JP2023527011A - Anchor device for holding insulation blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

An anchoring device for holding the insulation block to the support wall comprises a clamping assembly (30) comprising a lower plate (31) and an upper plate (32) parallel to said lower plate; an abutment defining a minimum separation space with said top plate. The spacing member further comprises a resilient compressible member (39) tending to maintain the lower plate and the upper plate (32) in the spaced apart position, the connecting member in the spaced apart position of the lower plate being greater than the minimum spacing space. and the top plate, the elastic compressible member (39) being able to support the bottom plate (31) and the top plate (32) when subjected to a force tending to move the top plate toward the bottom plate. ) is elastically compressed until it abuts against the abutting portion at the abutting position. [Selection drawing] Fig. 3

Description

The present invention relates to the field of closed and insulated tanks for containing cryogenic fluids incorporated into a support structure, in particular to membrane tanks for containing liquefied gases, and in particular to mechanical anchoring devices usable in such tanks.

Closed insulated tanks can be used to store cryogenic products in various industries. For example, in the energy sector, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a methane-rich liquid that can be stored in onshore storage tanks or tanks mounted on floating structures at atmospheric pressure and about -163°C. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is storable at temperatures between -50°C and 0°C.

In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be for containing or transporting a liquefied gas to be used as propulsion fuel for the floating structure.

For example from WO 2014/096600 and WO 2019/110894 a closed insulated tank for storing liquefied natural gas arranged on a support structure is known, the wall of the closed insulated tank being external to the tank. A secondary insulation barrier secured to the support structure, a secondary encapsulation membrane supported by the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier supported by the secondary encapsulation membrane, and supported by the primary insulation barrier. a primary sealing membrane in contact with the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank.

The primary and secondary insulation barriers each comprise a modular assembly of parallelepiped primary and secondary insulation blocks of general parallelepiped shape, the primary and secondary insulation blocks adjoining their respective sealing membranes. form the support structure of the The insulation blocks are anchored to the support structure using anchoring devices, which are placed anchored to the support structure at the corner locations of the primary and secondary insulation blocks. Each anchoring device thus cooperates with four adjacent secondary insulation blocks and four adjacent primary insulation blocks to secure them to the support structure.

Some aspects of the present invention are based on the observation that the sloshing phenomenon of liquid entering a tank can result in localized high compressive stresses in the tank walls. Therefore, in order to be able to reliably fix the insulation barrier while keeping the overall dimensions down, the anchoring device is generally manufactured from parts with a higher hardness than the insulation block. Such hardness differentials can lead to planarity defects in the insulating barrier when subjected to compressive stress, especially when the insulating barrier is predominantly made of polymer foam. The flatness defects described above create stress concentrations in the anchoring device that can compromise the integrity of the sealing membrane supported by the insulating barrier.

One idea underlying the invention is to allow flexibility in the anchoring device in the direction of the compressive forces originating inside the tank in order to homogenize the response of the insulating barrier to compressive stresses. Another idea underlying the invention is to allow the upper surface of the anchoring device to substantially follow the movement of the upper surface of the insulating block when using closed insulating membrane tanks.

To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an anchoring device for retaining insulation blocks to a support wall, comprising:
a lower plate, an upper plate parallel to the lower plate, a connection member connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a spacing member disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate. wherein the spacing member includes an abutment that engages the lower plate in an abutting position where the lower plate and the upper plate abut the abutment. a clamping assembly defining a minimum clearance space between said top plate, said abutment having a rigid portion;
An anchor rod projecting from the clamping assembly perpendicularly to the lower plate and having a lower end attached to the support wall and an upper end opposite the lower end, the anchor rod extending in the direction of the lower end. an anchor rod coupled to the lower plate so as to exert a traction force on the lower plate;
and
said spacing member further comprising a resiliently compressible member tending to maintain said lower plate and said upper plate in a spaced apart position;
said connecting member defines, at said spaced apart position, a maximum spacing between said lower plate and said upper plate that is greater than said minimum spacing;
The elastically compressible member elastically compresses until the lower plate and the upper plate abut against the abutment at the abutment position when a force tending to move the upper plate against the lower plate is applied. To provide an anchoring device characterized in that it is configured to:

The above arrangement allows the anchoring device to have a lower stiffness than the above prior art when subjected to compressive forces, thereby providing the ability to undergo elastic deformation upon impact between the spaced and abutted positions. can be provided.

In other advantageous embodiments, the anchoring device described above can comprise one or more of the following features.

There are various ways in which the spacing members that define the maximum separation between the lower and upper plates can be made.

In one embodiment, said connecting member comprises at least one connecting rod perpendicular to said lower plate and said upper plate, said connecting rod (34) passing through a hole formed in said abutment. Through, the lower plate and/or the upper plate are mounted to slide relative to the connecting rod so as to be slidable into the abutment position.

In one embodiment, the connecting member comprises a first plate coupled to a first end of the connecting rod so as to render the top plate immovable relative to the connecting rod in the longitudinal direction in the spaced-apart position. It further comprises an abutment element.

In one embodiment, said connecting member further comprises a rotation-disabling element coupled to said first abutment element, a portion of said rotation-disabling element being adapted to render said connecting rod non-rotatable. are placed in notches in the top plate.

In one embodiment, the non-rotatable element is housed in a receptacle of the top plate that receives the first abutment element, the notch opening towards the interior of the receptacle.

In one embodiment, the connecting member has a second end coupled to a second end of the connecting rod for rendering the lower plate longitudinally immovable relative to the connecting rod in the spaced-apart position. It further comprises an abutment element.

In one embodiment, said first abutment element comprises a nut, said nut being threadedly welded to said first end of said connecting rod, and said second abutment element comprising said lower part. firmly attached to the plate.

In one embodiment, said second abutment element is placed in a groove in said lower plate, said groove being arranged on two different sides of said second abutment element so as to render said connecting rod non-rotatable. The first abutment element is rigidly attached to the top plate, having two opposing surfaces cooperating with.

In one embodiment, the anchoring device further comprises a spacing portion located below the lower plate, the spacing portion comprising a central housing, wherein the central housing accommodates the anchor rod. is passed therethrough, the spacing portion having an upper surface configured to abut the lower plate of the clamping assembly and a lower surface supported by an insulating block, the second abutment element extending from the spacing portion said groove having two opposite surfaces cooperating with two opposite surfaces of said second abutment element to render said connecting rod non-rotatable; The first abutment element is rigidly attached to the top plate.

The elastic compressible member can be positioned between the lower plate and the upper plate in a variety of ways. The resiliently compressible member may be mounted in tandem or side-by-side with the abutments defining the minimum spacing.

In one embodiment, said elastically compressible member engages said connecting rod.

In one embodiment, said elastically compressible member is supported on said abutment and/or said lower plate and/or upper plate.

In one embodiment, the aperture formed in the abutment has a step on which the elastically compressible member is positioned. This arrangement allows the overall dimensions of the elastically compressible member to be reduced.

There are various ways in which the elastically compressible member can be made, and in particular it can be made in the form of one or more springs. In one embodiment, said resiliently compressible member comprises a stack of spring washers. For example, 2-10 Belleville washers can be used to produce elastic motion of 1-8 mm. In one embodiment, said elastically compressible member comprises a coil spring.

Preferably, the elastic movement between the spaced position and the abutting position of the upper plate and the lower plate is between a rest state corresponding to tank empty conditions and ambient temperature and an active state corresponding to tank operating conditions. It matches the movement of the cover plate of the insulation block relatively precisely. This motion is caused by the thermal contraction of the insulating blocks and the contraction of the insulating blocks when pressure loaded by the cargo. Preferably, it should be considered that the difference in motion between the upper surface of the insulating block and the upper surface of the anchoring device is less than the contraction of other parts of the anchoring device under the same conditions. In one embodiment, said elastic movement is of the order of 1-8 mm, preferably 4-7 mm, preferably 5 mm. In another embodiment, said elastic movement is between 1 and 6 mm, preferably 3 mm.

In one embodiment, said connecting member is configured to apply a static load to said resiliently compressible member in said spaced apart position. During tank building operations (e.g., localized drilling of sealing membranes, or movement of workers or tools on tank walls during construction), localized pressures are generated in the tank walls, such as those described above. A static load (or bias) typically provides reliable support for the lower sealing membrane during tank construction operations. Said static load may for example be of the order of 1 kN.

