Thermocryogenic buckling and stress analyses of a partially filled cryogenic tank subjected to cylindrical strip heating

Thermocryogenic buckling and stress analyses were conducted on a horizontally oriented cryogenic tank using the finite element method. The tank is a finite-length circular cylindrical shell with its two ends capped with hemispherical shells. The tank is subjected to cylindrical strip heating in the region above the liquid-cryogen fill level and to cryogenic cooling below the fill level (i.e., under thermocryogenic loading). The effects of cryogen fill level on the buckling temperature and thermocryogenic stress field were investigated in detail. Both the buckling temperature and stress magnitudes were relatively insensitive to the cryogen fill level. The buckling temperature, however, was quite sensitive to the radius-to-thickness ratio. A mechanical stress analysis of the tank also was conducted when the tank was under: (1) cryogen liquid pressure loading; (2) internal pressure loading; and (3) tank-wall inertia loading. Deformed shapes of the cryogenic tanks under different loading conditions were shown, and high-stress domains were mapped on the tank wall for the strain-gage installations. The accuracies of solutions from different finite element models were compared.