Intensified Formation Rate of Methane Hydrate Under Enhanced Heat Transfer Resulted from Phase Change of n-Tetradecane

Heat transfer strongly affect the rate of hydrate growth. A method of direct heat removal by phase change of n-tetradecane was used to intensify the heat transfer during hydrate formation. The growth kinetics of methane hydrate in aqueous slurries containing 25–45 wt% of solid n-tetradecane were investigated at pressures between 4.70 and 6.46 MPa (gauge) and near the fusion temperature of solid n-tetradecane. The growths of methane hydrate were obviously divided into constant and variable rate stages. Two rate laws were established to describe the whole growth process and correlate the experimental data. The methane hydrate growth rates described in this paper were significantly enhanced compared to those obtained from indirect heat removal methods under similar hydrate formation conditions.