KR101215010B1 - Sealed, thermally insulated tank with juxtaposed non-conducting elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealed insulated tank comprising at least one tank wall fixed to the hull 1 of a floating structure, the tank wall being in turn from the inside of the tank to the outside, the primary sealing barrier 8, the primary insulating barrier. (6), a secondary sealing barrier (5) and a secondary insulating barrier (2), wherein at least one of the insulating barriers includes juxtaposed non-conductive members as essential components, each of the non-conductive The members comprise a thermal insulation liner 76 and rod-supporting members 75, wherein the thermal insulation liner is arranged in the form of a layer parallel to the tank wall, and the rod-supporting members have a thickness of the thermal insulation liner so as to receive a compressive force. In a sealed insulated tank, which rises through, the rod-supporting members of the non-conductive member are manufactured in the form of at least one rod-supporting structure 70, the rod-supporting members being connected in each case. Way It is formed from a single part comprising a.

Description

SEALLED, THERMALLY INSULATED TANK WITH JUXTAPOSED NON-CONDUCTING ELEMENTS}

1 is a perspective view of a tank wall according to a general embodiment useful for understanding the present invention.

2 and 3 show the primary holding member of the tank wall of FIG. 1 in two vertical directions.

4 is a cross-sectional view of a tank wall according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the insulating caisson of the tank wall shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of region VII of FIG. 4. FIG.

7 is a perspective view of a section of a tank wall according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8-10 show cross-sectional views of another embodiment of a non-conductive member with a rod-supporting structure in the form of a hollow profile section.

11 shows, as a perspective view, a rod-supporting structure cast into a single compartment.

FIG. 11A is a partial view of a portion showing a modified embodiment of the rod-supporting structure of FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of two non-conductive member types manufactured for the rod-supporting structure of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a partial view of a portion illustrating the assembly of the non-conductive member of FIG. 12.

14 and 15 are views similar to FIG. 11, showing another modified embodiment of the rod-supporting structure.

16 is a partial view of a portion of a non-conductive member in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

17 is a top view of the rod-supporting structure of the non-conductive member of FIG. 16.

18-21 show another embodiment of a rod-supporting member in the form of a column, seen in cross section.

22 and 23 show a rod-supporting structure of a non-conductive member according to another embodiment in plan view and in cross-sectional view along the line II-III.

24 shows in perspective view a rod-supported structure thermoformed into a single compartment. And,

25 is an exploded perspective view of a non-conductive member of another embodiment, with the insulation liner omitted.

The present invention relates to a sealed insulated tank consisting of a tank wall fixed to a rod-supported structure of a floating structure suitable for the manufacture, storage, loading, marine transport and / or unloading of cold liquids, especially methane-rich cold liquids. It relates to the manufacture of. The invention also relates to a methane carrier made with a tank of this type.

Marine transport of liquefied gas at very low temperatures is related to the daily evaporation rate which it is desirable to minimize, which means that the insulation of the associated tanks should be improved.

Sealed thermal insulation tanks have already been proposed, consisting of tank walls fixed to the ship's load-supporting structure, which in turn, from the inner side of the tank to the outer side, inverted primary insulation barrier, secondary sealing barrier and secondary insulation barrier. And at least one said barrier is comprised of juxtaposed nonconductive members, each nonconductive member comprising a thermal insulation liner arranged in the form of a layer parallel to said tank wall, and said rod-supporting members being compressive force Stand up through the thickness of the thermal insulation liner to absorb the.

For example, in FR-A-2 527 544, this thermal barrier is a closed parallelepiped, consisting of plywood and perlite filled caisson. Inside, the caisson includes a parallel rod-support spacer placed between the cover panel and the base panel to withstand the hydraulic pressure exerted by the liquid contained in the tank. Non-rod-supporting spaces made of plastic foam are arranged between the rod-supporting spaces to maintain relative positions. Caison manufacture of this type, including fitting assemblies of spacers and outer walls consisting of plywood sections, requires a number of assembly processes, in particular stapling. In addition, the use of powders such as pearlite complicates the manufacture of caissons because the powder creates dust. Therefore, it is necessary to use high-quality and expensive plywood, that is, knot-free plywood, so that the caisson is well sealed against dust. In addition, it is necessary to tamp down the powder to a certain pressure in the caisson and to circulate nitrogen inside to empty all the air present for safety reasons. All of these processes complicate the manufacture of caisson and increase the cost. Furthermore, if the thickness of the insulating caisson increases with the insulating barrier, the risk of buckling of the caisson wall and the rod-supporting spacers increases significantly. If it is desired to increase the anti-buckling strength of the caisson and adiabatic rod-supporting spacers, the cross-sectional area of the spacers must be increased, which will prevent the thermal transfer established between the liquefied gas and the ship's rod-supporting structures. Increase by the same amount. In addition, as the thickness of the caisson increases, it is observed that gas convection phenomena, which are very detrimental to the desired thermal insulation, occur inside the caisson.

FR-A-2 798 902 describes another insulated caisson designed for use in such tanks. The manufacturing method alternatively comprises accumulating a plurality of low density foam layers and a plurality of plywood panels and disposing an adhesive between each foam layer and each panel until the accumulation height corresponds to the length of the caisson, Cutting the deposits into sections in the height direction to have a regular spacing corresponding to the thickness of the caisson, and adhesively bonding the bottom panel and the top panel so that the other side of each deposit section is cut and the panels are cut Extending vertically to allow the cut panel to serve as a spacer. The results suggested a good compromise in terms of anti-buckling strength and insulation, but it had to be acknowledged that the manufacturing process also required many assembly steps.

US-4 416 715-A discloses a rigid insulating panel consisting of a folded sheet and an envelope. The envelope is filled with particulate insulation. The folded sheet forms a framework that strengthens the envelope. The folded sheet acts as a framework for the envelope in the form of a single part and is made by folding a sheet of paper or cardboard. Take this separately, the folded sheet has no stiffness in the folded area and constitutes a flexible node between the panels. For this reason, when the sheet is transferred between two assembly stations, the folded sheet is held in shape by finger-shaped protrusions.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a tank of this type that improves one or more of the following features but does not damage other of these features: tank price, wall insulation and pressure bearing walls Ability. Another object of the present invention is to propose a tank of this type, which is easy to manufacture non-conductive members, while at the same time improving these features if possible without compromising the wall's ability to withstand the heat insulation and pressure of the wall. .

