A coupled numerical analysis of shield temperatures, heat losses and residual gas pressures in an evacuated super-insulation using thermal and fluid networks - Part I: Stationary conditions

This paper describes numerical simulations, using thermal networks, of shield temperatures and radiative and conductive heat losses of a super-insulated cryogenic storage tank operating at 77 K. Interactions between radiation and conductive heat transfer modes in the shields are investigated, by calculation of local shield temperatures. As a new method, fluid networks arc introduced for calculation of stationary residual gas pressure distribution in the evacuated multilayer super-insulation. Output from the fluid network is coupled to the iterative thermal network calculations. Parameter tests concern thickness and emissivity of shields, degree of perforation, residual gas sources like desorption from radiation shields, spacers and container walls, and permeation from the inner container to the evacuated insulation space. Variations of either a conductive (thickness of Al-film on Mylar) or a radiative parameter (thermal emissivity) exert crosswise influences on the radiative or conductive heat losses of the tank, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.