Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) and South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean have entered into a Joint Development Project (JDP) to improve the structural assessment of independent LNG fuel tanks for ultra-large container ships. The JDP agreement was signed at a ceremony during Gastech 2023 in Singapore. The project aims to accelerate the development of new solutions for the structural assessment of independent LNG fuel tanks and enhance the design process.
Modern vessels often rely on independent tanks for the transportation or use of LNG or LPG. These tanks are not rigidly connected to the hull structure but are supported by dedicated supports. The challenge lies in designing these supports to account for non-linear structural response during operations, such as loss of contact and sliding.
Solving these non-linearities typically requires significant computational time and sensitivity to convergence parameters. To address this, Bureau Veritas has developed a new methodology to assess contact behaviour nonlinearities. This method has been validated through simulations and has proven to significantly reduce CPU time while maintaining the same levels of accuracy. The methodology has been implemented in the Bureau Veritas hydro-structure interaction suite Homer, allowing for a fully consistent structural analysis of vessels with independent tanks.
The JDP between BV and Hanwha Ocean aims to further advance structural analysis technology, improve the performance of independent tanks, and develop differentiated products for future projects. By collaborating on this project, both BV and Hanwha Ocean hope to contribute to the ongoing development of the LNG industry and support the sustainable growth of LNG-powered container ships.
Sources: Bureau Veritas, Hanwha Ocean