KR102437681B1 - sealed and insulated tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is arranged parallel to the edge 100, each tank wall comprising a planar flange characterized by an insulating barrier disposed between the hermetic membrane and the supporting wall, receptacles 12, 30 extending a distance from the edge. a tank wall comprising metal corner beams (10, 30) being the second portion of the insulating barrier further away from the edge comprises at least one row of the second insulating barrier 22 and the ends of the strakes 32 of the hermetic membranes 4 and 104 are A sealed and insulated tank characterized in that it is welded to the distal portion of the receptacle (30) extending over the second portion of the insulating barrier.

Description

sealed and insulated tanks

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and insulated membrane tanks for the storage and/or transport of fluids such as liquefied gases. Sealed and insulated membrane tanks are used in particular for the storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at atmospheric pressure of about -163 °C. These tanks can be installed on land or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tank can transport liquefied natural gas or accommodate liquefied natural gas used as fuel for the propulsion of floating structures.

Document WO-A-89/09909 discloses a sealed and insulated tank for storing liquefied natural gas arranged on a supporting structure, the walls of which are multi-layered, ie of a tank from outside to inside, secondary fixed to the supporting structure. insulating barrier, secondary hermetic membrane supported by secondary insulating barrier, primary insulating barrier supported by secondary sealing membrane, primary supported by primary insulating barrier and intended to be in contact with liquefied natural gas stored in a tank It has a hermetic membrane. The primary insulating barrier comprises an assembly of rigid plates held by a weld support of a secondary hermetic membrane.

In one embodiment, the primary hermetic membrane is formed by an assembly of rectangular plates comprising two vertically corrugated plates, the plates being superimposed and welded together and secured with a rebate along the edges of the plates of the primary hermetic barrier. To the strip, it is welded by its edges.

WO-A-2019077253 discloses that a spacer and structural insulation foam extending between a cover plate and a bottom plate in the longitudinal direction so that the bottom plate and the cover plate of the insulation module maintain a predetermined distance from each other are inserted between the cover panel and the bottom panel to disclose a sealed and insulated tank wall comprising a second section in which the cover panel of the insulating module is maintained at a distance from the bottom panel by a structurally insulating foam.

WO-A-2019077253 shows that the shrinkage behavior within the thickness is determined by at least one parameter selected from the coefficient of thermal contraction and the modulus of elasticity within the thickness. Therefore, properties such as coefficient of heat shrinkage and modulus of elasticity within the thickness are not the same for various insulating modules that are prone to create thickness differences at low temperatures, which is reflected in the height difference between successive insulating modules, which is flat on the supporting surface of the sealed membrane. also causes defects. In order to limit this defect, WO-A-2019077253 provides a transition zone interposed between the first zone and the second zone, wherein the tank wall of the transition zone has at least one selected from a coefficient of thermal contraction and a modulus of elasticity in the thickness direction of the tank wall. The insulation module is configured to have the parameters of . The value of the parameter is between a value corresponding to the first region and a value corresponding to the second region.

One idea behind certain aspects of the present invention consists in limiting the fragility of the hermetic membrane to height differences between successive insulating modules.

Another idea behind certain aspects of the present invention consists in providing a tank wall that combines the advantages of a secondary membrane formed of parallel strakes, the robustness of which has been demonstrated by experience, and a corrugated primary membrane may be For example, when a vessel is at sea, it can have very high mechanical resistance to loads due to heat shrinkage, movement of cargo and/or deformation of the beam.

