Design of a hybrid glass composite anchor for LNG cargo containment systems

Abstract

Large cryogenic container for liquefied natural gas (LNG) should be joined to the inner hull of a ship. The minimum heat inflow, due to the large temperature difference between the LNG cargo container and inner hull, can induce considerable heat flux through the joined area. In this work, a hybrid composite anchor composed of two stainless steel caps and a glass fiber composite body was developed and optimized for strength, thermal stress and heat loss of the anchor. The stainless steel caps were adhesively bonded to the top and bottom areas of the glass composite body. The top stainless cap was then welded to the two stainless steel membranes, and the flange of the bottom stainless steel cap was bolt-fastened to the inner hull of a ship. The static adhesive strength and impact characteristics between the stainless steel caps and glass composite body of the hybrid glass composite anchor at the cryogenic temperature were investigated with respect to adhesive thickness. Finally, the optimal design for the hybrid glass composite anchor for the cryogenic containment systems of a LNG ship was suggested. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.