EP1743085A1

EP1743085A1 - The procedure and apparatus for helium or free methane extraction from sea of the shore

Info

Publication number: EP1743085A1
Application number: EP04788511A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Petru Baciu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-03-15
Filing date: 2004-09-08
Publication date: 2007-01-17
Also published as: RO121044B1; WO2005088071A1

Abstract

Extraction of helium or methane from the sea bottom, the separation of gas from sea water is possible on the shore or on the sea. The apparatus, is provided with a filter room connected through a conduit (B) and a valve (27) to a separator (C) situated onshore and provided with an horizontal plate which partially separates some spaces (a) and (b), separator (C) which is connected through a conduit (5) to a turbocompressor (D). The sea water accumulated into the space b is being sucked by a pump (E) through a conduit (8) and a valve (23) and discharged into the sea through a valve (24) and a conduit (9). The separator (C) is provided inside with a T 2 connected to a conduit (B).

Description

THE PROCEDURE AND APPARATUS FOR HELIUM OR FREE METHANE EXTRACTION FROM SEA OF THE SHORE

The invention domain.

The present invention is referring to the recuperation from the shore of helium or of methane gas, which is in mixture with the water on the bottom of the sea or ocean and in particular to a procedure and an apparatus for those extraction.

The invention background.

The helium or the methane gas which is coming from the vents, the methane gas emitted from metastabile deposits with methane hydrate is mixed with the water from the bottom of the sea or ocean in various higher or smaller proportions, function of the quantity of methane gas liberated or emitted.

At higher escape or emission, the gas's volume is moving up, reaching the sea or ocean surface passing even further into the atmosphere. If the free methane gas would be efficient and effective extracted, a big combustible source would be available for mankind.

The efforts done up to the present time for the achievement of the procedures and apparatus for free methane gas extraction are inefficient and unpractical, and for helium are not known any procedures or apparatus from extraction from sea or ocean. The procedure for extraction of helium or free methane gas from the bottom of the sea, done from the shore, according to the invention, in a first operation, consists in the realization, based on the vessels communication principle of a mixture running up from the sea bottom towards up through a conduit to a water-helium or water-methane gas separator located on the shore at a level under the sea surface level, followed by a second operation of helium or methane gas separation from the water in a separator; separation done because of difference between gases and water density and because of pressure and temperature difference between the bottom of the sea from where the mixture of water- gas was coming and that from separator, followed by the third operation of separated gas absorption from separator with a compressor and its delivery to the beneficiary. Parallel with the third operation is talcing place and the evacuation with a pump of the resulting water from the separator in the sea.

The invention, as a procedure variant, is providing, if the mixture water-gas justify from a technico-economic point of view, the realization of water-gas separation on a floating platform anchored under the sea level, far from the shore, platform on which are seating the ensemble of separator, compressor and pump. The variant also provides, if it is required, a gas intermediary compression station, also on a floating platform far from the shore, between the platform with separator and the compressor station on the shore. The above shown procedure can be realized with an apparatus embodied, a filter room located on the sea bottom, filter room which is made from a metallic frame covered by a screen. The filter room is connected with a conduit which is laying on the bottom of the sea, through which the mixture water-gas is running, due to the vessels communication principle, up towards into a separator located to a certain level under the sea surface level on the shore.

The separator is made from a rectangular room provided with a pyramidal roof. The separator is tight. Half from the inferior half of the separator room is horizontally separated from its superior part by a plate, with the exception of a portion from a one of plate end. The half of superior half of separator room is provided with two horizontal screens. The horizontal plates and the screens are provided, to achieve a better separation of gas from water. The entrance in separator of water-gas mixture which is coming from the bottom of the sea is done through an orifice provided in the end wall of separator room, orifice placed immediately over the tight end of the plate with the room. The orifice inside the room is connected with a horizontal T provided at each of its ends with a short elbow pointed upwards. The top of the pyramidal roof of separator is connected with a conduit through which the separated gas from water is sucked through a conduit from separator by a turbocompressor and is sent through a conduit to the customer. The water, during the gas separation process, is running free on the entire superior surface of above shown plate passing through its free end into the room space under the plate, from where the water is sucked by a pump and returned into the sea. The evacuation water pump is located close outside the separator. The cleaning of the filter room of impurities caused by surroundings fauna and flora is done by the realization of an inverse water stream through filter, by sucking the water from the sea surface with the same pump shown above and discharging it into the filter room through the same conduit through which was done the running up. It is understood that the pump, in order to do this operation, is provided with some supplemental conduits and valves which, accordingly maneuvered, ensured the realization of inverse water flow into the filter.

