METHANE HYDRATE MINING METHOD AND METHANE HYDRATE MINING APPARATUS

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for efficiently mining methane hydrate using laser light. PSOLUTION: Laser light L1 having any one of wavelengths ranging from 300 to 700 nm that show less absorption rate to water 97 is output from a laser light source 33 to a methane hydrate layer 95. An irradiation optical system 34 focuses the laser light L1 onto a focus position P on the surface of or inside the methane hydrate layer 95 to generate harmonic light L2 by a multiphoton process, and emits the generated harmonic light L2 onto the methane hydrate layer 95. The laser light L1 travels with low light loss to a focus point P1 near the methane hydrate layer 95, and the harmonic light L2 in the ultraviolet range or the vacuum ultraviolet range that is generated at the focus point P1 is emitted onto the methane hydrate layer 95 to decompose the methane hydrate at high efficiency to generate a hydrocarbon. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT