NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF NON-EQUILIBRIUM HYDRATE PELLET DECOMPOSITION

하이드레이트 펠릿의 비평형 분해과정 수치해석

The prediction of hydrate pellet decomposition characteristics is required to design the regasification process of GTS (gas to solid) technology, which is considered as an economic alternative for LNG technology to transport natural gas produced from small and stranded gas wells. Mathematical model based on the conservation principles, the phase equilibrium relation, equation of gas state and phase change kinetics was set up and numerical solution procedure employing volume averaged fixed grid formulation and extended enthalpy method are implemented. Initially, porous methane hydrate pellet is at uniform temperature and pressure within hydrate stable region. The pressure starts to decrease with a fixed rate down to the final pressure and is kept constant afterwards while the bounding surface of pellet is heated by convection. The predicted convective heat and mass transfer accompanied by the decomposed gas flow through hydrate/ice solid matrix is reported focused on the comparison of spherical and cylindrical pellets having the same effective radius.