NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Petroleum Thermodynamics

加拿大是世界第五大碳氢化合物能源生产国。上游行业是加拿大最大的私营部门投资者。2008年，该行业的资本支出总额为540亿美元，向政府支付的特许权使用费、手续费和税收为260亿美元。总的就业影响超过50万人，预计到2050年将翻一番(来源：加拿大石油生产商协会)。这一持续的成功是基于沥青和重油等碳氢化合物资源以及我们仍然不完全了解的工业过程。对沥青、重油和油藏流体的基本行为和性质的每一次洞察都促进了生产、运输和炼油方面的创新，降低了行业成本和环境影响，并增加了收入，所有这些都对加拿大和全球经济做出了重大贡献。纯粹的和应用的研究和开发的影响是巨大的。温室气体排放强度是工艺知识的一个关键指标，在过去20年中下降了40%。 由于重油和沥青是不明确的碳氢化合物资源，因此仍需挖掘显著的效率和环境收益。它们的相行为、热物理性质和输运性质是我们研究的重点。财产发现带来了重大的实验和理论挑战。这些材料的性质和行为--在其表征、生产和加工所需的不同长度尺度和不同环境中--只有通过协调使用各种实验和理论方法才能被发现。我们计划使用各种各样的方法，如x射线透射式摄像、小角x射线散射(SAXS)、交叉偏振光显微镜、纳米过滤、量热法、流变学和量子力学。全球合作、开发新的实验测量技术、新材料分离和分析技术以及新理论也是发现的关键要素。新的工艺知识和新的工业工艺将产生于基础和应用研究成果以及本提案中所述的与行业的伙伴关系。

Canada is the fifth largest hydrocarbon energy producer in the world. The upstream sector is the largest private sector investor in Canada. Capital spending in the industry totalled $54 Billion in 2008, and payments to governments in royalties, fees and taxes were $26 Billion. The total employment impact exceeds half a million people and is expected to double by 2050 (Source: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers). This ongoing success is based on hydrocarbon resources such as bitumen and heavy oil and industrial processes we still do not fully understand. Each insight regarding the fundamental behaviours and properties of bitumen, heavy oil, and reservoir fluids spurs innovation in production, transportation and refining, reduces industry costs and environmental impacts, and increases revenues, all contributing materially to the Canadian and the global economy. The impact of pure and applied research and development is significant. Greenhouse gas emission intensity, a key indicator of process knowledge, has decreased 40 % over the past 20 years. Significant efficiency and environmental gains remain to be tapped because heavy oil and bitumen are ill-defined hydrocarbon resources. Their phase behaviour, and thermophysical and transport properties are our research focus. Property discovery presents significant experimental and theoretical challenges. The nature and behaviours of these materials - at the diverse length scales and in the varied environments required for their characterization, production, and processing - can only be discovered through coordinated use of diverse experimental and theoretical approaches. We plan to use approaches as diverse as x-ray transmission videography, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), cross polarized light microscopy, nano-filtration, calorimetry, rheology, and quantum mechanics. Global collaboration, development of new experimental measurement techniques, new materials separation and analysis techniques, and new theory are also key elements in discovery. New process knowledge and new industrial processes will arise from fundamental and applied research achievements, and partnerships with industry described in this proposal.