FR3059653A1 - DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTING AN INSULATING BLOCK STRUCTURE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (23) for constructing an insulating block structure for a sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising - a support (24) having a bearing surface (25), - at least a first guide section ( 39, 41, 42) mounted on the support (24), said at least one first guide profile having a row of first guide orifices (38, 43, 44) for receiving and guiding a first row of pillars ( 17, 18) of the insulating block structure (14), - a second guide profile (40) mounted on the support (24) and having a row of second guide holes (38, 46, 47) for receiving and guide positioning a second row of respective pillars (17, 18) of the insulating block structure (14), said second section being movable on the support (24) so as to allow movement of the row of second orifices (38). , 46, 47) relative to the row of pr first ports (38, 43, 44) along the bearing surface (25).

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to the construction of a thermally insulating block structure, intended for example for the construction of a thermally insulating wall.

More particularly, such insulating blocks can be used in thermally insulating barriers of sealed tanks, with membranes, for ie storage and / or transport of fluid, such as a cryogenic fluid. Sealed and thermally insulated tanks with membranes are used in particular for the storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored, at atmospheric pressure, at around -162 ° C. These tanks can be installed on the ground or on a floating structure.

Technological background

In a low temperature liquefied gas storage tank, an essential function of the tank wall is to isolate the cargo to limit the heat flux causing the evaporation of the cargo, and also to protect the hull from cryogenic temperatures in the case of a vessel tank. The tank wall must also support the hydrodynamic loading of the cargo, which therefore implies resistance to compression.

One possible option for ensuring these functions is to make the tank wall with a layer of homogeneous material which is both insulating and structurally resistant to compression. Examples of such tanks are available in His literature, for example the publications US-A-4116150 and WO2014057221. However, the insulating material used in these examples, namely reinforced polyurethane foam, has a high cost. In addition, i! it is difficult to find a structural insulating material that optimizes both mechanical strength and thermal insulation.

Another possible option is to make the tank wall with heterogeneous insulating blocks comprising mechanically resistant load-bearing parts and insulating materials arranged between the load-bearing parts. As the insulating materials are at least partially released from the hydrodynamic loading in this case, i! there is a greater choice of insulation materials. Examples of such tanks are available in the literature, for example His publications FR-A-2867831, FR-A-2989291 and WO-A-2013182776.

In FR-A-2867831, the insulating block is a box having parallel internal partitions delimiting compartments filled with expanded perlite or aerogels. FR-A-2989291 the insulating block is a similar box filled with fibrous materials. In one embodiment, pillars of small section are used in place of parallel partitions. In WO-A-2013182776, provision is made for pouring an insulating foam between supporting pillars. Such supporting pillars offer good mechanical resistance to the insulating block while limiting the presence of thermal bridges between a cover panel and a bottom panel of the insulating block.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of tank walls, it is desirable to use insulating blocks having standardized internal dimensions and configurations. Thus, a thermally insulating tank barrier consists of a plurality of juxtaposed standardized insulating blocks. However, the dimensional tolerances of a supporting structure such as a ship's hull do not allow the realization of the thermally insulating barrier only from standardized insulating blocks. In particular, when standardized insulating blocks are juxtaposed from a median axis of the tank to the ends of the tank wall, the space remaining between the last row of standardized insulating blocks and the end of the tank wall must generally be filled with small insulating blocks. These small insulating blocks must therefore be made to measure and cannot be standardized for the production of separate tanks.

summary

An idea underlying the invention is to allow the construction of an insulating block with supporting pillars in a simple and effective manner. A basic idea of the invention is to make structures for insulating blocks with load-bearing pillars having distinct dimensions in a simple manner.

According to one embodiment, the invention provides a device for building an insulating block structure for a sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising

- a support having a rectangular flat support surface, and

a plurality of guide profiles mounted on the support and mutually spaced along a longitudinal direction of the support surface, each guide profile comprising a guide plate of rectangular shape, a length of the guide plate being perpendicular to a length of its support surface, each guide profile further comprising two spacer plates arranged to keep said guide plate parallel to the support surface at a distance from the support surface, each spacer plate being mounted on the support , said guide plate comprising a row of guide holes intended to receive and guide in positioning a respective row of pillars of the insulating block structure on the bearing surface, in which its guide profiles comprise:

a first guide profile mounted at a predefined position on the support, and

- A second guide profile mounted to move on the support, each spacer plate of the second guide profile being mounted to move on the support in the longitudinal direction of the support surface so as to allow the row of guide holes to move of the second guide profile relative to the row of guide holes of the first guide profile along the bearing surface.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to position the pillars in order to produce an insulating block structure quickly and easily. Indeed, the guide holes of the insulating block structure construction device allow the simple and rapid positioning at predefined positions of the pillars of an insulating block structure.

In addition, the mobility of the second guide profile along the support surface makes it possible to easily adapt the construction device to different sizes of insulating blocks while retaining a simple and rapid assembly of the pillars. In particular, the mobility of the second guide profile makes it possible to produce both a plurality of structures for insulating blocks of standardized size and structures for insulating blocks of reduced size compared to insulating blocks of standardized size. Such small insulating blocks may prove necessary to make a row of insulating blocks at the end of a thermally insulating barrier, for example in order to fill the space between the last row of insulating blocks of standardized size and an angle tank.

According to embodiments, such a device for constructing an insulating block structure may include one or more of the following characteristics.

According to one embodiment, the first guide profile is fixedly mounted on the support.

According to one embodiment, its guide profiles further comprise at least one current guide profile interposed in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface between the first guide profile and the second guide profile.

According to one embodiment, said or each current guide profile is arranged at a predefined distance from the first guide profile.

According to one embodiment, the row of guide holes of the or each current guide profile is arranged at a predefined distance from the row of guide holes of the first guide profile.

