Transient thermal behavior of multi-layer insulation coupled with vapor cooled shield used for liquid hydrogen storage tank

Abstract

The transient heat transfer plays a leading role in the multi-layer insulation (MLI) coupled with a vapor cooled shield (VCS) used in liquid hydrogen storage tanks. However, it was not well investigated in the open literature. In this paper, a transient simulation model was established to study the dynamic thermal behavior of both the MLI and the VCS. The transient temperature profile and heat flux variation of the MLI and VCS were predicted and analyzed. In addition, the insulation performance of the combined MLI/VCS configuration was compared with the conventional MLI-only configuration when the liquid hydrogen tank underwent a periodic gas venting process. The discovered transient heat transfer characteristics of the MLI/VCS insulation could help optimize operating parameters for liquid hydrogen storage.