Utilization of Nanoparticles to Improve the Kinetics of CH4 Gas Hydrates in Gas Storage Applications

Abstract

Increasing energy demands have opened research channels into alternate areas to explore viable options for energy storage. This has led to investigations into the use of gas hydrate technology, specifically derived from methane gas, for diverse energy applications, such as gas storage and gas transportation. In this study, the kinetics of CH4 hydrate formation in (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.2 wt %) CuO and Al2O3 nanoparticles, graphene nanoplatelets, and ZnO microparticles in the presence of 0.05 wt % sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were measured experimentally. The experimental measurements were conducted in a 52 cm3 equilibrium cell at a pressure of 4.66 MPa and a temperature of 275.8 K. The kinetic parameters under investigation included the induction time, storage capacity, water conversion, rate of gas uptake, and gas consumption. Results show that the inclusion of nanoparticles in the experiments decreased the induction time from 18.4 min with deionized water to 1.0 min with 0.1 wt % CuO + 0.05 wt % SDS while the induction period increased to 20.7 min with 1.2 wt % ZnO + 0.05 wt % SDS microparticles. A maximum storage capacity of 28.5 (v/v) was obtained using 0.1 wt % CuO + 0.05 wt % SDS. The highest gas uptake rate recorded was 8.9 × 10-4 mol gasmol water-1 min-1, achieved with the combination of 0.5 wt % CuO + 0.05 wt % SDS. Overall, the parameters investigated in this study indicated a significant enhancement in the rate of hydrate formation with the inclusion of nanoparticles.