, with average reductions close to 40%. These findings are based on numerical simulations of standard Spanish sections and do not include experimental validation. Full article