In one embodiment, said lower plate has a central hole through which said upper end of said anchor rod is passed, said anchoring device comprising a nut cooperating with a threaded portion of said upper end of said anchor rod; one or more spring washers, said spring washers connecting said nut and said lower plate so as to apply a resilient force to said lower plate in the direction of said lower end of said anchor rod. threadedly to the upper end of the anchor rod in between.

In this case, said clamping assembly preferably comprises at least two said connecting rods, said connecting rods being arranged symmetrically with respect to said central hole. Such a configuration allows for a balanced distribution of forces on the clamping assembly.

In one embodiment, each connecting rod is made non-rotatable by spot welding to one or both plates or by a split lock nut. The split locknut may be arranged, for example, above or below the lower plate, or partially inside the lower plate.

In one embodiment, the abutment is fixed, eg screwed and/or riveted and/or glued, to one of the lower plate or the upper plate. Preferably, said abutment is fixed to said lower plate.

In one embodiment, said abutment portion comprises a rigid portion.

In one embodiment, the abutment portion further comprises a polymer foam layer disposed on a surface of the rigid portion facing the other of the lower plate or the upper plate, wherein the polymer foam layer and the upper plate compresses at the abutment position where the abutment portion abuts. The polymer foam layer can be adhered to the rigid portion.

Advantageously, said polymer foam layer has a thickness of 2-8 mm to maintain a thickness of 1-6 mm at said abutment location.

In one embodiment, the other of the lower plate or the upper plate has a polymer foam layer disposed on a surface of the plate facing the rigid portion, the polymer foam layer comprising the lower plate and the upper plate. compresses at the abutment position abutting the abutment portion. The polymer foam layer can be adhered to the plate.

In one embodiment, the anchoring device further comprises a spacing portion located below the lower plate, the spacing portion comprising a central housing, wherein the central housing accommodates the anchor rod. is passed through, the spacing portion having an upper surface configured to abut the lower plate of the clamping assembly and a lower surface supported by an insulating block. Said spacing part is for example made of plywood in order to suppress thermal bridges. The spacing portion preferably has the same cross-section as the bottom plate, and in the illustrated embodiment has a square cross-section. Said spacing part may consist of a rigid assembly of a small number of long sides having a simple shape, which are for example laminated, screwed and/or glued together. Preferably, the central housing is filled around the anchor rod with insulation, such as glass wool, wadding, expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam or the like.

In one embodiment, the spacing portion is constituted by four identically shaped long side portions, the slanted planes of which form the respective walls of the central housing portion.

In one embodiment, the spacing portion comprises two opposing plates and two fasteners arranged between the two opposing plates, the two fasteners and the two plates form each wall of the central housing.

In one embodiment, the insulation comprises a block of glass wool around the anchor rod.

In one embodiment, said block of glass wool has a notch in its thickness for receiving said anchor rod.

In one embodiment, said block of glass wool comprises at least one sheet of glass fiber mat, kraft paper or polymer, said sheet connecting said block of glass wool and said opposing wall of said central enclosure. is placed between

In one embodiment, the insulation comprises a block of polymer foam, the block of polymer foam having through holes for receiving the anchor rods.

In one embodiment, the cross-section of the through hole widens from one of the upper and lower ends of the anchor rod toward the other of the upper and lower ends. In particular, in one embodiment the cross-section of the through-hole widens from the upper end of the anchor rod towards the lower end of the anchor rod.

In one embodiment, the spacing portion comprises a blind hole extending along the connecting rod, the blind hole being configured to receive a portion of the connecting rod.

In one embodiment, said clamping assembly constitutes a secondary clamping member cooperating with said secondary insulating barrier, said top plate having a central aperture, said central aperture having said clamping assembly in said clamping assembly. A stud projecting from the side opposite the anchor rod is threaded, said stud being provided with a primary clamping member cooperating with said primary insulating barrier.

In one embodiment, the anchor device further comprises a bushing engaged with the lower end of the anchor rod, the bushing being fixed to the support wall, the bushing being a ball-and-socket joint. It has a receptacle for receiving the lower end of the anchor rod to form a connection.

In one embodiment, the overall shape of said clamping assembly is a parallelepiped and said lower and upper plates have a rectangular profile.

In one embodiment, the anchor rods, lower plate and upper plate are made of metal and the abutment is made of plywood or other rigid material that provides better thermal insulation than metal, which has a density of, for example, 200 kg. /m ³ polyurethane foam and the like.

In one embodiment, the invention is an anchoring device for holding an insulation block to a support wall, comprising:
a lower plate, an upper plate parallel to the lower plate, a connection member connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a spacing member disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate. wherein the spacing member includes a rigid abutment that engages the lower plate in an abutment position where the lower plate and the upper plate abut the abutment; a clamping assembly defining a minimum clearance space between the plate and said top plate;
An anchor rod projecting from the clamping assembly perpendicularly to the lower plate and having a lower end attached to the support wall and an upper end opposite the lower end, the anchor rod extending in the direction of the lower end. an anchor rod coupled to the lower plate so as to exert a traction force on the lower plate;
and
further comprising a spacing portion disposed below the lower plate, the spacing portion having a central receiving portion through which the anchor rod passes, the spacing portion comprising: An anchoring device is provided having an upper surface configured to abut the lower plate of the clamping assembly and a lower surface supported by an insulating block.

The spacing portion may have one or more of the configurations described above.

In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a closed and insulated tank for storing a fluid, the closed and insulated tank comprising a supporting wall, an anchoring device fixed to said supporting wall, and an anchoring device fixed to said supporting wall using said anchoring device. a tank wall fixed to the tank wall, the tank wall further comprising, in order from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction, an insulation barrier; and a sealing membrane provided on the insulation barrier. equipped with
the insulation barrier comprises a plurality of parallelepiped-shaped insulation blocks arranged next to each other on the support wall, the insulation blocks comprising a cover plate forming a support surface for the sealing membrane;
At least one of the anchoring devices is any of the anchoring devices described above, wherein the lower ends of the anchor rods are fixed to the support wall between the insulating blocks, and the lower plate of the anchoring device comprises: cooperating with the plurality of insulation blocks to sandwich the plurality of insulation blocks toward the support wall;

In other advantageous embodiments, the tank described above may comprise one or more of the following features.

The resiliently compressible member is configured to retain the bottom plate and the top plate in the spaced apart position when the tank is empty, in which the top plate of the anchoring device is The cover plates of the plurality of insulation blocks are aligned to support the sealing membrane.

The insulation block can have various constructions. In one embodiment, the insulation block comprises a bottom plate parallel to and spaced from the cover plate, and a fiber reinforced polymer foam positioned between the cover plate and the bottom plate. a body block, wherein the bottom plate of the anchoring device cooperates directly or indirectly with the bottom plate without exerting any pinching action on the polymer foam block. For example, the bottom plate of the anchoring device can cooperate with the bottom plate via rigid members made of plywood or the like, such as spacings, pillars and/or cleats.

In one embodiment, said insulation block comprises a bottom plate and, in succession, an intermediate plate and a cover plate, both said intermediate plate and said cover plate being parallel to said bottom plate and to each other. Spaced apart, the insulation block further comprises two fiber-reinforced polymer foam blocks, respectively between the cover plate and the intermediate plate and between the intermediate plate and the Located between and between the bottom plate. The lower plate of the anchoring device directly cooperates with the intermediate plate at the corner zone.

The stiffness of the elastically compressible member is preferably lower than the stiffness through the thickness of the insulating barrier next to the anchoring device. In one embodiment, the ratio of the stiffness of said elastically compressible member to the through-thickness stiffness of said tank wall equivalent to a spring made of said fiber reinforced polymer foam having a cross section equal to that of said top plate. is between 0.3 and 1.

