Engineering dynamics is the study of motion, but textbooks and chalkboards, the traditional classroom teaching tools, cannot show that motion. Mechanical models are helpful, but relatively inflexible; they are qualitative, not quantitative. Since July 1992, personnel from the University of Missouri‐Rolla have been developing and classroom testing “BEST”* (Basic Engineering Software for Teaching) Dynamics with the goal of improving the teaching and learning of engineering dynamics. About forty‐five different problem simulations, representing a selection of typical kinematics and kinetics problems for both particles and rigid bodies, have been completed. These problems enable the user to vary inputs to view a wide variety of configurations and behavior. Students using “BEST” Dynamics have reported improved ability to visualize motion, and somewhat improved problem solving ability. Recent work has focused on adding, to some of the problems, “Solutions” which give detailed support in writing and solving equations. This paper will introduce the reader to “BEST” Dynamics and its classroom use. It will also provide some philosophical commentary on the applicability of instructional software to the problem‐solving‐oriented engineering classroom.

Gas storage and flow behavior in the shale gas rocks are complex and hard to identify by conventional core analysis. This study integrates clustering analysis techniques from material science, petrophysics, and petrology to characterize North American shale gas samples from Utica, Haynesville, and Fayetteville shale gas plays. High pressure (up to 60,000 psi) mercury porosimetry analysis (MICP) determined the pore size distributions. A robust, detailed tomography procedure using a dual-beam (Scanning Electron Microscope and Focused Ion Beam, also called SEM-FIB) instrument successfully characterized the submicron-pore structures. SEM images revealed various types of porosities. Pores on a scale of nanometers were found in organic matter; they occupy 40−50% of the kerogen body. Two-hundred two-dimensional SEM images were collected and stacked to reconstruct the original pore structure in a three-dimensional model. The model provided insights into the petrophysical properties of shale gas, including pore size distribution, porosity, tortuosity, and anisotropy. This paper presents the pore model constructed from Fayetteville shale sample. The work used X-ray diffraction (XRD) to semi-quantify shale gas clay and non-clay minerals. The Haynesville and Utica (Indian Castle formation) shale samples have a high illite content. The Utica (Dolgeville formation) shale samples show high calcium carbonate (calcite) content. Moreover, wettability tests were performed on the shale samples, and the effect of various fracturing fluid additives on their wettability was tested. Most additives made the shale gas surfaces hydrophilic-like (water-wet).

Computers afford opportunities for creative instructional activities that are not possible in the traditional lecture-and-textbook class format. Two computer-based interactive games for engineering statics are described in this study. These games are designed to foster proficiency and confidence in narrowly defined but essential topics through the use of repetition and carefully constructed levels of difficulty. The game format provides students with a learning structure and an incentive to develop skills at their own pace in a nonjudgmental but competitive and often fun environment. Quantitative and qualitative assessments of both games revealed that: (a) students' quantitative ratings and comments were consistently positive; (b) students who used the games scored significantly higher on quizzes over the subject material than those who learned via traditional lecture; and (c) students rated the games as significantly more effective than the textbook as an aid for learning the material. Materials presented in this article are available at

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Oil/gas exploration, drilling, production, and reservoir management are challenging these days since most oil and gas conventional sources are already discovered and have been producing for many years. That is why petroleum engineers are trying to use advanced tools such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) to help to make the decision to reduce non-productive time and cost. A good number of papers about the applications of ANNs in the petroleum literature were reviewed and summarized in tables. The applications were classified into four groups; applications of ANNs in explorations, drilling, production, and reservoir engineering. A good number of applications in the literature of petroleum engineering were tabulated. Also, a formalized methodology to apply the ANNs for any petroleum application was presented and accomplished by a flowchart that can serve as a practical reference to apply the ANNs for any petroleum application. The method was broken down into steps that can be followed easily. The availability of huge data sets in the petroleum industry gives the opportunity to use these data to make better decisions and predict future outcomes. This paper will provide a review of applications of ANNs in petroleum engineering as well as a clear methodology on how to apply the ANNs for any petroleum application.

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The primary purpose of using traditional friction reducers in stimulation treatments is to overcome the tubular drag while pumping at high flow rates. Hydraulic fracturing is the main technology used to produce hydrocarbon from extremely low permeability rock. Even though slickwater (water fracturing with few chemical additives) used to be one of the most common fracturing fluids, several concerns are still associated with its use, including usage of freshwater, high-cost operation, and environmental issues. Therefore, current practice in hydraulic fracturing is to use alternative fluid systems that are cost effective and have less environmental impact, such as fluids which utilize high viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs), which typically are high molecular weight polyacrylamides. This paper carefully reviews and summarizes over 40 published papers, including experimental work, field case studies, and simulation work. This work summarizes the most recent improvements of using HVFR’s, including capability of carrying proppant, reducing water and chemical requirements, its compatibility with produced water, and environmental benefits in hydraulic fracturing treatments. A further goal is to gain insight into the effective design of HVFR based fluid systems. The findings of this study are analyzed from over 26 field case studies of many unconventional reservoirs. In comparing to the traditional hydraulic fracture fluids system, the paper summaries many potential advantages offered by HVFR fluids, including: superior proppant transport capability, almost 100% retained conductivity, cost reduction, minimizing chemicals usage by 50%, less operating equipment on location, reducing water consumption by 30%, and fewer environmental concerns. The study also reported that the common HVFR concentration used was 4gpt. HVFRs were used in the field at temperature ranges from 120°F to 340°F. Finally, this work addresses up-to-date challenges and emphasizes necessities for using high viscosity friction reducers as alternative fracture fluids.

The ever-growing global energy demand and natural decline in oil production from mature oil fields over the last several decades have been the main incentives to search for methods to increase recovery efficiency. This paper quantifies the clay role and the important role of pH in the water flooding of low salinity water in sandstone with and without clays as a function of temperature. Four chromatography columns containing different amounts of sand, illite, and kaolinite (100% sand; 5% Illite, 95% sand; 5% kaolinite, 95% sand; 2.5% Illite, 2.5% kaolinite, 95% sand) were water flooded with various salinities at four different temperatures 25, 70, 90 and 120 °C. Effluent concentrations of Ca2+ and CH3COO−, and pH were measured. The system was pre-aged for a week at 70 °C with 0.01 molar (M) sodium acetate to simulate the bonding of oil-bound carboxylic acids with the reservoir. Desorption of carboxylic groups from reservoir clay surfaces is thought to be an important control over low salinity EOR water injection and its extent should depend on pH. To quantify the impact of the presence of the clay, a clay-free sample was also used, the acetate release and Ca2+ desorption were in some cases higher than those observed in non-clay free samples. Typically, cores with higher clay content saw a great rise in pH, but the clay-free samples also saw a rise in pH, as great as that of the clay-containing cores.