Development of Adsorptive Natural Gas Storage System Using Activated Carbon

Abstract

Adsorptive storage is the most promising low-pressure alternative for natural gas storage. The possibility of an adsorptive natural gas (ANG) storage system was studied for applications such as a gas holder. This application has more merits as a storage system than one of vehicle due to lower pressure storage. This paper examines the cyclic adsorption-desorption behavior of natural gas and odorants, the impact of adsorption and desorption temperature [NOT HEAT] of natural gas on the storage capacity, and the composition of the desorbed gas in a large scale test. Results illustrated that the initial cost and site area of gas supply equipment using adsorbents was lower and smaller than that of compressed natural gas (CNG) storage under the same condition. Furthermore the new storage system equipped with two adsorption beds and back pressure valve was designed to improve the ratio of degradation by accumulation of heavy hydrocarbon. It was demonstrated that this storage system was effective for ANG storage and had 1.3 to 1.6 times greater storage capacity than that of the conventional ANG storage equipped with one bed.