Open AccessThe emerging role of 4D synchrotron X‐ray micro‐tomography for climate and fossil energy studies: five experiments showing the present capabilities at beamline 8.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source
Author(s) -
Voltolini Marco,
Haboub Abdelmoula,
Dou Shan,
Kwon Tae-Hyuk,
MacDowell Alastair A.,
Parkinson Dilworth Y.,
Ajo-Franklin Jonathan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of synchrotron radiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 99
ISSN - 1600-5775
DOI - 10.1107/s1600577517012449
Subject(s) - synchrotron , oil shale , beamline , hydraulic fracturing , synchrotron radiation , supercritical fluid , tomography , materials science , petroleum engineering , mineralogy , geology , physics , optics , beam (structure) , paleontology , thermodynamics
Continuous improvements at X‐ray imaging beamlines at synchrotron light sources have made dynamic synchrotron X‐ray micro‐computed tomography (SXR‐µCT) experiments more routinely available to users, with a rapid increase in demand given its tremendous potential in very diverse areas. In this work a survey of five different four‐dimensional SXR‐µCT experiments is presented, examining five different parameters linked to the evolution of the investigated system, and tackling problems in different areas in earth sciences. SXR‐µCT is used to monitor the microstructural evolution of the investigated sample with the following variables: (i) high temperature, observing in situ oil shale pyrolysis; (ii) low temperature, replicating the generation of permafrost; (iii) high pressure, to study the invasion of supercritical CO 2 in deep aquifers; (iv) uniaxial stress, to monitor the closure of a fracture filled with proppant, in shale; (v) reactive flow, to observe the evolution of the hydraulic properties in a porous rock subject to dissolution. For each of these examples, it is shown how dynamic SXR‐µCT was able to provide new answers to questions related to climate and energy studies, highlighting the significant opportunities opened recently by the technique.