Modeling and simulation of cryogenic propellant tank pressurization in normal gravity

Abstract

The self-pressurization process of cryogenic propellant storage under a normal gravity condition often involves turbulent mixing in the liquid region and complex flow fields in the vapor region caused by heat leak into a cryogenic tank. Over time, the cryogenic tank pressurizes due to a temperature increase in the vapor phase and the heat and mass transfer across the liquid–vapor interface. A nodal simulation approach was employed to study the long term transients of tank self-pressurization. In this paper, mechanistic models and correlations were implemented to simulate the self-pressurization of Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed experiments with a commercial nodal code, namely, Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer with Fluid Integrator (SINDA/FLUINT). A lump number sensitivity study on the prediction of tank pressure and temperature was performed to determine the number of lumps appropriate for a 50% initial liquid fill level. Uniform heat flux boundary conditions were implemented on both phases during the tank self-pressurization with an estimated heat leak provided by NASA. Numerical simulation showed that the predicted pressure profiles of the 50% and 90% fill level cases agreed well with experimental data. In the liquid region, temperatures were primarily uniform and close to saturation due to turbulent natural convection mixing. Findings showed the current model overestimated the temperature profiles in the vapor region when assuming heat conduction transfer.