EP4179247A1

EP4179247A1 - Storage facility for a liquefied gas and/or a hazardous liquid

Info

Publication number: EP4179247A1
Application number: EP21739373.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bruno Deletre
Original assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Current assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Priority date: 2020-07-08
Filing date: 2021-07-05
Publication date: 2023-05-17
Also published as: WO2022008432A1; FR3112380A1; FR3112380B1; KR20230038471A; CN115803558A; AU2021306848A1; JP2023533242A

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage facility (1) for storage (1) of a liquefied gas and/or a liquid comprising a coating layer (3) of a tank (71) made of a polymer material or of a mixture of polymer materials, and an intermediate layer (5), disposed between the coating layer (3) and the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71), the intermediate layer (5) allows the circulation of gas in order to press the intermediate layer (5) against the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71), and/or to allow the detection of liquid or gas coming from the storage space (4) in the event of a break in the sealing of the coating layer (3) and/or from the outside of the storage space (4) in the event of a break in the sealing of the tank (71).

Description

Title of the invention: Storage installation for a liquefied gas and/or a dangerous liquid

The invention relates to the field of storage facilities for liquefied gas and / or dangerous liquid comprising in particular an independent sealed tank of type A, B or C according to the IGC Code. In the context of the present invention, the definitions given for the independent tanks of type A, B and C according to the IGC Code refer to the "International compendium of rules relating to the construction and equipment of ships transporting liquefied gases in bulk". , 2016 edition.

Thus, in particular but not exclusively, the invention relates to the field of sealed tanks for the storage and / or transport of liquefied gas at low temperature, such as tanks for the transport of ammonia. These tanks can also be installed on land or on a floating structure.

In the state of the art, document FR 2996556 is known, which describes a liner, or internal coating, for a CNG ("Compressed Natural Gas") tank of the polyamide type with at least one impact modifier representing 10% to 30% by weight, this shock modifier possibly consisting of a rubber. Also, the document US 20090203845 which describes a tank for hydrogen comprising a polyamide and copolyamide liner comprising between 15% and 20% of an impact resistance agent.

[0004]Document US 20120080106 is also known, which describes a reservoir for pressurized liquid fluid with a metal main wall and a liner made of polyethylene, a polyethylene-based copolymer or even a polyolefin with C3-C8 blocks.

[0005] Finally, document DE 202010017414 describes a gas tank, of cylindrical shape, comprising a liner consisting of a polyamide matrix, functional additives, olefin and acrylic ester copolymers as well as gas absorbers. shocks. [0006] All these solutions certainly constitute an improvement in the tightness of a tank, but they are very imperfect in terms of their primary function consisting in preventing any leakage from the storage space or any penetration of a foreign component following a leak in the walls of the tank, while being complex and costly to install in the tank.

[0007] Indeed, the polymer liner often adheres badly to a metal wall and its installation is particularly difficult for a result as regards the improvement of the tightness of the tank which is not very homogeneous on the various internal faces.

[0008] Based on this observation, the applicant sought to remedy the shortcomings of such tanks and discovered after various experiments and analyzes that it was desirable and particularly advantageous to separate the liner, or internal coating, from the wall of the tank. .

[0009] Furthermore, in tanks of this type, it is impossible to detect a leak, in particular to prevent any flow of liquefied gas or dangerous liquid into the installation structure.

[0010] In doing so, the applicant has designed a system that is simple to implement and very effective, making it possible to fix in an optimal manner, with regard firstly to its sealing function, the liner - in the following the term "liner" is replaced by the expression "coating layer" - and also to authorize other very useful functions, in particular the monitoring, control and alert in the event of a possible loss of tightness of the tank with a reliable, modular and inexpensive system before this loss of tightness results in a critical leakage of the storage space for the structure of the installation, typically a ship, including in the case where the wall of the tank suffers damage from a collision/shock or road accident.

Thus, the present invention relates to a storage installation for a liquefied gas and/or a liquid comprising:

- a sealed liquefied gas and/or liquid storage tank consisting of a metal tank having a wall having an internal and external face, the wall comprising a lower wall, an upper wall and a side wall connecting the lower and upper walls, delimiting a storage space for the liquefied gas and/or the liquid, and

- a coating layer of the inner surface of the wall of the tank in a polymer material or in a mixture of polymer materials, the coating layer (3) being deformable.

The invention is characterized in that the storage facility comprises an intermediate layer, arranged between the coating layer and the wall of the tank, in that the coating layer (3) is anchored and / or fixed discontinuously to the intermediate layer (5) and/or in that the intermediate layer is anchored and/or fixed in a discontinuous manner to the wall (8,9,10), and in that the said intermediate layer allows the circulation of gas to :

- to press said intermediate layer, and therefore the coating layer, against the wall of the tank, and/or

- to authorize the detection of liquid or gas, thanks to a fluid detection device, coming from the storage space in the event of loss of tightness of the coating layer and/or from the outside of said storage space storage in the event of loss of tightness of the tank.

[0013] Thus, the coating layer is not integral with the tank or the tank so that said layer is not subjected to the same deformation as the tank in the event of an impact, occurring from the outside.

[0014] Without being exhaustive, such a covering layer/intermediate layer arrangement, combining the fact that the intermediate layer allows the circulation of gas for its plating and/or for the detection of a fluid coming from the tank or the exterior offers the following properties and advantages:

- smoothing the surface of the polymer coating layer in the tank,

- a limitation of the friction between the coating layer of polymer(s) and the internal surface of the vessel wall,

- thanks to flushing with an inert gas such as nitrogen, corrosion inhibition of the inside face of the tank, - the circulation of gas within the intermediate layer makes it possible to monitor this space, that is to say to easily analyze any fluid circulating therein, in order to detect any leak coming from the storage space or from outside of the tank.

