The SuperHot AutoLab is a high temperature, 450oC (840oF), moderate pressure, 100 MPa (14,500 psi), servo-hydraulic system configured to measure rock properties for geothermal and hydrogen research. At these temperatures, instrumentation inside the vessel is limited, but some measurement options survive.
What the Superhot AutoLab Measures Now
- Permeability
- Fracture Permeability
- Rock/Fluid Chemistry Interactions
- Rock Strength
- Coefficient of Friction
- Stick Slip-Stable Sliding
- Brittle-Ductile Transition
- AE events as a function of stress (under development)
- Velocity with one longitudinal and one torsional shear wave parallel to the core axis,
- Strain and temperature gradients with Fiber Optics (under development)
- Set-ups and protocols for proppant testing at superhot conditions
SuperHot AutoLab Key Features
- Servo hydraulic Control of Axial Force, Confining pressure and Pore pressure,
- Confining fluid: water or gas,
- Sample heated with an external furnace,
- Integrated electronics console for servo amplifiers and signal conditioning
- Pore pressure intensifiers compatible with water, brine, oil, and gas (including CO2),
- AutoLab v6 software for system control and data acquisition,
- Titanium version for geologic hydrogen studies,
- Fluid exchange and fluid sampling for chemistry monitoring,
SuperHot AutoLab Specifications
- Force – 374 kN (84,000 lb)
- Axial Displacement – 100mm (4.0 in)
- Sample Diameter – 25.0 and 37.1 mm (1.0 and 1.5 in)
- Confining Pressure – 100 MPa (14,500 psi)
- Pore Pressure – 100 MPa (14,500 psi)
- Temperature – 450oC (840oF)