Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C3/00—Vessels not under pressure
  • F17C3/02—Vessels not under pressure with provision for thermal insulation
  • F17C3/025—Bulk storage in barges or on ships
  • F17C3/027—Wallpanels for so-called membrane tanks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B25/00—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby
  • B63B25/02—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods
  • B63B25/08—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods fluid
  • B63B25/12—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods fluid closed
  • B63B25/16—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods fluid closed heat-insulated
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/24—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-lines
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/30—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures
  • B63B27/34—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures using pipe-lines
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C13/00—Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
  • F17C13/004—Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels for large storage vessels not under pressure
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/01—Shape
  • F17C2201/0147—Shape complex
  • F17C2201/0157—Polygonal
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/05—Size
  • F17C2201/052—Size large (>1000 m3)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
  • F17C2203/03—Thermal insulations
  • F17C2203/0304—Thermal insulations by solid means
  • F17C2203/0358—Thermal insulations by solid means in form of panels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
  • F17C2203/06—Materials for walls or layers thereof; Properties or structures of walls or their materials
  • F17C2203/0634—Materials for walls or layers thereof
  • F17C2203/0636—Metals
  • F17C2203/0639—Steels
  • F17C2203/0643—Stainless steels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2209/00—Vessel construction, in particular methods of manufacturing
  • F17C2209/22—Assembling processes
  • F17C2209/221—Welding
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2221/00—Handled fluid, in particular type of fluid
  • F17C2221/03—Mixtures
  • F17C2221/032—Hydrocarbons
  • F17C2221/033—Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
  • F17C2223/01—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the phase
  • F17C2223/0146—Two-phase
  • F17C2223/0153—Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
  • F17C2223/0161—Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
  • F17C2223/03—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the pressure level
  • F17C2223/033—Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2227/00—Transfer of fluids, i.e. method or means for transferring the fluid; Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/01—Propulsion of the fluid
  • F17C2227/0128—Propulsion of the fluid with pumps or compressors
  • F17C2227/0135—Pumps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2260/00—Purposes of gas storage and gas handling
  • F17C2260/01—Improving mechanical properties or manufacturing
  • F17C2260/011—Improving strength
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2270/00—Applications
  • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
  • F17C2270/0102—Applications for fluid transport or storage on or in the water
  • F17C2270/0105—Ships
  • F17C2270/0107—Wall panels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2270/00—Applications
  • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
  • F17C2270/0102—Applications for fluid transport or storage on or in the water
  • F17C2270/011—Barges
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2270/00—Applications
  • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
  • F17C2270/0102—Applications for fluid transport or storage on or in the water
  • F17C2270/0118—Offshore

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks for the storage and/or transport of a liquefied gas, such as tanks for the transport of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (also called LPG) having for example a temperature between between -50°C and 0°C, or for transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at approximately -163°C at atmospheric pressure.
• LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas
• LNG Liquefied Natural Gas
• tanks can be installed on land or on a floating structure.
• the tank may be intended for the transport of liquefied gas or to receive liquefied gas used as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.
• a sealed and thermally insulating vessel comprising a vessel wall retained on a supporting structure, the vessel wall including, in the direction of the thickness from the outside towards the inside of the vessel , a secondary thermally insulating barrier retained on the supporting structure, a secondary waterproof membrane retained on the secondary thermally insulating barrier, a primary thermally insulating barrier retained on the secondary waterproof membrane and a corrugated primary waterproof membrane retained on the primary thermally insulating barrier.
• a sealed and thermally insulating tank can in particular be used in the transport of liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), in particular on board a floating structure, such as a ship.
• LNG liquefied natural gas
• the primary waterproof membrane It is known to produce the primary waterproof membrane by assembling a plurality of sheets which have undulations, advantageously perpendicular to each other.
• the corrugations give the primary sealed membrane a flexibility allowing it to deform under the effect of thermal and mechanical stresses and in particular those generated by the liquefied gas stored in the tank and those related to the deformation of the supporting structure.
• the primary waterproof membrane is anchored to the insulating panels of the primary thermally insulating barrier.
• the undulations of the primary sealed membrane were not stressed uniformly.
• the primary thermally insulating barrier is discontinuous, that is to say that it consists of insulating panels juxtaposed to each other, its behavior is not homogeneous when the load-bearing structure deforms under the effect of the swell and/or under the effect of the thermal and mechanical stresses generated by the liquefied gas stored in the tank.
• the corrugations which are arranged in a zone straddling between a first anchoring element fixed to a first insulating panel and a second anchoring element fixed to a second insulating panel are stressed in a greater way than others.
