Thermal Stress Analysis of Process Piping System Installed on LNG Vessel Subject to Hull Design Loads

Abstract

In this paper, the procedure for the strength evaluation of the piping system installed on liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers is discussed. A procedure that accounts for the ship’s wave load and hull motion acceleration (as well as the deformation due to the thermal expansion and contraction experienced by the hull during seafaring operations) is presented. The load due to the temperature and self-weight of the piping installed on the deck is also considered. Various operating and load conditions of the LNG piping system are analyzed. Stress analysis is performed by combining various conditions of sustained, occasional, and expansion loads. Stress is assessed using finite element analysis based on beam elements that represent the behavior of the piping. The attributes of the piping system components (such as valves, expansion joints, and supports) are represented in the finite element model while CAESAR-II, a commercial software is used for finite element analysis. Component modeling, load assignment, and load combinations are presented to evaluate pipe stresses under various load conditions. An evaluation model is selected for the piping arrangement of LNG and the evaluated stress is compared with the allowable stress defined by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).