Accumulator Thermal

Calculation
A typical Accumulator
Ambient Air at T∞
Convective Coeff: h ∞

Insulation at T3,
Thickness : t3
Nitrogen at Thermal Conductivity: k3
TN2
Convective Accumulator Metal Surface at T2,
Coeff: hN2 Thickness : t2
Thermal Conductivity: k2
Viton at T1
Thickness : t1
Thermal Conductivity: k1
 Modeling
• For the calculation, the accumulator is
approximated as shown below.

Nitrogen at
Heat Transfer TN2
from Ambient to Convective
N2 Coeff: hN2
Ambient Air at T∞ Fully insulated, No heat transfer
Convective Coeff: h ∞ Heat Transfer
from

Buffer Fluid to N2
Barrier Fluid
Heat Transfer at Tbarrier
from Ambient to Convective
N2 Coeff: hBarrier
Assumptions
• Complex shape of a accumulator is transformed into a simple
cylinder
• The top and bottom of the accumulator is completely insulated
• After refill, the bladder deflects into a simple shape for each
calculation. The model is quite similar to a piston cylinder shape
• Heat transfer within the N2 and barrier fluid is uniform.
• Convective heat transfer coefficient of stagnant air is used for
inner and outer side of the accumulator
• There is not conductive heat transfer happening from the hot
barrier fluid in the piping connection to the barrier fluid in the
accumulator
• Ambient Temperature is changed sinusoidally
Assumptions

• For the calculation, it is assumed that

the velocity of gas inside the
accumulator is zero, then based on the
this equation, h is assumed to be 10.45
W/m2.K
Steps for Modeling
• First the initial values are assumed.
• The transient heat transfer between the
atmosphere and the barrier fluid is generated.
When calculating this, it is assumed (not fully
correct though) that there is no heat transfer to N2
as it is assumed that this effect is negligible
• Once the transient equation for the barrier heat
transfer from ambient is generated, the equation
for the heat transfer to N2 from ambient and
barrier is formulated to understand the variation of
N2 temperature
Heat transfer across Ambient to
Barrier
• The methodology used is
in the figure
• Only accumulator shell
and insulation is taken into Ambient Air at T∞
account Convective Coeff: h ∞
Barrier Fluid
• Following sheets shows at Tbarrier
Convective
Heat Transfer
from Ambient to
the calculation Coeff: hBarrier N2

• Ref pg: 164 actual pg 138

Heat transfer from Ambient and
Barrier to N2
• Modeling is done as per figure
• Equation formulation is carried out
in the next pages Heat Transfer
Nitrogen at
TN2
• For the barrier fluid temperature, from Ambient to Convective
for each time step, the barrier fluid N2 Coeff: hN2
temperature calculated from Ambient Air at T∞ Fully
previous step is used Convective Coeff: h ∞ Heat Transfer insulated
from
• Ambient temperature changes , No heat
sinusoidal and ambient Buffer Fluid to N2 transfer
temperature changes for each time Barrier Fluid
step at Tbarrier
Convective
• For the formulation, the transient Coeff: hBarrier
variation of Tamb is not considered.
Ambient T is considered as
constant as it dTamb/dt is very small
Heat transfer from Ambient and
Barrier to N2
• Internal energy of the gas is calculated
as per shown
• N2 is considered as diatomic
• http://www.webassign.net/question_
assets/buelemphys1/chapter15/sectio
n15dash3.pdf
• https://www.ajdesigner.com/idealgas/
ideal_gas_law_mole_equation.php#aj
scroll
Ambient Temperature Variation

• Sinusoidal variation
assumed
• Assumed that Variation of
ambient temperature is not
from change in barrier or N2
• Shown is a temperature
variation between -10 to
30°C in a day (24 hrs = 86400
seconds
Calculation Steps
• First try to estimate the critical insulation thickness
and outer insulation temperature based on initial
N2 gas temperature and ambient temperature

• Ref pg: 164

 Variation of Ambient Temperature on Accumulator
Temperature and Precharge Details
Ambient Temperature, [T∞] -10 °C 263.2 °K
Filling Barrier Temperature, [T Barrier] 35 °C 308.2 °K
N2 Filling Temperature, [T i] 10 °C 283.2 °K
N2 Refill Pressure 10.0 barg 10.0 barg
N2 Bladder Volume 0.027 m3
Barrier Fluid Volume 35.0 L 0.035 m3
Barrier Fluid Density 800.0 kg/m3
Univeral Gas Constant 8.31 J/mol °K

Dimensional Details
Inner Diameter of the Accumulator Bladder, [R] 212 mm 0.212 m
Total Height of the Accumulator, [L] 1 m 1.000 m
Height of the Bladder, [L Bladder] 0.76 m 0.763 m
Height of the Barrier Fluid, [L Barrier] 0.24 m 0.237 m r1 0.106 m
Thickness of the Bladder, [t bladder] 5 mm 0.005 m r2 0.111 m
Thickness of the shell, [t shell] 7 mm 0.007 m r3 0.118 m
Thickness of the Insulation, [t Insulation] 1 mm 0.001 m r4 0.119 m
Critical Thickness 0.0025 m

Thermal Details
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of N2, [h N2] 10 W/m2 °K
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of Barrier Fluid, [h Barrier] 100 W/m2 °K
Specific Heat of Barrier Fluid, [C Barrier] 2500 J/kg°C
Thermal Conductivity of Bladder, [k bladder] 0.5 W/m°K Bladder Material Viton
Thermal Conductivity of Accumulator Shell, [k shell] 14.01 W/m°K Accumulator Material Alloy C-276
Thermal Conductivity of Insulation, [k insulation] 0.025 W/m°K Insulating Material Polyisocynurate
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of Ambient Air, [h air] 10 W/m2 °K

