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.