JP6415550B2 - Insulation elements suitable for the creation of insulation barriers in sealed and insulated tanks - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the field of construction of insulation elements that make it possible to produce modular insulation walls in membrane tanks, in particular for liquefied natural gas, in particular tank walls for storing or transporting cryogenic liquids.

  In a membrane tank for liquefied natural gas, the cargo is used to transfer the cargo's hydrodynamic load, which means the function of compression resistance, from the sealed membrane to the double hull and to limit the flow of heat resulting in the evaporation of the cargo. Is insulated from the hull of the ship, but at the same time, a heat insulating element is used to protect the hull from extremely low temperatures.

  A sealed and insulated tank comprising a tank wall fixed to the hull of a floating structure is known from FR-A-2877638. The tank wall includes a primary sealing barrier, a primary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing barrier, and a secondary insulating barrier in the thickness direction from the inside of the tank to the outside. An insulating barrier consists essentially of juxtaposed insulating elements. Each thermal insulation element includes a thermal insulation backing arranged in the form of a layer parallel to the bottom panel, the cover panel and the tank wall. In order to absorb the compressive force, the load bearing element stands upright through the thickness of the insulating backing. The load-bearing element of the thermal insulation element includes a support column whose cross section is small compared to the dimension of the thermal insulation element in a plane parallel to the tank wall.

FR-A-2877638

  One idea on which the present invention is based is a material that is relatively easy to manufacture, has good thermal performance, and the thermal insulation backing can shrink more than its surrounding environment when cooled, such as low density non-structural It is to provide a thermal insulation element that can be made from a typical polyurethane foam.

  Some aspects of the invention begin with the idea of using a single block of such material to create a thermal backing. Some aspects of the invention begin with the idea of limiting the establishment of thermal origin stresses in the thermal insulation backing during wall cooling. Some aspects of the present invention are designed to slide against a load bearing element and one or more flat panels to allow for different amplitudes of heat shrinkage as a function of the material from which the element is constructed. Start with the idea of providing a thermal insulation backing that is retained with the possibility of.

  According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a thermal insulation element suitable for creating a thermal barrier in a sealed and insulated tank, the thermal insulation element comprising a flat cover panel and a thermal insulation backing disposed parallel to the cover panel. A load-bearing element extending from the cover panel through the thickness of the insulating backing to absorb compressive force, the load-bearing element comprising a plurality of rigid struts, the cross-section of which covers the gap in the insulating backing And at room temperature, for at least one of the columns, the cross-sectional dimension of the column is such that the column engages to provide a gap between the column and the cavity wall. It is smaller than the corresponding dimension.

  Depending on the embodiment, such a thermal insulation element can include one or more of the following features.

  According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation element further comprises a flexible material filling element disposed in the gap between the strut and the cavity wall. The filling element is made of a material that is much less rigid than the insulating backing so as to absorb on its own most of the deformation induced by differential heat shrinkage between the rigid structure and the insulating backing.

  Depending on the embodiment, the filling element is a material selected from ultra-low density polymer foam, glass wool products, loose glass wool, melamine foam, aerogel, polystyrene, polyester, polyester-padded cotton blocks, or loose polyester-padded cotton Made from.

  According to one embodiment, the strut includes a first strut engaged with a first void located in the central area of the insulating backing and a second void of the insulating backing spaced from the central area of the insulating backing. And the second void has a cross-sectional dimension that is greater than the corresponding dimension of the first void to allow differential heat shrinkage between the thermal insulation backing and the cover panel. Large, the flexible material filling element is placed in the second gap and the flexible material filling element is not placed in the first gap.

  According to one embodiment, the struts are a first strut engaged with the first void of the thermal backing and a second strut identical to the first strut engaged with the second void of the thermal liner. And the second air gap is located at a distance greater than the first air gap from the center of the heat insulating backing, and the cross-sectional dimension of the second air gap allows differential heat shrinkage between the heat insulating backing and the cover panel. To be larger than the corresponding dimension of the first gap.

  These dimensional features of the air gap can be applied to some strut levels or to all strut levels. According to one embodiment, all voids engaged by the same strut have a cross-sectional dimension that increases, for example proportionally, with the distance between the void and the center of the thermal insulation backing.

  According to one embodiment, at ambient temperature, one strut or each strut is spaced so that it is closer to the cavity wall facing the center of the insulating backing than to the cavity wall facing away from the center of the insulating backing. Placed in.

  According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation element further includes a flat bottom panel parallel to the flat cover panel, the thermal insulation backing is disposed between the bottom panel and the cover panel, and the load bearing element is insulated farther to the bottom panel. The cross-section of the column is smaller than the size of the bottom panel, and the column is further secured to the bottom panel.