To this end, the gist of the present invention is a sealed insulated tank comprising at least one tank wall fixed to the hull of a floating structure, the tank wall being, in turn, from the inside of the tank to the outside, a primary sealing barrier, 1 A secondary thermal barrier, a secondary sealing barrier, and a secondary thermal barrier, wherein at least one of the thermal barriers includes juxtaposed non-conductive members as essential components, each of the non-conductive members having a thermal insulation liner and a rod; In a sealed insulated tank, wherein the insulated liner is arranged in a layer form parallel to the tank wall, and the rod-supported members rise through the thickness of the insulated liner to receive a compressive force. The rod-supporting members of the non-conductive member are made in the form of at least one rod-supporting structure, the rod-supporting members being in each case It is formed from a single part comprising a connecting means, characterized in that the connecting means rigidly connects the rod-supporting members together and one or more height portions of the rod-supporting members.

This type of rod-supporting structure formed of a single part combines highly desirable mechanical properties both in terms of rigidity and in anti-buckling resistance of the hollow members in the thickness direction, and in terms of ease of formation, insulation, and price. . Indeed, for a given geometry of the rod-supporting member, the anti-buckling resistance is increased by rigid integral links as compared to the separate rod-supporting members. Furthermore, manufacturing the links between the rod-supporting members and the rod-supporting members, in other words at least one part of their height, in the form of a single part, would make the procedure of certain assembly unnecessary. It is possible to obtain a relatively rigid rod-supporting structure without excessively increasing the cross section and / or thickness of the rod-supporting members and thereby thermal bridge phenomena, and It simplifies the fitting of the thermal insulation liner in the conductive member.

According to a preferred embodiment of the connecting means, said connecting means of said rod-supporting structure comprises a panel, said panel extending parallel to said tank wall on said non-conductive member, said rod-supporting members extending into said panel. Protrudes from the inner surface of the. In other words, in this case, the rod-supporting structure comprises a base panel or cover panel of the non-conductive member. Traditionally, "cover" is the name of the panel on the non-conductive member side facing the interior of the tank and "base" is the name of the panel on the non-conductive member side facing the rod-supporting structure. The rod-supporting structure may thus comprise both a base panel and a cover panel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the rod-supporting structure, at least one rod-supporting structure of the non-conductive member has the form of a hollow profile section with a constant cross section in the longitudinal direction.

For example, rod-supporting structures of this kind can be obtained by extrusion or pultrusion of any suitable material. In particular, a continuous extrusion die can be used to obtain this kind of profile section with a constant cross section, at which the hollow member can be cut to the desired length so that the size of the corresponding non-conductive member is It can be easily modified. Many forms of cross sections of the profile section can be produced.

The rod-supporting member may have any form. According to one preferred embodiment of the rod-supporting member, the rod-supporting member of the rod-supporting structure comprises at least two longitudinal partitions, the partitions being spaced apart from one another to form at least one cell having a mutually constant cross section. Can be arranged to receive the thermal insulation liner. This kind of partition is used as a rod-supporting spacer for supporting the compression applied on the non-conductive member and as a role to distinguish between cells. Such cells may be one, two, three, or more depending on the number of each non-conductive member, in particular in the case of the profile section, allowing easy insertion of the thermal insulation liner into the non-conductive member through the cross section.

Advantageously, said longitudinal partitions comprise one or more partitions generally perpendicular to said tank wall. Structures of this kind increase the distribution of stress across the longitudinal partitions. The longitudinal cell may thus have a generally rectangular or square cross section.

Preferably, the longitudinal partitions comprise at least one partition inclined relative to the tank wall, and preferably at least two partitions inclined in opposite directions. Inclined partitions of this kind make it possible not only to distribute the stress but also to distribute the buckling and tilting stresses. It is therefore possible to provide a cell with another cross-sectional shape, for example trapezoidal or triangular cross-sectional shape.

Advantageously, said connecting means of said rod-supporting structure comprises at least one connecting wall connecting said longitudinal partition over its entire length, said longitudinal partition being thick within the area connected with said connecting wall. With thickening. This kind of connecting wall can be inclined or parallel with respect to the tank wall. In particular, it may be a base panel and / or a cover panel. Thick portions of this kind promote the robustness and rigidity of the corresponding connection areas.

According to another embodiment of the longitudinal partition, the non-conductive member comprises a base panel and a cover panel, and at least one of the longitudinal partitions at the transverse outermost side of the non-conductive member has an open transverse side. Spaced from side edges corresponding to at least one of the bottom panel and the cover panel to form a cell of an end having a bottom panel. End cells of this kind may be provided on one or two sides of the non-conductive members, forming a space between the outermost longitudinal partitions of two adjacent non-conductive members. This space ensures the continuity of the thermal barrier in the boundary region between the non-conductive members juxtaposed with the insertion of the thermal insulation liner.

According to another embodiment of the rod-supporting member, the rod-supporting member of the at least one rod-supporting structure comprises a pillar of a small section transverse as compared to the dimensions of the non-conductive member on a plane parallel to the tank wall. .

This kind of small-section pillar has the advantage that it can be distributed to non-conductive members as a local necessity. By adapting to the number and distribution of rod-supporting pillars, the compressive strength of non-conductive members becomes particularly uniform than prior-art spacers. In addition, the cover panel can prevent local pitting or pinching. This type of pillar has a hollow or filled cross section, and any spacer is possible for this. In particular, hollow pillars with closed sections across can lower the effective thermal conductivity across the section while at the same time obtaining highly desirable semi-bucklings.

According to another embodiment of the connecting means, the connecting means comprise arms extending between the rod-supporting members. Preferably said arms extend along the sides of at least one said insulating liner in parallel with said tank. By arranging in this way, the arms provide a correction plane in addition to the rod-supporting member, for possible fastening to the cover panel and / or base panel formed independently of the load-supporting structure.

According to a particular embodiment of the rod-supporting structure, the at least one rod-supporting structure has the form of a box with a peripheral wall protruding all around the inner surface of the panel. This kind of design allows the fixing of the thermal insulation liner in the form of particulate matter. However, it is also possible to use non-conductive members that do not have a peripheral wall, depending on the construction of the insulation liner.

Non-conductive members may be open or closed. Preferably, the presence of the cover panel provides uniform support for the adjacent sealing barrier. However, this kind of panel is not necessary because sufficient support of this kind can be obtained with only the rod-supporting member. Preferably, the presence of the base panel provides a distributed transmission of compressive force from the primary insulation barrier towards the secondary insulation barrier or from the secondary insulation barrier towards the hull. However, this type of panel is not essential if sufficient transmission is assured by the rod-supporting member alone. Panels of this kind can be formed in any way. As mentioned above, a panel with a rod-supporting member may be employed as a single part in forming the rod-supporting structure.

