Abstract: A photovoltaic module includes a plurality of ribbons; and a composite panel comprising a core layer and a skin layer supported by a surface of the core layer, where the core layer includes a core material and the skin layer is formed of a matrix material and a plurality of parallel fibers aligned with the ribbons and disposed in the matrix material. A method of making a photovoltaic module includes applying a pair of skin layers to a core layer, each skin layer including a skin material and a plurality of parallel fibers disposed in the skin material to make a composite sandwich panel; and layering a component including ribbons between the composite sandwich panel and a thin, transparent front sheet; wherein the parallel fibers are aligned with the ribbons; where the composite sandwich panel has a coefficient of thermal expansion matching the coefficient of thermal expansion of the component.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a ballast that is configured to couple to an untethered downhole tool. The ballast includes a composite material. The composite material includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes metallic particles. The first portion is configured to, while the ballast is coupled to the untethered downhole tool, provide weight to the untethered downhole tool to lower the untethered downhole tool into a well formed in a subterranean formation. The second portion includes a polymer matrix. The metallic particles of the first portion are distributed throughout the polymer matrix of the second portion. The second portion is configured to dissolve in response to being exposed to downhole fluid within the well at specified downhole conditions, thereby releasing the metallic particles of the first portions from the polymer matrix that has dissolved.

Abstract: An apparatus is used on top of a column of drilling fluid in an annulus of a wellbore. The apparatus includes at least one floating device, at least one receiver, a communication interface coupled to the at least one receiver, a processor coupled to the at least one receiver and the communication interface, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes instructions configured to perform a method that includes obtaining a start command to generate fluid level data, generating the fluid level data using the at least one floating device and the at least one receiver, and transmitting the fluid level data using the communication interface.

Abstract: A system and method for hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation with fracturing fluid to generate fractures, and intermittently adjusting a characteristic of the fracturing fluid conveying proppant to form pillars of proppant in the fractures.

Abstract: A robotic device may include a housing comprising the shape of a wheel, the housing having a magnetically conductive outer surface and an inner chamber. The robotic device may include a plurality of magnetic elements disposed around the inner chamber of the housing, the plurality of magnetic elements being coupled to a first end of a power drive. The robotic device may include a processor disposed in the inner chamber of the housing, the processor being coupled to a second end of a power drive. The processor may use the power drive to instructs at least one magnetic element out of the plurality of magnetic elements to magnetize. The at least one magnetic element may be magnetized without magnetizing any other magnetic element out of the plurality of magnetic elements.

Abstract: Modified zeolites may include a microporous framework including a plurality of micropores having diameters of less than or equal to 2 nm. The microporous framework may include at least silicon atoms and oxygen atoms. The modified zeolite may include a plurality of mesopores having diameters of greater than 2 nm and less than or equal to 50 nm, wherein the plurality of mesopores are ordered with cubic symmetry. The modified zeolite may include a plurality of hafnium hydride moieties each bonded to at least two bridging oxygen atoms, wherein a hafnium atom of the hafnium hydride is bonded to the bridging oxygen atom, and wherein the bridging oxygen atom bridges the hafnium atom of the hafnium hydride moiety and a silicon atom of the microporous framework.

Abstract: A method involving collecting a first geochemical data set for a first plurality of produced water samples; collecting a second plurality of produced water samples; performing geochemical analyses on the second plurality of produced water samples to form a second geochemical data set; and combining the first and second geochemical data sets into a database. The method further includes determining, by a subject matter expert, a water type for each produced water sample in the database and training a machine-learned model with the database to predict the water type of a produced water sample given its geochemical data. The method further includes collecting a third plurality of produced water samples, performing geochemical analysis on the third plurality of produced water samples, and determining, with the trained machine-learned model, the water type for each produced water sample in the third plurality of produced water samples using the third geochemical data set.

Abstract: A method for preparing a cracking catalyst includes combining a zeolite, an alumina binder, and phosphoric acid to form an extrusion mixture. The phosphoric acid acts as a peptizing agent. The extrusion mixture comprises from 0.000271 weight percent to 0.1 weight percent phosphoric acid based on the total weight of the extrusion mixture. The method further includes extruding the extrusion mixture to produce an extrudate. During the extruding, the phosphoric acid peptizes the alumina binder in the extrudate. The method further includes drying and calcining the extrudate to produce the cracking catalyst.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a cooling tower providing a housing that has a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a sidewall extending between the top and the bottom, an air intake vent provided on the sidewall and through which external air can enter an interior of the cooling tower, a plurality of louvers arranged at the air intake vent and vertically offset from each other to direct the external air into the interior, and a cooling assembly attached to at least one of the plurality of louvers, the cooling assembly including a tube through which a coolant is circulated and one or more fins extending from a surface of the tube. A temperature and a humidity of the external air is reduced as the external air contacts the cooling assembly while being drawn into the interior through the air intake vent.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of forming a zeolite composition, the method comprising calcining one or more clay mineral compositions to form metakaolin, wherein the one or more clay mineral compositions may comprise greater than or equal to 10 wt. % halloysite, forming a slurry by combining at least the metakaolin, a shape selective zeolite, a basic compound, silica particles, and a templating agent, hydrothermally treating the slurry to form a hydrothermal product, calcining the hydrothermal product to form a zeolite product, combining the zeolite product and at least one metal precursor, wherein the at least one metal precursor may comprise a manganese precursor, a phosphorous precursor, or both a manganese precursor and a phosphorous precursor to form a zeolite composition comprising manganese, phosphorus, or both manganese and phosphorous.

