Jung-Il Yang has completed his PhD at the age of 35 years from Korea University. He was ateam leader of the clean fuel department in Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) from 2012 to 2013. He has published more than 21 papers inwell-known journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of catalysis and reaction engineering in KIChE.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction is a key step in the gas-to-liquids process that converts natural gas to synthetic fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and wax. It has very specific reaction features such as a highly exothermic reaction and liquid oil production from synthesis gas. The exothermic reaction is strongly related to the heat transfer limitation and the liquid oil production is deeply correlated with the mass transfer limitation in the reaction. Therefore, the ideal reactor for the FTS reaction is considered to have the following characteristics: fixed bed catalyst, high catalyst efficiency due to short diffusion distances, highly efficient gas-liquid mass transfer, and isothermal operation at the highest possible temperatures. In this study, FTS reaction was carried out using a novel system consisting of a cobalt catalyst coated metallic foam and heat-exchanger type reactor. The cobalt catalyst coated metallic foam catalyst was developed with a view to achieving all of the characteristics described in the above ideal reactor. Also, the heat-exchanger type reactor was designed to take into considerationtwo characteristics of the ideal reactor: fixed bed and isothermal operation. Finally, the goal of this study was to concretize the ideal reactor concept and to develop a novel reactor system, avoiding the heat and mass transfer limitations that were the major obstacles to the commercialization of reactors for the FTS reaction.

Recently, the limitations of bioethanol as a direct substitute for petrol have inspired the development of chemical catalytic transformation for producing promising furan biofuels from carbohydrates or directly from other sources of biomass. 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2-methylfuran (MF) furan biofuels can be directly used s motor fuels or blended with gasoline. The DMF production process begins with the acid dehydration of fructose in a two-phase reactor, producing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), followed by separation, conversion and purification steps. In the separation step, HMF is evaporated from an aqueous solutions containing also 1-butanol as solvent and HCl; in the conversion step, HMF is converted to DMF in a catalytic reactor, and in the purification step, DMF is evaporated from an aqueous solution containing 1-butanol and intermediate compounds, such as MF. In this way, the knowledge of the vapor-liquid equilibrium is essential for the design, operation and optimization of these DMF separation processes. In this work, vapor-liquid equilibria of the binary system 2-methylfuran + 1-butanol were measured at 101.325 kPa using a Fischer Labodest 602 ebulliometer. The experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data were submitted to a thermodynamic consistence test using the equation of Gibbs-Duhem. The phase behaviour was predicted by the CPA EoS (Cubic-plus-Association equation of state), and a good predictive performance was achieved, using only the CPA pure compound parameters. In future works other systems present in the same process (DMF + butanol, water + DMF, water + MF) will be also studied.

Heavy crude oil can be classified intofourfractions such as saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene.Asphaltene has high molecular weight and contains a lot of aromatic rings and heavy metals. These characteristics make heavy oil highly viscous and cause catalytic poisoning.For these problems, the availability of heavy crude oil is reduced.There are two methodsforheavy crude oilupgrading: carbon rejection and hydrogen addition. Solvent deasphalting(SDA) process is one of carbon rejection methods. In SDA process, asphaltene can be separated from heavy oil bydensity difference resulted from different solubilitiesof oil components andasphaltene-free oil called deasphalted oil (DAO) is obtained.SDA process is composed of twomain stages, asphalteneextracting and solvent recovery.Solvent recovery is a key procedure to reduce the operating costof SDA process becausea considerable amount of priceysolvent is used. In this study, solvent recovery stage of SDA process was simulated.Various solvents containing propane and butane which are mostly used in practical process were tested.DAO was defined as a mixture of pseudocomponentsin the simulation using its true boiling point data from SIMDIS analysis. Optimum conditions for maximizing the recovery of solvent were determined from the resultsof simulation with changingoperating parameters like temperature and pressure.