In this case, according to a particular embodiment of the non-conductive member, it is provided with a second panel which is formed independently of the rod-supporting structure and which is fixed to the end of the rod-supporting member opposite the first panel forming the connecting means. It may include.

Any fastening means can be used for this purpose. Preferably, the inner surface of the second panel is recessed and arranged in a manner that interacts with the rod-supporting member by flush-fitting.

Preferably, in this case, the second panel has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the rod-supporting members so that the second panel and the flush-fitted rod-supporting member are tight when the tank is cooled.

According to a particular embodiment of the non-conductive member, the non-conductive member has two rod-supporting structures, the rod-supporting structures arranged in such a way as to have the inner surfaces rotated towards each other, and Rod-supporting members protrude from the inner surfaces, which inner surfaces are in each case assembled in pairs in an end region at a position opposite the panel to form a rod-supporting member of the non-conductive member. do. In other words, in this case, each rod-supporting member of the two rod-supporting structures forms a rod-supporting member having two portions each extending through a portion of the thickness of the non-conductive member in each case. So that it is arranged end to end. In particular, it is possible to use two completely identical rod-supporting structures.

Preferably, a thermal insulation component having less thermal conductivity than the rod-supporting member is placed in each case between the two assembled rod-supporting members. This can enhance the thermal insulation obtained by the non-conductive member.

Two rod-supporting structures can be assembled in any way. Preferably, the rod-supporting members of the two rod-supporting structures are assembled in pairs, respectively, by a connecting part, the connecting part being between the connecting part and the rod-supporting members when the tank is cooled. It has a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of the rod-supporting members so that gripping occurs. In other embodiments or assembled, the connecting parts may be by flush fitting, adhesive bonds, snap-fitting, or the like.

Preferably, the one or more rod-supporting structures of the non-conductive member or the structure (s) of the non-conductive member use casting, extrusion, drawing, thermoforming, blow molding, injection molding and rotational molding processes. Can be prepared. The rod-supporting structure can be made from any material suitable for the processes described above, in particular from PC, PBT, PA, PVC, PE, PS, PU and other resins. Preferably, the rod-supporting structure is made of a composite material. The use of this kind of material can satisfy more desirable or equivalent reverse conductivity and small thermal expansion while at the same time satisfying the requirements for rod-supporting members having a wall thickness thinner than plywood. For example, the rod-supporting structure can be made from a resin-based-polymer composite material that is, for example, a polyester resin or other resin. In the concept of the present invention, the resin-based-polymer composite material comprises a polymer material or a mixture of polymer materials with all kinds of fillers, adhesives, reinforcing agents, or fibers that are, for example, glass wool or other fibrous fibers, which are sufficiently ruptured. Strength, stiffness and other properties. The adhesive may be employed to reduce the density of the material and / or to enhance the thermal properties, in particular to reduce its thermal conduction and / or coefficient of expansion. Synthetic materials containing a lot of sawdust with a synthetic binder can be used. In certain embodiments, the rod-supporting structure may be manufactured from laminated wood or plywood cast by thermal compression.

According to a particular embodiment, said at least one thermal barrier made of said non-conductive member is in each case covered by one of said sealed barriers, said sealed barrier being a thin metal plate strike having a low coefficient of expansion ( metal plate strake, the edges of which rise towards the outside of the non-conductive members, the non-conductive members having a cover panel for receiving parallel grooves spaced apart by a plate strike width, Welding supports are slidably retained in the rake, each weld support having a continuous wing protruding from the outer surface of the cover panel and the raised edges of two adjacent plate strikes on both sides of the weld support. Is welded in such a way that no leakage occurs. The sliding weld support forms a gliding joint to allow different barriers to move relative to each other through different effects in reverse conduction and the movement of the liquid is maintained in the tank.

Preferably, parallel grooves are provided in the direction of longitudinal ribs protruding from the cover panels. This embodiment makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the cover panel between the ribs. Preferably the insulating foam layer is provided on the cover panel between the longitudinal ribs to support a sealing barrier covering the hollow member.

Advantageously, secondary retaining members integrated with the rod-supporting structure of the ship are secured to the non-conductive member forming the secondary thermal barrier against the rod-supporting structure, and the A primary retaining member connected to weld supports maintains the primary thermal insulation barrier with respect to the secondary sealing barrier, and the weld support is provided with respect to the cover panels of the non-conductive members of the secondary thermal insulation barrier. Maintain a primary sealing barrier. Thus, the primary insulating barrier has no effect on the continuity of the secondary sealing barrier that is attached to and placed between the secondary insulating barriers.

According to a preferred embodiment, the thermal insulation liner comprises a rigid or non-reinforced rigid or flexible ie low density foam around 60 kg / m ³ , for example around 40 to 50 kg / m ³ , which has desirable thermal properties. It is possible to use nanoscale porous materials of the aerogel type. Aerogel-type materials are low-density rigid materials with extremely fine and very high porosity structures, and porosities of up to 99% are possible. The pore size of such materials is typically between 10 and 20 nanometers. Nanoscale structures of this kind limit the free passage of gas molecules on average, and therefore convective heat and mass transfer. Therefore, the airgel is a very good heat insulator and has thermal conductivity, for example, 20 × 10 ^-3 w? M ^-1 ? K ^-1 or less, preferably 16 × 10 ^-3 w? M ^-1 ? K ^-1 or less. do. Typically they have a thermal conductivity two to four times lower than other conventional thermal insulation such as foams. The airgel may be in other forms, for example in the form of powders, beads, nonwoven fibers, fibers, and the like. Such highly desirable thermal insulation properties of such materials make it possible to reduce the thickness of the thermal barriers used, thereby increasing the available volume of the tank.

The present invention also provides a floating structure, in particular a methane carrier, characterized in that it comprises a sealed insulated tank according to the gist of the invention described above. Tanks of this kind may be employed in floatong, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facilities, which are used to store liquefied gas, particularly in terms of delivering liquefied gas from the manufacturing site, or It can be employed in floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) used to unload methane carriers in terms of supplying gas delivery systems.

