International Business Machines Corporation

Rodrigo Neumann Barros Ferreira

Mathias B Steiner

Ronaldo Giro

Peter William Bryant

Michael Engel

Jaione Tirapu Azpiroz

Ricardo Luis Ohta

Binquan Luan

Breanndan O'Conchuir

Anshul Gupta

Fausto Martelli

Tonia Elengikal

Bruce Gordon Elmegreen

William Fernando Lopez Candela

Romulo De Carvalho Magalhaes

Filipe Viana Ferreira

Alexandre Ashade Lassance Cunha

A system may include a chamber with a main sub-chamber and a first porous membrane separating a first sub-chamber from the main sub-chamber. The system may include a fluid in the chamber and an input directing inflow into main sub-chamber proximate an entry end of the chamber. The system may include a first output permitting outflow from the first sub-chamber proximate an exit end of the chamber wherein a molecule entering at the entry end must traverse a length of the chamber to exit at the exit end.

Carbon dioxide extraction using fluidic electrophoresis

Techniques for determining flow properties of a fluid in a fluidic device comprising a light source configured to generate a plurality of optical signals, tracers suspended in a fluid, a plurality of photonic devices, each including a photonic element and flow channel, and a measurement device configured to: determine a first measurement based on the plurality of optical signals and the tracers in a flow channel of a first photonic device of the plurality of photonic devices, determine a second measurement based on the plurality of optical signals and the tracers in a flow channel of a second photonic device of the plurality of photonic devices, and determine a property associated with a flow of the fluid or the tracers based on the first measurement and the second measurement.

Evaluation of flow properties in physical media

A gas capture system is configured to purify gas streams. The gas capture system includes a first capture system including a plurality of first chambers interconnected by a first path. Each first chamber includes a first adsorbent. The gas capture system further includes a second capture system including a plurality of second chambers interconnected by a second path. Each second chamber includes a second adsorbent. The gas capture system further includes a third path connecting each first chamber to the second path such that a first output of the first capture system is input into the second capture system. The gas capture system further includes a fourth path connecting each second chamber to the first path such that a second output of the second capture system is input into the first capture system.

Two-system gas stream separation

Provided are embodiments for a computer-implemented method, system, and device for tracking multiphase flow in a microfluidic device. Embodiments include receiving first readings from a first sensor of the microfluidic device, the first reading representing a detection of a fluid at an interface between the fluid and the first sensor, and receiving second readings from a second sensor of the microfluidic device, the second readings representing a detection of the fluid at an interface between the fluid and the second sensor, wherein the first sensor is located at a distance from the second sensor. Embodiments also include calculating a flow speed of the fluid in the microfluidic device based at least in part on a difference of time between the detections by the first sensor and the second sensor, and the distance between the first sensor and the second sensor.

Electrical tracking of a multiphase microfluidic flow

Evaluating enhanced oil recovery methods by identifying a first nanofluidic device associated with a reservoir rock formation and saturated with a target fluid, directing the injection of a secondary recovery fluid into the first nanofluidic device, determining a target fluid secondary recovery saturation level associated with injection of the secondary recovery fluid into the first nanofluidic device, identifying a second nanofluidic device associated with the reservoir rock formation and saturated with the target fluid, directing the injection of a tertiary recovery fluid into the second nanofluidic device, determining a target fluid tertiary recovery saturation level associated with the injection of the tertiary recovery fluid into the second nanofluidic device, determining a target fluid production efficiency associated with the tertiary recovery fluid, and providing the target fluid production efficiency to a user.

Evaluating enhanced oil recovery methods

Aspects of the invention include determining, by a first AFM tip, a first snap-off force of a solid surface immersed in a first fluid, determining, by a second AFM tip, a second snap-off force, determining, by a third AFM tip, a third snap-off force, determining, by the first AFM tip, a fourth snap-off force of a droplet of the first fluid immersed in the second fluid on the solid surface, determining, by the second AFM tip, a fifth snap-off force, determining, by the third AFM tip, a sixth snap-off force, determining a first capillary force for first AFM tip and first droplet based on first snap-off force and fourth snap-off force, determining a second capillary force for second AFM tip and first droplet and a third capillary force for third AFM tip and first droplet, and determining interfacial tension between first fluid and second fluid based on the capillary forces.