According to one embodiment, said at least one current guide profile is removably mounted on the support.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to modify the number of profiles of the construction device and therefore the size of the insulating block structure to be constructed.

According to one embodiment, the device comprises a plurality of common guide profiles mutually spaced along the longitudinal direction of the support surface interposed between the first guide profile and the second guide profile.

According to one embodiment, the rows of guide holes of the current guide profiles are spaced evenly along the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface

According to one embodiment, a first of said current guide profiles is adjacent to the first guide profile, the row of guide holes of the first current guide profile being located at a first distance from the row of guide holes of the first guide profile, the first distance being less than a second distance separating its rows of guide holes from two adjacent common guide profiles.

According to one embodiment, a last of said current guide profiles is adjacent to the second guide profile, its distance being ia longitudinal direction of its bearing surface between the row of guide holes of the second guide profile and the row d the guide holes of the last current guide profile being less than or equal to the second distance.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to provide densities of different pillars in the same insulating block structure, for example by providing a greater number of guide holes at the ends of the construction device in order to produce an insulating bioc structure. with a greater number of pillars on its ends.

According to one embodiment, the support comprises a row of pairs of common anchoring members arranged ie ion of the support surface and regularly spaced apart according to the longitudinal direction of the support surface, the spacer plates of the or each current guide profile and each pair of current anchors in the row of current anchor pairs being configured to mount the current guide profile detachably on the support, so that the or each current guide profile can be mounted on ie support at a plurality of predefined positions ie iong of the bearing surface as a function of the pair of common anchoring members with which the spacer plates of the current guide profile cooperate.

Thanks to these features, i! it is possible to quickly and easily modify the number of first guide profiles in order to produce insulating blocks having different sizes and / or pillar positioning configurations.

In one embodiment, the row of pairs of common anchors includes a first pair of common anchors located on the support a first distance from the first guide, the pairs of anchors currents being mutually spaced a second distance greater than the first distance.

Thanks to these features, i! it is possible to provide a higher density of the pad at the ends of the insulating block, for example in order to ensure better resistance of the insulating block in corner zones intended to cooperate with anchoring members of the insulating block

According to one embodiment, the support comprises a pair of guide members, its spacer plates of the second guide profile and the pair of guide members being configured to mount the second guide profile in a movable manner on the support.

Thanks to these characteristics, the second guide profile can be removably mounted on the support simply and quickly.

According to one embodiment, the second guide profile further comprises an additional row of guide holes, the additional row of guide holes being located on the second guide profile at a fixed distance from the row of guide holes. guide of the second guide profile, the additional row of guide holes being located in a position interposed between a guide profile adjacent to the second guide profile and the row of guide holes of the second guide profile in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface, the additional row of guide holes being intended to receive and guide in positioning a respective row of pillars of the insulating block structure on the bearing surface.

According to one embodiment, the guide profile adjacent to the second guide profile is the first guide profile or a current guide profile adjacent to the second guide profile.

According to one embodiment, ie the second guide profile comprises a removable guide plate, said removable guide plate comprising the additional row of guide holes, the removable guide plate being removably mounted on the guide plate of the second guide profile.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to arrange the insulating block construction device so as to have a fixed distance pitch between the two rows of successive pillars intended to be fixed to one end of the cover or bottom panel of the block structure insulated using the second guide profile

According to one embodiment, at least one of the first guide profile and the second guide profile comprises positioning pins arranged to guide in positioning a panel of the insulating block structure.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the guide profiles has an intermediate plate interposed between the guide plate and the bearing surface, said intermediate plate comprising a row of intermediate guide holes facing each other. screw of the row of guide orifice of the guide plate of said guide profile so as to guide the positioning of the pillars.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method of manufacturing an insulating block structure comprising a panel on which a plurality of pillars are mounted, the method comprising the steps of:

- provide a construction device as above,

- insert a pillar in each of the guide holes of the guide profiles of the construction device and guide the said pillar by sliding until a first end of the pillar is supported on the support surface,

position the panel of the insulating block structure on the construction device in abutment against a second end of the pillars housed in the guide holes,

- fix the second end of each pillar on the panel,

According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of selecting a number of common guide profiles as a function of a total length of the insulating block structure, mounting said number of common guide profiles on a support to a plurality predetermined positions along the support between the first guide profile and the second guide profile.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during its following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration and without limitation. , with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• Figure 1 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a sealed and planar insulating tank wall;

• Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a primary insulating block of the tank wall of Figure 1 in which the thermal insulation is omitted;

• Figures 3 to 5 are schematic perspective views of an insulating block structure construction device in different configurations and according to a first embodiment of the construction device;

• Figures 6 to 7 are schematic perspective views of an insulating block structure construction device in different configurations and according to a second alternative embodiment of the construction device;

• Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of an insulating block structure construction device according to a third alternative embodiment of the construction device;

• Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of the insulating block structure construction device of Figure 8 on which is positioned an insulating block structure panel;

• Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of another insulating block structure; or the upper closure panel and the heat-insulating material have been omitted.

Detailed description of embodiments

In Figure 1, a wall of a sealed and thermally insulating tank in which insulating blocks are used is shown. The general structure of such a tank is well known and has a polyhedral shape. We will therefore only focus on describing a wall area of the tank, it being understood that all the flat walls of the tank may have a similar general structure.

Therefore, regardless of the actual orientation of the vessel wall in the earth's gravity field, the terms "on" and "above" will be used to designate a position located towards the interior of the vessel in the direction of thickness of the tank wall and the terms "under" and "below" to designate a position located towards the outside of the tank, that is to say towards the support structure.

The wall of the tank comprises, from the outside towards the inside of the tank, a support wall 1, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 which is formed of secondary insulating blocks 3 juxtaposed on the support wall 1 and anchored to it. by retaining members 4, a secondary sealing membrane 5 carried by the insulating blocks 3, a primary thermally insulating barrier 6 formed by primary insulating blocks 7 juxtaposed on the secondary sealing membrane 5 and anchored to the supporting wall 1 by the retaining members 4 and a primary sealing membrane 9, carried by the primary insulating blocks 7 and intended to be in contact with the cryogenic fluid contained in the tank.