[0015] The expression "loss of tightness" means the fact that there is a leak of a fluid, either at the level of the coating layer (= loss of tightness of the storage space) either at the level of at least one wall of the tank (= loss of tightness of the tank), penetrating into the intermediate layer.

[0016] The term “hazardous liquid” means flammable, toxic or corrosive/reactive liquids. Regarding "liquefied gases", this expression is known in Persia and is defined in particular in the IGC code. It may be, for example, methane or ammonia, preferably ammonia as will be seen later.

[0017] Thus, for example, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) naturally falls within the definition of liquefied gases but can also correspond to the definition of a dangerous liquid since it is in particular flammable. In the same way, ammonia is here above all a "dangerous liquid" since it is toxic, flammable and corrosive, but it is often found in such tanks in the form of liquefied gas. Finally, kerosene and diesel or fuel oil are defined here as "dangerous liquid" because of their toxicity, particularly by risk of pollution of the aquifer.

[0018] The expression "gas circulation" means the fact that the intermediate layer is permeable to gases so that it is possible to cause any type of gas to circulate between any two points distant from the layer. intermediate, typically between a point located on the upper wall and a point located on the lower wall, as soon as a conventional pump or even a circulation pump is used between these two points, with a slight pressure or depression - typically of at least 5 mbarg (milli-barg) - imposed on said two points without any noticeable deformation of the intermediate layer.

More specifically, if we consider the material alone forming the intermediate layer, we therefore have an intrinsic permeability of the latter at least equal to: - 100 mDarcy (1 mDarcy = 0.987 x 10 ¹² m ² ) in air and at room temperature (20°C) according to the ISO 8841 standard when the intermediate layer is essentially composed of glass fibers or another type of fiber such as basalt, carbon, aramid or stainless steel fibers;

- 100 mDarcy in air and at room temperature (20°C) according to ISO 7229 (2015) when the intermediate layer is essentially composed of a plastic or rubber matrix impregnated with textile fibres;

- 100 mDarcy in air and at room temperature (20°C) according to ISO 2782-1 (from 2016) when the intermediate layer is essentially composed of a thermoplastic, an elastomer or rubber.

It should be noted here that, when the intermediate layer is essentially composed of a plastic or rubber matrix impregnated with textile fibers or essentially composed of a thermoplastic, an elastomer or rubber, the latter advantageously comprises channels or the like allowing or authorizing the channeled circulation of gas.

In its broadest sense, the present invention is intended to apply regardless of the shape and dimensions of the tank. Thus, it has simply been defined here that the tank comprises an upper wall, a lower wall and a side wall which makes it possible to correspond in particular to a cylindrical or even polyhedral shape in which respectively there is not really a flat side wall ( just a single curved side wall) and on the contrary a plurality of side walls.

[0022] Also, in its broadest sense, the coating layer can consist of all types of polymers or mixtures of polymers, provided that they are compatible with their use, that is to say in particular chemically. and physically compatible (no physico-chemical reaction or degradation) with the liquefied gas and/or the dangerous liquid contained in the tank.

By way of non-limiting examples, the coating layer according to the invention may consist of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a preferably high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), propylene, polyamide, preferably nylon, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), in neoprene, in an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) and its co-laminates, in fluoropolymers (FKM) for example Viton ^® or perfluoropolymers (FFKM) for example Kalrez ^® , in natural rubber and its derivatives, or a mixture (multilayers or mixing matrix) of at least two of these polymers.

[0024] By convention, the terms “external” and “internal” are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another, with reference to the inside and the outside of the tank.

Other advantageous features of the invention are briefly presented below:

[0026] Advantageously, in order to flatten the intermediate layer, the storage installation comprises a system for flattening the intermediate layer against the wall of the vessel, said flattening system comprising a means:

- depression of the intermediate layer with an average depression of at least 5 mbarg; and or

- overpressurization of the tank storage space with an average overpressure of at least 5 mbarg.

In the context of the present invention, the expressions "average depression" and "average overpressure" mean that:

- for the overpressure of the storage space, the average overpressure is that with the pressures at different locations of the covering surface, said different locations being distributed at least on or against the side wall, the top wall and the wall bottom of the tank;

- for the depression of the intermediate layer, the average depression is that with the depressions at different locations in the coating layer, said different locations being distributed at least on or against the side wall, the upper wall and the lower wall of tank.

[0028] Advantageously, the intermediate layer is: - anchored to the wall of the tank by mechanical and/or chemical means, and/or

- is chemically attached to the coating layer.

[0029] The expression “mechanical fixing” means the fact that the fixing between the two elements considered is made possible thanks to an element forming a physical connection, without any recourse to electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic or even chemical energy ( gluing or the like).

Preferably, the coating layer has a thickness of between 1 millimeter (mm) and 9 millimeters, preferably between 2 mm and 6 mm.

[0031] According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, advantageously the coating layer - the polymer or the mixture of polymers - has a glass transition temperature Tg lower than the liquefaction temperature at atmospheric pressure of the liquefied gas and/or dangerous liquid.

[0032] Preferably, the coating layer consists of an elastomer, preferably an EPDM. Of course, such a preferred choice for constituting the coating layer is directly linked, as we have seen previously, to the liquefied gas and/or to the dangerous liquid contained in the tank.

