Utilization Of Natural Gas Research Articles

Are battery-powered vessels the best solution for the domestic ferry segment? Case study for the domestic ferry segment in the Philippines

The Philippines is aiming to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 75% by 2030 as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution. One way the country is focusing on achieving this goal is by making its domestic ferries emit zero emissions. To this end, the use of electrified and battery-powered vessels is being explored, especially for short sea shipping. A life cycle analysis of diesel-powered ships and battery-powered ships for five different energy sources for electricity generation was carried out using the GABI 2020 software. The results showed that the environmental friendliness of a vessel depends on the primary source of electricity generation. While electrified ships can be environmentally friendly, they are not necessarily better than diesel-powered ships, particularly if the source of electricity is coal or heavy fuel oil. Based on the data obtained from the Philippines, transitioning to battery-powered ships necessitates the expansion of the national grid and the utilization of natural gas as an interim solution, while focusing on renewable energy sources for the medium and long term. Sustainable infrastructures such as shore power and smart grids in ports are crucial during this transition. To expedite the process, implementing effective policies like pay-for-pollution principles and providing incentives such as carbon levies, low-risk loans, and state contributions are essential.

Numerical Simulation of Optimized Step-Wise Depressurization for Enhanced Natural Gas Hydrate Production in the Nankai Trough of Japan

The utilization of natural gas hydrates as an alternative energy source has garnered significant attention due to their proven potential. Despite the successful offshore natural gas hydrate production tests, commercial exploitation has not been achieved. This study aims to enhance the understanding of gas production behavior through simulations from a single vertical well in the Nankai Trough and assess the effectiveness of the step-wise depressurization method for gas production using TOUGH + HYDRATE. The simulation results showed that the effective permeability for the water phase decreased as the hydrates were decomposed, and the invasion of the pore water from the underburden eliminated this effect. Compared with the direct depressurization method, the step-wise depressurization method significantly increased the cumulative gas production by more than 10% and mitigated the rapid generation of gas and water production during the moment of depressurization. The results also indicated that the depressurization gradient was more sensitive to the cumulative gas production than the maintenance time of depressurization. In view of the gas and water production characteristics coupled with the challenges in carrying out the step-wise depressurization method, it is suggested that a depressurization gradient of 1 MPa and a maintenance time of 1 day should be employed.

Utilization of Petroleum and Natural Gas on the Sustainable Development of Indonesian Economy

Throughout the history of national development, petroleum and natural gas have played a vital and strategic role, serving as essential energy sources for various economic activities. The petroleum and gas sector also contributes significantly to state revenue through the management of these resources. The author aims to discuss the appropriate utilization of petroleum and natural gas and its potential to enhance economic income in Indonesia. Petroleum and natural gas, as valuable resources, exist in liquid and solid forms within the earth's reservoirs. Indonesia possesses vast reserves of petroleum and gas, with numerous untapped fields remaining. Utilizing these resources effectively can lead to increased state revenue. Given their significance as essential commodities in the national economy, managing petroleum and natural gas is crucial for optimizing prosperity and welfare for the population.

Legal Politics toward Natural Energy: Natural Gas Utilization in Indonesia

Indonesia is abundantly blessed with natural resources, including energy, among which natural gas holds a significant position. As of 2017, global demand for natural gas accounted for 23.4% of the total global primary energy demand. The substantial demand for natural gas can be attributed to its reputation as a clean and efficient energy source compared to fossil fuels. Natural gas possesses the potential to become a vital component of the energy mix, driving economic growth. Consequently, effective management of natural gas resources is essential to harness the full potential of oil and gas reserves in Indonesia, thereby maximizing benefits for the well-being of the population. In pursuit of this objective, the Indonesian government has implemented various regulations to provide a legal framework for natural gas management.

