Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for April
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Reservoir Characterization by Production Data
Thu, Apr 02, 2009 @ 12:45 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Lyman L. Handy Colloquium SeriesPresentsLarry W. Lake,
The University of Texas at AustinAbstractThe history of reservoir characterization has been based on and currently rests on static data. Indeed, entire technologies academic majors, and even commercial enterprises have sprung up to gather, interpret, and use core data, logs, geology and seismic data. The saturations, porosities, permeabilities, relative permeabilitiies, to name a few, from these technologies form the basis of volumetric calculations (original hydrocarbon in place), and recovery estimates (recoverable hydrocarbon). Ironically, it is dynamic data or data from flowing wells that are of commercial interest because revenue streams are directly proportional to it. But, aside from use in pressure transient analysis and as targets in simulation history matching, these data are little used in characterization. This situation is about the change. The large-scale use of near-continuous (real-time) surface and downhole measurements of rates (all fluids), pressures and temperatures will augment\ and in some cases supplant reliance on static measurements. Such measurements are common now on new production facilities. Indications are that they are cost-effective on existing or legacy production. But these measurements will only be useful if there are means to interpret them. The objective of this presentation is to discuss a set of models that will use the coming "tsunami" of data to be generated by production sensor technology too characterize reservoirs.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce Sapir
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Microfluidic Actuation by Thermocapillary Forces: Fundamentals, Devices and Sensing Arrays
Thu, Apr 09, 2009 @ 12:45 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Lyman Handy Colloquium SeriesPresents Sandra Troian Professor of Applied Physics, Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering. Caltech, Pasadena CA 91125. Abstract:
Liquid elements with dimensions in the micron to nanometer range manifest exceedingly large surface to volume ratios and are therefore highly susceptible to flow induced by surface stresses. This feature has been used to direct the motion of small, free surface liquid structures for micro-, bio- and optofluidic applications. Both normal and tangential stresses can be used to steer, mix, meter or shape liquid structures on demand. When such structures exhibit an effective zero Reynolds number and small aspect ratio, then inertial forces and phase lag are negligible and the liquid responds instantaneously to boundary stresses. Any time dependence of the flow is then strictly due to actuation of the bounding surfaces. These limits constitute the so-called slender gap approximation used here to investigate thermocapillary actuation of liquid elements with the potential for direct-write of 3D nanostructures. This possibility arises from analysis of several experiments conducted during the past decade in which molten nanoscale polymer films subject to an ultra large transverse gradient undergo spontaneous formation of nanopillar arrays. The formation of these self-assembling protrusions has been attributed to a Casimir-like radiation pressure caused by interfacial reflections of acoustic phonons. We demonstrate instead that thermocapillary stresses play a crucial if not dominant role in this formation process. Simulations of the governing interface equation, used to specify the pillar spacing and time-dependent height, are used to explore construction of nanoscale components for optical and photonic applications.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce Sapir
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How Viruses Make New Viruses: A Single Molecule View
Thu, Apr 23, 2009 @ 12:45 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Distinguished Lecture SeriesPresentsProfessor Rob PhillipsApplied Physics and Mechanical Engineering California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125Abstract:
Viruses have enormously rich and varied life cycles. Bacterial viruses have a hallowed position in the development of modern biology and recently have become the subject of intensive physical investigation. Using single-molecule techniques, it has become possible to examine viruses both while they package and eject their DNA. One of the intriguing aspects of these processes is that they bring large forces (greater than 50 pN) into play. My talk will give a general introduction to viruses and their life cycles and will then focus on simple physical arguments about the forces that attend viral DNA packaging and ejection, predictions about the ejection process and single-molecule measurements of ejection itself.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce Sapir