Patent ID: 8353409

Claim:
Apparatus for dewatering unreacted water contained in a gas hydrate slurry generated through gas-liquid contact between raw material water and raw material gas, comprising: an internal tube having a separating section and an upper part above the separating section for containing a gas hydrate layer formed therein, an external tube arranged around the internal tube to form a drainage section, a gas feed blower for feeding gas to the upper part of the internal tube, an exhaust blower connected to the drainage section for exhausting gas from the drainage section, wherein the exhaust blower in conjunction with the gas feed blower generates a pressure difference between the drainage section and a gas hydrate layer formed at the upper part of the internal tube above the separating section, and means for controlling operation of the exhaust blower and the gas feed blower in response to the pressure difference between the drainage section and the gas hydrate layer formed at the upper part of the internal tube above the separating section.