Processes and apparatuses for formation, separation, pelletizing storage and re-gasification of gas hydrate

In recent years, the feasibility of utilizing gas hydrates in industrial systems draws much attention as a subject of engineering studies. Despite the suggested applications for gas hydrate in transportation and storage of natural gas, desalination of water, etc., there have been few applied industrial experiences with gas hydrates. There are several patents and papers on promotion of gas hydrate formation thermodynamics and kinetics , but apparatuses and processes are rarely discussed. In designing a process based on gas hydrate for industrial application, one must include the following operations: formation, separation, pelletizing, storage, transportation and re-gasification. In this review article, different operations considering applications of gas hydrate are fully discussed. These operations are classified based on both contact of liquid and vapor phases and methods of conducting mass and heat transfer.