액체수소 저장용기의 와류 구조 억제 및 증발률 저감을 위한 측벽 rib 설계

We performed numerical simulations on a C-type liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tank for commercial vehicles to reduce evaporation rates by manipulating vortical structures. Owing to external heat, natural convection occurs inside the tank, leading to the enhanced evaporation of LH2. We observed that the regions of high magnitude vorticity correlate with those of high evaporation rates. Specifically, vortical structures in the side section area show higher vorticity magnitude and evaporation rates compared to those in the midsection area. To suppress these vortical motions, we installed an array of ribs at intervals corresponding to the mean diameter of the vortical structures. As a result, the area occupied by vortical structures in the side section area decreased, leading to a reduction in evaporation speed by approximately 2.3 times. This study elucidates the internal evaporation mechanism in storage tanks from the perspective of flow structures and potentially contributes to minimizing the boil-off rate in cryogenic storage tanks.