A Simulation and Thermodynamic Improvement of Methanol Production Process with Economic Analysis: Natural Gas Vapor Reforming and Utilization of Carbon Capture

A Simulation and Thermodynamic Improvement of Methanol Production Process with Economic Analysis: Natural Gas Vapor Reforming and Utilization of Carbon Capture

Unwatched pollution reduction: The effect of natural gas utilization on air quality

Unwatched pollution reduction: The effect of natural gas utilization on air quality

Electrocatalytic conversion of methane to ethanol by ultrathin WO3 nanosheets: Oxygen vacancy engineering

Electrocatalytic conversion of CH4 into valuable liquid products is an attractive strategy for utilization of natural gas, however, it was still constrained by low product yields. Herein, ultrathin WO3 nanosheets with adequate oxygen vacancies (Ov) as robust electrocatalysts for highly efficient CH4 conversion to ethanol were synthesized. Using the optimized sample, the ultrahigh ethanol yield and selectivity of 125,090 μmol gcat−1 h−1 and 99.4% are achieved within 8 h at low potential of 1.2 V vs. RHE, both of which outperform the previous reports as we know. The corresponding ethanol Faradic efficiencies is 50.7%. In-situ Raman spectra and density functional theory calculation reveal that Ov effectively enable CH activation and CC coupling, and eventually promotes the electrocatalytic activity and ethanol selectivity for CH4 conversion. This work provides a constructive avenue for designing electrocatalysts with both high activity and selectivity to realize CH4 conversion.

CFD simulation and optimization of turning different waste gases into energy in an industrial steam methane reformer

BackgroundOne of the most important processes of industrial hydrogen production is steam methane reforming (SMR). However, the biggest drawback of steam reformer processes is high energy consumption. In methanol production units, 40% of the energy consumed in the steam reformer is provided by methane burning. The best solution to reduce the consumption of methane gas is to use the waste gases of the units. InnovationTo boost the thermal performance of the furnace, as well as the reduction in natural gas utilization, the effects of the kinds of fuel in an industrial unit are investigated. Furthermore, the waste gas is studied to whether it can be used as fuel in an SMR or not. SignificanceCFD is one of the most powerful tools for simulation of the industrial by which a new unit can be set up or the performance of the old units can be developed. Additionally, the effect of diverse parameters on industrial processes can be examined, and the optimal operating conditions of the industrial unit can be found. MethodsIn this study for five different cases of fuel, the furnace of an industrial SMR unit, at the operating conditions, was simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics, (CFD) and the results were validated by the industrial data. Moreover, regarding the higher thermal efficiency of the furnace and the lower consumption of natural gas, two cases called design, and the suggested modes, were investigated and suggested mode was proposed as the most suitable fuel. FindingBased on the results, removing purge gas and adding waste gases with lower hydrogen content are recommended. Compared with the operational fuel, the suggested mode decreases the flue gas temperature by 11.78 K and increases the temperature of the first row of the reformer tubes by about 4.17 K, while declining the natural gas molar flow rate by 32%. A 64% reduction in hydrogen content of the suggested mode leads to an increase 10% flame length and 14% enhancement of adsorbed radiative heat flux. Moreover, in the suggested mode it is possible to recycle the purge gas to the methanol synthesis reactor and enhance the methanol production to 1% which is 50 ton/day.

Mechanistic Origin of Selective Methane to Methanol Oxidation on Vanadium-Doped Mesoporous Amorphous Silica Photocatalyst

Selective direct oxidation of methane to methanol is an important reaction for efficient utilization of natural gas. Photocatalytic routes for methane oxidation processes have advantages over traditional thermal catalysis as they can be more easily deployed at small-scale and remote off-grid sites, potentially reducing the rate of methane release and flaring. Hu and co-workers identified single-site vanadium-doped mesoporous amorphous silica photocatalysis which demonstrated methane conversion with high methanol selectivity ( J. Photochem. Photobiol., A 2013, 264, 48−55, DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2013.05.005). Photocatalysts using amorphous SiO2 frameworks are significantly less studied than other heterogeneous photocatalysts. As a result, computational studies are important for elucidating mechanisms in order to gain fundamental understanding as to how amorphous SiO2-based photocatalysts can be used for partial oxidation of methane. This work uses density functional theory to establish the reaction barriers associated with the photocatalytic methane to methanol reaction combined with microkinetic modeling. The work is able to elucidate the role of terminal versus bridging oxygens at the photocatalytic center in enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, avoiding non-Mars–van Krevelen reaction pathways, in which the oxygen vacancy is filled before methanol is formed, is found to be important, owing to overstabilization of reaction intermediates leading to subsequent high energy reaction barriers. Finally, the amorphous SiO2 surface is found to modify reaction barriers by stabilizing intermediates through dispersion and preventing the photocatalytic center from forming the optimum coordination geometry.

