Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Tin Woo Yung

Robert E Sandstrom

Haiping He

The present invention discloses apparatuses, systems, and methods for controlling liquid impact pressure in liquid impact systems. The liquid impact systems include at least one gas and a liquid, the gas having a density (PG) and a polytropic index (&#x3ba;) and the liquid having a density (PL). The methods include the step of calculating a liquid impact load of the liquid on the object by determining a parameter &#x3a8; for the system, wherein &#x3a8; is defined as (PG/PL) (&#x3ba;&#x2212;1)/&#x3ba;. The systems are also configured to utilize the parameter &#x3a8;. The parameter &#x3a8; may be adjusted to increase or reduce the liquid impact load on the system. Automatic, computer-implemented systems and methods may be used or implemented. These methods and systems may be useful in applications such as LNG shipping and loading/off-loading, fuel tank operation, manufacturing processes, vehicles dynamics, and combustion processes, among others.

Liquid impact pressure control methods and systems

A tank is provided that reduces sloshing pressures in the corner sections of a tank, such as an LNG membrane tank. The tank includes a sloshing impact reduction system placed in selected corner sections within the tank. The system serves as a slosh attenuation system, and reduces the severity of the corner geometry and improves the flow of fluids into the tank corner. In one embodiment, an impermeable structure is disposed in an internal corner section of the tank. The impermeable structure may be a triangular planar surface, or a non-planar structural surface. The non-planar structural surface may be a concave surface or other curved surface. In another arrangement, a permeable structure is placed in an internal corner section of the tank. Such a permeable structure would enable fluid to pass through the device, but would reduce the fluid velocities and accelerations via friction or eddies. The permeable structure may be either rigid or flexible.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Tin Woo Yung