The reaction of carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CRM) is one of the ways that allows to convert natural gas - methane into valuable end products, representing a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in various proportions. This process is endothermic and therefore its implementation requires energy input. From this viewpoint, it is more secure, unlike the partial oxidation of methane with oxygen and steam-oxygen air conversion. Conducting of CRM also has ecological significance, since allows to consume a combination of two greenhouse gas - methane and carbon dioxide. The process of carbon dioxide reforming of methane has not yet been widely adopted in the industry, since the main problem is the carbonization of catalyst. The main efforts in the art directed to the development of active catalysts. In the present work as a catalyst for carbon dioxide reforming of methane was investigated catalyst NiCuNdMo/20%Al2O3HZSM-5. The results showed that the most favorable ratio for the process CRM is stoichiometric, at which the maximum yields of the reaction products and the highest conversion of the starting reagents. The optimum conditions of the process are: the ratio СН4/СО2 - 1, T - 850 °C, W - 3600 h-1 at the concentration of hydrogen formed about 48.9.%, carbon monoxide 50.9 .%, conversion of methane - 92.6% and carbon dioxide - 93.2%. It was determined that in the temperature range 650-900 °C is observed equilibrium yield of CO and H2.

Mystrioti Christiana has a bachelor degree in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece (2008) and a Master of Science in Environment and Development from NTUA, 2010. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (NTUA). This research is co-financed by (CHARM) LIFE 10 ENV/GR/000601 a project titled “Chromium in Asopos Groundwater System: Remediation Technologies and Measures (CHARM)” aims to contribute significantly to the solution of this complex problem that seriously threats sustainable development of groundwater bodies.

Nano-zero valent iron (nZVI) is considered as a powerful reductant for a wide number of pollutants due to their large specific surface area and their high reactivity. A novel green synthesis procedure was used for the one step production of nano zero valent iron particles (nZVI) using raw materials with a high polyphenol content. Plant extracts contain active polyphenol compounds, which reduce the trivalent iron to iron nano-particles by combining extracts with ferric iron salts. This method for producing nZVI is considered the most environmental friendly. The aim of this research was to examine the extracts of Camellia sinensis (green tea, GT), Syzygium aromaticum (clove, CL), Mentha spicata (spearmint, SM), Punica granatum juice (pomegranate, PG) and Red Wine (RW) as alternative raw materials for the synthesis of stable nZVI dispersions. The most favorable extraction conditions (contact time and volume: mass ratio) were evaluated for each material and mixing conditions of Fe(III) with extracts/juice (volume ratio) were tested in order to improve the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(0). The maximum reduction to the elemental state Fe(0) was about 35% (22mM) and was obtained using red wine and pomegranate juice in mixing ratio VFe/Vjuice=2/1. Green tea and grind cloves performed similar efficacy in nZVI synthesis with maximum concentration about 18mM. Spearmint extracts were less effective.The nZVI suspensions which were prepared with GT, RW, and PG juice were subsequently examined for the removal of hexavalent chromium from a 0.96 mM solution in batch experiments. It is found that in all tests complete reduction of Cr(VI) was achieved, in less than 5 minutes, when stoichiometric excess of nZVI to Cr(VI), ie nZVI/Cr(VI)>1.5mole/mole was applied.

AikateriniToli has a bachelor degree in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece (2012). Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (NTUA). Her Ph.D thesis is co-financed by (CHARM) LIFE 10 ENV/GR/000601 a project titled “Chromium in Asopos Groundwater System: Remediation Technologies and Measures (CHARM)” aims to contribute significantly to the solution of this complex problem that seriously threats sustainable development of groundwater bodies.

Chromium among others is a dangerous heavy metal and sources of it are industrial wastes. In particular hexavalent chromium can contaminate many ecosystems, as soils and waters. In these days is necessary to protect them from heavy metals and especially from chromium, by using in situ and ex situ methods. One of these is electroremediation that includes electromigration and electroosmosis. The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of electroremediation on a soil sample collected from Asopos, Central Greece, anarea where ground water is known to be contaminated with hexavalent chromium. The soil was mixed with an aqueous solution containing 300 μg/l at a proportion of 40%v/v or 23 ml of solution per 100 g of dry soil. Τhe tests were conducted by applying a DC voltage of 30 Volt to a cylindrical soil sample of 30 cm length and 4 cm diameter. A peristaltic pump was used to obtain recirculation of the aqueous solution in the anode and cathode departments of the electroremediation cell. Three tests were carried out using (a) Na2SO4 as background electrolyte solution in both the anode and cathode chambers, (b) Na2CO3 in anode and Na2SO4 in cathode solution and (c) NaOH in both anode and cathode solutions. A positive electroosmotic flow from anode to cathode was observed in all three tests, varying between 0.16 and 0.52 ml/h. Best results were obtained in the third test, where a constant removal rate of Cr(VI) equivalent to 0.07 μg/h was observed. After 170 hours of operation, 26% of initial Cr(VI) was removed from the soil.