Another idea behind certain aspects of the invention consists in providing a corner structure for this kind of tank wall which is relatively easy to manufacture.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed and insulated tank integrated into a supporting structure, wherein the tank connects a first tank wall fixed to the first supporting wall and the first supporting wall at edge level of the supporting structure. a second tank wall fixed to a second support wall;

each of the first and second tank walls comprises at least one hermetic membrane and one insulating barrier disposed between the hermetic membrane and the support wall;

The hermetic membrane comprises a plurality of strakes made of an alloy with a low coefficient of expansion, the strakes comprising a planar central portion lying on the upper surface of the insulating barrier and two raised edges projecting toward the interior of the tank with respect to the central portion, the strakes comprising: juxtaposed and welded together in a hermetic manner at the level of the raised edge,

The tank wall comprises metal corner beams disposed parallel to the edge and secured to first and second supporting walls, the corner beams comprising a first planar flange parallel to the first supporting wall and a second parallel to the second supporting wall. a flat flange, wherein the two flat flanges are rigidly connected to each other at the level of the sealed connection zone forming the corner of the hermetic membrane, each of the first and second flat flanges receiving a receiving extending a distance from the edge in the connection area including wealth,

A first portion of the thermal insulation barrier is located below the proximal portion of the receptacle of the flat flange and includes at least one row of first thermal insulation panels, each of the first thermal insulation panels comprising a cover plate, a bottom plate and between the bottom plate and the cover plate. It extends in the thickness direction of the tank wall and includes a spacer for maintaining the bottom plate and the cover plate to be spaced apart from each other by a certain distance,

A second portion of the thermal insulation barrier further away from the edge than the first portion of the thermal insulation barrier comprises at least one row of second thermal insulation panels, each of the second thermal insulation panels comprising a cover plate, a bottom plate and between the bottom plate and the cover plate. Including an insulating foam block inserted into the cover plate to keep a certain distance from the bottom plate by the insulating foam block,

The ends of the strakes of the hermetic membrane are welded to the distal portion of the receptacle of the flat flange that extends over the second portion of the insulating barrier.

This arrangement makes it possible to use second insulating panels based on structural insulating foams on a large part of the tank walls to take advantage of the better thermal insulation properties of these panels. Nevertheless, first insulating panels with spacers extending in the thickness direction can be used near the edges and in other areas of the tank wall where the compressive stress is higher, so as to obtain the advantage of better resistance to stress of these insulating panels.

Due to the properties of the corner beams, the receptacles of the flat flanges of the corner beams are thermally insulated so that the first insulating panel has a shrinkage behavior in the thickness, ie mainly determined by the shrinkage behavior in the thicknesses of the supporting spacers, cover plates and bottom plates. In the first part of the barrier, a second insulating panel extends to a second part of the insulating barrier, which has a shrinkage behavior determined by the shrinkage behavior in the thickness, ie mainly in the thickness of the insulating foam. The receptacle of the flat flange of the corner beam thus spans the interface between the first and second parts of the insulating barrier and the height difference that occurs at low temperatures. Thus, a raised-edged strike can be kept a certain distance from this interface so that it rests on a support surface that is not affected by this possible height difference.

The distal portion of the flat flange preferably extends over the second portion of the insulating barrier over a distance of greater than 100 mm, or even greater than 200 mm, in a direction perpendicular to the edge. Thus any height difference between the first and second portions of the thermal barrier can be compensated for in a manner that prevents excessively strong shear over a sufficient length of the planar flange. According to another advantageous embodiment, a tank of this kind may have one or more of the following features.

The secondary beam may be secured to the support structure in a variety of ways. According to an embodiment, each of the first and second planar flanges further has a fixing portion extending towards the support structure with respect to the connection region, wherein each fixing portion of the first and second flat flanges has a second support respectively connected to the wall and the first supporting wall.

The fixing part of the flat flange and the supporting wall can be interconnected in various ways, for example by means of nuts and bolts, welding or the like. According to one embodiment, each of the first support wall and the second support wall supports a fixed flat disposed spaced apart from the edge by a predetermined distance substantially equal to the thickness of the secondary thermal insulation barrier, the first flat flange and the second flat surface Each anchorage of the flange is welded to the surface of the anchoring flat, preferably the anchoring flat remote from the edge.

