FORMATION OF HYDRATE PLUG WITHIN RECTANGULAR NATURAL GAS PASSAGE

• Main Authors: Seong, Kwanjae, Song, Myung Ho, Ahn, Jung Hyuk, Yoo, Kwang Sung
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: flow assurance; hydrate layer; hydrate plugging experiement; ICGH 2008; International Conference on Gas Hydrates 2008
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1402

In order to obtain a better understanding of hydrate plug formation mechanism in natural gas pipelines, formation and growth of hydrate layer within a rectangular channel formed by brass bottom and top surfaces and an insulated inner and an outer surface of transparent polycarbonate tube was studied experimentally. A gas mixture of 90 % methane balanced with propane was supplied at specified flow rates while the humidity and temperature of the supply gas was controlled at desired values using bubble type saturators and heat exchangers placed in series. Hydrate formation occurred along the top and bottom brass surfaces maintained at temperatures below equilibrium hydrate formation temperature, while the transparent tube served as window for visual observation. A series of carefully controlled laboratory experiments were performed to reveal the shape of porous hydrate layer under different combinations of under-cooling and moisture concentrations. The observed transient characteristics of hydrate layer profiles will provide important data that can be used for validation of numerical models to predict hydrate plugging of natural gas pipelines.