UAambient 2.16 W/°K

UABarrier to the N2 Fluid 3.53 W/°K
UAAmbient to the Buffer Fluid 1.17 W/°K

Number of Moles of Gas in the Bladder, [n] 11.45 moles

Exponential Constant, [2UA/(5nR)] 0.0091

A = (UAbarrier + UAambient)/[5nR/2] 0.024

B = (Tambient*UAbarrier + Tbarrier*UAambient)/[5nR/2] 6.705
Enter the Sinusoidal Variation
Total Duration of the Variation 1 day
Time 24 Hours 86400 seconds 86400 Seconds
Maximum Temperature during the day 30 °C 303.2 °K
Heat from Barrier Not Considered Minimum Temperature during the day -10 °C 263.2 °K
Temperature after 24 Hours 263 °K -9.9 °C
Total Duration to Plot 1 day
Heat from Barrier Considered 86400 Seconds
Time 24 Hours 86400 seconds
Temperature of Barrier Fluid 274 °K 0.8 °C
A = (UAbarrier + UAambient)/[5nR/2] 0.024
B = (Tambient*UAbarrier + Tbarrier*UAambient)/[5nR/2] 6.393
Temperature after 24 Hours 267 °K -5.8 °C

Temp. of Accumulator Gas with Barrier Temp and Ambient

40 10.10
35
10.00
30
Temperature, [°C]

25 9.90
Pressure, [Barg}

20 Temperature of N2, [°C]

15 9.80
Temperature of Barrier, [°C]
10 9.70
5 Ambient Temperature, [°C]
0 9.60 N2 Pressure, [Barg]
-5 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000
9.50
-10
-15 9.40
Time, [s]
 Variation of Ambient Temperature on Accumulator
Temperature and Precharge Details
Ambient Temperature, [T∞] -10 °C 263.2 °K
Filling Barrier Temperature, [T Barrier] 35 °C 308.2 °K
N2 Filling Temperature, [T i] 10 °C 283.2 °K
N2 Refill Pressure 10.0 barg 10.0 barg
N2 Bladder Volume 0.027 m3
Barrier Fluid Volume 35.0 L 0.035 m3
Barrier Fluid Density 800.0 kg/m3
Univeral Gas Constant 8.31 J/mol °K

Dimensional Details
Inner Diameter of the Accumulator Bladder, [R] 212 mm 0.212 m
Total Height of the Accumulator, [L] 1 m 1.000 m
Height of the Bladder, [L Bladder] 0.76 m 0.763 m
Height of the Barrier Fluid, [L Barrier] 0.24 m 0.237 m r1 0.106 m
Thickness of the Bladder, [t bladder] 5 mm 0.005 m r2 0.111 m
Thickness of the shell, [t shell] 7 mm 0.007 m r3 0.118 m
Thickness of the Insulation, [t Insulation] 1 mm 0.001 m r4 0.119 m
Critical Thickness 0.0025 m

Thermal Details
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of N2, [h N2] 10 W/m2 °K
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of Barrier Fluid, [h Barrier] 100 W/m2 °K
Specific Heat of Barrier Fluid, [C Barrier] 2500 J/kg°C
Thermal Conductivity of Bladder, [k bladder] 0.5 W/m°K Bladder Material Viton
Thermal Conductivity of Accumulator Shell, [k shell] 14.01 W/m°K Accumulator Material Alloy C-276
Thermal Conductivity of Insulation, [k insulation] 0.025 W/m°K Insulating Material Polyisocynurate
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficienct of Ambient Air, [h air] 10 W/m2 °K

UAambient 2.16 W/°K

UABarrier to the N2 Fluid 3.53 W/°K
UAAmbient to the Buffer Fluid 1.17 W/°K

Number of Moles of Gas in the Bladder, [n] 11.45 moles

Exponential Constant, [2UA/(5nR)] 0.0091

A = (UAbarrier + UAambient)/[5nR/2] 0.024

B = (Tambient*UAbarrier + Tbarrier*UAambient)/[5nR/2] 6.705
Enter the Sinusoidal Variation
Total Duration of the Variation 1 day
Time 24 Hours 86400 seconds 86400 Seconds
Maximum Temperature during the day 15 °C 288.2 °K
Heat from Barrier Not Considered Minimum Temperature during the day -10 °C 263.2 °K
Temperature after 24 Hours 263 °K -9.9 °C
Total Duration to Plot 2 day
Heat from Barrier Considered 172800 Seconds
Time 24 Hours 86400 seconds
Temperature of Barrier Fluid 274 °K 0.8 °C
A = (UAbarrier + UAambient)/[5nR/2] 0.024
B = (Tambient*UAbarrier + Tbarrier*UAambient)/[5nR/2] 6.393
Temperature after 24 Hours 267 °K -5.8 °C

Temp. of Accumulator Gas with Barrier Temp and Ambient

40 10.10
35 10.00
30
9.90
Temperature, [°C]

25
Pressure, [Barg}

20 9.80
Temperature of N2, [°C]
15 9.70
Temperature of Barrier, [°C]
10 9.60
5 Ambient Temperature, [°C]
9.50
0 N2 Pressure, [Barg]
9.40
-5 0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000 160000 180000 200000
-10 9.30
-15 9.20
Time, [s]