• One idea underlying the invention is to provide a sealed and thermally insulating tank in which the stresses undergone by the primary sealed membrane are more evenly distributed.
• the invention relates to a wall of a sealed and thermally insulating tank for storing a liquefied gas comprising at least one thermally insulating barrier and a sealed membrane which is anchored to said thermally insulating barrier and is intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank,
• the thermally insulating barrier comprising insulating panels which are juxtaposed to each other in rows and columns parallel to each other, each insulating panel comprising an internal face supporting the sealed membrane and being connected to the adjacent insulating panels by means of bridging elements, each bridging element being arranged astride two of the adjacent insulating panels and being fixed to the internal face of one of the two adjacent insulating panels and to the internal face of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels, the insulating panels comprising relaxation slots which are each formed along a thickness direction of the wall, each bridging element being fixed to one of the insulating panels between an edge of said insulating panel and a relaxation slot which is adjacent and parallel to said edge
• the bridging elements provide a mechanical coupling function between the insulating panels which limits or prevents their mutual separation in a plane parallel to the surface of the insulating panels.
• the insulating panels must be able to deform and their stiffness must therefore be less than that of the elements which impose the deformation, namely the elements of bridging.
• the stiffness of the insulating panels is less than that of the bridging elements.
• the bridging elements impose the deformations of the insulating panels. The aforementioned characteristics thus contribute to distributing more evenly the deformation of the load-bearing structure over the primary thermally insulating barrier. The corrugations of the waterproof membrane are therefore stressed more evenly.
• such a vessel wall may comprise one or more of the following characteristics.
• the bridging elements are metal plates. This ensures a robust mechanical connection between the insulating panels and thus imposes deformation on the panels.
• each bridging element is fixed in a recess formed in the internal face of one of the two adjacent insulating panels and in a recess formed in the internal face of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels.
• At least one of the bridging elements comprises a central portion and two folded edges respectively positioned at two ends of the central portion, each folded edge being embedded in a respective groove housed in one of the recesses, the grooves having a length greater than a width of the folded edges, at least one of the two grooves being inclined, in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall, by an angle ⁇ 1 with respect to the adjacent edge of the panel insulation in which said recess is formed.
• Such an arrangement is advantageous in that it allows the folded edges to fit into the grooves present on the internal face of the insulating panels or the metal plates even if the spacing e1 between the primary panels does not correspond to its value. nominal and this as long as it remains within a determined tolerance range. This arrangement therefore makes it possible to ensure simple, rapid and precise positioning of the bridging elements even when the spacing e1 between the insulating panels differs from its nominal value.
• the other of the two grooves is inclined, in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall, by an angle ⁇ 2 with respect to the adjacent edge of the insulating panel in which the recess housing said groove, the angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 being oriented angles having opposite directions to each other.
• angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 have a value between 5 and 10°.
• angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 have the same value.
• angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 and the lengths of the grooves are configured so as to cover a range of tolerance on the spacing e1 between the insulating panels which is between 1 and 10 mm and for example of the order 3mm.
• each groove is formed in a metal plate which is fixed in one of the recesses.
• each groove is formed in a zone of the insulating panel defining the bottom of one of the recesses.
• the central portion of the bridging element is fixed to the two insulating panels by fixing members, for example screws.
• the bridging element is welded to the metal plates in which the grooves are made.
• the weld between the bridging element and the metal plates is made along the edges of the central portion of the bridging element.
• grooves extending along the same edge of a primary panel alternately have inclinations with respect to said edge of the primary panel in one direction then in the other.
• each folded edge has an inclination with respect to the edge of the adjacent insulating panel which corresponds to that of the groove in which said folded edge is embedded.
• each recess is arranged between an edge of one of the insulating panels and one of the relaxation slots which is adjacent and parallel to said edge.
• each metal plate is welded to two metal plates which are respectively fixed in one of the recesses of one and the other of the two adjacent insulating panels.
• the fixing of the bridging elements is simple since the metal plates can be fixed in the workshop on the insulating elements, the bridging elements then being able to be fixed, during assembly of the vessel, by means of welding equipment which are necessarily present in the tank, in particular in order to weld the sheets of the sealed membrane to each other, and whose operation is mastered by the operators responsible for manufacturing the tank.
• each metal plate is riveted in one of the recesses of one and the other of the two adjacent insulating panels. This also ensures easy fixing of the bridging elements.
• the waterproof membrane is welded to at least some of the metal plates.
• the bridging elements provide a dual functionality, namely, on the one hand, providing a mechanical connection function between the insulating panels, and, on the other hand, ensuring the anchoring of the waterproof membrane on the thermally insulating barrier.
