People

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Alumni Research Staff & Students

Graduate Student.

Yao’s research focuses on the experimental modeling of hydraulic fracturing. She investigates the process of fracturing fluid flowing back to the surface from the underground fractures once the injection pressure is removed and the fracturing fluid permanently trapped underground due to the rock heterogeneity. Recently Yao has been working on a new technique in which foam is injected as a fracturing fluid to reduce the water use and the damage to water-sensitive reservoirs in hydraulic fracturing.