According to one embodiment, the insulating material stiffener element is fixed to the corner beam between the fastenings of the first and second planar flanges, the stiffener element being arranged perpendicular to the edge so that the angle of the two supporting walls, including the spacing plate, and The same includes a spacing plate for maintaining the angle between the fixing portion of the first and second planar flanges.

According to one embodiment, the stiffener element further comprises two insulating material support plates each fixed against a plane facing the edges of the fixing portions of the first and second planar flanges parallel to the spacing plate arranged between the two support plates. include

Corner beams can be manufactured in a variety of ways by welding more or fewer metal parts together. According to one embodiment, the corner beam comprises a base cross having a first planar lug parallel to the first support wall and a second planar lug parallel to the second support wall, wherein the closed connection section comprises the first planar lug and formed between the second support walls, the corner beams further comprising a flat metal strip hermetically welded to each of the first and second planar lugs, extending parallel to the first and second support walls to receive the planar flanges Each of them creates wealth.

A structure of this kind can be used for a tank wall comprising a single hermetic membrane and a single insulating barrier or a tank wall comprising a plurality of hermetic membranes and/or a plurality of insulating barriers within its thickness. According to a corresponding embodiment, the hermetic membrane is a secondary hermetic membrane and the insulating barrier is a secondary insulating barrier disposed between the secondary hermetic membrane and the support wall, each of the first and second tank walls being a product contained within the tank. and a primary hermetic membrane adapted to be in contact with the primary hermetic barrier and a primary insulating barrier disposed between the primary hermetic membrane and the secondary hermetic membrane.

The secondary insulating barrier can be manufactured in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, the secondary insulating barrier comprises a plurality of parallelepiped secondary insulating panels juxtaposed.

According to one embodiment, the primary hermetic membrane comprises a first corrugation parallel to the first corrugation, a second corrugation perpendicular to the first corrugation and a planar portion located between the first and second corrugations and lying on the upper surface of the primary insulating barrier. A metal plate comprising:

a tank wall comprising a row of primary corner pieces disposed parallel to the edge, each primary corner piece comprising a metal angle iron welded to the edge portion of the primary sealing membrane of the first and second tank walls and a metal a rigid insulating piece disposed between the angle iron and the corner beam;

a primary corner piece resting on the inner surfaces of the first and second planar flanges of the corner beam;

The corner retaining members hold the primary corner pieces to the first and second support walls or to the secondary insulating barriers of the first and second tank walls, and the corner retaining members pass in a hermetic manner through the receptacles of the flat flanges of the corner beams. configured to do

The corner retaining member may be configured to retain the primary corner piece on the secondary insulating barrier and/or the support wall of each of the two tank walls. The corner piece can thus advantageously be retained on the corner beam without creating a metallic connection between the two hermetic membranes, which, in contrast to architectures that use all-metal, e.g. invar®, double connecting rings, It restricts the flow and makes it possible to make the two hermetic membranes independently.

According to one embodiment, the one or each corner retaining member comprises a stirrup secured under a cover plate of the first thermal insulation panel, the stirrup extending perpendicular to the center plate and a center plate parallel to the cover plate; and two fastening lugs secured to the two spacers of the first thermal insulation panel, and for example a metal rod that is bolted or welded to the central plate and passed through the cover plate of the first thermal insulation panel.

According to one embodiment, the corner retaining member is held by a base and a base fixed to the supporting wall or each supporting wall along the primary corner piece and having a thickness of the secondary insulating barrier and the receiving portion of the planar flange or each of the planar flanges. and a coupler extending therethrough to cooperate with the rigid insulating piece.

This kind of coupler may or may not cooperate with the secondary insulation panel. According to one embodiment, the coupler is supported by a secondary coupler and a secondary coupler cooperating with the first insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier to hold the first insulating panel on the support wall and cooperating with the rigid insulating piece to provide rigid insulation. and a primary coupler holding the piece.

The primary insulating barrier can be manufactured in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, the primary insulating barrier comprises a plurality of parallelepiped primary insulating panels juxtaposed.