Boaz completed his BSc. in physics and his MSc. in theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam. After seven years of teaching physics he is currently working on his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology in collaboration with the Royal Dutch Shell. His work mostly consists of research in the rheology of Viscoelasic Surfactant for selective fluid flow retardation in fractures for geothermal heat mining, oil recovery, and fracturing.

Approximately 65% of all the oil discovered cannot be recovered. Uneven fluid flow resistance in a reservoir is a major restriction in efficient oil recovery. In particular fractures dramatically decrease the recovery factor because they divert injected water rapidly away from the permeable matrix to the producer well. We are researching Shear Induced Structure (SIS) material in order to selectively retard fluid flow in fractures preventing so-called “short circuits”. SIS fluids show non-monotonic shear rate viscosity dependence and because at fixed pressure drop gradients higher shear rates are present in larger fractures, this unique non-monotonic behavior can be used to control fluid flow in fractures. Thus for small fractures, with small shear rates, the fluid has a relative small apparent viscosity. While for large fractures, with much larger shear rates, the apparent viscosity of the fluid peaks. For very large shear rates, which are presents at well bore sizes, the viscosity should become small again preventing the fluid forming a highly viscous gel. We measure Darcy velocities as a function of pressure drop gradients in a single capillary flow experiment and obtain a relative velocity ratio for different sized capillary diameters. It is shown that, depending on the pressure drop gradient, relative retardation in large capillaries take place.

Joris has completed his BSc. and MSc. in mechanical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology during which he came into contact with the oil & gas industry through an internship at Royal Dutch Shell. He is currently working as a PhD candidate at the Eindhoven University of Technology on a Royal Dutch Shell sponsored project on the use of viscoelastic surfactants for conformance control.

During water-flooding in heterogeneous reservoirs,high permeable layersform thief zones where water flows fastest causing early breakthrough. Large sections of oil in low permeable layers are bypassed resulting in high water cuts and low ultimate recovery factors. To overcome this problem a novel non-Newtonian and non-polymeric viscoelastic surfactant solution is used. Under simple shear this solution shows a non-monotonic shear thickening – shear thinning curve. Applied to a heterogeneous reservoir, this solution thickens,due to the high shear,as it flows through layers of high permeability. It thusselectively increases viscosity in high permeable strata whereas in low permeable strata the viscosityremains low. This added flow resistance to high permeable zones results in a reduced difference in flow rate between layers. A solution containing cationic surfactant CTAB (CetylTrimethyl Ammonium Bromide) and complex salt NaSal (Sodium Salicylate) dissolved in 3 wt% NaCl (Sodium Chloride) demineralized water is used. In a one phase parallel core flow experiment the solution is simultaneously pumped through two cores of different permeability. As pressure dropincreases the difference in flow rates decreases forming a more uniform flow. We found several surfactant solutions which can reduce the flow rate contrast by as much as eight times which could greatly benefit the recovery process.

Jaqueline Greco Duarte is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She graduated in Biologist in 2011 from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). In 2013, she finished her M.Sc. studies at School of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Currently she is a PhD student in Chemistry Institute, Department of Biochemistry, UFRJ. Her research includes lipase production by solid state fermentation and enzymatic catalysis to biodiesel synthesis.

The aim of this study was to allot value to one agroindustrial residue through the application in the esterification reaction for the biodiesel production. To fulfill this work the optimization of the solid-state fermentation (SSF) conditions -humidity and temperature- and the supplementation with carbon and nitrogen sources by experimental design was investigated. The SSF was carried out with the fungus Rhizomucor miehei on an agroindustrial residue to obtain a dry lipase-rich solid enzimatic preparation (SEP) that was used to obtain ethyl esters in the esterification reaction that was carried out with the utilization of oleic acid and ethanol (molar ratio 1:1). The chosen experimental design was the Plackett & Burman with 16 test variable and the answers variables were the hidrolitic and the esterification reactions. The statistical analysis of the results showed that the highest level of temperature and humidity, and the utilization of a nitrogen source are the best conditions for improve the production of lipases that lead us to a conversion of 86% oleic acid in biodiesel. The utilization of a SEP in the esterification reaction shows an alternative and effective method of biodiesel production with lower costs.

