
You have already added 0 works in your ORCID record related to the merged Research product.
You have already added 0 works in your ORCID record related to the merged Research product.
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write('<div id="oa_widget"></div>');
document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="https://beta.openaire.eu/index.php?option=com_openaire&view=widget&format=raw&projectId=undefined&type=result"></script>');
-->
</script>
Comparative Analysis of Heat Transfer in a Type B LNG Tank Pre-Cooling Process Using Various Refrigerants

doi: 10.3390/en17164013
This study presents a comprehensive three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the pre-cooling process of a Type B LNG tank using various refrigerants, including liquid nitrogen (LN), nitrogen gas (NG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), boil-off gas (BOG), and their combinations. The simulation model accounts for phase change (through the mixture multiphase model), convective heat transfer, and conjugate heat exchange between the fluid and the tank structure. The results indicate that liquid nitrogen is the most efficient refrigerant, achieving the highest cooling rate through both latent and sensible heat. LNG also demonstrated a relatively high cooling rate, 79% of that of liquid nitrogen. Gas-only pre-cooling schemes relying solely on sensible heat exhibited slower cooling rates, with BOG achieved 79.4% of the cooling rate of NG. Mixed refrigerants such as NG + LN and BOG + LNG can achieve comparable, while slightly slower, cooling than the pure liquid refrigerants, outperforming gas-only strategies. A further assessment of the heat transfer coefficient suggests the mixed cooling schemes have almost identical heat transfer coefficient on the inner tank surface to the liquid cooling scheme, over 5% higher than the gas refrigerants. The study also highlighted the uneven temperature distribution within the tank due to the bulkhead’s blockage effect, which can induce significant thermal stress and potentially compromise structural integrity. Mixed schemes exhibit thermal gradients higher than those of gas schemes but lower than those of liquid schemes, while achieving cooling speeds comparable to liquid schemes if the inlet velocity of the refrigerants is properly configured. These findings offer valuable insights for developing safer and more efficient pre-cooling procedures for Type B LNG tanks and similar cryogenic storage tanks.
- Ningbo University of Technology China (People's Republic of)
- Dalian Polytechnic University China (People's Republic of)
- Ningbo University of Technology China (People's Republic of)
citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).0 popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.Average influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).Average impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.Average
