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.