LES model of flash-boiling and pressure recovery phenomena during release from large-scale pressurised liquid hydrogen storage tank

The paper presents large eddy simulations (LES) model of two-phase (liquid-gas) hydrogen behaviour during pressurised tank venting. The results of simulations are compared against published experiment on flash-boiling of liquid hydrogen (LH2) in a large-scale tank of 7.622 m height, 2.3 m internal diameter, filled with LH2 to 6.248 m (80% tank filling) at pressure 321.8 kPa gauge. The volume-of-fluid model is applied for tracking phases and Lee’s model is used to simulate evaporation and condensation. The effect of various Lee’s model evaporation-condensation coefficients on the process dynamics is assessed. The simulations are compared against experimental pressure dynamics monitored at the venting pipe and experimental temperature measured by thermocouples in gaseous and liquid phases during the first 15 s of venting. The LES model reasonably predicts physical phenomena during depressurisation of LH2 storage tank, including the pressure recovery phenomenon, LH2 level and temperature dynamics in the tank.