Research on Temperature Field Distribution of Helical Carcass Supported Composite Flexible Cryogenic Pipe for LNG

Abstract Helical carcass supported composite flexible cryogenic pipe (hc-FCP) for LNG is one of the key equipment of floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) storage and offloading device system. Hc-FCP cross-sectional form is complex, and the operation needs to withstand −163 °C cryogenic, which causes a change in the properties of the material inside the pipe. Therefore, obtaining the temperature field distribution of a pipe structure is essential for predicting its mechanical properties. In this paper, a two-dimensional axisymmetric steady-state heat transfer numerical model of the hc-FCP is constructed, and the accuracy of the numerical model is verified through prototype experiments, and the temperature field distribution at the actual working temperature of the pipe is characterized by a gradient distribution along the radial direction and a corrugated type distribution along the axial direction. The influence law of outside environmental factors on the temperature field distribution characteristics of the pipe is also discussed. The results show that the temperature gradient between the inner and outer surfaces of the pipe increases as the ambient temperature rises; the temperature change between the inner and outer surfaces of the pipe increases as the ambient wind speed increases, and the effect of wind speed on the change of the pipe temperature field becomes smaller and smaller as the wind speed increases.