[0033] For hydrocarbons such as diesel or kerosene, a coating layer made of kalrez ^® or viton ^{® is} preferred.

[0034] Advantageously, the coating layer comprises reinforcing fibers, preferably glass fibers.

As preferred non-limiting examples of reinforcing fibers, mention may also be made of basalt, carbon, aramid, stainless steel fibers present in the polymer or the mixture (matrix) of polymers in the form mat, felt or fabrics.

Advantageously, the intermediate layer has a thickness of between 2 mm and 30 mm, preferably between 4 mm and 10 mm.

[0037] Preferably, the average depression or overpressure, respectively of the intermediate layer and of the storage space, produced by means of the plating system of at least 10 mbarg, preferably of at least 15 mbarg. It is noted that the term "barg" has here its technical meaning known to those skilled in the art, namely that this measurement consists of a relative pressure measured with respect to the ambient pressure, in other words it is equal to the pressure absolute minus atmospheric or storage pressure.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the means for creating a vacuum in the intermediate layer comprises at least one pump connected to at least one orifice present in the wall of the tank so as to create the average vacuum .

In this context, the wall of the tank preferably comprises a plurality of orifices distributed in the latter. In the context of the present invention, the term "distributed" means the fact that the orifices are present on the upper wall and the lower wall when there are only two orifices and also on the side wall when there are at least three orifices. Beyond three orifices, each wall of the vessel advantageously comprises a number of orifices proportionate to their respective lengths.

[0041] Advantageously, the installation comprises at least one corner connection piece, fixed in leaktight manner on the internal face at an intersection between the upper and/or lower walls and/or the side wall, and that the piece corner, the ends of which are in contact with each of at least two adjacent walls, comprises a section profile of which at least a portion is circular.

In the following description, an embodiment of this connecting piece will be given in connection with an appended figure.

According to one possibility offered by the invention, the corner connection piece comprises at least one communication channel, extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of the connection piece, to connect the draining layer present on each of the two adjacent walls, and/or a flow channel, extending substantially in the axis of the connecting piece, in particular for the flow of the liquefied gas and/or a dangerous liquid contained in the tank. [0044] In addition to its purpose of anchoring and sealing, such a connecting piece is provided above all for the flow of gas within the intermediate layer:

- during the plating phase, by putting the intermediate layer under vacuum but also - even if to be considered to a lesser extent - by putting the storage space under vacuum because you do not want the presence of bubbles or the like in the middle layer,

- during the external fluid detection phase (i.e. coming from the storage space or from outside the tank) so that the gas circulates perfectly between the different walls.

According to a feature of the present invention, the intermediate or drainage layer has no thermal insulation function. This is why, if such thermal insulation is necessary or desirable, it is a separate element from the intermediate/drainage layer, preferably located outside the tank in the case where the latter consists of a type A, B or C tank according to the IGC code.

According to a possibility offered by the invention, advantageously the intermediate layer consists of a drainage layer intended to drain a liquid, coming from the storage space of the tank or from outside the latter.

[0047] Advantageously, the fluid detection device comprises an alert means capable of triggering an alert when such a fluid is detected.

[0048] Such an alert can be visual and/or audible so that an operator can become aware of it as quickly as possible. This alert can also automatically control a system for securing the tank and its surroundings, for example by controlling the evacuation of the fluid contained in the tank to a secure area or even the destruction of said content, for example by controlled combustion.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the installation comprises, on the lower wall of the tank, a collection portion located at the lowest point of the tank, and in that the fluid detection device is able to analyze said collection portion to detect the presence of liquid (coming from the storage space or possibly from outside the tank).

[0050] The expression "the lowest point" means the fact that the collection portion is located on the bottom wall of the tank, advantageously at the lowest level in the direction of terrestrial gravitation if this bottom wall n is not flat. It can be noted that in the case of independent tanks, there is conventionally provided a secondary retention of the “drip tray” type, conventionally located at the level of the hull of the ship, under the tank itself, and which then forms this collection portion, in the event that a crack develops in the tank itself. This secondary retention, which is of reduced volume, has the main purpose of containing a leak of moderate flow by protecting the structure of the ship from temperatures which could damage it and can be associated with a pumping system intended to evacuate an excessive leak. .

Advantageously, the installation comprises a circulation pump and in that an inert gas circulates, thanks to the circulation pump, in the intermediate or drainage layer between at least one entry point and at least one point Release.

In the context of the present invention, the expression "inert gas" means a gas different from the liquefied gas or the dangerous liquid contained in the tank and not susceptible to chemical reaction with it, in particular and generally with all other components. Typically, this inert gas consists of nitrogen or a rare gas such as argon.

[0053] Advantageously, the fluid detection device detects the presence of gas and/or liquid at the entry or exit point. According to a possibility offered by the invention, the aforesaid entry point is located at the level of the lower wall of the tank while the aforesaid exit point is located at the level of the upper wall of the tank.

Nevertheless, for the choice of the inlet and outlet orifice of the inert circulating gas, one is guided by the ratio of the densities of the component contained in the tank (when in the form of gas) tank on the density of the inert inert gas circulating to benefit from a form of piston effect. Thus, advantageously:

- if tank > inert: the point of entry or injection of the inert gas is located at the top of the tank, i.e. at the level of the upper wall of the tank, and the point of exit of the inert gas is located at the bottom, either on the lower wall of the tank.

- if dvessel < inert: the inert gas entry or injection point is located at the bottom of the vessel, i.e. at the level of the lower wall of the vessel, and the inert gas exit point is located at the top, either on the upper wall of the tank.

