Modeling of a cryogenic liquid pool boiling by CFD simulation

A boiling model is developed by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code to calculate the source term of a cryogenic liquid spill. The model includes the effect of the changing ground temperature on the vaporization rate of the cryogenic liquid. Simulations are performed for liquid nitrogen. The model can describe different boiling regimes (film, transition and nucleate). The heat flux calculated for each boiling regimes are compared to the experimental data from literature. The developed numerical model seems to have a good ability to predict the heat flux for the film boiling stage. Model development is still necessary to improve the prediction of the nucleate boiling regime. Overall, the approach shows very promising results to model the complex physical phenomena involved in in the vaporization of cryogenic liquid pool spilled on ground.     

Experimental study of the evaporation of spreading liquid nitrogen

The investigation of cryogenic liquid pool spreading is an essential procedure to assess the hazard of cryogenic liquid usage. There is a wide range of models used to describe the spreading of a cryogenic liquid pool. Many of these models require the evaporation velocity, which has to be determined experimentally because the heat transfer process between the liquid pool and the surroundings is too complicated to be modeled. In this experimental study, to measure the evaporation velocity when the pool is spreading, liquid nitrogen was continuously released onto unconfined concrete ground. Almost all of the reported results are based on a non-spreading pool in which cryogenic liquid is instantaneously poured onto bounded ground for a very short period of time. For the precise measurement of pool spreading and evaporation weight with time, a cone-type funnel was designed to achieve a nearly constant liquid nitrogen release rate during discharge. Specifically, three nozzles with nominal flow rates of 3.4 × 10⁻² kg/s, 5.6 × 10⁻² kg/s and 9.0 × 10⁻² kg/s were used to investigate the effect of the release rate on the evaporation velocity. It is noted that information about the release rate is not necessary to measure the evaporation velocity in case of the non-spreading pool. A simultaneous measurement of the pool location using thermocouples and of the pool mass using a digital balance was carried out to measure the evaporation velocity and the pool radius. A greater release flow rate was found to result in a greater average evaporation velocity, and the evaporation velocity decreased with the spreading time and the pool radius.     

Quantification of turbulence in cryogenic liquid using high speed flow visualization

A high speed flow visualization experiment was conducted to characterize the boiling induced turbulence when a cryogenic liquid is released on water. The advective transport of turbulent structures traversing through the liquid was captured and reconstructed using image processing software to obtain information on velocity components. The numerical results obtained from image processing were used to determine turbulence parameters like turbulent intensity, turbulent kinetic energy and eddy dissipation rate. An interesting aspect of the study was the formation of wavy structures called ‘thermals’ which were characteristic of turbulent convection. The thermals were found to act as a catalyst in increasing heat transfer and turbulence between water and cryogenic pool. The turbulent intensity was influenced by the turbulent velocity and had direct effects on the vaporization flux. Among the turbulence parameters, increase in turbulent kinetic energy resulted in faster vaporization of cryogenic liquid through enhanced mixing, whereas variations in the eddy dissipation rate had weak dependence on vaporization. Additionally, the initial height of cryogenic liquid was also found to strongly affect the vaporization mass flux.     

Small-scale experimental study of vaporization flux of liquid nitrogen released on ice

One of the LNG accident scenarios is the collision of an LNG carrier on an iceberg during marine transportation. A collision can result in damages to the vessel and lead to the leakage of the contents on ice or an ice-water mixture. When cryogenic liquid comes in contact with ice, it undergoes rapid vaporization due to the difference in temperature between the ice and cryogenic liquid. This process is different from the heat transfer between water and cryogenic liquid as ice is a solid and thus heat transfer to the pool occurs primarily through conduction. In this paper, the heat transfer phenomenon between ice and cryogenic liquid was studied through a small-scale experiment and the resulting vaporization mass fluxes were reported. The experiment involved six spills with varying amount of liquid nitrogen on different ice temperature to determine its effect on vaporization mass flux. The vaporization mass fluxes were determined by direct measurement of the mass loss during the experiment. The results indicated that the vaporization mass flux was a function of release rate and ice temperature. When the release rate and ice temperature was high, the vaporization mass flux follows a decreasing trend. With further reduction in release rate and ice temperature, the vaporization mass flux was found to be independent with time. The one dimensional conduction model was validated against experimental results. The predicted temperatures and heat flux were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Experimental study and prediction of liquid nitrogen pool evaporation process on concrete surface

The vaporization rate of pool boiling process of a liquid nitrogen spilled on concrete surface was investigated by a visual experiment platform. The boiling curve for liquid nitrogen on concrete cooling process was obtained. The shapes of bubbles in three typical boiling regimes were observed. Based on the experimental results, the coefficients of the empirical formulas for nuclear boiling and film boiling are modified, and the empirical formulas for boiling of liquid nitrogen-concrete surfaces are obtained. Combined with the calculation formula of the non-steady-state semi-infinite one-dimensional heat conduction temperature, a coupled calculation model for the heat transfer and vaporization process of liquid pool on the liquid nitrogen-concrete surface is proposed. Application of this model can better predict the quality of liquid nitrogen vaporization.     

