Search: This Site | PSU People | PSU Departments | PSU Web

• Undergraduate Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Program Announcements
  • Course Schedules
  • eLion
  • Scholarships
  • Student Organizations
  • Career Opportunities
  • Poster Information
• Graduate Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Program Announcements
  • Course Schedules
  • eLion
  • Faculty Research
  • Scholarships
  • Student Organizations
  • Career Opportunities
  • Poster Information
• Research Activities
• Department Resources
  • About the Department
  • EME News
  • Calendar of Events
  • Lecture Series
  • Short Courses
  • Miner Training Program
  • Intranet
• Department Directory
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Graduate Students
  • Alumni
  • Photo Gallery

EME Faculty

Bio

Biographical Sketch

Luis F. Ayala H. is an Associate Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, USA. He has also been an Instructor in the Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering Departments at Universidad de Oriente (Venezuela). His research activities focus on the areas of natural gas engineering, multiphase flow, numerical modeling, hydrocarbon phase behavior, and artificial intelligence. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and two engineering degrees with honors, one in Chemical Engineering (summa cum laude) and another in Petroleum Engineering (summa cum laude) from Universidad de Oriente (Venezuela). He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Chemical Society and National Association of Engineers of Venezuela.

Educational Background

Ph.D. (Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering), The Pennsylvania State University, 2004

M.S. (Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering), The Pennsylvania State University, 2001

Petroleum Engineering Degree, summa cum laude honors, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Venezuela, 1999

Chemical Engineering Degree, summa cum laude honors, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Venezuela, 1997

Active Research Projects

Dr. Ayala conducts research in the area of natural gas engineering with emphasis on numerical modeling of unconventional natural gas, long-term performance analysis of gas shale reservoirs, hydrocarbon phase behavior and its interplay with reservoir flow systems, multiphase flow analysis in pipe networks, and artificial intelligence applications. With his research group, Dr. Ayala is actively involved in the study of non-conventional and untapped natural gas reservoir sources, such as hydrocarbon production from gas shales and retrograde gas-condensates in ultra tight reservoir environments. Current efforts also aim at predicting expected temperature profiles and controlling factors in the thermal response of vertical and horizontal wellbores equipped with temperature sensors and its interpretation. Dr. Ayala is also involved in the analysis of the underlying physical factors that control multiphase transport and flow dynamics in complex natural gas network topologies. Current efforts aim at significantly improving our ability to predict paradoxical behavior in the performance of transportation networks as well as fluid migration and preferential paths established under a multiphase environment. Dr. Ayala's research group has also been involved in surface pipe network optimization projects, optimization of surface facilities, and several artificial intelligence applications all in the area of natural gas engineering.

Selected Publications

1. Ayala H., L.F., Redespiel, E., and Ertekin, T., "Numerical Analysis of Condensate-Flow Impairment in Retrograde-Gas Naturally Fractured Reservoirs and Its Interplay with the Estimation of Diffusion Coefficients", SPE Journal. v. 14, n.1, pp. 95-100, 2010.
2. Mann, A. and Ayala H., L.F., "Intelligent Design of Natural Gas Underground Storage Facilities", Int. J. of Modeling and Simulation, v. 129, n. 2, p. 214-223, 2009.
3. Ayala H., L. F., Alp, D., and Al-Timimy, M. "Intelligent Design and Selection of Natural Gas Two-Phase Separators", Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, v. 1, n. 3, 2009.
4. Ayala H., L. F. and Fernández L., J.E., "Evaluating Crystallization Risks in LNG Production", SPE Projects Facilities and Construction J., v. 4, n. 2, 2009.
5. Ayala H., L.F. and Alp, D., "Limitations of Marching Algorithms in the Analysis of Multiphase Flow in Pipelines", Journal of Energy Resources Technology, v. 130, n.4, p. 4300301-4300310, Dec. 2008.
6. Ayala H., L.F. and Koaussi, J.P., "The Similarity Theory Applied to the Analysis of Multiphase Flow in Gas Condensate Reservoirs", Energy and Fuels., v. 21, n. 3, p. 1592-1600, 2007.
7. Ayala H., L.F. and Karpyn, Z., "On the Calculation of Static Bottom-Hole Pressures in Gas Wells", Petroleum Science and Technology, v. 25, n. 8, p. 1099-1104, 2007.
8. Al-Farhan, F. and Ayala H., L.F: "Optimization of Surface Condensate Production from Natural Gases Using Artificial Intelligence", J. Pet. Science and Engineering, v. 53, pp. 135-147, 2006.
9. Ayala H., L.F., Ertekin, T., and Adewumi, M., "Compositional Modeling of Gas-Condensate Reservoirs in Multimechanistic Flow Domains", SPE Journal, v. 11, n. 4, p. 480-487, 2006.
10. Ayala H., L.F., "On the Non-Ideality of Hydrocarbon Fluids: Implications for Natural Gas Engineering - Part A and B", Petroleum J. Online, e-journal of reservoir engineering, v.1, n. 1, 2006.

Recent Activities and Awards

Academic Services

• Chair, Graduate Council Committee on Research, The Graduate School, The Pennsylvania State U.
• Elected Member, 2009-2011 EMS Representative to University Graduate Council, The Pennsylvania State U.
• Member, Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering Strategic Planning Committee, 2008
• Member, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering Strategic Planning Committee, 2004

Professional Services

• Adviser, The Way Ahead Magazine, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
• 2008-2009 Editor-in-Chief, The Way Ahead Magazine, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
• Associate Editor, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal (SPEREE)
• Associate Editor, Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering (JNGSE)
• Member of Editorial Board, Petroleum Science and Technology J. (PST)
• Member, SPE Reservoir Description and Dynamics Advisory Committee, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
• Member, Reservoir Engineering Program Subcommittee; 2011 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, USA; 2010 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
• Member, American Chemical Society, National Association of Engineers of Venezuela

Awards/Honors/Recognitions

• 2008 Wilson Award for Outstanding Teaching, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
• 2007 SPE Outstanding Technical Editor Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers
• 2005 Wilson Research Initiation Grant, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
• 2002 PNGE Graduate Merit Award, The Pennsylvania State University
• 1999 Presidential Distinction for Academic Excellence "José Félix Ribas" awarded by the President of the Republic of Venezuela
• Summa cum laude distinctions in Chemical Engieering (UDO, 1997) and Petroleum Engineering (UDO, 1999) and Merit Medal "21^st of November" granted by the Board of Trustees of Universidad de Oriente for outstanding academic achievement, (UDO, 1997)

Research Interests

• Natural gas engineering
• Numerical modeling of unconventional gas reservoirs
• Performance prediction of gas shale reservoirs and tight sands with retrograde gases
• Interpretation of temperature transient response in wellbores
• Compositional reservoir simulation and thermodynamics of hydrocarbon fluids
• Multiphase flow in pipelines and gas network analysis
• Artificial intelligence applications

Teaching

EGEE 120 - Oil: International Evolution (3)

P N G 480 - Production Process Engineering (3)

P N G 482 - Production Engineering Laboratory (1)

P N G 520 - Phase Relations in Reservoir Engineering (3)

P N G 530 - Natural Gas Engineering (1-3)

P N G 590 - Colloquium (1-3)

P N G 596 - Individual Studies (1-9)