CN114008375A

CN114008375A - Self-supporting box suitable for supporting and insulating a sealing film

Info

Publication number: CN114008375A
Application number: CN202180003506.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·萨西; J·布高特; M·鸿德乔
Original assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Current assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Priority date: 2020-05-27
Filing date: 2021-05-06
Publication date: 2022-02-01
Also published as: EP4139602A1; KR20220012837A; JP2023527013A; WO2021239432A1; FR3110952A1; FR3110952B1; KR102548503B1

Abstract

The self-supporting box comprises at least one recess (30), the recess (30) being formed in the covering panel and being exposed on the top surface of the covering panel to accommodate the welding support; at least one supporting baffle (26) extending longitudinally, coinciding in the vertical direction with the groove (30); fasteners (35) at right angles to the top surfaces of the base plate (22) and the support baffle (26) to fasten the support baffle to the cover panel; the top surface of the support baffle (26) is wider than the bottom (32) of the groove (30), and the fastener (35) is engaged in a region of the base plate (22) that is laterally offset relative to the bottom (32) of the groove. The primary insulating barrier of the tank consists essentially of a box filled with insulating filler. The primary sealing film is held on the cover panel by a welding support inserted in the groove (30).

Description

Self-supporting box suitable for supporting and insulating a sealing film

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for containing fluids integrated in a supporting structure, in particular tanks with a membrane for containing liquefied gases, in particular fuel gases. In particular, the invention also relates to a self-supporting box made of wood, suitable for supporting and insulating the membrane of such a tank.

Sealed, thermally insulated tanks may be used to store fluids in various industries. For example, in the energy field, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a high methane-containing liquid that is stored at atmospheric pressure in onshore storage tanks or tanks embedded in floating structures at about-163 ℃. The storage temperature of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is between-50 ℃ and 0 ℃.

In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be used to transport liquefied gas or to contain liquefied gas for use as fuel to propel the floating structure.

Background

A self-supporting box made of wood, suitable for supporting and insulating A sealing membrane intended to contain A fluid, is known, for example from FR- A-2867831, comprising: a bottom panel; a side web fixed to the bottom panel and protruding at a right angle at one side of the bottom panel to define the outline of the inner space of the box body; a cover panel supported and fixed on the upper edge of the side web, parallel to and spaced apart from the bottom panel, thereby closing the inner space of the box body, the cover panel including a top plate and a bottom plate which are overlapped and fixed to each other; at least one groove formed on the cover panel and exposed on the top surface of the cover panel to receive a welding supporter for holding the sealing film on the cover panel; at least one supporting partition extending longitudinally parallel to the grooves, coinciding in the vertical direction with the or each groove, arranged at right angles to the bottom panel and to the covering panel, the supporting partition extending between the side webs to divide the interior space into a plurality of compartments for containing insulating padding; the supporting partition has a top surface contacting with the bottom plate of the cover panel and a bottom surface contacting with the bottom panel; and a fastener in right angle engagement with the upper surface of the support spacer at the bottom panel to secure the support spacer to the cover panel.

In FR- A-2867831, the self-supporting box is used to create A primary insulating barrier that supports A primary sealing membrane. The primary sealing membrane is welded to a welded support which forms a sliding joint with the connecting strip which is stapled in the groove. To this end, a longitudinal groove passes through the two plates of the covering panel and the top of the underlying supporting partition between the two rows of nails.

It is also an existing practice to use secondary self-supporting boxes, for example according to FR- A-2867831 or WO- A-8909909, which comprise A simple covering panel with A groove having A T-shaped section to accommodate A wing-like welding support folded at right angles. In FR- A-2867831, there is no supporting partition coinciding with the groove in the vertical direction. In WO-A-8909909, the cover panel is secured to the underlying support screen by screws received in the bottom of the recesses.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is thus to propose a robust self-supporting box which can be used to make primary thermal barriers in tanks which are likely to be subjected to dynamic stresses and shocks caused by the swinging of the load. Another object of the invention is to allow the use of wing welded supports folded at right angles also in the primary sealing film, for example to simplify the manufacturing procedure or to standardize it and to reduce the parts inventory.

To this end, the invention provides a self-supporting cartridge as described above, characterized in that the recess has a cross-section comprising, in the thickness direction of the top plate, a wider bottom and a narrower aperture portion in this order, and in that the top surface of the supporting partition is wider than the bottom of the recess, the fastening means being engaged in a region of the bottom plate which is laterally offset with respect to the bottom of the recess.

