PROCESS FOR PRODUCING NATURAL GAS HYDRATE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

摘要

A process for producing a natural gas hydrate of relatively coarse particles through reaction of a raw gas, such as methane, with a raw water; and an apparatus therefor. There is provided a method of efficiently growing the minute particle diameter of gas hydrate. The process comprises the first step of introducing a raw gas and a raw water in a reaction vessel maintaining given pressure and temperature and bringing them into contact with each other to thereby form a first slurry containing a powdery natural gas hydrate and the second step of forming a liquid surface allowing presence of the natural gas hydrate on the surface of the first slurry and bringing the liquid surface into contact with a raw gas to thereby form a second slurry having the particle diameter of natural gas hydrate increased.