Thus, by way of non-limiting example, if the tank contains ammonia and the inert gas consists of dinitrogen, then the point of entry or injection of the inert gas is located at the bottom at the bottom of tank, either on the lower wall of the latter, and the point of exit at the top, or on the upper wall of the tank.

According to one possibility offered by the invention, the installation comprises at least one device for filtering the gas circulating in the drainage layer, making it possible in particular to separate the particles from the liquefied gas and/or the dangerous liquid.

The two main interests in having such a gas separation device, in particular the inert one and the one coming from the tank or even from outside, are:

- the fact of operating in a closed loop on inert gas as long as there is no leak.

- if the gas coming from the tank or even from outside is toxic, such filtration makes it possible to recover it and store it, especially in the event that the gas circulating is not in a so-called closed loop (also designated by the "open loop" expression).

Of course, such filtration is not the only solution if an open loop is available: it is also possible to inject the circulating gas, at the outlet, into a burner. For a tank containing ammonia, the vapors (outlet gas) can also be rinsed with water and thus recover an ammonium solution which is treated independently. Preferably, the fluid detection device consists of a mass spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer, an electrochemical cell and/or a katharometer.

In the case where the tank contains ammonia, the fluid detection device advantageously consists of an electrochemical cell, that is to say a battery in which the ammonia will supply the electrolyte of the cell. . It is also possible to provide capacitive sensors measuring the variation of the dielectric constant of an open capacitor, or absorption spectroscopy or even mass spectrometry. Of course, the choice of the most suitable fluid detection device depends above all on the nature of the fluid contained in the tank.

[0061] Advantageously, the intermediate layer or the drainage layer consists of:

- a mat, a felt, a mesh or a woven textile made of glass, basalt, polyethylene and/or polypropylene fibers and their assemblies; Where

- an aggregate material based on resin and mineral aggregates and/or polymers; Where

- a composite material with a thermosetting matrix, preferably epoxy-based, or thermoplastic, preferably polyethylene, polypropylene and/or polyamide, preferably fiber-reinforced with glass fibers, basalt or wood particles.

[0062] Regarding the nature of the intermediate or drainage layer, for the detection of fluid, a material is desired which holds the service pressure considered - when a depression is implemented for its plating or the circulation of gas or even when the latter requires the application of a local overpressure - and which always has a permeability which makes the circulation of gas possible. It is thus possible to envisage, in one application, chipboard panels, wood particles coextruded with a thermoplastic matrix or fiber cement panels.

[0063] In general, on non-planar geometries of the walls of the tank, a "textile" approach is favored - either mat, felt, mesh or a woven textile. in fibers as well as in aggregated material based on resin and mineral aggregates and/or polymers - in which the intermediate or drainage layer adapts to the walls of the tank. On plane geometries, all the solutions mentioned above, without being limiting, are possible and suitable.

[0064] Preferably, the means for overpressurizing the storage space of the tank comprises a compressor or a pressurized gas tank, connected to the storage space of the closed tank so as to deliver the overpressure to using an inert gas or liquefied gas intended for said tank.

In the context of the present invention, the term "

"compressor" any type of means capable of delivering a gas under pressure in relation to its inlet pressure and by the expression "neutral gas" any gas, different in its nature from the liquefied gas or the dangerous liquid present in the storage space, which is not susceptible to any chemical reaction or physical interaction with the coating layer and the intermediate layer, such as for example nitrogen.

Preferably, the liquefied gas and/or the dangerous liquid consists of liquid ammonia. The present invention indeed intends to apply in particular, but not exclusively, to tanks or vats containing ammonia.

Preferably, the metal tank consists of an independent tank of type A, B or C according to the definition given by the IGC code.

The independent tanks are self-supporting tanks. They are not part of the ship's hull and are not essential to hull strength. There are three categories of independent tanks, which are type A, B or C tanks.

For example, a type A tank is a tank whose design is essentially based on conventional methods for analyzing the structure of ships in accordance with recognized standards. When these vessels are constructed essentially with flat surfaces, the design vapor pressure Po must be less than 0.07 MPa (Mega Pascal). When the temperature of the cargo at atmospheric pressure is below -10°C, provision must be made for a secondary barrier in the manner prescribed in section 4.5 of the above IGC code. This barrier must be designed in accordance with the provisions of this IGC code.

The invention also relates to a method for installing a coating layer and an intermediate/drainage layer in a tank of a storage installation for a liquefied gas and/or a dangerous liquid according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the successive steps:

- fixing against the inner face of the tank wall of an intermediate/drainage layer,

- fixing a covering layer against the intermediate/drainage layer,

- preferably to bring the tank to service temperature,

- depressurization of the intermediate layer with an average depression of at least 5 mbarg, preferably at least at least 10 mbarg or pressurization of the storage space of the pressure vessel of at least 5 mbarg, preferably at least at least 10 mbarg.

[0071] The expression "setting to service temperature" means the fact that the coating layer is brought to a temperature equal to or slightly higher than that of the liquefied gas or the dangerous liquid intended to occupy the space of storage. More precisely, this service temperature is equal to the temperature of the liquefied gas or of the dangerous liquid T plus 20° degrees Celsius (T+20° C.), preferably plus 10 degrees Celsius (T+10° C.).

The present invention also relates to a ship for transporting a liquefied gas and/or a dangerous liquid, the ship comprising a hull, an outer deck and at least one inner deck as well as a storage as briefly presented above arranged in the hull, on the exterior or interior deck.

