Cryogenic fluids, storage

Answer by author Presumably this question relates to the low pressure liquid storage systems. Joule-Thomson expansion devices, supercritical cryogenic fluid storage systems and mechanical expansion systems are not affected by zero-gravity operation. 

Jetley, R.L., Scarlotti, R.D., 1987. Space station experiment definition long-term cryogenic fluid storage. NASA-CR-1987-4072. 

Panzarella, C., Kassetni, M., 2009. One-dimensional model of evaporation and condensation in the presence of a noncondensable gas with applications to cryogenic fluid storage. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 52, 3767-3777. 

Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals Recommended Practice on Materials, Equipment and Systems Used in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres Standard for the Storage, Use, and Handling of Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids in Portable and Stationary Containers, Cylinders, and Tanks Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code... 

Scurlock, R. (2006) Low-Loss Storage and Handling of Cryogenic Liquids The Application of Cryogenic Fluid Dynamics, Kryos Publications, Southampton, UK, ISBN 9780955216605. 

Overview. This section deals with the transient heating or cooling of a fluid in an enclosure, such as a tank. Applications include storage of cryogenic fluids and transients in startup or shutdown of operating systems. Literature reviews by Clark [59] and Hess and Miller [135] are available. 

Most of the cryogenic fluids are now available commercially in many parts of the world. These are shipped and stored in special insulated containers from which they are either used directly or are transferred to portable dewars and used as required. However, liquid helium and some of the reactive fluids are ordinarily produced in laboratory liquefiers as they are needed. For simplicity, laboratory experiments may be conducted with these fluids directly in the liquefier storage vessel, although provisions are usually made for the withdrawal of the liquid through an evacuated transfer tube. 

Large vessels for the storage of cryogenic fluids are field-erected, rather than assembled in a factory, because it is difficult to ship parts much larger than 12 ft in diameter. It is impractical to insulate these field-erected tanks with high-efficiency multilayer insulations by conventional methods, so a new technique has been devised to apply superinsulations to vessels which cannot be moved or rotated. 

To enable a successfiil liquids business, technologies for the safe transportation, stationary storage, and evaporation of cryogenic fluids also were required. These, in turn, required improved insulation and an engineering knowledge of materials properties at cryogenic temperatures. Union Carbide s Linde division hired Leo Dana (1896-1990) of the University of Leyden (36) to develop solutions to these problems. 

Storage of cryogenic fluids is usually in a well insnlated container designed to minimize loss of product due to boil-off. 

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