Experimental and numerical investigation of one and two phase natural convection in storage tanks

Experiments were performed to investigate heating up processes of fluids in storage tanks under the influence of an external heat source. As a consequence of an external fire, the heat-up of the inventory may lead to the evaporation of the liquid and to release of significant quantities of dangerous gases into the environment. Heating the vessel from the side walls, a strong temperature stratification is observed leading to large temperature gradients. At the top of the tank evaporation can start much earlier than the average temperature reaches saturation.
Several tests were performed both with heating from the bottom and with heating from the side walls. The test tank was equipped with thermocouples and with needle probes for measuring of the local void fraction.
In the FZ-Rossendorf calculations were performed using the CFD-code CFX-4. The simulation comprises two phase flow, subcooled boiling at the heated wall and steam release at the tank surface. The paper presents comparisons of measured and calculated temperatures and void fractions. The comparison allows, to test the used models, to clarify weak points of the models and to identify directions of further development of modelling boiling and two phase flow.