A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed for the Saturn S-IVB liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank to simulate the 1966 AS-203 flight experiment. This significant experiment is the only known, adequately-instrumented, low-gravity, cryogenic selfpressurization test that is well suited for CFD model validation. A 4000-cell, axisymmetric model predicts motion of the LH2 surface including boil-off and thermal stratification in the liquid and gas phases. The model is based on a modified version of the commerciallyavailable FLOW3D software. During the experiment, heat enters the LH2 tank through the tank forward dome, side wall, aft dome, and common bulkhead. In both model and test the liquid and gases thermally stratify in the low-gravity natural convection environment. LH2 boils at the free surface which in turn increases the pressure within the tank during the 5360 second experiment. The Saturn S-IVB tank model is shown to accurately simulate the self pressurization and thermal stratification in the 1966 AS-203 test. The average predicted pressurization rate is within 4% of the pressure rise rate suggested by test data. Ullage temperature results are also in good agreement with the test where the model predicts an ullage temperature rise rate within 6% of the measured data. The model is based on first principles only and includes no adjustments to bring the predictions closer to the test data. Although quantitative model validation is achieved €or one specific case, a significant step is taken towards demonstrating general use of CFD for low-gravity cryogenic fluid modeling.
Nomenclature AX= smallest radial cell size, in PULL, END = end ullage pressure , psia Nx = numberofxcells t RUN = simulation run time, hrs NZ = number ofzcells TLQ ,END = end liquid temperature, R NTOT = total number of cells TULL ,END = end ullage temperature, R
A recently developed computational fluid dynamics modeling capability for cryogenic tanks is used to simulate both self-pressurization from external heating and also depressurization from thermodynamic vent operation. Axisymmetric models using a modified version of the commercially available FLOW-3D software are used to simulate actual physical tests. The models assume an incompressible liquid phase with density that is a function of temperature only. A fully compressible formulation is used for the ullage gas mixture that contains both condensable vapor and a noncondensable gas component. The tests, conducted at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, include both liquid hydrogen and nitrogen in tanks with ullage gas mixtures of each liquid's vapor and helium. Pressure and temperature predictions from the model are compared to sensor measurements from the tests and a good agreement is achieved. This further establishes the accuracy of the developed FLOW-3D based modeling approach for cryogenic systems. = gas constant for mixture, lbf-ft/slug-R = time, s = local temperature offiquid-gas interface, R = reference temperature point on saturation curve, R = local velocity of gas mixture, ft/s = latent heat of vaporization, lbf-ft/slug = specific heat ratio = density of gas mixture, slug/ft 3 = density ofnoncondensable gas, slug/ft 3 = density of vapor, shig/ft 3
Nomenclature
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