What is LNG and how is it stored?

MoreVision supply analysis services to the gas industry and have undertaken structural analysis to validate the of design of liquid natural gas (LNG) storage facilities.

Structural Analysis:

The lining of a vast concrete tank is required to provide a vapour barrier for the entire life of the LNG storage facility. Unfortunately concrete shrinks with age and a special cruciform joint was designed by MoreVision so that the lining could accommodate this movement. The analysis required a complex large deflection plastic analysis.

Pipework Stress Analysis:

Stresses in pipes and pipe attachment points are assessed against the requirements of ASME.

 

Thermal Analysis:

Components are exposed to liquid natural at temperatures down to  -160°C. It was necessary to build thermal models to check the effectiveness of the heat break designs and determine the temperature distribution throughout the tank roof equipment. This was required to ensure that the operational temperature limits of constituent parts are not exceeded or to determine the need for safety guards to protect personnel from extreme heat (or cold).

Typically model includes boundary temperatures, heat fluxes, the relevant conduction properties, convection surface details and radiation surface details.

ANSYS Script Generators

Often a large number of items require assessment and Morevision have developed ANSYS script generators to speed up the process of assessment. Most of the finite element models could be reduced in size by taking benefit of axi-symmetry and the time to complete an analysis was remarkably fast.