• supercriticalcheese@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Thermodynamics, heat in causes boil off but that takes massive energy to vaporise everything, and it is limited thanks to the good insulation.

    Boil off is never vented, it powers the engines. They can also reliquify for some ships at least.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      Decent LNG tanks seems to have a boil off of about 0.05% of max volume per day. So after some 3 years (1000 days), your tank would be half empty. But I’d wager the rates are a lot higher in ships, since they have some weight and space restrictions you don’t get on land.

      Use some to power the engines, put the rest through a recondenser? There’s probably a financial optimum there somewhere.