Determining interfacial tension for fluid-fluid-solid environments

A system for manipulating electric fields within a microscopic fluid channel includes a fluid channel with an inlet and an outlet to support fluid flow, at least one controllable electric field producer that applies a non-uniform and adjustable electric field to one or more regions of the fluid channel, one or more sensors that measure one or more parameters of a fluid flowing through the fluid channel, and a controller with hardware and software components that receives signals from the one or more sensors representative of values of the one or more parameters and, based on the parameter values, drives one or more actuators to adjust the electric field produced by the plurality of electric field producers. A complex fluid including at least two components flows through the fluid channel, where at least one of the at least two components comprises particles controllable by the non-uniform and adjustable electric field.

Self-tuning system for manipulating complex fluids using electrokinectics

Provided are embodiments for a system for determining wettability of fluid-fluid-solid systems. The system includes a confocal optical microscope and a storage medium, the storage medium being coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to perform a scan of a sample of a multi-phase system using the confocal optical microscope, wherein a phase defines a structural phase of matter, identify each phase of the sample, and measure a three-phase contact line for the sample, wherein the three-phase contact line is along an interface of first fluid and a second fluid and an interface of a second fluid and solid. The processor is configured to obtain one or more characteristics from the sample based at least in part on the three-phase contact line, and provide the one or more characteristics for the sample. Also provided are embodiments for a method for determining the wettability of fluid-fluid-solid systems.

Determining wettablity characteristics of a fluid-fluid-solid sample

A microfluidic device, including a controllable shape-changing micropillar where a shape of the shape-changing micropillar is changed by a fluid.

Reconfigurable microfluidic device and method of manufacturing the same

A machine learning process is performed using one or more sources of information for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) materials to be used for an EOR process on a defined oil reservoir. Performance of the machine learning process produces an output comprising an indication of one or more EOR materials and their corresponding concentrations to be used in the EOR process. The indication of the one or more EOR materials and their corresponding concentrations is output to be used in the EOR process. Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed.

Cognitive screening of EOR additives

A method includes: performing a machine learning process using information for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) materials to be used for an EOR process on a defined oil reservoir; determining EOR materials suitable for a condition of the oil reservoir; listing the EOR materials; and outputting an indication of the EOR materials. The materials comprise a first complex fluid to be introduced into the oil reservoir. Determining the EOR materials suitable for the condition is based on similarities between a first set of vector values for the first complex fluid, a second set of vector values for a second complex fluid already in the oil reservoir, and geological data, each of the vector values of the first set being defined by parameters of the first complex fluid and each of the vector values of the second set being defined by parameters of the second complex fluid and the geological data.

Chemical EOR materials database architecture and method for screening EOR materials

A method is provided including receiving data corresponding to a three-dimensional physical representation of a porous rock sample; calculating a low-dimensional representation of a pore network in the porous rock sample based on the three-dimensional physical representation; extracting one or more geometrical parameter from the low-dimension representation; generating a capillary network model of the porous rock sample based at least on the at least one geometrical parameter for simulating fluid flow inside the porous rock sample; and performing at least one simulation of a flow of the fluid through the capillary network model of the porous rock sample with a fluid additive to provide a predicted enhanced fluid recovery efficiency.

Capillary network simulations based on a low-dimensional representation of porous media

A method is provided including calculating a first property vector indicative of physical properties derived from a digital image of a first rock sample; determining a set of one or more similar rock samples by calculating a value indicating a similarity between the first rock sample and second rock samples based on the first property vector and second property vectors associated with the second rock samples; selecting a list of fluid additives based on existing enhanced fluid recovery efficiency values associated with the similar rock samples; performing, for each of the fluid additives, a simulation of a flow of fluid through a digital model of the first rock to determine a simulated enhanced fluid recovery efficiency value for the respective fluid additives; and outputting an optimal fluid additive for the first rock sample based at least in part on the calculated similarity values and simulated enhanced fluid recovery efficiency values.

Cognitive enhanced oil recovery advisor system based on digital rock simulator

A method includes constructing a digital model of a porous rock sample using input data and establishing for the digital model of a porous rock sample and for a fluid of interest figures-of-merit that are established for full-sample dimensions. For a selected fluid flow model, the method performs a calibration so as to match parameters of the selected fluid flow model to the established figures-of-merit and, based on the calibrated fluid flow model, performs at least one simulation of a flow of the fluid through the digital model of a porous rock sample with a fluid additive to provide a predicted enhanced fluid recovery efficiency. Also disclosed is a system as well as a computer program product configured to implement the method.

Method, apparatus and computer program product providing simulator for enhanced oil recovery based on micron and submicron scale fluid-solid interactions

A microfluidic device, including a matrix array of controllable shape-changing micropillars where a shape of the shape-changing micropillars is changed by a fluid.

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rodrigo Neumann Barros Ferreira