HYDRATE SLURRY FUEL, ITS PRODUCTION, AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IT, AND METHOD FOR STORING IT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transport and store a hydrate at nearly ordinary temperature under nearly normal pressure. SOLUTION: The process for producing a hydrate slurry fuel consists of mixing and contacting water with a hydrocarbon gas at a specified temperature under the equilibrium pressure or higher to form a hydrate; separating a large amount of unreacted water from the hydrate; adding a slurry medium to the hydrate to form a hydrate slurry fuel; perfectly removing unreacted water by reaction with a hydrocarbon gas so as to convert unreacted water remaining in the hydrate slurry into a hydrate; cooling the hydrate slurry fuel to a specified temperature range; and lowering the pressure of the fuel to nearly normal pressure while maintaining its temperature at nearly specified temperature.