EP2999823B1 - Harbour storage facility for liquid fuel - Google Patents

Description

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of liquid fuel storage, such as liquid natural gas.

More specifically, the invention relates to a port storage facility for liquid fuel.

2. Solutions of the prior art

In order to allow the ships to refuel themselves during their different journeys, it is known, particularly from the document FR2980164 , to implement, at sea, liquid fuel storage and refueling stations to allow ships passing nearby to refuel.

However, a disadvantage of such stations is that they involve, on the part of the ships, an additional stop to perform the refueling, in addition to the loading / unloading of the goods or the passengers in the different ports. Such a solution is therefore expensive in terms of time and can cause delays which is not satisfactory.

There are also solutions implementing structures moored to the ports. Such structures are built on the docks and allow ships to refuel in parallel with the loading / unloading of goods.

However, such a technique poses a problem because it necessarily encroaches on the platform and consequently reduces the mooring area available for the vessel. Furthermore, such a technique is forced to be positioned near a ship which requires to move relatively frequently such structures to account for the position of ships. The use and maintenance of such a technique is therefore relatively difficult and expensive, which is therefore not satisfactory either.

The document WO99 / 54235A describes liquid storage modules and / or fuel anchored in the seabed by anchors that oppose the buoyancy and lateral forces.

The document US6017167 describes port structures created entirely with liquid and / or fuel storage modules.

3. Objectives of the invention

The object of the invention is in particular to solve at least partly the disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly, an objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide an installation that would allow refueling liquid fuel for ships without increasing the number of stops that they must make.

Another objective of at least one embodiment is to provide such an installation whose dock size is limited or eliminated and whose implementation requires little or no modifications.

Yet another object of at least one embodiment is to provide a facility that is simple and inexpensive to implement.

4. Summary of the invention

• une surface supérieure sensiblement parallèle à la surface libre de la mer ;
• une surface frontale adjacente à la surface supérieure et en partie immergée,

l'installation comprenant au moins un module présentant un caisson flottant contenant une cuve étanche pouvant contenir du combustible liquide, tel que du GNL (pour gaz naturel liquide),
le caisson présentant un contour fermé formé d'une face supérieure, une face inférieure, et de plusieurs faces latérales.These objectives, as well as others that will appear thereafter, are achieved with the aid of a port fuel storage facility located near a wharf consisting of at least:

• an upper surface substantially parallel to the free surface of the sea;
• a frontal surface adjacent to the upper surface and partly immersed,

the installation comprising at least one module having a floating box containing a sealed tank that can contain liquid fuel, such as LNG (for liquid natural gas),
the box having a closed contour formed of an upper face, a lower face, and several side faces.

According to the invention, the module is intended to be fixed to the dock and has anchoring means for connecting one of the lateral faces of the box to the front surface of the platform, the lower face and the side faces of the box then being at least partly immersed.

Thus, the invention proposes a new and inventive approach that makes it possible to solve at least in part the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the proposed solution makes it possible to provide an installation that offers a possibility of refueling liquid fuel for the ships without increasing the number of stops that they must make. Indeed, the ships can refuel and load / unload at the same time their goods as they are docked.

In addition, the footprint is limited by the fact that the module is not placed or fixed on the upper surface of the dock but on the front surface.

In addition, the invention proves to be simple and inexpensive to implement because it does not require modifications of the infrastructures present at the wharf or the ship but simply the implementation of means for fixing the module.

In a particular embodiment, the upper face of the box is formed substantially in the extension of the upper surface of the wharf.

As a result, the installation not only makes it possible not to encroach on the dock and thus on the mooring area, but it also makes it possible to widen this mooring area by providing an enlarged area.

In a variant, the lower face of the box rests on posts fixed to the bottom of the sea.

Thus, this keeps the box in place and thus limit the forces exerted on the anchoring means, including the forces due to the weight of the box and the forces due to the marine current.

According to another variant, these posts are hollow.

According to another embodiment, a space is provided between the box and the tank of the module.

Such a space makes it possible to further confine the tank containing the liquid fuel away from the edges of the module.

In this case, the module may include compartments arranged in this space.

Therefore, this gives the possibility of placing means of control, security, cooling for example. These means are thus inside the module and are therefore protected.

