Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Illustration of Hydrate-Based Methane Gas Separation in Coal Bed Methane Type Gas Composition at Lower Pressures


Affiliations
1 Gas Hydrate Division, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 500 007, India
 

Coal bed methane is an emerging and prosperous unconventional energy source, encompassing highly variable (10–70%) mole fractions of methane gas along with other higher hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases. The gas pressure at the source is typically low, posing technical constraints in the gas separation process. In particular, separation of methane gas from this source is a topic of wider scientific interest. The present study demonstrates the ability of hydrate-based technology in trapping methane gas, in nitrogen (N2) + methane (CH4) gas mixture, using tetrahydrofuran (THF)-based hydrate-forming system at lower operating pressures (1.0 MPa). It is observed that the gas trapping is efficient and rapid. All the experiments were conducted at non-stirred condition, which is technically easy to achieve. Mole fraction of CH4 was increased in proportion with N2, and it was found that methane gas uptake capacity in hydrate cages, increased progressively with increasing CH4 concentration. Gas uptake kinetics was also found to be extremely fast and 90% of the gas consumed in hydrates within 50–60 min from hydrate nucleation.

Keywords

Coal Bed Methane, Gas Hydrates, Lower Operating Pressure, Tetrahydrofuran.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Bibler, C. J., Marshall, J. S. and Pilcher, R. C., Status of worldwide coal mine methane emissions and use. Int. J. Coal Geol., 1998, 35, 283–310.

  • Liu, C., Zhou, Y., Sun, Y., Su, W. and Zhou, L., Enrichment of coal-bed methane by PSA complemented with CO2 displacement. AIChE J., 2011, 57, 645–654.

  • Singh, H. and Mallick, J., Utilization of ventilation air methane in Indian coal mines: prospects and challenges. Proc. Earth Planet. Sci., 2015, 11, 56–62.

  • Singh, A. K. and Kumar, J., Fugitive methane emissions from Indian coal mining and handlingactivities: estimates, mitigation and opportunities for its utilizationto generate clean energy. Energy Procedia., 2016, 90, 336–348.

  • Ojha, K., Mandal, A., Karmakar, B., Pathak, A. K. and Singh, A. K., Studies on the estimation and prospective recovery of coal bed methane from Raniganj coalfield, India. Energy Sources, Part A, 2013, 35, 426–437.

  • Gao, T., Lin, W., Gu, A. and Gu, M., Coalbed methane liquefraction adopting a nitrogen expansion process with propane pre-cooling. Appl. Energy, 2010, 87, 2142–2147.

  • Thakur, P. C., Little, L. G. and Karis, W. G., Coalbed methane recovery and use. Energy Convers. Manage., 1996, 37, 789–794.

  • Chatti, I., Delahaye, A., Fournaison, L. and Petitet, J., Benefits and drawbacks of clathrate hydrates: a review of their areas of interest. Energy Convers. Manage., 2005, 46, 1333–1343.

  • https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf

  • Flores, R.M., Coalbed methane: from hazard to resource. Int. J. Coal Geol., 1998, 35, 3–26.

  • Babu, P., Linga, P., Kumar, R. and Englezos, P., A review of the hydrate based gas separation (HBGS) process for carbon dioxide pre-combustion capture. Energy, 2015, 85, 261–279.

  • Sloan, E. D. and Koh, C. A., Clatharate Hydrates of Natural Gases, CRC Press, Taylor & francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2008, 3rd edn.

  • Ma, Q. L., Chen, G. J., Ma, C. F. and Zhang, L. W., Study of vapor–hydrate two-phase equilibria. Fluid Phase Equilib., 2008, 265, 84–93.

  • Kang, S. P. and Lee, H., Recovery of CO2 from flue gas using gas hydrate: thermodynamic verification through phase equilibrium measurements. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2000, 34, 4397–4400.

  • Seo, Y. T., Moudrakovski, I. L., Ripmeester, J. A., Lee, J. W. and Lee, H., Efficient recovery of CO2 from flue gas by clathrate hydrate formation in porous silica gels. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2005, 39, 2315–2319.

  • Linga, P., Kumar, R. and Englezos, P., The clathrate hydrate process for post and pre-combustion capture of carbon dioxide. J. Hazard. Mater., 2007, 149, 625–629.

  • Sun, Q., Guo, X. Q., Liu, A. X., Liu, B., Huo, Y. S. and Chen, G. Y., Experimental study on the separation of CH4 and N2 via hydrate formation in TBAB solution. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2011, 50, 2284–2288.

  • Chari, V. D., Sharma, D. V. S. G. K. and Prasad, P. S. R., Methane hydrate phase stability with lower mole fractions of tetrahydro-furan (THF) and tert-butylamine (t-BuNH2). Fluid Phase Equilib., 2011, 315, 126–130.