Figure 1 shows the locations of four secondary insulating blocks 3 mutually adjacent at a corner. The tank wall is shown in different stages of manufacture at each of the locations. Successively anti-clockwise, the first location has no insulating block, Se second location has a whole secondary insulating block 3 and a cut away of the secondary sealing membrane 5, the third location has an insulating block secondary 3 whole, a primary insulating block 7 whole and a cutaway of the primary sealing membrane 9, and the fourth location has a cutaway of the secondary insulating block 3 and a cutaway of the primary insulating block 7.

The support structure comprises a plurality of support walls defining the general shape of the tank. The supporting structure can in particular be formed by the hull or double hull of a ship. The supporting wall 1 can in particular be a self-supporting metal sheet or, more generally, any type of rigid partition having suitable mechanical properties.

The secondary insulating blocks 3 and the primary insulating blocks 7 have similar structures. Each of the insulating blocks 3 and 7 has a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The two superimposed insulating blocks have the same length and the same width.

The secondary insulating block 3 comprises a bottom plate 15 and a cover plate 16 parallel, spaced apart in the thickness direction. The bottom plate 15 and the cover plate 16 can be made of densified plywood; for example, from the materials marketed by the company RANCAN srl under its brand RANPREX®, for example the references ML15 and ML20; or also in fiber polyester composite, for example from the materials marketed by the company VON ROLL under the name Aitherm 800 or Delmat polyester. These materials can in particular be used in thicknesses between 2 and 24 mm.

The cover plate 16 has an external support surface for receiving the secondary sealing membrane 5. The cover plate 16 also has grooves 8 of L-shaped section which are hollowed out therein to receive weld supports 11 for welding the metal strakes 12 of the secondary sealing membrane 5.

Support pillars 17 extend in the thickness direction of the secondary insulating block 3. The support pillars 17 allow the compression forces to be taken up. The supporting pillars 17 are aligned in a plurality of rows and distributed in staggered rows, here for a total number of seven supporting pillars. The distance between the supporting pillars 17 is determined so as to allow good distribution of the compression forces. In one embodiment, the supporting pillars 17 are distributed in a substantially equidistant manner. The supporting pillars 17 are fixed to the bottom plate 15 and to the cover plate 16 by any suitable means, by screwing, stapling and / or gluing for example.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the supporting pillars 17 have a solid section, of square shape. At the four corners of the bottom plate 15 and the cover plate 16, a corner pillar 18 is also provided. Such corner pillars 18 can take many forms. The height of the corner pillars 18 and the height of the supporting pillars 17 is identical so as to provide homogeneous fixing surfaces for the bottom plate 15 and the cover plate 16.

In FIG. 1, each corner pillar 18 has a T section formed by two perpendicular webs:

a bisecting veil 19 oriented at 45 ° between the longitudinal side and the transverse side of the bottom plate 15,

- a cross-bisecting veil 20 oriented perpendicular to the bisecting veil 19 and extending tangentially to the internal end of the bisecting veil 19.

In one embodiment, the bisecting web 19 is produced in a plywood 12 to 24mm thick with a length of 100mm and a height adapted to the thickness of the insulating barrier. The cross-bisector veil 20 is made of plywood 12 to 24mm thick with a length of 150 to 280mm. Such plywood thicknesses are standard and therefore readily available. Alternatively, densified plywood can also be used.

A rectangular cutout 21 is formed in each corner of the cover plate 16 in a portion of the thickness of the cover plate 16 so as to form a counterbore surface in the cover plate 16. This counterbore surface makes it possible to receive the support of a secondary metal plate 22 of the retaining member 4.

The supporting pillars 17 and the corner pillars 18 can be made of many materials. They can in particular be made of ordinary or densified plywood, or of a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). ), polyurethane (PU) or polypropylene (PP), optionally reinforced with fibers.

A heat-insulating lining 13 extends in the spaces provided between the supporting pillars 17, 18. The heat-insulating lining 13 is for example glass wool, wadding, a polymeric foam, such as polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam or polyvinyl chloride foam. Such a polymer foam can be placed between the supporting pillars 17, 18 by an injection operation during the manufacture of the secondary insulating block 3. Alternatively, it is possible to produce the heat-insulating lining 13 by providing, in a precut block of polymer foam, glass wool or cotton wool, orifices to accommodate the supporting pillars 17, 18.

All of the foregoing description relating to the secondary insulating blocks 3 is also applicable to the primary insulating blocks 7. However, the primary insulating bioc 7 presents certain differences with the secondary insulating bioc 3, in particular at the level of a bottom plate 26 corresponding to ia bottom plate 15 of the secondary insulating block 3. In particular, it is necessary to adapt the bottom plate 26 to the projecting parts of the secondary membrane 5, namely the edges of the strakes 12 and the vertical edge of the welding supports 11.

FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of a primary insulating block 7 without the heat-insulating lining 13. The bottom plate 26 is subdivided to allow the protruding parts of the secondary membrane 5 to pass through interstices. To maintain a certain flexural strength of the bottom surface 26, connecting pieces 32 are used. The connecting piece 32 of the bottom pia is for example a profiled rod fixed to the cheva! on two successive portions of the bottom plate 26 in line with the gap and having a longitudinal groove in the extension of the gap.

In addition, in this figure 2, a corner pillar 18 has an L-shape, a first veil extending in a plan yawning at the iatera edge! of the bottom pia 26 and a second veil extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal edge of the bottom pia 26.

