Formation and dissociation of gas hydrate inclusions during migration in water

The paper studies the process of floating a gas hydrate particle in liquid. The typical depths when gas bubble floating is accompanied by gas hydrate formation (or with zero gain of hydrate) were calculated. The low depths were identified when floating occurs with hydrate dissociation. The model assumes that the gas hydrate formation is limited by heat transfer from interface to the surrounding liquid. The model for gas hydrate dissociation assumes the rate governed by thermal conductivity of hydrate particle and by convective heat transfer to surrounding water. The temperature of the gas hydrate surface equals the phase transition temperature at the given water pressure. Comparative analysis of thermal conductivity and convective heat transfer effects on hydrate dissociation rate was performed for different initial radius of the particle.     

水合物藏降压开采实验及数值模拟

建立了降压法开采水合物藏数学模型,考虑了气-水-水合物-冰相多相渗流、水合物相变及分解动力学过程、冰-水相变、热传导、对流过程、渗透率变化等对于水合物分解的影响。三维水合物藏模拟表明:在开采前期阶段,可采用降压法,但随着储层能量消耗,产气速度下降很快,需转变开采方式。分析了一些主要参数,如孔隙度、渗透率、饱和度、压力等对水合物开采的影响。     

Clathrate hydrates modelled with classical density functional theory coupled with a simple lattice gas and van der Waals-Platteeuw theory

Predicting clathrate hydrate phase equilibria is of interest in the area of natural gas exploitation. This proof of concept study presents the application of a simple lattice gas model and classical density functional theory coupled with van der Waals-Platteeuw theory to predict clathrate hydrate phase equilibria for several different hydrate-forming gas species. The dissociation pressure curve is predicted using adsorption isotherms predicted for the gas species in the crystal hydrate lattice. Comparisons are made between predicted phase equilibria (and other properties) and available experimental data.     

A theoretical model of dissolution and hydrate formation processes in shock waves

A theoretical model for the processes of dissolution and hydrate formation behind a shock wave in a gas-liquid medium with allowance for convective and molecular gas diffusion in the liquid and convective and conductive heat transfer caused by heat release at the interphase boundary due to dissolution and hydrate formation is proposed. A comparison of the model calculations with experimental data is made.     

Thermally induced evolution of phase transformations in gas hydrate sediment

Thermally induced evolution of phase transformations is a basic physical-chemical process in the dissociation of gas hydrate in sediment (GHS). Heat transfer leads to the weakening of the bed soil and the simultaneous establishment of a time varying stress field accompanied by seepage of fluids and deformation of the soil. As a consequence, ground failure could occur causing engineering damage or/and environmental disaster. This paper presents a simplified analysis of the thermal process by assuming that thermal conduction can be decoupled from the flow and deformation process. It is further assumed that phase transformations take place instantaneously. Analytical and numerical results are given for several examples of simplified geometry. Experiments using Tetra-hydro-furan hydrate sediments were carried out in our laboratory to check the theory. By comparison, the theoretical, numerical and experimental results on the evolution of dissociation fronts and temperature in the sediment are found to be in good agreement.     

用分子动力学模拟甲烷水合物热激法结合化学试剂法分解

用分子动力学模拟方法研究甲烷水合物的热激法，化学试剂法，以及热激法结合化学试剂法分解，系统研究温度为277K和340K时添加液态水(WTR)和30wt％乙二醇(EG)溶液对水合物分解的影响.模拟显示WTR与水合物表面水分子形成氢键，破坏水合物原有的氢键平衡，造成笼状结构坍塌，水合物分解.EG分子中的羟基与水合物表面水分子形成氢键，从而破坏原有的稳定结构，造成水合物笼状结构被破坏，达到促进水合物分解，释放甲烷气体的效果.比较温度为277K和340K时添加WTR和30wt％EG溶液对水合物分解效果得出EG(340K)> WTR(340K)>EG(277K)>WTR(277K)，热激法结合化学试剂法能更好促进水合物分解.     