The Successfulness of the Reasons for Malaysia’s Energy Initiatives

From the standpoint of Neoliberal Institutionalism, this study explores Malaysia's participation in activities that make energy the topic and/or object of foreign policies, whether through bilateral or multilateral engagements. This research, which aims to evaluate the relevance of energy in Malaysia's economy and diplomacy and to explain Malaysia's reason for its involvement in these cooperations, is necessary because of Malaysia's growing involvement in the global energy market. Information for this study was gathered from a variety of government sources, interviews, published statistical data, and previous studies. The study demonstrates how vital energy is to Malaysia's economy. The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) initiative, in which Malaysia is participating, is evidence of the viability of multilateral power commerce in the area. The Peninsula Gas Utilisation (PGU) pipeline in Peninsular Malaysia and the Four-Fuel Diversification Policy 1981 (4FDP 1981), which increases natural gas utilisation, are related to Malaysia's participation in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (MT-JDA). Malaysia would want to think about streamlining its energy administration.

Change in natural gas utilisation in the context of sustainable energy management in Poland

The energy transformation requires a change in the structure of the energy used. The article aims to determine the role of natural gas as a transition fuel in the European Union and Poland’s energy policy in the context of the promoted sustainable development policy. In the analysed documents presenting visions of energy policy, a differentiated approach to the effects of using natural gas is observed. The possible effects of using natural gas in Poland’s energy mix were analysed and evaluated. The study used the method of research document analysis. Six attributes of sustainable energy management and the relations between them were considered. The main results are as follows: 1. natural gas as an energy carrier does not fulfil the requirements of sustainable energy management, 2. from the point of view of utilisation effects, the use of natural gas for power generation purposes is better than using other fossil fuels, 3. in RES and nuclear energy development conditions, using natural gas for power generation will decrease, which should bring positive results for sustainable energy management. The main conclusion is the energy transition is mainly driven by political factors. Therefore, the energy carriers’ sustainable management issue shall be approached comprehensively.

Examining the impact of different anions in Cu precursors on sulfur adsorption through zeolites with Cu ion-exchange

The majority of hydrogen is generated by converting hydrocarbons, with natural gas reforming accounting for over 50% of the total hydrogen production. However, the utilization of natural gas in generating hydrogen causes catalyst deactivation during the reforming process because of presence of sulfur compounds as odorants in commercial natural gas. Therefore, the removal of sulfur compounds from natural gas should be prioritized before its application in hydrogen production. Adsorption using Cu-ion-exchanged zeolites is an effective method for removing sulfur compounds from natural gas. In this study, the adsorptive desulfurization performance of tetrahydrothiophene (THT) was evaluated using pristine NaY and Cu-ion-exchanged Y zeolites. In particular, the effects of anions in the Cu compounds used for the ion exchange of zeolites were investigated using three Cu precursors (Cu(NO3)2, Cu(Ac)2, and CuSO4). Among the tested zeolite adsorbents, the NaY zeolite ion-exchanged with Cu(Ac)2 exhibited the highest adsorption uptake, whereas the NaY zeolite ion-exchanged with CuSO4 demonstrated the lowest adsorption uptake for THT. The analytical results indicated that following the exchange of Cu ions, a rearrangement of Si and Al was observed within the zeolite framework, resulting in the Si site distribution. The rearrangement of the framework and distribution of Si sites was influenced by the anions present in the Cu precursors. In addition, it was observed that Cu2+ primarily occupied two locations within the zeolite, namely the supercage and the sodalite cage, and the distribution of Cu2+ between these two sites varied amongst the Cu-ion-exchanged zeolites. This discrepancy was linked to the adsorption uptake for THT.