低温液体在水中快速相变过程流动与传热数值模拟

用试验和理论分析的方法对快速相变爆炸强度的预测缺乏定量模型,因此建立了一种欧拉-欧拉双流体多相流模型与传热模型相互耦合的数值模型,并通过与Clarke H将液氮喷射入水的快速相变试验数据对比来验证模型的可靠性和正确性。通过数值计算得出快速相变过程中流场、压力场、温度场随时间变化的情况,探讨了快速相变的传热机理。结果表明:快速相变是强制对流、膜态沸腾、爆发沸腾和核态沸腾之间的转换过程;相间换热系数随时间的无量纲变化关系可以用3个高斯分布的叠加来描述。     

泄漏液池动态蒸发过程模型研究与分析

指出了现有液体蔓延和蒸发模型的不足,根据质量守恒定律,推导建立了动态液池蒸发模型.在详细分析液池蔓延和蒸发过程的基础上,结合苯的泄漏,利用新建立的数学模型对苯的蔓延和蒸发进行了模拟分析.     

The modelling of pool vaporization

This paper describes a mathematical model which calculates the time dependencies of the flow rate and composition of the vapour emerging from a pool. A large variety of accidental cases can be covered: continuous or instantaneous spills, on confined or unconfined ground, ideal or non-ideal liquid mixtures in boiling or evaporating conditions. The boiling, when present, is modelled through an equation system comprising the Rachford-Rice relation and the energy balance of the pool, which is assumed to be well-mixed. In the case of a volatile pool, interfacial mass rates are determined taking into account the Stefan flux, and the thermal resistance inside the liquid phase is also considered. In all situations, the energy balance includes the contribution of ground, sun and air. Known experimental data have been used to validate the model.     

Study of dry ice formation during blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ from cryogenic distillation column

Cryogenic distillation columns are generally subjected to high-pressure loadings during the natural gas purification process. The high-pressure conditions inside the column cause safety risk e.g. rupture. When an emergency arises, blowdown is a typical way of minimizing the failure hazard. However, blowdown at the cryogenic conditions involves dry ice formation due to the rapid decrease in temperature driven by the Joule-Thomson effect. The dry ice formation intensifies the failure hazard due to the orifice blockage. Therefore, optimization of blowdown parameters is necessary to avoid the dry ice formation. So far, very limited studies are available in the literature for the blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ mixture, especially at the cryogenic conditions. In this study, a computational investigation followed by the experimental validation is accomplished to analyze the dry ice formation during blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ binary mixture from the cryogenic distillation column. The composition of mixture, orifice size, and initial conditions inside vessel have a high impact on blowdown path. A 3.00 mm orifice is the most suitable size for the blowdown at cryogenic conditions as it doesn't promote solidification and discharges the inventory quickly. Based on the experimental observation, an empirical correlation is also developed to instantly find out the optimum blowdown parameters.     

Investigation of pool spreading and vaporization behavior in medium-scale LNG tests

A failure of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanker can occur due to collision or rupture in loading/unloading lines resulting in spillage of LNG on water. Upon release, a spreading liquid can form a pool with rapid vaporization leading to the formation of a flammable vapor cloud. Safety analysis for the protection of public and property involves the determination of consequences of such accidental releases. To address this complex pool spreading and vaporization phenomenon of LNG, an investigation is performed based on the experimental tests that were conducted by the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC) in 2007. The 2007 tests are a part of medium-scale experiments carried out at the Brayton Fire Training Field (BFTF), College Station. The dataset represents a semi-continuous spill on water, where LNG is released on a confined area of water for a specified duration of time. The pool spreading and vaporization behavior are validated using empirical models, which involved determination of pool spreading parameters and vaporization rates with respect to time. Knowledge of the pool diameter, pool height and spreading rate are found to be important in calculating the vaporization rates of the liquid pool. The paper also presents a method to determine the vaporization mass flux of LNG using water temperature data that is recorded in the experiment. The vaporization rates are observed to be high initially and tend to decrease once the pool stopped spreading. The results of the analysis indicated that a vaporization mass flux that is varying with time is required for accurate determination of the vaporization rate. Based on the data analysis, sources of uncertainties in the experimental data were identified to arise from ice formation and vapor blocking.     