For a heavier condition of fauna and flora, the apparatus can use a different filter, which allowed an exterior mechanic screen cleaning with a sliding brush driven by a hydraulic system located close to the filter. After the extraction of water-gas mixture the conduit for running up is disaffected and moved to a new location. The realization of this operation is done by emptying of water the conduit and its elevation to the water surface, do to the weight difference between the conduit and the water volume dislocated by it. The take out of water from conduit is realized with a pump located adjacent to the conduit end which is connected to the filter room. The valve on the conduit adjacent to the filter room is closed and with the pump the water is sucked from conduit and is discharged into the sea.

So, as was shown as a procedure variant, the separation of gas from water process can be realized far in the sea, if such location against the water gas mixture zone and shore from technico-economic point of view is justified. In this situation, the separator, the turbocompressor and the pump for water evacuation are situated in an enclosure on a floating platform, located under the sea level, at a level which has to ensure the runmng up into the separator of the mixture water-gas. Two floating rooms support the platform. The rooms are filled and emptied of water by two pumps also located in the same enclosure on the platform. The platform is placed on a vertical conduit stacked into the sea bottom.

The platform is provided with three propellers located in such manner in order to allow the horizontal movement of platform in the wanted direction as during the platform working positioning as in the moment of its disaffection or its movement to a new site, tne πoating rooms with its pumps for filling and emptying allowed the platform displacement on .vertical, up and down. Because during the working time the enclosure with the equipment above shown are under the sea level, was provided for working personnel access into the enclosure and for their protection from the sea waves flooding a vertical conduit for access, sized accordingly, which is starting from the enclosure roof top from the platform and is going up to a level a little bigger than the highest height of sea waves known which can appear on the location where the separator will work.

The conduit superior end with ropes is anchored of platform four corners. On the superior end of conduit is placed an other enclosure in which are found the instruments for measurement and control for the equipment which are on the platform's enclosure, the instruments for beacon and for communication with the shore, as well the required space for working personnel.

The vertical conduit for access and the enclosure on the platform is provided with the access stairs as for exterior and interior. If the access conduit is too high then in the interior of the conduit can be provided a small elevator.

The separator is connected from one side with a conduit through which is coming from the bottom of the sea the water-gas mixture and from other side with the suction conduit of the compressor, compressor which discharges the compressed gas from the platform through a conduit directly to a compress station on the shore or indirect, through an intermediary compression station. The gas conduit is placed and maintained on the sea bottom.

The intermediary compress station is similar with that one for separation platform, with a single difference that in the equipment enclosure is found one turbocompressor and two pumps for filling and emptying the two floating rooms. In this case also, the gas conduits between compression stations are placed on the sea bottom, so as was shown above.

All conduits are with compensators provided in order to be able to follow the bottom profile of the sea as well the eventual curves. To keep the gas conduits on the sea bottom is required to put adequate weights on the entire length of the conduits.

On the filter from the conduit end through which is running up the mixture water-gas from the sea bottom can be provided a filter mesh which can be replaced at the time when is found that is plugging. The apparatus for extraction of free gas can work continuously up to the exhaustion of namely zone of helium of methane gas. The apparatus can be removed and relocated for a new extraction. The following is an example of invention realization with Fig. 1-9, which represents:

Fig. 1 is a general lateral view of apparatus

Fig.2 is a vertical section with a plan I-I from Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a lateral general view of an apparatus with the separation of gas-water and compression of gas far on the sea.

Fig.4 is a vertical section through the separation-compression station far on the sea.

Fig.5 is a horizontal section with a plan II-II, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sketch regarding the filling and the emptying of water of floating rooms.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through compression station far on the sea.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section with a plan III-III from Fig. 7.

Fig.9 is a vertical section through an alternative filter room and the system of evacuation of water from conduit.

The extraction procedure of free methane gas of the sea or ocean bottom in accordance with the invention, consists in a first operation of suction or running up of water and free gas mixture through a filter room A and a conduit B, operation realized by using the communication vessels principle.

The second operation consists in the separation of gas from water inside of separator C.

The third operation is the suction and then sending of the separated gas by a turbocompressor D to the customer.

The fourth operation and the last one is the suction of the separated water from separator and its discharge with a pump E into the sea.

The apparatus for extraction of free gas found in a mixture with water in certain zones or locations on the bottom of the sea at an economical acceptable distance towards the shore, in accordance with the invention, consists in a filter room A Fig. 1 placed on the bottom of the sea at the lower level of the respective zone, the filter which is connected with a conduit B through which the water-gas mixture from filter A zone is running upwards, based on the communication vessels principle, towards the separator C, separator placed on the shore, at a certain level, lower than the sea surface level.

