Development of a compound energy system for cold region houses using small-scale natural gas cogeneration and a gas hydrate battery

• Compound energy system for cold region houses by a gas hydrate battery was proposed.
• Heat sources of a gas hydrate battery are exhaust heat of the CGS and geothermal.
• Drastic reduction of the fossil fuel consumption in a cold region is realized.

In this study, an independent energy system for houses in cold regions was developed using a small-scale natural gas CGS (cogeneration), air-source heat pump, heat storage tank, and GHB (gas hydrate battery). Heat sources for the GHB were the ambient air and geothermal resources of the cold region. The heat cycle of CO2 hydrate as a source of energy was also experimentally investigated. To increase the formation speed of CO2 hydrates, a ferrous oxide–graphite system catalyst was used. The ambient air of cold regions was used as a heat source for the formation process (electric charge) of the GHB, and the heat supplied by a geothermal heat exchanger was used for the dissociation process (electric discharge). Using a geothermal heat source, fuel consumption was halved because of an increased capacity for hydrate formation in the GHB, a shortening of the charging and discharging cycle, and a decrease in the freeze rate of hydrate formation space. Furthermore, when the GHB was introduced into a cold region house, the application rate of renewable energy was 47–71% in winter. The spread of the GHB can greatly reduce fossil fuel consumption and the associated greenhouse gases released from houses in cold regions.