Performances of the sandwich panel structures under fire accident due to hydrogen leaks: Consideration of structural design and environment factor using FE analysis

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive analysis using the finite element method (FEM) to examine and evaluate the behavior of fuel carrier ship structure. Sandwich panels are effective structures for use in ship structures due to their lightweight yet robust nature. Sandwich panels used in ship structures have various core shapes, such as hexagonal, circular, and square, as needed. The sandwich panel structure can be widely implemented in ship construction, for example, on the deck, hull, and bulkhead of the ship’s cabin. Hydrogen is an alternative fuel that can replace fossil fuels. In this modern era, hydrogen is high valuable energy commodity, so accidents involving carrier ships could have significant consequences. Hydrogen is produced from liquefied natural gas (LNG), so if a leak occurs, for instance, in a storage tank or fuel tank, it has the potential to lead to accidents such as fires. Corrosion is a significant concern for the maritime industry, as it can jeopardize the structural integrity of these vessels and pose substantial safety and environmental risks. In this research, FEM was utilized to model and simulate the effects of corrosion on hydrogen carrier ships when exposed to fire, considering various environmental and operational factors. Through a systematic investigation, it is aimed to gain insights into the impact of corrosion on ship structural components during fires, such as hulls and storage tanks. The result of this study will contribute to improving corrosion and fire mitigation strategies, ensuring the safety and longevity of hydrogen and LNG carrier ships, and supporting the sustainable transportation of hydrogen to meet global energy demands. No research has been conducted on the structural behavior resulting from hydrogen fires and corrosion simultaneously. To achieve this, it is assumed to use the corrosion properties of steel in heavily traveled ship routes such as the Panama Canal Zone, Barent Sea, North Sea, and Suez Canal Zone. This study utilized an approach by modeling corrosion using shell thickness in Abaqus Quasi-Static and applying boundary conditions in the form of temperature increase up to 800°C and subsequent cooling back to the initial temperature. At the maximum temperature, the most significant mid-span displacement occurred in the circular core sandwich panel, with a value of 4 mm. The axial force in the structure was inversely proportional to the mid-span displacement. In the case of the circular core sandwich panel, the axial force was 96 kN. The most resilient core type was hexagonal because it experiences the least deformation when compared to circular and square cores.