Fundamental Studies on Gas Hydrates related to Energy Recovery and Processing and Carbon Storage

通过进一步促进我们对天然气水合物晶体如何生长、分解以及与其他物质相互作用的基本理解，这是一个重要的机会，可以对与能源回收和处理以及二氧化碳捕获和储存有关的转化研究产生强大和积极的影响。包合物或气体水合物是由水和许多其他分子形成的非化学计量晶体包合物，如CH4、C2H6、C3H8、H2、N2和CO2。天然气水合物在温度和压力下形成，在石油和天然气的生产、运输和加工过程中可能会遇到这种情况。安全可靠的石油和天然气作业需要努力避免天然气水合物的形成，或以确保碳氢化合物流动的方式控制含有水合物的系统的行为(风险管理)。被称为动力学水合物抑制剂(KHIS)的化学添加剂(通常是水溶性合成聚合物)用于风险管理。KHIs也被称为低剂量水合物抑制剂(LDHIs)。合成聚合物可能会带来问题，因为它们可能会引起环境问题。另一方面，抗冻蛋白是对环境无害的(绿色)天然气水合物抑制剂。我们的工作旨在全面揭示防冻蛋白如何与天然气水合物晶体相互作用，以及管道中的水合物晶体塞可能如何解离。这些知识可以用来有效地管理水合物形成的风险，也可以用来设计更有效、更经济、更绿色的水合物风险管理添加剂。众所周知，大量天然气以天然气水合物晶体的形式积聚在地球上，构成了一种非常规能源。一种潜在的回收这种能源的技术是通过注入发电厂的烟气混合物。如果这项技术成功，它将使二氧化碳储存与能源回收同时进行。我们的工作旨在促进进一步了解二氧化碳/天然气交换机制和扩大工艺和现场实施所需的关键控制参数。这项提案要求为三名博士生提供这项研究项目的资金。这三名学生将进行实验室调查和分子模拟，撰写并为一篇博士论文辩护，在各自领域的顶级期刊上发表他们的结果，并在国内和国际会议上展示他们的发现。

There is a significant opportunity to have a strong and positive impact on translational research related to energy recovery and processing as well as carbon dioxide capture and storage by further advancing our fundamental understanding of how gas hydrate crystals grow, decompose and interact with other substances. Clathrate or gas hydrates are non-stoichiometric crystalline inclusion compounds formed by water and a number of other molecules like as CH4, C2H6, C3H8, H2, N2 and CO2. Gas hydrates form at temperature and pressures, which may be encountered during production, transportation and processing of oil and gas. Safe and reliable oil and gas operations require an effort to either avoid the formation of gas hydrates or control the behaviour (risk management) of a hydrate containing system in a manner that ensures flow of the hydrocarbons. Chemical additives (usually water soluble synthetic polymers) known as kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) are used for risk management. KHIs are also known as low dosage hydrate inhibitors (LDHIs). Synthetic polymers may be problematic as they may raise environmental concerns. On the other hand, antifreeze proteins are environmentally benign (green) gas hydrate inhibitors. Our work aims to fully uncover how antifreeze proteins interact with gas hydrates crystals as well as how hydrate crystal plugs in pipelines may be dissociated. This knowledge can be used to effectively manage the risk from hydrate formation and also to design more effective and more economic and green additives for hydrate risk management. It is also well known that quantities of natural gas have accumulated in the Earth as natural gas hydrate crystals and constitute an unconventional source of energy. One potential technology for he recovery of this energy is through the injection of flue gas mixture from power plants. If this technology is successful it will enable carbon dioxide storage simultaneously with energy recovery. Our work aims to contribute towards further understanding of the carbon dioxide/natural gas exchange mechanism and the key controlling parameters needed for the scale up of the process and field implementation. Funding for three PhD students to work in this research program is requested by this proposal. The three students will carry out laboratory investigations and molecular simulations, write and defend a PhD thesis, publish their results in the top journals in their field and present their findings at National and International conferences.**