Into the separator C is taking place the gas-water separation due to the difference of density between water and gas as due to and of smaller pressure and hϊgner temperature then in filter A zone, from where the water-gas mixture is coming running up. The separated gas from separator C is sucked through a conduit and sent to the customer by turbocompressor D. The resulted water from separation accumulated to the separator base is sucked and discharged into the sea by the pump E.

If the distance between the extraction zone or the zone from where the gas have to be extracted is located at a big distance of shore can be used, if economically justified, the variant from procedure in which the separation of gas from water can be done under sea level, far from the shore, on adequate location for shore and for the extraction zone, see

Fig. 3. The emplacement has to ensure the level condition required by the running up of the water-gas mixture, which is coming from the extraction zone towards its separation location.

In this variant, if it is considered necessary, it can be provided an intermediary compression station far on the sea, between the separation location and the shore.

The filter A is a cubic box made from a metallic frame with screen walls for removing the eventually impurity which can be carried in the process of running up the mixture.

The conduit B, at its inferior end is connected with filter A and at its superior end with separator C. Over the filter, if the fauna and flora condition requires, can be placed a big mesh, mesh which, if is plugged, can be cleaned or replaced.

The conduit B Fig. 1 through which is running up the water gas mixture have to be so chosen that to ensure the pressure and strength conditions required by its function as well and its weight per linear meter, weight which has to be lighter than the weight of its inside water; required condition for the conduit's recuperation after its utilization.

The conduit is lying on the sea bottom and is provided with compensators in order to be able to follow the sea's bottom profile.

The separator C from Fig. 1 and 2 is located on the shore at a level under the sea or ocean surface level, so that to allow the running up of water gas mixture coming from filter A zone. The separator is made from a rectangular room provided with a pyramidal roof.

Half from the inferior half of room is separated with a horizontal plate 1 plate which makes in this way the spaces a and b. The horizontal plate 1 in its length is smaller than the room length, making in this way an opening c of communication between space a and b of the room. In the room wall over the plate 1 at the opposite end of opening c is provided the orifice d on which is connected inside of the room a T 2 with a short elbow oriented upwards at each end. Outside the room, the orifice is connected with conduit B. At the half of superior half of room is provided a horizontal screen 3 on the entire horizontal section of room. At the level of connection between the roof and the room, is provided the second horizontal screen 4 denser than the first one, which also covers the entire horizontal room section. The screens 3 and 4 and the plate 1 help the improvement of the gas separation process in the separator. From under the end of pyramidal roof of the room e is going through the separator C the conduit 5 through which the turbocompressor D driven by electromotor 6 sucked the collected gas under the separator C roof and discharged it through the conduit 7 to the customer.

The water from water-gas mixture arrived into the separator C through conduit B, orifice d T 2 elbows in its process of mixture separation is running from orifice d passing through opening its c from space a into space b of separator where is accumulated and is sucked through conduit 8 and discharged back into the sea through conduit 9 with pump E driven by the electromotor 10.

So as it was shown above in an other variant, when the distance between the zone where the gas is mixed with water and the shore is bigger and economically is justified, is used Fig. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 with the filter A', conduit B', the platform f from far on the sea on which is sitting in an enclosure e the separator C* with the gas conduit 5' and the turbocompressor' D' and then the conduit 5" towards the platform f of the turbocompressor D" from far on the sea, the compressor D'" from the shore and further to the customer the conduit 5.

The filter A' has the same construction as the filter A. On the platform f is sitting the separator C inside of enclosure e Fig. 4, 5 and 6 the platform f is sitting on two floating rooms g with afferent pumps h, pumps which are sucking water from the sea, see Fig. 6 through the conduits 11, valves 12 and discharged it through conduits 13 and valves 14 into the rooms g, time in which the valves 15 from the conduits 16 are closed. After rooms g filling the valves 12, 14 and 15 are closed. The emptying of room g is realized by opening the valves 15, 17 from the conduits 18 and the valves 20 from the conduit 19. After the water is extracted, from rooms g the valves 15, 17 and 20 are closed. By the shown operation the platform f can be displaced on vertical, down at filling and up at emptying the room g. Inside of the enclosure e is the separator C, similar to the separator C, the conduit 5', the turbocompressor D' part of conduit 5", the pump E' with the suction conduit 8' and discharge 9' of water, the pumps h with the afferent conduits and valves shown above for floating rooms g operation.

The enclosure e roof shown above is connected to a vertical conduit 1 of which superior end is ended at a certain height over the sea, height which has to ensure the protection of workers from eventually flooding caused by sea waves.

