Cryogenic tank - a stationary or transportable vessel designed for storage, transportation and delivery to the end consumer of liquefied technical gas (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen).
Natural gas is liquefied in refrigeration units and cryogenic cycles in gas liquefaction plants by cooling to a temperature of 161.5 degrees Celsius.
Storage of cryogenic liquid is ensured by maintaining the temperature regime in the insulating medium.
The issuance, storage and transportation of liquefied technical gas are carried out using special cryogenic equipment.
The advantage of cryogenic reservation is to reduce the volume of the substance. So, in a liquefied state, natural gas occupies a volume 600 times smaller than in a natural gaseous state.
Cryogenic tanks: design features
The LNG cryogenic reservoir is an enclosed double structure - the so-called vessel in a vessel - with an insulating vacuum space between the vessels. The following types of thermal insulation in a vessel are distinguished - screen-vacuum, high-vacuum and powder-vacuum.
The cryogenic tank maintains a wide range of operating pressures. In the manufacture of high quality materials. The inner tank is made of stainless steel. External - from aluminum.
To ensure the supply and filling of cryogenic products, the tank is equipped with nozzles.
The cryogenic equipment complex also includes valves with a safety valve, a heat exchanger, measuring instruments and control systems, and piping.
Depending on the purpose, the cryogenic structure can be both stationary and transportable. Transported structures can be designed both in a frame solution and without it.
Types of cryogenic reservoirs
Cryogenic tanks are available in three structural solutions - vertical cylindrical, horizontal cylindrical and spherical. Cylindrical tanks are available in a maximum volume of up to 250 cubic meters. Spherical cryogenic reservoirs can reach a volume of 1440 cubic meters. A cylindrical cryogenic tank is used for storage and consumption of liquefied natural gas, and is distinguished by high factory readiness.
Spherical cryogenic tanks are also used to store liquefied natural gas, but are very expensive and time-consuming to operate. All spherical cryogenic reservoirs are assembled in situ from spherical elements - petals, domes and bottoms manufactured in the factory.
The advantage of spherical tanks over cylindrical ones is in a potentially larger volume of stored gas and the smallest surface area susceptible to corrosion and contact with the stored substance.
Cryogenic liquid oxygen storage tank
The internal liquid oxygen storage tank is made of cold-resistant steel grades. The outer vessel is made of carbon steel. If necessary, the design is completed with a pipeline, atmospheric evaporators and related equipment.
Typically, a cryogenic tank for storing liquid oxygen is performed in a horizontal solution to reduce man-made risks.
In these tanks, the most effective screen-vacuum insulation is used, which minimizes the loss of cryogenic products during storage.
Cryogenic liquid nitrogen tank
Storage tanks for liquid nitrogen are made in a standard solution: the inner cylinder is made of stainless steel. The supercharger is made of aluminum. Each design is equipped with safety valves and pressure gauges to control pressure.
The cryogenic reservoir can be equipped with control and measuring equipment and devices for mounting on the foundation.
Cryogenic tanks: applications
Cryogenic tanks are used in the heat and power, oil and gas industries for the reception, storage and delivery of liquefied industrial gases - oxygen, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, liquefied natural gas, argon, carbon dioxide.
The cryogenic reservoir is used in oil and gas production, engineering, medicine, aviation, and the heat and power industry.
Cryogenic liquids are highly toxic - increased safety requirements are imposed on their storage.
Cryogenic tanks are the best solution for transporting liquefied natural gas. Natural gas is transformed into LNG by cooling at gas liquefaction plants in the gas production area. It is stored and transported in cryogenic tanks, which are equipped with special equipment - gas carriers and special vehicles.
Transporting gas in a liquefied state compared to a pipeline is a more profitable solution from an economic point of view, if the distance exceeds several thousand kilometers.