FRACTURE SAFETY OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS TANK IN CRYOGENIC CONDITIONS

Abstract

High-manganese austenitic steel has been developed as a new cryogenic steel for application in liquified natural gas (LNG) storage and fuel tanks, with improved fracture toughness and safety at cryogenic temperatures. Generally, the fracture toughness decreases at lower temperatures; therefore, cryogenic steel requires a high fracture toughness to prevent unstable fractures. This study conducted unstable ductile fracture tests with 30-mm-thick high-manganese austenitic steel and evaluated its applicability to LNG storage and fuel tanks. The ductile fracture resistance in the weld joints was evaluated, including the weld metal and heat-affected zone. The unstable fracture resistance was evaluated for different LNG tank types. It was found that high-manganese austenitic steel has excellent unstable fracture characteristics and good material performance as a cryogenic steel; therefore, it can be applied in LNG storage and fuel tanks.