According to one embodiment, the primary insulating panel adjacent the primary corner piece comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate and a structurally insulating foam inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, such that the cover plate is separated from the bottom plate by the structurally insulating foam. keep a certain distance. It is also possible to benefit from the better thermal insulation properties of these panels by using primary insulation panels based on structural insulation foams in large portions of the tank walls.

According to one embodiment, the second portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier comprises a first row of second thermal insulation panels, the first row adjacent the first portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier,

the primary thermal insulation barrier comprises a first row of primary thermal insulation panels adjacent the column of primary corner pieces;

The first row of second insulating panels supports rows of primary retaining members for holding the first row of primary insulating panels of the secondary insulating barriers of the first and second tank walls.

According to one embodiment, the receptacles of the flat flanges extend over the first row of second insulating panels beyond the row of primary retaining members in a direction perpendicular to the edge, allowing the primary retaining members to pass therethrough in a hermetic manner.

This arrangement is advantageous in that it makes it possible to localize the opening so that the primary retaining member passes through a flat flange rather than a strike with a raised edge. The flat flange is now preferably made of a plate having a greater thickness than the raised edge strake.

According to an alternative embodiment, the rows of primary retaining members are arranged in the first row of second insulating panels beyond the receptacles of the planar flanges in a direction perpendicular to the edge, wherein the primary retaining members are the strikes of the secondary sealing membrane. through the closed way.

According to one embodiment, the second thermal insulation panel or each second thermal insulation panel comprises a relaxation slot extending perpendicular to the edge and extending within the thickness of the second thermal insulation panel through the cover plate and the upper portion of the thermal insulation foam block, , the primary retaining member is supported by the second thermal insulation panel between the relaxed slot and the edge-facing end of the second thermal insulation panel, preferably approximately halfway between the relaxed slot and the end of the second thermal insulation panel.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first row of second insulating panels supports the row of primary retaining members at positions located approximately half the dimension of the second insulating panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge.

Thanks to this arrangement with a second insulation panel with or without a release slot but less wide, the thermal shrinkage of the second insulation panel in the direction perpendicular to the edge is relatively balanced in either direction of the row of primary retaining members. can be definitely affected. This may prevent heat shrinkage of the second insulating panel from creating on the primary retaining member a traction force that tends to shear the secondary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the first row of second thermal insulation panels comprises a thermal insulation foam having a first density and the second portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier is a second row further from the edge than the first row of second thermal insulation panels. wherein the second row of second thermally insulated panels includes insulating foam having a second density less than the first density.

Due to these characteristics, since the coefficient of heat shrinkage and the modulus of elasticity vary according to the density of the insulating foam, a height difference may occur even between the two rows of the second heat insulating panel due to the effect of heat shrinkage. Therefore, by using a plurality of rows of second insulation panels with different densities, when a secondary insulation barrier is applied, the height difference due to heat shrinkage and hydrostatic compression under load is reduced at the interface between the first and second portions of the insulation barrier. Rather than localize, they can be staggered by successive small differences.

According to one embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the dimension of the primary corner pieces is greater than the dimension of the first portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier, so that the row of primary corner pieces spans the first row of second thermal insulation panels. let it be

According to an alternative embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the dimension of the primary corner piece is smaller than the dimension of the first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier so that the first row of primary thermal insulation panels is the first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier. to span over

Thanks to this arrangement, the interface between the first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the second part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier is connected by the element of the primary thermal insulation barrier, ie to the row of primary corner pieces or the first row of primary thermal insulation panels. spanned The effect of this spanning is to spread the height difference at low temperature between the two parts of the secondary insulating barrier, across the width of these elements of the primary insulating barrier. Thus, the flatness of the supporting surface of the primary membrane in this position is improved and the shear force applied to the membrane is reduced.

According to one embodiment, the rigid insulating portion of the primary corner piece comprises an insulating foam having a first density and the primary insulating panel comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate and an insulating foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover. , such that the cover plate is kept at a distance from the bottom plate by the insulating foam block, the insulating foam block having a second density less than the first density.