By virtue of these features, the fastening means engaged in the bottom panel to fasten the supporting bulkhead to the covering panel do not embrittle the covering panel in a vertical direction coinciding with the recess. This arrangement therefore makes it possible to reliably fix the supporting diaphragm, while at the same time the mechanical strength of the covering panel is increased compared to the case of the prior art.

Such a self-supporting cartridge may, according to embodiments, comprise one or more of the following arrangements.

Preferably, the groove is formed only on the top plate of the cover panel.

Preferably, the fastening means fasten the supporting bulkhead to the covering panel independently of the top plate. Thus, the top panel of the covering panel is not embrittled by the presence of the fastener.

According to one embodiment, the groove has a T-shaped cross-section, wherein the bottom of the groove corresponds to the cross-bars of the T and the mouth of the hole corresponds to the vertical bars of the T.

According to one embodiment the bottom of the groove has a width between 20mm and 30 mm.

According to one embodiment, the difference between the width of the bottom of the groove and the width of the top surface of the supporting spacer is greater than 10 mm.

According to one embodiment, the position of the median line of the bottom of the groove coincides in the vertical direction with the median plane of the supporting baffle.

According to one embodiment, the fasteners are positioned on both sides of the median plane of the support screen.

According to one embodiment, the supporting spacer is made of wood, plywood or a composite material.

According to one embodiment, the support spacer has a uniform width wider than the bottom of the groove.

According to another embodiment, the internal partition has a top seat plate positioned in parallel on the floor and a central portion disposed below the top seat plate, the top seat plate being wider than the bottom of the groove, the central portion having a width equal to or less than the bottom of the groove.

According to one embodiment, the supporting bulkhead has a multi-layer structure in the width direction, the multi-layer structure including a core made of an insulating material and two side plates that are harder than the insulating material, the fasteners being engaged in the side plates. For example, the insulating material is selected from the group consisting of polymer foam (in particular polyurethane foam), mineral fibers (in particular glass wool), cotton batting and expanded polystyrene.

According to one embodiment, two parallel grooves are formed in the covering panel and a respective internal partition extends in vertical direction in line with each groove.

According to one embodiment, the cartridge has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped form.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a sealed and insulated tank for storing a fluid, the tank comprising a tank wall fixed to a support wall, wherein the tank wall comprises, from an outside to an inside of the tank in a thickness direction: a secondary insulating barrier held on the supporting wall, a secondary sealing film held on the secondary insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier held on the secondary sealing film, a primary sealing film held on the primary insulating barrier, characterized in that the primary insulating barrier is mainly composed of the above-mentioned box body and filled with an insulating filler, the primary sealing film being held on the covering panel of the box body by a welding support inserted in the groove.

According to one embodiment, the fluid is a liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied ethylene.

Such tanks may form part of an onshore storage facility, a storage facility placed on the seabed, for example for storing liquefied natural gas, or be installed on floating, coastal or deep water structures, in particular methane tankers, Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs), floating production and storage offshore units (FPSOs), etc.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for transporting fluids comprises a double hull and the above-described tank located in the double hull. According to one embodiment, the double hull comprises an inner hull forming a supporting wall for the tank.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein the fluid is transferred from or from the floating or onshore storage facility to or from the vessel's tanks through insulated pipes.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a fluid transfer system comprising a vessel as described above, an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a tank mounted in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility, and a pump for driving fluid from the floating or onshore storage facility through the insulated pipeline to the tank of the vessel or from the tank of the vessel through the insulated pipeline to the floating or onshore storage facility.

Drawings

The invention will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and its objects, details, characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustration and not limitation.

FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view of a sealed and insulated tank wall that can use a self-supporting box.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a self-supporting box for the primary insulating barrier of the tank wall of fig. 1.

Fig. 3, 4, 5 are enlarged views of the region III of fig. 2, showing three embodiments of the support baffle.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a methane tanker tank and an end station for loading/unloading the tank.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1, the general structure of a sealed and thermally insulated tank wall 1 is shown, the tank wall 1 being integrated and fixed to a supporting wall 2. The tank wall 1 may form part of a tank of different geometry, for example polyhedral. Fig. 1 shows a tank wall 1 seen from above in perspective, with a partial section showing the structure of the wall. This structure can be applied to a wide range of surfaces in various directions, for example, covering the bottom, top and side walls of a polyhedral tank. Thus, the orientation of FIG. 1 is not limited in this respect. By convention, "above" will mean a position located closer to the interior of the tank and "below" will mean a position located closer to the supporting wall 2, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the earth's gravitational field.

