PROBLEM 3.

64
KNOWN: Diameter of a spherical container used to store liquid oxygen and properties of insulating material. Environmental conditions. FIND: (a) Reduction in evaporative oxygen loss associated with a prescribed insulation thickness, (b) Effect of insulation thickness on evaporation rate. SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state, one-dimensional conduction, (2) Negligible conduction resistance of container wall and contact resistance between wall and insulation, (3) Container wall at boiling point of liquid oxygen.

& & ANALYSIS: (a) Applying an energy balance to a control surface about the insulation, Ein E out = 0, it follows that q conv + q rad = q cond = q . Hence,
T Ts,2 R t,conv + Tsur Ts,2 R t,rad = Ts,2 Ts,1 R t,cond =q (1)
1

2 where R t,conv = 4 r2 h

2 , R t,rad = 4 r2 h r

, R t,cond = (1 4 k ) [(1 r1 ) (1 r2 )] , and, from Eq.

2 2 ) ( Ts,2 + Tsur ) .

1.9, the radiation coefficient is h r = Ts,2 + Tsur

With t = 10 mm (r2 = 260 mm), =

0.2 and T = Tsur = 298 K, an iterative solution of the energy balance equation yields Ts,2 297.7 K, where Rt,conv = 0.118 K/W, Rt,rad = 0.982 K/W and Rt,cond = 76.5 K/W. With the insulation, it follows that the heat gain is qw 2.72 W Without the insulation, the heat gain is
q wo = T Ts,1 Tsur Ts,1 + R t,conv R t,rad

where, with r2 = r1, Ts,1 = 90 K, Rt,conv = 0.127 K/W and Rt,rad = 3.14 K/W. Hence, qwo = 1702 W
& With the oxygen mass evaporation rate given by m = q/hfg, the percent reduction in evaporated oxygen is

% Re duction = Hence,
% Re duction =

& & m wo m w q qw 100% = wo 100% & m wo q wo

(1702 2.7 ) W
1702 W

100% = 99.8%

<
Continued...

PROBLEM 3.64 (Cont.)

& (b) Using Equation (1) to compute Ts,2 and q as a function of r2, the corresponding evaporation rate, m = & with r2 are plotted as follows. q/hfg, may be determined. Variations of q and m
10000 0.01

Evaporation rate, mdot(kg/s) 0.25 0.26 0.27 0.28 0.29 0.3

1000

0.001

Heat gain, q(W)

100

0.0001

10

1E-5

0.1

1E-6 0.25 0.26 0.27 0.28 0.29 0.3

Outer radius of insulation, r2(m)

Outer radius of insulation, r2(m)

Because of its extremely low thermal conductivity, significant benefits are associated with using even a & thin layer of insulation. Nearly three-order magnitude reductions in q and m are achieved with r2 = 0.26 & m. With increasing r2, q and m decrease from values of 1702 W and 810-3 kg/s at r2 = 0.25 m to 0.627 W and 2.910-6 kg/s at r2 = 0.30 m.
COMMENTS: Laminated metallic-foil/glass-mat insulations are extremely effective and corresponding conduction resistances are typically much larger than those normally associated with surface convection and radiation.