• the waterproof membrane comprises metal sheets, each metal sheet comprising edges which are arranged in line with at least some of the metal plates and each form a covering edge or a covered edge welded respectively to a covered edge or a covering edge of an adjacent metal sheet, each covered edge being further welded to at least one of the metal plates to the right of which said covered edge is located.
• the insulating panels have a parallelepipedic shape and have two first edges parallel to a first direction and two second edges parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the metal sheets having two first edges parallel to the first direction and having a dimension equal to or equal to an integer multiple of that of the first edges of the insulating panels and two second edges parallel to the second direction and having a dimension equal to or equal to an integer multiple of that of the second edges of the insulating panels, the first edges of the metal sheets along at least some of the first two edges of the insulating panels so as to be located at the right of some of the metal plates and the second edges of the metal sheets along at least some of the second edges of the insulating panels so as to be located at the right of some of the metal plates ues.
• the first two edges of the metal sheets have a dimension equal to an integer multiple of the first edges of the insulating panels so that the metal sheets completely cover some of the metal plates, the metal sheets being welded by a plug weld or by a weld by transparency to said fully covered metal plates.
• the bridging elements are flush with the internal surface of the insulating panels so as to ensure continuity of the support of the waterproof membrane.
• the bridging elements protrude, in the direction of the waterproof membrane, beyond the internal surface of the insulating panels, advantageously by a dimension less than 3 mm and for example between 1.2 and 3mm.
• the waterproof membrane comprises two series of corrugations perpendicular to each other.
• the relaxation slots of the insulating panels are provided opposite each of the corrugations of the two series of corrugations of the waterproof membrane.
• Such relaxation slots make it possible to reduce the stiffness of the insulating panels so that the bridging elements impose the deformations on the insulating panels and the thermally insulating barrier deforms more homogeneously.
• the insulating panels have relaxation slots, the number and depth of which are such that said insulating panels have tensile stiffnesses along a first and a second direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall and respectively parallel to the rows and to the columns of insulating panels which are respectively lower, and advantageously more than 3 times lower, than the stiffnesses of the bridging element according to the first and second directions.
• the depth of the slots is defined so as to obtain the most uniform opening of the various slots, under the effect of the deformation of the supporting structure, and thus obtain the most uniform possible deformations of the undulations.
• the relaxation slots have a depth in the thickness direction of the wall which is greater than 60 mm.
• the insulating panels each have a first series of relaxation slots, for example three, which are formed in the internal face of said insulating panel and parallel to two first opposite edges of said insulating panel and a second series of relaxation slots.
• relaxation for example three, which are formed in the inner face of said insulating panel and parallel to two opposite second edges of said insulating panel.
• said relaxation slots have a depth comprised between 80 and 150 mm and preferably between 115 and 150 mm according to the thickness direction of the wall.
• At least one of the two series of relaxation slots has at least one central relaxation slot and two edge relaxation slots which extend on either side of the central relaxation slot, the central relaxation slot having a greater depth than that of each of the two edge relaxation slots.
• the relaxation slots are formed in the internal face of the insulating panels, the insulating panels further comprising external relaxation slots which are formed in the external face of the insulating panels parallel to the relaxation slots formed on the face internal and which are positioned alternately in a direction perpendicular to said external relaxation slots with the relaxation slots formed on the internal face.
• each external relationship slot is arranged between two relationship slots formed on the inner face in the direction perpendicular to the external relaxation slots.
• the external relaxation slots have a depth greater than 60 mm and for example between 115 and 150 mm.
• each insulating panel has two relaxation slots passing respectively through one and the other of the two central axes of said insulating panel.
• the relaxation slots are separated from each other at a constant pitch.
• the relaxation slots are spaced apart by a pitch corresponding to the pitch between the corrugations parallel to said relaxation slots.
• the inner plate of the insulating panels has four edges which each comprise a plurality of recesses, said recesses being arranged on either side of each relaxation slot.
• the waterproof membrane is a primary waterproof membrane and the thermally insulating barrier is a primary thermally insulating barrier, the wall further comprising a secondary thermally insulating barrier retained against a load-bearing structure and a secondary waterproof membrane fixed to the barrier secondary thermally insulating barrier and disposed between the secondary thermally insulating barrier and the primary thermally insulating barrier.
• the invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising an aforementioned wall.
• a tank according to one of the aforementioned embodiments can be part of an onshore storage installation, for example for storing LNG or be installed in a floating, coastal or deep-water structure, in particular an ethane or LNG carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), floating production and remote storage unit (FPSO) and others.
• the tank may be intended to receive liquefied natural gas serving as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.
