Investigation into the Water Jet Erosion Efficiency of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments Based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian Method

As an innovative way to exploit marine natural gas hydrates (NGH), the solid fluidization exploitation method is to erode hydrate-bearing sediment (HBS) into fine particles by a water jet and transport the particles to an offshore platform. To investigate the water jet erosion efficiency of HBS under various work parameters, such as jet velocity, standoff distance, and nozzle diameter, the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method was adopted to establish numerical models based on the characteristics of HBS in the South China Sea, and orthogonal experiments were performed to optimize the work parameters. The results show that the water jet erosion efficiency of HBS increases with the increase in jet velocity and nozzle diameter, however it decreases with the increase in standoff distance. The jet velocity is the most significant factor for the erosion efficiency and there exists a threshold velocity which describes the minimum jet velocity required to erode HBS. In addition, comprehensive analysis of the results of the orthogonal experiments indicates that, when the jet velocity is 150 m·s−1, the standoff distance is 0.5 cm, and the nozzle diameter is 2.5 mm, the maximum erosion volume can be obtained, which is 6.0329 cm3. This research provides valuable theoretical support for the solid fluidization exploitation of marine NGH.

[1]  Huifu Ji,et al.  Numerical research on rock breaking performance of water jet based on SPH , 2015 .

[2]  Andreas W. Momber,et al.  Wear of rocks by water flow , 2004 .

[3]  Braja M. Das,et al.  Principles of Geotechnical Engineering , 2021 .

[4]  Yongchen Song,et al.  Triaxial experiments on the mechanical properties of hydrate-bearing marine sediments of South China Sea , 2016 .

[5]  A. Antoniadis,et al.  A finite element-based model for pure waterjet process simulation , 2007 .

[6]  Tao Yu,et al.  Numerical simulation of gas production from hydrate deposits using a single vertical well by depressurization in the Qilian Mountain permafrost, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China , 2013 .

[7]  Guosheng Jiang,et al.  Estimation of in-situ mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments from well logging , 2013 .

[8]  Caglar Sinayuc,et al.  An experimental study on the CO2–CH4 swap process between gaseous CO2 and CH4 hydrate in porous media , 2014 .

[9]  Li Bing,et al.  An experimental study on gas production from fracture-filled hydrate by CO2 and CO2/N2 replacement , 2018, Energy Conversion and Management.

[10]  Wei Zhang,et al.  Accumulation features and mechanisms of high saturation natural gas hydrate in Shenhu Area, northern South China Sea , 2017 .

[11]  Liu Qingyou,et al.  Jet breaking tools for natural gas hydrate exploitation and their support technologies , 2018 .

[12]  S. L. Phoenix,et al.  Natural Gas Hydrate as a Storage Mechanism for Safe, Sustainable and Economical Production from Offshore Petroleum Reserves , 2017 .

[13]  Xiao-Sen Li,et al.  Experimental Investigation of Production Behavior of Methane Hydrate under Ethylene Glycol Injection in Unconsolidated Sediment , 2007 .

[14]  Gang Li,et al.  Investigation into gas production from natural gas hydrate: A review , 2016 .

[15]  Masaki Ota,et al.  Methane recovery from methane hydrate using pressurized CO2 , 2005 .

[16]  Shunli Li,et al.  Depositional characteristics and accumulation model of gas hydrates in northern South China Sea , 2014 .

[17]  Jae-Hyun Kim,et al.  Application of the ALE technique for underwater explosion analysis of a submarine liquefied oxygen tank , 2008 .

[18]  Andreas W. Momber,et al.  The response of geo-materials to high-speed liquid drop impact , 2016 .

[19]  Praveen Linga,et al.  Review of natural gas hydrates as an energy resource: Prospects and challenges ☆ , 2016 .

[20]  Changfu Wei,et al.  An easy and efficient way to evaluate mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments: The direct shear test , 2017 .

[21]  Lin Yang,et al.  Simulation Study on the Effect of Fracturing Technology on the Production Efficiency of Natural Gas Hydrate , 2017 .

[22]  Fu Qiang,et al.  The World's First Successful Implementation of Solid Fluidization Well Testing and Production for Non-Diagenetic Natural Gas Hydrate Buried in Shallow Layer in Deep Water , 2018 .

[23]  Goodarz Ahmadi,et al.  Production of natural gas from methane hydrate by a constant downhole pressure well , 2007 .

[24]  Z. Hui,et al.  The methane hydrate accumulation controlledcompellingly by sediment grain at Shenhu, northern South China Sea , 2016 .

[25]  H. David.  Geoscientists in the Peace Corps; a strategic revisit , 2004 .

[26]  Wei Chen,et al.  Optimal design of the engineering parameters for the first global trial production of marine natural gas hydrates through solid fluidization , 2018 .

[27]  C.R.I. Clayton,et al.  The effects of disseminated methane hydrate on the dynamic stiffness and damping of a sand , 2005 .

[28]  Lin Yang,et al.  Influence of Reservoir Stimulation on Marine Gas Hydrate Conversion Efficiency in Different Accumulation Conditions , 2017 .

[29]  Tarek Mabrouki,et al.  Numerical simulation and experimental study of the interaction between a pure high-velocity waterjet and targets : contribution to investigate the decoating process , 2000 .

[30]  Peter Licence,et al.  Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases, third ed., E. Dendy Sloan, A. Koh Carolyn. Chemical Industries Series. CRC Press (2007). 752 p., £130, Hardcover. , 2008 .

[31]  Arthur H. Johnson,et al.  Exploration and Production of Oceanic Natural Gas Hydrate , 2016 .

[32]  Yoshihiro Masuda,et al.  Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Resources – A new Challenge from the World’s First Offshore Production Test Toward Commercial Development , 2014 .

[33]  Y. Makogon.  Natural gas hydrates – A promising source of energy , 2010 .

[34]  Carolyn A. Koh,et al.  Clathrate hydrates of natural gases , 1990 .

[35]  Tarek Mabrouki,et al.  Stripping process modelling: interaction between a moving waterjet and coated target , 2002 .

[36]  Huang Fei,et al.  On the failure pattern of sandstone impacted by high-velocity water jet , 2015 .

[37]  Hongxiang Jiang,et al.  Rock breaking of conical cutter with assistance of front and rear water jet , 2014 .

[38]  M. Reagan,et al.  Strategies for gas production from oceanic Class 3 hydrate accumulations , 2007 .

[39]  W. Durham,et al.  Methane Hydrate Dissociation Rates at 0.1 MPa and Temperatures above 272 K , 1999 .

[40]  Shigenao Maruyama,et al.  Production behavior and numerical analysis for 2017 methane hydrate extraction test of Shenhu, South China Sea , 2018 .

[41]  Wonmo Sung,et al.  Numerical Study for Production Performances of a Methane Hydrate Reservoir Stimulated by Inhibitor Injection , 2002 .

[42]  Hailong Lu,et al.  The first offshore natural gas hydrate production test in South China Sea , 2018 .

[43]  Marco J. Castaldi,et al.  Large scale reactor details and results for the formation and decomposition of methane hydrates via thermal stimulation dissociation , 2012 .