The trans-critical heat transfer characteristics of LNG in a submerged combustion vaporizer under different operating pressures

It has been reported that trans-critical LNG vaporization process always occurs on the tube-side of typical submerged combustion vaporizer (SCV). In-depth analysis of this complex physical process is crucial for the stable operation of efficient SCV. In the present paper, a three-dimensional CFD numerical model was developed to analyze the flow and heat transfer characteristics of trans-critical LNG in the horizontal tube. Based on the numerical simulation results, the velocity, temperature and heat flux along the tube length were obtained. The distributions of local heat transfer coefficients under different operating pressures were also analyzed. The calculated results displayed that the representative phenomenon of “flow acceleration” occurs inside the horizontal serpentine tube. Affected by the variation of the physical properties, the heat transfer coefficient under the lower operating pressure was higher around pseudo-critical region, but decreased lower in the later field. Totally, the higher operating pressure may bring faster temperature rising and lower energy expenditure to reach the similar outlet temperature.