In one embodiment, said insulation barrier is a secondary insulation barrier, said insulation block is a secondary insulation block, said sealing membrane is a secondary sealing membrane, and said tank wall is provided on said secondary sealing membrane. and a primary sealing membrane mounted on said primary insulating barrier and in contact with fluid entering said closed insulating tank, said primary insulating barrier overlapping each said secondary insulating block. said studs sealingly threaded through said secondary sealing membrane; and said primary clamping member holds a plurality of primary insulation blocks superimposed on said plurality of secondary insulation blocks to said support wall. supported by the plurality of primary insulation blocks in the direction of the support wall so as to maintain the direction toward the

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

Said tanks may be onshore storage facilities, storage facilities installed on the seabed, e.g. FSRU), floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facilities, etc.

In one embodiment, a vessel for transporting fluids comprises a double hull and a tank as described above disposed within the double hull. In one embodiment, the double hull has an inner hull that provides a support wall for the tank.

In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a fluid transfer system comprising a vessel as described above and an insulation arranged to connect a tank located in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land storage facility. a pipe and a pump for driving fluid through said insulated pipe from a floating or land storage facility to a tank of said vessel or from said tank to said floating or land storage facility.

In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of loading or unloading a vessel as described above, wherein fluid is transferred via insulated pipe from a floating or land storage facility to said insulated closed tank of said vessel or Transfer from the heat-insulated closed tank to a floating or land storage facility.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from reading the following description of several specific embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. becomes clear. The specific embodiments described below are exemplary only and do not limit the invention.

It is the perspective view which extracted a part of tank wall. 2 is a side view of the tank wall in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1 showing the anchoring device in rest on the left and in compression on the right; FIG. Figure 3 is a side view of a stationary anchoring device for use in the tank wall of Figure 2; FIG. 3 is a half view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing yet another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing yet another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of an anchoring device; 6B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the anchoring device shown in FIG. 6A; FIG. 6B is a top perspective view similar to FIG. 6A showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 7B is a top perspective view showing a variation of the non-rotational element that can be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; 10B is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a variation of the embodiment of FIG. 10A; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; Figure 12 is a perspective view from below of the anchoring device shown in Figure 11; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the spacing portion in three embodiments; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a spacing portion in another embodiment; 15 is a perspective view of an insulating block that can be passed through the spacing shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and received in the central housing; FIG. Figure 16 is a top view of the insulation block shown in Figure 15; FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the insulation block shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 along line AA of FIG. 16; 15 is a perspective view of another insulation that can be received in the central housing through the spacing shown in FIGS. 13 and 14; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an anchoring device; 20 is a partial perspective view from above of the spacing portion of the anchor device shown in FIG. 19; FIG. Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the tank wall of Fig. 2 showing the position of the anchoring device; Figure 2 is a perspective view of another insulating block that can be used in the tank wall of Figure 1; 1 is a schematic excerpt showing a methane tanker ship tank and a terminal for carrying out cargo handling operations on said tank; FIG.

By convention, the terms "lower" and "upper" refer to the relative position between elements in the outward or inward direction of the tank, such as the horizontal wall shown in FIG. By definition, the following discussion applies to any wall regardless of its orientation in the gravitational field.

FIG. 1 shows a multi-layer construction of a closed and insulated tank wall 1 for storing a liquefied fluid, for example liquefied natural gas (LNG). The tank wall 1 consists of a secondary insulation barrier 3 fixed to the support wall 2, a secondary sealing membrane 4 provided on the secondary insulation barrier 3, and a secondary It comprises a primary insulating barrier 5 mounted on a sealing membrane 4 and a primary sealing membrane 6 in contact with the liquefied natural gas entering the tank.

The support wall 2 can in particular consist of a ship's hull or a double hull. The support wall 2 typically forms part of a support structure comprising a plurality of walls defining the overall shape of the tank, which is usually polyhedral in shape.

The secondary insulation barrier 3 comprises a plurality of secondary insulation blocks 7 which are secured to the support wall 2 using anchoring devices 20 which are described in detail below. Also, the overall shape of the secondary insulation blocks 7 is a parallelepiped, and these secondary insulation blocks 7 are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows.

The secondary sealing membrane 4 has a continuous layer of metal strakes 8 which have raised edges. The metal strakes 8 are welded at their raised edges to parallel weld supports fixed in grooves 9 formed in the cover plate of the secondary insulation block 7 . The metal strake 8 is, for example, made of Invar®, an alloy of iron and nickel, which typically has a coefficient of expansion of 1.2×10 ⁻⁶ to 2×10 ⁻⁶ K ⁻¹ .

The primary insulation barrier 5 comprises a plurality of primary insulation blocks 11 whose overall shape is parallelepiped and whose length and width dimensions are the length and width dimensions of the secondary insulation blocks 7 . Equal to the width dimension. Each primary insulation block 11 is arranged side by side with one secondary insulation block 7 and aligned with the secondary insulation block 7 in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1 .

There are various ways in which the primary sealing membrane 6 can be made. Here the primary sealing membrane 6 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 8 with raised edges. Like the secondary sealing membrane 4 , the metal strake 8 is welded with its raised edges to parallel weld supports fixed in grooves formed in the cover plate of the primary insulation block 11 .

In FIG. 1 the secondary insulation block 7 is omitted in order to make visible the thickness shim 12 and the putty bead 13 for compensating flatness defects of the support wall 2 . It is also possible to provide positioning shims, not shown, as described in WO2018069585.

Anchor devices 20 are preferably located at the four corner locations of secondary insulation block 7 and primary insulation block 11 . Each laminate with secondary insulation blocks 7 and primary insulation blocks 11 is fixed to the support wall 2 by four anchoring devices 20 each. Furthermore, each anchoring device 20 cooperates with four adjacent secondary insulation block 7 corners and four adjacent primary insulation block 11 corners, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 2, the structure of the secondary insulation block 7 of one embodiment is shown in more detail. In the same figure the secondary insulation block 7 comprises an insulating polymer foam layer 16 sandwiched between a bottom plate 14 and a cover plate 15 . The bottom plate 14 and the cover plate 15 consist, for example, of plywood. An insulating polymer foam layer 16 is adhered to the bottom plate 14 and the cover plate 15 . The insulating polymer foam can be, in particular, a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with fibers.

FIG. 21 shows in more detail a top view of the placement of the anchoring devices 20 between the corners of four adjacent secondary insulation blocks 7 of one embodiment. Anchor device 20 is indicated by the outline of clamping assembly 30 . It can be seen that the bottom plate 14 of each secondary insulation block 7 each has a notch 52 at its corner zone, thereby opening a rectangular chimney-shaped clearance 55 for receiving the anchoring device 20 . .

The cover plate 15 and the insulating polymer foam layer 16 of the secondary insulation block 7 have a rectangular chimney-shaped recess 53 exposing a corner portion 54 of the bottom plate 14 . The corner portions 54 directly or indirectly support the anchoring device 20 thereto, such as through the spacing portions 50 described below, or by corner pillars or the like rigidly attached to the bottom plate 14. The anchor device 20 is supported on the corner portion 54 via a rigid member.

Next, the structure of the anchor device 20 of one embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

Anchor device 20 basically includes clamping assembly 30 and anchor rod 22 . The lower ends of the anchor rods 22 are received in bushes 23, the base of which is welded to the support wall 2 in the central part of the clearance 55 between the corner zones of four adjacent secondary insulation blocks 7. Bushing 23 forms a ball-and-socket joint to anchor rod 22 . For example, the bush 23 accommodates the nut 18 into which the lower end of the anchor rod 22 is screwed. Anchor rods 22 extend in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1 and pass between adjacent primary insulation blocks 11 .

The clamping assembly 30 comprises a lower plate 31 , a spacing block 33 and an upper plate 32 in order through its thickness. The overall shape of each of the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 is a rectangular parallelepiped with two relatively large opposing faces parallel to the support wall 2 . The spacing block 33 is also rectangular in profile and has the same dimensions. Alternatively, the profile of clamping assembly 30 may be of another shape, such as hexagonal or circular.

The lower plate 31 is fixed by the anchor rods 22 so that it is supported at the corner portions 54 of each of the four adjacent secondary insulation blocks 7 in the direction of the support wall 2 . In the illustrated embodiment, the spacer portion 50 is positioned between the corner portion 54 of each secondary insulation block 7 and the bottom plate 31 , thereby transmitting the clamping force to the bottom plate 14 .

The upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22 passes through the central hole 41 of the lower plate 31 and engages a recess 45 formed in the spacing block 33 . A thread formed at the upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22 and the nut 42 cooperate to fix the lower plate 31 in the direction of the support wall 2 .

In the illustrated embodiment, anchoring device 20 further comprises one or more Belleville-type spring washers 43 . A spring washer 43 is screwed onto the anchor rod 22 between the nut 42 and the lower plate 31 to elastically fix the secondary insulation block 7 to the support wall 2 . Additionally, it may be advantageous to locally weld a locking member to the upper end of anchor rod 22 to prevent nut 42 from coming off.

The spacing block 33 further has two holes through the spacing block 33 in the thickness direction of the tank wall into which the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 are placed on both sides of the spacing block 33 . Two connecting fixing bolts 34 are engaged. More precisely, the lower end 35 of each fixing bolt 34 is threaded and screws into a threaded hole 38 in the lower plate 31 . A split lock nut 37 is threaded onto the lower end 35 against the upper surface of the lower plate 31 to lock the fixing bolt 34 to the lower plate 31 in place. The split locknut 37 can also be arranged against the lower surface of the lower plate 31 in a manner not shown.

Each fixing bolt has at its other end a head 36, for example a conical head or the like, which head 36 is slidably received in a hole 46 in the upper plate 32. As shown in FIG. The position of the abutment of head 36 with the bottom of hole 46, shown on the left side of FIG. 2 and FIG. The size of this maximum separation space is determined by the effective length of the fixing bolts 34 between the lower plate 31 and upper plate 32 . This effective length can be finely adjusted during manufacture by adjusting the length of engagement by screwing into the threaded hole 38 .

Spacing block 33 has a lower surface and an upper surface 48 , both of which are parallel to plates 32 and 31 . The thickness of spacing block 33 between lower and upper surfaces 48 determines the minimum separation space between lower plate 31 and upper plate 32 . On the right side of FIG. 2 is shown the abutment position where the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 abut against the lower and upper surfaces 48 of the spacing block 33, at which the minimum spacing mentioned above is reached.

Arrow 40 indicates the dimensional difference between the minimum and maximum spacing, which corresponds to the sliding clearance of head 36 into bore 46 . Its dimensions are determined depending on the construction of the tank wall and the tank operating conditions, this determination being such that the upper plate 32 as a whole can follow the lowering of the cover plate 15 of the secondary insulation block 7 when the tank is in use. , in particular to follow the lowering of the cover plate 15 due to the effects of thermal contraction and the static and dynamic pressures that occur in the tank wall 1 during operation. The above static and dynamic pressures, in particular, can cause the insulating polymer foam layer 16 to creep. Its dimensions are typically a few millimeters.

Two fixing bolts 34 have spring elements 39, for example Belleville washers or any other compression springs, engaged between the spacing block 33 and the top plate 32, and in the rest state, the plates 32 and 31 are held in the spaced apart position shown in FIG. More precisely, spring element 39 forms a clearance equal to dimensional difference 40 between spacing block 33 and top plate 32 . When pressure is applied to the top plate 32 , the spring elements 39 are compressed, gradually eliminating the clearance described above until the bottom surface 49 of the top portion 32 abuts the top surface 48 of the spacing block 33 .

More precisely, here the spring element 39 is housed in the large-diameter step 19 of the hole receiving the fixing bolt 34 and rests against a shoulder at the bottom of the step 19 . In the abutment position, the entire spring element 39 is housed inside the step 19 .

In one embodiment, each fixing bolt 34 supports a stack of sequentially oppositely positioned Belleville washers such that each end of the stack consists of the maximum diameter of the Belleville washers. is preferably an odd number, for example five.

Preferably, the fixing bolts 34 exert a compressive bias on the spring element 39 in the rest position so that when the top plate 32 is moderately loaded, it can receive it without being depressed. It is configured to allow A bias of, for example, about 1000 N is applied to support the weight of an adult male walking along the anchoring device 20 during tank construction.

The stiffness of the spring element 39 is determined depending on the construction of the tank wall and the operating conditions of the tank, this determination being such that when the tank is in operation the top plate 32 is generally in contact with the cover plate 15 of the secondary insulation block 7 . It is done so that it can follow the descent, in particular the descent of the cover plate 15 due to the effects of thermal contraction and the static and dynamic pressures that occur in the tank wall during operation. The above static and dynamic pressures, in particular, can cause the insulating polymer foam layer 16 to creep.

It should be noted that the arrangement of the spring element 39 can be another arrangement that performs the same function. For example, the fixing bolt 34 can be reversed so that the bolt head 36 is on the same side as the lower plate 31 , in which case the spring element 39 is arranged between the lower plate 31 and the spacing block 33 . . In another variant, not shown, the spacing block 33 is divided in the thickness direction into two parts and the spring element 39 is arranged between these two parts.

In another variant, shown in half view in FIG. 4, the bolt head 36 is arranged in the upper plate 32 and the spring element 39 is arranged between the lower plate 31 and the spacing block 33 . In this case both the top plate 32 and the spacing block 33 slide relative to the fixing bolts 34 . In addition, spot welding or locking nuts (not shown) can be used to prevent the fixing bolts 34 from rotating relative to the lower plate 31 . In FIG. 4, plates 32 and 31 are shown in their abutting position.

In another variant, shown in cross-section in FIG. 5A, the fixing bolt 34 is reversed so that the bolt head 36A is on the same side as the lower plate 31 and the spring element 39 is also in this variant. It is arranged between the top plate 32 and the spacing block 33 . In this case, the fixing bolt 34 is prevented from rotating relative to the lower plate 31 by firmly fixing the bolt head 36A to the lower plate 31, for example by welding, especially spot welding. The threaded end 35 of the fixing bolt 34 is received in the hole 38A of the top plate 32, or in the threaded hole if the hole is threaded. Threaded end 35 is threaded with a lock nut 37A which is preferably not of the split type. The lock nut 37A is further welded to the threaded end 35, in particular spot welded. This prevents the lock nut 37A from coming off the threaded end 35. As shown in FIG.

In another variation, shown in cross-section in FIG. 5B, instead of bolt head 36, nut 36B is threaded onto threaded end 35A. That is, instead of the fixing bolt, the fixing rod 34 having threaded portions at both ends 35 and 35A is used. The threaded end 35A screws into a threaded hole 38A in the top plate 32. As shown in FIG. The threaded end 35 is threaded into a hole 38 in the lower plate 31, if the hole is threaded. The relative non-rotation of the fixed rod 34 with respect to the top plate 32 is further achieved by firmly connecting the nut 36B to the top plate 32, for example by welding, especially spot welding or the like. Moreover, the relative non-rotation of the fixing rod 34 with respect to the lower plate 31 is further achieved by firmly connecting the threaded end 35 to the lower plate 31, for example by welding, in particular spot welding or the like.

FIG. 6A is a top perspective view of another variation, which is shown in cross-sectional perspective view in FIG. 6B. In this variant, the non-rotation of the fixing bolt 34 is achieved by a long rod 90 connected to the bolt head 36 . Rod 90 is received in two opposite notches 91A and 91B that open inwardly of hole 46. As shown in FIG. The cooperation of the bar 90 and the notches 91A, 91B prevents the corresponding fixing bolt 34 from rotating relative to the top plate 32 . The rod portion 90 can be made of metal, for example. Securing rod 90 to bolt head 36 can be accomplished by clipping, spot welding, or pressing rod 90 into a recess (not shown) in bolt head 36 . The lower threaded end 35 of the fixing bolt 34 may simply be threaded into a threaded hole 38 in the lower plate 31 without locknuts or spot welds.

FIG. 7A is a top perspective view of another variant in which the rod 90 cooperates with only one notch 91 opening inwardly of the hole 46. Similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B, except for . Notch 91 may open to the side of top plate 32 as shown in FIG. 7A, but alternatively notch 91 may not open to the side.

FIG. 7B shows a rotation disabling element 90C that can be used in place of rod 90. FIG. This element 90C is key-shaped with a tongue 90C1 extending from a central washer 90C2. The tongue 90C1 is received in the notch 91, thereby disabling rotation of the corresponding fixing bolt 34 relative to the top plate 32. As shown in FIG. Center washer 90C2 is accommodated in hole 46. As shown in FIG. The central washer 90C2 may be secured to the bolt head 36 by clipping, spot welding, or also in this variant, pressing the non-rotational disabling element 90C into a recess (not shown) of the bolt head 36. In one variation, not shown, element 90C can have two opposing tongues received in notches 91A and 91B, respectively.

