Development of a Liquid Hydrogen Tank Sizing Framework for the Preliminary Design of Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Vessels

Kurzfassung

While liquid hydrogen (LH2) is considered a promising alternative fuel for the shipping sector, its storage and transportation pose significant challenges. Maintaining the temperature at 20K is crucial, necessitating the utilisation of specialised, well-insulated tanks. Moreover, because liquid hydrogen has a lower volumetric energy density than conventional fuels, an optimal tank design is needed, especially given the spatial constraints on ships. Current tank design methods focus on the structural and thermal aspects of the tank, with the thermal analysis based on heat transfer formulations that do not account for the behaviour of LH2 within the tank. Research on how tank design parameters influence the overall design remains limited, particularly when integrating liquid hydrogen storage tanks into the ship hull. Consequently, this work aims to develop a comprehensive framework for sizing liquid hydrogen tanks that considers geometrical, mechanical, and thermal factors. The proposed methodology facilitates parametric modelling based on the required fuel volume and incorporates existing operational guidelines to define a feasible design space. The developed framework supports preliminary ship design by enhancing the integration of LH2 tanks within constrained hull geometries.