SELECTION OF CRYOGENIC INSULATION FOR LNG TRANSFER LINE

Abstract

: Selection of the efficient and inexpensive insulation for the Liquefied Natural gas at the cryogenic temperature is
not as easy as it seems from the very first instance. Scientists must consider all ways and modes of heat transfer like,
Conduction, convection and Radiation. Thermal insulation has important functions in LNG applications. In storage system,
Insulation has to be provided to minimize product loss due to evaporation as a result of heat in -leak. Piping, which abounds
in a baseline LNG plant or in a receiving terminal, has to be well insulated for several reasons. Increased activities in the
field of LNG have brought to the minds of many gas-industry representatives the possibility of pipelining natural gas in its
liquids, rather than gaseous form. Many insulation choices have available in the market place now a day for use in LNG
piping and storage applications. The selection of the insulation material is very important because the LNG is produced at a
far way distance and it has to be liquefied for storage and transferred to a long distance at a cryogenic temperature. So, the
loss of the LNG by evaporation due to heat transfer from surrounding ambient temperature must be minimised as much
lowest as possible. The operating cost and other adhered cost must be most competitive from the point of view of profitability,
no matter what the market price of the natural gas is at, now almost depend on getting the product to the market at the lowest
cost possible. So, it is utmost important to select the best insulation material available in the market for arriving at a
competitive pricing of LNG.