NUMERICAL MODELLING OF CARBON
DIOXIDE DESUBLIMATION IN CRYOGENIC
ENERGY STORAGE TANKS
1st researchers’ seminar
Hannu Karjunen
VTT/LUT/Fortum Foundation
Background
• Increasing share of intermittent wind and solar energy
demand for energy storage concepts
• Large scale energy storage is not economically optimal by
using e.g. battery technology
• P2G-G2P solutions offer a relatively cheap energy storage
option in large scale seasonal storage due to a better
power-to-cost ratio
2 10.2.2016 Tekijän nimi
Background
Integrated storage concept
3 10.2.2016 Tekijän nimi
Background
key points and benefits
• Flue gases from oxy-fuel combustion of methane/natural
gas are mainly carbon dioxide and water
• Combined storage of LNG & CO2
Refrigeration process integration
“Zero-CO2-emissions”
• Seasonal operation
• Economy of scale
• Mature LNG technology
4 10.2.2016
Background
Boil off gas (BOG) and rollover
5 10.2.2016
Objectives & Methodology
10.2.2
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Thesis objectives
• Investigation of the flow patterns that would arise from the
feeding of CO2 into the tank
Boil-off-gas generation model
Stratification and rollover
• Sensitivity analysis for the inlet parameters (mass flow
variation, feeding technique)
• Identification of the major technical difficulties and further
research points based on simulations and calculations
• Literature review on P2G-G2P and energy storage
7 10.2.2016
Methodology
CFD modelling using ANSYS FLUENT
2D axisymmetric model
Eulerian multiphase model:
• Methane gas phase
• Methane liquid phase
User defined functions (UDF) for boil
off gas (BOG) evaporation,
CO2 desublimation modelled only as an
energy and momentum source term,
not as a physical substance
8 10.2.2016
Preliminary results
10.2.2
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Preliminary results
Flow patterns
• Preliminary results
indicate a potent
natural convection flow
upward near the CO2
inlet
• Alternatively the flow
could reach tank floor
and swirl towards tank
walls
10 10.2.2016
Preliminary results
• In-detail analysis of the feed-in process required for further
modelling
How does the density difference of solid and gaseous CO2 affect
the liquid/process?
How rapid and constrained the phase transformation is?
Flue gas could be a multiphase flow
Scientific literature on direct contact desublimation with a
cryogenic liquid is limited experimental data may be required
for model validation and development
11 10.2.2016
Velocity
Tank “middle” section and inlet pipe vicinity
12 10.2.2016
Preliminary results
Stratification
• Stratification and rollover in a conventional LNG tank occur in a
timescale of hours, days and even weeks - CO2 feed-in process is
rapid and causes radical changes within minutes
• Compared to a feed-in process of a new batch of LNG the
temperature differences are larger natural mixing is more
effective
• LNG tanks have built-in measures to detect and prevent
stratification Stratification not a likely problem, although BOG
might be
• Long time period simulation with CFD simulations is
computationally expensive if tank is in turbulent state
13 10.2.2016
Preliminary results
Boil-off gas (BOG)
A simple BOG model implemented in calculations
– simulations and validation still unfinished
Energy balance investigation implies that CO2
feeding considerably increases BOG generation
rate
Amount of CO2 brought into the tank needs to be limited
Alternatively excess BOG could be re-liquefied or injected
into a natural gas grid
Real performance values of LNG tank boil-off rate limits
required
14 10.2.2016
NEO-CARBON ENERGY project is one of the Tekes’ strategic research openings.
The project is carried out in cooperation between VTT, Lappeenranta University of Technology and
University of Turku / Futures Research Centre.
