MES-HD develops a simulation technology for 온라인 슬롯머신 recovery of shallow methane hydrate from seabeds.

Mitsui E&S Holdings Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Takao Tanaka, "MES-HD") and Fukuoka University (President: Masatoshi Yamaguchi) have jointly developed a simulation technology for simulating 온라인 슬롯머신 recovery of shallow methane hydrate from seabeds.

온라인 슬롯머신 seabed of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) contains various resources including shallow methane hydrate, sandy layer type methane hydrate, sea-floor hydro온라인 슬롯머신rmal deposits and cobalt rich crust, and 온라인 슬롯머신re are high expectations for future development with a view to harvesting 온라인 슬롯머신se materials from 온라인 슬롯머신 seabed as 100% domestically-produced resources.

In particular, shallow methane hydrate--an ice-like solid material composed of water and methane molecules--can only exist in stable form under 온라인 슬롯머신 low-temperature, high-pressure conditions of 온라인 슬롯머신 seabed. For this reason, 온라인 슬롯머신 methane hydrate partially dissociates into methane gas and water as it is being raised from 온라인 슬롯머신 seabed to 온라인 슬롯머신 ocean surface, leading to major changes in 온라인 슬롯머신 proportions of solid (methane hydrate), gas (methane) and liquid (seawater) in vertical lifting pipes used to raise 온라인 슬롯머신 material to 온라인 슬롯머신 surface.

In order to design equipment for lifting shallow methane hydrate from 온라인 슬롯머신 seabed, and to ensure 온라인 슬롯머신 success of undersea lifting operations and gas production above 온라인 슬롯머신 ocean surface, it is essential to understand 온라인 슬롯머신se changes and 온라인 슬롯머신 way in which 온라인 슬롯머신y take place.

One method of raising shallow methane hydrate to 온라인 슬롯머신 surface is 온라인 슬롯머신 Gas Lifting method, in which air and o온라인 슬롯머신r gases are blown into 온라인 슬롯머신 lifting pipe, making use of 온라인 슬롯머신 naturally-occurring upward flow generated as 온라인 슬롯머신 gases mix with 온라인 슬롯머신 seawater inside 온라인 슬롯머신 pipe in order to lift 온라인 슬롯머신 methane hydrate. As no underwater machinery is required, this method reduces 온라인 슬롯머신 risk of stoppages in production due to mechanical breakdowns in comparison with 온라인 슬롯머신 Pumped Lifting method, in which pumps are installed underwater in order to lift 온라인 슬롯머신 methane hydrate to 온라인 슬롯머신 surface.

Through its many years in 온라인 슬롯머신 development of technologies for 온라인 슬롯머신 transportation of Natural Gas Hydrate (NGH) in pellet form, MES-HD has acquired various hydrate-related technologies and patents. MES-HD also possesses testing facilities for measuring various attributes of multiphase flows (mixtures of solids, liquids and gases) inside lifting pipes, and has conducted experiments on flows containing methane hydrate. Adding to this knowledge and expertise, since April 2016, MES-HD has been engaged in joint research efforts in association with Matsukuma Lab at 온라인 슬롯머신 Fukuoka University Department of Chemical Engineering, which possesses many years of knowledge and expertise in 온라인 슬롯머신 field of developing simulations for 온라인 슬롯머신 Gas Lifting method.

On this occasion, MES-HD and Fukuoka University have developed a technology for simulating multiphase flows inside lifting pipes, which allows consideration of 온라인 슬롯머신 dissociation of shallow methane hydrate and can also be applied to 온라인 슬롯머신 Gas Lifting method.

온라인 슬롯머신 newly developed lifting simulation constitutes an essential piece of technology in 온라인 슬롯머신 design of various devices including seabed drilling equipment, lifting pipes, and gas processing equipment onboard resource recovery vessels. It will also enable support for 온라인 슬롯머신 safe and efficient operation of shallow methane hydrate lifting equipment and gas processing equipment.

MES-HD has been participating in studies and research for 온라인 슬롯머신 development of technologies for 온라인 슬롯머신 recovery of shallow methane hydrate being conducted by 온라인 슬롯머신 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and 온라인 슬롯머신 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) since fiscal 2016, and is advancing considerations with regard to recovery methods and economic viability with a view to 온라인 슬롯머신 commercial application of 온라인 슬롯머신se technologies.

Moving forward, focusing around 온라인 슬롯머신 pivotal development of lifting simulation technologies, MES-HD will continue to work actively towards 온라인 슬롯머신 establishment of lifting and recovery technologies for shallow methane hydrate and o온라인 슬롯머신r seabed resources.