Thanks to these properties it is possible to obtain the advantage of better thermal insulation properties by using a second thermal insulation foam density over a large portion of the primary thermal insulation barrier. Nevertheless, the first insulating foam density can be used near the edge and also in other areas of the tank wall where the compressive stress is higher, taking advantage of improved resistance to stress.

According to a first embodiment, in a first row of primary thermal insulation panels adjacent to a row of primary corner pieces, the primary thermal insulation panels have a cover plate, a bottom plate and at least two different densities inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate. Including two insulating foam blocks to ensure that the cover plate is kept a certain distance from the bottom plate by the insulating foam blocks. The bottom plate and cover plate may be adhered to the insulating foam block.

The first of the two insulating foam blocks closer to the row of corner pieces preferably has a higher density than the second insulating foam block further away from the row of corner pieces. The first insulating foam block has, for example, the same density as the rigid insulating pieces of the primary angle pieces or the first row of the second insulating panels.

According to one embodiment, the rows of primary retaining members are arranged in a first row of second insulating panels along a first insulating foam block, ie a denser block.

The secondary hermetic membrane can be formed in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, in the at least one tank wall, the longitudinal direction of the strake is perpendicular to the edge, and the secondary sealing membrane has a flat edge forming the end of the strake of the secondary sealing membrane welded to the corner beam. further comprising a row of end strakes, wherein the end strakes have raised edges parallel to the longitudinal direction of the strakes that progressively decrease in size in the corner beam direction. Other details of membranes of this kind are described, for example, in WO-A-2012072906.

The primary hermetic membrane can be formed in a variety of ways. According to an embodiment, the first and second pleats may be continuous or discontinuous at the level of intersection between the first and second pleats.

According to one embodiment, a first pleat of the primary hermetic membrane extends perpendicular to the edge and the primary hermetic membrane includes a cap piece welded to the metal angle iron to close the first pleat. A cap piece is known, for example, from WO-A-2014167228.

According to one embodiment, a first corrugation of the primary hermetic membrane extends perpendicular to the edge, and the primary hermetic membrane is welded to a metal angle iron to form a first corrugation of the first tank wall and a first corrugation of the second tank wall. It includes a corrugated corner piece that connects to it. A corrugated corner piece is known, for example, from FR-A-2739675.

According to one embodiment, a bridging element is disposed over the first row of primary thermal insulation panels and the primary corner piece row to enhance the flatness of the upper surface of the primary thermal insulation barrier.

The secondary beam can be made with a longer or shorter length. According to an embodiment, the secondary beam comprises at least two beam segments juxtaposed with the gap along the edge and a connecting element arranged in the gap for assembling the two beam segments. It is thus possible to manufacture the secondary beam from a plurality of continuous parts, each having a length of 1 to 3 m, which facilitates processing.

According to one embodiment, the product contained in the tank is a liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas.

Tanks of this kind form, for example, part of onshore storage facilities for storing LNG, or floating structures offshore or deep sea, in particular methane tankers, Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs), Floating Manufacturing Storage and Offloading ( FPSO) devices and the like.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for the transport of cryogenic fluids comprises a double hull and a tank as described above arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the double hull comprises an inner hull forming the supporting structure of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also relates to the above-mentioned vessel, an insulated pipe arranged to connect a tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage installation and from a floating or onshore storage installation to or from a tank of the vessel. A delivery system for a fluid comprising a pump for routing the fluid through an insulated pipe to a floating or onshore storage facility is provided.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a vessel of the above type, wherein the fluid is routed through insulated pipes to or from a tank of the vessel or from a floating or onshore storage facility or to a floating or onshore storage facility. A method of loading or unloading is provided.

