Screening and Selection of Alternative Hydrate Inhibitors Using a Model Apparatus Under Dynamic Conditions

摘要

The gas industry (production, preparation, transportation)prevention of hydrate formation in pipelines usingthermodynamic inhibitors (such as methanol) still represent acrucial problem from both technical and environmental pointsof view. Peculiar demand of the gas industry is represented bythe fact that stability of gas flow and transportation must beextended towards lower temperature and higher-pressurerange, which needs revised theoretical and practicalapproaches. Therefore, application of new innovativetechnologies and development of low-dosage chemicals, suchas kinetic or anti-agglomerates inhibitors, are more than timelyeven today. The new and efficient compounds may retardhydrate formation for longer time than the residence time ofthe gas within the hydrate-prone section of pipelines and thelow dosage inhibitors can also offer significant economic andenvironmental advantages compared to the traditionalthermodynamic inhibitor.To facilitate fast screening and selection of brand newinhibitors a model apparatus operating under dynamicconditions was developed. The sophisticated technique madethe digital visualization and precise flow measurementspossible at LT-HP conditions. The physical model systemwas fully computerized, all parameters were measured,processed and archived simultaneously.