• the invention provides a vessel for the transport of a fluid which comprises a hull, such as a double hull, and a aforementioned tank disposed in the hull.
• the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a ship, in which a fluid is routed through insulated pipes from or to a floating or terrestrial storage installation to or from the tank of the ship.
• the invention also provides a transfer system for a fluid, the system comprising the aforementioned vessel, insulated pipes arranged so as to connect the tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or terrestrial storage installation and a pump for driving a flow of fluid through the insulated pipes from or to the floating or onshore storage facility to or from the vessel's tank.
• The is a schematic sectional view of the multilayer structure of a vessel wall.
• each wall 1 comprises, from the outside towards the inside of the tank, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprising secondary panels 3 anchored to a supporting structure 4, a secondary waterproof membrane 5 resting against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2, a primary thermally insulating barrier 6 comprising primary panels 7 resting against the secondary waterproof membrane 5 and anchored to the secondary panels 3 and a primary waterproof membrane 8 which rests against the primary thermally insulating barrier 6 and which is intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas content in the tank.
• a secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprising secondary panels 3 anchored to a supporting structure 4
• a secondary waterproof membrane 5 resting against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2
• a primary thermally insulating barrier 6 comprising primary panels 7 resting against the secondary waterproof membrane 5 and anchored to the secondary panels 3
• a primary waterproof membrane 8 which rests against the primary thermally insulating barrier 6 and which is intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas content in the tank.
• the load-bearing structure 4 can in particular be formed by the hull or the double hull of a ship.
• the support structure 4 comprises a plurality of walls defining the general shape of the tank, usually a polyhedral shape.
• the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprises a plurality of secondary panels 3.
• the secondary panels 3 are anchored to the supporting structure 4 by means of secondary anchoring devices, not shown.
• the secondary panels 3 have a generally parallelepipedal shape and are arranged in secondary rows parallel to each other.
• the secondary panels 3 have a layer of insulating polymer foam 9 sandwiched between an outer plate 10 and an inner plate 11.
• the outer plate 10 and the inner plate 11 are, for example, made of plywood and glued to the insulating polymer foam layer.
• the insulating polymer foam may in particular be a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with glass fibers.
• the structure of the secondary panel 3 is described above by way of example.
• the secondary panels 3 are likely to have another general structure, for example that described in document WO2012/127141. Also, the secondary panels 3 are for example made up of a parallelepipedic wooden box which has interior partitions and which is filled with an insulating gasket. In another embodiment, the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprises secondary panels 3 having at least two different types of structure, for example the two aforementioned structures, depending on their location in the tank.
• the secondary waterproof membrane 5, partially illustrated on the comprises a continuous layer of strakes 12, metal, having two raised edges, parallel.
• the strakes 12 are welded by their raised edges to parallel welding supports which are housed in grooves provided in the internal plate 11 of the secondary panels 3.
• the strakes 12 are, for example, made of Invar®: that is to say that is to say an alloy of iron and nickel whose coefficient of expansion is typically between 1.2.10 -6 and 2.10 -6 K -1 . It is also possible to use alloys of iron and manganese whose coefficient of expansion is typically of the order of 7 to 9.10 -6 K -1 .
• the metal membrane has waves and can, for example, be made of the same alloys as the strakes.
• the primary thermally insulating barrier 6 comprises a plurality of primary panels 7 which are anchored to the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 by means of primary anchoring devices, as described later in relation to the .
• the primary panels 7 have a generally rectangular parallelepipedal shape and are arranged in rows which are parallel to each other.
• the primary panels 7 may have a multilayer structure analogous to the structure of the secondary panels 3.
• the primary panels 7 comprise successively, in the thickness direction of the wall 1, an outer plate 13, for example in plywood, a layer of insulating polymer foam 14 and an internal plate 15, for example in plywood.
• the insulating polymer foam layer 14 is, for example, a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with glass fibers.
• the structure of the primary panel 7 is described above by way of example.
• the outer plate 13 and the inner plate 15 are square in shape.
• the primary panels 7 have four edges of the same dimension.
• the outer plate 13 of the primary panels 7 has grooves which receive the raised edges of the strakes 12 of the secondary waterproof membrane 5.
• the primary waterproof membrane 8 is obtained by assembling a plurality of corrugated metal sheets 16, one of which is shown on the .
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 are, for example, made of stainless steel or aluminum.
• Each corrugated metal sheet 16 has two series of mutually perpendicular corrugations 17, 18.
• the undulations 17, 18 are separated from each other by flat portions 19.
• the undulations 17, 18 are continuous and cross each other.
• each of the corrugations 17, 18 have corrugated portions spaced apart from each other by flat portions. The undulations are then discontinuous.