  The struts can be generated with various shapes and orientations. According to one embodiment, the post is perpendicular to the cover panel and, where appropriate, to the bottom panel. Inclined struts can also be used.

  In one embodiment, the struts or each strut can have a uniform cross section, which facilitates the creation and installation of the struts.

  According to one embodiment, the struts or each strut can have a cross-sectional dimension that varies along the thickness direction of the thermal insulation backing, the cross-sectional dimension decreasing in the direction of the cover panel. This arrangement leaves more room for the shrinkage of the insulating backing, which tends to have the largest amplitude, since the cover panel corresponds to the side facing the interior of the lowest temperature tank in use. Is.

  The voids can be created with various shapes and orientations. In one embodiment, the voids or each void has a uniform cross section, which facilitates the creation of voids.

  According to one embodiment, the air gap or each air gap has a cross-sectional dimension that varies along the thickness direction of the thermal insulation backing, and this cross-sectional dimension increases in the direction of the cover panel. This arrangement also allows more room for shrinkage of the insulating backing, which tends to have the largest amplitude.

  According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation backing comprises a polymer foam block, in particular a polyurethane foam block.

  According to one embodiment, the thermal backing includes a relaxation slot that extends within the thickness of the polymer foam block.

  The cover and bottom panels can be made from a variety of materials, such as plywood, composite materials, or other materials that can transmit force while retaining satisfactory thermal properties.

  According to one embodiment, the thermal backing is held by the load bearing element slidably relative to the load bearing element and the cover panel.

  According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a sealed and insulated tank disposed on the support structure, the tank including a tank wall secured to the support structure, the tank wall extending from the interior of the tank. A primary sealing barrier, a primary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing barrier, and a secondary insulating barrier are included in order in the thickness direction toward the outside, and a plurality of primary insulating barriers and / or secondary insulating barriers are referred to above. Of juxtaposed thermal insulation elements.

  Such tanks, for example, form part of an onshore storage facility for storing LNG, or coastal or deep sea floating structures, in particular methane tankers, floating storage and regasification units (FSRU), floating production storage And an unloading (FPSO) unit.

  According to one embodiment, a ship for the transport of a cryogenic liquid product comprises a double hull and a tank as previously referenced arranged in the double hull.

  According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a ship, wherein the cryogenic liquid product is from a floating storage facility or land storage facility or to a floating storage facility or land storage facility, Routed to or from the tank of the ship through insulated pipes.

  According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transfer system for cryogenic liquid products, the system connecting the vessel described above and a tank installed in the ship's hull to a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility. Insulated pipes arranged to do and pumps that drive the flow of cryogenic liquid products from floating storage facilities or land storage facilities, or to floating storage facilities or land storage facilities, to ship tanks or from tanks through insulated pipes including.

  The present invention will be better understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings of specific embodiments of the invention given merely by way of non-limiting illustration, and other objects, details, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent. It will be clear clearly.

It is a perspective view of the rigid structure suitable for the production | generation of the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulation box. It is sectional drawing in the plane parallel to the cover panel of the heat insulation box at normal temperature. It is a figure similar to FIG. 2 which shows the heat insulation box at low temperature. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of area IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void that can be used for the insulating backing of FIG. 2 showing different geometric shapes of the void. FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an insulating backing according to another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a portion of a thermal insulation backing according to another embodiment at ambient and low temperatures. 1 is a schematic cutaway view of a methane tanker tank including an insulating barrier and a terminal for loading / unloading the tank. FIG. It is a perspective view of a rectangular parallelepiped heat insulation box.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a parallelepiped heat insulation box 1 is shown, and the heat insulation lining of the heat insulation box is omitted so that only the rigid structure can be seen. Such insulation boxes can be juxtaposed according to a regular pattern to produce a primary insulation layer and / or a secondary insulation layer so that the insulation box can support the sealing membrane. A flat surface is formed.

  The rigid structure of the box 1 is disposed between a flat rectangular cover panel 2, a flat rectangular bottom panel 3 parallel to the cover panel, and between the cover panel 2 and the bottom panel 3, and perpendicular to the cover panel and the bottom panel. The support column 4 is included. The columns are arranged in a plurality of rows, and each row of the columns 4 is arranged on the bottom panel 3 through a lath 5 arranged between the bottom panel 3 and the lower ends of the columns in the row. The assembly of the struts 4, laths 5 and panels 2 and 3 is achieved with the aid of fixing elements such as staples, nails or screws.

