Deep Ocean Burning of Methane Hydrate

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

1333605 Sirignano A huge methane storehouse exists in methane hydrate sediments at the continental shelve edges in a permafrost state at depths of about a thousand meters at supercritical pressures for methane and air but subcritical for water. Oxygen or air can be delivered to depths for hydrate combustion for power and heat to melt and pump or to mine the hydrate. Methane hydrate burning with oxygen or air at the deep-ocean conditions (high pressures with water and fuel) will be simulated. Methane-water-air mixture oxidation at high pressures will be analyzed in a canonical configuration matching a planned experiment in a parallel, separately funded program: analysis of combustion and vaporization hydrate particle vaporization and combustion in oxygen, enriched air, or air. Substantial uncertainties about chemical and thermophysical properties will be analyzed through a stochastic framework, using the Polynomial Chaos Expansion approach. Collaborations will occur with the experimental team of the new UCI Deep Ocean Power Science Laboratory. Two pioneering aspects of this research within the energy and combustion science community are the study of combustion of hydrocarbons mixed with water (hydrates or clathrates) at deep ocean conditions and use of a stochastic framework to quantify the uncertainties. Graduate student researchers, including under-represented groups, will be attracted by the program novelty and educated through the substance. This research can contribute to future editions of Professor Sirignano's successful book. Participants will make presentations and work with the Summer Science program of the NSF-funded minority CAMP program and UCI COSMOS high-school-outreach program.