Experimental Characterization of Heat and Mass Transfer in Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Cryogenic storage requires complex thermal management systems and advanced control strategies to minimize boil-off.However, these require a fundamental understanding of the underlying heat and mass transfer mechanisms to predict the system's thermodynamic evolution accurately.In this scope, this work presents the experimental characterization of heat and mass transfer in a cryogenic upright cylindrical reservoir.The experimental campaign is performed with liquid nitrogen under three main scenarios: (1) active pressurization, (2) post-pressurization relaxation, and (3) sloshing.The experimental setup consists of four fundamental components: a 'donor' tank filled with room-temperature nitrogen vapour, a 'receiver' tank partially filled with LN2, a pressurizing line connecting these two, and a bath cryostat.The setup is fully instrumented, including a series of thermo-diodes to measure the temperature distribution along the gas, liquid, and solid surfaces, fast-response pressure sensors, and a mass-flow controller to finely regulate the pressurization rates.Moreover, the 'receiver' tank is built from quartz, allowing for optical access during all stages of the experiment.Our findings demonstrate the impact of varying the pressurization rates on the liquid's temperature distribution and the subsequent pressure relaxation.Furthermore, we directly compare the disruptive impact of sloshing on the thermodynamic trajectory of the system by combining high-speed image acquisitions with pressure and temperature readings.