Welding Technology for Liquefied Natural Gas Tanks

Abstract

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is of great importance in the energy segment of the economy. Natural gas, has a higher calorific value, better fuel efficiency and is more environmentally friendly, thereby gaining more importance compared to oil and coal. Not only does LNG offer greater flexibility in supply, it also has cost advantages for transportation starting from a distance of 2,000 km (at sea) and 4,000 km (on land) respectively. Consequently, the LNG market will grow in the coming decades compared to two other fossil sources - oil and coal. To use natural gas, it is necessary to create safe and economically profitable transportation routes from natural gas deposits to end users. One possibility is to transport gas in a liquefied state, at low temperatures. To ensure safe and reliable storage of liquefied gas at minus 163 ° C, good physical and mechanical properties of the base material and weld (corresponding tank system) are required. To meet these high requirements, appropriate welding methods and welding materials are selected. The paper presents an analysis of activities on the development of new welding materials and improvement of welding technologies for the construction of LNG tanks.