The invention will be better understood, and the objects, embodiments, features and advantages made apparent through the following disclosure of certain embodiments of the invention given by the illustrative embodiments which are not limited with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following, certain embodiments of a sealed insulated tank are employed and employed in a double hull of a FPSO or FSRU type structure or a methane-type carrier. The general structure of such tanks is inherently well known and has a polyhedral form. Therefore, in the following only one wall area of the tank is disclosed and it should be understood that all the walls of the tank have a similar structure.

General embodiments useful for understanding the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. 1 shows the double hull zone of the ship, indicated by (1). The tank wall is in turn in the thickness of the secondary insulation barrier 2, which is formed of a caisson 3 juxtaposed on the double hull 1 and attached by a secondary holding member 4, to the next caisson 3. A primary insulating barrier 6 formed by a juxtaposed caisson 7 attached to the secondary sealing barrier 5 by a secondary sealing barrier 5, then a primary holding member 48, and finally a caisson ( Consisting of a primary sealing barrier 8 received by 7).

The caissons 3 and 7 are non-conductive members in the form of parallelepipeds which are mutually independent or of other structures and which are mutually independent or have different dimensions.

The secondary retaining member 4 is fixed on a pin 31 welded to the double hull 1 in a constant rectangular grid arrangement, such that the retaining member 4 in each case holds the four caissons 3 so as to hold the caissons. Meet at this corner. In addition, two secondary retaining members 4 are provided in the central region of each caisson 3.

The secondary sealing barrier 5 is provided according to the known art in the form of a membrane consisting of an Invar plate strake 40 with raised edges. As best seen in FIG. 3, the cover panel 11 of the caisson 3 has a longitudinal groove, which has an inverted-T-shaped cross section and is indicated by 41. A weld support 42 in the form of an Invar strip folded in an L-shape is slidably inserted into each groove 41. Each plate strike 40 extends between two weld supports 42 and is continuously welded by welding beads 44 to corresponding weld supports 42 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each raised edge 43 is provided.

Similarly, caissons 7 of the primary thermal insulation barrier are attached at four corners each and at two points in the central region of the caisson 7. For this purpose, primary retaining members 48, shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, are used respectively. The primary retaining member 48 is integrated with the lug 50 welded at any point 51, for example three of the weld supports 42, above the raised edge 43 of the plate strike 40. And has a lower sleeve 49. The rod 52 made of Permali, a composite material based on resin-impregnated beech wood, has a support washer that presses the lower end fixed in the lower sleeve 49 and the cover panel 11 of the caisson 7. It has an upper end fixed in a sleeve 54 integrated with 53, and is received in the countersink 28 at the edge of the caisson 7 and the central shaft 30. The sleeve 54 is threaded and screwed to the end of the corresponding threaded rod 52. When the washer 53 is disposed, the fixed screw 56 is fastened through the hole 55 provided in the washer 53 and screwed into the panel 11 to prevent rotation of the washer 53 thereafter. In each insulation barrier, the caissons 3 and 7 are juxtaposed with a small intermediate space of order 5 mm.

Preferably, a layer of microporous material in the form of an airgel is included as the thermal insulation liner in the caissons 3 and / or 7, which is highly desirable for thermal insulation. Aerogels also have the advantage of hydrophobicity, preventing the absorption of moisture from the boat into the thermal barrier. The thermal insulation layer may be made of aerogel in the form of a fabric or in the form of beads, and may be stored.

In general, aerogels can be made of a number of materials, including silicon, alumina, hafnium, carbides, and other polymers. Furthermore, depending on the manufacturing process, the airgel can be made in the form of powder, beads, single sheets and reinforced flexible fabrics. Aerogels are generally prepared by extracting and substituting a gel liquid of micronic structure. Gels are typically prepared by chemical conversion and reaction of one or more diluted precursors. This results in a gel structure in which the solvent is present. Hypercritical fluids such as CO ₂ or alcohols are commonly used to displace the gel solvent. The properties of the airgel can be controlled using various doping or reinforcing agents.

Using airgel as a thermal insulation liner greatly reduces the thickness of the primary and secondary thermal barriers. For example, by using an airgel bed in the form of a fabric in the caisson 3, 7 it is possible for the barrier 2, 6 to have a thickness of 200 mm and 100 mm, respectively. The tank wall then has a total thickness of 310 mm. In a varying embodiment, it is possible in each case by using an airgel particle layer, in particular an airgel bead, in the caisson 3, 7, so that the tank wall has a total thickness of 400 mm.

4 and 5, a first embodiment of a sealed insulated tank according to the present invention is shown. In the first embodiment the primary and secondary thermal barriers are formed from a single block profile caisson 70 filled with a thermal insulation layer instead of the caissons 3 and 7 described above. A caisson 70 of this type is shown in perspective in FIG. 5. This is achieved, for example, by extrusion of polymeric resins and fibers, such as polyester or epoxy resins reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. To this end the materials can act as follows: The fibers are first impregnated with resin in a static or pressure bath. Then, through the die, the die gives the geometry of the corresponding profile section. At the same time, polymerization takes place. This material is obtained continuously and cut to the appropriate dimensions. Thus, this is a mass-manufacturing process involving fibers and resins from one end to the other in dies and finished products cut to the appropriate size.

The caisson 70 is in the form of a profile section with a constant cross section, with a base panel 71 and a cover panel 72, which is horizontal and square, with a number of species having a generally rectangular cross section between the panels. There is a longitudinal partition 75 which defines the directional cell 73 and has two end cells 74 in two side regions of the caisson 70. The longitudinal partition 75 is thicker in the distal region 68 connected to the base panel 71 and cover panel 72. Cells 73 and 74 help to accommodate thermal insulation liners 76 such as, for example, phenolic foam, low density poly-urethane foam, possibly fibrous-reinforced and / or one or more aerogel-based thermal insulation layers.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the base panel 71 is 6 mm thick, the cover panel 72 is 9 mm thick, and the longitudinal partition 75 is 6 mm each. The number of longitudinal partitions 75 is purely illustrative and can be varied as desired.

The base panel 71 has longitudinal notches 77 across the entire thickness and the full length of the panel 71, respectively, in the region of the two cells 73. These notches 77 are for the retaining member passage of the caisson 70. Vertically above the two notches 77, the cover panel 72 has two longitudinal grooves 78 that are inverted T-shaped in cross section. The groove 78 functions the same as the groove 41 in the first embodiment. The weld support 42 is in the form of an invar strip folded in an L-shape and is slidably inserted into each groove 78.

The caisson 70 of the secondary insulation barrier 2 and the primary insulation barrier 6 are in each case attached at four points. To this end, the cover panel 72 has holes 80, which in each case are surrounded by the countersinking 81 and are arranged vertically above the two notches of the base panel 71.