• the corrugated portions do not intersect with each other.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 are rectangular, and therefore have two opposite first edges 20, 21 which are parallel to each other and two opposite second edges 22, 23 which are parallel to each other and perpendicular at the first two edges 20, 21.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 preferably have width and length dimensions which are whole values or whole multiples of a spacing between corrugations and also whole multiples of the dimensions of the primary panels 7.
• the two first edges 20, 21 have a length which is substantially equal to three times the dimension of one side of the primary panels 7 while the second edges 22, 23 have a length which is substantially equal to the dimension of one side primary panels 7.
• the inner plate of the primary panels 7 has relaxation slots 24 which each extend facing a respective corrugation 17, 18 of the primary waterproof membrane 8.
• the relaxation slots 24 delimit along the edges of each primary panel 7 , a plurality of edge areas.
• the relaxation slots 24 pass through the inner plate 15 and extend along the thickness direction of the wall through the layer of insulating polymer foam 14 of the primary panels 7.
• the depth of the relaxation slots 24 as well as that their number are determined so that the tensile stiffnesses of the primary panels 7 along directions orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall and parallel to the edges of the primary panels 7 are less than the tensile stiffness of the bridging elements 26 in the corresponding direction.
• the relaxation slots 24 advantageously have a depth greater than 60 mm, preferably between 115 and 150 mm.
• the primary panels 7 have a thickness of 230 mm while the relaxation slots 24 have a depth of 115 mm.
• the aforementioned ranges of values preferably correspond to primary panels 7 having a layer of insulating polymer foam 14 which is made of polyurethane-based foam having a density of between 110 and 150 kg/m 3 and more particularly 130 kg/m 3
• the depth of the relaxation slots 24 will advantageously be greater than those corresponding to the ranges of values mentioned above and for example 40% greater for a 210 kg/m 3 foam compared with a 130 kg/m 3 foam.
• the evolution of the depth of the relaxation slots 24 will advantageously be linear with respect to the density of the foam.
• each primary panel 7 faces three corrugations 17 extending parallel to a first direction and three corrugations 18 extending parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction .
• each primary panel 7 comprises three relaxation slots 24 extending parallel to the first direction and each arranged facing one of the undulations 17 and three relaxation slots 24 extending parallel to the second direction and each arranged in facing one of the undulations 17, 18.
• the primary panels 7 therefore comprise two relaxation slots which pass respectively through one and the other of the two central axes of said insulating panel 7, that is to say through the axes which are parallel to two edges of the insulating panel 7 and which divide it into two equal parts.
• the relaxation slots 24 are therefore spaced apart by a pitch corresponding to the pitch between the undulations 17, 18 parallel to said relaxation slots 24.
• each relaxation slot 24 adjacent to one of the edges of a primary panel 7 is spaced said edge by a distance corresponding substantially to half a pitch between the undulations parallel to said relaxation slot 24.
• the internal plate 15 of the primary panels 7 defines a support surface for the primary waterproof membrane 8.
• the primary panels 7 have along each of their edges recesses 25, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, intended to receive an element of bridging 26, and arranged on either side of each relaxation slot 14.
• each edge zone defined by the relaxation slots 24 along the edges of the primary panels 7 comprises a recess 25.
• the bridging elements 26 are each arranged astride between at least two adjacent primary panels 7, spanning the gap between the two adjacent primary panels 7.
• Each bridging element 26 has one end which is fixed in the recess 25 of one of the two adjacent primary panels 7 and another end which is fixed in the recess 25 of the other of the two adjacent primary panels 7.
• the bridging elements 26 thus ensure a function of mechanical connection between the primary panels 7 which prevents their mutual separation. This contributes, in combination with the presence of the relaxation slots 24, to distributing more evenly the deformation of the supporting structure 4 over the primary thermally insulating barrier 6 and thus makes it possible to stress the primary sealed membrane 8 more evenly.
• each recess 25 is equipped with a metal plate 27 which is fixed to the internal plate 15 inside the recess 25.
• the metal plate 27 is, for example, fixed to the internal plate 15 primary panels 7 by gluing and / or by means of fasteners, such as rivets for example.
• the bridging elements 26 are metal plates which are welded to the metal plates 27.
• the bridging elements 26 are flush with the inner surface of the inner plate 15 of the primary elements 7. To do this, in the embodiment shown, the depth of the recesses 25 is equal or substantially equal to the sum of the thickness of a plate metal 27 and a bridging element 26. Thus, the bridging elements 26 are able to ensure continuity in the support of the primary waterproof membrane 8.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 of the primary waterproof membrane 8 are lap welded along their edges 20, 21, 22, 23. Further, the corrugated metal sheets 16 are anchored to the primary thermally insulating barrier 6.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 are anchored to some of the metal plates forming the bridging elements 26.
