Using a combination of micromechanical force and flowloop measurements, hydrate deposition on a pipe wall surface was investigated for ‘dry’ hydrates formed in the bulk phase and for hydrates growing on the pipe surface.
Cyclopentane ‘dry’ hydrates (without a free water phase) were used to predict whether hydrates, formed in a bulk condensate phase, would adhere to a pipe wall. Adhesion forces between cyclopentane hydrates and steel were measured using a micro-mechanical force apparatus. The average force of adhesion was measured to be very small, less than 0.01 N/m. This force was used in a particle force balance, predicting that hydrates formed in the bulk phase would not deposit on the pipe wall.
It was hypothesized than in the presence of a water saturated hydrocarbon, hydrates would grow on the pipe wall as the fluid cooled below its equilibrium temperature. This hypothesis was confirmed using a single pass condensate flowloop. Water was continuously dissolved into the flowloop inlet stream as water deposited in the flowloop test section, resulting in both a pressure drop and fluid temperature increase. This work illustrates the need for a hydrate wall growth model.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/1130 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Nicholas, Joseph W., Dieker, Laura E., Nuebling, Lee, Horn, Bob, He, Helen, Koh, Carolyn A., Sloan, E. Dendy |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Sloan, E. Dendy; Koh, Carolyn A.;, Sum, Amadeu |
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