FIG. 1 illustrates a common portion of the tank wall in which the secondary insulation blocks 3 and the primary insulation blocks 7 are standardized, that is to say that they have identical dimensions. However, at the ends of the tank wall, the row of secondary insulating blocks 3 at the end and primary insulating blocks 7 at the end forming the end respectively of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 and of the primary thermally insulating barrier 6 have a length less than the length of the secondary insulation blocks 3 and of the primary insulation blocks 7 standardized. Thus, because of the dimensional tolerances of the tanks, it is desirable to be able to produce insulating blocks of all dimensions.

In order to produce a secondary insulating block 3, it is necessary first to re-create an insulating bioc structure 14 having the bottom pia on which are fixed the supporting pillars 17 and the corner pillars 18. In a second step, the heat-insulating lining 13 is mounted on the insulating block structure 14, for example by an injection operation during the manufacture of the secondary insulating block or by providing, in a pre-cut block of heat-insulating lining for the orifices to accommodate its supporting pillars 17 as indicated above with reference to FIG. 1. As soon as the heat-insulating lining 13 is positioned on the insulating block structure 14, the cover plate 16 is fixed on the supporting pillars 17 and the corner pillars 18. A primary insulating block is carried out in a similar manner and the description given here for the manufacture of a secondary insulating block 3 applies by analogy to the production of a primary insulating block 7.

In an alternative embodiment, the insulating block structure 14 comprises the cover plate 16 on which the support pillars 17 and the corner pillars 18 are fixed, the bottom plate 15 being fixed on said support pillars 17 and corner pillars 18 after positioning the heat-insulating lining 13 on the insulating block structure 14.

Figures 3 to 5 show a schematic perspective view of a construction device 23 for constructing an insulating block structure 14 according to a first embodiment. The description below with regard to FIGS. 3 to 9 is carried out in the context of the manufacture of an insulating block structure 14 formed from a bottom plate 15 but applies by analogy to an insulating block structure 14 formed from a cover plate 16.

The construction device 23 comprises a support 24 of rectangular shape. The support 24 has a flat support surface 25 of rectangular shape. The bearing surface 25 has for example lateral edges of a length substantially equal to the width of the bottom plate 15 and longitudinal edges of a length at least equal to the length of the bottom plate 15 of a insulating block of standardized size.

The support 24 also comprises a row of pairs of anchoring members 27 developing along the bearing surface 25. Each pair of anchoring members 27 comprises an anchoring member 27 disposed along a respective longitudinal edge. The two anchoring members 27 of the same pair of anchoring members 27 are located equidistant from the lateral edges of the bearing surface

25. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the anchoring members 27 have the shape of a threaded rod projecting from the support 24.

The support 24 also has a pair of guide rails 30. Each guide rail 30 develops parallel and along a respective longitudinal edge of the bearing surface 25. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, these guide rails 30 have the shape of a simple groove or an inverted "T". The guide rails 30 are located on the support further from the support surface 25 than the anchoring members 27.

The construction device 23 also includes a plurality of 10 guide sections intended to guide the positioning of the support pillars 17 and the corner pillars 18 during the construction of the insulating block structure 14.

Each guide profile has a flat guide plate 33 of rectangular shape. The guide plate 33 has two longitudinal edges parallel to the lateral edges of its support surface 25 and two lateral edges 35 15 parallel to the longitudinal edges of the support surface 25. Each guide profile further comprises two spacer plates 36. Each spacer plate 36 projects perpendicularly to the guide plate 33 from a side edge!

respective of the guide plate 33 and in the direction of the support 24. Typically, the guide plate 33 and the spacer plates 36 give the guide profile a “U” shaped section, the base of which is formed by the guide plate 33 and Its two branches are formed by the spacer plates 36.

One end of each spacer plate 36 opposite the guide plate 33 has a fixing lug 37. These fixing lugs 37 develop parallel to the guide plate 33 in a direction opposite to the guide plate 33.

Furthermore, the guide plate 33 of each guide profile has a plurality of guide holes 38. Each guide hole 38 has a section corresponding to the largest section of a supporting pillar 17 or a corner pillar 18 in order to guide in sliding a supporting pillar 17 or a complementary corner pillar 18, that is to say that in the case of a pillar not having a constant section, the orifice 38 is arranged to allow passage and guiding the largest section of the corresponding pillar 17, 18 so as not to block the sliding of said pillar 17, 18. In addition, the height of the spacer plates 36 is less than the height of the supporting pillars 17. In the case of blocks insulators having distinct thicknesses, for example primary insulating blocks of thickness less than the thickness of the secondary insulating blocks, the height of the spacer plates 36 is calibrated to be less than the height of the pillars of lower height.

The plurality of guide profiles includes a plurality of fixed guide profiles 39 and a movable guide profile 40.

The fixing lugs 37 of each fixed guide profile 39 are arranged to cooperate with a pair of anchoring member 27 of the row of pairs of anchoring members 27 of the support 24. Thus, each fixing lug 37 of the fixed guide profiles 39 has a through hole allowing the passage of the threaded rod forming the anchoring member 27 of a pair of anchoring members 27. The distance separating the orifices of the two fixing lugs 37 of the fixed guide 39 is equal to the distance separating two anchoring members 27 so that each fixed guide section 39 can be mounted fixed on the support 24 by cooperation of the orifices of its fixing lugs 37 with the anchoring members 27 d any pair of anchoring members 27 from the row of pairs of anchoring members 27. This cooperation is for example carried out using a nut screwed onto the threaded rod and pressing the fixing lug 37 crossed by said fixing rod against the support 24 Furthermore, the distance separating two spacer plates 36 from a fixed guide profile 39 is preferably substantially equal to the width of the bottom plate 15.