We have investigated electrical, optical and structural properties of Ga-Al doped ZnO/Copper/Ga-Al doped ZnO multilayer electrode for thin film solar cells. The Ga-Al doped ZnO/Copper/Ga-Al doped ZnO multilayer films were deposited on polyethersulfone (PES)substrate at room temperature. The multilayer films consisted of intermediate Cu metal layers, top andbottom Ga–Al doped ZnO layer. The multilayer with PES substrate had advantages such as low sheetresistance, high optical transmittance in visible range and stable mechanical properties. From the results,sheet resistances of multilayer showed 12Ω/sq with 9 nm of Cu metal layer thickness. Average opticaltransmittance of multilayer film showed 80% in visible range (380–770 nm) with 9 nm of Cu metal layerthickness. Moreover the multilayers showed stable mechanical properties than single-layered Ga–Aldoped ZnO sample during the bending test due to the existence of ductile Cu metal layer.

The technology of Stimulated Reservoir Volume (SRV) has been the key technology for unconventional reservoir development, and it can enhance single well productivity and ultimate recovery. Most estimates of SRV are limited to drawing boxes around microseismic event maps, and adding up the 3D volume where microseismic events are observed. However, this method of calculating SRV may be not insufficient. There is lack of evaluation for the effective permeability, the fracture half-lenth, the effective stimulated reservoir volume. This paper will present a method to appraise and diagnostic the fracture parameters of SRV for tight oil reservoirs by well testing and micro-Seismic method. In this paper, based on rock mechanics and seepage mechanics theory, the influence factors of fracture geometry will be analyzed combing with the rock brittleness experiments and rock stress sensitivity experiments. Then complex fracture seepage physical models and mathematical models are built considering complex fracture and stress sensitivity characters. The numerical method will be applied to solve these mathematical models in order to attain the bottom hole pressure and flow calculation models. Finally on the basis of modern well test analysis method and micro seismic interpretation data, a fracture diagnostic method of complex fracture geometry and its parameters after SRV will be established. This method can monitor and evaluate the fracture geometry, the effective fracture parameters and the effective stimulated reservoir volume qualitatively and quantitatively. The method of this paper can not only be used to appraise the effect of SRV in tight oil reservoir, but also can be expanded to volume stimulation effect evaluation in other unconventional reservoirs, such as tight gas, shale gas and so on.

The deliverability equation of gas well is important for productivity evaluation and performance forecasting. For fractured horizontal well in stress-sensitive tight gas reservoir, due to the pressure-dependencies of gas properties, reservoir/fracture permeability and high-velocity non-Darcy flow, the deliverability equation would not be constant but is also dynamic. Traditionally, the relationship between reservoir/fracture permeability is commonly be obtained by laboratory experiments, which is expensive and time-cost. Besides, the predecessor’s studies which neglect the pressure-dependence of high velocity non-Darcy flow would also lead inaccuracy. Therefore, this paper presented a new method to quantify pressure-dependence of reservoir/fracture permeability as well as obtain dynamic deliverability equation for multi-fractured horizontal well in tight gas reservoir considering non-constant non-Darcy flow. This method is validated by an actual well in Sulige tight gas field in Ordos Basin, China. The result shows that this method is accurate and can contribute to the effective development of stress-sensitive tight gas reservoir.

Audrius Vaitkus, PhD is the Director of Road Research Institute in Vilnius, Lithuania. His Research interests are pavement structure design, performance-based characteristics of materials, pavement structure performance, pavement surface characteristics.

This paper presents bitumen quality, which can be a relevant issue in the performance of road surfacing. Bitumen is a byproduct of the distillation process of the crude oil in refineries. Also, bitumen is a colloidal system, which consists of resins, aromatics, saturates and asphaltenes. The most important components of bitumen colloidal system are asphaltenes, which quantity and the interaction with the resins, aromatics and saturates influence bitumen properties. In order to determine an interaction between bitumen fractional composition and other properties, one single parameter Gaestel index (Ic) was used. Using bitumen from different producers with the same physical characteristics can be significantly different in fractional composition. Crude oil selection and processing play an important role in bitumen properties, since distillation residual, as in each case the bitumen fractional composition, can be different. There are many kinds of crude oil but only a few of them are suitable for the production of bitumen. Changes in processing and crude sources even within a market may also lead to variability in bitumen fractional composition. The aim of this study is to determine to which extend the type of crude oil and the production technology influence the bitumen fractional composition. Bitumen samples were selected based on the origin crude oil and different producers. In order to obtain information about bitumen chemistry, IATROSCAN MK 6S chromatography was used. The results showed that recommendations of bitumen fractional composition provide a better quality of bitumen according to crude oil type and processing.

