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Date submitted2022-09-30
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Date accepted2024-11-07
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Date published2025-02-25
Carbon dioxide corrosion inhibitors: current state of research and development
Among the methods of corrosion control in the oil and gas production industry the leading place belongs to inhibitor protection, since there is no need for technological and technical changes in the existing equipment. The combination of high variability of inhibitor composition with changing conditions of its application and low capital investments makes it an indispensable reagent at oil and gas fields. The main classes of compounds used as active bases of carbonic acid corrosion inhibitors for the protection of oil and gas equipment are described. Classical organic active bases containing heteroatoms (oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen) are examined. Special attention was paid to alkylimidazolines and other nitrogen-containing compounds as the most frequently used as active bases of carbonic acid corrosion inhibitors in Russia and abroad. A wide range of possibilities to achieve the desired properties of corrosion inhibitors by varying the substitutes has been demonstrated. Nowadays, in addition to the traditional requirements for corrosion inhibitors, their safety for the environment is equally important. The information on prospective research and development aimed at improving the environmental characteristics of the reagents used is given. Plant extracts, synthetic and biological polymers involved in traditional corrosion inhibitors or used as new independent compounds are considered. It is shown that the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors significantly depends on the pH of the medium, temperature, partial pressure of СО2, flow rate, and other factors.
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Date submitted2023-10-03
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Date accepted2024-11-07
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Date published2025-02-25
Investigation of the effectiveness of the use of various substances for dust suppression during the transshipment of granular sulfur
The article is devoted to the problem of dusting during the transshipment of granular sulfur and existing methods of dust suppression. The analysis of various methods for reducing dust emission at granulated sulfur storage and transportation facilities is presented. The necessity of using special reagents to increase the efficiency of dust suppression and re-granulation of sulfur crushed by abrasion is noted. The sulfur dust obtained from the port terminal during the transshipment of technical sulfur was analyzed for granulometric composition. The results of experimental studies of the effectiveness of the use of various substances for sulfur dust suppression (alkyl polyglycosides, sodium silicate, starch) are presented. The laboratory installation was a hopper, inside which a test sample of dusty material was placed. The sample was subjected to an aerodynamic effect by an air flow at a given speed. The concentrations of suspended solids were measured with a dust meter-nephelometer with a sampling tube placed in the geometric center of the hopper. The effectiveness of dust suppression agents was determined based on a comparison of the concentration values obtained on dry and treated samples. For dust suppression at granulated sulfur treatment facilities, it is proposed to use a composition based on nonionic surfactants represented by a mixture of C12-14-alkylglycosides oligomers (1-1.5 %), additionally containing a mixture of amylose and amylopectin polysaccharides in the form of soluble starch (1-2.5 %) and water. The dust suppressor showed consistently high dust suppression efficiency both when measured immediately after irrigation (98.3 %) and after the expected time (99.7 %). The developed composition provides an increase in the dust-suppressing ability of the solution and the elimination of the possibility of repeated dusting due to the formation of a polymer film on the surface, as well as the regranulation of the product crushed by abrasion.
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Date submitted2023-10-29
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Date accepted2024-04-08
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Date published2025-02-25
Evaluation of the impact of the distance determination function on the results of optimization of the geographical placement of renewable energy sources-based generation using a metaheuristic algorithm
- Authors:
- Andrei M. Bramm
- Stanislav A. Eroshenko
Since the United Power System was created electrical supply of remote and hard-to-reach areas remains one of the topical issues for the power industry of Russia. Nowadays, usage of various renewable energy sources to supply electricity at remote areas has become feasible alternative to usage of diesel-based generation. It becomes more suitable with world decarbonization trends, the doctrine of energy security of Russia directives, and equipment cost decreasing for renewable energy sources-based power plants construction. Geological exploration is usually conducted at remote territories, where the centralized electrical supply can not be realized. Placement of large capacity renewable energy sources-based generation at the areas of geological expeditions looks perspective due to development of industrial clusters and residential consumers of electrical energy at those territories later on. Various metaheuristic methods are used to solve the task of optimal renewable energy sources-based generation geographical placement. The efficiency of metaheuristics depends on proper tuning of that methods hyperparameters, and high quality of big amount of meteorological and climatic data. The research of the effects of the calculation methods defining distance between agents of the algorithm on the optimization of renewable generation placement results is presented in this article. Two methods were studied: Euclidean distance and haversine distance. There were two cases considered to evaluate the effects of distance calculation method change. The first one was for a photovoltaic power plant with installed capacity of 45 MW placement at the Vagaiskii district of the Tyumen region. The second one was for a wind power plant with installed capacity of 25 MW at the Tungokochenskii district of the Trans-Baikal territory. The obtained results show low effects of distance calculation method change at average but the importance of its proper choose in case of wind power optimal placement, especially for local optima’s identification.
