Mathematical Modelling of Energy Storage in Gas Hydrate and its Flow in Natural Gas Pipeline Systems

Abstract

Natural gas, one of the major sources of energy for the 21st century, provides more than one-fifth of the worldwide energy needs. Storing this energy in gas hydrate form presents an alternative to its storage and smart solution to its flow with the rest of the fluid without creating a difficulty in gas pipeline systems due to pressure build-up. This study was design to achieve this situation in a controlled manner using a simple mathematical model, by applying mass and momentum conservation principles in canonical form to non-isothermal multiphase flow, for predicting the onset conditions of hydrate formation and storage capacity growth of the gas hydrate in pipeline systems. Results from this developed model shows that the increase in hydrate growth, the more the hydrate storage capacity of gas within and along the gas pipeline. The developed model is therefore recommended for management of hydrate formation for natural gas storage and transportation in gas pipeline systems.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90267 ©2016 AAPG/SPE Africa Energy and Technology Conference, Nairobi City, Kenya, December 5-7, 2016