The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of automatic plasma arc welding (PAW) to cryogenic materials used in liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel storage tanks based on experimental data. The mechanical properties of the materials were tested at room and cryogenic temperatures to investigate the fatigue and fracture performances of weld joints made by PAW. In addition, the influence of welding parameters on the welded joints such as material types and temperature were considered in this experimental study. Based on the results obtained by this experimental study, it was observed that the experimental results of all materials at room and cryogenic temperatures satisfied all the requirements of each mechanical test. Finally, we propose the experimental results of PAW that can be used in the structural design of LNG fuel storage tank applications.

Tandem SAW (Submerged Arc Welding) is one welding process that has been applied to maximize the welding productivity at the panel stage in ship building field. The weld bead profiles produced by Tandem SA welding exceed the acceptance criteria specified in some international regulations, such as AWS D1.1, ISO 5817 and NORSOK M-101. These regulations limit the applicable weld bead profiles, especially weld bead height, regardless of any consideration of design category. The fundamental reason for the limitation of weld bead profiles is related to the weldment fatigue properties. In this regard, we have investigated the effect of weld profiles on fatigue properties. The effect of weld bead profiles on fatigue properties has been experimentally verified and statistically analyzed, and new criteria for weld bead profiles which satisfy E curve as the design S-N curve are proposed for tandem SA welding.

Fatigue strength of welded joints varies depending on the shape, filler metal, welding procedure, and post-treatment method. In addition, mean stress affects the fatigue behavior in terms of stress ratio. Typically, it is well known that tensile mean stress tends to decrease fatigue life while compressive mean stress increase fatigue life. There are various methods to incorporate the mean stress effect in fatigue strength, but there are relatively few correction methods in compressive mean stress, especially in low cycle fatigue regime.In this study, a load-based fatigue test was conducted to evaluate the effect of mean stress on the welded joints of High Yield strength steel(HY Steel) with T-joint shape. The effect of the mean stress on the welded part of HY Steel with a T-joint shape was investigated using stress-based mean stress correction methods and strain-based mean stress correction methods. When the effective mean stress approach, which can correct compressive mean stress and tensile mean stress, is applied to HY Steel with a T-joint shape, it shows accurate correction result than stress-based mean stress correction method and strain-based mean stress correction method. Sensitivity parameters to consider mean stress for HY steel are presented.

Welding is used as the main joining method in various industries, including the shipbuilding industry. In the case of welded structures, structural integrity assessment is essential to ensure the safety of the structure because many defects inevitably exist during the manufacturing process. The value of reliable fracture toughness is required for structural integrity assessment. It is obtained by the fracture toughness test, but the fracture toughness test requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, many studies have been conducted on efficient methods to evaluate fracture toughness. Among the various studies that estimate fracture toughness, some have been conducted using the Charpy impact test, which is relatively simple compared to the fracture toughness test. This study conducted a series of experimental investigations on API 2W Gr.50 steel applied with different welding conditions. Based on the Charpy impact test results, the fracture behavior was well estimated in the ductile to brittle transition region according to the temperature. However, there was a difference in the accuracy of predicting fracture behavior depending on the welding process. Therefore, additional consideration reflecting the various welding conditions is required to ensure the safety of welded structures.