NATURAL GAS HYDRATE FORMATION AND GROWTH ON SUSPENDED WATER DROPLET

The experimental formation of natural gas hydrate on pendant water droplet exposed to natural gas was conducted and visually observed under the pressures from 3.86MPa to 6.05MPa. The temperature was set at 274.75K and 273.35K. The diameter of the pendant water droplet was around 4mm. The nucleation and growth of hydrate film on the pendant water drop exhibited a generalized trend. The film initially generated at the boundary between the water drop and suspension tube, and afterwards grew laterally and longitudinally on the surface of the water drop. The phenomenon of the two layers of hydrate films growing on the pendant water drop distinguished from the experiments on the sessile water drop. The effect of the driving force that resulted from the overpressure from the three equilibrium pressure on the hydrate nucleation and growth was investigated. It was found that the elevation of the driving force reduced the nucleation time and shortened the process of the hydrate growth on the pendant water drop. The crystals on the hydrate shell became coarser with the increase of the driving force. The mechanism for the hydrate film formation and growth on static pedant water droplet included four stages, such as nucleation, generation of the hydrate film, growth of the hydrate film, and hydration below the hydrate shell