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Date submitted2023-10-31
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Date accepted2024-11-07
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Date published2025-01-24
Specifics of magnetotelluric studies in Antarctica
One of the priority areas of scientific research in Antarctica is the study of its deep structure. Most of the continent is covered with a thick ice sheet, so the main geoscientific data are acquired using geophysical methods, among which magnetotelluric (MT) ones have the greatest penetration depth and insignificant environmental impact. The possibility of acquiring high-quality MT data in the conditions of the sixth continent has long been questioned. The work is aimed at studying the specifics of magnetotelluric survey in Antarctica. The following tasks were set: to summarize the world experience of studying Antarctica using MT sounding methods; to identify factors that negatively affect the high-quality data acquisition; to determine methods for minimizing the influence of these factors. The article analyses geophysical studies conducted by the magnetotelluric sounding method in the Antarctic region from 1964 to the present. The application of the method is complicated by the following: extremely low temperature affects the drop in the batteries capacity, freezing of the non-polarizing electrodes solution, and changes in the strength properties of materials. Electromagnetic noise occurs during strong winds; proximity to the magnetotelluric field source can violate the plane wave principle on which the method is based. The ice sheet covering most of Antarctica does not allow acquiring optimal values of the contact resistance of the electrode grounding; the extended coastline distorts the acquired data. Studies of the influence of factors complicating the MT sounding method in the coastal and central parts of Antarctica made it possible to formulate recommendations for preparing equipment and adapting the work procedure, modifying the processing flow and a set of measures to ensure safety, the implementation of which will both allow safe performance of geophysical investigations and high-quality data acquisition.
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Date submitted2024-05-03
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Date accepted2024-10-14
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Date published2024-11-12
Genetic geological model of diamond-bearing fluid magmatic system
The article proposes a genetic geological model of diamond deposit formation associated with kimberlites and lamproites. It is based on the synthesis of published data on diamond-bearing kimberlite systems and an original study of the ontogenetic features of diamond crystals. Deep diamond crystallization, its upward transportation and subsequent concentration in near-surface kimberlite-lamproite bodies and other rocks, including those brought to the surface by high-amplitude uplifts of crystalline basement rocks, are combined in a single system. An assumption is made about the primary sources of the Anabar placer diamonds. The possibility of hydrocarbon generation at mantle levels corresponding to diamond formation areas and their transportation to the upper crustal zones by a mechanism similar to the mantle-crust migration of diamond-bearing fluidized magmas is shown. The high rate of their upward movement allows transportation to the surface without significant loss as a result of dissolution in melts and sorption on the surface of mineral phases. The significant role of fluid dynamics at all stages of this system is noted.
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Date submitted2024-04-12
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Date accepted2024-09-05
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Date published2024-11-12
Promising reagents for the extraction of strategic metals from difficult-to-enrich mineral raw materials
The need of the mining and processing industry for new types of directional reagents is due to the deterioration of the material composition of the processed ores. Low Au content (less than 0.5-1.0 g/t), finely dispersed Au inclusions (0.1-10.0 microns) in the ore, similar properties of the separated minerals have an extremely negative effect on flotation performance when using traditional reagents, which leads to significant losses of valuable metal with enrichment tailings. Expanding the range of domestic flotation reagents based on the latest achievements of fundamental research and their targeted application at mining and processing companies will compensate for the negative impact of the mineral composition of raw materials and ensure maximum extraction of strategic metals from difficult-to-enrich ores. The use of modern research methods (scanning electron and laser microscopy, UV spectrophotometry, XRF and chemical analysis) made it possible to visualize the adsorption layer of new reagents-collectors of a number of dithiocarbamates with different structures of a hydrocarbon radical and an organic modifier on the surface of gold-containing sulfides. The amount of adsorbed reagents on the surface of minerals has been experimentally determined. The specific features of the fixation of reagents on minerals of various compositions led to optimal correlations of their consumption in the flotation process. Scientifically based reagent regimes ensured an increase in the gold content in the concentrate and a decrease in the loss of gold with tailings by 5-6 % during flotation enrichment of the refractory ore of the Malinovskoe deposit.