In a variant of the installation, the box has a substantially parallelepipedic outline.

This contour thus makes it possible to insert the module in a relatively easy manner in the environment in which it is supposed to evolve, namely in support against the platforms. In addition, a juxtaposition of modules along a dock is facilitated.

Ideally, this box can extend over the entire length of the wharf, forming a new wharf surface along the wharf.

In one embodiment of the installation, the box has edges connecting the side faces, upper and lower, and these edges have a rounded profile.

These rounded edges reduce the risk of shocks causing damage with ships when moored near the boxes.

According to one embodiment of the installation, the box is made of concrete.

In this way, the consequences of the force due to the mass of the module are limited by the reverse thrust carried by the sea.

In a variant, the module is removably attached to the dock.

This makes it easier to handle such modules, especially when they need to be repaired or replaced.

5. List of figures

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe latérale d'un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention ; et
• la figure 2 est une vue du dessus d'un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention.

Other features and advantages will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:

• the figure 1 is a side sectional view of a first embodiment of the invention; and
• the figure 2 is a view from above of a second embodiment of the invention.

6. Detailed description

We present now, in relation to the figure 1 , a first embodiment of the invention.

As illustrated on this figure 1 , the installation comprises a module 1 which is provided near a platform 2 for loading and unloading.

The platform 2 illustrated here is formed of an upper surface 21 substantially parallel to the free surface of the sea 9 and a front surface 22 adjacent to the upper surface 22 and partially immersed. This pier 2 is a classic harbor dock that can be found in most seaports.

The module 1 consists of a floating box 10 containing a sealed tank 11 which can be filled with liquid fuel, which in this example is liquefied natural gas (otherwise known as LNG). The casing 10 has a closed substantially parallelepipedal contour formed of an upper face 100, a lower face 101 and four lateral faces 102 (two lateral faces are visible in this sectional view). Edges 103 each having a rounded profile connect the upper faces 100, lower 101 with the four lateral faces 102 of the box 10. In this way, a ship 8 arriving close to the module 1 has, in the event of an impact with this module 1, limited risk of damage hull because the module has no "aggressive surface". The casing 10 has, in this example, a length of 50 meters for a width of 10 meters and a height of 7 meters. In other embodiments, the edges may not be rounded but may have another shape, such as a right-angled edge or a polygonal edge.

In a preferred embodiment, the box 10 is made of marine concrete (for example PM-ES class cement). This allows the consequences of the force due to the mass of the module 10 to be limited by the reverse thrust made by the sea. However, in other embodiments, the box may be made of other materials such as 'stainless steel. For its part, the tank 11 is made of a waterproof material and preferably adiabatic so that the liquefied natural gas is thermally insulated. In this example, it presents a filling capacity of 1500 cubic meters.

• des vannes manuelles pour isoler les conduites dans lesquelles circule le combustible liquide ;
• des pompes immergées dans le combustible et débouchant dans ces compartiments, ou espace interparoi ;
• des vannes pneumatiques pour l'ouverture et/ou la fermeture du flux ;
• diverses tuyauteries ;
• des systèmes de détection de fuite de combustible ;

The tank 11 and the box 10 are separated by a space for arranging compartments 12. These compartments 12 may for example be compartments in which are housed safety equipment, monitoring, cooling, pumping, or any other useful equipment for this type of installation. In particular, this equipment can be:

• manual valves for isolating the pipes in which the liquid fuel circulates;
• pumps immersed in the fuel and opening into these compartments, or inter-wall space;
• pneumatic valves for opening and / or closing the flow;
• various pipes;
• fuel leak detection systems;

Module 1 is therefore autonomous and does not require the addition of additional means on the platform, except a power source to power the module, which remains compatible with the objectives of the invention because such a source power is easily integrated at the dock. In addition, it may be advantageous to size these compartments so that a person can slip in, for example to inspect the condition of the tanks. This module may also include refueling means, such as a refueling arm 81, so that ships (which may be ferries or LNG carriers) docked can refuel in LNG when they are docked. It can also be provided in other embodiments, that this module does not include refueling means but simply means for coupling to independent refueling means.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the module 1 is fixed to the platform 2 by anchoring means 3 (here two anchoring means 3) which connect the front surface of the platform 22 with the lateral face 102 of the box 10 which is in position. With regard to the front surface 22. When the module 1 is fixed, it is at least partially immersed, that is to say that the lower face 101 is completely immersed while the side faces 102 are partially immersed in this example .

