Numerical study of the dynamic pressurization in a cryogenic storage tank.

In this paper, the dynamic pressure-rise characteristics of space cryogenic tanks under microgravity have been studied. The systematic thermodynamic model for solving the problem of evaporation phase transition has been built. The effects of various factors such as the tank size and vapor location are discussed in details. Results show that the tank size determines the intensity of natural-convective heat transfer and then affects the heat distribution inside the tank. For small-size tanks, pressure-rise rate is larger when the vapor region is located in the center of the tank, while for large-size tanks, when the vapor region is located in the top area, pressure inside the tank rises faster. Achievements of this research can provide the theoretical basis for future space storage technologies of cryogenic fluid management.