FIG. 7C shows another non-rotational disabling element 90D that can be used in place of rod 90. FIG. Like element 90C, element 90D is key-shaped with tongue 90D1 extending from central cup 90D2. The tongue 90D1 is received in the notch 91, thereby disabling relative rotation of the corresponding fixing bolt 34 with respect to the top plate 32. As shown in FIG. Center cup 90D2 is accommodated in hole 46. As shown in FIG. The shape of the central cup 90D2 is flared and complementary to the shape of the bolt head 36, as shown in FIG. 7C. The bolt head 36 is housed within the central cup 90D2, which is positioned between the bolt head 36 and the bottom of the hole 46. As shown in FIG. The center cup 90D2 may be secured to the bolt head 36 by clipping, spot welding, or also in this variant, pressing the bolt head 36 into the flared shape of the center cup 90D2.

In FIG. 7C, it can be seen that the central cup 90D2 can optionally be provided with a notch 90D3, which allows the overall top view of the central cup 90D2 to have a "C" shape. The notch 90D3 can be, for example, diagonally opposite the tongue 90D1 with respect to the center of the central cup 90D2. In a manner not shown in the drawings, central washer 90C2 may have a notch similar to notch 90D3, for example diagonally opposite tongue 90C1.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-section of another variant. In this variant, two fixing bolts 34 are engaged by compression springs 69, e.g. Hold in the spaced-apart position shown. More precisely, the compression spring 69 acts as a spring element and creates a clearance equal to the dimensional difference 40 between the spacing block 33 and the top plate 32 . As pressure is applied to the top plate 32 , the springs 69 are compressed, gradually eliminating the clearance described above until the bottom surface 49 of the top plate 32 abuts the top surface 48 of the spacing block 33 .

Here, the compression spring 69 is housed in the large-diameter step 19 of the hole receiving the fixing bolt 34 and rests against a shoulder at the bottom of the step 19 . A spring seat 69A for supporting the compression spring 69 can be provided on this shoulder. In the abutment position, the entire compression spring 69 is housed inside the stepped portion 19 .

In this variant, too, the non-rotatability of the fixing bolt 34 is achieved by a long rod 90, which, as shown in FIG. It cooperates with one notch 91 opening towards it. Alternatively, notch 91 need not open to the sides.

Also in this embodiment, the lower threaded end portion 35 of the fixing bolt 34 can be simply screwed into the threaded hole 38 of the lower plate 31 without a lock nut or spot welding.

The fixing bolts 34 are configured to exert a compressive bias on the compression springs 69 in the rest position so that when the upper plate 32 is moderately loaded, the upper plate 32 can receive it without lowering. It is A bias of, for example, about 1000 N is applied so that it can bear the load of an adult male walking along the anchoring device 20 during tank construction.

The stiffness of the compression spring 69 is determined depending on the construction of the tank wall 1 and the operating conditions of the tank, this determination being such that the top plate 32 is generally in contact with the cover plate 15 of the secondary insulation block 7 during operation of the tank. , in particular the descent of the cover plate 15 due to the effect of thermal contraction and the static and dynamic pressures that occur in the tank wall during operation. The above static and dynamic pressures, in particular, can cause the insulating polymer foam layer 16 to creep.

It should be noted that the arrangement of the compression spring 69 can be another arrangement that performs the same function. For example, the fixing bolt 34 can be reversed so that the bolt head 36 is on the same side as the lower plate 31 , with the compression spring 69 positioned between the lower plate 31 and the spacing block 33 . . In another variant, not shown, a compression spring 69 is arranged between the top plate 32 and the spacing block 32 with the fixing bolt 34 inverted.

Another variant is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. This modification differs from the configuration of FIG. 8 in that the spacing block 33 does not have the stepped portion described above, so that the compression spring 69 is directly supported by the lower plate 31 . Optionally, the lower plate 31 can be provided with spring seats (not shown in FIG. 9) for supporting the coil springs 69 . Here, the hole diameters of the holes that receive the fixing bolts 34 and the compression springs 69 are uniform throughout the thickness of the spacing block 33 . Otherwise, the variant of FIG. 9 is identical to the configuration of FIG. 8 and will not be described again in detail.

Another variant is shown in cross-section in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the variant from below. In this variant, the lower threaded end 35 of the fixing bolt 34 is threaded with a locking nut 37B, preferably not of the split type. The hole 38, which may be threaded, opens into a groove 92 in the lower plate 31 in which the locknut 37B is received. The groove 92 opens toward the lower surface of the lower plate 31 . Two opposing faces of groove 92 cooperate with two separate faces of locknut 37B, respectively. This cooperation makes the fastening bolt 34 non-rotatable relative to the lower plate 31 . In the example shown in the drawings, locknut 37B is a square locknut. However, the lock nut 37B may have other shapes, provided that the two opposing faces of the groove 92 and the two separate faces of the lock nut 37B are cooperable. In particular, lock nut 37B may be hexagonal, with two adjacent faces of the hexagon cooperating with two opposing faces of groove 92 . The relative non-rotation of the fixing bolts 34 with respect to the top plate 32 is further achieved by firmly connecting the bolt heads 36 to the top plate 32, for example by welding, especially spot welding or the like. The grooves 92 can open on the sides of the lower plate 31, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, but alternatively the grooves 92 need not open on the sides thereof.

It can also be seen in FIG. 11 that the spacing portion 350 has a blind hole 60 which extends along each fixing bolt 34 as will be described later.

It should be noted that in all variants described above, the spacing block 33 is prevented from any relative movement between the spacing block 33 and the lower plate 31, in particular relative movement in the direction of extension of the fixing bolts 34. can be fixed to the lower plate 31. This fixing of the spacing block 33 to the lower plate 31 can be done by screwing and/or riveting and/or gluing. Alternatively, the spacing block 33 is fixed to the top plate 32, for example by bolts and/or rivets and/or glue etc., especially if the spring elements 39 or 69 are arranged between the bottom plate 31 and the spacing block 33. It is also possible to

It should also be noted that in all the variations described above, the polymer foam layer can be placed on the spacing block 33 on the top plate 32 side or on the top plate 32 on the spacing block 33 side.

By way of example only, FIG. 10A shows a modified anchoring device of FIG. 8 with a polymer foam layer as described above. In this FIG. 10A, polymer foam layer 68 is secured to top surface 48 of spacing block 33 on both sides of top end 44 of anchor rod 22 .

The thickness of the uncompressed polymer foam layer 68 is made equal to the required dimensional difference 40 . Thus, when polymer foam layer 68 is uncompressed, polymer foam layer 68 extends between surface 48 of spacing block 33 and lower surface 49 of plate 32 such that plates 32 and 31 are A dimensional difference 40 between both plates 32, 31 when they are in the maximum separation space position is defined. Accordingly, the polymer foam layer 68 provides the required dimensional difference 40, which facilitates assembly of the clamping assembly 30. As shown in FIG.

When pressure is applied to the upper plate 32 , not only is the compression spring 69 compressed to gradually eliminate the dimensional difference 40 until the abutment position is reached, but the lower surface 49 of the plate 32 also compresses the polymer foam layer 68 . continue.

Preferably, the stiffness of the uncompressed polymer foam layer 68 is very low compared to the stiffness of the compression spring 69 such that compression of the polymer foam layer 68 significantly hinders compression of the compression spring 69. never

For example, the uncompressed polymer foam layer 68 has a thickness of 2-8 mm, which results in a thickness of the polymer foam layer 68 at the abutment location of 1-6 mm.

The polymer foam layer 68 may be made of polyurethane, polyethyl or polypropylene foam or melamine foam, in particular melamine foam of the foam series sold by BASF SE under the trade name Basotect®. can be done. For example, polymer foam layer 68 can be adhered to upper surface 48 of spacing block 33, or can comprise adhesive tape.

