Enhanced rate of gas hydrate formation in a fixed bed column filled with sand compared to a stirred vessel

Abstract

The performance of two gas/liquid contact modes was evaluated in relation to the rate of gas hydrate formation. Hydrate formation experiments were conducted for several gas mixtures relevant to natural gas hydrate formation in the earth (CH4, CH4/C3H8, CH4/C2H6 and CH4/C2H6/C3H8) and two CO2 capture and storage (CO2, CO2/H2/C3H8). One set of experiments was conducted in a bed of silica sand, saturated with water (fixed fed column) while the other experiment was conducted in a stirred vessel for each gas/gas mixture. Both sets of experiments were conducted at a constant temperature. The rate of hydrate formation is customarily correlated with the rate of gas consumption. The results show that the rate of hydrate formation in the fixed bed column is significantly greater and thereby resulted in a higher percent of water conversion to hydrate in lesser reaction time for all the systems studied. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.