A cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container

Abstract

The present invention provides a cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container to solve the problems such as easy occurrence of temperature stratification phenomenon and large gasification loss when the existing storage and transportation containers store and transport cryogenic liquids. The container includes: a tank body, the tank body includes an inner shell and an outer shell; a plurality of heat conducting members, which are arranged in the inner shell at intervals; wherein, the heat conducting members are made of a metal heat conducting material and are connected to the inner wall of the inner shell. The temperature distribution of the cryogenic liquid stored and transported in the container is uniform, the evaporation loss is small, the use performance of the container is good, and the safety is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of storage and transportation equipment for cryogenic liquids, and particularly relates to a cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container. Background Art

[0002] A large amount of energy is consumed during the liquefaction process of cryogenic liquids such as liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, and liquid oxygen. Reducing their gasification losses during storage and transportation plays an important role and significance. Taking liquid hydrogen as an example, hydrogen energy is an important carrier for building a diversified energy supply system dominated by clean energy. With the rapid development of hydrogen energy applications in China, fields such as hydrogen production, hydrogen liquefaction, hydrogen storage, hydrogen transportation, and hydrogen utilization will all develop rapidly and deeply. The liquefaction of hydrogen consumes a large amount of energy, and reducing the gasification loss of liquid hydrogen during hydrogen storage and transportation has a positive promoting effect on the development of hydrogen energy.

[0003] Whether it is a cryogenic container with powder insulation or a cryogenic container with multi-layer insulation, part of the heat transferred from the external environment to the outer tank will still be introduced into the inner surface of the inner tank through heat conduction, convection, and radiation, causing the cryogenic liquid (such as liquid hydrogen) to heat up and gasify. The heating and gasification of liquid hydrogen easily cause temperature stratification, which further increases evaporation loss, affects the output quality of liquid hydrogen, and even causes the sudden evaporation of liquid hydrogen under the Marangoni effect, deteriorating the service performance of the storage tank, forming a sharp rise in the gas cushion pressure, and posing a safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aiming at the temperature stratification phenomenon existing in the storage and transportation of cryogenic liquids by existing cryogenic containers, the present invention provides a cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container in which the temperature of the cryogenic liquid stored and transported is evenly distributed, the evaporation loss is small, the service performance of the container is good, and the safety is high.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container, comprising:

[0007] A tank body, the tank body comprising an inner shell and an outer shell;

[0008] A plurality of heat conducting members, spaced apart and arranged inside the inner shell;

[0009] Wherein, the heat conducting member is made of a metal heat conducting material and is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the heat conducting member includes a plurality of ribs evenly distributed in the circumferential direction, one end of each rib is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell, and the other end extends towards the middle region of the inner shell.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, the heat conducting member is a grid structure formed by a plurality of ribs connected to each other, and the outer edge of the grid structure is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, a pressurization port is provided on the upper portion of the tank body, and the pressurization port is connected to a pressurization conduit. The pressurization conduit is located in the tank body and extends downward along the central axis of the tank body.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the heat conducting member is connected to the outer wall of the boosting conduit.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present application, the ribs of the heat conducting member are formed of a profile having an I-shaped cross section.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present application, the heat conducting member is made of aluminum, copper or stainless steel.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, a temperature sensor is installed on the heat conducting member.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, a vacuum layer is formed between the inner shell and the outer shell, and multiple layers of vacuum insulation blankets are arranged in the vacuum layer, and the multiple layers of vacuum insulation blankets are covered on the outer wall surface of the inner shell.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, the tank body is any one of a vertical storage tank, a horizontal storage tank or a vehicle storage tank.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The low-temperature liquid storage and transportation container of the present invention has a tank body divided into an inner shell and an outer shell, which has a heat insulation effect; heat-conducting parts are evenly arranged in the inner shell, and the heat-conducting parts are connected to the inner wall of the inner shell, so that the heat leaking into the inner wall of the inner shell can be evenly dispersed and conducted to the inside of the low-temperature liquid, so that the overall temperature distribution of the filled low-temperature liquid is uniform, and there will be no temperature stratification phenomenon and the formation of hot liquid layer, reducing the vaporization loss of the low-temperature liquid, ensuring the output quality of the low-temperature liquid product, and avoiding the rapid increase of the gas pressure in the tank due to the Managni effect, causing safety accidents. That is, the temperature distribution of the low-temperature liquid stored and transported by the storage and transportation container of the present invention is uniform, the evaporation loss is small, the container has good performance and high safety.