水成膜泡沫对变压器油池火的窒息特性研究

水成膜泡沫在油类表面的窒息作用是扑灭油类火灾的重要机理之一,针对自行开发的快速型泡沫灭火剂开展了其对油池火的窒息灭火特性研究。首先通过老化试验测试了泡沫液的热稳定性,然后对比了不同成分泡沫液在25＃变压器油表面的铺展特性,之后研究了不同发泡倍率和成分的泡沫液对油池火的窒息灭火效果及影响规律。研究发现,铺展性能不佳的泡沫液会逐渐丧失窒息能力,而铺展性能优异的泡沫液能持续发挥窒息作用。提升泡沫液热稳定性有利于在油面形成稳定的液膜,隔绝氧气并降低可燃分子挥发速率。此外,发泡倍率较低的泡沫液的流动性更强,在相同液体流量条件下低倍数泡沫的窒息灭火效果更优。自研的快速型泡沫灭火剂在热稳定性和铺展性能两方面均具备优良的性能,因此其窒息灭火效率和抗复燃能力优于现有的大部分同类泡沫灭火剂。     

Modeling the vapor source term associated with the spill of LNG into a sump or impoundment area

The recent publication of evaluation protocols for vapor source term models and vapor dispersion models have influenced the modeling approaches that can be used for approval of new and expansion projects at LNG receiving terminals. In the past few years the scientific basis of integral vapor source term models has been questioned with growing concerns regarding their validity. In this paper, the shallow water equations (SWEs) were solved to study the characteristics of the evaporating LNG pool associated with a constant flow rate spill of LNG into a concrete sump. In the early stages of pool spreading, the leading edge thickness profile of the SWE model scales with the square root of the distance from the leading edge as the pool spreads. After the edge of the pool reaches the wall, the reflected wave forms a hydraulic jump that travels back towards the center of the pool at a speed that is considerably slower than the initial spreading of the pool. Once the hydraulic jump reaches the center, the pool assumes a nearly flat free surface for the rest of the spill. The pool spreading and the rate of evaporation from the SWEs were then compared to the solution provided by the integral model, PHAST. The two approaches were found to agree well with one another. The SWE model was also used to demonstrate the influence of an elevated spill source. With an elevated source, the LNG pool spreads faster, significantly increasing the initial rate of vaporization and peak vaporization rate. This increase in the initial rate of vaporization could lead to an increase in the vapor cloud hazard distance. The SWE model was also used to demonstrate the influence of an inclined sump floor in the shape of an inverted cone where the spilling LNG accumulates in the low vertex of the cone. Inclined sump floors can be used to significantly reduce the cumulative evaporation, making them attractive as a possible mitigation approach in cases where a containment sump is located close to a property boundary.     

Validation of liquid nitrogen vaporisation rate by small scale experiments and analysis of the conductive heat flux from the concrete

The vaporisation of a liquid nitrogen pool spilled on concrete ground was investigated in small scale field experiments. The pool vaporisation rate and the heat transfer from the concrete ground were measured using a balance and a set of embedded heat flux sensors and thermocouples. The ability to predict the concrete's thermal properties based on these measurements was investigated. This work showed that a simple, one-dimensional theoretical model, assuming heat conduction through a semi-infinite ground with ideal contact between the cryogenic liquid and the ground, commonly used to describe the heat transfer from a ground to the LNG, can be used to match the observed vaporisation rate. Though estimated parameters, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, do not necessary represent real values. Although the observed vaporization rate follows a linear trend, and thus can be well represented by the model, the overall model prediction seems to be overestimated. The temperature profile inside the concrete is slightly over-predicted at the beginning and under-predicted at later stage of the spill. This might be an effect of the dependence of the concrete's thermal properties on the temperature or may indicate an incorrect modelling and a varying temperature of the ground surface.     

