The Influence of Polymers and Nanomaterials on the Kinetics, Flow Characteristics and Surface Interactions of Hydrate/Ice Forming Systems

水是自然界中最独特的化合物之一，不仅是生命所必需的，而且在许多与能源和安全有关的过程中起着重要作用。当水暴露在适当的条件和成分下时，它可以以多种固体形式存在，但最重要的两种形式是：天然气水合物和冰。天然存在的天然气水合物所储存的能量超过了传统的碳储量，而且大部分含有天然气，这是所有化石燃料中最清洁的。因此，它们被认为是一种新的/替代的方法来维持我们不断增长的能源需求和保持我们的生活质量。二氧化碳也是造成全球变暖的火力发电厂排放物的主要组成部分。水合物的储气特性使其成为捕获和封存二氧化碳的潜在候选者，以降低其排放量并遵守2016年《巴黎协定》，该协定是加拿大和其他167个国家同意的。天然气水合物形成的复杂性也可能对石油和天然气过程中的机械和设备构成重大威胁。它的形成甚至导致了生命的损失和环境的破坏，2010年臭名昭著的英国石油泄漏就是明证。同样，冰的增加也会造成灾难性的破坏，比如1998年袭击加拿大东部和美国东北部的冰暴。在飞机、船舶、海上石油平台、风力涡轮机、电信和输电线路等现代基础设施上形成的冰破坏了它们的完整性，并对运营商和平民造成了重大的安全隐患。由于这些原因，研究这两个相变过程是很重要的，以便为设计安全、经济和对环境负责的处理天然气水合物和冰形成的过程和设施提供必要的信息。为了做到这一点，需要更好地理解以下内容。1)动力学：通过嵌段共聚物自组装定制的水溶性聚合物抑制天然气水合物的形成。2)流变学：研究纳米流体和水溶性聚合物在水转变为天然气水合物或冰时对水流动的影响。3)表面相互作用：由聚合物、纳米材料和仿生表面组成的疏水和疏冰涂层的设计和测试。这三个目标区域将使我们更好地了解水合物和冰，以及如何通过控制和操纵它们的相互作用来开发它们。这项工作的结果有可能使加拿大处于以下技术的前沿：1)防止水合物和冰堆积的脱晶技术；2)从原位天然气水合物地层中回收天然气；3)以天然气水合物形式储存和运输甲烷和二氧化碳。

Water is one of the most unique compounds in nature that is not only essential for life but also plays a significant role in many processes related to energy and safety. Water can exist in many solid forms when it is exposed to the proper conditions and components but two of the most important are: Gas Hydrate and Ice. Naturally occurring gas hydrates hold enormous amounts of stored energy that exceed conventional carbon reserves and mostly contain natural gas, the cleanest of all fossil fuels. Hence, they are being considered as a new/alternative method to sustain our ever increasing energy demands and preserve our quality of life. Carbon dioxide is also a major component in the emissions of thermal power plants, which contributes to global warming. The gas storage properties of hydrates position it as a potential candidate for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide in order to lower its emissions and abide by the 2016 Paris Agreement, which Canada and 167 other nations agreed to. Complications arising from gas hydrate formation can also pose a significant threat to machinery and equipment in oil and gas processes. Its formation has even led to the loss of life and environmental devastation, as evidenced by the infamous British Petroleum oil spill of 2010. Similarly, ice accretion can cause catastrophic devastation such as the 1998 ice storm that hit Eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S. Ice that forms on modern infrastructure such as aircrafts, ships, offshore oil platforms, wind turbines, telecommunications and power transmission lines jeopardizes their integrity and poses a significant safety hazard to operators and civilians alike. ***For these reasons, it is important to study both these phase change processes in order to provide information that is essential for the design of safe, economical, and environmentally responsible processes and facilities to deal with gas hydrate and ice formation. In order to accomplish this, a better understanding of the following is required. 1) Kinetics: Inhibition of gas hydrate formation via water-soluble polymers tailored using block copolymer self-assembly. 2) Rheology: Investigation of the effects of nanofluids and water-soluble polymers on the flow of water as it transitions to either gas hydrate or ice. 3) Surface interactions: Design and testing of hydrate-phobic and icephobic coatings comprised of polymer, nanomaterial and biomimetic surfaces. These three targeted areas will allow us to garner a better understanding of hydrate and ice and how to possibly exploit them by controlling and manipulating their interactions. The outcome of this work has the potential to place Canada at the forefront of technologies related to: 1) De-crystallizing techniques that preclude hydrate and ice accretion, 2) Natural gas recovery from in situ gas hydrate formations and 3) Storage and transportation of methane and carbon dioxide in gas hydrate form.