The lower face 101 of the module 1 rests on concrete posts 4 fixed to the bottom of the sea. Advantageously, the posts 4 are integral with the module 1 and are hollow (tubes). The posts 4 further comprise means (valves, pipes ...) for creating a vacuum in the hollow portion of the post 4 with the aid of a vacuum pump.

Thus, by creating a depression in the hollow portion of the posts 4, they sink into the seabed. This technique is particularly used for anchoring oil platforms on the seabed.

Of course, it is possible to arrange the posts 4 on the seabed prior to their assembly on the module 1. The posts 4 can then be full and in other material than concrete (steel ...).

As illustrated on this figure 1 , the module 1 is placed so that the upper face 100 of the box 10 is in the extension of the upper surface 21 of the platform 2. In this way, the module 1 forms a sort of extension of the platform 2. For this purpose , the module 1 may comprise junction means between the upper face 100 and the upper surface 21 so that these two surfaces form a continuous surface extending from the platform 2 to the module 1. The joining means (not shown) can thus include joints and rigid plates (steel or concrete for example) to extend the platform 2 to module 1 continuously, so that people or vehicles can flow from platform 2 to module 1 without hindrance.

According to the embodiments, it is possible for several modules to be aligned on the bottom of the front surface of a platform. According to a second embodiment such as that illustrated in figure 2 , in which are implemented four modules 1 which are placed in succession, the These four modules represent, in this example, a capacity of approximately 6000 cubic meters of LNG over a total length of approximately 200 meters. As illustrated in this figure, these four modules are interconnected by lines 13 which allows to harmonize the amount of liquid fuel contained in each module and thus form a single "entity" for storing liquid fuel.

The modules are preferably manufactured outside the port and, thanks to their buoyancy, are towed to their final anchoring point. Thus, the work in the port is limited to the construction of the posts 4 and the fixing of the module on the dock. The operation is also simplified when the posts 4 are integral with the module 1 as soon as they are manufactured.

It is also possible to provide variants in which the module, and more particularly the box, would have an outline whose profile is not parallelepipedal but adapted to the constraints of the port or the LNG tanks.

In addition, an embodiment can be provided in which the modules are not placed between the dock and the ship but opposite the ship, that is to say on a front surface opposite to another facing front surface. of the ship to reload. In this case, the refueling arm would also reload the ship with liquid fuel.

Finally, we can provide a variant in which the module does not include a space between the tank and the box.

Claims (9)

1. Harbour storage facility for liquid fuel, installed close to a quay (2), said quay being formed from at least:

   - an upper surface (21) substantially parallel to the free surface of the sea (9);

   - a front surface (22) adjacent to the upper surface (1) and partially submerged,

   with the facility comprising at least one module (1) having a tank (10) containing a leakproof reservoir (11) that can contain liquid fuel,
   with the tank (10) having a closed contour formed from an upper face (100), a lower face (101), and of several side faces (102),
   with the module (1) being intended to be fixed to the quay (2) and having anchoring means (3) intended to connect one of the side faces (102) of the tank (10) to the front surface (22) of the quay (2), the lower face (101) and the side faces (102) of the tank (10) then being at least partially submerged.
2. Facility according to claim 1, characterised in that the upper face (100) of the tank (10) is arranged substantially in the extension of the upper surface (21) of the quay (2) and in that the facility comprises junction means between the upper face (100) and the upper surface (21).
3. Facility according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the lower face (101) of the tank (10) rests on posts (4) fixed to the bottom of the sea.
4. Facility according to claim 3 characterised in that the posts (4) are hollow.
5. Facility according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a space is arranged between the tank (10) and the reservoir (11).
6. Facility according to claim 5, characterised in that the module (1) comprises compartments (12) arranged in the space between the tank (10) and the reservoir (11) and in that at least one of the compartments (12) comprises equipment.
7. Facility according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tank (10) has a substantially parallelepiped contour.
8. Facility according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the tank (10) is made of concrete.
9. Facility according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the module (1) is removably fixed to the quay (2).

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