Question

A 400-m^3 storage tank is being constructed to hold LNG, liquefied natural gas, which may be assumed to be essentially pure methane. If the tank is to contain 90% liquid and 10% vapor, by volume, at 150 K, what mass of LNG (kg) will the tank hold? What is the quality in the tank?

Answer 1

mass of LNG: 129501.3388 kg

quality: 0.005048662

Step-by-step explanation:

Volume occupied by liquid:

400 m^3*0.9 = 360 m^3

Volume occupied by vapor

400 m^3*0.1 = 40 m^3

A figured with thermodynamic properties of saturated methane is attached. Notice that a liquid-gas mixture is present

For liquid phase specific volume (vf) at 150 K is 0.002794 m^3/kg and for vapor phase specific volume (vg) is 0.06118 m^3/kg

From specific volume definition:

vf = liquid volume/liquid mass

liquid mass = liquid volume/vf

liquid mass = 360 m^3/0.002794 m^3/kg

liquid mass = 128847.5304 kg

vg = vapor volume/vapor mass

vapor mass = liquid volume/vg

vapor mass = 40 m^3/0.06118 m^3/kg

vapor mass = 653.8084341 kg

total mass = 128847.5304 kg + 653.8084341 kg = 129501.3388 kg

Quality is defined as the ratio between vapor mass and total mass

quality = 653.8084341 kg/129501.3388 kg = 0.005048662