[0021] 2. A boost duct is set up, and the heat conductor is connected to the boost duct. During boosting, the heat brought in by the external boost gas can be evenly distributed to the cryogenic liquid layers at different positions, ensuring that the temperature of each part of the cryogenic liquid is the same and avoiding temperature stratification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall sectional structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the sectional structure in the A-A direction of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the sectional structure in the B-B direction of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 1 It is an enlarged schematic diagram of part C of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the heat conducting member structure of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Reference numerals:

[0029] 1. Outer housing; 11. Liquid inlet and outlet; 12. Venting port; 13. Boosting port; 131. Boosting conduit; 2. Inner housing; 21. Multi-layer vacuum insulation blanket; 3. Heat conducting member; 31. Ribs; 32. Temperature sensor. Detailed implementation manners

[0030] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are simply described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the products of the present invention are usually placed during use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0033] As Figure 1 shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container, which can be used to store and transport cryogenic liquids such as liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, and liquid oxygen. It includes a tank body and a plurality of heat conduction members 3 arranged inside the tank body.

[0034] The tank body includes an inner shell 2 and an outer shell 1 sleeved outside the inner shell 2. Between the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 1 is a sealed vacuum layer, which has the function of heat insulation and can effectively reduce the evaporation loss of the cryogenic liquid in the tank body, ensuring the normal storage and transportation of the cryogenic liquid.

[0035] The heat conduction members 3 are located inside the inner shell 2 and are connected to the inner wall of the inner shell 2 for heat transfer. The heat conduction members 3 can be made of highly heat-conductive metal materials such as aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. There are a plurality of heat conduction members 3, which are evenly spaced inside the inner shell 2 and are tightly connected to the inner wall of the inner shell 2. They can conduct the heat on the inner wall of the inner shell 2 to the internal cavity area of the inner shell 2, contact the filled cryogenic liquid, and evenly conduct the heat on the inner wall of the inner shell 2 to the cryogenic liquid, avoiding uneven temperature distribution of the cryogenic liquid in the tank body, causing temperature stratification, and affecting the output quality of the cryogenic liquid and the safe use performance of the storage and transportation container.

[0036] The structure of the heat conduction members 3 can have various forms, and its function is to quickly conduct the heat on the inner wall of the inner shell 2 to the inside of the stored cryogenic liquid, making the temperature distribution of the cryogenic liquid more uniform.

[0037] In one embodiment, the multi-layer heat conducting member 3 is uniformly distributed inside the tank; each layer of the heat conducting member 3 includes a plurality of ribs 31, and the multiple ribs 31 are uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction. One end of each rib 31 is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell 2, and the other end extends towards the central region of the inner shell 2. The heat on the inner wall of the inner shell 2 can be timely and uniformly conducted to the internal region of the tank to exchange heat with the stored cryogenic liquid, making the temperature distribution of each part of the cryogenic liquid more uniform and avoiding the phenomenon of temperature stratification.

[0038] In another embodiment, the multi-layer heat conducting member 3 is uniformly distributed along the height direction of the tank; the multi-layer heat conducting member 3 is a grid-like structure formed by the crosswise connection of multiple ribs 31, and the outer edge of the grid-like structure of the heat conducting member 3 is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell 2 for heat conduction. The heat on the inner wall of the inner shell 2 can be timely and uniformly conducted to the internal region of the tank to exchange heat with the stored cryogenic liquid, making the temperature distribution of each part of the cryogenic liquid more uniform and avoiding the phenomenon of temperature stratification.

[0039] The tank can be any one of a vertical storage tank, a horizontal storage tank, a vehicle-mounted storage tank, etc.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown in one embodiment, the tank is a vertical storage tank, with lifting lugs provided outside for lifting, and legs provided at the bottom for placing and fixing the tank. The lower part of the tank is provided with an inlet / outlet 11, and the upper part is provided with a vent 12 and a pressurizing port 13.