The manufacture of a tank wall according to this first embodiment is disclosed with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. The caisson 70 forming the secondary thermal barrier 2 has in each case four pins 82 welded to the double hull 1 and arranged opposite the holes 80 and in each case the base panel 71. The washer 83 and the nut 84 which press on) are fastened, and are attached to the double hull 1. If the shape of the double hull 1 is irregular, a shim is prepared around the threaded pin 82. The thickness of each wedge is computer calculated based on the topographical survey of the inner surface of the double hull 1. Thus, the base panel 71 may lie along a reasonably regular surface. Beads of polymerized resin (not shown) are traditionally prepared between the base panel 71 and the double hull 1, which adheres the base panel 71 to the double hull once the caisson 70 is fitted. Engage and press to provide support. Kraft paper (not shown) is provided therebetween to prevent such resin from adhering to the double hull.

A cylindrical shaft 85 is provided in the thermal insulation liner 76 to allow this operation to be performed from the top of the caisson 70, which is subsequently filled by the thermal insulation.

In a varying embodiment, the washer 83 may be arranged to press the cover panel 72 instead of the base panel 71. To this end, the washer 83 is attached to the top of the elongated coupling member (eg, a member similar to the member 48) and inserted through the shaft 85, the base being for example threaded. This egg sleeve is fixed to the pin 82.

In a general embodiment, the sealing barrier 5, 8 is made by an invar plate strike 40 welded to a weld support 42 housed in the groove 78 of the caisson 70. The weld support 42 of the secondary sealing barrier is fastened via a longitudinal notch 77 of the caisson 70 forming the primary thermal barrier barrier 6. The caisson 70 forming the primary thermal barrier 6 is attached for the primary retaining member 48 in the same manner as described above in the general embodiment. In each case, the support washer 53 is housed in the bottom of the countersinking 81.

In both thermal barriers, the caisson 70 is juxtaposed with edge-to-edge with minimal gaps and allows alignment for errors to correct.

Providing a hole 80 vertically above the notch 77 ensures that the retaining member 48 operates in the proper axial direction when connected to the underlying weld support 42. In addition, this makes it possible to use the caissons making the two insulating barriers strictly identical, which simplifies manufacturing. However, in the case of caissons of secondary insulating barriers, the notches 77 can be replaced with cylindrical holes.

The hole 80 may also be offset relative to the groove 78 at each thermal barrier.

Referring to FIG. 7, the tank walls of the primary and secondary thermal barriers 6, 2 formed respectively from the caissons 170a, 170b are described in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In the case of caissons 170a and 170b, the same or similar members as caisson 70 are referred to with the same reference numerals plus 100, and are not described otherwise unless otherwise. Four caissons in service position are shown in FIG.

An important feature of the caissons 170a and 170b is that they have oblique longitudinal partitions 192 and 193, that is, partitions that are not perpendicular to the base panel 171 and cover panel 172. In the example shown, each partition has a partition 192 tilted about 30-50 ° in one direction and a partition 193 tilted about 30-50 ° in the opposite direction. These partitions are in each case provided in a longitudinal cell 173 adjacent the end cell 174 to divide into two triangular sections of cells. However, other configurations are possible in terms of the number, position and angle of tilted partitions. This type of partition is not only for distributing the force but also for distributing buckling and tilting forces to the caisson.

In caissons 170a and 170b, the groove 178 designed to receive the weld support 42 extends in the width direction, ie vertically of the longitudinal partition 175. Thus, the base panels 171 of the caissons 170a and 170b do not have longitudinal notches.

In the case of caisson 170a, notches 177 for weld support 42 cross the entire width of the caisson and intersect longitudinal partition 175. In addition, this notch 177 is offset relative to the groove 178. Thus, the coupling member 48 holding the barrier 6 depresses the cover panel 172 in the area of the countersinking 181 surrounding the hole 180 and is offset relative to the groove 178. In FIG. 7, nine coupling members 48 were prepared for each caisson 170a at regular intervals. However, more or less than nine attachment points, for example four or six, may be sufficient for caissons 170a and 170b, depending on the size of the caisson.

The caisson 170b forming the secondary thermal barrier 2 is fastened in the corresponding hole of the base panel 171 in each case with four pins 82 welded to the double hull 1 in each case. It is attached to the double hull 1. Vertically along these holes (not shown) is a cylindrical passage consisting of a hole 191 through an inclined partition 192 or 193 and a hole 190 through a cover panel 172. These holes allow a box wrench to be inserted to tighten the nut 84. Alternatively, instead of attaching caisson 170b within its base panel 171 region, a coupling member may be prepared that traverses these holes to couple pin 82 to cover panel 172.

The caissons 70, 170a and 170b are self-supporting caissons capable of withstanding the compression of the liquid in the tank, so that the sealing barriers 5 and 8 supported by them do not need to support this compression and are examples For example, it is preferable to produce a very thin film form of Invar 0.7 mm.

8 shows a non-conductive caisson 270 having a rod-supported structure profile. This rod-supporting structure has a cover panel 272 and two rod-supporting partitions 275 almost perpendicular to it, having an inverted U-shaped cross section. It can be made using the above-described procedure or it can be made by plastic casting. According to another possibility, this U-shaped cross section can be obtained by forming laminated wood or plywood panels. Insulation 276, for example a low density plastic foam, fills the space between partitions 275 and attaches to the rod-supported structure profile.

10 shows a non-conducting caisson 470, wherein the transverse section of the non-conductive caisson is in the form of a comb, and the cover panel 472 and the vertical rod-supporting partition 475 are connected with the panel 472 Each has a thick portion 468 in the region. Insulation 476 fills the longitudinal cells formed between partitions 475. Such comb structures may be extruded or cast into a single plate. It is possible to fix multiple caissons in the form of caisson 270 together side by side, for example by gluing or stapling.

The caisson 270 or 470 can be used in the caisson 170a or 170b position of FIG. In this case, the first caisson lies on the secondary sealing barrier 5 through the end of partition 275 or 475. The second caisson is placed in the same way on the above-described resin strip. One flat plate at the end of each partition 275 or 475 may be prepared to prevent tightening of the barrier 5 or resin strip. The base panel (not shown) may be caisson 270 or 470 by, for example, adhesive bonding, stapling, and / or flush-fitting at the end of partition 275 or 475 within the thickness of the panel. It may be prepared to be fixed to the lower surface of the). When one such plate or each panel is added, the caissons 270 and 470 have panels 272 and 472 in the inverted position, i.e., with the grooves retaining the weld support of the adjacent sealing barrier, one plate as the base. Or it will be apparent that a separate panel is used as the cover.

