Engineering investigation of hydrogen storage in the form of a clathrate hydrate: Conceptual designs of underground hydrate-storage silos

This paper describes the conceptual designs of a facility for storing, in the form of a clathrate hydrate, hydrogen produced in an industrial complex area. We recently reported the first engineering investigation of hydrate-based hydrogen storage, focusing on the conceptual design of hydrate production plants applicable for the large-scale stationary storage in urban or industrial complex areas (Nakayama et al., Energy Fuels 2010;24:2576-2588). This paper complements the previous study by presenting conceptual designs of underground hydrate-storage silos each to be coupled to a hydrate production plant. Several different types of underground silos each having a 35,000 m(3) capacity were planned and designed on a construction-engineering basis, which included (a) a tunnel-type silo consisting of several levels radially arranged around an access shaft, (b) a tunnel-type silo consisting of several levels that branch off from a single access level connected to an access shaft, and (c) a vertically-oriented cylindrical tank-type silo. For each type of silo, we have specified the hydrate loading and unloading equipment as well as the cooling system, and have estimated the construction cost. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.