In order to study the effect of different deformation mechanisms on the chemical structure of anthracite coals and understand the correlation between changed chemical structures and coal and gas outburst, ten groups of sub-high-temperature and sub-high-pressures deformation experiments were performed. The samples, before and after deformation experiments, were analyzed by FTIR, Raman. Samples were all collected from the Qudi Mine in the southern Qinshui Basin of China and maintained original structure. The coal samples showed obvious ductile deformation and CO was generated at a temperature of 200 C, pressure of 75 MPa and strain rate of 105 s-1. The energy required for CO generation could be calculated by quantum chemistry methods and mechanical energies during these experiments were also calculated. The calculated results and spectroscopy test suggested that mechanical energy transforms into strain energy during the deformation of coal, and strain energy can promote the deformation and breakage of the coal’s molecular units. The number in the aromatic rings and the secondary structure defects within the two generated gas samples increased and the degree of molecular structure orders decreased, resulting in deformation energy accumulation of dislocation and creep in the coal’s interior nucleus. Upon accumulation of strain energy, the coal’s molecular structure deforms by breaking old bonds and forming new ones, resulting in CO generation.

Antanas Juostas is Service Development Manager in Baltics, at Konekesko Lietuva company in Lithuania. Doctor of Science, 2012. Dissertation prepared in Institute of Power and Transport Machinery Engineering, Aleksandras Stulginskis University (ASU). Publications: author of 20 scientific publications. Research interests: tractors parameters from dynamic, ecological and economical point of view.

The large quantities of fuel are consumed during production process which leads to large quantity emission of pollutants to atmosphere. The new built machines have been introduced with different fuel consumption and exhaust gas emission reduction control systems. Nevertheless, fuel consumption and air pollution fumes rising due to increasing engine power and quantity of the machines. Solving the problem requires a complex technical development and technical improvement at the production. Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, including harmful components, can be reduced only by rationally use of the tractors engine power and speed. In most cases the load of the tractor units at agricultural process are irrational, used inappropriate power operating modes. In most cases tractors are partially loaded, big part of its working life tractors and their engines are working at an idle speed. Today, no data are collected about fuel used, exhaust emissions and their interaction in the real agricultural and transport activities. It was found that the currently used emission control standards are suitable for testing all types of mobile machines, but the weighting factors are not applied for tractor engines working in real agricultural conditions. Engine emissions control cycles doesn’t cover widely real field conditions of the corresponding operating modes. Reasonable that it is practically impossible to create a weighting factor to suit various working machines for proper evaluation of the various terms and conditions. Studies has shown that the specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions during field applications can’t be calculated without regard to the actual engine load and speed mode. As well, studies have found that the engine load, during typical field operations under different conditions, varies very much. For resolving the issue expected to substantiate the tractor engine fuel consumption and exhaust emissions monitoring instruments. For tractor fuel consumption and exhaust emissions evaluation, during tractor’s operational period, the information collected in integrated digital microprocessors, applied for engine, transmission and other tractor systems operation and control, will be used. Expected, theoretically and experimentally justify microprocessor data use, fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and their interaction assessment methods and tools.

Bitumen is a non-crystalline, black or dark brown material. It is found in nature in several forms, from the hard, easily crumbled bitumen in rock asphalt to the softer, more viscous material found in asphalt lakes and tar sands. The purpose of this research was to assess the chemical properties of two kinds of bitumen designed: Utah oil sand bitumen (UOSB) and Natural Lake Pitch (NLP). In this work, bituminous materials were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, TLC-FID, and 1H-NMR techniques. Chemical analyses demonstrated that NLP differs significantly from representative UOSB, chiefly in hydrocarbon, heteroatomic, vanadium, and clay-mineral contents. In terms of SARA components (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes), the main distinguishing feature was that UOSB comprises more saturates than NLP. These findings can improve the refining industries operation as a result of the better knowledge on the bitumen composition, as well as in the prediction of better operating conditions to obtain refined products with desired specifications and in quantities desirable to meet the market demands.