The tank wall 1 comprises in its thickness in sequence: a secondary insulating barrier 3, the secondary insulating barrier 3 being formed by a box arranged side by side on the support wall 2 and retained on the support wall 2 by a secondary retaining member; then a secondary sealing film 4 carried by the secondary insulating barrier 3; then by means of a primary insulating barrier formed by the juxtaposed box 5 and retained on the secondary sealing film 4 by means of a primary retaining member, itself fixed on the secondary retaining member, and finally, a primary sealing film 6 carried on the box 5. Secondary and primary retaining members are described, for example, in FR- A-2798902.

The primary sealing film 6 may consist of a continuous sheet 10 made of steel (known as invar) with a high nickel content (e.g. 37%) and with an expansion coefficient typically between 1.2 x 10-6 and 2 x 10-6K-1. It is also possible to use ferro-manganese alloys with an expansion coefficient of generally the order of 7 to 9 x 10-6K-1. The sheet 10 is welded tightly by its convex lateral edges to parallel welding supports 8, which welding supports 8 are held in grooves of the covering panel 7 of the box 5. The secondary sealing film 4 may be made identically as shown in fig. 1 or differently. Reference numeral 9 denotes a groove for receiving a welding support of the secondary sealing film 4.

The box 5, partially visible in figure 1, has the form of an overall parallelepiped. Fig. 2 shows a plan side view thereof according to arrow II of fig. 1.

With reference to fig. 2, the bottom plate 22 and the top plate 21, which are rigidly fixed to each other, for example by screwing, gluing and/or nailing, constitute a covering panel. For example, the top plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 are fixed together at the periphery of the supporting

partition

26, 126 or 226 and vertically coincide with the second partition 25, while the top plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 are fixed with the second partition 25. The bottom panel 23 and the covering panel 7 have a rectangular profile and are mutually spaced apart by two longitudinal end webs 27 and two lateral end webs 24 which together form the profile of the inner space of the box 5. This internal space is separated by two supporting partitions 26, which coincide in the vertical direction with the positioning of the grooves 30, and possibly by an auxiliary partition 25 which is narrower than the supporting partitions 26. The supporting webs 26 and the auxiliary webs 25 extend longitudinally at right angles to the two longitudinal end webs 27 and parallel to the two lateral end webs 24. All these elements are fixed as much as possible by nailing, screwing and/or gluing. By way of example, the secondary baffles 25 have a width of 12mm, and the longitudinal end webs 27 and the lateral end webs 24 have a width of between 12mm and 24 mm.

In order to perform the insulating function of the box 5, the cells are filled with insulating filler, for example made of a material chosen from expanded perlite, granular or fibrous aerogel material, expanded polystyrene, glass wool, cellulose batting, low-density polymer foam, for example made of polyethylene, polyurethane, etc.

The dimensions of the box 5 may of course differ from the example shown in fig. 2. The box 5 may have a single supporting diaphragm 26 and a single recess 30, or conversely, more than two supporting diaphragms 26 and recesses 30, across its width.

As can be better seen in fig. 3, according to the prior art, the groove 30 has an inverted T-shaped cross-section, the groove 30 comprising a horizontal and wide bottom 32 and a vertical and narrow mouth 31 to engage a welding wing folded at right angles. Alternatively, the bottom 32 may extend to one side of the orifice portion, giving the groove an L-shaped cross-section.

The support baffle 26 is a sheet of plywood having a width W greater than the width of the base 32. This excess width allows the rows of staples 35 to be placed laterally offset with respect to the base 32, that is, outside the area in direct vertical alignment with the groove 30, to secure the support baffle 26 to the base 22. This arrangement maintains the rigidity of the covering panel 7 despite the relatively large width of the groove 30, for example 24mm wide at its base 32. In fact, even if the staples 35 can locally reduce the rigidity of the bottom plate 22 covering the panel, this weakening does not occur at the same point as the narrowing caused by the grooves 30. Preferably, the excess width of the supporting baffle 26 is greater than 10 mm. For example, the width W is 36mm or more, and preferably 42 mm.

