The influence of cap rock composition on hydrocarbon seep type in the Zagros oil fields,a study using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer mineral map

The persistent natural hydrocarbon seepage in onshore basins challenges observation and exploration technologies, which are required to document and assess these valuable indications of the presence of oil and gas in the subsurface. This paper aims at demonstrating the relationship between the compositional variation of an evaporite cap rock and the types of seeps occurring at the surface. For this purpose, the multispectral Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data was utilized for mapping mineral variations of a petroleum system in the Zagros oil fields. Relative absorption-band depth (RBD), band rationing and the boosted regression trees (BRT) were applied to enhance and classify the mineral composition of evaporite, sandstone, and marly limestone formations. The gas seeps were associated with the areas of gypsum-bearing evaporite cap rock while oil seeps were mostly associated with calcite and clay zones within the cap rock, which was more prone to fracturing during the tectonic activities of the basin. It is suggested that the application of remote sensing in the oil and gas industry could be widened by detection of sleep-induced alteration to assess the efficiency of cap rock and to evaluate the productivity of reservoirs at a regional scale.     

Benefit of Microscopic Diffusion Measurement for the Characterization of Nanoporous Materials

Detailed knowledge of the transport properties of nanoporous materials is a prerequisite for their complete characterization and optimum technological exploitation. One of the best ways to attain this information is provided by the “microscopic” techniques of diffusion measurement, in particular by the pulsed field gradient technique of NMR and by interference microscopy and IR microscopy. Starting with the measuring principles, the various types of evidence as accessible by these techniques are illustrated. A large variety of host‐guest systems with both ordered and random pore networks have been studied, from microporous up to macroporous materials. The information obtained concerns diffusivities in the various pore domains, extra resistances at the interfaces between them and the associated exchange rates.     

Generality and legibility in mobile manipulation

This article investigates methods for achieving more general manipulation capabilities for mobile manipulation platforms, which produce legible behavior in human living environments. To achieve generality and legibility, we combine two control mechanisms. First of all, experience- and observation-based learning of skills is applied to routine tasks, so that the repetitive and stereotypical character of everyday activity is exploited. Second, we use planning, reasoning, and search for novel tasks which have no stereotypical solution. We apply these ideas to the learning and use of action-related places, to the model-based visual recognition and localization of objects, and the learning and application of reaching strategies and motions from humans. We demonstrate the integration of these mechanisms into a single low-level control system for autonomous manipulation platforms.     

RESPONSE TO NELDER AND LEE

Sufficient dimension-reduction methods provide effective ways to visualize discriminant analysis problems. For example, Cook and Yin showed that the dimension-reduction method of sliced average variance estimation (SAVE) identifies variates that are equivalent to a quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) solution. This article makes this connection explicit to motivate the use of SAVE variates in exploratory graphics for discriminant analysis. Classification can then be based on the SAVE variates using a suitable distance measure. If the chosen measure is Mahalanobis distance, then classification is identical to QDA using the original variables. Just as canonical variates provide a useful way to visualize linear discriminant analysis (LDA), so do SAVE variates help visualize QDA. This would appear to be particularly useful given the lack of graphical tools for QDA in current software. Furthermore, whereas LDA and QDA can be sensitive to nonnormality, SAVE is more robust.     

Detection of pre-defined boundaries between hydrothermal alteration zones using rotation-variant template matching

A new method for the detection of pre-defined boundaries in single-band image data that uses a rotation-variant template matching (RTM) algorithm is presented. This algorithm matches a miniature image of a pre-defined boundary to image data at various orientations. The image pixels that match boundary criteria are reported in output imagery together with the rotation angle of the template. The method is applied to identify boundaries between hydrothermal alteration zones in processed airborne hyperspectral imagery, based on the presence of white mica minerals. Results show that boundaries identified with RTM are relatively free of noise and more coherent than those identified with, for instance, image slicing techniques. Identified boundaries can be used for image segmentation. The output of the RTM algorithm also provides information on the type of boundary, whether it is crisp or gradual. This information can be used to better characterize mineral variation in the alteration halo associated with fossil hydrothermal systems.     