[0041] When filling the cryogenic liquid, an external infusion pipe is connected to the drain port 2, and the cryogenic liquid (such as liquid hydrogen) enters the tank through the lower inlet / outlet 11. The evaporated gas (such as hydrogen) is discharged through the upper vent 12. A pressure relief device is installed on the vent 12. When the pressure in the tank exceeds the preset value, the gas is automatically discharged for pressure relief, and when the pressure is less than the preset value, the vent 12 automatically closes.

[0042] When the cryogenic liquid is transported out, an external infusion pipe is connected to the inlet / outlet 11. Under high liquid level, the cryogenic liquid can be directly discharged by gravity; when the liquid level is low or a higher discharge pressure is required, pressurized gas (such as hydrogen) can be introduced into the tank through the pressurizing port 13, thereby increasing the pressure in the tank and accelerating the discharge of the cryogenic liquid.

[0043] The pressurizing port 13 is connected with a pressurizing conduit 131 inside the tank. The pressurizing conduit 131 is located on the central axis of the tank and extends downward along the central axis to the lower part of the tank, which can guide the introduced pressurized gas to the lower part of the tank, avoiding the direct stay of hot gas at the top of the liquid and causing a local hot liquid layer.

[0044] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in a further embodiment, the heat conducting member 3 has a radial structure, and its ribs 31 are evenly distributed circumferentially. One end of each rib 31 is connected to the inner wall of the inner housing 2, and the other end extends towards the middle and is connected to the outer wall of the pressure increasing conduit 131. The heat on the inner wall of the inner housing 2 and the heat carried by the pressure increasing gas when the pressure increasing conduit 131 introduces the pressure increasing gas can be timely and evenly conducted to the inner area of the tank body to exchange heat with the cryogenic liquid in storage and transportation, making the temperature distribution of each part of the cryogenic liquid more uniform and avoiding the phenomenon of temperature stratification.

[0045] As Figure 5 shown, in another further embodiment, some of the ribs 31 in the heat conducting member 3 having a grid-like structure are also connected to the outer wall of the pressure increasing conduit 131 for heat transfer. That is, the heat conducting member 3 connects the inner wall of the inner housing 2 and the outer wall of the pressure increasing conduit 131 in the middle. It realizes the timely and even conduction of the heat on the inner wall of the inner housing 2 and the heat carried by the pressure increasing gas when the pressure increasing conduit 131 introduces the pressure increasing gas to the inner area of the tank body to exchange heat with the cryogenic liquid in storage and transportation, making the temperature distribution of each part of the cryogenic liquid more uniform and avoiding the phenomenon of temperature stratification.

[0046] As Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, in an embodiment, the ribs 31 of the heat conducting member are composed of profiles with an I-shaped cross-section. And the ribs 31 of the heat conducting member 3 are made of metal materials with good heat conductivity such as aluminum, copper or stainless steel. The metal profile with an I-shaped structure has a large surface area and excellent heat conductivity, and can timely introduce the heat on the inner wall of the inner housing 2 into the cryogenic liquid in storage and transportation and disperse it, making the temperature distribution in the cryogenic liquid uniform.

[0047] As Figure 1 and Figure 4 described, a plurality of temperature sensors 32 are installed on the heat conducting members 3 at different positions. The temperature sensors 32 can be platinum resistance temperature sensors, which are used to detect the temperature of the cryogenic liquid at various places to better judge whether the cryogenic liquid stored in the tank body shows the phenomenon of temperature stratification, so as to take corresponding measures to increase the safety during storage and transportation.

[0048] As Figures 1 to 2 、 Figures 4 to 5 shown, between the inner housing 2 and the outer housing 1 of the tank body is a vacuum layer, and a multi-layer vacuum insulation blanket 21 is provided in this vacuum layer, and the multi-layer vacuum insulation blanket 21 covers the outside of the inner housing 2. The multi-layer vacuum insulation blanket 21 can be made of materials such as silica and glass fiber, and has the function of heat insulation and heat preservation, reducing heat transfer, preventing the cryogenic liquid in the tank body from vaporizing and evaporating, and ensuring the normal storage and transportation of the cryogenic liquid.

