Structural analysis for design of anchor straps for a large-scale LNG storage tank with corner protection and inner tank

Abstract

Structural analysis is performed to design anchor straps for a large-scale-liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) storage tank with corner protection and an inner tank by considering structural integrity. Anchor straps made of 9% nickel steel are attached to the inner tank, coiner protection, and concrete raft to prevent the failure of the inner tank during both normal and emergency operating conditions. Two finite element (FE) models were analyzed in this study. One is a stand-alone model of the anchor strap, while the other is an extended model of the substructure of the anchor strap, inner tank, and corner protection. Three-dimensional shell elements are used to effectively assess the bending and axial behavior of structures. The Tresca stress values in each part of the two models are calculated for operation under five different load-condition cases: normal operation, leakage of the LNG, hydro test, and two earthquake conditions. © 2011 The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers.