Preliminary design concept for LNG model tank tests

Abstract

Within this document a concept for a test setup that is able to mimic the mechanism and physical effects concerning the transport and storage of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) within a see transport vessel that is build specific for that purpose. The test should cover the effects of heat exchange with walls, impact of pressure change and the influence of sloshing motion and fur-thermore help to improve building numerical models and simulation techniques. The test specimen is a scaled down and simplified version of a section of the tank design that is applied for the cryogenic tank of the LNG transporting ships. The test specimen is referred to as the test vessel in the remaining of the document. In order to be able to control the temperature and heat flow conditions, this test vessel should be equipped with heating elements at predefined portions of the vessel wall. To further direct the heat flow, the outside of the test vessel has to be equipped with thermal insulation. To further control the thermal conditions of the test vessel, it is foreseen that the vessel is partly submerged into a cryogenic bath, which consists of the same liquid as the test liquid. Therefore the test vessel will be situated inside a dewar. The test setup is foreseen to be operated with LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) as a cryogenic reference liq-uid as well as LCH4 (Liquid Methane) and mixtures of LCH4 and N2 as well as additional hydro-carbon components. The following sections arrange as a fluidic and electric system design concept which is then sub-sequently described more in depth for the outer dewar and the inner test vessel. First sketches for the test procedures are made in the last section of the document.