In fig. 3, the rigidity of the covering panel 7 is further enhanced by: the groove 30 is formed only in the top plate 21 covering the panel. Therefore, the groove 30 does not affect the rigidity of the bottom plate 22. The fastener 35 does not affect the rigidity of the top plate 21. The support baffle 26 is centered below the groove 30 and is symmetrical with respect to the median plane. Fasteners 35 are located on either side of the median plane of the support deck.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the supporting spacer 126, the supporting spacer 126 having a multi-layered structure in its width direction, with a core 41 made of an insulating material, and two side plates 42 on both sides of the core 41 that are harder than the insulating material. The fastener 35 is engaged in a side plate 42, the side plate 42 being made of plywood, for example. This configuration makes it possible to limit the weight and thermal bridges with respect to the supporting bulkhead 26. For example, the side plate 42 has a width of 12 mm.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the supporting partition 226 having, in order in the thickness direction of the case 5, a top seat plate 52 positioned in parallel on the bottom plate 22 and a central portion 51 disposed below the top seat plate 52. A top seat plate 52. The width W of the top seat pan 52 is greater than the width of the bottom 32. Conversely, the width of the central portion 51 may be equal to or less than the width of the bottom 32 of the groove 30. The top seat plate 52 and the central portion 51 are made of plywood, for example. This configuration makes it possible to limit the weight and thermal bridges with respect to the supporting screen 26. For example, the width of the central portion 51 is between 18mm and 30mm, preferably 24 mm. As an example, the top seat plate 52 has a width greater than 24mm, such as 42mm, 50mm or 60 mm.

In one embodiment, the width of top deck 52 may be equal to or less than the spacing between support bulkhead 226 and the secondary bulkhead adjacent to support bulkhead 226. In one embodiment, the support baffles 226 and possibly the secondary baffles 25 are distributed at uniform intervals, and the top deck 52 may have a width equal to or less than the uniform intervals.

Fig. 2 also shows other features of the self-supporting box 5, which can be used as desired: to circulate the inert gas in the primary insulating barrier, holes 28 are formed in the web 27 of the box 5. The venting plugs 17, made of glass fabric, are glued in front of each hole 28 on the inner surface of the web 27 to avoid leakage of the insulating filler. The fixing tongue 19, which serves as a bearing surface for the primary holding member, is fixed to the web 27 on the edge of the bottom panel 23. A reinforcing comb 16, which is at right angles to the supporting and

auxiliary partitions

26, 25 and extends between the webs 24 at right angles to the bottom panel 23. At its intersection with the supporting diaphragm 26 and the auxiliary diaphragm 25, it has notches to form a fit with the supporting diaphragm 26 and the secondary diaphragm 25. A groove 18 formed in the bottom panel 23 and the support spacer 26 so that a protruding portion of the secondary sealing film 4 can be engaged.

The composite material may be used in place of plywood for producing all or part of a self-supporting box. Suitable composites are taught, for example, in WO-A-2015079135.

The primary insulating barrier may be constituted entirely by the box 5 described above, or only in certain parts of the tank. For example, the above-described box 5 may be used near the rim of the tank, while other insulating blocks may be used for other parts of the tank wall. Such an arrangement is described, for example, in WO-A-2019077253.

Referring to fig. 6, a cross-sectional view of a methane tanker 70 shows a generally prismatic, sealed, insulated tank 71 installed in the double hull 72 of a marine vessel. The wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary sealing barrier for contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel, and two insulating barriers arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively. In a simplified variant, the vessel comprises a single hull.

As is known per se, a loading/unloading pipe 73 arranged on the top deck of the ship may be connected to a marine or port terminal by means of a suitable connector for transferring liquefied gas cargo from or to the tank 71.

Fig. 6 shows an example of an offshore terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, a subsea line 76 and an onshore facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore installation that includes a mobile arm 74 and a riser 78 supporting the mobile arm 74. The moving arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible tubes 79 which can be connected to the loading/unloading duct 73. The orientable moving arm 74 is suitable for all methane tanker templates. A connection line, not shown, extends inside the stand pipe 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the methane tanker 70 to be loaded and unloaded from the onshore facility 77 or to the onshore facility 77. The onshore facility 77 includes a liquefied gas tank 80 and a connection line 81 connected by a subsea pipeline 76 to a loading or unloading station 75. The subsea pipeline 76 allows liquefied gas to be transported a significant distance, for example 5 kilometers, between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 so that the methane tanker 70 can be kept a significant distance from shore during loading and unloading operations.

In order to generate the pressure required for the transfer of liquefied gas, pumps built into the vessel 70 and/or pumps deployed at onshore facilities 77 and/or pumps provided with the load-off-load station 75 are applied.

Although the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is clear that it is in no way limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations, provided that the latter fall within the framework of the invention.

