14 DAY TRIAL // A team of experts proposes a new method of transporting natural gas, which could see the stuff being moved between distant destinations without the risk of dangerous explosions.
At this point, it's not exactly practical to move natural gas around too much, because the chemical is unstable, and the risk of explosions is omnipresent, Technology Review reports.
But, by trapping the substance in ice, it could be made stable, in pretty much the same way nitroglycerin is stabilized using small pieces of wood.
A team of experts from the US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently working on a new method of developing ice crystal technology. If successful, they could put an end to natural gas transport issues.
At this point, converting the chemicals into liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the main option for transport, but the stuff can still explode if the container is damaged or pierced.
But converting natural gas to methane hydrate is a far better option. In this approach, a molecule of methane is trapped within a tetrahedron-like structure, made out of ice crystals.
This ensures the compound is incredibly stable, and also that the risk of explosion disappears. Employing this method could help countries contract distributors from farther away.
In the long-run, the ability would contribute to making worldwide supplies more stable, and also to some countries becoming able to change their suppliers.
Over the years, especially in Eastern Europe, Russia has become the major supplier of natural gas. But this monopoly allows the nation to place high, unwarranted prices on the stuff.
If the countries importing the natural gas can get it from somewhere else cheaper, than this could mean the end of Russian monopoly.
The groundbreaking work is being conducted at the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which is based in Pittsburgh.
“Conceptually, the approach is very interesting,” explains former BP vice president for technology, Anthony Meggs.
He admits however that “it's hard to tell how practical it will be until you translate it into a cost per ton or cubic foot to transport natural gas.
Meggs is also a visiting engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).