In an embodiment not illustrated, the cooperation between its anchoring members 27 and the fixing lugs 37 is reversed. In other words, the anchoring members 27 take the form of a through hole Support 24 and the fixing lugs 37 each have on a face opposite to the guide panel 33 a threaded rod. Each fixed guide profile 39 is mounted on the support 24 by positioning said fixed guide profile 39 so that the threaded rod of its fixing lug 37 passes through the orifice of the anchoring member 27. A nut is then screwed on the threaded rod of the fixing lugs 37 enabling the fixed guide profile 39 to be locked in position on the support 24.

The plurality of fixed guide profiles 39 includes a fixed end guide profile 41 and a plurality of standard guide profiles 42.

The fixed end guide profile 41 is intended to be fixed to the first pair of anchor members 27 of the row of pairs of anchor members 27. The guide plate 33 of this fixed guide profile d end 41 has a central hole 43 and two corner holes 44. The central hole 43 is of complementary shape to a support pillar 17 and the corner holes 44 are of complementary shape to the corner pillars 18. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 9, its corner holes 44 have an L-shaped section formed by two perpendicular portions each complementary to a section of a respective corner pillar. In a mode not illustrated, the corner orifices 44 have an F-shaped section.

The guide plate 33 of the current fixed guide profiles 42 each comprise a row of guide holes 38 of complementary shape of support pillars 17. These guide holes are aligned parallel to the longitudinal edges 34 of the guide plate 33.

The fixing lugs 37 of the movable guide profile are arranged to cooperate with the pair of guide rails 30. Thus, each fixing lug 37 of the movable guide profile 40 has a through hole traversed by a guide rod 45 in the form of "T" reversed. The base of this guide rod 45 is housed in the guide rail 30 so as to allow the displacement of the movable guide profile 40 along the guide rails 30 while ensuring its maintenance on the support 24. A nut screwed onto ia guide rod 45 ensures that said guide rod 45 remains mounted on its fixing lugs 37. In addition, by tightening the nut on the guide rod 45, the fixing lugs 37 of the movable guide profile 40 can be wedged between the nut and the support 24 thus making it possible to block the movement of the movable guide profile 40. The plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 has a length greater than the distance separating two anchoring members 27 from a pair of anchoring members 27. Thus, when the movable guide profile 40 is mounted on its guide rails 30, the spacer plates 36 of the movable guide profile 40 are more distant from the bearing surface 25 than its members anchors 27 so q ue the anchoring members 27 do not disturb the movement of the movable guide profile 40 along the support surface 25.

In an embodiment not shown, the locking in position of the movable guide profile can be achieved using pliers, a key, a nut.

In an embodiment not illustrated, the cooperation between the fixing lugs 37 of the movable guide profile 40 and the pair of guide rails 30 is reversed. Typically, the guide rail 30 has the form of an oblong orifice passing through the support 24. Each fixing lug 37 of the movable guide profile 40 has on a face opposite to the guide plate 33 a threaded rod. The movable guide profile 40 is positioned on the support 24 so as to house the threaded rod of its fixing lugs 37 in a respective oblong orifice of the guide rail 30 so as to guide the movable guide profile 40 in sliding. A nut cooperating with the threaded rod makes it possible to lock in position the movable guide profile 40 on the support 24.

The guide plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 has two corner guide holes 46 complementary to a respective corner pillar 18 of the insulating block structure 14 and a central hole 47 of complementary shape to a supporting pillar 17.

FIG. 3 illustrates the construction device 23 in a configuration intended for manufacturing large insulating blocks, for example for making the current portions of the thermally insulating barriers. Thus, in this configuration, the construction device 23 comprises the fixed end guide profile 41 fixedly mounted on the first pair of members 27 and three current fixed guide profiles 42 mounted on three pairs of successive anchoring members . Furthermore, the movable guide profile 40 is mounted on the support at one end of the guide rails 30 opposite to the fixed end guide profile 41.

In order to increase the density of the pillars 17, 18 present at the end of the insulating block structure 14, the distance 48 between the guide holes 43, 44 of the fixed end guide profile 41 and the holes of guide 38 of an adjacent running guide profile 42 is less than the distance 49 between the guide holes 38 of two current fixed guide profiles 42. Thus, for example, the distance 48 between the guide holes 43, 44 of the profile end guide 41 and the guide holes 38 of the current fixed guide profile 42 adjacent is 238mm while the distance 49 between the guide holes 38 of two fixed current guide profiles 42 adjacent is 245mm.

Likewise, the distance between the guide holes 46, 47 of the movable guide profile 40 and the guide holes 38 of the adjacent current fixed guide profile 42 can be adapted to modify the density of the pillars 17, 18 at the level of the other end of the insulating block structure 14. In order to maintain an acceptable density of pillars of its insulating block structure 14, the distance separating the guide holes 46, 47 of the movable guide profile 40 from the guide holes 38 of the profile of adjacent fixed current guide 42 must not be too large, for example not less than the distance separating the guide holes 38 from two fixed current guide sections 42.

Preferably, the distance between two anchoring members 27 is sufficient so that the guide holes 38 of two adjacent guide sections are sufficiently distant so that there is no interference between the pillars 17, 18 when their positioning using the guide holes 38.