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Date submitted2024-06-17
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Date accepted2024-07-17
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Date published2024-10-03
Justification on the safe exploitation of closed coal warehouse by gas factor
The annual increase of coal production and its demand lead to the necessity in temporary storage places (warehouses) organization to accommodate raw coal materials before the shipment. It is noted that at the open method of coal storing the dust emission from loading/unloading operations and from the pile surface effects negatively the health of the warehouse workers and adjacent territories. An alternative solution is closed-type warehouses. One of the main hazards of such coal storage can be the release of residual methane from coal segregates into the air after degassing processes during mining and extraction to the surface, as well as transportation to the place of temporary storage. The study carries the analysis of methane content change in coal during the processes of extraction, transportation and storage. Physical and chemical bases of mass transfer during the interaction between gas-saturated coal mass and air are studied. It is determined that the intensity of methane emission depends on: the coal seam natural gas content, parameters of mass transfer between coal, and air and the ambient temperature. The dynamics of coal mass gas exchange with atmospheric air is evaluated by approximate approach, which is based on two interrelated iterations. The first one considers the formation of methane concentration fields in the air space of the bulk volume and the second accounts the methane emission from the pile surface to the outside air. It is determined that safety of closed coal warehouses exploitation by gas factor can be ensured by means of artificial ventilation providing volumetric methane concentration in the air less than 1 %. The flow rate sufficient to achieve this methane concentration was obtained as a result of computer modeling of methane concentration fields formation in the air medium at theoretically calculated methane emission from the pile surface.
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Date submitted2024-04-22
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Date accepted2024-06-13
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Date published2024-07-04
Comprehensive utilization of urban wastewater sludge with production of technogenic soil
The article presents the analysis of the existing approach to wastewater sludge treatment and justifies the selection of the most promising management technology that allows maximum use of wastewater sludge resource po-tential. To obtain a useful product (biocompost) suitable for use as part of technogenic soil, experimental studies of aerobic stabilization of organic matter of dehydrated urban wastewater sludge with the addition of other waste by using passive composting technology were carried out. The technology is included in the list of best available technologies (BAT). The selection of the most optimal components for the mixture was based on the results of determining the C and N content, humidity and pH of the components used that ensured the composting of organic waste. The results of laboratory studies of the obtained biocompost according to the main agrochemical and sanitary-epidemiological indicators are presented. Testing was carried out according to the criterion of toxicity of the biocompost’s aqueous extract. The assessment of the technogenic soil was performed when using biocompost in its composition for compliance with existing hygienic requirements for soil quality in the Russian Federation. Based on the results of the vegetation experiment, optimal formulations of the technogenic soil were determined, i.e., the ratio of biocompost and sand, under which the most favorable conditions for plant growth are observed according to a combination of factors such as the number of germinated seeds, the maximum height of plants and the amount of biomass. The conducted research makes it possible to increase the proportion of recycled urban wastewater sludge in the future to obtain soils characterized by a high degree of nutrient availability for plants and potentially suitable for use in landscaping, the biological stage of reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands, as well as for growing herbaceous plants in open and protected soil.
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Date submitted2023-05-31
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Date accepted2023-12-27
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Date published2024-04-25
Velocity structure of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the Pechenga ore region and adjacent areas in the northwestern part of the Lapland-Kola orogen by the receiver function technique
- Authors:
- Andrei G. Goev
The article presents a study of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the Pechenga ore region, as well as areas adjacent to it in the northwestern part of the Kola region. Applying the receiver function technique to data acquired by three broadband seismic stations, we obtained one-dimensional seismic velocity distribution models to a depth of 300 km. The stations are located in the northern parts of Finland and Norway, as well as in the Pechenga region of the Russian Federation. Despite the stations being in relatively close proximity (within 100 km of each other), the velocity models turned out to be significantly different, which indicates structural discontinuity within the lithosphere. Thus, Finland station data set revealed a gradient crust-mantle transition, which is not present in the other two models. At depths of about 150 km, a low-velocity zone was discovered, associated with mid-lithospheric discontinuity, which was not found beneath the Pechenga ore region. Furthermore, the crustal structure of the Pechenga region has an anomalously high Vp/Vs ratio to a depth of about 20 km. Considering the fact that the Pechenga (Nikel) seismic station was installed in close proximity to major copper-nickel deposits, this anomaly can be interpreted as a relic of Proterozoic plume activity.