The geometry of the polymer foam layer 68 shown in FIG. 10A is just one example. Also, in another example shown in FIG. 10B, the polymer foam layer 68 receives the side edges of the spacing block 33 and the compression springs 69 to eliminate the risk of contact with the windings of the compression springs 69 . It also extends around the holes in the spacing block 33 . The polymer foam layer 68 can also be placed only around the perforations.

To manufacture one membrane tank, the tank wall 1 can be limited to a secondary insulating barrier 3 and a secondary sealing membrane 4 . If a primary insulating barrier 5 and a primary sealing membrane 6 are present, the anchoring device 20 also comprises a primary stage. To do this, a threaded hole 47 is provided in the center of the top plate 32 to which the threaded base of the stud 27 is attached for fixing the primary insulation block 11 . Studs 27 are passed through holes formed through metal strakes 8 of secondary sealing membrane 4 . The stud 27 is provided with a flange welded around the hole around the stud 27 to provide sealing of the secondary sealing membrane 4 .

The primary stage of the anchoring device 20 also includes a primary bearing plate 28 which is positioned on the support wall 2 so as to secure each of the four adjacent primary insulation blocks 11 to the secondary sealing membrane 4 . directionally supported in bearing zones formed in each of these primary insulation blocks 11 . In the illustrated embodiment, each bearing zone 29 is formed by a protruding portion of the bottom plate of primary insulation block 11 .

A thread formed at the upper end of stud 27 and a nut 29 cooperate to secure primary bearing plate 28 to stud 27 . In the illustrated embodiment, the anchoring device 20 further includes a Belleville-type spring washer that threads onto the stud 27 between the nut 28 and the primary bearing plate 28, thereby connecting the primary insulation block 11 to the secondary sealing membrane. 4 can be elastically fixed.

FIG. 13 shows multiple embodiments of spacing portions 50, 150 or 250 of anchoring device 20, each of these spacing portions 50, 150 or 250 having a central through-receiving through which anchor rod 22 can pass. It has a portion 51, an upper end surface 56 that receives and supports the lower plate 31, and a lower end surface 57 that is supported by the secondary insulation block. Spacing sections 50, 150 or 250 are for example made from plywood to reduce thermal bridges. The spacing portion 50, 150 or 250 preferably has the same cross-section as the lower plate 3, and in the illustrated embodiment has a square cross-section. The spacing portion 50, 150 or 250 may consist of a rigid assembly of a few long sides having a simple shape, which are for example stapled, bolted and/or glued together. It is assembled with an agent.

In a non-illustrated embodiment, the central through-hole 51 is filled around the anchor rod 22 with an insulation, such as glass wool, padding, expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam, or the like.

The spacing 50 or 250 is arranged along the edges of the spacing 50 or 250 between two planar square plates 58 forming the main surfaces of the spacing and between the two planar square plates. It is formed from two cleats 59 . Each of these four portions thus constitutes a wall of a central through-hole 51 with a square or rectangular cross-section.

The spacing portion 150 consists of four identically shaped long strips of rectangular trapezoidal cross-section, one hypotenuse of each of which forms a wall of a central through-hole 51 having a rhomboidal cross-section. . To prevent thermal bridging, longitudinal cells are formed on both sides of the central through-hole 51, which are also filled with insulating material.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of spacing portion 350 . The spacing portion 350 is aligned with the fixing bolt 34 so that each cleat 59 has a respective blind hole 60 and each blind hole 60 can receive a portion of the fixing bolt 34 . Identical to pacing section 250 . In another variant, not shown, it is possible to have a blind hole 60 through which the spacing part 50 extends. In the spacing part 150, the longitudinal cells formed on both sides of the central through-receiving part 51 are only partially filled with a heat insulating material, and the heat insulating material and the longitudinal cells combine to form a blind hole similar to the blind hole 60. can do.

15-17 together illustrate one embodiment of an insulating block 451 that can be placed in the central through-recession 51. FIG. The outer shape of this insulating block 451 is complementary to the outer shape of the central through-hole 51, here a parallelepiped. In the same figure, the insulation block 451 is made of an insulating polymer foam. The polymer foam may have a low density, in particular a density between 10 kg/m ³ and 60 kg/m ³ , especially between 10 kg/m ³ and 30 kg/m ³ . The polymer foam can be a polyurethane foam or a melamine foam, in particular a melamine foam of the foam series sold by the company BASF SE under the trade name Basotect®. The polymer foam can optionally be reinforced with fibers such as glass fibers.

15-17 it can further be seen that the insulating block 451 has through holes 452. FIG. This through hole 452 is for receiving the anchor rod 22 when the spacing is positioned below the clamping assembly 30 as described above. As can be seen from FIG. 14 , the cross section of the through hole 452 widens from the upper end of the anchor rod 22 toward the lower end of the anchor rod 22 . In particular, such widening can be achieved by making through-hole 452 have a frusto-conical cross-section as shown in FIG. Given that the provision of the spacing around the anchor rod 22 is done after the anchor rod 22 has been fixed to the support wall 2 by means of the bushing 23 and the nut 18, the direction towards the lower end of the anchor rod 22 is as described above. The widening of the cross section facilitates the provision of spacing around the anchor rod 22 . In addition, the widening may also provide some clearance within which the anchor rod 22 may freely move, as the bushing 23 forms a ball-and-socket joint connection. In a variant not shown, the cross-section of the through hole 452 can widen from the lower end of the anchor rod 22 towards the upper end of said anchor rod 22 . In particular, this can be achieved by making the through-hole a frusto-conical cross-section.

FIG. 18 shows another embodiment of an insulating block 551 that can be placed in the central through-recession 51 . The outer shape of this insulating block 551 is complementary to the outer shape of the central through-hole 51, here a parallelepiped. The insulation block 551 is here made of glass wool. The insulation block 551 can consist of two partial blocks 552 of glass wool glued back-to-back. The insulation block 551 surrounds the anchor rod 22 when the spacing is positioned below the clamping assembly 30 as described above (not shown in FIG. 15). To do this, the insulation block 551 can have notches 554 in its thickness parallel to the anchor rods 22 . The notches 554 allow the anchor rods 22 to pass through the insulating block 551, while allowing the glass wool to elastically return to grip the anchor rods 22 after the anchor rods 22 pass through the insulating blocks 551.例文帳に追加Insulation block 551 can also be made from cellulose or polyester padding.

As can be further seen from FIG. 18, it is also possible to arrange films 555 on both sides of the insulating block 551 , these films 555 in particular facing the two relatively large sides of the central through-hole 51 of the faces of the insulating block 551 . It is arranged on two relatively large planes. Film 555 can be made from a fiberglass mat, kraft paper, or a polymer such as PVC. The film 555 makes it easier to slide the heat insulating block 551 on the surface of the central penetrating housing portion 51 when inserting the heat insulating block 551 into the central penetrating housing portion 51 . Alternatively, it is possible to provide only one of said films 555 and/or to add a supplementary film (not shown) to the faces of insulation block 551 not covered by said films 555. You can also

Another variation of the spacing is shown with clamping assembly 30 in Figures 19 and 20, wherein Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view and Figure 20 is a partial top perspective view of the spacing. In this variant, similar to the variant of FIGS. 11 and 12, the lower threaded end 35 of the fixing bolt 34 is threaded with a locking nut 37B, preferably not of the split type. Lock nut 37B is received in groove 660 of spacing portion 650 . Here, similarly to the spacing portion 250 , the spacing portion 650 includes two planar square plates 58 forming the main surfaces of the spacing portion 650 and the spacing portion 650 between the two planar square plates 58 . and two cleats 59 positioned along the edge. Each of the two cleats 59 has a groove 660 formed therein. The two opposing faces of groove 660 each cooperate with two separate faces of locknut 37B. This cooperation prevents the fixing bolt 34 from rotating relative to the lower plate 31 . In the example shown in the drawings, the lock nut 37B is a square nut. However, the lock nut 37B may have other shapes, provided that the two opposing faces of the groove 660 and the two separate faces of the lock nut 37B are cooperable. In particular, the lock nut 37B can be hexagonal, with two opposing sides of the hexagon cooperating with two opposing sides of the groove 660 . The fixing bolt 34 is prevented from rotating relative to the top plate 32 by firmly connecting the bolt head 36 to the top plate 32, for example by welding, especially spot welding.