  The struts 4 allow in particular the transmission of stresses applied to the cover panel 2 and thus have the function of compression resistance. Although the heat insulating backing is not shown in FIG. 1, it is disposed between the bottom panel 3 and the cover panel 2 to fill the space between the columns 4.

  The struts can be arranged in various ways. In FIG. 1, successive rows of struts are offset with respect to each other. More precisely, one row of struts 4 is spaced apart at regular intervals, and two consecutive rows are offset in the length direction at half the interval. Such an arrangement makes it possible to achieve a good compromise between the number of struts 4 in the box 1 and an appropriate distribution of the load. In FIG. 2, the rows of columns are aligned instead. Other arrangements of struts 4 are possible.

  The cover panel 2 of FIG. 1 is a reinforced cover panel that includes an upper panel 6 and a lower panel 7 that are separated by a series of parallel solid beams 8. In particular, the beam 8 extends parallel to the longitudinal side of the box 1. Each beam 8 is positioned along the row of posts 4 and above the row. The beam 8 has a rectangular cross section. The beam 8 and the panels 6 and 7 are rigidly joined together, eg glued or stapled together. With such a reinforced cover panel structure it is possible to obtain an effective distribution of stiffness and load effective in the case of local stresses.

  Each beam 8 is spaced from the other beams 8 so as to limit the space 9 between the beams 8 and between the panels 6 and 7. These spaces 9 form channels parallel to the longitudinal side of the box 1 that can be used, for example, to circulate fluid between the two sides of the insulating box. Therefore, the juxtaposition of the heat insulation boxes allows the circuit to be formed on the tank wall, neutralizing the tank wall by injecting neutral gas into the wall, and therefore if leakage occurs in the presence of oxygen It can prevent all danger of explosion.

  The rigid structure described above can be made of wood or composite material, eg, polymer resin with or without reinforcing fibers. According to other embodiments, the cover panel 2 can be produced in different ways, for example in the form of a solid panel. According to other embodiments, the bottom panel 3 and / or the lath 5 can be omitted.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the heat insulation box on a plane crossing the support column 4 at the center height. The thermal insulation backing of the box is composed of a thermal insulation material having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, a polyurethane foam block 10, the size of which corresponds substantially to the space between the bottom panel of the box and the cover panel. . The box includes a rigid structure similar to the rigid structure of FIG.

  FIG. 2 shows that a plurality of rectangular cylinder shaped voids 11 penetrate through the insulating material block 10, the axis of the void being parallel to the column 4, each of the voids receiving one of the columns 4. The cross-sectional dimension of the air gap 11 is in each case larger than the corresponding dimension of the column 4, thereby facilitating the insertion of the column and most importantly the insulating material block 10 and the column 4 are fixed. There is a clearance 12 that allows differential heat shrinkage between the cover panels 2. This point will be described by comparing FIG. 2 and FIG.

  For example, FIG. 2 represents a box at room temperature representing manufacturing conditions, i.e., an ambient temperature inclusive of, e.g. FIG. 3 shows the cryogenic service temperature, eg, about 0 ° C. to about −100 ° C. when the box is used as the secondary barrier of the LNG tank, and about − when the box is used as the primary barrier of the LNG tank. A box at 100 ° C. to −160 ° C. is represented.

In FIG. 3, a contour 100 schematically represents the dimensions of the heat insulating material block at normal temperature, and a contour 10 represents the heat insulating material block at a cryogenic operating temperature. In this low temperature state, the air gap 11 is more contracted than the column 4, and it can be seen that the clearance 12 is substantially reduced (the gap is no longer visible in FIG. 3). For this purpose, the dimensions and position of the gap 11 in FIG. 2 are defined as follows.
Each air gap 11 has a cross-sectional dimension larger than the corresponding dimension of the strut 4 in order to take into account the local heat shrinkage of the block 10;
In order to take into account the overall thermal shrinkage of the block 10, the cross-sectional dimension of the air gap 11 increases in proportion to the distance of the air gap from the center of the insulating material block 10 represented here by the diagonal intersection 13. In fact, the overall heat shrinkage of the insulation occurs in the direction of the center 13 of the insulation block 10.

  Further, the position of the center of the gap 11 is initially offset with respect to the center of the strut so that the clearance 12 is substantially eliminated in the post-contraction state of FIG. It can be seen that it is closer to the wall of the gap 11 facing the center 13 of the heat insulating material block 10.

  In other words, by defining the holes through the insulation block as having a wider geometric shape than the column itself at ambient temperature, the gap between the column surface and the opposing surface of the insulation material is Compensated by the shrinkage of When subjected to a thermal load, the inner surface of the hole in the insulation block will be in contact with the strut or in close proximity to the strut without generating stress on the block, or even at the worst level of satisfactory stress, The thermal insulation material allows it to remain intact over a long service life.

