Experimental study on the formation and agglomeration of tetrahydrofuran hydrate under flowing condition
Abstract The microscopic morphology and agglomerating characteristics of hydrate particles play an important role in the flow assurance as well as heat transfer in refrigeration systems. The formation process of tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate was studied by using a visual reactor with stirring. The microscopic morphology of THF hydrate could be divided into single crystal type, flat plate type, and agglomerate type and each experimental condition includes these three types. However, there is a large difference in the proportion of the three morphological particles and the average particle size. The larger the initial concentration of the THF solution, the larger the average size of the particles, and the higher the proportion of agglomerate-type particles. An increase in the stirring speed causes breakup of the agglomerate-type particles, and the proportion of the single crystal-type particles increases. Moreover, the agglomeration of hydrate particles is related to the content of THF in the liquid phase. A microscopic model indicated the evolution mechanism of the microscopic morphology in THF hydrate formation and agglomeration process was presented. These research results provide a theoretical basis for the application of hydrate technology in refrigeration systems.