Boil-off losses along LH2 pathway
Open accessAbstract
Losses along the LH2 pathway are intrinsic to the utilization of a cryogenic fluid. They occur when the molecule is transferred between 2 vessels (liquefaction plant to trailer, trailer to station storage, station storage to pump or compressor, then fuel cell electric vehicles …) and when the fluid is warmed up due to heat transfer with the environment. Those losses can be estimated with good accuracy using thermodynamic models based on conservation of mass and energy, providing the thermodynamic states are correctly described. Indeed, the fluid undergoes various changes as it moves along the entire pathway (2 phase transition, super-heated warming, non-uniform temperature distributions across the saturation film) and accurate equations of state and 2 phase behavior implementations are essential. The balances of mass and energy during the various dynamics processes then enable to quantify the boil-off losses. In this work, a MATLAB code previously developed by NASA to simulate rocket loading is used as the basis for the LH2 transfer model. This code implements complex physical phenomena such as the competition between condensation and evaporation and the convection vs. conduction heat transfer as a function of the relative temperatures on both sides of the saturated film. The original code was modified to consider real gas equations of state, and some semi-empirical relationships, such as between the heat of vaporization and the critical temperature, were also replaced by a R…
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It is crucial to ensure that recovery strategies are not overly expensive to maintain a positive OPEX, i.e., the energy used to recover the BOH should not exceed its own cost.
“However, it is crucial to ensure that the recovery strategies employed are not overly expensive to maintain a positive OPEX, i.e. , the energy used to recover the BOH should not exceed its own cost [69].”
From Strategies to recover and minimize boil-off losses during liquid hydrogen storage (2023) · cites this paper as [69]
Hydrogen can be liquefied by cooling to approximately 20 K at atmospheric pressure.
“To overcome this, hydrogen can be liquefied by cooling to approximately 20 K (-253 • C) at atmospheric pressure [5][6][7].”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
A high-fidelity, physically-based BOG model would allow developers to iterate through full-scale vessel layouts completely within the design space, enabling cost and time savings by better informing decisions on the overall development path and strategy.
“A high-fidelity, physically-based BOG model would allow developers to iterate through full-scale vessel layouts completely within the design space, enabling cost and time savings by better informing decisions on the overall development path and strategy [7].”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Petitpas used his model to empirically determine the dependence of heat transfer into the storage tank on the level of LH2 fill, with heat fluxes varying from approximately 2.2 W/m2 when nearly full, to 1.0 W/m2 when empty for a 12.5 m3 vertical storage tank.
“Petitpas used his model to empirically determine the dependence of heat transfer into the storage tank on the level of LH 2 fill, with heat fluxes varying from approximately 2.2 W/m 2 when nearly full, to 1.0 W/m 2 when empty for a 12.5 m 3 vertical storage tank.”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Boil-off from the storage tank during the transfer of LH2 from a supply trailer to the storage tank was found to be one of the most important sources of hydrogen loss.
“Boil-off from the storage tank during the transfer of LH 2 from a supply trailer to the storage tank was found to be one of the most important sources of hydrogen loss.”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
To our knowledge, the only model developed for BOG studies of LH2 is that reported by Petitpas, who modified a MATLAB code previously developed by NASA to estimate boiloff losses along the entire LH2 pathway, from liquefaction to dispensing.
“To our knowledge, the only model developed for BOG studies of LH 2 is that reported by Petitpas [7], who modified a MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA) code previously developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to estimate boiloff losses along the entire LH 2 pathway, from liquefaction to dispensing.”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Appreciable temperature gradients (thermal stratification) may exist within the fluid contained by the vessel.
“It was also shown that appreciable temperature gradients (thermal stratification) may exist within the fluid contained by the vessel.”
From Modelling of Liquid Hydrogen Boil-Off (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), L., Petitpas, G., & (NNSA), U. N. N. S. A.
- Affiliations
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Petitpas, Guillaume
- Published
- 2018-04-30
- OpenAlex
- W2888956053
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2
- Type
- report
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.osti.gov
- Locations
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE (AC52-07NA27344)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Phase Equilibria and Thermodynamics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Heat transfer and supercritical fluids
- Keywords
- liquid hydrogen, cryogenic propellant storage, liquid hydrogen pump, two-phase heat transfer, evaporation and condensation, real gas equation of state, REFPROP
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