A novel apparatus for in situ measurement of thermal conductivity of hydrate-bearing sediments.

An experimental apparatus was developed to synthesize natural gas hydrates and measure the thermal conductivity of hydrate-bearing sediments in situ. The apparatus works over a temperature range varying from -20 °C to 50 °C and up to a maximum pressure of 20 MPa. This apparatus is mainly composed of a thermal conductivity test system and a reaction cell, into which a lab-fabricated thermistor probe is inserted. This thermistor has excellent temperature sensitivity and can work at high pressures. The basic principles of this apparatus are discussed, and a series of experiments were performed to verify that the apparatus can be practically applied in chemical engineering. The thermistor-based measuring method was applied successfully in a high-pressure environment both with and without porous media.