This arrangement makes it possible to use second insulating panels based on structural insulating foams on a large part of the tank walls to take advantage of the better thermal insulation properties of these panels. Nevertheless, first insulating panels with spacers extending in the thickness direction can be used near the edges and in other areas of the tank wall where the compressive stress is higher, so as to obtain the advantage of better resistance to stress of these insulating panels.

Thanks to this arrangement with a second insulation panel with or without a release slot but less wide, the thermal shrinkage of the second insulation panel in the direction perpendicular to the edge is relatively balanced in either direction of the row of primary retaining members. can be definitely affected. This may prevent heat shrinkage of the second insulating panel from creating on the primary retaining member a traction force that tends to shear the secondary sealing membrane.

Thanks to this arrangement, the interface between the first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the second part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier is connected by the element of the primary thermal insulation barrier, ie to the row of primary corner pieces or the first row of primary thermal insulation panels. spanned The effect of this spanning is to spread the height difference at low temperature between the two parts of the secondary insulating barrier, across the width of these elements of the primary insulating barrier. Thus, the flatness of the supporting surface of the primary membrane in this position is improved and the shear force applied to the membrane is reduced.

Thanks to these properties it is possible to obtain the advantage of better thermal insulation properties by using a second thermal insulation foam density over a large portion of the primary thermal insulation barrier. Nevertheless, the first insulating foam density can be used near the edge and also in other areas of the tank wall where the compressive stress is higher, taking advantage of improved resistance to stress.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more apparent on the course of the following description of a plurality of specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a partial perspective view of a corner section of a sealed and insulated tank according to an embodiment in a first stage of manufacture;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 in a second manufacturing stage;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 in a third manufacturing stage;
4 is a cutaway perspective view on a larger scale showing details of an insulating panel that may be used in a corner area.
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another embodiment of a corner zone;
Fig. 6 is a view of the corner area in the third stage of manufacture, in cross section in a plane perpendicular to the edge;
7 is a perspective view of a stiffener element that may be used in a corner zone;
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the corner area at the final stage of manufacture with the cut part;
Fig. 9 is a view of a corner section at a final stage of manufacture, in a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the edge, according to another embodiment;
Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing a further embodiment of a corner zone;
11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a methane tanker tank and a terminal for loading/unloading the tank.
12 is a partial perspective view of a primary membrane and a primary insulating barrier according to an embodiment.
Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing another embodiment of a corner zone;
14 is a perspective view of an insulating panel that may be used in a corner area according to one embodiment.
Fig. 15 is a partial perspective view of a corner section of a tank in which the insulating panel of Fig. 14 is used;
Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 14 showing an insulating panel according to another embodiment;

The tank wall is attached to the wall of the supporting structure. By convention, "above" or "top" denotes a position closer to the interior of the tank, and "below" or "bottom" denotes a position closer to the support wall, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall with respect to the earth's gravitational field.

8 shows a multilayer structure of two walls 1 and 101 in the corner section of a closed and insulated tank for storage of a liquefied fluid such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Each wall (1, 101) of the tank is connected to the secondary insulating barriers (2, 102), the secondary insulating barriers (2, 102) which are continuously held on the supporting walls (3, 103) from the outside of the tank to the inside in the thickness direction. a secondary hermetic membrane (4, 104) overlying against the secondary hermetic membrane (4, 104), a secondary insulating barrier (5, 105) overlying against the second hermetic membrane (4, 104) and a primary adapted to contact the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank sealing membranes 6 , 106 .

The supporting structure may in particular be formed by the hull or double hull of the ship. The support structure comprises a plurality of support walls 3 , 103 defining the general shape of the tank, which is usually polyhedral. The two support walls 3 , 103 are joined at the level of the edge 100 to form a dihedral angle which can have various values. An angle of 90° is indicated here.

