Experimental and computational fluid dynamic investigation on thermal behaviors of liquid hydrogen during the no-vented storage process: A literature review

Abstract

Clarification of thermal behaviors, involving self-pressurization, temperature rise of the fluid, temperature stratification, and free convective flows, is crucial to the safe storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen for large-scale applications. Given that the experiments have been carried out to observe the pressure build-up and temperature gradient in correlation with part of the thermal behaviors, the computational fluid dynamics method becomes a promising selection for investigating other thermal behaviors to complement the experiments. To comprehensively reveal the thermal behaviors of liquid hydrogen during the no-vented storage process, this paper reviews the progress in both experimental and computational investigations. The typical experimental facilities, conditions, and results of the self-pressurization and temperature stratification in liquid hydrogen tanks are presented. The basic formulations, state-of-the-art applications, as well as typical values of mass transfer coefficients of computational fluid dynamics models are also reviewed. Based on the status, the unclarified effects of vapor-liquid interfacial mass transfer, selection of flow models, and fluid sloshing on thermal behaviors of liquid hydrogen are outlined as the perspectives to benefit future research work.