Purification of Natural Gases with High CO2 Content Using Gas Hydrates

An alternative process for the conditioning of natural gases with high CO2 content using gas hydrates has been designed, simulated, and compared to the well-established process of pressurized gas scrubbing (PGS). Simulation calculations were made with a gas mixture consisting of CO2 (1) and CH4 (2), with y 1 = 0.5 being exemplary for biogas (digester gas) and landfill gas. The feed was separated using a cascade of continuously stirred tank crystallizer vessels, which can also be regarded as an ideal crystallizer column resembling a gas-hydrate-based scrubbing process. It was found that the selective enclathration of CO2 molecules does not show potential for competitive CO2 removal from natural gas streams.