• the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheets 16 are each arranged along certain edges of the primary panels 7 and are located to the right of the bridging elements 26.
• the edge 21, 23 of a first corrugated metal sheet 16 which is intended to be covered by the edge 20, 22 of a second adjacent corrugated metal sheet 16 is welded to the bridging element 26, for example by a spot welding process, then the edge 20, 22 of the second corrugated metal sheet 16 which covers the edge 21, 23 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16 is welded continuously, advantageously to lap, to said edge 20 , 22 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16.
• the edges of the primary panels 7 have thermal protection strips which are arranged opposite the weld line between the corrugated metal sheets 16 and which aim to protect the primary panels 7 and in particular their layer of insulating polymer foam 14 against temperatures likely to degrade them during the operations of welding the corrugated metal sheets 16 to each other along their edges 20, 21, 22, 23.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 have edges 20, 21 whose dimension is substantially an integer multiple of that of the edges of the primary panels 7, as is the case in the illustrated embodiment where the edges 20, 21 of the metal sheets 16 have a length which is substantially equal to three times the dimension of an edge of a primary panel 7, the corrugated metal sheets 16 are, according to an optional variant embodiment, welded to the bridging elements 26 which they cover fully. To do this, in the embodiment illustrated in the , the corrugated metal sheets 16 are anchored to the bridging elements 26 by means of plug welds 28.
• the corrugated metal sheets 16 have at least one through hole, in the form of a slot in the embodiment shown, which is made in a flat portion of said corrugated metal sheets 16 in line with said bridging element 26.
• Each of said holes is filled with welds to ensure the connection between the primary waterproof membrane 8 and the bridging element 26.
• the method used is welding by transparency, that is to say using a laser source without adding material.
• each corrugated metal sheet 16 is arranged astride several primary panels 7 so that its edges 20, 21, 22, 23 are offset from the edge of the primary panels 7.
• the bridging elements 26 are welded to said bridging element 26.
• the other parts of the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheets 16 then come in line with thermal protection elements 29, represented on the .
• the thermal protection elements 29 are, for example, formed from an aluminum plate or a composite film comprising at least one aluminum sheet associated with at least one glass fiber mat.
• the thermal protection elements 29 are advantageously housed in counterbores made in the internal plate 15 of the primary panels 7 and are arranged in each interval between two relaxation slots 24, along the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheets 16.
• the thermal protection elements 29 are fixed to the inner plate 15 of the primary panels 7 by gluing and/or stapling.
• the thermal protection elements 29 make it possible to protect the primary panels 7 and in particular their layer of insulating polymer foam 14 against temperatures likely to degrade them during the operations of welding the corrugated metal sheets 16 to each other along their edges 20, 21, 22, 23.
• the thermal protection elements 29, represented on the are replaced by metal plates housed in counterbores formed in the internal plate 15 of the primary panels 7 on which the edges of the corrugated metal sheets 16 which are covered by an edge of an adjacent corrugated metal sheet 16 are welded, for example by means spot or lap welds.
• the metal plates 27 are each fixed in one of the recesses 25 by means of four rivets, two of which are shown on the .
• the ends of the bridging elements 26 are separated from the end of the recesses 25 by a sufficient space to uncover a surface of the metal plates 27 allowing said ends of the bridging elements 26 to be welded to the metal plates 27.
• each bridging element 26 is anchored to each of two metal plates 27 by means of a plug weld.
• the bridging element 26 has two through holes 38, for example in the form of a slot on the , which is filled with a solder material to ensure the connection between the bridging element 26 and each of the two metal plates 27.
• the recesses 25 provided at the corners of the primary panels 7 as well as the metal plates 27 received in said recesses 25 are each oriented along a diagonal to the internal face of the primary panels 7.
• the element bridging 26 which is fixed on the four metal plates 27 belonging respectively to the four adjacent primary panels 7 has an octagonal shape.
• the metal plates 27 are eliminated and the bridging elements 26 are directly fixed by riveting inside the recesses 25.
• the bridging elements 26 are not flush with the internal surface of the insulating panels and are not coplanar either.
• the bridging elements 26 have two ends which are welded to metal plates 27 fixed in recesses 25 formed in the internal face of the primary panels 7.
• the two ends of the bridging elements 26 protrude slightly above the internal face of the primary panels 7, for example of a size between 1.2 and 3 mm. This facilitates the welding of the bridging elements 26 on the metal plates 27 without having too significant an impact on the behavior of the primary waterproof membrane 8.
