LNG tank simulation

sloshing simulaion

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• sloshing
• CFD
• numerical

[garypaulsmith]

LNG boils at -163 degrees centigrade. It cannot be kept fully pressurised at ambient temp. LPG can be kept pressurised and the pressure would be about 18bar (270psi).

In ships, the LNG is held as liquid in large, heavily insulated tanks at it's boiling temp at low pressure (1psi). The resulting vapour that boils off is burnt in the ship's boilers providing steam for the main engine.

Type "LNG ship tank" into Google Images to see what I mean. I work on these ships and the tanks are awesome.

[garypaulsmith]

Oh, I guess for road vehicles. Can LNG be shipped by road? LPG can.

I think the vid is of a ship's tank in fast motion. Those tanks can be in the region of 45,000 cubic metres. Ships' tanks do not have baffles and the pressure within is only about 2psi.

[maurieer]

garypaulsmith,

If the tank is for a mobile vehicle, it has to have baffles.

From "Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)" (goggle).

"Baffles in the inner tank minimize LNG sloshing when vehicle is in motion. This helps to keep the pump suction submerged. Short term pump starvation is compensated by the residual high pressure liquid and gas volume within the vaporizer and buffer, which then provides the fuel to the engine until the liquid pumping resumes."

[garypaulsmith]

LNG tanks do not have baffles.

[maurieer]

The baffles are missing and should be there.

Where are they?