A model is established to investigate the temperature field distribution of a mounded liquid ethylene storage tank system under long-term placement. The effects of external environment, number of storage tanks, tank spacing, and thickness of the cold insulation structure on the temperature field distribution are analyzed. Reference for the design of heat tracing devices in such tank systems is provided.

Abstract

A model including the tank body and the external environment is developed to investigate the temperature field of a mounded liquid ethylene storage tank system during long-term placement. Since the external environment always changes, it is introduced by writing user-defined functions (UDFs). The effects of external environment and structural parameters on the temperature field are analyzed to provide reference for the design of the heat tracing devices of the storage tank system. The results indicate that the increase of tank quantities substantially reduces the outer-surface temperature of the cold insulation structure. The increase in tank spacing and thickness of the cold insulation structure weakens the interaction of adjacent tanks and raises the outer-surface temperature of the cold insulation structure.