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Date submitted2022-10-30
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Date accepted2023-09-20
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Date published2024-02-29
Combined method of phytoremediation and electrical treatment for cleaning contaminated areas of the oil complex
The scale of land pollution with oil waste necessitates the use of economical and effective methods of recultivation. Phytoremediation is one of the simplest methods, but it has a number of limitations, so additional preparation of the territory is often required before it is carried out. Preliminary electrical preparation and subsequent seeding of special phytoremediants are of interest. Passing a constant electric current through the soil volume under a low voltage removes toxicants from deep soil layers even with flooding. In addition, it reduces pollutant content in the upper layer, where the plants root system is located, which creates more favorable conditions for phytoremediants. Adequately selected types of plants will ensure additional soil cleaning, improve its structure and air exchange. The results of two research directions are presented. Experiments on the study of plant resistance to oil-contaminated soil substrate allowed establishing contamination thresholds at which it is advisable to sow a particular species, and to choose optimal phytoremediants. The study of the oil-containing soil cleaning in a monocathodocentric electrochemical installation with the fixation of main characteristics (oil products concentration, soil temperature, volt-ampere characteristics) allows us to develop technical measures to prepare territories for phytoremediation taking into account the relief features.
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Date submitted2021-02-28
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Date accepted2021-11-30
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Date published2021-12-27
Substantiation of analytical dependences for hydraulic calculation of high-viscosity oil transportation
- Authors:
- Alexander K. Nikolaev
- Natalia А. Zaripova
One of the development priorities in oil and gas industry is to maintain gas and oil pipeline networks and develop pipeline-connected gas and oil fields of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, a promising region the resource potential of which will not only meet a significant portion of internal and external demand for various types of raw materials and primary energy carriers, but will also bring great economic benefits to subsoil users and the state. The mineral and raw material centers of the Nadym-Purskiy and Pur-Tazovskskiy oil and gas bearing areas are among the most attractive regions of the Arctic zone. It is necessary to develop a scientifically substantiated approach to improve the methods of oil transportation from the field to the existing pipelines. As it is known, the task of increasing the efficiency of pipeline transportation of high-viscosity oil is inseparably connected with solving problems in the field of thermal and hydraulic calculation of pipeline system. The article presents the substantiation of dependencies for hydraulic calculation of pipelines transporting high-viscosity oil exhibiting complex rheological properties. Based on the laws of hydraulics for non-Newtonian fluids, the formulas for calculating head losses for fluids obeying Ostwald's law are proposed, their relationship to the classical equations of hydraulics is shown. The theoretical substantiation of looping installation for increasing the efficiency of pipeline transportation of high-viscosity oil taking into account the received dependences for power fluid is considered.
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Date submitted2021-04-11
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Date accepted2021-10-18
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Date published2021-12-16
Comprehensive assessment and analysis of the oil and gas potential of Meso-Cenozoic sediments in the North Caucasus
- Authors:
- Igor I. Bosikov
- Andrey V. Мaier
At the present stage, the development of the oil and gas industry in the Russian Federation is impossible without replenishing the raw material base, so the urgent task is to conduct investigations, prospecting and evaluation of oil and gas bearing capacity prospects in undiscovered areas. The purpose of the investigations is to analyze facies and thicknesses, choose the methodology of prospecting and exploration in reservoirs, make a comprehensive assessment of oil and gas bearing capacity prospects based on experimental investigations and construct a map of oil and gas bearing capacity prospects of the studied sediment structure. The methodology of the conducted investigations was to identify and trace zones of increased fracturing by qualitative interpretation of time seismic sections. Methods for qualitative interpretation of time seismic sections, the model of physical, chemical and geochemical criteria developed by I.A.Burlakov, gas and geochemical surveying and correlation analysis were used in the investigations. A number of prospecting criteria, established based on the analysis of reference seismic materials on well-studied areas in comparison with the results of well tests, were also used. Structural plan for forecast prospects of oil and gas bearing capacity in the studied area was made; zonal and local objects with prospects for oil and gas were identified. Graphical plotting of Eh and pH concentrations distribution and various gas and geochemical indicators allowed identifying zones of possible oil and gas accumulations and starting their detailed survey. Processing of gas and geochemical materials by means of software allowed efficient assessment of prospects for oil and gas bearing capacity of the investigated objects.
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Date submitted2020-12-24
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Date accepted2021-10-18
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Date published2021-12-16
Natural gas methane number and its influence on the gas engine working process efficiency
The natural gas usage as a vehicle fuel in the mining industry is one of the priority tasks of the state. The article pays special attention to the component composition of natural gas from the point of view of its thermal efficiency during combustion in the combustion chamber of a power plant on a heavy-duty vehicle in difficult quarry conditions. For this, domestic and foreign methods for determining the main indicator characterizing the knock resistance of fuel in the combustion process – the methane number – are considered. Improvement of technical and economic indicators will be carried out by changing the composition of the gas mixture based on methane to fit the design features of the gas power plant, the methane number will be the determining indicator. A theoretical analysis of the influence of the methane number on such engine parameters as the compression ratio and the maximum speed of the flame front propagation in the second phase of combustion in the engine cylinder, expressed through the angle of rotation of the crankshaft, is presented. Based on the results of theoretical and experimental studies, the dependences of the influence of the methane number on the efficiency of the working process of the engine and its external speed characteristic were obtained.
