Kinetics and thermal analysis of methane hydrate formation in aluminum foam

Gas consumption experiments based on pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) measurements were conducted to study the formation kinetic behaviors of methane hydrate with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and open-cell aluminum foam (AF) in a stainless steel vessel without stirring under the pressure range of (4.2 to 8.3) MPa and 273.2 K. The results demonstrated that porous AF played an acceleration role in the formation of methane hydrate by promoting hydrate nucleation and enhancing hydration heat transfer. AF can provide numerous natural micro vessels with excellent thermal conductivity wall for gas hydrates formation. A reliable heat conduction model based on two-phase materials with spherical inclusions has been applied to determine the effective thermal conductivity (ETC) of hydrate/AF composites. The predicted ETC of composites was 132 times higher than the thermal conductivity of methane hydrate. A heat transfer model based on multilayer cylindrical walls was built to investigate the hydration heat transfer between hydrate and vessel. The acceleration effect of AF on methane hydrate formation was concertedly concluded through experimental study on kinetics and theoretical analysis of heat transfer.

► Aluminum foam (AF) plays an acceleration role in methane hydrate formation. ► AF provides numerous micro metal cells for hydrate formation. ► Heat conduction model and heat transfer model of hydrate/AF composites are built. ► The thermal conductivity of composites is 132 times higher than methane hydrate’s. ► AF’s acceleration role can be concluded through theoretical analysis of heat transfer.