The LNG Flow Simulation in Stationary Conditions through a Pipeline with Various Types of Insulating Coating

Abstract

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one of the most promising fuels for energy supply because it has a favorable combination of environmental and economic properties in connection with new trends aimed at the development of ecological and sustainable consumption of natural resources, which ensure a constant growth in LNG consumption. The article presents an analytical review of the main technical solutions for the construction of cryogenic pipelines and insulating coating structures. The ANSYS Fluent software was used for simulation of the LNG flow in a pipeline section 10 m long with an outer diameter of 108 mm for three types of insulating coating (polyurethane (PU) foam, aerogel, and vacuum-insulated pipe (VIP)). In addition, an assessment was made of the insulating effect on the LNG temperature distribution along the length of the pipeline. The largest increase in temperature from 113 K to 113.61 K occurs in PU foam-insulated pipes; the smallest was observed in VIP. Further, as an alternative to steel, the use of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for pipeline material was considered. The optimal result in terms of temperature distributions was obtained while simulating the flow of an LNG pipeline with PU foam by increasing the thickness of the insulating coating to 0.05 m.

Peculiarities of cryogenic pipelines insulation selection at small scale liquefied natural gas production and consumption facilities

“…A typical design of a cryogenic pipeline is shown in Figure 1 [7]. The main functions of thermal insulation are: preservation of the transported product by reducing heat exchange with the environment and protection of personnel from low temperatures as a result of touching the surface of the pipeline.…”

Method for Assessing Damage to Gas Distribution Network Pipelines based on Nonlinear Guided Wave

“…The damage to the polyethylene pipeline will change the density and shape of polyethylene. The damage process of polyethylene pipeline can be simplified as density calculation, which can be calculated by universal theory function and modified density function (35)(36)(37). Suppose A: The mass of polyethylene per unit area is 𝑀 𝑡𝑜 , the mass obtained by the universal theory function is 𝑀 𝑎 (38), and the mass obtained by the modified density function is , then the calculation process of polyethylene pipeline damage is shown in Equation 1:…”

Fire Protection of Steel Structures of Oil and Gas Facilities: Multilayer, Removable, Non-Combustible Covers

“…For the oil and gas industry, fire protection for metal structures requires non-combustible thermal insulation materials that do not contain flammable polymers and that do not crack under load. Such combined materials, stitched with non-combustible threads and fasteners, can be used to protect shut-off equipment and various valves and critical sections of pipelines, as well as for the manufacture of covers for valves [38][39][40]. However, such solutions are not used practically for the protection of building structures.…”