Methane Clathrate Harvesting Systems and Methods

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system may include a harvesting unit configured to operate under water to traverse and extract gas from clathrate hydrate deposits. The harvesting unit can include a housing defining an enclosure at least partially open along a bottom portion to receive a clathrate slurry associated with a selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits. The harvesting unit may further include a separator chamber within the housing defining a negative pressure and configured to receive the clathrate slurry and a skirt coupled to the enclosure adjacent to the bottom portion and configured to form a flexible barrier between the enclosure and an external environment. The skirt may be formed from a plurality of elements configured to allow fluid flow therethrough.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a harvesting unit configured to operate under water to traverse and extract gas from clathrate hydrate deposits, the harvesting unit including:
 a housing defining an enclosure at least partially open along a bottom portion to receive a clathrate slurry associated with a selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits; 
 a separator chamber within the housing defining a negative pressure and configured to receive the clathrate slurry; and 
 a skirt coupled to the enclosure adjacent to the bottom portion and configured to form a flexible barrier between the enclosure and an external environment, the skirt formed from a plurality of elements configured to allow fluid flow therethrough. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt is formed from a plurality of rubber flaps at least partially overlapping. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a plow and a brush to displace sediment from a selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an extraction system configured to cut a portion of the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits to form a slurry. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the extraction system comprises:
 a plow configured to displace debris from the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits;   a plurality of harrow blades configured to break the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits into pieces to form the clathrate slurry.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one rotating brush configured to displace sediment from the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a high pressure sprayer configured to cooperate with the plurality of harrow blades to break the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits into the pieces to form the clathrate slurry. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system including a plurality of distributed controllers, each controller including one or more processors associated with one or more components of the harvesting unit. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a separation system within the separator chamber, the separation system configured to separate gas from the slurry, the separation system including at least one of a centrifuge component and an impeller configured to separate gas from the pieces of the clathrate slurry and to dispel debris away from the harvesting unit. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a mobile harvesting unit configured to operate under water to traverse and extract gas from a clathrate hydrate deposit, the mobile harvesting unit including:
 a housing defining an enclosure; 
   a propulsion system coupled to the housing;   a separator chamber within the housing and configured to apply a negative pressure, the separator chamber configured to receive a clathrate slurry associated with a selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits, the separator chamber including at least one of a centrifuge component and an impeller configured to separate gas from the pieces of the clathrate slurry and to dispel debris away from the harvesting unit; and   a skirt coupled to the housing and configured to form a flexible barrier between the enclosure and an external environment along a bottom portion of the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the skirt is formed from a plurality of elements configured to allow fluid flow therethrough. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the skirt is formed from one of a plurality of rubber flaps and a plurality of bristles at least partially overlapping to form a fluid permeable barrier. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising an extraction system configured to cut a portion of the clathrate hydrate deposit to form a slurry, the extraction system including:
 a plow configured to displace debris from the clathrate hydrate deposit; and   at least one rotating brush configured to displace sediment from the clathrate hydrate deposit.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the extraction system further comprises:
 a plurality of harrow blades configured to break the clathrate hydrate deposit into pieces to form the clathrate slurry; and   a high pressure sprayer configured to cooperate with the plurality of harrow blades to break the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits into the pieces to form the clathrate slurry.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system including a plurality of distributed controllers, each controller including one or more processors associated with one or more components of the harvesting unit. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a harvesting unit configured to operate under water to traverse and extract gas from clathrate hydrate deposits, the harvesting unit including:
 a housing defining an enclosure at least partially open along a bottom portion to receive a clathrate slurry associated with a selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits; 
 a skirt coupled to the enclosure adjacent to the bottom portion and configured to form a flexible barrier between the enclosure and an external environment, the skirt formed from a plurality of elements configured to allow fluid flow therethrough; 
 a propulsion system coupled to the housing; 
 a clathrate hydrate extraction system at least partially beneath the housing and configured to cut a portion of the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits to form a slurry; 
 a clathrate hydrate separation system within the housing; and 
 a control system including a plurality of distributed controllers, each controller including one or more processors associated with one or more components of each of the propulsion system, the clathrate hydrate extraction system, and the clathrate hydrate separation system. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the clathrate hydrate separation system comprises:
 a separator chamber within the housing defining a negative pressure and configured to receive the clathrate slurry;   at least one of a centrifuge component and an impeller configured to separate gas from the pieces of the clathrate slurry and to dispel debris away from the harvesting unit.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the clathrate hydrate extraction system comprises:
 a plow configured to displace debris from the clathrate hydrate deposit; and   at least one rotating brush configured to displace sediment from the clathrate hydrate deposit.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the clathrate hydrate extraction system further comprises:
 a plurality of harrow blades configured to break the clathrate hydrate deposit into pieces to form the clathrate slurry; and   a high pressure sprayer configured to cooperate with the plurality of harrow blades to break the selected one of the clathrate hydrate deposits into the pieces to form the clathrate slurry.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the skirt is formed from a plurality of rubber flaps at least partially overlapping.