Natural gas demand response strategy considering user satisfaction and load volatility under dynamic pricing

Under the background that natural gas is continuously consumed as a non-renewable energy source and the growing demand for natural gas in human society, the contradiction of supply and demand between natural gas utilization and social development has become increasingly prominent. Demand response (DR) in the system helps to address this issue. Currently, there is a lack of diverse DR for natural gas systems. However, DR not only maintains the balance between supply and demand in the gas system, but also relieve peak shaving pressure in natural gas systems and instruct users to save and reduce energy. Therefore, based on the price elasticity theory and user satisfaction, this study focuses on the purpose of natural gas users and gas suppliers to participate in DR, and constructs a natural gas DR model from the perspective of dynamic pricing. An effective natural gas DR strategy is proposed by classifying peak, plain and valley of natural gas load by K-means algorithm, and solving the DR model by multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). The DR strategy proposed in this study is evaluated in terms of both non-heating and heating periods through actual examples. The results show that the DR strategy proposed in this study reduces the daily load demand of natural gas, reduces the maximum peak-to-valley difference of daily load, slows down the daily load volatility, improves user satisfaction, maximizes the interests of users and gas suppliers, and effectively balances the system demand.

Research into the Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Technological Innovation in China’s Natural Gas Industry from the Perspective of Energy Transition

Promoting technological innovation in the natural gas industry is a feasible means of achieving energy transition. Guided by the geographic innovation theory, this article carries out research on the scale, technical fields, capabilities, and influencing factors of technological innovation in the natural gas industry of 312 Chinese prefecture-level cities, making use of the cusp catastrophe model, the center of gravity and standard deviational ellipse, exploratory spatial data analysis, and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR). The research shows the following: (1) Technological innovation in China’s natural gas industry has continuously expanded in terms of scale, with the number of participating cities increasing, showing a spatially uneven pattern of local agglomeration and national diffusion. (2) There have been significant innovation achievements in natural gas equipment and engineering, but natural gas utilization is lagging in comparison, with drilling, new materials, environmental protection, pipe network engineering, and digital services becoming frontier fields, and collaborative innovation with the thermoelectric, metalworking, automotive, and other related industries having been initially established. (3) The unevenness of technological innovation capabilities is obvious, with the core advantages of Beijing–Tianjin being continuously strengthened and Sichuan–Chongqing, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, Shandong Peninsula, and Liaodong Peninsula forming high-level technological innovation capability agglomerations. (4) The spatiotemporal pattern of technological innovation capability is the result of multiple factors, with northeastern cities mainly being affected by natural gas demands, northwestern cities being highly sensitive to capital strength, eastern cities mostly relying on urban development, and cities in North China mainly being bolstered by the strength of talent. (5) It is necessary to carry out further multi-agent and multi-scale future research on technological innovation in the natural gas industry and its relationship with the energy transition and to explore the interactivity of the influencing factors. This study may provide strategies for technological innovation in the natural gas industry from the perspective of the energy transition.

Activity Origin of the Nickel Cluster on TiC Support for Nonoxidative Methane Conversion.

Designing an active and selective catalyst for nonoxidative conversion of methane under mild conditions is critical for natural gas utilization as a chemical feedstock. Here, we demonstrate that the origin of the selective nonoxidative conversion of methane by the titanium carbide supported nickel cluster arises from the formation of a nickel carbide site under the reaction conditions, which could stabilize the CHx intermediate to facilitate the C-C coupling, but further coking is rather limited. The reaction mechanism reveals that the C2 products can be formed via a key -CHx-CH3 intermediate. In addition, we demonstrate that boration of the nickel cluster site can improve the methane conversion toward C2 products. That higher activity and selectivity from the moderate rise in d orbital energy levels can therefore be considered as a descriptor of the catalyst effectiveness. These findings provide an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the single nickel cluster toward methane conversion to C2 products and guidance for their future rational design.