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Date submitted2021-03-12
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Date accepted2021-04-12
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Date published2021-06-24
Increasing the efficiency of phosphate ore processing using flotation method
The paper presents flotation of two phosphate ore samples of different origin. Statistical analysis was used to study the effect of operating parameters on flotation efficiency. The paper proposes to increase the efficiency of flotation processing of magmatic phosphate ore with a low grade of the valuable component (P 2 O 5 = 10.88 %), containing nepheline and feldspars, by means of direct anionic flotation. Authors present an optimization of anionic flotation using tall oil fatty acids mixed with anionic phospholane as an anionic collector. The effect of adding soda ash to compensate for the influence of calcium cations on technological parameters of P 2 O 5 flotation was examined. The results of studying the flotation of nepheline ore (flotation tailings of magmatic phosphate ore) showed that replacement of phospholane with oxyethylated isotridecanol allowed to obtain a high-quality concentrate. It was estimated that with the addition of Na 2 CO 3 in the amount of 2,000 g/t, a concentrate was obtained with the grade and recovery of phosphorus pentoxide equal to 39.15 and 94.19 %, respectively. The paper proposes to increase the efficiency of flotation processing of sedimentary phosphate ore with a low grade of the valuable component (P 2 O 5 = 22.5 %), containing gypsum and quartz, by means of desliming followed by anionic or cationic reverse flotation. Tall oil fatty acid with anionic phospholane was used as a collector in anionic reverse flotation, and amine was used in cationic reverse flotation. Sodium tripolyphosphate was used as a P 2 O 5 depressant. It was found to be an effective depressant in both anionic and cationic flotation. When analyzing the statistical plan, it was estimated that the maximum grade of the valuable component in the concentrate (P 2 O 5 = 31.23 %) and the recovery to concentrate of 95.22 % were obtained in the chamber product at amine consumption of 950.88 g/t and sodium tripolyphosphate consumption of 500 g/t.
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Date submitted2020-12-11
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Date accepted2021-03-30
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Date published2021-06-24
Development of new compositions for dust control in the mining and mineral transportation industry
Dust control in summer and winter periods is a topical problem associated with conducting open pit mining operations; however, at negative temperatures the additional requirements are imposed on dust suppressants. Preventive compositions are proposed, in which light and heavy gas oils, obtained from catalytic cracking and delayed coking, are used as base components. Involvement of heavy fractions allows to increase the flash point, thereby reducing the flammability of dust suppressant, improve its adhesion properties by increasing the content of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and reduce the cost of the final product. In order to improve low-temperature and adsorption properties of developed dust suppressants, heavy oil residues (cracking residue and tar) are included in their composition in various concentrations: 2-10 wt.%. Alternative compositions of dust suppressants, obtained by water emulsification of vinylated alkyd oligomer, are developed; the ability of this dispersion to form strong films on dusty surfaces is examined. The efficiency of using aqueous solution of vinylated alkyd oligomer as a summer dust suppressant is demonstrated. The results of this study include the development of new preventive compositions with improved low-temperature properties and confirmation of the theoretical part of the study by the results of performance tests on a laboratory facility.Alternative compositions of dust suppressors have been developed, which were obtained by emulsifying a vinyl alkyd oligomer (VAO) in water; the ability of this dispersion to form strong films on dusty surfaces has been studied. The efficiency of using an aqueous solution of vinyl alkyd oligomer in the summer period as a dust suppressant is shown. The results of this study are the development of new prophylactic formulations with improved low-temperature properties and confirmation of the theoretical part of the study by the results of tests of operational characteristics in a laboratory facility.