The conduit, at its superior end is provided with an enclosure k in which can be found the control and command instruments for the entire equipment from the platform f, the instruments for buoy and communication with the shore, as and the space required for workers which attend the platform. The conduit is anchored from its up end with ropes m of platforms f four corners.

The conduit is provided inside and outside with stairs n for access inside of enclosures, on its entire height for entering and exit in both enclosures e and k.

The exterior stairs of vertical conduit 1 are extended also on the roof and one exterior wall of enclosure e.

These last stairs being used before of placement the ensemble separator-compressor on anchored conduit or when the equipment ensemble from platform f required to be brought to the sea surface for repairs or movement in other location. For bigger heights of conduits 1 is provided the elevator q. The platform f is provided with some propellers p driven by electrical motors. The propellers are used for positioning of the entire ensemble on conduit j so as to its removing and movement to other location. The conduit j anchors the platform f of the sea bottom which, at its turn, is anchored from its top with four ropes r connected with some concrete blocks s placed on the sea bottom.

In this variant the water-gas mixture is ranning up through filter A', conduit B' into the sea separator C where is separated, then the gas is sucked through conduit 5' by turbocompressor D", discharged through conduit 5" to intermediary turbocompressor D" from far on the sea, conduit 5'" and turbocompressor D'" from shore from where it is delivered to customer through conduit 5. The water from separator O, as in the case of separator C is sucked through conduit 8' and discharged through conduit 9' into the sea by pump E\ As was shown above, if the technico-economic condition required, it is possible that between platform f and station D'" of suction compression and delivery the gas to the customer, to be placed a station D" of suction, compression and discharge far on the sea, see Fig. 7 and 8. This is placed into an enclosure e' sitting on a platform f in which is found only one turbocompressor D" driven by an electromotor and two pumps h' for filling and emptying of floating rooms g', pumps which together with afferent conduits work identical as those from platform f see Fig. 6 permitting to the platform P the same displacement as with the platform f.

The room e' roof is connected to the vertical conduit 1' of which its superior end is terminated at a certain height over the sea, height which has to protect the workers of eventually flooding caused by the sea waves.

The conduit is provided at its-superior end with an enclosure k* in which can be found the command and control instruments for the entire platform f equipment, the buoying and with shore communication instruments as and the required space for workers which are serving the platform.

The conduit is anchored at its superior end with ropes m' to the four corners of platform F. The conduit id provided in interior as in exterior with the access stairs n* into enclosure e' and k\ For bigger heights of conduit 1' is provided with elevator q\ The platform P is provided with some propellers p' used for horizontal displacement of platform P. The platform e* is anchored to the sea bottom by conduit j' which at its turn its upper side is anchored too with four ropes r' connected with some concrete blocks s' placed on the sea bottom.

Turbocompressor D* receive the methane gas coming through conduit 5" from turbocompressor D' from platform f from far on the sea, compress it and then discharged it through conduit 5'" to a station of suction-compression and discharge D'" from the shore, from where the methane gas is sent further through conduit 5 to the customer. The compression station D" from far on the sea can be brought too to the surface for repairs and relocation.

The connection conduits between platforms and between platforms and shore have to correspond to the some criteria and technical condition shown above being lying on the sea bottom too. To more specific conditions of filter A or A' of working to the conduit B or B' is connected a filter A" as that from Fig. 9 which, besides of its cleaning with inverse jet of water done by pump E of E' through conduit B or B', the filter is cleaned also by mechanical brush. The filter A" is set on a large trapezoidal room open at its base, with legs sitting on the sea bottom. The filter A" is made from a close tunnel conduit of which base is made from a screen. Parallel and under the two frames of the screen are some bars for a brush-guiding, brush that is moving back and forth under the entire length of screen, cleaning it of mollusk and other impurities.

Parallel with the mechanical cleaning, with pump E or E' it is sucking sea water from adjacent zone and discharge it back through conduit B or B' doing an inverse water stream into the screen and cleaning it. In Fig. 2 can be seen pump E and sea water suction conduits 9 and 21 with valve 22 open and valves 23 and 24 closed and conduits 25 and B with valve 26 open and valve 27 close through which the water is discharged through screen 28 of filter A".

The brush 29 is operated through a hydraulic system by pump 31, pump driven electrically, hydraulic or electromagnetic.

The filter is sitting on a trapezoidal room, which covers a bigger area of collection of methane gas from its mixture with water.

