A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Effect of the Reactor Configuration and Operational Procedures on the Formation, Growth and Dissociation of Carbon Dioxide Hydrate

Clathrate hydrate-based technologies are considered promising and sustainable alternatives for the effective management of the climate change risks related to emissions of carbon dioxide produced by human activities. This work presents a combined experimental and computational investigation of the effects of the operational procedures and characteristics of the experimental configuration, on the phase diagrams of CO2-H2O systems and CO2 hydrates’ formation, growth and dissociation conditions. The operational modes involved (i) the incremental (step-wise) temperature cycling and (ii) the continuous temperature cycling processes, in the framework of an isochoric pressure search method. Also, two different high-pressure PVT configurations were used, of which one encompassed a stirred tank reactor and the other incorporated an autoclave of constant volume with magnetic agitation. The experimental results implied a dependence of the subcooling degree, (P, T) conditions for hydrate formation and dissociation, and thermal stability of the hydrate phase on the applied temperature cycling mode and the technical features of the utilized PVT configuration. The experimental findings were complemented by a thermodynamic simulation model and other calculation approaches, with the aim to resolve the phase diagrams including the CO2 dissolution over the entire range of the applied (P, T) conditions.