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Date submitted2020-10-05
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Date accepted2021-03-30
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Date published2021-06-24
Improving the efficiency of relay protection at a mining and processing plant
The paper presents the results of constructing effective relay protection in the power supply system of a mining and processing plant (MPP). A brief description of the MPP is given, the power supply and substitution circuits used to calculate the short-circuit currents are given. A statistical analysis of failures in the electric network of the MPP has been carried out, which makes it possible to draw conclusions about the nature of failures ranges. Analysis of the registered faults shows that a significant part of them are line-to-earth faults, which in most cases turn into multiphase short circuits, which are interrupted by overcurrent protection. In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the relay protection, the power supply scheme of the MPP was refined and analyzed. The calculation of the short-circuit currents was made, which made it possible to calculate the settings of the relay protection and give recommendations on the place of its installation and adjustment in order to ensure the normal operation of electricity consumers. To reduce the number of failures to the cable insert on the line leaving the administrative and household complex (AHC), and to increase the reliability of power supply to consumers, it is advisable to divide the capacities of the existing 10 kV line into two parallel ones by laying a second line. It is recommended to install a current cut-off on the line outgoing to the AHC, the feasibility of the installation of which was shown by calculations. This will reduce the chance of failures to the cable gland. Data on the setting currents of overcurrent protection and current cut-off are given on the selectivity card.
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Date submitted2020-06-12
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Date accepted2020-06-15
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Date published2020-12-29
Analysis of project organization specifics in small-scale LNG production
- Authors:
- Pavel S. Tcvetkov
- S. V. Fedoseev
Gas industry plays an important role in the global energy sector, and in the coming decades amountsof natural gas production will only increase. One of the fastest growing trends in gas industry is the production of liquefiednatural gas (LNG), which is associated with the necessity to organize flexible systems of gas supply to the regions,remote from gas extraction sites. Industrial structure of LNG production includes projects, belonging to several different groups depending to their scale, in particular, small-scale production (SSLNG), cumulative production capacityof which is approximately 10 % from the industry-wide one. Economic aspects of implementing such projects remainunderexplored, which does not allow to draw objective conclusions regarding the prospects of their implementationin particular regions.This paper contains a review of publications, devoted to SSLNG project studies, aimed at identifying specifics oftheir organization compared to projects of greater scale. The results demonstrate that the majority of internationalcompanies classify projects as SSLNG, if their annual production capacity is below 0.5 million tonnes per annum.Specific capital costs, as well as implementation timelines of such projects, are several times lower than those of projects with greater production capacity, which reduces their risks and minimizes barriers to market entry. Furthermore,SSLNG is the most decentralized subsector in gas industry, aiming to cover the market due to a growing numberof projects, not their specific production capacity. These specific features define significant prospects of SSLNGdevelopment in Russia, both in the context of energy supply to remote regions and diversification of export deliveries.
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Date submitted2020-05-25
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Date accepted2020-06-11
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Date published2020-12-29
Technological aspects of cased wells construction with cyclical-flow transportation of rock
- Authors:
- Andrei S. Kondratenko
A high-performance technology for constructing cased wells is proposed. Essence of the technology is the advance insertion of the casing pipe into the sedimentary rock mass and the cyclical-flow transportation of the soil rock portions using the compressed air pressure supplied to the open bottomhole end of the pipe through a separate line. Results of mathematical modeling for the process of impact insertion of a hollow pipe into a soil mass in horizontal and vertical settings are considered. Modeling of the technology is implemented by the finite element method in the ANSYS Mechanical software. Parameters of the pipe insertion in the sedimentary rock mass are determined - value of the cleaning step and the impact energy required to insert the pipe at a given depth. Calculations were performed for pipes with a diameter from 325 to 730 mm. Insertion coefficient is introduced, which characterizes the resistance of rocks to destruction during the dynamic penetration of the casing pipe in one impact blow of the pneumatic hammer. An overview of the prospects for the application of the proposed technology in geological exploration, when conducting horizontal wells of a small cross-section using a trenchless method of construction and borehole methods of mining, is presented. A variant of using the technology for determining the strength properties of rocks is proposed. Some features of the technology application at industrial facilities of the construction and mining industry are considered: for trenchless laying of underground utilities and for installing starting conductors when constructing degassing wells from the surface in coal deposits. Results of a technical and economic assessment of the proposed technology efficiency when installing starting conductors in sedimentary rocks at mining allotments of coal mines are presented.