The structure of the corner area will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 . Given that the structure of the two tank walls 1 , 101 shown in the given embodiment is essentially symmetric with respect to the edge 100 , the tank wall 1 is essentially described. The elements of the tank wall 101 will have the same reference numbers as the elements of the tank wall 1 incremented by 100 and will not be described again.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the metal base cross 10 is positioned parallel to the edge 100 within the thickness of the secondary insulating barriers 2 , 102 . The base cross 10 comprises two planar pieces extending parallel to the supporting walls 3 , 103 respectively and intersecting in a hermetic manner. Each planar piece has a fixing flat (113, 13), preferably a fixing (11, 111) welded to the surface of the fixing flat away from the edge (100) and a support wall (103, 3) to which the fixing is fixed. It consists of protruding flat lugs (12, 112). These two flat pieces are assembled at right angles by welding connections. Each of the two planar pieces may be made in one piece or in the form of a plurality of plates welded together.

The insulating packing 15 is received along the edge 100 in the gap between the two fixing plates 13 , 113 behind the base cross 10 . In the first embodiment, this insulating packing 15 does not withstand high forces and may be made of other materials such as glass wool or insulating foam. In a second embodiment, where greater mechanical strength is required in this area, the insulating packing 15 comprises a plywood box filled with insulating material such as glass wool or rockwool, perlite or insulating foam.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a secondary insulating barrier 2 is shown. The secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 comprises a plurality of secondary thermal insulation panels fixed to the supporting wall 3 by a retaining device, not shown. The secondary insulation panels have a general parallelepiped shape and are arranged in rows parallel to the edge 100 . Beads of mastic, not shown, are disposed between the secondary insulating panel and the support wall 3 to compensate for the deviation of the support wall 3 from the planar reference surface. A film not shown, for example, kraft paper is inserted between the mastic bead and the supporting walls 3 and 103 to prevent the mastic bead from adhering to the supporting walls 3 and 103. have.

This kind of film is not indispensable. Conversely, mastic beads can be used to attach the secondary insulation panel to the support wall 3 .

The secondary insulation panel is manufactured to correspond to various structures. In the first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 , the first type of thermal insulation panel 21 is a bottom plate 41 , a cover plate 40 and a tank wall between the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 . A plurality of compartments 43 made in the form of a box comprising a support flange 42 extending in the thickness direction of ) is limited.

In a variant, the support flange 42 is replaced by a column of a small section compared to the entire section of the panel. General structures of this kind are described, for example, in WO-A-2012/127141 and WO-A-2017/103500.

In the embodiment better seen in FIG. 4 , the insulating panel 21 comprises a bearing web 42 extending parallel to the edge 100 . The support web 42 , the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 may be made of plywood or a composite material. They define a compartment 43 that is shown empty in FIG. 4 but is actually filled with insulating packing 44 . In a variant embodiment shown in FIGS. 14-16 and applicable to all figures, the bearing web 42 is oriented perpendicular to the edge 100 .

In the second part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 a thermal insulation panel 22 of a second type comprises a bottom plate 23 , a cover plate 24 and possibly an intermediate plate, not shown, made for example of plywood. include The insulating panel 22 also includes one or more layers of insulating polymer foam 25 sandwiched between the bottom plate 23 and the cover plate 24 (and intermediate plate, if applicable) attached to the latter. The insulating polymer foam 25 may in particular be a polyurethane-based foam optionally reinforced by fibers. A general structure of this kind is described, for example, in WO-A-2017/006044.

The secondary insulation panel has a different structure depending on its position in the tank wall (1). A first type of thermal insulation panel 21 is therefore used in the edge region of the tank wall 1 located near the edge 100 , and a secondary thermal insulation panel 22 of the second type is used further away from the edge 100 . do.

The secondary insulating barrier 2 in FIG. 2 thus comprises a row of insulating panels 21 of the first type arranged against the base cross 10 . The thermal insulation panel 21 forms a first part of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 in which the shrinkage behavior in thickness is controlled by means of spacers. The insulating panel 21 is disposed partially below the planar lugs 12 , which may be screwed to the cover plate 40 to reinforce them. The heat insulation panel 21 is fixed to the support wall 3 by holding members 29 disposed between the heat insulation panels 21 .