Use of the verb "comprise" or "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A self-supporting cartridge (5) adapted to support and insulate a sealing membrane (6) for containing a fluid, said cartridge (5) comprising:

a bottom panel (23);

side webs (24, 27) fixed to the bottom panel and projecting at right angles at one side of the bottom panel to define the outline of the interior space of the box;

a cover panel (7) supported and fixed to the upper edge of the side web, parallel to and at a distance from the bottom panel to close the inner space of the box, the cover panel comprising a top plate (21) and a bottom plate (22) superposed and fixed to each other;

at least one groove (30) formed on the cover panel and exposed on a top surface thereof to receive a welding support (8) for holding a sealing film (6) on the cover panel;

-at least one supporting partition (26, 126, 226) extending longitudinally parallel to said groove (30), coinciding with the groove (30) in a vertical direction, said supporting partition being arranged at right angles to said bottom panel (23) and to said covering panel (7), said supporting partition extending between said lateral webs (27) to divide said internal space into a plurality of compartments for containing insulating padding, said supporting partition (26, 126, 226) having a top face in contact with the bottom panel (22) of the covering panel and a bottom face in contact with the bottom panel;

a fastener (35) in right angle engagement with the bottom panel (22) and the top surface of the support baffle (26, 126, 226) to fasten the support baffle to the cover panel;

characterized in that the groove (30) has a cross-section comprising, in order in the thickness direction of the top plate, a wider bottom portion (32) and a narrower orifice portion (31);

and the top surface of the supporting bulkhead (26, 126, 226) is wider than the bottom (32) of the groove, the fastener (35) being engaged in a region of the bottom plate (22) laterally offset with respect to the bottom (32) of the groove.

2. A box according to claim 1, wherein the recess (30) is formed only in the top panel (21) of the covering panel.

3. A box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fastening means (35) fasten the supporting bulkhead (26, 126, 226) to the covering panel independently of the top plate (21).

4. A cartridge according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the groove (30) has a T-shaped cross-section, wherein the bottom (32) of the groove corresponds to a transverse bar in the T-shape and the mouth (31) of the groove corresponds to a vertical bar in the T-shape.

5. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the bottom (32) of the recess is between 20mm and 30 mm.

6. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the difference between the width of the bottom (32) of the recess and the width (W) of the top surface of the supporting partition is greater than 10 mm.

7. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the midline of the bottom (32) of the recess coincides with the vertical orientation of the median plane of the supporting screen (26, 126, 226).

8. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fasteners (35) are located on either side of the median plane of the support screen.

9. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the support partitions (26, 126, 226) are made of wood, plywood or a composite material.

10. A cassette as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the support baffle (26, 126) has a uniform width wider than the bottom of the recess.

11. The cassette of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the internal partition (226) has a top seat plate (52) positioned parallel on the bottom plate (22) and a central portion (51) disposed below the top seat plate, the top seat plate (52) being wider than the bottom (32) of the recess, the central portion (51) having a width equal to or less than the width of the bottom (32) of the recess.

12. A box according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the supporting bulkhead (126) has a multilayer structure in the width direction, the multilayer structure comprising a core (41) made of insulating material and two side plates (42) harder than the insulating material, the fastening member (35) being engaged in the side plates (42).

13. A box according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising two parallel grooves (30) formed in the cover panel and a respective internal partition (26, 126, 226) extending in vertical direction in line with each groove.

14. A sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing fluids, said tank comprising a tank wall (1) fixed to a supporting wall (2), wherein the tank wall comprises, in the thickness direction, from the outside to the inside of the tank: -a secondary insulating barrier (3) retained on the supporting wall (2), -a secondary sealing film (4) retained on the secondary insulating barrier, -a primary insulating barrier retained on the secondary sealing film, and-a primary sealing film (6) retained on the primary insulating barrier, characterized in that the primary insulating barrier is mainly composed of a box (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and is filled with an insulating filler, the primary sealing film (6) being retained on a covering panel of the box by means of a welding support (8) inserted in the groove (30).

15. A vessel (70) for transporting fluids, the vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to claim 14 in the double hull (72).

16. A fluid transfer system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 15, insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the vessel's tanks (71) to a floating or onshore storage facility (77), and a pump for driving fluid from or from the vessel's tanks through the insulated pipes into the vessel's tanks.

17. A method of loading or unloading a vessel (70) as claimed in claim 15, wherein fluid is transferred from a floating or onshore storage unit (77) to the vessel's tank (71) or from the vessel's tank (71) to the floating or onshore storage unit (77) by insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81).