9 shows a non-conducting caisson 370, in which the rod-supporting structure profile has a cross-sectioned hole, and has an alternative cover panel 372 and a base panel 371, respectively, of the caisson It extends over the width portion and in each case is connected to the load-supporting partition 375. The thermal insulation layer is formed by joined longitudinal foam slabs 376a and 376b, each of which is between partitions 375 on panel 371 and below panel 372. The caisson 370 can be used as shown, or alternatively has a calibration cover panel and / or a base panel secured thereto. Other rod-supporting structure profile sections may be made, for example, in the form of H or I.

With reference to FIGS. 11-15, another embodiment of subsidiary materials used to form a non-conductive caisson or a thermal barrier of the tank wall is described, the general structure of which is disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3. The manufacture of the sealing barrier and the attachment of other barriers are similar to those described above, and are not described again.

FIG. 12 shows caisson 570 and caisson 670 as exploded views, which are now described with reference to FIG. 11 as manufactured for cast rod-supporting structure 500, respectively.

The rod-supporting structure 500 is an injection-molded part with a suitable material. It has a flat plate 571 with its edges cut out, for example, a square or rectangular shape of 1.5 m in length, with 16 hollow cylindrical pillars 575 protruding and arranged in a regular shape on a square grid, In addition, two tubes 581 with a small cross section are in the central section of the plate and four corners of the four triangular pillar 580 plates. Plate 571 is continuous in the base area of pillars 575 and 580 but penetrates in the base area of tube 581. In addition, in the case of the caisson of the first barrier 6, the plate 571 is slit to allow it to pass through the raised edge 43 and the weld support 42 of the plate strike of the secondary sealing barrier. The pillar 580 helps to accommodate the bearing force of the coupling member used at each corner of the non-conductive member. The cross section of the pillar 575 is, for example, 300 mm in a 1.5 m square plate. In the thermal insulation liner, the rod-supporting structure 500 may be covered with a low density foam layer, which is fed between and into the pillars 575.

The cross section of the pillar can be reasonably large, and the important thing is that a certain pillar per caisson must always be prepared. Thus, the dimensions of the pillars may be 1/3 or 1/2 of the corresponding dimensions of the caisson in cross section.

To form the caisson 570, an independent panel 572 is secured to the end of the pillar opposite the plate with the same dimensions as the plate 571. Such panels can be secured in any way (adhesive bonding, stapling, flush fittings, etc.). In FIG. 12, circular grooves 573 on the inner surface of panel 572 were prepared to tightly receive each pillar 575 end.

The materials of panel 572 and structure 500 may be selected to provide heat-shrinkage of pillars 575 in the panel. For example, the part 500 is made of PVC and the panel 572 is made of plywood with low heat shrinkage, and the pillars 575 to hold a circular core bounded by grooves 573 when the tank is cooled. The end of is manufactured. Conversely, the pillars 575 can be grasped with a panel 572 that shrinks more than the component 500.

Panel 572 has a hole 574 opposite the tube 581 of the cast structure 500.

In the case of caisson 670, two identical cast structures 500 are arranged symmetrically and assembled together, with each pillar 575 pressed against each other. Such assemblies can be manufactured by any method (adhesive bonds, stapling, flush fittings, etc.). In FIG. 12, this is for the connection ring 680, which in each case lies between two aligned pillars 575 and is flush fitted. This assembly is shown better in FIG. 13, where the link ring 680 can be seen having an outer ring 682 and an inner ring 681 connected by radial tongues 683. have. Pillar 575 is flush fitted between two rings 681 and 682 and presses each side of tongue 683. The material of the ring 680 is chosen to have a lower conductivity than the pillars 575 to satisfy the thermal insulation function. Alternatively or in combination, it may be chosen to have a different coefficient of expansion than pillar 575 to satisfy the thermal assembly function. In another embodiment, two cast structures having pillars with a corrected cross section may be directly nested with the pillars and secured together.

Foam-filled parts (500). The plate 571 can be used alone without conservative panels by rotating the plate 571 inwardly to support the adjacent sealing barrier. The non-conductive member thus formed can be placed on the secondary sealing barrier via the pillar 575 or on a resin strip secured to the hull.

14 and 15 show a cast rod-supporting structure 600, 700, which makes it possible to manufacture a non-conductive member in a similar manner as the structure 500 described above.

In Fig. 14, the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 11 are described. The structure 600 includes a flat peripheral wall 601 that extends continuously along the four edges of the plate 571 and forms a box that may include insulation in the form of powder, beads, or the like. do. For example, the structure 600 including the airgel beads can be combined with the structure 600 including the low-density foam to form the caisson 670 shown in FIG. 12.

In FIG. 15, flat plate 771 comprises 36 hollow tubular pillars 775 having a smaller cross section (eg 100 mm) than the pillars 575 described above, smaller cross sections (eg 50-60 mm) in the corner region. Four hollow tubular pillars 780, which are located in the central region of the plate 771 so that the coupling member is attached to allow the thermal barrier to pass therethrough, and receive two tubular pillars 781 similar to the pillars 780.

The structures 500, 600, 700 may be injection molded. Similar structures can also be obtained from plastic plates. This is shown in FIG. 11A. In this case, the first flat plate 571 is heated and deformed to fit in the arm casting 560. This results in a rod-supporting pillar 575 with the plate-side end open and the opposite end closed by the wall 583. In this case, the space 582 located inside the pillar 575 is to be filled with foam, for example, from the side of the plate 571 opposite this pillar.

The wall 601 may be obtained by thermoforming.

FIG. 24 shows, in perspective view, a thermoformed rod-supporting structure 1300 that includes a plate 1372 that can act as a base panel or cover panel for a caisson, and the rod support pillar 1375 is illustrated in FIG. 575 may be obtained in a similar manner. In the example shown, the pillars 1375 have a conical ladder shape to facilitate their formation. For example, the pillars may be prepared to be 160 mm bottom, 120 mm top and about 100 mm high.

To act as the base panel of the caisson of the primary insulation barrier, the plate 1372 may be provided with two longitudinal ribs 1344 extending over the entire length of the plate 1372. Each rib 1384 can be formed by a thermoforming operation that puts material in the same direction as the pillars 1375, forming a V-shaped fold open to the flat surface of the plate 1372, and the interior space thereof. 1385 allows the weld support 42 and the raised edge 43 of the secondary sealing barrier to pass through. In the case of a secondary thermal barrier, ribs 1348 are unnecessary.

