Hull Deformation Effect on Membrane-Type LNG Containment Systems

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the maximum allowable hull deformation, which includes global elongation and local deflection, and the capacity of the CCS in membrane-type LNG vessels. The LNG CCS mainly consists of the primary barrier (e.g. a corrugated membrane for GTT MK III system and an invar membrane for GTT NO 96 system) and the insulation panel which is attached to the inner hull through mastics or couplers. The excessive hull elongation due to dynamic wave loads may cause fatigue damage of the primary barrier. Thus, the maximum allowable hull elongation (global deformation) can be determined based on the fatigue strength of the primary barrier. On the other hand, the excessive hull deflection due to cargo or ballast water pressure may cause failure of the insulation panel and the mastic. Therefore, the maximum allowable hull deflection (local deformation) in the hull design can be determined based on the strength of the insulation panel and the mastic. In the present paper, the determination of fatigue life vs. strain curves of materials has been summarized for the primary barrier. Fatigue curves based on either structural fatigue tests or standard specimen tests can be applied in fatigue assessment of a primary barrier. As an example, the finite element (FE) analysis has been conducted on the MK III CCS with the hull structure under pressure loads. Two different load cases including full load and ballast load conditions have been considered to evaluate the structural integrity of the insulation system in numerical simulations. FE results show that the mechanical behavior of the insulation system and the mastic under the maximum allowable hull deflection has been examined based on the yielding strength of each individual component. Finally, the complete procedure to determine the maximum allowable hull elongation and the maximum allowable hull deflection has been developed for meeting the requirements of containment system design for membrane-type LNG carriers.