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Date submitted2020-05-26
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Date accepted2020-09-23
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Date published2020-12-29
Automated ventilation control in mines. Challenges, state of the art, areas for improvement
The article is divided into three main parts. The first part provides an overview of the existing literature on theoretical methods for calculating the optimal air distribution in mines according to the criteria of energy efficiency and providing all sections of mines with the required amount of air. It is shown that by the current moment there are many different formulations of the problem of searching the optimal air distribution, many different approaches and methods for optimizing air distribution have been developed. The case of a single (main) fan is most fully investigated, while for many fans a number of issues still remain unresolved. The second part is devoted to the review of existing methods and examples of the automated mine ventilation control systems implementation in Russia and abroad. Two of the most well-known concepts for the development of such systems are automated ventilation control systems (AVCS) in Russia and the CIS countries and Ventilation on demand (VOD) abroad. The main strategies of ventilation management in the framework of the AVCS and VOD concepts are described and also the key differences between them are shown. One of the key differences between AVCS and VOD today is the automatic determination of the operation parameters of fan units and ventilation doors using the optimal control algorithm, which is an integral part of the AVCS. The third part of the article describes the optimal control algorithm developed by the team of the Mining Institute of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the participation of the authors of the article. In this algorithm, the search for optimal air distribution is carried out by the system in a fully automated mode in real time using algorithms programmed into the microcontrollers of fans and ventilation doors. Minimization of energy consumption is achieved due to the most efficient selection of the fan speed and the rate of ventilation doors opening and also due to the air distribution shift control and the partial air recirculation systems introduction. It is noted that currently the available literature poorly covers the issue related to emergency operation modes ventilation systems of mines and also with the adaptation of automated control systems to different mining methods. According to the authors, further development of automated ventilation control systems should be carried out, in particular, in these two areas.
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Date submitted2020-01-10
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Date accepted2020-01-14
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Date published2020-02-25
Biogeochemical assessment of soils and plants in industrial, residential and recreational areas of Saint Petersburg
Soils and plants of Saint Petersburg are under the constant technogenic stress caused by human activity in industrial, residential, and recreational landscapes of the city. To assess the transformed landscapes of various functional zones, we studied utility, housing, and park districts with a total area of over 7,000 hectares in the southern part of the city during the summer seasons of 2016-2018. Throughout the fieldwork period, 796 individual pairs of soil and plant samples were collected.A complex of consequent laboratory studies performed in an accredited laboratory allowed the characterization of key biogeochemical patterns of urban regolith specimens and herbage samples of various grasses. Chemical analyses provided information on the concentrations of polluting metals in soils and plants of different land use zones.Data interpretation and calculation of element accumulation factors revealed areas with the most unfavorable environmental conditions. We believe that a high pollution level in southern city districts has led to a significant degree of physical, chemical, and biological degradation of the soil and vegetation cover. As of today, approximately 10 % of the Technosols in the study area have completely lost the ability to biological self-revitalization, which results in ecosystem malfunction and the urgent need for land remediation.
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Date submitted2019-07-21
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Date accepted2019-09-20
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Date published2020-02-25
Assessment of operational reliability of quarry excavator-dump truck complexes
- Authors:
- V. M. Kurganov
- M. V. Gryaznov
- S. V. Kolobanov
The method proposed in the article is based on the mathematical apparatus for quantitative assessment of the reliability of majority schemes of structural redundancy of transport processes, which provide the availability and usage of several backup delivery channels in the transport process in case of any malfunction. The principle of multi-channel haulage is commonly used in quarries for transportation of overburden and minerals from benches by dump trucks, when excavators and dump trucks performing cyclic operations function as a single excavator-dump truck complex. This pattern of work significantly increases the likelihood of fulfilling the daily plan for transporting rock mass due to the redistribution of dump trucks between mining and overburden excavators in the event of failure of one or more units of mining and handling equipment. The reliability of excavator-dump truck complexes is assessed in three stages: initial data collection for mathematical modeling of excavator-dump truck complex performance; solving the problem of optimizing the distribution of dump trucks between excavators, ensuring maximum productivity of the excavator-dump truck complex; assessment of the reliability of its work depending on the probability of fulfilling the daily plan for the transportation of rock mass. The proposed method is implemented as part of a computer program and makes it possible to automate the operational management of the process of transporting rock mass in a quarry using a mobile application. The developed guidelines can be used for any quarries with automobile transport, regardless of the type of mineral extracted, the mining method, the loading pattern, the capacity of the excavation and loading equipment fleet, and the capacity of operated dump trucks.
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Date submitted2019-01-17
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Date accepted2019-03-20
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Date published2019-06-25
Improving methodological approach to measures planning for hydraulic fracturing in oil fields
Goal of the research is development of an integrated approach to the planning of hydraulic fracturing (HF) treatment taking into account geo-technical, hydrodynamic, technological and economic criteria for the selection of wells for inclusion in the programs of HF with increasing importance of economic criteria. Stages of formation of the program for HF of the oil company are selected, systematized and analyzed. It is shown that high potential effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery method in fields with hard-to-recover reserves, on the one hand, and the complexity and high cost of application, on the other, determine the need to optimize the parameters of this business process at all stages of implementation and improve its planning methods. The priority directions for improving the hydraulic fracturing planning were justified: a clear definition of the criterion for the payback period of hydraulic fracturing activities, taking into account their technological features, improving the procedure for calculating the costs of implementing this technology and improving the reasonableness of selecting candidate wells for inclusion in the hydraulic fracturing program. Feasibility of using an additional criterion in the formation of hydraulic fracturing programs – marginal minimum cost-effective wall capacity – has been shown and a method for calculating it has been developed. The use of this criterion will allow to take into account not only technological limitations, but also limits of economic efficiency of conducting hydraulic fracturing at each specific well and, at the preliminary selection of candidate wells, exclude a priori unprofitable measures.
