Investigation on Gas Storage in Methane Hydrate

The effect of additives (anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), nonionic surfactant alkyl polysaccharide glycoside (APG), and liquid hydrocarbon cyclopentane (CP)) on hydrate induction time and formation rate, and storage capacity was studied in this work. Micelle surfactant solutions were found to reduce hydrate induction time, increase methane hydrate formation rate and improve methane storage capacity in hydrates. In the presence of surfactant, hydrate could form quickly in a quiescent system and the energy costs of hydrate formation were reduced. The critical micelle concentrations of SDS and APG water solutions were found to be 300× 10-6 and 500× 10-6 for methane hydrate formation system respectively. The effect of anionic surfactant (SDS) on methane storage in hydrates is more pronounced compared to a nonionic surfactant (APG). CP also reduced hydrate induction time and improved hydrate formation rate, but could not improve methane storage in hydrates.