Comparative study on methane/air deflagration with hydrogen and ethane additions: Investigation from macro and micro perspectives

Natural gas usually contains a small amount of hydrogen and ethane in addition to methane, which would pose a threat to the safety of natural gas production and utilization by affecting its explosion risk. In order to reveal the effect mechanism of hydrogen and ethane on methane deflagration, the deflagration behaviors of methane-hydrogen/ethane-air mixtures([CH4]=7.0, 9.5, 11.0 vol. %; [H2]=0–2.0 vol. %; [C2H6]=0–2.0 vol. %) at normal temperature and pressure are compared and analyzed from macro and micro perspectives. The results indicate that the deflagration pressure and the spectral intensity of free radicals (H* and OH*) show different change trends depending on equivalent state of the system with adding hydrogen or ethane to methane/air mixtures. There is a parabolic relationship between the average rising rates of deflagration pressure (VP) and spectral intensity (VI) and they are positively correlated. The contribution of H* to deflagration pressure gradually decreases while the promotion of OH* to it increases with the volume fraction of methane changing from 7.0 % to 11.0 %. Besides, the top 10 most significant elementary reactions were obtained in the methane deflagration process with adding hydrogen and ethane. Hydrogen promotes methane deflagration by reacting with OH and O, while ethane contributes to it by reacting with OH and CH3.

A nexus between sustainability, energy utilisation and economic growth at aggregate and disaggregate level: a case of India

PurposeThe growth of the Indian economy is accompanied by the rising trend of energy utilisation and its devastating effect on the environment. It is vital to understand the nexus between energy utilisation, climate and environment degradation and growth to devise a constructive policy framework for achieving the goal of sustainable growth. This study aims to analyse the long- and short-run association and direction of association between energy utilisation, carbon emission and growth of the Indian economy in the presence of structural break.Design/methodology/approachThe study probes the association and direction of association between variables at both aggregate (total energy utilisation, total carbon emission and gross domestic product [GDP]) and disaggregates level (coal utilisation and coal emission, oil utilisation and oil emission, natural gas utilisation and natural gas emission along with GDP) over the time period of 50 years, i.e. 1971–2020. Autoregressive distributed lag model is used to examine the association between the variables and presence of structural break is confirmed with the help of Zivot–Andrews unit root test. To check the direction of association, vector error correction model Granger causality is performed.FindingsAggregate carbon emissions are affected positively by aggregate energy consumption and GDP in both short and long run. Bidirectional causality exists between total emissions and GDP, whereas a unidirectional causality runs from energy consumption towards carbon emission and GDP in the long run. At disaggregate level, consumption of coal energy impacts positively, whereas GDP influences coal emission negatively in the long run only. Furthermore, consumption of oil and GDP influences oil emissions positively in the long run. Lastly, natural gas is the energy source that has the fewest emissions in both short and long run.Originality/valueThere is a rapidly growing body of research on the connections and cause-and-effect relationships between energy use, economic growth and carbon emissions, but it has not conclusively proved how important the presence of structural breaks or changes within the economy is in shaping the outcomes of the aforementioned variables, especially when focusing on the Indian economy. By including the impact of structural break on the association between energy use, carbon emission and growth, where energy use and carbon emission are evaluated at both aggregate and disaggregate level, the current study aims to fill this gap in Indian literature.

Environmental Taxation and Green Economics in Southeast Asia

This research aims to simulate models of taxes across Southeast Asia by inserting var models such as environment and gasoline fees. This study is for getting the idea that Southeast Asia imposes an environmental fee based on a regression model derived from Southeast Asia's energy consumption and CO2 emissions adjusted by a 10% additional tax (as a dummy variable). This study was motivated by the European Union's policy suggestions on environmental fees, which could be implemented by Southeast Asia. The log-t methods are used in this study, which allows clustering by countries into additional clubs or convergence groupings, and also for utilizing the test for converging within some panel’s states taking into account the variable’s panel data. We believe that environmental fees are an essential public policy tool in Southeast Asia for reducing CO2 emissions as well as the effects on pollutants. Gas tax or carbon pollution tax upon the energy and transportation industries have a substantial influence on raising tax collections in addition to economic expansion within Southeast Asia. Power tax could help to fund initiatives that utilize ecologically good energy while limiting the prohibiting the utilization of natural gas or eco-friendly power. In the transportation industry, the environmental taxes’ function is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide caused as a result of less environmentally friendly public transport, as well as to support eco-friendly transport.

