Xiulin Wang

Recovery of Hydrogen from Ammonia Plant Tail Gas by Absorption-Hydration Hybrid Method

In this work, the absorption-hydration hybrid method was used to recover (hydrogen + nitrogen) from (hydrogen + nitrogen + methane + argon) tail gas mixtures of synthetic ammonia plant through hydrate forma- tion/dissociation. A high-pressure reactor with magnetic stirrer was used to study the separation efficiency. The in- fluences of the concentration of anti-agglomerant, temperature, pressure, initial gas-liquid volume ratio, and oil-water volume ratio on the separation efficiency were systematically investigated in the presence of tetrahydro- furan (THF). Anti-agglomerant was used to disperse hydrate particles into the condensate phase for water-in-oil emulsion system. Since nitrogen is the material for ammonia production, the objective production in our separation process is (hydrogen + nitrogen). Our experimental results show that by adopting appropriate operating conditions, high concentration of (hydrogen + nitrogen) can be obtained using the proposed technology based on forming hydrate. Keywords separation, hydrate, hydrogen, synthetic ammonia plant tail gas

Kinetic and Phase Behaviors of Catalytic Cracking Dry Gas Hydrate in Water-in-Oil Emulsion

The systematic experimental studies were performed on the hydrate formation kinetics and gas-hydrate equilibrium for a simulated catalytic cracking gas in the water-in-oil emulsion. The effect of temperature, pressure and initial gas-liquid ratio on the hydrate formation was studied, respectively. The data were obtained at pressures ranging from 3.5 to 5 MPa and temperatures from 274.15 to 277.15 K. The results showed that hydrogen and methane can be separated from the C2+ fraction by forming hydrate at around 273.15 K which is much higher temperature than that of the cryogenic separation method, and the hydrate formation rate can be enhanced in the water-in-oil emulsion compared to pure water. The experiments provided the basic data for designing the industrial process, and setting the suitable operational conditions. The measured data of gas-hydrate equilibria were compared with the predictions by using the Chen-Guo hydrate thermodynamic model.

The Dependence of the Dissociation Rate of Methane-SDS Hydrate below Ice Point on Its Manners of Forming and Processing

The dissociation rates of methane hydrates formed with and without the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (methane-SDS hydrates), were measured under atmospheric pressure and temperatures below ice point to investigate the influence of the hydrate production conditions and manners upon its dissociation kinetic behavior. The experimental results demonstrated that the dissociation rate of methane hydrate below ice point is strongly dependent on the manners of hydrate formation and processing. The dissociation rate of hydrate formed quiescently was lower than that of hydrate formed with stirring; the dissociation rate of hydrate formed at lower pressure was higher than that of hydrate formed at higher pressure; the compaction of hydrate after its formation lowered its stability, i.e., increased its dissociation rate. The stability of hydrate could be increased by prolonging the time period for which hydrate was held at formation temperature and pressure before it was cooled down, or by prolonging the time period for which hydrate was held at dissociation temperature and formation pressure before it was depressurized to atmospheric pressure. It was found that the dissociation rate of methane hydrate varied with the temperature (ranging from 245.2 to 272.2 K) anomalously as reported on the dissociation of methane hydrate without the presence of surfactant as kinetic promoter. The dissociation rate at 268 K was found to be the lowest when the manners and conditions at which hydrates were formed and processed were fixed.