Migration of a single gas bubble in water during the formation of stable gas-hydrate crust on its surface

Abstract

A theoretical model of gas-hydrate formation during the migration of the methane bubble in water under thermobaric conditions of hydrate stability has been considered. Numeric solutions were obtained and analyzed for two limiting cases when the rate of formation of the hydrate crust on bubble surface is constrained by the intensity of heat removal, which is released during hydrate-formation process by the surrounding water or the diffusive resistance of gas hydrate crust against the transfer of hydrate-forming components. A comparative analysis of the numeric results with the experimental data showed that the diffusive transfer of hydrate-forming components through the crust most adequately described the process of hydrate-particle growth that was observed in experiments during the ascent of methane particles in seawater. The conditions of the best agreement between the theoretical and experimental data on changing of radius of gas-hydrate particle allowed numeric estimates to be obtained for values of the reduced coefficient of gas and water diffusion through the hydrate crust.