Application of X‐Ray Computed Tomography Technology in Gas Hydrate

• Published in: Energy Technology
• Main Authors: Ma, Shihui, Zheng, Jia‐nan, Tang, Dawei, Li, Yuanping, Li, Qingping, Lv, Xin
• Other Authors: National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: permafrost
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ente.201800699; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fente.201800699; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ente.201800699; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ente.201800699

Clathrate hydrates are formed by water molecules and natural gas molecules under a certain temperature and pressure. Natural gas hydrates are mainly distributed in the marine sediments and the permafrost in nature. As a kind of potential clean energy, determining the structural characteristics of hydrates in sediments is the prerequisite for the safe and economic exploitation of natural gas hydrate. X‐ray computed tomography (CT) is a potential method to nondestructively detect the occurrence of natural gas hydrate. The basic physical properties such as porosity, hydrate saturation, and sediment permeability of the hydrate‐bearing sediments are analyzed by calculating the CT numbers or combining with the network model. Therefore, the X‐ray CT is used to study the hydrates produced in the laboratory and the hydrates formed in the nature by scientists all over the world. By summarizing the previous research, this article focuses on the important role of X‐ray CT in the hydrate research from the following three aspects: analyzing the basic physical properties of hydrate sediment, identifying the occurrence mode of hydrate in sediments, and measuring the hydrate formation and decomposition process. In response to the research progress and future research directions, relevant suggestions had been put forward.