Magic number: 2010

“One man's "magic" is another man's engineering. "Supernatural" is a null word.” -- Robert A. Heinlein (American science-fiction Writer, 1907-1988)

Keeping up with new developments in your field is easier when you limit periodic key word searches to the current year. That makes today’s magic number 2010.

For example, here are selected results from three key word searches on ScienceDirect, one of my favorite sources. Incidentally, ScienceDirect, like many of the other online databases, has an advanced search feature that facilitates precise searches. Note the search string used for each cite …

///////
ScienceDirect search string:
pub-date > 2009 and "fuel cell energy" AND sulfur

Applied Catalysis A: General, Volume 374, Issues 1-2, 1 February 2010, Pages 1-10
Atmospheric hydrodesulfurization of diesel fuel using Pt/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by supercritical deposition for fuel cell applications
Shaker Hajia, , Ying Zhangb, and Can Erkeyc, ,
a Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bahrain
b Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomass Clean Energy,, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
c Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, 34450 Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of low-sulfur model and commercial diesel fuel (500 ppmw S) using Pt/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) deposition method is investigated at atmospheric pressure and in temperature range of 290–350 °C. The reactivity of the investigated organosulfur compounds followed the known trend, that is: BT > 2-MDBT > DBT 4-MDBT > 4,6-DMDBT, despite the nonconventional operating conditions and catalyst. The HDS of dibenzothiophenes was found to proceed only via the direct desulfurization route (CS bond scission) under the studied conditions whereas HDS at high H2 pressure proceeds via both direct desulfurization and hydrogenation routes. This limitation had several consequences. Under atmospheric pressure, the HDS reaction exhibited low reactivity particularly towards the stericly hindered substituted dibenzothiophenes. HDS of commercial diesel at atmospheric pressure using catalyst prepared by supercritical fluid deposition technique was found to be feasible, however, the catalyst had to have high metal loading and the reactor had to be operated under high H2/fuel ratio with low hourly space velocity.
///////
ScienceDirect search string:
pub-date > 2009 and "Cyclic Steam Stimulation"

Fuel, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 18 February 2010
Modelling and parameter estimation of ultra-dispersed in situ catalytic upgrading experiments in a batch reactor
Hassan Hassanzadeha and Jalal Abedi, a,
a Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Abstract
In situ catalytic upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen has been suggested and tested in the laboratory for utilization of heavy oil resources. Experimental observations have demonstrated potential, so this innovative recovery technique may have a role in the development of large resources of heavy oil and bitumen. Accurate analytical and numerical modelling is necessary in order to correctly interpret experimental measurements of the in situ upgrading, leading to a better understanding and design of field-scale processes. In this paper, we present modelling and parameter estimation for ultra-dispersed catalytic upgrading experiments conducted in a batch reactor. The Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to estimate the most appropriate reaction parameters. The combination of an analytical batch reactor model and the Monte Carlo simulation technique allows for the fast generation of a large number of upgrading experiment realizations. Comparisons of analytical modelling results with the experimental measurements of the upgrading experiments at different temperatures are in close agreement. Results reveal that ultra-dispersed catalytic upgrading in a batch reactor results in a fairly high residue conversion and can potentially increase the API gravity of the produced oil.
Keywords: In situ upgrading; Ultra-dispersed catalyst; Bitumen; Heavy oil; Parameter estimation
///////
ScienceDirect search string:
pub-date > 2009 and "Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage"

Fluid Phase Equilibria, Volume 291, Issue 2, 15 May 2010, Pages 103-110
Characterization of asphaltenes precipitated with three light alkanes under different experimental conditions
Peng Luoa, Xiaoqi Wangb and Yongan Gub, ,
a Saskatchewan Research Council, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 7J7, Canada
b Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), Petroleum Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
Abstract
Asphaltene precipitation plays an important role in both oil production and refining processes. In this paper, asphaltenes are precipitated from a heavy oil sample under different experimental conditions by using three different light alkanes, i.e., propane, n-pentane, and n-heptane. A variety of analytical techniques are applied to characterize the precipitated asphaltenes and deasphalted heavy oil (i.e., maltenes), such as the density and viscosity measurements, vapour-pressure osmometry, freezing-point osmometry, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement, and simulated distillation for compositional analysis. It is found that the yields and properties of the precipitated asphaltenes and remaining maltenes strongly depend on the specific precipitant tested and the liquid precipitant-to-oil volume ratio used. The asphaltene yield decreases as the carbon number of an alkane increases, while it increases monotonically and finally reaches a plateau if the liquid precipitant-to-oil volume ratio increases up to 20–40 for n-pentane and n-heptane, respectively. As a result, n-heptane-precipitated asphaltenes (C7-asphaltenes) have the highest molecular weight and aromaticity among the three kinds of precipitated asphaltenes. C7-asphaltenes are bright and black particles, whereas n-pentane-precipitated asphaltenes (C5-asphaltenes) are dull and brown powders. Propane-precipitated asphaltenes (C3-asphaltenes) together with some amount of co-precipitated resins are found to be highly viscous and semi-solid like immediately after the flashed-off process but become more and more liquid-like afterward. Compositional analysis results of the original heavy crude oil and three different maltenes indicate that the carbon numbers of most precipitated asphaltenes are higher than C50.

Keywords: Asphaltenes; Asphaltene precipitation; In situ deasphalting; Solvent-based heavy oil recovery
///////

Here’s another tip …
Remember to harvest potential experts and research organizations. From the three articles cited above, for example, you could harvest five (5) emails …

haji@eng.uob.bh
zhzhying@ustc.edu.cn
cerkey@ku.edu.tr
jabedi@uca;lgary.ca
peter.gu@Uregina.ca

Remember to harvest Jean Steinhardt’s email at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com