The construction device 23 can be reconfigured in order to construct insulating blocks of reduced size, for example to produce the insulating blocks of a row of insulating blocks forming the end of the thermally insulating barriers 2, 6. More particularly, the number of fixed guide profiles 39 can be reduced and the movable guide profile 40 can be moved along the guide rails 30 in order to adapt the number of guide holes 38 and the distance between its guide holes 46, 47 of the profile movable guide 40 with the guide holes 38 of the tray of the current fixed guide profile 42 adjacent.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrate different configurations of the construction device 23 for manufacturing insulating block structures 14 having different lengths. Depending on its desired length, these construction devices 23 comprise more or less common fixed guide profiles 42 and the movable guide profile 40 is more or less advanced in the guide rails 30. Thus, FIG. 3 illustrates a construction device 23 comprising three current fixed guide profiles 42 whereas in FIGS. 4 and 5, the construction device 24 comprises a single current fixed guide profile 42. In addition, the movable guide profile 40 is positioned in two distinct positions on the Figures 4 and 5 in order to manufacture insulating block structures 14 of different lengths.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the anchoring members 27 of the support making it possible to fix the current fixed guide profiles 42 do not disturb the movement of the movable guide profile 40 along the bearing surface 25, the spacer plates 36 of the movable guide profile 40 being more distant from each other than the anchoring members 27 of a pair of anchoring member 27.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment of the construction device 23 of insulating block structure 14. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment by adding a complementary guide plate 50 on the plate guide 33 of the movable guide profile 40. This complementary guide plate 50 is fixed on the guide plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 by any suitable means. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, fixing bars 51 are fixed, for example by screw or welding welding, on the complementary guide plate 50. These fixing bars 51 have a projecting portion 52 projecting from 'a longitudinal edge of the complementary guide plate 50. The projecting portions 52 are fixed to the guide plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 for example by screwing. For this, the plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. comprises for example fixing holes 53 cooperating with the screws and nuts passing through each fixing bar 51.

The complementary guide plate 50 has a row of guide holes 38. Due to the fixing of the complementary guide plate 50 on the plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40, the distance between the guide holes

38 of the complementary guide plate 50 and the guide holes 46, 47 of the plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40 is fixed, for example 127mm. In addition, the displacement of the movable guide profile 40 along the bearing surface also generates the displacement of the complementary guide plate 50, and consequently its distance between the guide holes 38 of the complementary guide plate 50 and the holes guide 38 of the adjacent current fixed guide section 42.

Similarly to the construction device 23 illustrated with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the construction device 23 comprising the complementary guide plate 50 makes it possible to produce insulating block structures 14 of different size by moving the movable guide profile 40 the along the support surface 25 and using a variable number of fixed guide profiles 39.

In an embodiment not illustrated, the complementary guide plate 50 can be fixed on a current fixed guide profile 42 in a similar manner to the fixing of said complementary guide panel 50 on the movable guide profile 40.

In one embodiment, the support 24 comprises a plurality of fixing orifices 54 passing through, illustrated by way of example in dotted lines in FIG. 5. More particularly, the support 24 comprises a first row of fixing orifices positioned on Se support 24 opposite the guide holes 43 and 44 of the fixed end guide profile 41. The support 24 further comprises a row of oblong fixing holes 55. These oblong fixing holes 55 develop parallel to the longitudinal edges of the bearing surface 25 in a respective plane comprising one of the orifices 46, 47 of the movable guide profile 40. Whatever the position of the movable guide profile 40 along the bearing surface 25, the orifices of guide 46, 47 of the movable guide profile 40 are located opposite a respective oblong fixing orifice 55. For this, the oblong fixing orifices have a length substantially equal to the length of the guide rails 30.

In this embodiment, the bottom plate 15 is positioned on the bearing surface during the construction of the insulating block structure 14 and the pillars 17, 18 are guided in positioning by the guide holes 38 in order to come in support on said bottom plate 15. The fixing holes 54, 55 then allow the passage of fixing means through the support 24 to fix the supporting pillars 17 and its corner pillars 18 on the bottom plate 15. Such means fixing means are for example screws, staples or any other fixing means. In the case of a construction device 23 comprising a complementary guide plate 50, each oblong fixing orifice 55 is developed over a length of the bearing surface 25 so as to be opposite to itself a orifice of respective guide 38 of the complementary guide plate 50 and a guide hole 46, 47 respective of the guide plate 33 of the movable guide profile 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the construction device comprises a locking means in position (not shown) of the bottom plate 15 on the bearing surface 25. Such a locking means in position can for example take its form of clamps, of a weight or the like in order to avoid displacement of the plate bottom 15 when the fixing means are installed. Once the supporting pillars 17, 18 are fixed on the bottom plate 15, the guide profiles 39, 40 are removed from the support 24 so that the insulating block structure 14 can be removed.

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of an insulating block structure construction device according to a third alternative embodiment. This third variant is distinguished from the first variant in that the fixed end guide profile 41 and the movable guide profile 40 each have positioning pins 57. Furthermore, in this third variant and as explained below with reference to FIG. 9, the bottom plate 15 is positioned on the guide profiles bearing on the supporting pillars 17, 18, the supporting pillars 17, 18 being themselves bearing on the bearing surface 25.

Each positioning lug 57 projects from a face of the corresponding guide plate 33 opposite to its bearing surface 25. Each positioning lug 57 has a height greater than the height of the portions of the pillars 17, 18 projecting from the guide profiles 40, 41 when said pillars 17, 18 are in abutment on the bearing surface 25.

The fixed end guide profile 41 has first and second positioning pins 57. The first and second positioning pins 57 are located in respective corners of the guide plate 33 opposite the movable guide profile 40. The first positioning lug 57 has two flat walls 58 developing at right angles along a respective edge 34, 35 of the guide plate 33. The second positioning lug 57 has a single flat wall 59 developing along the longitudinal edge 34 of the guide plate 33 in the extension of a flat wall 58 of the first positioning lug 57. In a manner not shown, the first and second lugs can be similar.

The movable guide profile 40 has a single positioning lug 57 having a flat wall 60. This flat wall 60 develops parallel to the lateral edge 35 of the guide plate 33 of said movable guide profile 40 in the extension of the corresponding flat wall 58 of the first positioning lug 57 of the fixed end guide profile 41.

Alternatively and not shown, the movable guide profile 40 includes two positioning lugs 57 such as the positioning lug 57 of the movable guide profile 40 described above. These two positioning pins 57 are each arranged at a respective lateral edge 35 of the guide plate 33.