Structured catalysts for the acylation of aromatics

In the acylation of anisole with octanoic acid, Nafion/silica composites were the most active slurry catalysts, compared to zeolite catalysts. Monolithic structures were coated successfully with Nafion. Tested in the acylation, these structured catalysts exhibited similar high activities, eliminating the disadvantages (attrition, filtration, regeneration) of a slurry system operation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Grip to the Colon by Means of Macroscopic Adhesion-Controlled Friction

Manipulating friction without applying high normal forces is important for an intestine inspection and intervention device in order to eliminate the risk of tissue damage. One possible solution is to generate friction by means of adhesive forces. The adhesive forces should be high to offer sufficient grip without needing high normal forces. The generated friction is then called adhesion-controlled and depends on the size of the area in contact. Adhesion-controlled friction is well known to be dominant at microscopic and molecular levels. According to this paper, adhesion-controlled friction can be applicable on the macroscopic scale as well and, more specifically, within a range of forces in which friction is usually considered to be load-controlled. The intestine inspection and intervention device manipulates the friction with the colonic wall by means of mucoadhesive films. In this way, grip with high static friction is achieved without the need to apply high normal forces and friction is altered by changing the size of the area of the mucoadhesive film. Friction theories on different scales are revisited and considered in order to understand the dominant phenomena and the principles associated with this macroscopic adhesion-controlled friction.     

Nitric oxide reduction and carbon monoxide oxidation over carbon-supported copper-chromium catalysts

Carbon supported copper-chromium catalysts are shown to be very active for both the reduction of nitric oxide with carbon monoxide and the oxidation of carbon monoxide with oxygen. Mixed copper-chromium oxide active phases have good activity in the simultaneous removal of nitric oxide and carbon monoxide from exhaust gases. The influence of several catalyst variables has been investigated. The activity per volume of catalyst increases with increasing loading, while the intrinsic activity shows a maximum around C/M=100−50. An optimum catalyst for nitric oxide reduction and carbon monoxide oxidation has a copper/chromium ratio of 2/1. The apparent activation energy for the carbon monoxide oxidation over carbon supported copper-chromium catalysts is 77 kJ/mol, suggesting that the Cu---O bond rupture is the rate-limiting process. The reduction of nitric oxide takes place at higher temperatures. Since all catalysts have a low selectivity for molecular nitrogen formation at lower temperatures, the dissociation of nitric oxide is probably rate determining, resulting in a slightly reduced catalyst system. In an excess of carbon monoxide the reaction is first-order in nitric oxide and zero-order in carbon monoxide. Moisture inhibits the reaction by reversible competitive adsorption, whereas carbon dioxide does not. Oxygen completely inhibits the reduction of nitric oxide due to the more rapid reoxidation of the catalytic sites compared to nitric oxide. Therefore, the reduction of nitric oxide takes place only when all oxygen has been converted and, hence, is shifted to higher temperatures. As a possible consequence, the production of nitrous oxide is reduced. Nitric oxide and molecular oxygen react preferentially with carbon monoxide, so, in an excess of oxidizing component, gasification of the carbon support occurs at higher temperatures after carbon monoxide has been completely consumed.     

Metal Organic Framework Crystals in Mixed‐Matrix Membranes: Impact of the Filler Morphology on the Gas Separation Performance

Mixed‐matrix membranes comprising NH₂‐MIL‐53(Al) and Matrimid or 6FDA‐DAM have been investigated. The metal organic framework (MOF) loading has been varied between 5 and 20 wt%, while NH₂‐MIL‐53(Al) with three different morphologies, nanoparticles, nanorods, and microneedles has been dispersed in Matrimid. The synthesized membranes have been tested in the separation of CO₂ from CH₄ in an equimolar mixture. At 3 bar and 298 K for 8 wt% MOF loading, incorporation of NH₂‐MIL‐53(Al) nanoparticles leads to the largest improvement compared to nanorods and microneedles. The incorporation of the best performing filler, i.e., NH₂‐MIL‐53(Al) nanoparticles, into the highly permeable 6FDA‐DAM has a larger effect, and the CO₂ permeability increases up to 85% with slightly lower selectivities for 20 wt% MOF loading. Specifically, these membranes have a permeability of 660 Barrer with a CO₂/CH₄ separation factor of 28, leading to a performance very close to the Robeson limit of 2008. Furthermore, a new non‐destructive technique based on Raman spectroscopy mapping is introduced to assess the homogeneity of the filler dispersion in the polymer matrix. The MOF contribution can be calculated by modeling the spectra. The determined homogeneity of the MOF filler distribution in the polymer is confirmed by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy analysis.