To investigate electrostatic accumulation induced by cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH₂) flow in pipelines, a test system was constructed with LH₂ as the primary working medium. Using vacuum insulation, insulated connections, electrostatic shielding, and other measures, as well as the application of the leakage charge method, safe and accurate measurement of extremely low-level charge quantities generated by LH₂ flow under cryogenic conditions was achieved. The charge accumulation characteristics under multiple flow conditions with Reynolds numbers (Re) below 2×10⁵ were analyzed. The experimental results indicated that notable flow charging phenomena occurred during LH₂ flow with extremely low electrical conductivity in pipelines. Furthermore, charge accumulation demonstrated a linear growth during the test period. Within the range of pipe lengths and Reynolds numbers covered by the experiment, the average charge density decreased with an increase in the flow velocity; however, the rate of decrease gradually diminished. The average charge density of flow decreased with increasing pipe diameter. The developed electrostatic accumulation test system for low-temperature LH₂ pipe flow provided an important platform support for conducting LH₂ electrostatic tests. This study validated the feasibility of the electrostatic measurement method for LH₂, providing design guidance for exploring the electrostatic laws of LH₂ and the boundary of safe flow velocity.

To provide accurate design guidance for multilayer insulation (MLI) combined with vapor-cooled shield (VCS) structures in liquid hydrogen storage tanks, a three-dimensional steady-state MLI/VCS model was established. The temperature distribution within the VCS was analyzed for parallel and spiral arrangements. The effects of VCS tube diameter, number/length, radiation shield thickness, and vapor mass flow rate on the thermal insulation performance of the tank were systematically investigated. Comparative analysis of the thermal insulation performances of the two arrangements was conducted. The results show that for the parallel arrangement, increasing the tube diameter, number of tubes, and mass flow rate improved the insulation performance of the tank. For the spiral arrangement, increasing the tube diameter and flow rate achieved the same effects as those observed for the parallel arrangement. However, the effect of tube length on insulation performance depends on the vapor mass flow rate. Radiation shield thickness had a minor impact on insulation performance. The relative superiority of the two VCS pipe configurations in terms of insulation performance is influenced by the venting vapor mass flow rate. An appropriate VCS pipe arrangement should be selected for practical engineering applications, based on the venting method and capacity.