Study on the heat transfer of high-vacuum-multilayer-insulation tank after sudden, catastrophic loss of insulating vacuum

One of the worst accidents that may occur in a high-vacuum-multilayer-insulation (HVMLI) cryogenic tank is a sudden, catastrophic loss of insulating vacuum (SCLIV). There is no doubt that the gases leaking into the insulation jacket have some influence on the heat transfer process of it. However, this issue has not been thoroughly studied so far. In this paper, a test rig was built up and experiments were conducted using a SCLIV cryogenic tank and with nitrogen, helium and air as the working medium, respectively. The venting rates of the tank and temperature in the insulation jacket were measured respectively after the three different gases leaking into the jacket. A heat transfer model describing the heat transfer process of a SCLIV tank was also presented. The calculated results using this model were compared against the experimental data. It is found that the heat transfer performance of the HVMLI cryogenic tank after SCLIV is strong relevant to the type of gas leaking into the insulation jacket.