[0073] Again, as mentioned above, the invention also intends to apply to a storage installation comprising a sealed tank which may consist of an aerial, semi-buried or buried or maritime terrestrial tank (known as “GBS” meaning “GROUND Based Storage”). These tanks or reservoirs can be installed on land or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be intended for transporting liquefied gas or a dangerous liquid or for receiving liquids serving as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.

The invention also relates to a transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a ship as described above, insulated pipes arranged so as to connect the tank installed in the hull of the ship to an installation external floating or onshore storage facility and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated pipes from or to the external floating or onshore storage installation to or from the ship's tank.

Finally, the invention relates to a method for loading or unloading a ship as defined above, in which a cold liquid product is routed through insulated pipes from or to an external floating or terrestrial storage installation. to or from the vessel's tank.

The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration. and non-limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] [fig.1] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a storage facility according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the plating system comprises a means for placing the intermediate layer under vacuum.

[0078] [fig.2] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a storage installation according to a second embodiment of the invention in which the plating system comprises a means for overpressurizing the storage space of the tank.

[0079] [fig.3] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a storage installation according to an embodiment of the invention in which a fluid detection device at the level of the intermediate layer is installed and implemented.

[0080] [fig.4] Figure 4 schematically illustrates in section a corner piece that can be used in a tank of the storage facility according to the invention. [0081] [fig.5] Figure 5 schematically illustrates in section another corner piece which can be used in a tank of the storage facility according to the invention.

[0082] [fig.6] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a corner connection piece between the walls of a tank of a storage facility according to the invention.

[0083] [fig.7] Figure 7 is a cutaway schematic representation of an LNG tanker storage facility and a loading/unloading terminal for this tank.

The term "vertical" here means extending in the direction of the earth's gravity field. The term "horizontal" here means extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

In the following, the present invention is illustrated with a ship. Indeed, it is in particular on this type of structure housing a storage installation according to the state of the art that the applicant has been able to uncover potential malfunctions and thus resolve them thanks to the present invention. Nevertheless, it is entirely possible to envisage applying the characteristics of the present invention to a structure of a different nature, such as for example a structure of the terrestrial or maritime tank type.

[0086] Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the plating system of the intermediate layer 5 comprises a pump 6 connected to a plurality of orifices 7 on the different walls, side 8, upper 9 and lower 10 of a tank 71 of a storage installation 1 according to the invention.

These orifices 7 are here fifteen in number and are distributed in a balanced manner according to the dimensions of each of the walls 8, 9 and 10 so as to produce an equivalent depression in the whole of the intermediate or draining layer 5. When the pump 6 is activated, creating a depression at the level of the intermediate layer 5, the latter 5 is pressed against the wall 8, 9 or 10 of the tank 71 dragging in its movement the coating layer 3.

As seen above, the intermediate layer 5 can be secured to the support surface, in this case the walls 8, 9 or 10 of the tank 71, by gluing or any kind of discrete anchoring. Alternatively, the layer intermediate 5 is integral with the coating layer 3 and lines the surfaces of the walls 8, 9 and 10 which are not intended to accommodate seals or fixing zones.

The waterproof coating layer 3 is made up of widths of polymer materials joined together by welding, vulcanization or gluing, while the intermediate layer 5 can be made up, in addition to the characteristics presented above, of plates made of a material such as than a thermosetting composite, preferably epoxy-based, or thermoplastic, preferably polyethylene-based (PE), polypropylene (PP) polyamide (PA), optionally fibred/glass-filled or basalt, monolithic or expanded and machined or formed on at least one of their faces so as to create a network of channels allowing the flow of gas in the latter.

During the assembly process of the coating 3 and intermediate 5 layers, it is advantageous, once the latter 3, 5 have been put in place and fixed, to bring the tank up to operating temperature. As seen above, the purpose of this step of warming up to service temperature is to stretch the coating layer 3, which has significant elastic properties, so that the latter 3, when the pressure is placed on the intermediate layer 5 is pressed against the latter 5 by presenting the smoothest surface, without asperities or overlayer, when the tank 71 is filled with the liquefied gas and/or the dangerous liquid.

Of course, this commissioning temperature is most often a temperature below zero when the tank contains a liquefied gas which will cause more or less strong shrinkage of the coating layer 3. The applicant was thus able determine that it is particularly advantageous, in particular with liquefied gases, to proceed to a temperature setting equal to or slightly higher than that of the liquefied gas, i.e. up to 10°C above this average temperature (a certain variation temperature can exist in such a liquid between the upper and lower layers) of the liquefied gas, even up to 20° C. above this temperature, depending on the liquefied gas present in the tank 71. Nevertheless, this heating of service is also advantageous in the case where the dangerous liquid contained in the tank is at a temperature above or even slightly above 0°C.

The elastic properties of the coating layer 3 are also important and the latter 3 advantageously has elongation capacities at break of between 100% and 300%. In addition to the aspects of assembly in the tank 71, such a coating layer 3 also makes it possible to improve the robustness of the tank 71 in the face of accidents of collision, boarding or falling of objects on the tank 71. Thus, in the event of a major impact on the tank 71, the latter 71 is in fact liable to tear locally, thus losing its function as a sealed container. The covering layer 3 undergoes substantially the same state of deformation but because of its elastic properties as well as due to the fact that the anchorages/fasteners between the covering layer 3/intermediate layer 5 assembly and the walls 8, 9 and 10 of the tank 71 are advantageously discontinuous - so as to distribute any local deformations of the structure over large areas - or that these anchoring / fixing areas are capable, mechanically and / or by their intrinsic properties, of absorbing the mechanical forces or, on the contrary, are dimensioned to yield in a certain way before the coating layer can be damaged, the coating layer 3 retains its tightness even under deformations leading the tank 71 to a so-called emerging rupture.

