Natural gas hydrate formation dynamics in a diesel water-in-oil emulsion system

Abstract

Although gas hydrate is an excellent clean fuel and energy storage form, its natural generation rate is very slow. The key to accelerate the industrialization is to find an appropriate promotion method. In this paper, Span80 and Tween80 were used to study the rapid formation technology of hydrate in diesel water-in-oil emulsion at 275.15 K and 7?MPa. Firstly, hydrate formation in different water cut systems was studied. Results show that hydrate with higher water cut has a faster formation rate and a higher gas storage density, and the system has the shortest induction time with a 40% water cut. The addition of PEG400 and SDS to the original emulsion system resulted in higher gas densities and denser hydrates. Moreover, the addition of emulsifier can reduce the interfacial energy and form a stable interface membrane. Gas storage density also reflects the same phenomenon. Finally, the double electron layer structure formed by different charged ions can also make the emulsion system more stable and promote hydrate formation. Hydrate can be rapidly formed in the diesel water-in-oil emulsion system, which has a great reference value for the future hydrate storage and transportation.