  To implement this principle, a more accurate sizing rule is proposed below as an example with reference to FIGS.

  The longitudinal axis of the box is represented as x and the row of posts perpendicular to this axis is numbered by the index m, so that m varies from 1 to 5 in the box of FIG. Similarly, the horizontal axis of the box is denoted y, and the row of columns perpendicular to that axis is numbered by the index n, so that n varies from 1 to 4 in the box of FIG.

The column at the intersection of column m and column n is designated P _mn , which has a rectangular cross section with dimensions L _mn and l _mn along axes x and y, respectively. The center of the column P _mn is designated c _mn and the coordinates of c _mn considered for the box center 13 are designated X _mn and Y _mn . These quantities further depend on the height coordinate h in situations where the cross section of the strut changes along the height direction.

The coefficients of thermal expansion of the thermal insulation material 10 in the directions x and y are designated α _X and α _Y , respectively.

The material used for the box rigid structure in directions x and y and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the column 4 are designated αp _X and αp _Y , respectively.

The temperature change between the production temperature and the operating temperature of the point in the insulation located at the height h of the insulation box is designated ΔT _h . This temperature change is substantially unchanged in the planes x and y.

The temperature change at a point in the column at the bottom of the insulation box where the temperature change is minimal is designated as ΔT _hot .

The temperature change at a point in the column at the top of the insulation box where the temperature change is greatest is designated ΔT _cold .

The overall manufacturing tolerance of the strut 4 is designated as V _p including the strut positioning tolerance and the strut cross-sectional dimensional tolerance.

The overall manufacturing tolerance of the insulation block 10, including the positioning tolerance of the air gap 11 and the dimensional tolerance of the cross section of the air gap 11, is designated as V _i .

The dimensions of the gap 11 of the column P _mn in the directions x and y are designated as Dx _mn and Dy _mn , respectively. The center of the cross section of the gap 11 of the column P _mn is designated as C _mn, and the coordinates of C _mn considered for the box center 13 in the directions x and y are designated as XC _mn and YC _mn , respectively. . These quantities further depend on the height coordinate h in situations where the cross section of the air gap varies along the height direction.

• Through holes with rectangular cross section with α _X >> αp _X and α _Y >> αp _Y With respect to the variable cross-section gap 11, the following rules can be used for the position and dimensions of the through holes.
Dx _{mn, h} = (X _mn + L _mn / 2) * α _X * ΔT _h + V _p + V _i + L _mn
Dy _{mn, h} = (Y _mn + l _mn / 2) * α _Y * ΔT _h + V _p + V _i + l _mn
XC _{mn, h} = X _mn + Dx _{mn, h} / 2
YC _{mn, h} = Y _mn + Dy _{mn, h} / 2

The following rules can be used for the location and dimensions of the through-holes for the constant cross-sectional space 11.
Dx _mn = max _h (Dx _{mn, h} )
Dy _mn = max _h (Dy _{mn, h} )
XC _mn = X _mn + Dx _mn / 2
YC _mn = Y _mn + Dy _mn / 2

• Conditions where the thermal expansion coefficients of the materials used for the insulation and the rigid structure of the box are quite similar:
With respect to the variable cross-section struts 4 and the air gaps 11, the following rules can be used for the position and dimensions of the through holes.
Dx _{mn, h} = (X _{mn, h} + L _{mn, h} / 2) * α _X * ΔT _h + V _p + V _i + L _{mn, h} − [(X _{mn, h} + L _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _X * ΔT _hot ) + (X _{mn, h} + L _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _X * (ΔT _cold −ΔT _hot ) * h / H]
Dy _{mn, h} = (Y _{mn, h} + l _{mn, h} / 2) * α _Y * ΔT _h + V _p + V _i + l _{mn, h} − [(Y _{mn, h} + l _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _Y * ΔT _hot ) + (Y _{mn, h} +1 _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _Y * (ΔT _cold −ΔT _hot ) * h / H]
XC _{mn, h} = X _{mn, h} + Dx _{mn, h} / 2
YC _{mn, h} = Y _{mn, h} + Dy _{mn, h} / 2