In addition, the guide plate 33 of the fixed end guide profile 41 and of the movable guide profile 40 both have support pads 61. These support pads 61 protrude from the guide plate 33 in a direction opposite the bearing surface.

Furthermore, in this third alternative embodiment, the fixed end guide profile 41 is mounted in a non-removable manner on the support 24, for example by welding the spacer plates 36 on the support 24.

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of the insulating block structure construction device of Figure 8 during the manufacture of an insulating block structure 14.

In order to manufacture an insulating block structure 14 of a determined length, a corresponding number of fixed guide profiles 39 are mounted on the support 24 and the movable guide profile 40 is mounted and positioned on the support 24 in an appropriate position. By adequate position is meant a position in which the guide holes 38 of the various movable guide profiles 39, 40, and possibly of the complementary guide plate 50, are at a distance corresponding to the desired distance between the pillars 17, 18 of the insulating block structure 14.

As soon as the fixed guide sections 39 and the movable guide section 40 are mounted on the support 24, support pillars 17 and corner pillars 18 are inserted in each corresponding guide hole 38 and guided in insertion by said holes. guide 38 until it is pressed against the support surface 25. The height of the pillars 17, 18 is such that when they are supported on the support surface 25, they project from the guide profiles 39, 40 and are thus held in position by the guide holes 38 of said guide sections 39, 40. A bottom plate 15 is then attached to the construction device 23 so as to rest on the pillars 17, 18 projecting from the sections of guide 39, 40, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The positioning of the bottom plate 15 on the construction device is advantageously facilitated by the positioning pins 57. Typically the bottom plate 15 is guided in position by cooperation of one part of one of its corners with the first positioning lug 57 of the fixed end guide profile 41 and, on the other hand, each of the edges of the bottom wall 15 forming said corner with the other lugs of positioning 57 of the construction device. In addition, the support pins 61 facilitate its gripping and the positioning of the bottom plate 15.

When the bottom plate 15 is positioned on the construction device 23, the clamps 17, 18 can be fixed to said bottom plate 15 by any means, for example by screwing, stapling or the like. Once the pillars 17, 18 are fixed on the bottom plate 15, the insulating block structure 14 thus formed can be removed from the construction device 23 by sliding the pillars 17, 18 along the guide holes 38.

In an embodiment not shown, the guide profiles comprise an intermediate plate. Such an intermediate plate is interposed between the guide plates 33 and the support 24 and develops between the spacer plate 36 parallel to the guide plates 33. These intermediate plates have guide holes similar to the guide holes 38 of the guide plates 33 and vis-à-vis said guide holes 38, Thus, when the pads 17,18 are inserted in the guide profiles to bear against the bearing surface 25, the said pads are guided in sliding and held in position both through the guide holes 38 of the guide plates 33 and through the guide holes of the intermediate plates. Alternatively, an imprint in the support 24 could accommodate one end of the pillars 17, 18 to give the same effect as ie intermediate platform.

The corner pads 18 can take many forms and the corner pads 18 of the same insulating block structure 14 can have different shapes. Thus, in FIG. 1, the bisecting veil 19 of the corner pillars 18 of the secondary insulating blocks 3 are trapezoidal in shape and the bisecting veils 19 of the corner piiers 18 of the primary insulating blocks 7 have a lower support tab 56. By elsewhere, the corner piiers 18 along a lateral edge of the block illustrated in FIG. 2 have a L shape whereas the corner piiers 18 located ieg on the opposite lateral edge of said insulating block have a shape similar to the piiers of corners of the primary insulating blocks 7 of FIG. 1. Such separate corner pillars 18 moreover correspond to the corner pillars 18 to be inserted in the corner guide holes 44, 46 of the guide profiles 40, 41 illustrated in the FIGS. 3 to 9. FIG. 10 illustrates for example an insulating block structure 14 in which the corner pillars 18 are identical and each comprise a bisector veil 19 and a counter bisector veil 20.

The technique described above for producing an insulating block structure can be used to construct insulating blocks usable in any thermal insulation application, for example to constitute the insulating blocks of a primary or secondary thermally insulating barrier of a reservoir. LNG in a land installation or in a floating structure such as an LNG tanker or other.

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.

In an embodiment not illustrated, the manufacture of an insulating block structure comprises, prior to positioning the pillars 17, 18, positioning a bottom plate 15 on the bearing surface 25, that is to say interposed between the plates 33 of the guide sections 39, 40 and the bearing surface

25. The pillars 17, 18 are then inserted into the guide holes 38 in order to rest in abutment on said bottom plate 15. The pillars 17, 18 are then fixed on the bottom plate 15. This fixing can be achieved by any means suitable, for example by gluing or dowelling provided prior to the insertion of the pillars 17, 18 into the guide holes 38 or also by stapling or screwing through the bottom plate 15 thanks to the presence of fixing holes 54, 55 provided on the support 24.

In this embodiment not shown, all of the guide sections 39, 40 are removable. When the pillars 17, 18 are fixed to the bottom plate 15, the guide profiles 39, 40 are removed from the support 24, for example by unscrewing the nuts cooperating with the fixing members 27 for the fixed guide profiles 39 or with Its guide rod 45 blocking in position the movable guide profile 40. The insulating block structure 14 thus produced can then be removed from the bearing surface 25 of the support 24 in order to receive the heat-insulating lining 13 and the cover lid 16 in order to finalize the manufacture of the insulating box.

In an embodiment not illustrated, the mobility of the movable guide profile 40 on the support is not continuous but produced by steps of distance. In this embodiment, the fixing lugs of the movable guide profile 40 cooperate with the support 24 by means of anchoring members such as the anchoring members 27.

The use of the verb "behave", "understand" or "include" and its conjugate forms does not preclude the presence of other elements or steps than those set out in a claim.