[0093] Also the fact that the polymer or polymers forming the coating layer 3 has (have) a glass transition temperature Tg lower than the temperature in particular of the liquefied gas, but also of the dangerous liquid, is advantageous because this makes it possible to have a sufficiently malleable and elastic layer 3, on the one hand for its placement in the tank and then the filling of the tank, but also for resistance to any force or mechanical stress that the tank could undergo 71.

If we consider a tank 71 containing ammonia whose liquid temperature at atmospheric pressure is minus thirty-four degrees Celsius (-34°C), it is thus advantageous to choose a polymer or a mixture of polymer having a glass transition temperature - at least one of the polymers in the case of a mixture - lower than this temperature. Typically, in addition to its qualities of elasticity and elongation at break, an EPDM which has a Tg of around -55° C. is a particularly interesting candidate for forming the coating layer 3 of a tank 71 of a storage installation 1 according to the invention. In such a case, bringing the service temperature to −34° C., before or at the time of placing the intermediate layer 5 under vacuum, is particularly advantageous.

[0095] As will be seen below, in the context of the overpressure of the storage space 4 of the tank 71, in particular represented in the appended FIG. pressurization by injection of gas or droplets under pressure at a temperature equivalent to or slightly higher than the temperature of the contents of the tank 71. Typically, an injection of gas or ammonia vapor under pressure in the tank 71 makes it possible to at the same time the overpressure step and the service temperature step, these two steps being intended to achieve optimum plating and arrangement of the coating layer 3 in the tank 71. It is important to note that , as explained above, the step of bringing to service temperature is a non-essential step even if it is desired or advantageous.

[0096] Figure 2 illustrates a variant in which the plating system of the storage installation 1 according to the invention comprises an overpressure means 11 capable of consisting of a tank ideally comprising a gas under identical pressure in its nature liquefied gas and/or dangerous liquid or else a compressor or the like, connected to the storage space 4 of the tank 71.

Thus, in this variant, the overpressure of the storage space 4 makes it possible, possibly with the step of setting the service temperature as indicated above, to obtain the same result, or substantially the same result, only in the context of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0098] Although presented here independently, with the attached figures 1 and 2, it is quite possible to combine respectively the first and the second embodiment in order to obtain a plating system comprising means 6 for placing the intermediate layer 5 under vacuum and means for overpressure 11 for the storage space 4 of the tank 71.

In Figure 3 there is shown a storage installation 1 according to the invention with a fluid detection device from the storage space 4 or from outside the tank 71, in the case where the latter 71 was damaged and at least locally lost its watertightness.

In this embodiment in which the storage installation 1 comprises a fluid detection device, the intermediate layer 5 can consist of a draining layer although such a layer is particularly advantageous when the detected fluid essentially consists in a liquid - and not in essentially gaseous form - and that the tank has a collection portion, not shown in the appended figures, as presented previously.

Whether or not the intermediate layer 5 consists of a draining layer, the intermediate chamber 5 must be permeable to gases. Thus, in the complete architecture presented in FIG. 3, the detection device comprises at least one means 21 for the circulation of inert gas in the intermediate/drainage layer 5 and a means 20 for analyzing the gas circulating in order to authorize the detection of a fluid likely to be that contained in the tank 71 and/or originating from outside the tank 71, such as for example air if the quantity of oxygen (O2) detected is too high.

Thus, such a detection device here comprises a circulation pump 21 allowing the circulation of inert gas, from a storage tank of said inert gas 22 to an inlet 23 then an outlet 24 of the intermediate/drainage layer 5. Next, the gas flowing from the intermediate/drainage layer 5 is analyzed by the analysis means 20 in connection with a control means 25, capable of managing/commanding the said analysis means 20, so as to detect the presence of a "foreign" fluid (that is to say coming from space 4 or from outside the tank 71), possibly in a significant quantity - a quantity threshold can be predetermined to define whether a detection of a foreign body or component must prove positive or not - in order to trigger an alert and/or ancillary security means vis-à-vis the storage facility 1 or the surrounding structure, vessel 70 or other. [0103] In such an embodiment, the circulation pump 21 can act as a pump to produce the depression in the intermediate/drainage layer 5 in order to flatten the latter for its installation and its fixing in the tank 71 . Thus, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 makes it possible both to press the intermediate/drainage layer 5 against the walls 8, 9, 10 of the tank 71 and to detect any leak from the storage space. storage 4 or loss of tightness of the tank 71 itself.

Furthermore, although the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, illustrating a system for plating the intermediate layer / drainage 5, and the embodiment of Figure 3, illustrating a mode of detection of fluid consecutive to a loss of tightness of the storage space 4 and/or of the tank 71, are presented independently, all these embodiments can be combined with each other, advantageously two of these modes of embodiment or all three embodiments together.

As seen above, the analysis means 20 can consist of an electrochemical cell, an infrared or mass spectrometer. In the case where the tank 71 contains ammonia, this analysis means 20 advantageously consists of an electrochemical cell.

[0106] Optionally but advantageously, the detection device 20, 21 can comprise a cleaning means 26, for example by rinsing and/or filtering, of the gas circulating in the intermediate/drainage layer 5, which can send all or part of said gases to a gas evacuation mast 27 conventionally present on a ship 70 carrying liquefied gas and/or dangerous liquid.