The following rules can be used for the location and dimensions of the through-holes for the constant cross-sectional space 11.
Dx _mn = max _h ((X _{mn, h} + L _{mn, h} / 2) * α _X * ΔT _h + V _p + V _i + L _{mn, h} − [(X _{mn, h} + L _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _X * ΔT _hot ])
Dy _mn = max _h ((Y _{mn, h} + l _{mn, h} / 2) * α _Y * ΔT _h ) + V _p + V _i + l _{mn, h} − [(Y _{mn, h} + l _{mn, h} / 2) * αp _Y * ΔT _hot ]
XC _mn = X _mn + Dx _mn / 2
YC _mn = Y _mn + Dy _mn / 2

In one embodiment, the insulating material block 10 is made of polyurethane foam without fibers and having a density of 50 kg / m ³ . The thermal expansion coefficient of the foam is typically 40 × 10 ⁻⁶ K ^{−1 to} 60 × 10 ⁻⁶ K ⁻¹ . For blocks having dimensions of 1.2 m × 1 m, a maximum shrinkage of the order of 3.3 mm to 5 mm is obtained. For rigid plywood structures, the shrinkage under the same conditions is up to 0.7 mm.

  The cross-sectional shape of the air gap 11 can be designed in different ways according to the dimensions of the box, in particular the length and width, and the dimensions, shape and number of the posts 4. 5 to 10, in each case, a part of the insulating material block 10 with the gap 11 and the strut 4 is represented in order to show a plurality of possible shapes of the gap.

  In FIG. 5, the gap 11 has a constant cross section over the entire height of the rectangular shape. In FIG. 6, the void 11 has a continuously increasing cross section of a rectangular shape over its entire height, resulting in the overall shape of a rectangular base pyramid. In FIG. 7, the air gap 11 includes a plurality of continuous stages having a rectangular shape with a cross section increasing in the height direction. In FIG. 8, the air gap 11 has a constant cross section having a circular shape over the entire height. In FIG. 9, the air gap 11 has a continuously changing cross section of a circular shape all over its height, resulting in an overall shape of a truncated cone. In FIG. 10, the air gap 11 includes a plurality of continuous stages having a circular shape and a cross section increasing in the height direction.

  When the cross section of the air gap 11 changes along the height, the widest cross section is installed on the coldest side, that is, on the cover panel side in the LNG tank wall application.

  In an alternative embodiment, the principle described above is reversed by having a constant cross-sectional void 11 in the insulating material and changing the cross-section of the strut 4. This solution has the advantage of facilitating cutting of the insulating material by avoiding complex geometries that are difficult to generate. This solution may be particularly appropriate in the case of composite struts.

  When the cross section of the column 4 changes along the height, the narrowest cross section is installed on the coldest side in the LNG tank wall application, that is, on the cover panel side.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the insulating material block 20 includes a plurality of vertical relief slots 21, thereby shrinking independently of each other, thus constraining the block into portions that can limit the size of the air gap 11. Can be divided.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 12, a flexible material backing 30 is inserted to fill the clearance 12 between the strut 11 and the insulating material block 10 to eliminate or limit convective movement of gas in this gap. . In addition to being convection-preventing and insulating, the flexible material backing 30 absorbs the reduced distance between the struts 4 and the walls of the air gap 11 or increases this distance during temperature fluctuations. It must be flexible enough to compensate. This point is shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 12 shows the use state at a low temperature indicated by a dashed outline and the support column 4, the air gap 11, and the heat insulation block 10 at a normal temperature superimposed on a solid outline.

  In particular, materials that can be used to produce the backing 30 include ultra-low density polymer foam, glass wool products, loose glass wool, melamine foam, aerogel, polystyrene, polyester, polyester-padded cotton blocks, or , Loose polyester-padded cotton.

  For the manufacture of such an insulation box, the insulation block 10 can be cut or drilled with suitable tools and machines, for example, by punching, rotating machinery, or water jet cutting. The punching process consists in punching the foam with a sharp steel pipe or cutting tool. The foam can be held on a cutting table that incorporates female indentations that in some cases complement the tool to facilitate cutting. Multiple passes may be required in some cases to arrive at the required geometry of the gap 11 with different tools. In addition, water jet cutting can generate any type of geometric shape by freely programming the cutting nozzle trajectory.

The steps of assembling the thermal insulation box including the rigid structure and the thermal insulation material block 10 can be performed in various orders. The two solutions are the following.
Assembly procedure A:
-Introducing the struts into the pierced insulation block-Steps for fixing the bottom panel to the struts by techniques such as stapling, screwing, gluing, heat welding Assembly procedure B:
-Fixing the bottom panel to the column by techniques such as stapling, screwing, gluing, heat welding-screwing the penetrated insulation block onto the column

For the embodiment of FIG. 12 where the space between the insulation and the strut is filled, the two solutions are as follows.
The factory production of a flexible material backing 30 wrapped, covered with a backing, screwed into the backing or molded with a backing;
-Subsequently attaching a flexible material backing 30 by screwing, protruding or injecting the material into the clearance 12;

  These solutions can be integrated into the two assembly procedures A and B described above.

  FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a parallelepiped heat insulation box 101 in which the heat insulating backing is omitted to show a rigid structure as shown in FIG. Elements that are similar or identical to elements in the preceding figures are given the same reference number, which is 100 greater.

  The thermal insulation box 101 includes a rigid structure configured on a flat rectangular bottom panel 103. The struts 104 are arranged in 13 transverse rows regularly spaced along the length of the box 101. The number of columns 104 per transverse row is 6, 5, 6, 7, 7, 6, 6, 7, 6, 7, 6, 5 continuously. , And 6. Each transverse row of struts 104 is disposed on the bottom panel 103.

  The cover panel 102 is disposed on the upper end of a column 104 that is parallel to the bottom panel 103 and perpendicular to the panels 102 and 103. The cover panel 102 is a reinforcing cover panel that includes an upper panel 106 and a lower panel 107 that are separated by a series of solid beams 108. The beam 108 extends in the width direction of the box 101 and is aligned with each transverse row of the rigid column 104. There are also 13 rows in box 101. Each beam 108 is thus positioned along and above the transverse row of struts 104. For example, the beam 108 has a square cross section. Beam 108 and panels 106 and 107 are rigidly joined to each other, for example, glued or stapled together.

  The upper panel 106, according to known techniques, is provided with two parallel grooves (FIG. 2) for receiving two weld supports adapted to hold a sealed membrane composed of a planar strake having raised edges. Not shown).

  The illustrated strut 104 has a square or rectangular cross section, and each strut 104 is completely surrounded by a thermally insulating sheath 130 of flexible material having a circular outer shape, for example. The cross section of the post 104 can have other shapes. The insulating polymer foam block not shown in FIG. 14 has a shape that complements the structure that can be seen in FIG. 1 so as to fill substantially all of the space between the panels 103 and 102. In other words, the insulating polymer foam block is in each case a rectangular parallelepiped through which a series of identical circular holes extend through the foam block to receive the struts 104 surrounded by the sheath 130. The diameter of the circular hole in the insulating foam block is larger than the diagonal of the cross section of the post 104, for example, substantially equal to or slightly less than the outer diameter of the stationary sheath 130, and the sheath 130 inserted into the hole. Each of these is in contact with the wall and is slightly compressed. The sheath 130 can prevent convective movement in the holes of the insulating foam block and at the same time absorb relative motion between the foam block and the struts subject to greater thermal shrinkage of the polymer foam.

  The struts 104 located at the periphery of the box 101 are received in holes that open laterally on the peripheral lateral surface of the insulating polymer foam block (not shown). In these positions, a modified sheath 230 is installed that does not completely surround the strut 104 and is interrupted in line with the peripheral lateral surface of the insulating polymer foam block, i.e. in line with the peripheral lateral surface of the box 101.

  In an alternative embodiment, the sheath 130 is eliminated for the strut 104 located in the central area 113 of the box, i.e. in the area where the overall thermal contraction of the foam block causes less movement relative to the strut 104. The For example, this area 113 can cover approximately 10-20% of the surface of the box 101. In the central area 113 where the sheath 130 is not present, the foam block holes can be produced with a smaller diameter than other holes outside the central area 113.

  For example, a thermal insulation box with a length of 1.2 m and a width of 1 m includes 7 rows of struts distributed along the length and 13 rows of struts distributed along the width. The strut has a 21 mm square cross section. The square void has an inclusive cross section of 21 mm to 23 mm at ambient temperature according to its position relative to the center of the box. The thickness of the box is 230 mm for the primary and 300 mm for the secondary. The cover panel has a thickness of 60 mm for the primary and 48 mm for the secondary. The bottom panel is made of 9 mm thick plywood.

  The overall shape of the rectangular parallelepiped insulated box described above can also be produced with other contour shapes, for example, any regular or irregular polygon shape. Furthermore, by means of a deformation which is not shown, a plurality of series of struts having different characteristics, in particular the same shape and / or size, can be used for the same box.

  The techniques described above for generating thermal insulation elements can be used for different types of tanks, for example, for primary or secondary insulation barriers of LNG tanks in onshore facilities or in floating structures such as methane tankers or other ships. Can be formed.

  Referring to FIG. 13, a cutaway view of the methane tanker 70 shows a columnar, generally shaped, sealed and insulated tank 71 mounted within the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the tank 71 is a primary sealing barrier intended to contact the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the ship's double hull 72, and It includes two insulating barriers each disposed between the primary and secondary sealing barriers and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72.

