Numerical model to predict deformation of corrugated austenitic stainless steel sheet under cryogenic temperatures for design of liquefied natural gas insulation system

• A material test for 304L stainless steel was performed below room temperature.
• A viscoplastic-damage model was proposed to express the nonlinear behaviors.
• A continuum damage mechanics approach is coupled with the viscoplastic model.
• FE analysis of the corrugated sheet was validated using a laboratory-scale test.

Austenitic stainless steel exhibits nonlinear hardening behavior at low temperature and under various strain rate conditions caused by the phenomenon of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP). In this study, a uniaxial tensile test for 304L austenitic stainless steel was performed below ambient temperature (−163, −140, −120, −50, and 20 °C) and at strain rates (10−4, 10−3, and 10−2 s−1) to identify nonlinear mechanical characteristics. In addition, a viscoplastic damage model was proposed and implemented in a user-defined material subroutine to provide a theoretical explanation of the nonlinear hardening features. The verification was conducted not only by a material-based comparative study involving experimental investigations, but also by a structural application to the corrugated steel membrane of a Mark-III-type cargo containment system for liquefied natural gas. In addition, an accumulated damage contour was represented to predict the failure location by using a continuum damage mechanics approach.