Aims
Test the effects of root drying on biomechanical properties of fibrous roots.
Methods
Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of Festuca arundinacea roots were tested after full hydration and during progressive drying. Root diameter, water loss, and water content were measured for all treatments.
Results
Hydrated roots showed weak relations between biomechanical properties and diameter. After only 30 min air-drying, both tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased significantly in thin roots (< 1 mm) and after 60 min drying, both strength and Young’s modulus showed a negative power relation with root diameter. The maximum strength and Young’s modulus values recorded after 60 min drying were respectively three- and four-times greater than in hydrated roots. Strength and Young’s modulus increased rapidly when water content dropped below 0.70 g g−1. These biomechanical changes were the result of root diameter shrinkage of up to 50% after 60 min drying, driven by water loss of up to 0.7 g g−1.
Conclusions
Strength and Young’s modulus largely increased with root drying. We suggest controlling root moisture and testing fully hydrated roots as standard protocol, given that slope instability is generally caused by heavy rainfall events and loss of matric suction.
Understanding oil rim reservoir production dynamics is critical to successful development of thin oil rims. The interplay of subsurface factors and production constraints determine the dynamics of oil Rim reservoir production. Therefore in this study the impact of a range of sub-surface uncertainty on oil rim recovery was captured by employing the Plackett-Burman Design of Experiment (DOE) technique. The methodology involves a detailed generic oil rim simulation study. By employing the classical numerical reservoir simulation equation, assuming a negligible difference in fluid potential and applying material balance principle, the response surface model or proxy developed for cumulative oil recovery (Np) was combined with the cone breakthrough time equation and forms an integral part of the model. The model was developed for a thin oil column, between 20ft-60ft, sandwiched between a gas cap and aquifer.
The results from the model were compared with that gotten from a simulation study which gave reasonable value of cone breakthrough time with its equivalent water cut value.
The applicability of the model was tested by predicting the water breakthrough time for some selected major oil rim reservoir with gas cap and Aquifer in Niger-Delta.
The proposed model is reliable based on the fact that it captured some major sub-surface uncertainties (11 sub-surface parameters) that influences coning results while most pre-existing model do not. It can as well serve as a quick predictive tool before embarking on detailed reservoir simulation.
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