  In accordance with known techniques, the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier are composed of parallel invar strikes, which have raised edges that alternate with an elongated weld support also made from invar. More precisely, the weld support is fixed to the lower thermal insulation layer by being perpendicular to the wall and each fastened in an inverted T-shaped groove, for example created in a box cover panel. The raised edges of the strake are welded along the weld support.

  In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading pipe 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship can be connected by a suitable connector to the sea or port terminal for transporting LNG cargo from the tank 71. .

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a shipping terminal that includes a loading and unloading station 75, a submarine pipeline 76, and a land facility. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility that includes a moving arm 74 and a tower 78 that supports the moving arm 74. The moving arm 74 carries a number of insulated flexible pipes 79 that can be connected to the loading / unloading pipe 73. The orientable transfer arm 74 is compatible with all methane tanker cargo size limit gauges. A connection pipeline (not shown) extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 can load and unload the methane tanker 70 from the land facility 77 or from the land facility 77. The onshore facility includes a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipeline 81 connected by a submarine pipeline 76 to a loading or unloading station 75. The submarine pipeline 76 allows the transport of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the land facility 77 over a large distance, eg, 5 km, so that the methane tanker 70 can be removed from the coast during loading and unloading operations. Can stay a great distance.

  Pumps onboard ships 70 and / or pumps on land facilities 77 and / or pumps on loading and unloading stations 75 are used to generate the pressure required to transport liquefied gas. .

  Although the invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, the invention is not limited in any way to this embodiment and the invention is meant to be described where it is within the scope of the invention And it is obvious that all technical equivalents of the combinations are included.

  Use of the verbs “include”, “comprise”, and their root forms does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. Use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" with respect to an element or step does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements or steps unless otherwise indicated.

  In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

4 Prop 10 Insulation material block 11 Air gap 12 Clearance 13 Center

Claims (17)

