Modeling of CO2-Hydrate Formation at the Gas-Water Interface in Sand Sediment

• Published in: Chemical engineering & technology Vol. 35; no. 10; pp. 1751 - 1758
• Main Authors: Takahashi, T., Sato, T., Inui, M., Hirabayashi, S., Brumby, P. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.10.2012; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; CO2 storage; CO2-hydrate; Exact sciences and technology; Heat transfer; Hydrate formation; Design; Gaseous diffusion; Storage; Carbon dioxide; Clathrate; Numerical simulation; Gas hydrates; Sediments; Modeling; Low temperature
• ISSN: 0930-7516; 1521-4125
• DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201100275

Sub‐seabed geological storage of CO2 in the form of gas hydrate is attractive because clathrate hydrate stably exists at low temperature and high pressure, even if a fault occurs by diastrophism like a big earthquake. For the effective design of the storage system it is necessary to model the formation of CO2‐hydrate. Here, it is assumed that the formation of gas hydrate on the interface between gas and water consists of two stages: gas diffusion through the CO2‐hydrate film and consequent CO2‐hydrate formation on the interface, between film and water. Also proposed is the presence of a fresh reaction interface, which is part of the interface between the gas and aqueous phases and not covered with CO2‐hydrate. Parameters necessary to model the hydrate formation in sand sediment are derived by comparing the results of the present numerical simulations and the measurements in the literature. A mathematical model for the formation of CO2‐hydrate in sand sediment is proposed for sub‐seabed geological storage of CO2 in the form of gas hydrate, considering gas diffusion through the CO2‐hydrate film and the presence of a fresh reaction interface. CO2‐hydrate formation was numerically simulated by solving a heat transfer equation.