[0049] The tank body can be designed as a vertical storage tank, a horizontal storage tank or a vehicle-mounted storage tank according to actual needs, with a wide application range and strong applicability.

[0050] The interior of the traditional storage and transportation container is a hollow structure. The liquid that is heated and vaporized is mainly the liquid near the inner wall of the inner shell, and the amount of vaporization is relatively large. Since the latent heat of cryogenic liquids such as liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, and liquid oxygen is small, the gas generated by the temperature rise of the solution near the inner wall of the inner shell will move upward along the inner wall of the inner shell under the action of buoyancy. The temperature of the liquid in the central area of the tank body remains basically unchanged, resulting in a temperature gradient in the height direction of the tank body, that is, the temperature stratification phenomenon. The occurrence of the temperature stratification phenomenon will cause a hot liquid layer to form on the upper layer of the cryogenic liquid in the tank, increasing the evaporation loss and affecting the output quality of the cryogenic liquid product and the service performance of the storage and transportation container. Even under the Marangoni effect, the sudden evaporation of the cryogenic liquid occurs, causing the gas pressure in the container to rise sharply and triggering a safety accident.

[0051] As can be seen from the above, for the cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container of the present invention, the tank body is provided with an inner shell 2, an outer shell 1, and a multi-layer vacuum heat insulation blanket 21, and the heat insulation effect is good, which can reduce the vaporization loss; heat conduction members 3 are evenly arranged at intervals inside the inner shell 2, and the heat conduction members 3 are connected to the inner wall of the inner shell 2, and the heat leaking into the inner wall of the inner shell 2 is evenly dispersed and conducted to the inside of the cryogenic liquid, so that the overall temperature distribution of the filled cryogenic liquid is uniform, and the temperature stratification phenomenon and the hot liquid layer will not occur, effectively reducing the vaporization loss of the cryogenic liquid, ensuring the output quality of the cryogenic liquid product, and avoiding the sharp rise of the air pressure in the tank caused by the Marangoni effect and triggering a safety accident. That is, the cryogenic liquid stored and transported by the storage and transportation container of the present invention has a uniform temperature distribution, less evaporation loss, good service performance of the container, and high safety.

Claims

1. A cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container, characterized in that, Comprising: A tank body, the tank body including an inner shell (2) and an outer shell (1), with a vacuum layer between the inner shell (2) and the outer shell (1); A plurality of heat conducting members (3), spaced and arranged inside the inner shell (2); Wherein, the heat conducting member (3) is made of a metal heat conducting material, is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell (2), and can conduct the heat on the inner wall of the inner shell (2) to the inner cavity area of the inner shell (2); The heat conducting member (3) includes a plurality of rib strips (31) evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the tank body, one end of each rib strip (31) being connected to the inner wall of the inner shell (2), and the other end extending towards the middle area of the inner shell (2); or, the heat conducting member (3) is a grid-like structure formed by connecting a plurality of rib strips (31), and the outer edge of the grid-like structure is connected to the inner wall of the inner shell (2); The rib strips (31) of the heat conducting member (3) are composed of profiles with an I-shaped cross-section; A pressurizing port (13) is provided at the upper part of the tank body, the pressurizing port (13) is connected with a pressurizing conduit (131), the pressurizing conduit (131) is located inside the tank body and extends downward along the central axis of the tank body to the lower part inside the tank; The heat conducting member (3) is connected to the outer wall of the pressurizing conduit (131), and a plurality of heat conducting members are spaced along the length direction of the pressurizing conduit.

2. The cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container according to claim 1, wherein, The heat conducting member (3) is made of aluminum, copper or stainless steel material.

3. The cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container according to claim 1, characterized in that A temperature sensor (32) is installed on the heat conducting member (3).

4. The cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container according to claim 1, wherein A plurality of layers of vacuum heat insulation quilts (21) are provided inside the vacuum layer, and the plurality of layers of vacuum heat insulation quilts (21) cover the outer wall surface of the inner shell (2).

5. The cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The tank body is a vertical storage tank.

6. The cryogenic liquid storage and transportation container according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The tank body is a vehicle-mounted storage tank.

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