Example dimensions Due to the stiffness of the spring element 39 or 69, when the tank is empty and at ambient temperature, i.e. under the tank's original construction conditions, the clamping assembly 30 is in a spaced position corresponding to the maximum spaced apart. In this condition, the position of top plate 32 is adjusted to align with cover plate 15 to provide a uniform support surface for secondary sealing membrane 4 .

During the operation of the tank, after the tank is filled with liquefied gas, the secondary insulating barrier 3 undergoes thermal contraction phenomena and contraction and creep phenomena due to fluid static load.

Heat shrinkage is not the same for all materials, and the insulating polymer foam layer 16 tends to shrink more than the plywood from which the spacing section 50 and spacing block 33 are constructed. Furthermore, the pressure load is different depending on the location of the bottom, ceiling or side tank walls. Every wall is subjected to at least a vapor phase service pressure, for example 2 kPa or 5 kPa (20 mbar or 50 mbar).

The hardness of the spring element 39 or 69 after cooling and at the vapor phase service pressure is increased by the elastic compression of the spring element 39 or 69 to the additional relative shrinkage of the secondary insulation block 7 to the thermal shrinkage of the anchoring device 20 and It can be determined that additional descent of the top plate 32 above the creep can occur. This additional shrinkage and creep of the secondary insulation block 7 is for example about 1 mm under the vapor phase service pressure. In this way, the top plate 32 follows the height of the cover plate 15 without the risk of the top plate 32 creating protruding zones that tend to shear the secondary sealing membrane 6 .

The stiffness of the spring element 39 or 69 and the dimension of the tolerance 40 can also be determined such that the clamping assembly 30 reaches the abutment position corresponding to the minimum clearance under the following conditions:
- under fluid static load when the primary insulation block under the clamping assembly 30 is subjected to maximum cargo pressure,
- or under dynamic loading when the primary insulation block under the clamping assembly 30 is subjected to impact pressure exceeding a predetermined nominal threshold due to cargo sloshing.

In any case, the spring element 39 or 69 increases the flexibility of the anchoring device 20, thereby avoiding the local formation of hard spots or protruding zones that can accelerate the aging of the secondary sealing membrane 6. can be suppressed.

The total hardness of the spring elements acting between the two plates, here of the spring elements 39 or 69, is preferably lower than the equivalent hardness of the insulating barrier at service temperature in the immediate vicinity of the anchoring device. It is the insulating polymer foam layer 16 that controls the hardness of the insulating barrier in the illustrated embodiment. In one embodiment, the spring element 39 or 69 has a total hardness of about 1880 N/mm and a spring equivalent tank wall thickness direction consisting of an insulating polymer foam block 16 with a cross section equal to that of the top plate. has a hardness of about 1920 N/mm. That is, the thickness ratio is equal to 0.98. This ratio can more generally be chosen between 0.3 and 1.

In the above, the structure of the secondary heat insulation block 7 was illustrated and demonstrated. In another embodiment, the secondary insulation block 7 may also have other general constructions, such as those described in WO2012127141. The secondary insulation blocks 7 are then box-shaped with a bottom plate, a cover plate and supporting webs extending in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1 between the bottom plate and the cover plate. Made in the form of sections, these box-shaped sections are divided into compartments and each compartment is filled with an insulating lining such as perlite, glass wool or rock wool.

Another embodiment of a secondary insulation block 107 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 22, elements that are similar or identical to those of the previous figures are given the same reference numerals increased by 100, and such elements will not be described again. In the figure, the heat-insulating polymer foam layer is divided into a lower layer 16b and an upper layer 16a. separated. The length of the upper layer 16a is shorter than the length of the lower layer 16b, exposing the rims 10a at both longitudinal ends of the intermediate plate 10. As shown in FIG.

Rigid pillars 17 extend in the thickness direction of the lower layer 16b between the intermediate plate 10 and the bottom plate 114 in recesses formed at the four corners of the lower layer 16b. The rigid pillar 17 is partially aligned vertically with the rim 10a to withstand the clamping force of the anchoring device 20, where the lower plate 31 of the anchoring device 20 can be directly provided on the rim 10a. Further details of the secondary insulation block 107 are described in WO2014096600.

There are various ways in which the primary insulation block 11 can be made, for example it can be made with a layer of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between a bottom plate and a cover plate, similar to the secondary insulation block 7 .

The bottom plate then has a groove that receives the raised edge of the strake 8 of the secondary sealing membrane 4 . The cover plate also has grooves for receiving weld supports.

In the above, the structure of the primary heat insulation panel 11 was illustrated and demonstrated. In another embodiment, the primary insulation panel 22 may have other general constructions, such as those described in WO2012127141.

The techniques described above for manufacturing tank walls with one sealing membrane or two sealing membranes can also be used in various types of storage, for example onshore installations or floating structures such as methane tankers and other ships. It can be used to construct double membrane tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in commercial products.

Referring to FIG. 23, an excerpt of a methane tanker ship 70 shows a sealed insulated tank 71 of generally prismatic shape mounted on a double hull 72 of the methane tanker ship. The walls of the tank 71 include a primary containment barrier in contact with the LNG entering the tank, a secondary containment barrier located between the primary containment barrier and the vessel's double hull 72, the primary containment barrier and the secondary containment barrier. two insulating barriers positioned between the containment barrier and between the secondary containment barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

To transfer cargo of LNG from or to a tank 71, by means of suitable connectors, connecting in a self-evident manner a cargo handling pipe 73 located on the upper deck of the ship to a marine or port terminal. can be done.

FIG. 23 shows an example of a marine terminal, which has a cargo handling station 75, underwater pipes 76 and land facilities 77. FIG. The cargo handling station 75 is a stationary offshore installation with a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74 . The movable arm 74 supports an insulating flexible pipe bundle 79 connectable to the cargo handling pipe 73 . This orientable moveable arm 74 is adapted to any payload of a methane tanker. A connecting pipe (not shown) extends inside the tower 78 . The cargo handling station 75 can unload from the methane tanker 70 to the land facility 77 and load from the land facility 77 to the methane tanker. The land facility 77 comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connection pipe 81 connected to the cargo handling station 75 via an underwater pipe 76 . The submersible pipe 76 is for transferring liquefied gas over a long distance, for example 5 km, between the loading station 75 and the onshore facility 77, thereby allowing the methane tanker 70 to travel a long distance from shore during loading operations. can be kept in

Pumps onboard ship 70 and/or pumps on land installation 77 and/or pumps on cargo handling station 75 are used to generate the pressure required to transfer the liquefied gas.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a number of specific embodiments, the invention is in no way limited to these embodiments, and technical equivalents and combinations of the means set forth herein may be used in accordance with the invention. It is clear that all those belonging to the range of are included.

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

In the claims, any parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims (28)

