Cross-Scale Reliability Analysis Framework for LNG Storage Tanks Considering Concrete Material Uncertainty

Abstract

The reliability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks is an important factor that must be considered in their structural design. Concrete is a core component of LNG storage tanks, and the geometric uncertainty of concrete aggregate material has a significant impact on their reliability. However, owing to the significant size difference between the concrete aggregate compared to the LNG storage tank, structural analysis using an accurate finite element model that includes all the geometric characteristics of the aggregate incurs significant analytical costs. In particular, for reliability analysis requiring a large number of samples, the computational costs incurred by finite element models are infeasible. Therefore, a dual acceleration strategy based on the asymptotic homogenization method and surrogate model technology is proposed to improve the efficiency of LNG storage tank reliability analysis. In the cross-scale analysis of a LNG storage tank based on asymptotic homogenization, order reduction of the LNG storage tank analysis model was realized. Based on this, a surrogate model construction method with the aggregate fraction and mass moment as inputs was proposed to further accelerate the reliability analysis of LNG storage tanks. Subsequently, a Monte Carlo method was used to perform a reliability analysis of the LNG storage tank considering the uncertainty of the concrete aggregate geometry and distribution under the action of liquid weight and wind load. The analysis showed that the wind load has a significant influence on the safety of the design of the roof of a LNG storage tank. The directionality of the wind load has a significant impact on the distribution of the sample point response for reliability analysis and the failure mode of the LNG storage tank. Owing to the directionality of the wind load, the response distributions of the maximum displacement and maximum stress of LNG were more concentrated, and the reliability of the LNG storage tank decreased after considering the wind load. In particular, the stress reliability of the tank decreased by 5.86%. When only the liquid load was considered, the maximum displacement and stress exhibited asynchronous failure, and the two almost never occurred simultaneously. When the wind load was considered, the failure mode of the LNG storage tank was dominated by the maximum stress. Moreover, the numerical example also demonstrated that the degree of freedom involved in structural analysis, as well as the time of structural analysis can be significantly reduced. So, the proposed cross-scale analysis framework can significantly improve the efficiency of reliability analysis. The conclusions established in this study provide theoretical and methodological guidance for the reliable design of LNG storage tanks.