The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 27, 2002
Richard Kenneth Lyon, Pittstown, NJ (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for recovering large volumes of hydrocarbon fuels, particularly methane (CH ), using commercially available reagents which are strongly water-soluble and soluble in liquid CO in the presence of liquid CO injected into the methane hydrate formation. The reagents which are strongly water-soluble and soluble in liquid CO form dilute aqueous acids that significantly increase the rate of conversion of methane hydrate into methane and CO hydrate, thereby allowing the natural gas to be released in a form that can then be recovered in large quantities using conventional devices. The preferred embodiment uses SO , HCl or other strongly water soluble gas to cause the methane hydrate ice crystals to melt and form an aqueous solution. The aqueous solution contacts the methane hydrate ice on one side and liquid carbon dioxide on the other side. The system spontaneously adjusts so that the acid solution remains strong enough to melt the methane ice, but not strong enough to prevent the formation of the carbon dioxide ice at the recovery temperature and pressure. The natural gas is liberated from the hydrate and removed by conventional devices.