There has already been a disclosure of rod-supporting structures comprising plates which act as cover panels or base panels. Hereinafter, another embodiment of the non-conductive member 870 is described with reference to FIG. 16, where the cast rod-supporting structure 800 is a small cross-section rod-supporting member 875 connected by an arm 890. ). 17 is a plan view of this rod-supporting structure. The rod-supporting member 875 is a hollow cylindrical pillar connected to an arm 890 arranged in a grid and arranged in a grid-like grid form. Cover panel 872 and base panel 871 may be made of, for example, plywood, plastic, composite material, or other material, with two sides adhesively bonded opposite the rod-supporting structure 800. Arm 890 is positioned adjacent the panel 872 at the end of the rod-supporting member 875 and has a flat top surface, which may aid in adhesive bonding of the panel 872.

25 shows the non-conductive member 870 in an exploded view, which is slightly modified in terms of the arrangement of the connecting arms 890.

Another arm may be provided in the lower end region of the pillar 875. The arm may be located in another area of the rod-supporting pillar (eg, half raised point).

The interior space of the caisson 870, ie the interior space 880 of the pillar 875 and the space 876 between the pillars, is filled with one or more types of insulation. When low-density foam is used, the structure 800 is placed in a casting that is planar rectangular in shape, the foam is injected into the casting so that the structure 800 is located deep within the foam of the parallelepiped block, and then the panel in this block. By fixing 872 and 871, it can be supported by a caisson. The base panel 871 is not always necessary. One of the panels has structure 800 and can be cast into a single part.

While hollow support pillars with circular cross sections of rod-supporting structures 500, 600, 700, 800 are disclosed, rod-support pillars may have other shapes in cross section and in regular or irregular partial distribution. have. For example, FIG. 18 shows a rod-supported pillar 975 made up of multiple concentric walls 976. In the pillar 1075 of FIG. 19, the cylindrical wall 1076 has a square cross section. The pillars may also have different cross sections for different heights, for example conical ladder pillars.

20 shows pillars 1175 that are distributed in a regular shape, have a hollow rectangular cross section, and are chamfered. In FIG. 21, for example, a hollow cylindrical pillar 1275 is distributed in a staggered arrangement. Other cross-sections are possible, ie rectangular, polygonal, I-shaped, hollow or hollow, bilateral.

In all cases, these pillars can be cast to be linked by the arm and / or by means of connecting means formed as a single part with them and / or to protrude from the plate. Using low-density grooves as the insulating liner layer, it is preferable to pour this foam in one step between the rod-supporting pillars and preferably into the entire surface of the connecting plate. As another possibility, it is also possible to machine the hole in the formed foam block and insert the rod-supporting member into the hole formed for this purpose.

In the case of particulate thermal insulation, it is necessary to use a non-conductive member with a peripheral wall formed of a single part, preferably with a rod-supporting structure, as in FIG. 14. Due to the small cross-sectional shape of the rod-supporting member, the inner space of the box therebetween is not partitioned and therefore it is easy for the particulate matter to be distributed over the entire surface area of the non-conductive member. In addition, the particulate material may be inserted inside the hollow pillar.

Rod-supporting pillars of very small cross-section, for example smaller than 40 mm, can be left empty without damage by the insulation. In addition, the hollow pillars of small cross-section can be filled with soft-PE foam cones or glass wool.

With reference to FIGS. 22 and 23, an embodiment of a non-conductive member comprising a single block hollow caisson 1470 manufactured by rotary casting or extrusion blow-casting is disclosed. This caisson has the form of a closed hollow envelope 1477, which comprises eight conical ladder pillars 1475 formed to protrude from the base wall 1471 of the envelope, each of which has an upper wall of the envelope to be compressed. An upper wall 1483 capable of pressing 1472.

To fix the caisson six conical ladder shafts 1480 are provided, arranged around the envelope and open through the top wall 1472. These shafts each have a base wall capable of pressing the base wall 1471 to receive compressive forces, and for example a coupling device welded to the hull or fixed to a bottom barrier below, as shown schematically at 1431. Or through a fixed rod, such as a pin welded to the hull.

The inner space 1476 of the caisson and the inner space 1462 of the pillar 1475 may be filled with a suitable insulator, for example by spraying foam.

Similarly, shaft 1480 may be filled with PE foam or glass wool, for example after the caisson is secured.

For example, PE, polycarbonate, PBT, or the like may be used to cast the caisson 1470. The shaft 1480 is another method of attaching a caisson, such as, for example, a coupling member that passes between the caissons to be attached and presses the top wall 1472 in the same manner as the retaining member 48 of FIGS. 2 and 3. If so, it can be used without this. The base panel and cover panel can also be fixed to the wall of the envelope to reinforce.

In the rod-supporting structures 500, 600, 700, 800, 1300 and 1470 described above, the pillars may be replaced by partitions that form compartments within the rod-supporting structure.

Even in a technique given as a generally parallelepiped, which is a non-conductive member at right angles, other shapes of cross sections are possible, and any polygonal shape is possible that can create individual flat planes.

Of course, the thermal insulation liner of the non-conductive member may comprise multiple layers of material.

If either the primary insulation barrier or the secondary insulation barrier is made for the non-conductive member described above, it is possible that it is not necessary but other insulation barriers are produced in the same way. Two different types of non-conductive members can be used for the two barriers. One of the barriers may be a non-conductive member of the prior art.

The caissons of the secondary insulation barrier and the primary insulation barrier may be attached to the hull in a manner different from the embodiment described by way of example, for example a retaining member fastened on the base panel of the caisson.

In a known manner, the edge connection of the first barrier and the second barrier in the region where the rod-supporting structure meets at an angle may be in the form of a linkage, the structure of the linkage of the wall of the rod-supported structure. It may remain largely constant along the entire ridge across. Structures of such linking rings are well known and are not described in detail herein. In the case of tanks associated with ships, this type of loop is usually arranged along the angle formed between the longitudinal wall of the ship's double hull and the partition across the ship.

In the concept of the invention, the "tank wall" comprises a corner connecting area, in particular a connecting ring, which is independent of its shape, and the aforementioned non-conductive member can be used.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a number of distinctive embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to this manner, but includes a technically equivalent manner to the described manner, and combinations of the ideas within the scope of the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention. It is obvious that it is included in.

