Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing the gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) operating parameters in order to maximize the stabilized crude oil recovery in an integrated framework of GOSP operation. The ambient temperature variations daily (day and night) and seasonal (summer and winter) are incorporated to show their impact on liquid recovery. An artificial intelligence model predicts stabilized crude oil recovery for a range of ambient temperatures. The optimal GOSP separator pressures which yield maximum stabilized crude oil recovery are determined for each ambient temperature. The separator pressures of the GOSP may be adjusted to achieve the maximum stabilized crude oil recovery under changing ambient temperatures.

Abstract: A method of making a polyolefin including, mixing a layered double hydroxide (LDH), and a zirconocene complex in a non-polar solvent to form a first mixture. The method further includes degassing the first mixture and adding an olefin to form a second mixture. The method further includes adding an aluminoxane cocatalyst to the second mixture and reacting for at least 10 minutes to form a reaction mixture including the polyolefin. The method further includes separating the polyolefin from the reaction mixture. The polyolefin has a melting temperature of 120-130° C. The zirconocene complex is supported on the LDH to form a supported catalyst complex in the first mixture.

Abstract: A hybrid system and a method for hybrid desalination and crystallization of seawater is provided. The hybrid system includes a reverse osmosis unit configured to separate the seawater from dissolved solids, generate a first quantity of purified water, and generate a second quantity of wastewater. The hybrid system also includes a pressure exchanger configured to lower a pressure of the second quantity of wastewater to atmospheric pressure. The hybrid system further includes a laser induced shock wave crystallizer configured to trigger nucleation of the dissolved salts in the second quantity of wastewater, expel a third quantity of wastewater having a second concentration of dissolved salts, and expel a fourth quantity of salt crystals. The hybrid system also includes a collection vat for receiving the salt crystals. The hybrid system further includes a high pressure pump configured to recycle the third quantity of wastewater back to the reverse osmosis unit.

Abstract: An drilling mud composition is described, which includes an aqueous base fluid, a viscosifier, and a weighting material. The drilling mud composition also includes an anti-sagging agent that comprises a dimethylamino methyl ester, such as methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate. The anti-sagging agent may be used to prevent barite sagging, where barite is used as a weighting material. Small amounts of the anti-sagging agent may be used to maintain a low sag factor while drilling, and without causing unwanted increases in viscosity. The anti-sagging agent is effective for both vertical and inclined wellbores.

Abstract: A method of removing a sulfate scale from a surface is provided. The method includes contacting the sulfate-comprising scale with a conversion solution including 1 to 10 wt. % of an alkali metal carbonate, 0.5 to 10 wt. % of a borate salt or hydrate thereof, and 0.5 to 2.5 wt. % of a base to produce a carbonate-comprising scale. The method further includes exposing the carbonate-comprising scale with an acid solution including 2.5 to 25 wt. % of an acid.

Abstract: An optical energy detector and a method for detecting a broad range of optical energy are disclosed. The detector comprising a superconducting nanowire filament on a substrate, an electrical current pulse source, a laser pulse source, a first pickup probe, and a second pickup probe for measuring the voltage across the filament. The filament is maintained below a supercomputing critical temperature. The filament is biased with an electrical current pulses slight below the critical current of the filament which creates nonequilibrium state. The filament is excited by the laser pulses, and as a result, a voltage appears after a delay time. The voltage is measured for determining the amount of the optical energy. A reference curve of the voltage and the corresponding delay time can be used for calibrating any light source.

Abstract: A method of making an active catalyst composition includes mixing at least one support with a vanadium oxide precursor and grinding thereby at least partially embedding the vanadium oxide precursor particles in different layers and surfaces of the at least one support to form a first precursor; mixing the first precursor and a first solvent to form a first mixture; grinding the first mixture and drying at a temperature of 60 to 105° C.; calcining the first mixture after the drying at a temperature of at least 300° C. thereby allowing the vanadium oxide precursor particles embedded in different layers and surfaces of the at least one support to decompose in situ to generate vanadium oxide (VOx) particles embedded in the at least one support and form the first vanadium catalyst; and mixing the first vanadium catalyst with a second vanadium catalyst to form the active catalyst composition.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine blade that includes an elongated wing and at least one airflow blocker in the elongated wing. The elongated wing has a first surface and a second surface which meet at a leading edge and a trailing edge, where the leading edge includes a convex curve. The elongated wing also includes a leading edge slat between the first surface and the second surface; and at least one hollow channel extending from the leading edge slat to the first surface. The hollow channel is curved, and the airflow blocker is configured to block the hollow channel.

Abstract: A method for distributing geophones around a seismic data source includes distributing a first geophones each including a first piezoelectric system in a first region in which the seismic data source is located then distributing second geophones each including a solar cell in a second region surrounding the first region. The second geophones further include a housing, a spike provided on a bottom surface of the housing, a sensor configured to sense seismic data; a processor configured to process the seismic data, a transceiver configured to transmit the processed seismic data and receive radio frequency (RF) signals wirelessly; and a power device. The power device is coupled to the sensor, the processor and the transceiver. The power device is configured to harvest energy from an environment where the geophone is located.

Abstract: A smart meter system is described for managing demand side electrical transactions with shifted demand in a smart grid. The smart meter controller uses non-cooperative game theoretic analysis for managing multi-periodic smart grid shifted demand. The problems of user based electricity demand, production, storage, and sales of energy to providers are addressed. The smart meter system described is used in the control of Home-Area-Network (HAN) or Wide-Area-Network (WAN) demand response management (DRM).