In Fig. 9 can be seen pump 32 driven electrically or hydraulic, pump which is used for evacuation from conduit B or B"the water, closing the valve 33 Fig. 9 and valve 26 from Fig. 2 and open the air purging valves which are not shown in drawings from superior part of conduits B or B\ the water being evacuated from conduit, allowing the conduit to raise by itself to the sea surface because its weight is less than the weight of water's volume dislocated by conduit; an operation which can be done at moving the conduit B or B\ The pump 2 is sitting on a metallic frame bounded with conduit B or B'. REFERENCES

Patents:

4,007,787 Feb. 1977 Cottle & Al. USA

4,376,462 Mar. 1983 Elliott & Al. USA

4,424,858 Jan. 1984 Elliott & Al. USA

6,180,843 Jan. 2001 Heineman & Al. USA

6,192,691 Feb. 2001 Nohmura & Al. USA-Japan

6,209,965 Apr. 2001 Borns & Al. USA

6,214,175 Apr. 2001 Heineman & Al. USA

6,299,256 Oct. 2001 yatt & Al. USA

Other references

"Hydrate of Hydrocarbons" by Yury Makogon, Editor Perm- Well Books, Tulsa- Oklaho a, USA 1977.

Borodzich, E.V., Gurski, I.N., Korobeynik, V.M., and Yanitskiy, I.N., 1978. "The discovery of big concentration of helium into the sea water"

Claims

1. Procedure arid apparatus for helium or methane extraction from sea, of shore, characterized by so that, in a first operation is taking place an upward moving from the sea bottom through a current tube of water-free methane gas mixture up to an enclosure, the mixture discharged in it taking place at a level situated under sea level, the up movement of mentioned mixture taking place due to the effect of vessels communication, followed by the second operation, in which, due to the pressure reduction action of mixture, as well and its temperature increased, is achieved the separation of gas from sea water, in the next operation is taking place the suction of free gas from upper side of enclosure, the last operation being that of sea water suction from enclosure and its discharge back into the sea.

2. Procedure of helium or methane extraction from the sea according with claim 1, characterized by so that the mixture upward moving, the gas separation from sea water and the suction from enclosure of water are done from the begirining in this sequence, and after starting are simultaneous continuous.

3. Apparatus for helium or methane extraction from the sea, in a first realization example characterized by so that, is provided filter room A placed in a deposit of water-helium^'or water-methane gas on the sea bottom and connected through conduit B and a valve 27 to a separator C positioned on the sea shore and provided with a horizontal plate, which partial separates some spaces a and b, separator C which is connected through a conduit 5 to o turbo compressor D, the accumulated sea water in space b being sucked by a pump E through a conduit 8 and a valve 23 and discharged through a valve 24 and a conduit 9 in the sea.

4. Apparatus for helium or methane extraction from sea, according to claim 3, characterized by so that, the separator C inside is provided with a T 2 connected to conduit B and continued with some elbows directed upwards through which is taking place the spread of gas-water mixture over the plate 1 the last one having an opening c at the opposite end of T 2.

5. Apparatus for helium or methane extraction from the sea, the pump E is provided with a loop made from a conduit 25, which together with a valve 26 realizes the connection to the conduit B.

6. Apparatus for extraction of helium or methane from the sea, in that of the second example of realization, characterized by so that is provided with a separator C sitting on a platform f connected with some floating rooms g and sitting on the superior end of a conduit j inserted into the sea bottom and anchored with some ropes r and some concrete blocks s, the separator enclosure e being provided at its superior part with a conduit 1 which is bearing an enclosure k placed over the sea level and is making common body with some access n stairs. The superior end of conduit 1 in which can be placed an elevator q being anchored with some ropes m of platform f on which are placed some propellers p and some pumps h, the separator C being connected through an other conduit 5' to a turbocompressor D* of which is connected through other conduit 5" the turbocompressor D" sitting on an other platform P provided with some floating room g' and on a central conduit j'. This structure being similar with the separator C supporting and the connection with a suction, compression and discharge station D"' from the shore being done through conduit 5'".

7. Apparatus for extraction of helium or methane from the sea, according to claim 6, characterized by so that on platform P are provided some pumps h' connected to some conduits 11, 13, 18 and 19 and provided with some valves 12, 14, 17 and 20 through which can be filled or discharged the floating rooms g\ The air purging of them being done with the help of some conduits 16 and of some valves 15.

8. Apparatus for extraction of helium or methane from the sea in that of a third variant of realization, similar in rest to any one from preceding variant, characterized by so that is provided with a filter room A" placed on the sea bottom and provided with a screen 28 which can be cleaned with the help of a brush 29 acted through an hydraulic cylinder 30 supplied by a pump 31. An other pump 32 being connected to conduit B or B' and between this last one and filter room A" being inserted a valve 33.