A thermal insulation element (1, 101) suitable for the creation of a thermal barrier in a sealed and insulated tank,
A flat cover panel (2, 102);
A heat-insulating lining (10, 20) arranged parallel to the cover panel;
A load bearing element extending from the cover panel through the thickness of the insulating backing to absorb compressive forces;
Including
The load bearing element includes a plurality of rigid struts (4, 104), the cross-section of which is small compared to the size of the cover panel that engages the gap (11) of the insulating backing and the cover panel (2 , 102)
At ambient temperature, for at least one of the struts, the struts engage so that the cross-sectional dimensions of the struts provide a gap (12) between the struts (4, 104) and the cavity walls. Smaller than the corresponding dimension of the void,
The struts are distanced from the first strut (104) engaged with a first gap (11) located in the central area (113) of the insulating backing and the central area (113) of the insulating backing. A second strut (104) engaged with the second void (11) of the thermal insulation backing located
The first gap is such that the cross-sectional dimensions (Dx, Dy) of the second gap allow for differential heat shrinkage between the insulating backing (10, 20) and the cover panel (102). Larger than the corresponding dimensions (Dx, Dy),
The thermal insulation element further comprises a filling element (30, 130) disposed in the gap (12) between the strut (4, 104) and the wall of the second cavity;
The filling elements (30, 130) are made of a material that is more flexible than the insulating backing;
Thermal insulation element (1, 101), characterized in that a filling element (30, 130) of flexible material is not arranged in the first gap . A thermal insulation element (1, 101) suitable for the creation of a thermal barrier in a sealed and insulated tank,
A flat cover panel (2, 102);
A heat-insulating lining (10, 20) arranged parallel to the cover panel;
A load bearing element extending from the cover panel through the thickness of the insulating backing to absorb compressive forces;
Including
The load bearing element includes a plurality of rigid struts (4, 104), the cross-section of which is small compared to the size of the cover panel that engages the gap (11) of the insulating backing and the cover panel (2 , 102)
At ambient temperature, for at least one of the struts, the struts engage so that the cross-sectional dimensions of the struts provide a gap (12) between the struts (4, 104) and the cavity walls. Smaller than the corresponding dimension of the void,
The thermal insulation element further comprises a filling element (30, 130) disposed in the gap (12) between the strut (4, 104) and the wall of the cavity;
The filling elements (30, 130) are made of a material that is more flexible than the insulating backing;
The struts engage with the first strut (4) engaged with the first gap (11) of the heat insulating backing and the second strut (11) of the heat insulating backing with the first strut (4). A second strut (4) identical to the strut, the second gap being located farther from the center (13) of the thermal insulation backing than the first gap;
The cross-sectional dimensions (Dx, Dy) of the second air gap allow the differential heat shrinkage between the heat insulating backing (10, 20) and the cover panel (2). Larger than the corresponding dimensions (Dx, Dy),
It shall be the said adiabatic element (1, 101). All the gaps (11) engaged by the same strut have a cross-sectional dimension (Dx, Dy) that increases with the distance between the gap and the center of the insulating backing. The heat insulating element according to 2 . A thermal insulation element (1, 101) suitable for the creation of a thermal barrier in a sealed and insulated tank,
A flat cover panel (2, 102);
A heat-insulating lining (10, 20) arranged parallel to the cover panel;
A load bearing element extending from the cover panel through the thickness of the insulating backing to absorb compressive forces;
Including
The load bearing element includes a plurality of rigid struts (4, 104), the cross-section of which is small compared to the size of the cover panel that engages the gap (11) of the insulating backing and the cover panel (2 , 102)
At ambient temperature, for at least one of the struts, the struts engage so that the cross-sectional dimensions of the struts provide a gap (12) between the struts (4, 104) and the cavity walls. Smaller than the corresponding dimension of the void,
The thermal insulation element further comprises a filling element (30, 130) disposed in the gap (12) between the strut (4, 104) and the wall of the cavity;
The filling elements (30, 130) are made of a material that is more flexible than the insulating backing;
Wherein in the normal temperature, one strut (4) or each strut (4) comprises thermal insulation lining in mind (13) the space of the wall center of the heat insulation backing than facing away from (13) adiabatic element being disposed in said void (11) as close to the walls of the voids facing the direction you wherein (1, 101). Said filling element (30, 130) is made from a material selected from ultra-low density polymer foam, glass wool products, loose glass wool, melamine foam, aerogel, polystyrene, polyester stuffed cotton blocks, or loose polyester stuffed cotton. The heat insulation element according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation element is made. Further comprising a flat bottom panel (3, 103) parallel to the flat cover panel;
The insulating backing (10, 20) is disposed between the bottom panel and the cover panel;
The load-bearing element extends through the thickness of the thermal backing to the bottom panel, and the cross-section of the post (4, 104) is smaller compared to the dimensions of the bottom panel (3, 103), the post being And is further secured to the bottom panel,
The heat insulation element according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the heat insulation element is provided. The heat insulating element according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the support column is perpendicular to the cover panel (2, 102). Strut or each strut has a cross-sectional dimension which varies along the thickness direction of the heat insulating lining, the cross section dimensions, according to claim 1-4, characterized in that decrease in the direction of the cover panel The heat insulation element of any one of Claims. The air gap (11) or each air gap (11) has a cross-sectional dimension that varies along the thickness direction of the heat insulating backing, the cross-sectional dimension increasing toward the direction of the cover panel. The heat insulation element of any one of Claims 1-4 . The insulation lining is insulating element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a block (10, 20) of polymer foam. 11. Thermal insulation element according to claim 10 , wherein the thermal insulation backing (20) comprises a relaxation slot (21) extending within the thickness of the polymer foam block. Said cover panel (2, 102), the insulating element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that is made of plywood. The heat-insulating lining (10, 20) is held by the load-bearing element (4, 104) so as to be slidable with respect to the load-bearing element and with respect to the cover panel (2, 102). The heat insulation element according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . A sealed and insulated tank (71) located in the support structure,
A tank wall fixed to the support structure,
The tank wall includes a primary sealing barrier, a primary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing barrier, and a secondary insulating barrier in order in the thickness direction from the inside of the tank to the outside,
The primary insulation barrier and / or the secondary insulation barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulation elements (1, 101) according to any one of claims 1-4 .
A sealed and insulated tank (71) characterized in that. A ship (70) for the transport of cryogenic liquid products,
A double hull (72);
A tank (71) according to claim 14 arranged in the double hull;
A ship (70) characterized by comprising: Use of a ship (70) according to claim 15 ,
Cryogenic liquid product is transferred from the floating storage facility or land storage facility (77) or to the floating storage facility or land storage facility (77), to the tank (71) of the ship or from the tank (71) to the insulated pipe (73, 79, 76, 81) and loading or unloading the tank of the ship. A transfer system for a cryogenic liquid product comprising:
A ship (70) according to claim 15 ,
Insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect a tank (71) installed in the hull of the ship to a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility (77);
A pump for driving the flow of cryogenic liquid product from the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility, or to the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility, to the tank of the ship or from the tank through the insulated pipe; ,
A system characterized by including.

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