In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses should not be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims (15)

1. Construction device (23) of an insulating block structure (14) for a sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising: a support (24) having a flat support surface (25) 5 rectangular, and a plurality of guide profiles (40, 41, 42) mounted on the support (24) and mutually spaced along a longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25), each guide profile (40 , 41, 42) comprising a guide plate (33) of rectangular shape, a length of the guide plate (33) 10 being perpendicular to a length of the bearing surface (25), each guide profile (40, 41, 42) further comprising two spacer plates (36) arranged to keep said guide plate (33) parallel to the surface support (25) at a distance from the support surface (25), each spacer plate (36) being mounted on the support (24), said guide plate (33) comprising a row of orifices for 15 guide (38, 43, 44, 46, 47) intended to receive and guide in positioning a respective row of pillars (17, 18) of its insulating block structure (14) on the bearing surface (25), in which the guide profiles include: a first guide profile (41) mounted at a predefined position on the support (24), and 20 - a second guide profile (40) movably mounted on the support (24), each spacer plate (36) of the second guide profile being movably mounted on the support in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25) of so as to allow the row of guide holes (38, 46, 47) of the second guide profile to be displaced relative to the row of guide holes (38, 25 43, 44) of the first guide profile (41) along the bearing surface (25). 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first guide profile (41) is fixedly mounted on the support (24). 3. Device according to ia claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide profiles further comprise at least one running guide profile (42) interposed 30 in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25) between the first guide profile (41) and the second guide profile (40), said or each current guide profile (42) being arranged at a predefined distance from the first guide profile (41). 4. Device according to claim 3, wherein said at least one current guide profile (42) is removably mounted on the support (24). 5 5. Device according to one of claims 3 to 4, comprising a plurality of common guide profiles (42) mutually spaced along the longitudinal direction of the support surface (25) interposed between the first guide profile (41) and the second guide profile (40). 6. Device according to claim 5, in which the rows 10 of guide holes of the current guide sections (42) are spaced regularly in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25). 7. Device according to claim 6, in which a first of said current guide profiles (42) is adjacent to the first guide profile (41), the row of guide holes of the first current guide profile being located at A first distance (48) from the row of guide holes of the first guide profile, the first distance (48) being less than a second distance (49) separating the rows of guide holes from two common guide profiles adjacent. 8. Device according to claim 7, in which a last of said 20 common guide profiles (42) is adjacent to the second guide profile (40), the distance in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25) between the row of guide holes (46, 47) of the second profile guide and the row of guide holes (38, 43, 44) of the last current guide profile (42) being less than or equal to the second distance (49). 25 9. Device according to one of claims 3 to 8, in which the support (24) comprises a row of pairs of common anchoring members (27) arranged along the bearing surface (25) and regularly spaced in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25), the spacer plates (36) of the or each current guide profile (42) and each pair of anchoring member 30 streams (27) of the row of pairs of common anchors (27) being configured to mount the current guide profile (42) removably on the support (24), so that the or each profile current guide (42) can be mounted on the support (24) at a plurality of predefined positions along the bearing surface (25) depending on the pair of common anchors (27) with which the plates spacers (36) of the current guide profile (42) cooperate. 10. Device according to claim 9, in which the row of pairs of common anchoring members (27) comprises a first pair of members 5 common anchors (27) located on the support (24) at a first distance from the first guide profile, its pairs of common anchor members (27) being mutually spaced a second distance greater than the first distance . 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the support (24) comprises a pair of guide members (30), the spacer plates 10 (36) of the second guide profile and the pair of guide members (30) being configured to mount the second guide profile (40) movably on the support (24). 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the second guide profile (40) further comprises an additional row 15 of guide holes (38), the additional row of guide holes (38) being located on the second guide profile (40) at a fixed distance from the row of guide holes (38, 46, 47 ) of the second guide profile (40), the additional row of guide holes (38) being located at a position interposed between a guide profile adjacent (41, 42) to the second guide profile (40) and 20 the row of guide holes (38, 46, 47) of the second guide profile (40) in the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface (25), the additional row of guide holes (38) being intended receiving and guiding in positioning a respective row of pillars (17) of the insulating block structure (14) on the bearing surface. 13. Device according to claim 12, in which the second guide profile (40) comprises a removable guide plate (50), said removable guide plate (50) comprising the additional row of guide holes (38), the removable guide plate (50) being removably mounted on the guide plate (33) of the second guide profile (40). 14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, in which at least one of the first guide profile (41) and the second guide profile (40) comprises positioning pins (57) arranged to guide in positioning a panel (15, 16) of its insulating block structure (14). 15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the guide profiles (40, 41, 42) comprises an intermediate plate interposed between the guide plate (33) and the surface of support (25), said intermediate plate comprising a row of guide holes 5 intermediate vis-à-vis ia row of guide hole of the guide plate (33) of said guide profile so as to guide the positioning of the pillars. 16. Method for manufacturing an insulating bio-structure (14) comprising a panel (15, 16, 26) on which a plurality of pillars (17, 18) are mounted, Method comprising Its steps of: 10 - provide a construction device (23) according to one of claims 1 to 15, - insert a pillar (17, 18) in each of the guide holes of the guide profiles of the construction device and guide the said pillar (17, 18) by sliding until a first end of the pillar is supported on the surface 15 support (25), position the panel (15, 16, 26) of the insulating block structure (14) on the construction device (23) bearing against a second end of the pillars (17, 18) housed in the guide holes (38, 43, 44, 46, 47), - fix the second end of each pillar (17, 18) on the panel (15, 20 16.26), - remove the insulating block structure (14) from the construction device (23). 17. Method according to claim 16, in which the construction device (23) is according to one of claims 3 to 10, further comprising the steps of selecting a number of current guide profiles as a function of 25 total length of the insulating bio-structure, mount on said support said number of common guide profiles (42) at a plurality of predetermined positions ie along the support (24) between the first guide profile and the second guide profile ( 40). 3059 ^ 53 2/5