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Experimental investigation on the thermo-hydraulic characteristics and occurrence boundary of geyser in a cryogenic pipe

Mao, Hongwei LU ; Li, Yanzhong ; Huang, Xiaoning ; Li, Jian ; Xie, Fushou and Sundén, Bengt LU (2021) In Applied Thermal Engineering 195.
Abstract

In the present study the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of geyser in the cryogenic fuel transportation pipe of a liquid rocket is experimentally investigated using liquid nitrogen. The typical thermo-hydraulic appearances are characterized and analyzed in the geyser process to effectively recognize the occurrence of geyser in practical engineering. The effect of interfering factors such as heat flux, liquid level and tank ullage pressure on geyser are explored. Moreover, based on the new proposed dimensionless parameter of the maximum energy storage ability (Ae), the occurrence boundary of geyser is divided. It could be concluded from the results that a clear periodic pressure and temperature change accompanied by periodic plenty... (More)

In the present study the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of geyser in the cryogenic fuel transportation pipe of a liquid rocket is experimentally investigated using liquid nitrogen. The typical thermo-hydraulic appearances are characterized and analyzed in the geyser process to effectively recognize the occurrence of geyser in practical engineering. The effect of interfering factors such as heat flux, liquid level and tank ullage pressure on geyser are explored. Moreover, based on the new proposed dimensionless parameter of the maximum energy storage ability (Ae), the occurrence boundary of geyser is divided. It could be concluded from the results that a clear periodic pressure and temperature change accompanied by periodic plenty vapor ventilation could serve as an indication for geyser's occurrence, and the eruption of cryogenic geyser has a similar appearance as that in the geothermal field. It is found that a higher tank ullage pressure and liquid level could reduce the geyser's intensity, and a violent boiling will occur instead of geyser when the heat flux is extremely high. It is a feasible way to eliminate geyser in the cryogenic pipe by increasing the pressure inside the pipe via increasing the tank ullage pressure or liquid level in the tank. Moreover, it is found that a weak geyser would occur in LN2 and LO2 when Ae exceeds 2, and then as Ae being larger than 4, a strong geyser might occur with a noticeable pressure peak.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cryogenic pipe, Experimental study, Geyser, Liquid nitrogen
in
Applied Thermal Engineering
volume
195
article number
117172
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85108682058
ISSN
1359-4311
DOI
10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117172
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Funding Information: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (51876153), Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Technologies in Space Cryogenic Propellants (SKLTSCP1914). China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018 M633505). The first author is grateful to the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for funding his oversea study.
id
74971f39-cfaa-4635-9af1-0b7db619b5eb
date added to LUP
2021-08-18 14:47:16
date last changed
2023-11-08 17:43:48
@article{74971f39-cfaa-4635-9af1-0b7db619b5eb,
  abstract     = {{<p>In the present study the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of geyser in the cryogenic fuel transportation pipe of a liquid rocket is experimentally investigated using liquid nitrogen. The typical thermo-hydraulic appearances are characterized and analyzed in the geyser process to effectively recognize the occurrence of geyser in practical engineering. The effect of interfering factors such as heat flux, liquid level and tank ullage pressure on geyser are explored. Moreover, based on the new proposed dimensionless parameter of the maximum energy storage ability (Ae), the occurrence boundary of geyser is divided. It could be concluded from the results that a clear periodic pressure and temperature change accompanied by periodic plenty vapor ventilation could serve as an indication for geyser's occurrence, and the eruption of cryogenic geyser has a similar appearance as that in the geothermal field. It is found that a higher tank ullage pressure and liquid level could reduce the geyser's intensity, and a violent boiling will occur instead of geyser when the heat flux is extremely high. It is a feasible way to eliminate geyser in the cryogenic pipe by increasing the pressure inside the pipe via increasing the tank ullage pressure or liquid level in the tank. Moreover, it is found that a weak geyser would occur in LN<sub>2</sub> and LO<sub>2</sub> when Ae exceeds 2, and then as Ae being larger than 4, a strong geyser might occur with a noticeable pressure peak.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mao, Hongwei and Li, Yanzhong and Huang, Xiaoning and Li, Jian and Xie, Fushou and Sundén, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{1359-4311}},
  keywords     = {{Cryogenic pipe; Experimental study; Geyser; Liquid nitrogen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Applied Thermal Engineering}},
  title        = {{Experimental investigation on the thermo-hydraulic characteristics and occurrence boundary of geyser in a cryogenic pipe}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117172}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117172}},
  volume       = {{195}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}