Low-Loss Storage and Handling of Cryogenic Liquids: The Application of Cryogenic Fluid Dynamics

188 Pages·2019·3.864 MB·English

by  Thomas D. Bostock, Ralph G. Scurlock

International Cryogenics Monograph Series
Series Editors: J. G. Weisend II · Sangkwon Jeong
Thomas D. Bostock
Ralph G. Scurlock
Low-Loss Storage
and Handling of
Cryogenic Liquids
The Application of Cryogenic Fluid
Dynamics
Second Edition
International Cryogenics Monograph Series
Series Editors
J. G. Weisend II, European Spallation Source, Lund, Sweden
Sangkwon Jeong, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon,
Korea (Republic of)
TheInternationalCryogenicsMonographSerieswasestablishedintheearly1960s
to present an opportunity for active researchers in various areas associated with
cryogenic engineering to cover their area of expertise by thoroughly covering its
past development and its present status. These high level reviews assist young
researchers to initiate research programs of their own in these key areas of
cryogenic engineering without an extensive search of literature.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/6086
Thomas D. Bostock Ralph G. Scurlock
(cid:129)
Low-Loss Storage
and Handling of Cryogenic
Liquids
The Application of Cryogenic Fluid Dynamics
Second Edition
123
ThomasD.Bostock RalphG.Scurlock
Southampton, UK University of Southampton
Southampton, UK
ISSN 0538-7051 ISSN 2199-3084 (electronic)
International Cryogenics MonographSeries
ISBN978-3-030-10640-9 ISBN978-3-030-10641-6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10641-6
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2019935828
1stedition:©KryosPublications2006
2ndedition:©SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2019
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Dedicated to Maureen
Preface to the Second Edition
Sincethefirsteditionwaspublishedin2006,thebreadthofcryogenicapplications
and the modelling of cryogenic fluid dynamics or CFD have expanded in several
directions.
Inthissecondedition,wehaveextendedmostchapterstointroducediscussions
of these new applications and their safety and energy economy. These include
advances in the modelling of CFD required in, for example,
(1) Theachievementofcooldownandeventualcondensationofaworkingfluidor
productwithminimumenergyandentropyproductionandminimalenergyloss
in the design of miniature cryocoolers and condenser/ reboilers.
(2) Gaining a better understanding of large-scale cryogenic liquid mixture prop-
erties and their stability in the face of strong convective behaviour in storage
and handling.
(3) And understanding that hazards and safety problems in the public domain
increase in magnitude as scales of operation of cryogenic systems increase in
size.
Southampton, UK Thomas D. Bostock
2018 Ralph G. Scurlock
vii
Preface to the First Edition
Itishardtoimaginetodayhowdifficultitwasin1954tousecryogenicliquidsfor
low-temperature research. Liquid helium was made in miniature liquefiers incor-
poratedintoindividualresearchcryostats.Eachcryostatrequiredbothliquidair(no
liquid nitrogen in 1954), supplied by the British Oxygen Company, and liquid
hydrogenwhichwasproducedthreetimesaweekinthelaboratorycentralliquefier.
Onliquefactiondays,liquidhydrogenwasnotavailableuntilmiddayandthenonly
by ballot to determine a position and allocation time in the day’s queue. If too far
downthelist,itmeantnoliquidhydrogenthatday,butahigh-prioritypositionfor
the next liquefaction day. Once you had your liquid hydrogen, you could start to
make your personal supply of liquid helium.
This operation took several hours, yielding perhaps 100 or 200 ml of precious
liquid helium for the research “run”. The time might then be late evening, but
experimental work went on through the night on the run.
The Clarendon Laboratory, at Oxford University, then built a small central
helium liquefier—and research life started to change for those fortunate enough to
beabletouse“freeliquidhelium”.Notforushowever—untiltheliquidhydrogen
cooled cryostat blew up.
Acryostatusing “free liquid helium”was to bebuiltas areplacement,buthow