• the bridging element 26 comprises a part central which does not extend in the plane of the two ends of said bridging element 26 and which protrudes into the gap between the two primary panels 7 adjacent.
• the primary panels 7 include recesses 30 at their corners, so that their outer plate 13 protrudes with respect to their layer of insulating polymer foam 14 and to their inner plate 15.
• the outer plate 13 forms at the level of the corners of the primary panels 7 a support zone 31 intended to cooperate directly or indirectly with a support plate 32 of a primary anchoring device 33.
• a wedge 34 is added on the outer plate 13, said wedge 34 having a shape similar to that of the bearing zone 31 and cooperating with the bearing plate 32 to anchor the primary panel 7.
• Each primary anchoring device 33 cooperates with four zones of support 31 respectively belonging to the corners of four adjacent primary panels 7.
• Each primary anchoring device 33 comprises a stud 35 which protrudes from one of the secondary panels 3, a support plate 32 which is fixed to the end of the stud 35 and which bears against the four zones of support of the four adjacent primary panels 7 so as to retain them against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2.
• the support plate 32 comprises a bore threaded onto the stud 35.
• a nut 36 cooperates with a threaded end of the stud 35 so as to ensure the fixing of the support plate 32.
• Belleville washers are threaded onto the stud 35, between the nut 36 and the support plate 32, which makes it possible to ensure a elastic anchoring of the primary panels 7 on the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2.
• the stud 35 is fixed to a base 37 which is itself fixed to the internal plate 11 of the secondary panels 3.
• the base 37 comprises, for example, a thread which cooperates with a complementary threaded end of the stud 35.
• the internal plate 11 of the secondary panels 3 has a recess in which the base 37 is housed.
• the recess has an internal section presenting a first diameter and an external section presenting a second diameter greater than the first diameter so as to shoulder.
• the base 37 has a shape complementary to that of the recess.
• the internal face of the base 37 is flush with the internal face of the internal plate 11 of the secondary panels 3 so as to form a flat support surface for the secondary waterproof membrane 5.
• the base 37 has an external section having a larger diameter than its internal section so that the external section of said base 37 is in abutment against the shoulder of the recess.
• the base 37 is also glued to the secondary panel 3.
• the stud 35 passes through in a leaktight manner an orifice made in the secondary leaktight membrane 5.
• the primary panels 7 differ from the primary panels described above in that they further comprise relaxation slots 39 which open onto the outer face of the primary panels 7.
• the primary panels 7 also have two series of such relaxation slots 39 which are respectively parallel to two opposite first edges of the primary panels and to two opposite second edges of the primary panels 7.
• the relaxation slots 39 are not arranged facing a corrugation 17 , 18 but halfway between two undulations 17, 18 parallel.
• the relaxation slots 39 are positioned alternately with the relaxation slots 24.
• the depth of the relaxation slots is greater than 60 mm, preferably between 115 and 150 mm, and for example of the order of 115 mm.
• the relaxation slots 24 do not all have identical depths. Indeed, the depth of the relaxation slots 24 increases towards the center of the primary panels 7 and decreases towards its edges. In other words, the central relaxation slot has a greater depth than that of the two edge relaxation slots which extend on either side of the central relaxation slot. This has the consequence of obtaining a better distribution of the stresses within each primary insulating panel 7 and makes it possible to stress the corrugations 17, 18 of the primary waterproof membrane 8 even more homogeneously.
• the depth of the central relaxation slot can be 115 mm while those of the edge relaxation slots are 80 mm.
• the depth of the central relaxation slot can be 150 mm while those of the edge relaxation slots are 115 mm.
• each recess 25 is equipped with a metal plate 27.
• the metal plates 27 are fixed to the primary panels 7, for example by means of members fasteners not shown, such as rivets or screws, which pass through holes 40 made in the metal plates 7.
• the bridging element 26 comprises a central portion 41 and two folded edges 42, 43 which are respectively embedded in a groove 44, 45 formed in one and the other of the two metal plates 27.
• the bridging element 26 is , for example, consisting of a folded metal sheet and having a thickness of the order of 1 to 2 mm.
• each of the recesses 25 of the primary panels 7 comprises a groove, not shown, of the same shape as the groove 44, 45 of the corresponding metal plate 27 and facing the latter.
• the folded edges 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 are also embedded inside the grooves made in the recesses 25.
• At least one of the grooves 44, 45 of the two metal plates 27 is oblique, that is to say it is not arranged parallel to the adjacent edge 47, 48 of the primary panel 7 which carries it but is inclined , in a plane orthogonal to the direction of thickness, by an angle ⁇ 1, ⁇ 2 with respect to said edge 47, 48.