Preparation and Characterization of Cu(NO3)2 Modified Activated Carbon Adsorbents and Influencing Factors of H2S Adsorption

Background: With the constant development and growth of the world’s economy, the demand for energy continues to rise. However, rising oil prices, increasing carbon emissions, and energy shortages will limit economic development and affect living standards. Therefore, further exploitation and utilization of natural gas are of great significance for the sustainable development of national economies and the improvement of civil life. Objective: Natural gas contains acidic gas, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and can lead to physical safety issues, environmental pollution, equipment corrosion, and catalyst poisoning. Therefore, a desulfurization process, which has practical significance, must be carried out to reduce the H2S content to less than 20 mg•m−3. Methods: Currently, the main desulfurization processes involve dry and wet desulfurization methods. The wet desulfurization methods include physical, chemical, and physico-chemical solvent methods, which have a large processing capacity and involve a continuous operation sequence applied to the purification of natural gas containing a high sulfur content. The dry desulfurization methods, which use a solid as the desulfurizer, have high precision, easy operation, and low energy consumption. This method has been widely applied to advanced treatment. : Activated carbon, which has a large surface area, large pore volume, and complex porous structure, is widely used as an adsorbent for desulfurization. When compared with other adsorbents, activated carbon has several advantages, such as a high adsorption capacity and low cost. The H2S removal performance of the adsorbent can be significantly improved after modification. In this study, using a low concentration of H2S and nitrogen to simulate raw fuel gas, cupric nitrate-modified activated carbon was used as the main adsorbent for desulfurization. The effect of the preparation conditions on the H2S removal performance was studied, and the adsorbents were characterized using a series of methods. Results: In this study, a low concentration of H2S and nitrogen were used to simulate raw fuel gas, and cupric nitrate-modified activated carbon was used as an adsorbent. The results from structural analysis indicated a significant change in the surface structure of AC by introducing Cu(NO3)2. Cu(NO3)2 promoted the transformation of micropores into mesopores or macropores and active substances into the pores of AC for desulfurization. The effects of the preparation conditions on the H2S removal performance were studied using a fixed-bed adsorption column. The best preparation conditions for the Cu(NO3)2 modified activated carbon adsorbent involved: a Cu(NO3)2 impregnation concentration of 5%, impregnation time of 24 h, calcination temperature of 300 °C, and calcination time of 2 h. The H2S saturation capacity and desulfurization rate reached 55.4 mg·g−1 and 98.92%, respectively. The H2S saturation capacity was improved by 38.2 mg·g−1 compared with unmodified activated carbon. Conclusion: In this study, a low concentration of H2S and nitrogen were used to simulate raw fuel gas, and cupric nitrate-modified activated carbon was used as an adsorbent. The experimental results showed that the H2S removal performance of the adsorbent was significantly improved using Cu(NO3)2 impregnated activated carbon.

Impact of Trace Ammonia Impurities on the Utilization of Renewable Natural Gas

Renewable natural gas (RNG), produced from biogas upgrading, is an important alternative to fossil fuels for power generation. Unfortunately, RNG contains several trace contaminants that may be harmful to the existing infrastructure for its transport and use. One such contaminant is ammonia (NH3), of particular concern for RNG produced from farming operations. The presence of NH3 in RNG, particularly if it is injected into the natural gas (NG) pipeline network, can have serious consequences. These can range from damage to components of the NG infrastructure to corrosion of analytical and end-user equipment and added pollutant formation during combustion. This research project addresses all these impacts. Its objectives were (i) to investigate the potential corrosion effects of NH3 on typical pipeline materials during their exposure to RNG derived from biogas and processed to meet pipeline NG quality specifications, (ii) to study the environmental impacts and other concerns during combustion of NH3-containing RNG for power and energy production, and (iii) to analyze the potential impact of NH3-containing RNG on the performance of analytical equipment commonly used during NG distribution and end-use. This paper describes the work performed and the key findings in each of these areas.