CFD modelling of the non-isobaric evaporation of cryogenic liquids in storage tanks
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Huerta, Felipe
Vesovic, Velisa
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A new CFD model relevant to non-isobaric cryogen evaporation has been developed. It considers the heat influx, from the surroundings to the liquid and vapour phases, and the heat transfer between the phases. The phase change is modelled considering two contributions: an interfacial energy balance far from the tank wall, and by direct wall-to-liquid conduction near the wall. The model provides well resolved liquid and vapour temperature and velocity profiles, as well as pressure build-up and evaporation rates. It shows that below the vapour-liquid interface, liquid natural convection is dampened by thermal stratification, which is driven by the increase of the interfacial temperature due to increase in pressure. The pressure build-up is mainly governed by the heating of the vapour, particularly at the beginning of the evaporation. The model was used to analyse liquid velocity profiles for two different sets of experimental data for evaporation of liquid nitrogen by optimizing empirical parameters, namely the wall heat partitioning fraction and the overall heat transfer coefficients. The results show that a large fraction of the vapour heat ingress is not transferred to the vapour phase bulk. Instead, it is transported through the walls and transferred to the liquid at the liquid-vapour-wall contact point, driving phase change. Heat conduction from the walls to the interface has a significant effect, even for low heat fluxes, and cannot be neglected.
Date Issued
2024-02-15
Date Acceptance
2023-11-24
Citation
Applied Energy, 2024, 356
ISSN
0306-2619
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Applied Energy
Volume
356
Copyright Statement
Copyright © Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects
Boil-off gas
CFD
Cryogenics
Energy & Fuels
Energy storage
Engineering
Engineering, Chemical
HEAT-TRANSFER
LNG
NATURAL-CONVECTION
OPTIMIZATION
PRESSURIZATION
Science & Technology
SYSTEMS
Technology
THERMAL STRATIFICATION
Transport phenomena
VALIDITY
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
122420
Date Publish Online
2023-12-03