Non-steady flow decomposition behaviors of heat and mass transfer on intrinsic kinetics for methane hydrate particles transported in pipelines

Abstract

The differential equations governing the decomposition rate and activation energy, convective mass transfer, methane diffusion and fugacity, as well as heat conduction and enthalpy change were derived by integrating thermal convection, heat conduction, mass transfer and intrinsic kinetics. Mathematical models for decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics in a non-steady field were solved using a radial logarithmic grid for node division and discretization of the equations. The study elucidated the heat and mass transfer processes as well as decomposition kinetics in pipelines by analyzing the impacts of particle size, temperature, pressure, flow rate and activation energy on decomposition rate. The results indicated that compared with the isothermal decomposition of the intrinsic kinetic model and static experimental decomposition, the complex non-steady multiphase flow model offers a more accurately simulation of hydrate decomposition as well as associated heat and mass transfer processes. Hydrate decomposition is characterized as a non-isothermal dynamic ablation process with heat transfer rate and intrinsic kinetics dominating during the preliminary stage and the stable stage, respectively. An increasing in the slurry temperature, temperature fluctuation and flow rate accelerated the heat transfer rate capacity, enhanced convective heat transfer capacity and facilitated hydrate decomposition, with the mass transfer rate exhibiting lesser influence. The particle surface area and slurry temperature exhibited the most significant influence on hydrate decomposition, which was followed by flow rate. Upon increasing particle size from 1 mm to 5 mm and the temperature from 293 K to 313 K, the decomposition rate increased by 20.7 times and 13.5 times, respectively. Furthermore, enhancing temperature and flow rate while decreasing particle size and pressure decreased both the decomposition time and the duration required for the decomposition rate to reach its peak. Additionally, the decomposition rate and its constant vary with the activation energy.