水流动强化天然气水合物降压分解研究

降压法被认为是最经济可行的天然气水合物开采方法,但开采后期驱动力不足、甚至产生水合物的二次生成,因此其应用受到限制。本文将降压法与水流动结合提升水合物分解驱动力,研究不同降压模式和水流动对天然气水合物分解特性的影响。发现当降压结合水流动时,压降为水合物分解提供初始驱动力,且压降越大水合物分解驱动力越大。同时水流动能够加快传热传质过程,为水合物分解提供额外的驱动力。在快速降压结合水流动模式中,较高背压下水流动为水合物分解提供主要的驱动力;在梯度降压结合水流动模式中,降压和水流动共同为水合物提供分解驱动力,对水合物分解的促进作用更加显著。     

Methane combustion in hydrate systems: Water-methane and water-methane-isopropanol

Kinetics of dissociation of synthetic and natural methane gas hydrates, and also double isopropanol-methane hydrate is investigated. Thermal fields of the sample surfaces are measured by means of thermal imaging in combustion of released methane with clathrate dissociation. The dissociation rates of natural hydrate and double hydrate with isopropanol are many times lower than those of synthetic methane hydrate. Methane combustion is accompanied by formation of a thin water film on the powder surface, which has a strong effect on the heat and mass transfer mechanisms. The experiments demonstrated partial self-preservation for methane hydrate and the absence of self-preservation for double isopropanol-methane hydrate. The experimentally observed dissociation rate of double isopropanol-methane hydrate is considerably lower than that of methane hydrate.     

On hydrate growth in aquatic gas solution

The solution was obtained for a problem of gas hydrate growth in water with dissolved gas. The rate of hydrate formation depends on gas diffusion to the contact with gas hydrate. Three versions of problem configuration were considered: planar, radial, and spherical symmetry. For these cases, the values of the self-similarity coordinate were obtained: this parameter controls the growth of gas hydrate in water with gas dissolved and the level of top temperature in the hydrate zone. Analysis was performed for temperature fields related to heat release during hydrate formation.     

Molecular dynamics study on the dissociation of methane hydrate via inorganic salts

Hydrate plugging is a hidden threat to the safe exploitation of oil and gas. Inorganic salts are widely used as thermodynamic inhibitors to effectively prevent the hydrate formation. This study uses a molecular dynamics method to explore the mechanism of the hydrate dissociation via inorganic salts on the micro-scale. We simulated the dissociating process of methane hydrate under different concentration series of NaCl, KCl and CaCl₂ solutions at 273 K, and analysed the changes of ionic structure, transport parameters and kinetic energy in the system of inorganic salt/hydrate. The simulation results successfully revealed the step-by-step dissociation of hydrate, and the differences in dissociation rates among the different inhibitors. The energy needed for hydrate dissociation alters for different inorganic solutions; the energy reaches maximum when KCl is the inhibitor, and lowest when the concentration of CaCl₂ exceeds 30% w/w. We calculated the coordination numbers of all components, including oxygen atoms, cations and anions, and also their diffusion coefficients; analysed the effects of the three inorganic salts on the simulated hydrate structure and its transport; in addition, investigated the mechanism of hydrate dissociation via inorganic salts.     

蓄冷用二元气体水合物工质匹配的研究

揭示了蓄冷用二元气体水合物相对单一气体水合物在生长动力学、相平衡热力学等生长特性方面的优越性,可以缩短水合物生长进程,具有共融和非共融的相变特性。同时结合HCFCS淘汰替代的进程,以及国内外最新的蓄冷工质研究进展,根据不同蓄冷工质匹配可以实现性能优势互补的原则,列出了新型环保水合物蓄冷的工质对。最后指出了工质匹配研究中应该注意的问题,对水合物蓄冷走向实用化作了展望。     

MRI measurements of CO2 hydrate dissociation rate in a porous medium

After obtaining experimental data of CO₂ hydrate formation and dissociation in a porous medium using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the purpose of this study was to analyze the different dissociation rate of CO₂ hydrate using two heating rates. Images were obtained by using a fast spin-echo sequence, and the field of view was set to 40×40×40 mm. The vessel pressure was monitored during hydrate formation and dissociation, which was used to compare with MRI mean intensity. The result indicated that the MRI could visualize hydrate formation and dissociation, and the MRI mean intensity of water was in good agreement with the vessel pressure changes. The hydrate formation and dissociation rates were also quantified using the MRI mean intensity of water. The experimental results showed that the higher heating rate caused the rapid hydrate dissociation.     

固体核磁共振技术在气体水合物研究中的应用

气体水合物是在低温高压条件下由气体和水形成的笼型化合物,主要有I型,II型和H型3种晶体结构,而固体核磁共振（solid state NMR）是测定其水合指数、笼占有率等结构参数的重要手段. 该文综述了固体核磁共振技术的原理及其在水合物研究中的应用,着重介绍固体核磁共振在水合物结构表征、气体组分的鉴定、结构转化、以及在水合物生成/分解动力学过程监测方面的研究进展. 同时,对其实验方法及测试条件也进行了详细的探讨.     

