Research Overview

Our research aims at enhancing the safety and efficiency of hydrocarbon (oil, gas, CO2, and H2) pipeline transportations to facilitate the worldwide transitions toward cleaner energy. New technologies are needed to address the flow assurance issues in conventional oil & gas pipelines in a low-carbon manner. In contrast, efficient CO2 and H2 pipeline transportation plays important roles toward carbon neutrality but they possess unique challenges that are not well addressed. We tackle these complex challenges via a multiscale approach, which combines various experimental and advanced computational techniques at microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic scales. Current research topics include paraffin deposition remediation, hydrate anti-agglomeration by functionalized silica nanoparticles, flow behaviors of anthropogenic CO2 in pipelines, rheology and flow behaviors of CO2 hydrate slurry, and assessment of hydrogen transport and leak detection in gas pipeline network. 

Principal Investigator (2020 - present)

Yingda Lu, Ph.D.  

Assistant Professor, Endowed by Chevron Centennial Teaching Fellowship 

Hildebrand Dept. of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin 

Google Citations        Curriculum Vitae

Recent Publications

Chen, X., Lu, Y.* A perspective review on degradable polylactic acid diverters for well stimulations. Fuel, 348, 128557, 2023.

Burmaster, D., Lu, Y.* Surface Material Effects on Wax Deposition in Noncoated Pipelines. Energy & Fuels, 37(12), 8250–8257, 2023.

Ma, Q., Wang, C., Lu, Y., Lei, Y., Liu, Y., Lv, X.; Zhou, S.; Gong, J. Water droplets tailored as wax crystals carriers to mitigate wax deposition of emulsion. ACS Omega, 8(8), 7546–7554, 2023

Ma, Q., Wang, C., Lu, Y., Lei, Y., Liu, Y., Lv, X.; Zhou, S.; Gong, J. Experimental Study on the Effect of Wax Crystal-Water Droplet Aggregations on Wax Deposition of Water-in-Oil Emulsions. Energy & Fuels, 37(3), 1940–1948, 2023.

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