Experimental investigations on scaled-up methane hydrate production with surfactant promotion: Energy considerations

An investigation about methane hydrate formation in a water spraying reactor with an inner volume of 25 L was carried out. In particular, the effects of changes in operational parameters were studied, in order to gain a deeper understanding of factors that play major roles on the energy cost of the whole process. Parameters changed include surfactant addition, spraying time, gas pressure, water amount loaded, and differential pressure on gas nozzles. Rapid methane hydrate formation is achieved only with sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant promotion in all conditions tested, with reaction times in the range of few tens of minutes. Analysis of the energy cost for various steps of the process shows how reaction time (in the range used) and gas cooling work have quite negligible contribution, whereas gas compression work gives by far the main energy cost.