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Date submitted2018-09-04
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Date accepted2018-11-16
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Date published2019-02-22
Development of an occupational safety management system based on the process approach
- Authors:
- V. A. Filimonov
- L. N. Gorina
The article discusses the relevance and possibility of using the process approach in the development and implementation of occupational safety management systems based on GOST 12.0.230-2007, which is the main document in this area for all industrial enterprises and organisations of the Russian Federation. The system of occupational safety management in the organisation is considered taking into account all its internal communications and input-output parameters. It is shown that the process approach used in the design of the occupational safety management system in the organisation, allows categorising the list of works (processes), participants, resources (responsible, performers, documents, etc.), the control and correction processes. The methodological substantiation of the process approach to the design of the occupational safety management system in the organisation is given, the basic issues of its applicability are considered. A context diagram of the process of an occupational safety management system is drawn in the IDEF0 graphical notation by means of the SADT structural analysis technology. The decomposition of the context diagram to the required levels of detail is presented and the balance factor of the models is calculated.
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Date submitted2018-07-02
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Date accepted2018-09-04
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Date published2018-12-21
Strategic Planning of Arctic Shelf Development Using Fractal Theory Tools
- Authors:
- V. S. Vasiltsov
- V. M. Vasiltsova
The paper justifies the necessity to utilize new methods of strategic planning in oil and gas field exploitation in the Arctic shelf during the implementation of high technology diversified model of development for oil and gas companies (OGC) based on principles and tools of fractal theory. It has been proved that despite its challenging conditions the Arctic represents not only resource potential of the country and a guarantee of national safety, but also a key driver of market self-identification and self-organization of OGCs. Identified and analyzed problems in institutional procurement of shelf development and utilized methods of strategic planning and project management, both on the levels of state and corporate governance, demonstrate that reductive approach of the fractal theory allows to take into account diversification of heterogeneous multicomponent project models, which can be reduced to a single management decision with inverse iterations of neural network modelling. Suggested approach is relevant for strategic planning not only on the stage of investment portfolio justification, but also for identification and assessment of project risks; ranking of projects according to the order of their implementation; back and - forth management (monitoring and supervision) and project completion. It has been detected that such basic properties of the fractal as self-similarity, recurrence, fragmentation and correlation between all fractal dimensions allow to systematize chaotically changing values of market parameters in the Arctic shelf development project, which provides an opportunity to forecast market development with minimal prediction errors.
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Date submitted2018-05-07
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Date accepted2018-07-10
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Date published2018-10-24
Justification of economic benefits of arctic LNG transportation by sea
Russian Arctic is the largest exporter of domestic natural gas, which brings significant income to the federal budget. The major share of natural gas extracted in the Arctic is transported via pipelines in the direction of European countries. For a number of reasons EU is continuously reducing its consumption of Russian natural gas, among other things by increasing the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG). All this is happening against the background of global markets refocusing from pipeline gas to LNG. An obvious solution here would be to increase LNG production in the Russian Arctic with its subsequent transportation by sea. Taking into account remote location of Arctic gas fields from the main sales markets, there is a need for comparative cost analysis of transportation via pipelines and LNG tankers. The authors developed a method of assessing the costs of pipeline and sea transportation under comparable conditions. Calculations have been made for gas transportation to Germany, Italy, Turkey and China. As a result, it has been demonstrated that sea transportation of 1,000 m 3 of natural gas is cheaper than pipeline transportation by the average value of 106.3 USD (–40.2 %) across all the routes in question. Performed calculations prove the economic benefits of sea transportation of Arctic LNG to the existing and potential markets for natural gas. Such results are justified by the need of rational replacement of pipeline gas by LNG in European markets (especially in Southern Europe, where LNG has a greater competitive advantage) and increasing export of liquefied natural gas to the Asia-Pacific Region. Suggested measures will allow to reduce the costs of sea LNG transportation, which will give Arctic natural gas a competitive edge on the global and regional gas markets.