Clathrates for Gas Storage

• US 20110185623A1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Liverpool
• Original Assignee: University of Liverpool
• Inventors: Adams, David, Cooper, Andrew, Wang, Weixing, Bray, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US13/055,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185623A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/301
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/06 Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by C10G, C10K3/02 or C10K3/04 liquefying by pressure and cold treatment F25J
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/108 Production of gas hydrates
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/007 for hydrocarbon gases, such as methane or natural gas, propane, butane or mixtures thereof [LPG]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage

Abstract

This invention relates to a gas hydrate (often referred to as a clathrate) comprising a water-in-gas emulsion (egdry-water (DW)) and an enclathrated exogenous gas such as for example methane, natural gas, hydrogen or carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. A gas hydrate comprising:

a water-in-gas emulsion of water droplets or particles stabilised by a network of hydrophobic particles; and

an exogenous gas enclathrated in the water-in-gas emulsion.

2. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water-in-gas emulsion is dry water.

3. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water-in-gas emulsion is a water-in-air emulsion.

4. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water-in-gas emulsion comprises 5 wt % or less of hydrophobic particles.

5. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic particles are hydrophobic fumed silica particles.

6. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is hydrogen, carbon dioxide or a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon.

7. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is selected from the group consisting of methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, a hydrocarbon and natural gas.

8. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is CH₄, CO₂, O₂, H₂, N₂, H₂S, Ar, Kr, Xe, He, Ne or a mixture thereof.

9. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is CH₄.

10. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is CO₂.

11. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exogenous gas is H₂.

12. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the average diameter of the droplets is less than about 100 μ

m.

13. A gas hydrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the size of the hydrophobic particles is less than 500 nm.

14. Enclathrating at least one exogenous gas using at least one water-in-gas emulsion.

15. A process for preparing a gas hydrate the process comprising:

exposing a water-in-gas emulsion to an exogenous gas in a contained environment at a temperature less than ambient temperature and pressure greater than ambient pressure.