Thermodynamics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Thermodynamics, including details on enthalpy, entropy, energy transitions.

Thermodynamic properties of methane hydrate in quartz powder.

Voronov VP, Gorodetskii EE, Safonov SS

Oil and Gas Research Institute, 3 Gubkin street, Moscow 119991, Russia.

Using the experimental method of precision adiabatic calorimetry, the thermodynamic (equilibrium) properties of methane hydrate in quartz sand with a grain size of 90-100 microm have been studied in the temperature range of 260-290 K and at pressures up to 10 MPa. The equilibrium curves for the water-methane hydrate-gas and ice-methane hydrate-gas transitions, hydration number, latent heat of hydrate decomposition along the equilibrium three-phase curves, and the specific heat capacity of the hydrate have been obtained. It has been experimentally shown that the equilibrium three-phase curves of the methane hydrate in porous media are shifted to the lower temperature and high pressure with respect to the equilibrium curves of the bulk hydrate. In these experiments, we have found that the specific heat capacity of the hydrate, within the accuracy of our measurements, coincides with the heat capacity of ice. The latent heat of the hydrate dissociation for the ice-hydrate-gas transition is equal to 143 +/- 10 J/g, whereas, for the transition from hydrate to water and gas, the latent heat is 415 +/- 15 J/g. The hydration number has been evaluated in the different hydrate conditions and has been found to be equal to n = 6.16 +/- 0.06. In addition, the influence of the water saturation of the porous media and its distribution over the porous space on the measured parameters has been experimentally studied.

Published 27 September 2007 in J Phys Chem B, 111(39): 11486-96.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Thermodynamics Research Today. All Rights Reserved.