Steven Bryant, PhD
Areas of Research
Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) program in Materials Engineering for Unconventional Oil Reservoirs
The transition to a climate-neutral energy system is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Even with continued aggressive deployment of renewables, energy derived from fossil fuels will still supply much of society’s demands through mid-century. Thus, we need to greatly reduce the environmental footprint of existing fossil fuel supply chains while seeking new, innovative low-carbon energy systems. Advanced materials are new and exciting avenues for meeting this daunting challenge. The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) program in Materials Engineering for Unconventional Oil Reservoirs at the University of Calgary is actively expanding these horizons with large and growing efforts in Complex Fluids, Functional Nanoparticles, and interactions of Materials and Geomaterials. Led by chair-holder Steven Bryant, the CERC program brings together a large group of collaborators from the disciplines of nanotechnology, materials science, chemical, petroleum and electrical engineering, geoscience, chemistry, and geomicrobiology. The CERC lab space was completed in Summer 2016 with custom-built equipment for cross-faculty use including equipment which are not commercially available and are one of a kind in North America. The CERC program enables a focused application of these capabilities to reduce the process footprint for current extraction platforms, and to develop new platforms for energy extraction that minimize environmental impact and maximize productivity.
The transition to a climate-neutral energy system is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Even with continued aggressive deployment of renewables, energy derived from fossil fuels will still supply much of society’s demands through mid-century. Thus, we need to greatly reduce the environmental footprint of existing fossil fuel supply chains while seeking new, innovative low-carbon energy systems. Advanced materials are new and exciting avenues for meeting this daunting challenge. The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) program in Materials Engineering for Unconventional Oil Reservoirs at the University of Calgary is actively expanding these horizons with large and growing efforts in Complex Fluids, Functional Nanoparticles, and interactions of Materials and Geomaterials. Led by chair-holder Steven Bryant, the CERC program brings together a large group of collaborators from the disciplines of nanotechnology, materials science, chemical, petroleum and electrical engineering, geoscience, chemistry, and geomicrobiology. The CERC lab space was completed in Summer 2016 with custom-built equipment for cross-faculty use including equipment which are not commercially available and are one of a kind in North America. The CERC program enables a focused application of these capabilities to reduce the process footprint for current extraction platforms, and to develop new platforms for energy extraction that minimize environmental impact and maximize productivity.
Complex fluids
Nanostructured complex fluids, whose properties and behaviour can change dramatically in response to external conditions, are showing promise for a variety of applications. Of particular interest here are materials that reduce the environmental impact of oil recovery processes, for example by recovering oil from a much smaller footprint. Examples include using engineered nanoparticles to stabilize foams and emulsions, control the rheology of injected or produced fluids, change the permeability or wettability of a porous medium, or increase the efficiency of a fluid/fluid displacement. We use tools such as laser scanning confocal microscopy with a rheology cell, photonic force microscopy, atomic force microscopy, cryogenic scanning electron microscopy and x-ray computed tomography to understand the relationship between microstructure (droplet size distribution, arrangement of nanoparticles at interfaces), composition (nanoparticle properties, chemical components in one or more fluids), boundary and operational conditions (imposed flow rate, effect of contacting walls of varying geometry and wettability) and performance parameters such as rheology (viscosity, iscoelasticity and yield stress under flow conditions).
Nanostructured complex fluids, whose properties and behaviour can change dramatically in response to external conditions, are showing promise for a variety of applications. Of particular interest here are materials that reduce the environmental impact of oil recovery processes, for example by recovering oil from a much smaller footprint. Examples include using engineered nanoparticles to stabilize foams and emulsions, control the rheology of injected or produced fluids, change the permeability or wettability of a porous medium, or increase the efficiency of a fluid/fluid displacement. We use tools such as laser scanning confocal microscopy with a rheology cell, photonic force microscopy, atomic force microscopy, cryogenic scanning electron microscopy and x-ray computed tomography to understand the relationship between microstructure (droplet size distribution, arrangement of nanoparticles at interfaces), composition (nanoparticle properties, chemical components in one or more fluids), boundary and operational conditions (imposed flow rate, effect of contacting walls of varying geometry and wettability) and performance parameters such as rheology (viscosity, iscoelasticity and yield stress under flow conditions).
Materials and Geomaterials
Novel, advanced and engineered materials such as nanoparticles, and ionic liquids (IL) and composites derived from them such as nanostructured films, are attractive for a wide range of long-standing problems in oil and gas exploration and production: separation of multiphase mixtures, flow or displacement of multiple fluid phases with interphase mass transfer and phase behavior and transport properties in multiphase mixtures. We are interested in fundamental interactions between such materials and the fluids and solids found in the subsurface. Phases of interest include solids such as clay and sand, liquids such as crude oil, brine, and ionic liquids, and gases. We are also interested in applications of nanoparticle materials for energy conversion or sensing applications.
Novel, advanced and engineered materials such as nanoparticles, and ionic liquids (IL) and composites derived from them such as nanostructured films, are attractive for a wide range of long-standing problems in oil and gas exploration and production: separation of multiphase mixtures, flow or displacement of multiple fluid phases with interphase mass transfer and phase behavior and transport properties in multiphase mixtures. We are interested in fundamental interactions between such materials and the fluids and solids found in the subsurface. Phases of interest include solids such as clay and sand, liquids such as crude oil, brine, and ionic liquids, and gases. We are also interested in applications of nanoparticle materials for energy conversion or sensing applications.
More information
http://www.ucalgary.ca/energy/scholars/bryant-stevenWorking with this supervisor
I am always looking for highly motivated graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. If you are interested in one or more of the CERC research focus areas of complex fluids, interactions between materials and geomaterials, and functional nanoparticles, assemble a single PDF file containing a cover letter, a statement of research and interest in the position, a CV, and a list of three references and send to Dr Monika Podkowa . The CERC program is highly collaborative, so the most compelling statement of interest is one that describes how you would work with a researcher from a discipline other than your own to address the research question you have posed.