In the event that the circulating inert gas is used in a loop system, that is to say with recovery of said gas for its reuse in several circulation loops, the detection device 20, 21 may comprise a metering means 28 making it possible to deliver, with or without requiring an additional supply from the storage tank 22, a quantity of inert gas sufficient for the (re)circulation of inert gas in the intermediate/drainage layer 5. In addition, on Figure 3 are shown a number valves 29, without either their numbers or their positions being exhaustive or precise, which make it possible to manage the circulation of the inert gas.

[0108] Both for the plating system of the intermediate layer / drainage 5 - illustrated with two embodiments in Figures 1 and 2 - and for the system of detection of liquid or gas 20, 21 coming from space storage 4 in the event of a leak in the coating layer 3 and/or the exterior of said storage space 4 in the event of a leak in the tank - illustrated according to one embodiment in FIG. 3 - the essential characteristics of the invention consist, in their widest acceptance, in the presence of an intermediate/drainage layer 5 and the fact that the latter 5 allows, by its (high) permeability to gases, the circulation of gas for one and/or the other of the functions which are therefore linked by a common principle.

[0109] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate in schematic section corner pieces 35, 36 which can be arranged and fixed between two walls 8, 9, 10 of the tank 71, for example between a side wall 8 and a lower wall 10 as shown in these two figures.

[0110] These corner pieces 35, 36 advantageously have on the internal face of the tank connecting radii of between 50 and 1000 mm so that the covering layer 3 as well as the intermediate/drainage layer 5 are well supported vis-à-vis the pressure forces in the corners.

The corner pieces 36 may consist of bars of molded or extruded polymers provided with overmolded metal inserts intended to be welded to the walls 8, 10 of the tank 71 and arranged at the end of the profile. These anchoring zones are then covered by the end of a second portion of adjoining profile.

In Figure 6, there is shown a variant consisting of a corner connection piece 37 fixed between two adjacent walls 8, 10 of the tank 71. The corner connection piece 37 can be made up of sectors of metal tubes whose radius is the appropriate radius of curvature with regard to the angle between the two adjacent walls 8, 10, that of the edge of the angle of the tank 71 considered. The tube sector can then be coated with a polymer liner secured to the latter by vulcanization or by gluing.

[0113] In addition to the anchorages of the covering layer 3 and/or of the intermediate/drainage layer 5 in the areas where the corner pieces 35, 36 or corner connection pieces 37 are fixed, for large tanks , the covering layer 3 and/or the intermediate/drainage layer 5 are advantageously anchored discontinuously, that is to say locally, on the walls 8, 9 and 10 of the tank 71 .

The anchoring can be achieved for example by bonding the covering layer 3 and/or the intermediate/drainage layer 5 to the walls 8, 9, 10 of the tank 71, continuously or not. On the vertical walls 8 of the tank 71, the widths forming the coating layer 3 and/or the intermediate/drainage layer 5 may for example have substantially continuous horizontal bonding zones, with a height of ten (10) to fifty (50) centimeters (cm) and spaced between them by two (2) to five (5) meters, for example.

[0115] On the upper 9 and side 8 walls, a denser bonding, possibly according to a specific mesh, will prevent the formation of too pronounced tarpaulins in the non-anchored areas. On these areas, a complete bonding is also possible with the use of a backing layer 3 counterfaced from the intermediate / drainage layer 5. In this case, the material of the intermediate / drainage layer 5 is directly glued to the walls 8, 9, 10 of tank 71.

[0116] FIG. 7 represents an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipe 76 and an installation on land 77 which cooperate with a storage installation according to the invention, i.e. that is to say a tank 71 comprising the essential characteristics as well as advantageously some or all of the additional characteristics, preferably within the framework of the first or second embodiment described above. In Figure 7, it can be noted that the tank 71 is installed at the level of an internal deck of a ship 70 but of course this same tank can be installed on the upper deck or at the level of any other part of the hull of the ship. ship 70. The tank 71 can obviously be integrated in a conventional manner, so that it is free to contract vis-à-vis the ship's hull 70 and that it 71 does not undergo the same elongations. In this case, the tank 71 rests on a support surface integrated into the shell, optionally provided with a thermal break, for example made of wood. A single zone of the lower wall 10 of the tank 71 is guided in both directions and thrust pads arranged on the hull, on the wall and on the ceiling, act as anti-buoyancy, so that the tank remains fixed of the vessel 70 in the event of loss of buoyancy of the vessel 70 itself. In this architecture, the tank 71 is advantageously insulated from the outside, for example with a layer of low density foam of 50 to 150 millimeters (mm) covered with a firewall, so as to limit the heat flow with the content of the tank 71 .

For liquefied gases whose equilibrium temperature at quasi-atmospheric pressure is greater than -50° C., integrated systems can be envisaged in which the tank 71 is part of the structure of the ship 70 or else terms in which part of the vessel 70 acts as a tank 71 . At these temperatures, low-carbon steels make it possible to guarantee that no loss of resilience endangers the structure, in addition to other specific thermal arrangements. In this case, external thermal insulation can also be considered.

The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 which supports the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the pipes loading/unloading 73. The adjustable mobile arm 74 adapts to all sizes of LNG carriers. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading and unloading of the LNG carrier 70 from or to the shore installation 77. This comprises liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connecting pipes 81 connected by the underwater pipe 76 to the loading or unloading station 75. The underwater pipe 76 allows the transfer of the liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the shore installation 77 over a long distance, for example 5 km, which makes it possible to keep the LNG carrier 70 at a great distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

To generate the pressure necessary for the transfer of the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 70 and/or pumps fitted to the shore installation 77 and/or pumps fitted to the loading and unloading station are used. 75.

Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

[0122] The use of the verb "to comprise", "to understand" or "to include" and of its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or other steps than those set out in a claim.

[0123] In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims

[Claim 1] Storage installation (1) for a liquefied gas and/or a liquid comprising:

- a sealed tank (71) for storing liquefied gas and/or liquid consisting of a metal tank (71) having a wall having an internal and external face, the wall comprising a lower wall (10), a upper wall (9) and a side wall (8) connecting the lower (10) and upper (9) walls, delimiting a storage space (4) for the liquefied gas and/or the liquid, and

- a coating layer (3) of the internal surface of the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71) in a polymer material or in a mixture of polymer materials, the coating layer (3) being deformable, characterized in that the storage installation (1) comprises an intermediate layer (5), arranged between the coating layer (3) and the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71), in that the covering layer (3) is anchored and/or discontinuously fixed to the intermediate layer (5) and/or in that the intermediate layer is anchored and/or discontinuously fixed to the wall (8,9,10) , and in that said intermediate layer (5) allows the circulation of gas in order to:

- to press said intermediate layer (5), and therefore the coating layer (3), against the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71), and/or

- to authorize the detection of liquid or gas, thanks to a fluid detection device (20, 21), coming from the storage space (4) in the event of loss of tightness of the coating layer (3 ) and/or from outside said storage space (4) in the event of loss of tightness of the tank (71).

[Claim 2] Storage installation (1) according to claim 1, in which, in order to press the intermediate layer (5), the storage installation (1) comprises a system for pressing the intermediate layer (5) against the wall (8, 9, 10) of the vessel (71), said plating system comprising means:

- Depressurization (6) of the intermediate layer (5) with an average depression of at least 5 mbarg; and or - pressurization (11) of the storage space (4) of the tank (71) with an average overpressure of at least 5 mbarg.

[Claim 3] Storage facility (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intermediate layer (5) is:

- anchored to the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71) by mechanical and/or chemical means, and/or

- is chemically attached to the coating layer (3).

[Claim 4] Storage installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the coating layer (3) has a glass transition temperature Tv lower than the liquefaction temperature at atmospheric pressure of the liquefied gas and/or dangerous liquid.

[Claim 5] Storage installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the coating layer (3) consists of an elastomer, preferably an EPDM.

[Claim 6] Storage installation (1) according to at least any one of the preceding claims including claim 2, in which the means for placing the intermediate layer (5) under vacuum (6) comprises at least one pump (6 , 21) connected to at least one orifice (7) present in the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71) so as to create the average depression.

[Claim 7] Storage installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the intermediate layer (5) consists of a drainage layer intended to drain a liquid, originating from the storage space (4) of the tank (71) or from outside the latter (71).

[Claim s] Storage installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the installation (1) comprises, on the lower wall (10) of the tank (71), a collection portion located at the point the lowest of the tank (71), and in that the fluid detection device (20, 21) is able to analyze said collection portion to detect the presence of liquid.

[Claim 9] Storage installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the installation (1) comprises a circulation pump (21) and in that an inert gas circulates, thanks to the circulation pump (21 ), in the intermediate or drainage layer (5) between at least one entry point

(23) and at least one exit point (24).

[Claim 10] Storage installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the fluid detection device (20, 21) detects the presence of gas and/or liquid at the entry point (23 ) or output

(24).

[Claim 11] Storage installation (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, in which the fluid detection device (20, 21) consists of a mass spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer, an electrochemical cell and/or or a katharometer.

[Claim 12] Storage facility (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the intermediate layer or the drainage layer (5) consists of:

[Claim 13] Storage installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for pressurizing (11) the storage space (4) of the tank (71) comprises a compressor or a pressurized gas tank, connected to the storage space (4) of the tank (71) closed so as to deliver the overpressure using a neutral gas or liquefied gas intended for said tank.

[Claim 14] Storage installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the liquefied gas and/or the dangerous liquid consists of liquid ammonia.

[Claim 15] Storage installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the metallic tank (71) consists of an independent tank of type A, B or C according to the definition given by the IGC code.

[Claim 16] A method of installing a liner layer (3) and an intermediate/drainage layer (5) in a vessel (71) of a storage facility (1) for liquefied gas and/or or a dangerous liquid according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the successive steps:

- fixing against the internal face of the wall (8, 9, 10) of the tank (71) of an intermediate/drainage layer (5),

- fixing a covering layer (3) against the intermediate/drainage layer (5),

- preferably to bring the tank (71) to service temperature,

- depression of the intermediate layer (5) with an average depression of at least 5 mbarg, preferably at least 10 mbarg, or overpressure of the storage space (4) of the tank with a pressure of at least 5 mbarg, preferably at least at least 10 mbarg.

[Claim 17] Ship (70) for transporting a liquefied gas and/or a dangerous liquid, the ship (70) comprising a hull, an outer deck and at least one inner deck as well as a storage facility (1) according to one of claims 1 to 15 disposed in the hull, on the outer or inner deck.

[Claim 18] Transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 17, insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged so as to connect the tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to an external floating or onshore storage facility (77) and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated pipes from or to the external floating or onshore storage facility to or from the tank of the ship.

[Claim 19] A method of loading or unloading a ship (70) according to claim 17, in which a cold liquid product is conveyed through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) from or to an external installation of floating or land storage (77) to or from the ship's tank 71;