Abstract: An acid mixture includes hydrochloric acid, a monoamine corrosion inhibitor, and at least one of a diamine corrosion inhibitor and an acid additive. A method for inhibiting corrosion in an acid treatment operation includes introducing an acid mixture comprising hydrochloric acid and a monoamine corrosion inhibitor into at least one of a subterranean formation and subterranean wellbore. The method also includes maintaining the amount of the monoamine corrosion inhibitor in the acid mixture in the subterranean formation and/or the subterranean wellbore in a range of 10 ppm to 400 ppm for the duration of the acid treatment operation. The corrosion rate of steel parts of an acidic fluid circulation system in the acid mixture may be within an acceptable corrosion rate in a temperature range of 20° C. to 135° C.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean geological formation is described. The method includes driving a drill bit to form a wellbore into the subterranean geological formation thereby producing a formation fluid including hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The method includes injecting a drilling fluid into the subterranean geological formation through the wellbore. The drilling fluid composition includes 0.25 to 2 wt. % of a primary H2S scavenger which is potassium permanganate. The drilling fluid composition includes an invert emulsion includes a continuous phase including palm oil and a dispersive phase including water. The potassium permanganate present in the drilling fluid composition reacts with the H2S present in the formation fluid to produce a dispersion of manganese-containing particles which are at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese sulfide and manganese sulfate.

Abstract: Hydraulic fracturing fluids include an aqueous fluid, an acrylamide-based polymers, and a hyperbranched crosslinker that crosslinks the acrylamide-based polymer to form a crosslinked gel. The hyperbranched crosslinker includes a hyperbranched polyethyleneimine polyoxiranylalkanol having a weight-average molecular weight from 10 kDa to 1500 kDa. The hyperbranched crosslinker may be a product of reacting a hyperbranched polyethyleneimine with an oxiranylalkanol to obtain the hyperbranched polyethyleneimine polyoxiranylalkanol. In examples, the oxiranylalkanol is glycidol. Methods for preparing the hydraulic fracturing fluids and methods for treating subterranean formations with the hydraulic fracturing fluids are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing a polyethylene nanocomposite by polymerizing ethylene in a polymerization mixture that contains a graphene-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite, a metallocene catalyst, an alkylaluminoxane co-catalyst, and an organic solvent to form a polyethylene nanocomposite in which the graphene-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite is dispersed in a matrix of polyethylene and wherein the graphene-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite contains 1 to 7 wt.% graphene relative to a total weight of the graphene-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for stiction of a control valve in a pneumatically controlled valve system. A digital twin model of the pneumatically controlled valve system is generated. A current segment of data signals is received from a process measurement device connected to the pneumatically controlled valve system. Operation of the pneumatically controlled valve system is monitored by comparing the current segment to the digital twin model. Stiction is detected when the digital twin model directly detects stiction or when the nonlinearity and Gaussian index are above a certain threshold. A severity of the stiction is determined. Instructions for a stiction control device are used to generate control signals to be applied to the actuator to compensate for the severity of the stiction. Further, the digital twin model is displayed with a representation of the severity of the stiction.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates drilling fluids and methods of producing and using drilling fluids. The drilling fluid includes an aqueous base fluid; a clay-based component; and a shale inhibitor comprising silica grafted with glutamate-glycol. The method of producing the drilling fluid includes reacting silica with glutamate and glycol thereby forming a shale inhibitor comprising silica grafted with glutamate-glycol; and mixing an aqueous base fluid, a clay-based component, and the shale inhibitor to produce a drilling fluid. The method of using the drilling fluid in drilling operations includes mixing an aqueous base fluid, a clay-based component, and a shale inhibitor comprising silica grafted with glutamate-glycol to produce a drilling fluid; and introducing the drilling fluid to a subsurface formation.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrate formation in a CO2 pipeline is described. The method includes injecting a composition including monoethylene glycol carbon quantum dots (MEG CQDs) into the CO2 pipeline to deposit the MEG CQDs on an inside surface of the CO2 pipeline. The method further includes pressurizing the CO2 pipeline with a gas stream containing CO2 and water vapor at a pressure of 200-2,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The MEG CQDs are present on the inside surface of the CO2 pipeline in an amount effective to reduce the formation of CO2 hydrates in the CO2 pipeline during the pressurizing in comparison to the formation of the CO2 hydrates in the CO2 pipeline under the same conditions but in the absence of the MEG CQDs.

Abstract: Polystyrene waste, such as Styrofoam® waste, and carbon nanofibers may be used to produce highly hydrophobic compositions or composites that can separate oil and water. Methods for purifying an aqueous solution may include: passing the aqueous solution, including a hydrophobic organic substance, over or through a surface including a polystyrene-CNF composition, thereby producing an aqueous product including less of the hydrophobic organic substance; and optionally, passing the aqueous product over or through the surface at least one more time.

Abstract: A method to incorporate calcined Saudi calcium bentonite as a low-density cement admixture in oil and gas well applications. Low-density cement systems were designed using the calcined Saudi calcium bentonite in an amount of from 10 to 30 weight % of the admixture to form a low-density cement slurry at a density of from 10 pounds per gallon (ppg) to 15 ppg; and injecting the low-density cement slurry into the well to seal the well from the geological formation; and curing the low-density cement slurry in the well to seal the well from the geological formation.

Abstract: A hydrogen gas sensor is provided. The hydrogen gas sensor includes a polycarbonate substrate having hydrophobic nanostructures. The hydrogen gas sensor further includes a palladium layer in the form of nanoscale petals on the hydrophobic nanostructure. A method of making the hydrogen gas sensor is also provided. The method of making the hydrogen gas sensor includes fabricating the polycarbonate substrate. The method of making the hydrogen gas sensor further includes coating the polycarbonate substrate with the palladium layer. A method of using the hydrogen gas sensor is also provided. The method of using the hydrogen gas sensor includes contacting a palladium coated hydrophobic nanostructure of the hydrogen gas sensor with a gas sample comprising hydrogen gas.