• the grooves 44, 45 of the two metal plates 27 are oblique and respectively inclined at an angle ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 with respect to the adjacent edge 47, 48 of the respective primary panel 7.
• the angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 are oriented angles having opposite directions to each other. Furthermore, angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 preferably have identical values.
• each folded edge 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 extends in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the central portion 26 but which is inclined with respect to the edge 47, 48 of the primary panel 7 adjacent to the same angle ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 as the groove 44, 45 skews in which it is embedded.
• grooves 44, 45 have a length greater than the width of the folded edges 42, 43 so as to provide clearance for positioning the folded edges 42, 43 inside the grooves 44, 45.
• Such an arrangement is advantageous in that it allows the folded edges 42, 43 to fit into the grooves 42, 43 of the metal plates 27 even if the spacing e1 between the primary panels 7 does not correspond to its nominal value. and this as long as it remains within a determined tolerance range.
• the folded edges 42, 43 will be closer to the left end of the grooves 44, 45 than to their right end if the spacing e1 between the two adjacent primary panels 7 is greater than its nominal value.
• the folded edges 42, 43 will be closer to the right end of the grooves 44, 45 than to their left end if the spacing e1 is less than its nominal value.
• angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 as well as the positioning clearance of the folded edges 42, 43 in the grooves 44, 45 are such that they make it possible to cover a tolerance range between 1 and 10 mm and for example l order of 3 mm.
• the tolerance range is centered on the nominal gap value e1.
• the recesses 25 advantageously have a depth substantially equal to the sum of the thickness of a metal plate 27 and of the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26, which allows the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be flush with the internal surface of the primary panels 7 so as to ensure continuity of the support of the primary waterproof membrane 8.
• the bridging element 26 is fixed to the primary panel 7 in order to fix the relative position of the folded edges 42, 43 in the grooves 44, 45 and to prevent the folded edges 42, 43 from disengaging from the grooves 44, 45
• the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 comprises orifices 49 intended to receive fixing members, not shown, such as screws or rivets, making it possible to fix the bridging element 26 to the primary panels 7.
• the bridging element 26 is welded to the metal plates 27. In this case, the bridging element 26 is preferably welded to the metal plates 27 along edges of the central portion 41.
• the surface condition of the grooves 44, 45 and of the folded edges 42, 43 is rough, which makes it possible to limit the shear forces exerted on the members for fixing the bridging element 26 to the panels. primaries 7.
• the grooves 44 of the metal plates 27 extending along the same edge 47 of a primary panel 7 alternately have inclinations with respect to said edge 47 of the primary panel 7 in one direction then in the other.
• the inclination of the grooves 44 of two adjacent metal plates 27 along an edge 47 is reversed so that, when the spacing e1 between the primary panels 7 is greater than the nominal value, the one of the bridging elements 26 embedded in the groove 44 of one of the metal plates 27 is closer to the right end of said groove 44 and than the other bridging element 26 embedded in the groove 44 of the other plate metal 27 is closer to the left end of said groove 44.
• Another embodiment not shown differs from the embodiment described above in relation to the in that the primary panels 7 have no metal plates 27, which makes it possible to further simplify the assembly of the bridging elements 26. Consequently, the folded edges 42, 43 of the bridging elements 26 are directly embedded in oblique grooves formed in the recesses 25 of the primary panels 7.
• the oblique grooves formed in the recesses 325 have characteristics similar to those of the grooves 44, 45 described above, in particular as regards their inclination with respect to the adjacent edges 47, 48 of the primary panels 7.
• the depth of the recesses 25 is substantially equal to the thickness of the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26, which allows the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be flush the inner surface of the primary panels 7.
• a cutaway view of an LNG carrier 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the ship.
• the wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary waterproof membrane 8 intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary waterproof membrane 5 arranged between the primary waterproof membrane 8 and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two thermally insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary waterproof membrane 8 and the secondary waterproof membrane and between the secondary waterproof membrane and the double shell 72.
• loading/unloading pipes 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship can be connected, by means of appropriate connectors, to a maritime or port terminal to transfer a cargo of LNG from or to the tank 71.
• The also shows an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and an installation on land 77.
• the loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed off-shore installation comprising a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 which supports the movable arm 74.
• the movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the loading/unloading pipes 73.
• the adjustable movable arm 74 adapts to all LNG tanker gauges.
• 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 installation on land 77 over a great 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.
• 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 75 are used.
• the invention is not limited to such a multilayer structure and may for example comprise only one thermally insulating barrier and that a single waterproof membrane.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
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• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)

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• 2020
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