It is proposed a tank that develops one or more of the following features without other drawbacks: tank price, wall's ability to resist wall insulation and compression. Another feature of the present invention is that the non-conductive member is easy to manufacture and does not impair the ability to resist the thermal insulation and compression of the wall, and if at all possible to increase this ability.

Claims (19)

A sealed insulated tank comprising at least one tank wall fixed to the hull 1 of the floating structure, The tank wall, in order in the thickness direction from the inside of the tank to the outside, sequentially opens the primary sealing barrier 8, the primary insulating barrier 6, the secondary sealing barrier 5 and the secondary insulating barrier 2. Equipped, At least one of the insulating barriers includes juxtaposed non-conductive members 3, 7, each of which comprises a thermal insulation liner 76, 276, 376a-b, 476 and a rod- Support members 75, 175, 192, 193, 275, 375, 475, 575, 775, 875, 975, 1075, 1175, 1275, 1375, 1475, and The insulation liner is arranged in the form of a layer parallel to the tank wall, and the rod-supporting members are raised through the thickness of the insulation liner to absorb the compressive force, In a sealed insulated tank, The rod-supporting members of the non-conductive member are one or more rod-supporting structures 70, 170a, 170b, 270, 370, 470, 500, 600, 700, 800, 1300, 1477 formed of a single piece. Manufactured in the form of At least one single part rod-supporting structure comprises linking means 71, 72, 171, 172, 272, 371, 372, 472, 571, 771, 890, 1371, 1471, The connecting means rigidly link the rod-supporting members together and at least one height portion of the rod-supporting members, and the non-conductive member 70, 170a-b, 270, 370. Wherein said at least one rod-supporting structure of 470 has the form of a hollow profile section having a longitudinally constant cross section, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 1, The connecting means of the rod-supporting structure comprises panels 71, 72, 171, 172, 272, 371, 372, 472, 571, 771, 1371, 1471, the panel having one side of the non-conductive member. extending parallel to the tank wall on a side, the rod-supporting members protruding from an inner surface of the panel, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 1, The rod-supporting members of the rod-supporting structure are spaced apart from each other to form one or more cells 73, 173 whose cross sections are mutually constant, which can accommodate the thermal insulation liners 76, 276, 376a-b, 476. Characterized in that it comprises two or more longitudinal partitions 75, 175, 192, 193, 275, 375, 475, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 3, wherein Said longitudinal partitions comprise one or more partitions 75, 175 substantially perpendicular to said tank wall, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 3, wherein The longitudinal partitions comprising one or more partitions 192, 193 inclined with respect to the tank wall, Sealed insulated tank. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein said longitudinal partitions comprise two or more partitions 192, 193 having slopes in opposite directions from each other, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 3, wherein The connecting means of the rod-supporting structure comprises one or more connecting walls 71, 72, 171, 172, 472 connecting the longitudinal partitions 75, 175, 475 over their entire length, and Characterized in that the longitudinal partitions have thickenings 68, 168, 468 in the region of the area which is connected with the at least one connecting wall. Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 3, wherein The non-conductive member 70, 170a-b includes a base panel and a cover panel, and at least one of the longitudinal partitions outermost in the lateral direction of the non-conductive member is open transverse. Spaced from a lateral side corresponding to at least one of the base panel and cover panel to delimit end cells 74, 174 having an open lateral side, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 2, The non-conductive member 570 comprises a second panel 572, which is formed independently of the rod-supporting structure 500 and the first panel 571 forming the connecting means. Is fixed to an end of the rod-supporting structure 575 opposite to Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 9, The inner surface of the second panel has recesses 573 arranged in a manner to interact with the rod-supporting members 575 by flush-fitting, Sealed insulated tank. 11. The method of claim 10, The second panel 572 is configured to hold the rod-support members 575 such that a grip is generated between the second panel and the rod-support members flush fitted within the second panel when the tank is cooled. Characterized in that it has a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 2, The non-conductive member 670 has two rod-supporting structures 500, the rod-supporting structures having the inner surfaces on which respective panels of the rod-supporting structures are rotated towards each other. Arranged in such a way that the rod-supporting members 75 protrude from the inner surfaces, which in each case are positioned opposite the panels to form a rod-supporting member of the non-conductive member. Characterized in that they are assembled in pairs in the region of the ends of the rod support structures, Sealed insulated tank. 13. The method of claim 12, Insulating component 680 having a thermal conductivity less than that of the rod-supporting members is in each case interposed between two assembled rod-supporting members, Sealed insulated tank. 13. The method of claim 12, The rod-supporting members of the two rod-supporting structures are each assembled in pairs by a connecting part 680, which is connected between the connecting part and the rod-supporting members 575 when the tank is cooled. Characterized in that it has a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of the rod-supporting members so that gripping occurs; Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 1, One or more rod-supporting structures 70, 170a-b, 270, 370, 470, 500, 600, 700, 800, 1300, 1477 of the non-conductive member may be cast, extrusion, pultrusion, thermal Characterized in that it is produced by a molding process selected from the group comprising molding, blow-molding, injection molding and rotational molding processes, Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 1, One or more insulating barriers 2, 6 made up of the non-conductive members 70, 170a-b, 870 are in each case covered by one of the sealed barriers 5, 8, and the sealed One of the barriers is formed from thin metal plate strakes 40 with a low coefficient of expansion, the edges of the metal plate strikes being raised towards the outside of the non-conductive members, The non-conductive members have cover panels 72, 172, 872 with parallel grooves 78, 178 spaced apart by the width of the plate strike, Welding supports 42 are slidably held in the plate strike, each weld support having a continuous wing protruding from an outer face of the cover panel and the two sides of the weld support. The raised edges 43 of two adjacent plate strikes on the weld are characterized in that they are welded in a leak-free manner, Sealed insulated tank. 17. The method of claim 16, Secondary retaining members 82-84 integrated with the ship's load-supporting structure secure the non-conductive member forming the secondary insulating barrier 2 with respect to the rod-supporting structure 1, Primary retaining members 48 connected to the welding supports 42 of the secondary sealing barrier 5 maintain the primary insulating barrier with respect to the secondary sealing barrier, and the welding supporting portions of the secondary insulating barrier. Characterized in that the secondary sealing barrier is maintained against cover panels of non-conductive members, Sealed insulated tank. A sealed insulating tank according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that Floating structures. The method of claim 18, Characterized in that the floating structure is made of a methane carrier, Floating structures.

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