BURNING ICE
A medium for small-scale decentralized storage of CH4
Abstract
Hydrates are ice-like solid compounds with a
trapped guest molecule, such as methane.
Hydrates have a large capacity of storage
and, therefore, are an interesting medium to
store energy in chemical form.
Commonly formed hydrate structures are sI,
sII and sH. Methane will form in sI hydrates;
natural gas will form in sII hydrates.
1 m3 of hydrate can contain 160 Sm3 of
methane [1].
The aim of this research is to optimize the
formation of hydrates in an autoclave.
Formation
Fig. 1: Schematic representation of a sII methane-hydrate
[2]
• Dictated by pressure and temperature
Fig. 5: Burning methane-hydrate [this work]
• Three steps [2]
Results in literature
• Transport of gas from the gas phase to
aqueous phase (dissolution)
• Diffusion of gas from the aqueous
phase to the hydrate-liquid interface
(induction time)
• Reaction of gas with the aqueous phase
(growth)
• Formation typically takes 6 hours to a
whole day in a batch process [3].
Fig. 3: Experimentally formed methane-hydrates
Fig. 6: Formation of hydrates plotted vs time [3]
Future plans
• Optimize the production of methane-
hydrates by reducing pressure, sub cooling
temperature and formation time
Fig. 2: Equilibrium curve of methane and natural gas
hydrates [4].
• Manufacturing a vessel for production and
storage of hydrates
Experimental procedure
• Redesigning a fridge and freezer for
• Filling the reactor with demi water
production and storage of hydrates
• Cooling down to experimental
References
temperature
[1]: Najibi, H., et al., Economic evaluation of natural gas
transportation from Iran’s South-Pars gas field to market.
2009. - 29(- 10): p. - 2015.
• Flushing to ensure a certain level of purity
• Pressurizing the reactor and start stirring
Authors
Dr. J.A. Piest* ([email protected])
Dr. Ir. W.J.T. van Gemert
I. Chaabane
* Contacting autor
Fig. 4: Schematic representation of the storage vessel
with bubbler
In cooperation with
[2]:Harrison, S.E. Natural gas Hydrates. 2010 [cited 2014
13 February]; Available from: http://large.stanford.edu/
courses/2010/ph240/harrison1/.
[3]: Brown, T.D., C.E. Taylor, and M.P. Bernardo, Rapid Gas
Hydrate Formation Processes: Will They Work? Energies,
2010. 3(6): p. 1154-1175.
[4]: Mork, M., Formation Rate of Natural Gas Hydrate, in
Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied
Geophysics. 2002, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology. p. 10.