  • Dong, Q., Su, W., Liu, X., Liu, J. and Sun, Y., Separation of the N2/CH4 mixture through hydrate formation in ordered mesoporous carbon. Adsorp. Sci. Technol., 2014, 32, 821–832.

  • Seo, Y. T., Kang, S. P. and Lee, H., Experimental determination and thermodynamic modeling of methane and nitrogen hydrates in the presence of THF, propylene oxide, 1,4-dioxane and acetone. Fluid Phase Equilib., 2001, 189, 99–110.

  • Sharma, D. V. S. G. K., Sowjanya, Y., Chari, V. D., Prasad, P. S. R., Methane storage in mixed hydrates with tetrahydrofuran. Indian J. Chem. Technol., 2014, 21, 114–119.

  • Sowjanya, Y. and Prasad, P. S. R., Formation kinetics and phase stability of double hydrates of C4H8O and CO2/CH4: a comparison with pure systems. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng., 2014, 18, 58–63.

  • Kumar, A., Daraboina, N., Kumar, R. and Linga, P., Experimental investigation to elucidate with tetrahydrofuran rapidly promotes methane hydrate formation kinetics: applicable to energy storage. J. Phys. Chem. C., 2016, 120, 29062–29068.

  • Veluswamy, H. P. et al., Rapid methane hydrate formation to develop a cost effective large scale energy storage system. Chem. Eng. J., 2016, 290, 161–173.

  • Veluswamy, H. P., Kumar, S., Kumar, R., Rangsunvigit, P. and Linga, P., Enhanced clathrate hydrate formation kinetics at near ambient temperatures and moderate pressures: application to natural gas storage. Fuel, 2016, 182, 907–919.

  • Yoon, Ji-Ho, A theoritical prediction of cage occupancy and heat of dissociation of THF-CH4 hydrate. Korean J. Chem. Eng., 2012, 29, 1670–1673.

  • Sun, Q., Guo, X., Liu, A., Dong, J., Liu, B., Zhang, J. and Chen, G., Experiment on the separation of air-mixed coal bed methane in THF solution by hydrate formation. Energy Fuels, 2012, 26, 4507–4513.

  • Zhao, J., Zhao, Y. and Liang, W., Hydrate based gas separation for methane recovery from coal mine gas using tetrahydrofuran. Energy Technol., 2016, 4, 864–869.

  • Cai, J., Xu, C., Xia, Z., Chen, Z. and Li, X., Hydrate based methane separation from coal mine methane gas mixture by bubbling using the scale-up equipment. Appl. Energy; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.05.010.

  • Seitz, J. C., Pasteris, J. D. and Chou, I., Raman spectroscopic characterization of gas mixtures: I. Quantitative composition and pressure determination of CH4, N2 and their mixtures. Am. J. Sci., 1993, 293, 297–321.

  • Chari, V. D., Prasad, P. S. R. and Murthy, S. R., Structural stability of methane hydrates in porous medium: Raman spectroscopic study. Spectrochim. Acta A, 2014, 120, 636–641.


Abstract Views: 216

PDF Views: 72




  • Illustration of Hydrate-Based Methane Gas Separation in Coal Bed Methane Type Gas Composition at Lower Pressures

Abstract Views: 216  |  PDF Views: 72

Authors

Burla Sai Kiran
Gas Hydrate Division, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Kandadai Sowjanya
Gas Hydrate Division, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 500 007, India
V. V. Eswari
Gas Hydrate Division, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Pinnelli S. R. Prasad
Gas Hydrate Division, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 500 007, India

Abstract


Coal bed methane is an emerging and prosperous unconventional energy source, encompassing highly variable (10–70%) mole fractions of methane gas along with other higher hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases. The gas pressure at the source is typically low, posing technical constraints in the gas separation process. In particular, separation of methane gas from this source is a topic of wider scientific interest. The present study demonstrates the ability of hydrate-based technology in trapping methane gas, in nitrogen (N2) + methane (CH4) gas mixture, using tetrahydrofuran (THF)-based hydrate-forming system at lower operating pressures (1.0 MPa). It is observed that the gas trapping is efficient and rapid. All the experiments were conducted at non-stirred condition, which is technically easy to achieve. Mole fraction of CH4 was increased in proportion with N2, and it was found that methane gas uptake capacity in hydrate cages, increased progressively with increasing CH4 concentration. Gas uptake kinetics was also found to be extremely fast and 90% of the gas consumed in hydrates within 50–60 min from hydrate nucleation.

Keywords


Coal Bed Methane, Gas Hydrates, Lower Operating Pressure, Tetrahydrofuran.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi03%2F661-666