to design such a replacement was a mystery—there were no textbooks on cryo-
genics in 1956. Scott’s “Cryogenic Engineering” was the first to be published, in
1959 (with 6 reprints by 1967), since when there have been other publications.
The beginnings of our ventures into cryogenics began from that early “free
helium cryostat” which was needed urgently for nuclear orientation research on
parity non-conservation using low-temperature particle counters.
“Low-Loss Storage and Handling of Cryogenic Liquids: The Application of
Cryogenic Fluid Dynamics” is a text which brings together the fundamentals of
what we have learned over some 60 years about cryogenic liquids and their
sometimesextraordinarybehaviour.Duringthistime,wehavecometounderstand
howtostoreandhandle cryogenicliquidswith growing confidenceandefficiency,
tothepointtodaywhere100hourand100daycontainmenttimesarethenorm,and
1000daysarepracticable,withinanenormousrangeofapplications.Thiscompares
ix
x PrefacetotheFirstEdition
withthe3hoursavailablefor“runs”60yearsago,atimewhenthethoughtofany
application of cryogenics seemed totally impracticable.
Our early lectures on storage and handling cryogenic liquids were continually
modified by the sustained thread of research work our M.Sc. and Ph.D. students
carried out on cryogenic liquids, with the continuous financial support of the
Science and Engineering Research Council. Our research findings have been
publishedovertheyearsinsome180papersscatteredthroughoutvariouscryogenic
journals, conference proceedings and text books.
This text therefore brings together these findings under the general subject
heading of cryogenic fluid dynamics and thereby aims to provide a basis for
developing low-loss cryogenic systems today, operating at minimum cost. A great
deal of the material is Southampton University based as the major, if not only, a
source of research findings on cryogenic fluid dynamics. We have therefore used
materialfromM.Sc.andPh.D.thesesofmanyofourstudents,asthemainsources
of information, data and proofs of concept, within the text.
Southampton, UK Ralph G. Scurlock
2006
Acknowledgements
My grateful acknowledgements include, in particular, the following Ph.D. research
students in chronological order: P. Lynam, A. Mustafa, M. Wray, W. Proctor,
J. Boardman, D. Richards, G. Beresford, O. San Roman, A. Tchikou, R. Rebiai, M.
Atkinson-Barr,Y.Y.Wu,S.Mirza,M.F.Wu,T.Agbabi,S.Yun,J.ShiandA.Thomas.
WearegreatlyindebtedtotheteachingstaffandresearchfellowsoftheInstituteof
Cryogenics, University of Southampton, Prof. C. Beduz, Prof. J. P. H. Watson,
Dr.K.Kellner,Dr. I. P.Morton,Dr.N.Richardson,Prof. Y.Yang, Dr.M.S. Islam,
Dr.M.G.Rao,Dr.D.Utton,Dr.A.C.R.Tavener,Dr.R.WebbandDr.M.J.Burton.
We arealso much indebted tomany University Staff who contributed toorcol-
laboratedwiththedevelopmentofcryogenicfluiddynamicsanditsmanyfascinating
applications,therebybroadeningeachother’scryogenicresearchandtrainingactiv-
ities,including,Prof.G.LilleyandProf.M.Goodyer,DepartmentofAeronauticsand
Astronautics (cryogenic wind tunnels, space applications); Prof. P. Hammond,
Dr. R. Stoll and Dr. B. Weedy, Department of Electrical Engineering (supercon-
ductingcables,transformers,rotatingmachinesandhighcurrentleads):Prof.R.Bell,
Prof.R.Farrar,Prof.S.Hutton,Dr.D.A.WigleyandMr.R.J.Bowen,Departmentof
MechanicalEngineering(low-temperaturematerialsandinsulations,pipefreezing);
Prof. A. Gambling and Prof. H. Kemadjian, Department of Electronics (cold elec-
tronicswith0.01%precisionusingmultichannel16-bitA/DCMOSconverters);Prof.
J.Fraser,DepartmentofSurgery(cryosurgerytechniquesandequipment);Prof.G.A.
HillsandDr.A.J.Rest,DepartmentofChemistry(low-temperature chemistryand
FTIRspectroscopy);Dr.R.E.Craine,DepartmentofMathematics(CFDmodellingof
convective mixing and rollover); Capt. G. Angas, School of Navigation, Warsash
(handlingproblemswithLNGandLPGseatankercargoes).
Finally, I am extremely grateful to my wife Maureen for typing and correcting
the many drafts of this text and to Phil Cook for preparing all the figures.
Southampton, UK Thomas D. Bostock
2018 Ralph G. Scurlock
xi