Application and Challenges of Dalian Stainless Steel Spherical Tanks in Liquefied Natural Gas Storage

In the context of global energy structure transformation, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is highly favored for its cleanliness and efficiency, and stainless steel spherical tanks have become an important carrier for LNG storage due to their unique advantages.

From an application perspective, stainless steel spherical tanks have demonstrated significant advantages in LNG storage. Its spherical structure is uniformly stressed and can effectively disperse internal pressure. Compared to traditional storage tanks, it can withstand higher pressure and reduce the risk of leakage; Meanwhile, the spherical design reduces the surface area of the tank, lowers heat transfer, and helps maintain the low-temperature storage state of LNG. In terms of materials, stainless steel has good low-temperature toughness and corrosion resistance. It can maintain structural strength and sealing in LNG storage environments at -162 ℃, avoiding safety hazards caused by low-temperature embrittlement.

 

However, Dalian stainless steel spherical tanks also face many challenges in LNG storage. Firstly, ultra-low temperature conditions require extremely high material performance, even for low-temperature resistant stainless steel, long-term exposure to extremely cold environments may still result in cold shrinkage deformation, affecting the sealing effect; Secondly, there is the generation of BOG during LNG storage, which, if not effectively treated, can lead to an increase in tank pressure and increase safety risks; In addition, the construction and maintenance costs of stainless steel spherical tanks are high, requiring a significant investment of funds and technical support from material procurement, low-temperature welding processes to daily monitoring.

To address the above challenges, the industry is actively exploring solutions. By developing new low-temperature stainless steel materials and optimizing welding processes, the reliability of tank bodies can be improved; Adopting BOG re liquefaction technology to achieve the recovery and utilization of evaporated gas, reducing pressure risks; At the same time, an intelligent monitoring system is introduced to monitor the status of the tank in real time and prevent potential faults. In the future, with technological advancements, stainless steel spherical tanks will play a greater role in LNG storage.

The article analyzes the application and challenges of Dalian stainless steel spherical tanks in LNG storage. If you would like to provide specific data, case studies, or delve into certain challenges and solutions, please feel free to let me know at any time.