Abstract: A method for harvesting energy through pressure retarded osmosis includes identifying and pumping both a low salinity feed stream and a high salinity feed stream from upstream water sources to opposite ends of a semi-permeable membrane housing where the low salinity feed stream permeates through the semi-permeable membrane to the high salinity feed stream to pressurize and dilute it. The diluted stream rotates a turbine to generate electricity and produce a depressurized mid-salinity fluid. A system for harvesting energy through pressure retarded osmosis has a first and second upstream water source pumped through low and high salinity feed lines to opposite ends of a semi-permeable membrane housing including a container, a semi-permeable membrane, a low salinity side of the housing, and a high salinity housing.

Abstract: An integrated catalyst/adsorbent manufacturing process. The process includes generating electrical energy from a green energy source and providing the electrical energy to operate an electrolyzer, a steam generation unit, and a catalyst/adsorbent manufacturing unit. The electrolyzer operates to generate a hydrogen stream and an oxygen stream from electrolysis of a first stream of water and the steam generation unit operates by burning the hydrogen in the steam generation unit to generate heat to convert a second stream of water into steam. The catalyst/adsorbent manufacturing unit operates to produce the catalyst/adsorbent from the electrical energy, the steam, the hydrogen, the oxygen, and catalyst/adsorbent precursor chemicals provided to the catalyst/adsorbent manufacturing unit.

Abstract: A method of loading a catalyst includes providing a catalyst loading apparatus including an optically transparent tube, a metal tube and a horizontal divider, coating the interior surface of the optically transparent tube, the metal tube, or both with a first wax; adding a first inert material to the optically transparent tube, to form a first layer including the first inert material; adding a catalyst into the optically transparent tube, to form a second layer including the catalyst disposed above the first layer; adding a second inert material to the optically transparent tube at least until substantially no void space is observed in the second layer, the second inert material having a lesser diameter than the first inert material and the catalyst; actuating a gate of the horizontal divider into the opened position; and displacing the first and second layers into the metal tube.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for providing water shut off within a water producing zone of a wellbore. The composition includes alkaline nanosilica particles and hydrolysable ester-based 3D engineered non-convex particles. The method includes dissolving the hydrolysable ester-based 3D engineered non-convex particles to release an acid, which reacts with the alkaline nanosilica particles to form a solid.

Abstract: A method of loading a catalyst includes providing a catalyst loading apparatus having an optically transparent tube removably coupled to a metal tube and a horizontal divider having a shaft coupled to a plate, the horizontal divider positioned within the optically transparent tube, the metal tube or at least partially within both. The method also includes adding a first inert material to the optically transparent tube, adding a catalyst into the optically transparent tube, adding a second inert material to the optically transparent tube, inserting a distal end of a leveling device having a shaft and a disc into the catalyst loading apparatus from the top surface of the optically transparent tube, contacting the disc of the leveling device against the second layer comprising the catalyst; and displacing at least the horizontal divider into the metal tube.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of forming a ZSM-5 zeolite, the method comprising calcining one or more clay mineral compositions to form metakaolin, wherein the one or more clay mineral compositions may comprise greater than or equal to 10 wt. % halloysite; forming a slurry by combining at least the metakaolin, ZSM-5 zeolite seeds, a basic compound, and a silica source; hydrothermally treating the slurry to form a hydrothermal product; and calcining the hydrothermal product to form a ZSM-5 zeolite. This disclosure also relates processes of cracking a hydrocarbon feed comprising contacting the hydrocarbon feed with steam in the presence of a cracking catalyst comprising the ZSM-5 zeolite in a reactor under reaction conditions sufficient to cause at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feed to undergo one or more cracking reactions to produce a cracking effluent comprising light olefins, light aromatic compounds, or both.

Abstract: Described herein are zeolite Beta particles with radially arranged mesopores and methods of making the same. In one or more embodiments, a zeolite Beta particle may include a Beta zeolitic framework including a plurality of micropores having diameters of less than or equal to 2 nm. In embodiments, the Beta zeolitic framework may include alumina and silica. In embodiments, the zeolite Beta particles disclosed herein may include a plurality of mesopores having diameters of greater than 2 nm and less than or equal to 50 nm. In embodiments, the plurality of mesopores may be arranged in a center-radial configuration, such that mesopores run from a central region of the zeolite Beta particle towards the edge of the zeolite Beta particle.

Abstract: In some examples, a system can include a well integrity management tool includes an identifier, implemented by at least one processor, configured to identify one or more risks associated with a well based on well integrity data, a risk analyzer, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to determine a classification for the well based on a set of one or more identified risks using a risk model, wherein the risk model associates a category and a weight with each identified risk of the set of one or more identified risks, and a remediator, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to generate a remediation plan based on the classification.

Abstract: A method includes operating a downhole electrical submersible (ESP) assembly arranged at a distal end of production tubing arranged within a wellbore, monitoring a real-time annulus pressure within an annulus defined between the production tubing and an inner wall of the wellbore, the ESP assembly including a power cable extending within the annulus, providing the real-time annulus pressure reading to a control system arranged at a well surface and in communication with a pressure regulator valve, comparing the real-time annulus pressure reading with a predetermined target pressure for the annulus, sending a command signal to the pressure regulator valve when the real-time annulus pressure exceeds the predetermined target pressure, and operating the pressure regulator valve in one or more steps and at predefined time intervals to thereby selectively bleed an annulus fluid from the annulus, which prevents rapid decompression of the annulus and thereby protects the power cable.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to recording and tracking a local content enrichment submission via a local content enrichment platform that leverages distributed ledger technology. The system can comprise a memory to store computer executable instructions. Also, the system can comprise one or more processors, operatively coupled to the memory, that execute the computer executable instructions to implement a blockchain layer configured to record a local content enrichment submission to a distributed ledger and track a status of the local content enrichment submission via transactions with the distributed ledger. The local content enrichment submission includes data characterizing a proposal of an entity to comply with local content regulations of a region.