热力法开采地层天然气水合物的热动力评价

本文在推导热力作用下水合物地层温度分布基础上,发展了评价热力法开采天然气水合物的热效率(用于水合物分解的热量与输入总的热量之比)和能量效率(即输出能量与输入能量之比)的模型.模型分析表明,水合物地层热物性参数以及水合物饱和度决定了热力法开采的能量效率.在注入蒸汽开采初始条件下,能量效率可以达到7.0.     

天然气水化合物的声学探测进展

天然水合物是一种未来的新型能源,与此相关的研究正日益成为能源勘探领域的热点。本文对 天然水合物及其特点、分布和探测技术进行了简要的介绍,在此基础上从声学技术研究角度出发, 介绍了声波测井、地震探测、海底地貌声波检测技术等在探测天然水合物中的应用;并探讨了声学方 法和技术在评价天然水合物储层方面的研究内容、进展和侧重点。     

Effect of Diameter of Granules on Dissociation of Methane Hydrate

The kinetics of dissociation of methane hydrate in air at an external pressure of 1 bar was experimentally studied. It is shown that to describe the mechanism of dissociation of gas clathrate, it is necessary to take into account not only the degree of deviation of temperature and pressure from equilibrium values, but also the diameter of granules. As the diameter decreases, the rate of decomposition of methane hydrate increases significantly. Change in the grain size affects formation of pores and dissociation. The experiment demonstrated a self-preservation mechanism for granule diameters of more than 1 mm. In the case of powder with an average diameter of less than 0.3 mm, there was no self-preservation. The rate of dissociation depends on the combined effect of diffusion, crystallization, and creep.     

Density functional theory study of structural stability for gas hydrate

Using the first-principles method based on the density functional theory(DFT),the structures and electronic properties of different gas hydrates(CO_2,CO,CH_4,and H_2) are investigated within the generalized gradient approximation.The structural stability of methane hydrate is studied in this paper.The results show that the carbon dioxide hydrate is more stable than the other three gas hydrates and its binding energy is-2.36 e V,and that the hydrogen hydrate is less stable and the binding energy is-0.36 e V.Water cages experience repulsion from inner gas molecules,which makes the hydrate structure more stable.Comparing the electronic properties of two kinds of water cages,the energy region of the hydrate with methane is low and the peak is close to the left,indicating that the existence of methane increases the stability of the hydrate structure.Comparing the methane molecule in water cages and a single methane molecule,the energy of electron distribution area of the former is low,showing that the filling of methane enhances the stability of hydrate structure.     

Modelling of decomposition of a single gas hydrate particle in water behind the shock wave front

The mathematical model of decomposition of a spherical gas hydrate particle in water behind a 1D wave of the stepped profile (rarefaction wave) is suggested. Contribution of the outer and inner heat flux in a particle to the process of hydrate decomposition is studied. The effect of the gas hydrate particle size, pressure and temperature jumps in liquid on gas hydrate decomposition is investigated.     

Modeling the properties of methane + ethane (Propane) binary hydrates,depending on the composition of gas phase state in equilibrium with hydrate

The properties of methane + ethane and methane + propane hydrates of cubic structures sI and sII are theoretically investigated. It is shown that the composition of the formed binary hydrate strongly depends on the percentage of a heavier guest in gas phase. For instance, for a 1% molar ethane concentration in gas phase, even at a low pressure, ethane occupies 60% large cavities in the hydrate sII, and as the pressure grows to 100 atm, it occupies 80% large cavities at a low temperature. The tendency remains the same at a temperature of higher than the ice melting point, but the methane concentration in the hydrate decreases to 30%. In the structure sI, the influence of the component composition of the gas mixture on that of the formed hydrate is less evident. However, in this case, calculation showed also that for a 1% molar ethane concentration in gas phase, ethane molecules occupy from 8 to 10% large hydrate cavities, depending on the pressure. This work is concerned with modeling phase transitions between cubic structures sI and sII of methane + ethane binary hydrates in view of incomplete occupation of cavities in the hydrate by guest molecules. For an ethane concentration under 2% in the gas mixture, the structure sII becomes more thermodynamically stable than the structure sI. However, as the ethane concentration grows to 20% in the equilibrium ice-gas-hydrate and to 40% in the equilibrium water-gas-hydrate, the structure sI becomes more thermodynamically stable. Hence, for low ethane concentrations in a gas mixture, the structure sI can be formed only as a metastable phase. Phase equilibria of methane hydrate sI and mixed methane + propane hydrate sII are considered, depending on the gas phase composition. Similar results are obtained for this equilibrium; this can evidence simultaneous formation of hydrates sI and sII at low propane concentrations.