An anchoring device (20) for holding an insulation block to a support wall, comprising:
a lower plate (31), an upper plate (32) parallel to said lower plate, a connection member (34) connecting said lower plate to said upper plate, and between said lower plate and said upper plate A clamping assembly (30) comprising: a disposed spacing member, said spacing member comprising an abutment, said abutment allowing said lower plate and said upper plate to engage said abutment; a clamping assembly (30) defining a minimum separation space between said lower plate and said upper plate in an abutting position abutting a portion, said abutting portion having a rigid portion (33);
an anchor rod (22) protruding from said clamping assembly perpendicularly to said lower plate (31), having a lower end attached to the support wall (2) and an upper end opposite said lower end; an anchor rod (22) having an anchor rod (22) coupled to said lower plate (31) so as to exert a traction force on said lower plate in the direction of said lower end;
and
said spacing member further comprising a resilient compressible member (39, 69) tending to maintain said lower plate and said upper plate (32) in a spaced apart position;
said connecting member defines, at said spaced apart position, a maximum spacing between said lower plate and said upper plate that is greater than said minimum spacing;
Said elastic compressible member (39, 69) ensures that said lower plate (31) and said upper plate (32) are in said abutting position when a force is applied tending to move said upper plate against said lower plate. An anchor device (20) characterized in that it is configured to elastically compress until it abuts against said abutment. said connecting member comprises at least one connecting rod (34) perpendicular to said lower plate and said upper plate;
The connecting rod (34) passes through a hole formed in the contact portion,
the lower plate and/or the upper plate are mounted to slide relative to the connecting rod so as to be slidable to the abutment position;
An anchoring device according to claim 1. The connecting member has a first abutment coupled to a first end of the connecting rod to render the top plate (32) immovable longitudinally relative to the connecting rod in the spaced position. further comprising elements (36, 37A, 36B),
3. An anchoring device according to claim 2. said first abutment element comprises a nut (36B);
the nut (36B) is threadedly welded to the first end of the connecting rod (34);
a second end of said connecting rod (34) is rigidly attached to said lower plate (31);
An anchoring device according to claim 3. said connecting member further comprising a rotation disabling element (90, 90C) coupled to said first abutment element (36);
a portion of said non-rotatable element (90, 90C) is placed in a notch (91, 91A, 91B) of said top plate (32) so as to render said connecting rod (34) non-rotatable;
An anchoring device according to claim 3. The connecting member has a second abutment coupled to a second end of the connecting rod for rendering the lower plate (31) immovable relative to the connecting rod in the longitudinal direction in the spaced position. further comprising elements (37, 38, 36A, 38A, 37B),
An anchoring device according to claim 2 or 3. said first abutment element comprises a nut (37A),
the nut (37A) is threadedly welded to the first end of the connecting rod (34),
said second abutment element (36A) is rigidly attached to said lower plate (31);
7. Anchor device according to claim 6, wherein claim 3 is cited. said second abutment element (37B) is set in a groove (92) of said lower plate (31),
said groove (92) has two opposite surfaces cooperating with two different surfaces of said second abutment element (37B) to render said connecting rod (34) non-rotatable;
said first abutment element (36) is rigidly attached to said top plate (32);
7. Anchor device according to claim 6, wherein claim 3 is cited. further comprising a spacing portion (650) positioned below the lower plate;
The spacing part (650) comprises a central receiving part (51) through which the anchor rod passes,
the spacing portion has an upper surface (56) configured to abut the lower plate of the clamping assembly and a lower surface (57) supported by an insulating block;
said second abutment element (37B) is encased in a groove (660) of said spacing portion (650);
said groove has two opposite surfaces cooperating with two opposite surfaces of said second abutment element (37B) to render said connecting rod (34) non-rotatable;
said first abutment element (36) is rigidly attached to said top plate (32);
7. Anchor device according to claim 6, wherein claim 3 is cited. said elastic compressible member (39, 69) engages said connecting rod (34);
Anchor device according to any one of claims 2 to 9. said elastically compressible member (39, 69) is supported on said abutment;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 2 to 10. said aperture formed in said abutment portion has a step (19) on which said elastically compressible member (39, 69) is positioned;
12. An anchoring device according to claim 11. said elastic compressible member (39) comprises a stack of spring washers;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 12. said elastic compressible member (69) comprises a coil spring;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 13. The elastic movement of the upper plate (32) and the lower plate (31) between the separated position and the abutting position is 1-8 mm, preferably 4-7 mm,
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. said lower plate (31) has a central hole (41) through which said upper end of said anchor rod (22) is passed;
said anchoring device comprising a nut (42) cooperating with a threaded portion of said upper end of said anchor rod and one or more spring washers (43);
The spring washer (43) is threaded onto the upper end of the anchor rod between the nut and the lower plate so as to apply an elastic force to the lower plate in the direction of the lower end of the anchor rod. are combined,
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. said clamping assembly (30) comprises at least two said connecting rods (34);
said connecting rods (34) are arranged symmetrically with respect to said central hole (41);
17. Anchor device according to claim 16, with reference to claim 2. further comprising a spacing portion (50, 150, 250, 350, 650) positioned below the lower plate;
The spacing part (650) comprises a central receiving part (51) through which the anchor rod passes,
the spacing portion has an upper surface (56) configured to abut the lower plate of the clamping assembly and a lower surface (57) supported by an insulating block;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 17. further comprising a bushing (23) engaged with said lower end of said anchor rod;
The bush (23) is fixed to the support wall (2),
the bushing has a recess for receiving the lower end of the anchor rod (22) to form a ball-and-socket joint connection;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 18. The contact portion is fixed to the lower plate (31) or the upper plate (32),
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. said abutment portion comprises a polymer foam layer (68) disposed on a surface of said rigid portion (33) facing the other of said lower plate or upper plate (32);
the polymer foam layer (68) compresses at the abutment position where the bottom plate (31) and the top plate (32) abut against the abutments;
Anchor device according to any one of claims 1 to 20. A closed and insulated tank for storing fluid, comprising:
comprising a support wall, an anchoring device (20) fixed to said support wall (2), and a tank wall (1) fixed to said support wall with said anchoring device,
Said tank wall (1) comprises a heat insulating barrier (3) and a sealing membrane (4) provided on said heat insulating barrier (3) in order from the outside to the inside of said closed and insulated tank in the thickness direction. It also has
said insulating barrier (3) comprises a plurality of parallelepiped-shaped insulating blocks (7) mounted next to each other on said supporting wall (2),
said insulating block comprises a cover plate forming a support surface for said sealing membrane (4),
at least one anchoring device is an anchoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 21;
The lower end of the anchor rod (22) is fixed to the support wall between the plurality of insulation blocks (7),
Said lower plate (31) of said anchoring device cooperates with said plurality of insulation blocks (7, 107) to clamp said plurality of insulation blocks (7, 107) in the direction of said support wall (2). A closed and insulated tank characterized by: said resiliently compressible member (39, 69) is configured to retain said lower plate and said upper plate in said spaced apart position when said closed and insulated tank is empty;
in the spaced apart position, the top plate (32) of the anchoring device is aligned with the cover plates of the plurality of insulation blocks to support the sealing membrane (4);
23. A closed insulated tank according to claim 22. Said insulating block comprises a bottom plate (14) parallel to and spaced from said cover plate (15), and a fiber reinforcement positioned between said cover plate and bottom plate. a polymer foam block (16);
the bottom plate of the anchoring device cooperates directly or indirectly with the bottom plate (14) without any pinching action on the polymer foam block (16);
24. A closed and insulated tank according to claim 22 or 23. Said insulation block (107) comprises a bottom plate (114) and successively an intermediate plate (10) and a cover plate (115),
both said intermediate plate (10) and said cover plate (115) are parallel to said bottom plate and spaced apart from each other;
said insulating block (107) further comprises two fiber-reinforced polymer foam blocks (16a, 16b),
said polymer foam blocks (16a, 16b) are positioned respectively between said cover plate and said intermediate plate and between said intermediate plate and said bottom plate;
said lower plate (31) of said anchoring device directly cooperates with said intermediate plate (10) at the location of the corner zone;
24. A closed and insulated tank according to claim 22 or 23. The ratio of the stiffness of the elastically compressible member to the stiffness in the thickness direction of the tank wall equivalent to a spring made of the fiber-reinforced polymer foam having a cross-section equal to that of the top plate is 0.3. is to 1;
24. A closed and insulated tank according to claim 22 or 23. said insulation barrier is a secondary insulation barrier (3), said insulation block is a secondary insulation block (7), said sealing membrane is a secondary sealing membrane (4),
Said tank wall comprises a primary insulating barrier (5) provided on said secondary sealing membrane (4) and a primary sealing membrane provided on said primary insulating barrier (5) and in contact with fluid entering said closed insulating tank. (6) and
said primary insulation barrier (5) comprises a primary insulation block (11) superimposed on each of said secondary insulation blocks (7);
said clamping assembly (30) constitutes a secondary clamping member cooperating with said secondary insulating barrier;
said top plate (32) has a central hole (47) into which is threaded a stud (27) projecting from the side of said clamping assembly opposite said anchor rod;
said stud (27) is provided with a primary clamping member (28) cooperating with said primary insulation barrier (5),
said stud (27) is hermetically threaded through said secondary sealing membrane (4);
The primary clamping members are arranged in the direction of the support wall (2) so as to hold the plurality of primary insulation blocks (11) stacked on the plurality of secondary insulation blocks in the direction toward the support wall (2). supported by the plurality of primary insulation blocks;
A closed and insulated tank according to any one of claims 22-26. 28. Transporting fluids, comprising a double hull (72) and a closed and insulated tank (71) according to any one of claims 22 to 27 arranged in the double hull (72). a vessel (70) for

Images