水面LNG液池扩展模型的分析与对比研究

为了评价在开阔水面上的液化天然气（LNG）火灾和蒸气云爆炸灾害后果，分析了LNG水面扩展动态过程；对比分析了Fay模型、FERC模型和计算流体力学软件FLACS的计算结果，探讨了LNG液池面积随时间的动态变化过程，分析了泄漏量、泄漏速率等参数对LNG液池扩展半径的影响；根据液池扩展模型的计算结果，确定了LNG液池的最大面积，并以此分析了LNG流淌火灾的辐射危害。研究结果表明:对于相同的泄漏条件，3种方法模拟的泄漏LNG水面扩展动态过程相似，一般情况下，FLACS模型，FERC模型和Fay模型所计算的最大液池半径依次增大;由于FERC模型与FLACS软件的模拟结果接近且偏于保守，故此在一般的工程应用时，采用FERC模型即可方便快捷地获得较为准确的结果。     

Prediction models for the flash point of pure components

The flash point for a liquid is defined as the lowest temperature at which its vapor forms a spontaneously ignitable mixture when brought in contact with air. Having a good estimation of the flash point temperature at normal conditions is relevant because it is one of the main properties used to characterize fire and explosion hazards for liquids. Most of predictive correlations in the literature include a physical effect by including the normal boiling temperature in their formulation. To achieve combustion, sufficient evaporation is required and then a part of the liberated energy from the combustion is used to support the evaporation. Thus the evaporation energy and a chemical effect given by the heat of reaction are incorporated in this work. It is firstly verified that the relation between the flash point temperature and the normal boiling temperature tends to be a constant. Thus a heuristic approach based on 611 chemical species of diverse families indicates that this relation is around 0.75. The dispersion of the error has been reduced by using two proposed correlations where both physical and chemical properties are included in the model. In particular, the second equation is based on the group contributions method, which has been developed for alkanes. This method is in fact a combination of the group contributions method and the first model to overcome the difficulties in predicting isomeric differences.     

改变垫水层沸点的薄层扬沸实验研究

扬沸是油池火灾的一种特殊现象,燃料和垫水层交界面的过热温度和沸腾状态是决定扬沸是否发生以及发生时间的最主要因素,过热温度由沸点决定。在垫水层中添加氯化钠能够改变垫水层的沸点,从而改变交界面的过热温度。在垫水层添加氯化钠使其成为饱和氯化钠水溶液,对此条件下的油池火燃烧进行实验探究,以验证前人关于扬沸临界条件的研究结果,并为扬沸防治提供思路。垫水层改变为饱和氯化钠溶液后,柴油实验组均没有发生扬沸,且观察到火焰温度和热辐射强度的下降。表明此方法可以有效抑制扬沸的发生。     

On models of spreading pools

The spread of liquid pools floating on water is commonly modelled by the assumption of a constant (densimetric) Froude number at the front. This can be understood in terms of a balance between the pressure difference across the front of the spreading pool, and the resistance at the front from having to push displaced water out of the way. Some early models of pools spreading on land also assumed constant Froude number, but in this case there is absolutely no credible justification for such an assumption. This was highlighted by Webber and Jones (1987) who noted that resistance will come from friction with the ground under the whole base of the pool, resulting in a very different spreading law. Nevertheless, the assumption of constant Froude number spreading of pools on land continues in some circles to this day, and a recent paper by Raj (2011) even goes as far as to assert that Webber and Jones (1987) assumed the spreading law, which in actual fact they were at pains to debunk. This paper is intended to set the record straight, with a detailed discussion of the physical phenomena controlling the way pools spread on land.     

插板对正庚烷油池火燃烧行为的影响研究

海上石油泄漏常规的处理方法是原位燃烧,加速其燃烧并使其燃尽是降低其对生态环境影响的重要措施之一。以正庚烷为燃料,在油池内插入竖直铝板,研究不同高度铝板对池火燃烧行为的影响。结果表明,插板对池火燃烧速率以及火焰高度具有明显的增强作用,随着板的高度的增加,增强作用先增大后减小,当H_p/D(板高与油池直径之比)为3.5时,增强作用最大。火焰高度、板的温度、热通量以及燃烧速率的变化趋势一致,它们的临界点均在H_p/D=3.5附近。插板后燃烧速率增大主要是因为插板自身的热传导导致了燃料的核态沸腾,使燃料接受的热反馈增大,从而加快了燃料的蒸发,增大了燃烧速率。     

A new categorization of release models using a semi-analytic solution

The spread of cryogenic liquid due to a limited period of release is investigated for the first time to clarify the unclear conventional concept regarding two release types: continuous and instantaneous release. The physical phenomenon is described by equations involving the volume, radius and height of the liquid pool, and there are three governing parameters: the evaporation rate per unit area, a release time, and a spill volume. As a result of the perturbation solutions, the combined model, which consists of the continuous model and the subsequent instantaneous model, is necessary for a large spill source rate, whereas the continuous model is only required for a small spill source rate. This combined release model is more realistic than the instantaneous release model, and it is shown that the combined model and the continuous model are clearly distinguished in the coordinate system of the release time and the spill volume using the analytical feature of the perturbation solution.