For example, as can be seen in FIG. 6 , the retaining member 29 is disposed on both sides of the retaining member 29 and two studs 26 received in the base 27 welded to the support wall 3 . It includes a plate (28) bolted to studs (26) for coupling to two insulating panels (21). In particular, the plate 28 holds the thin strip 45 formed at the edge of the bearing web 42 . Alternatively, the thin strip 45 is independent of the component mounted to the support web 42 , for example the bottom plate 41 .

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , a flat metal strip 30 is hermetically welded to the flat lugs 12 of the base cross 10 , and a distance from the edge in such a way as to cover the row of thermal insulation panels 21 . extends along the planar lugs 12 in the , spanning the first row of thermal insulation panels 22 . As can be seen relatively in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the spanning of the first row of insulating panels 22 may have larger or smaller dimensions. preferably greater than 100 mm.

The base cross 10 and the flat strips 30 , 130 together constitute a corner beam which completes the secondary sealing membrane 4 at the corner of the tank. As for the rest, the secondary hermetic membrane 44 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes with raised edges not shown and known per se. The strakes are fixed to the grooves 31 formed in the cover plate 24 of the insulating panel 22 and welded by raised edges on parallel weld supports, not shown. The strakes are made, for example, of Invar®. That is, it is an alloy of iron and nickel whose coefficient of expansion is generally between 1.2x10 ^-6 and 2x10 ^-6 K ^-1 . It is also possible to use alloys of iron and manganese with an expansion coefficient of the order of 7x10 ^-6 K ^-1 . The corner beams may be made of the same material. Other details of a continuous layer of metal strakes of this kind are described, for example, in WO-A-2012/072906.

FIG. 3 shows only one end of the strake of the secondary membrane 4 , which is a row of edge strakes 32 with flat edges 33 hermetically welded to a flat strip 30 and the raised strakes of the strakes. It is formed with a raised edge extending the edge and gradually decreasing in size in the direction of the flat edge 33 . The end strakes 32 are disposed on the thermal insulation panel 22 and do not protrude above the thermal insulation panel 21 . The difference in height between the two types of insulation panels is therefore not transmitted to the strakes with raised edges, but only to the flat strip 30 which is flat and more easily bendable.

It is preferred to use a plurality of continuous segments whose lengths match the handling conditions for manufacturing the corner beams along the edge 100 , for example 1 to 3 m per segment. 5 schematically shows two successive segments of a base cross 10 .

6 shows a stiffener 34 secured to the corner beams between the fastenings of the base cross 10 , for example bolted. The stiffener 34 includes a triangular spacing plate 35 that maintains an angle between the fixtures.

As can be seen in FIG. 7 , the stiffener 34 is manufactured as an element further comprising two support plates 36 , each secured to, for example bolted, fixed portions of the base cross 10 . can be The reinforcement 34 is made of, for example, plywood or other insulating material.

3, 5 and 6 show a tank wall which can be considered complete if only one hermetic membrane is used. The basic elements of the optional tank are described in more detail.

3 shows a primary retaining member mounted on the thermal insulation panels 21 and 22 to secure the primary thermal insulation barrier 5 . More precisely, the junction between the primary insulating barriers 5 , 105 is made by rows of primary corner pieces 37 disposed on the corner beams. The corner piece 37 comprises an insulating piece 38 in the form of an angle iron having two vertical flanges whose thickness is substantially equal to the thickness of the primary insulating barriers 5 , 105 . A metal angle iron 39 is secured to the top surface of the insulating piece 38 along the corners. The insulating piece 38 can be formed in various ways, for example as rigid plywood, as one or more blocks of a sandwich structure consisting of one or more layers of polymer foam and one or more rigid plates, for example plywood, or one or more boxes filled with insulating material. form can be re-manufactured.

The insulating piece 38 may be made of a single piece or a plurality of pieces. 8-10 illustrate an embodiment in which the primary corner piece 37 includes an angle iron 39 composed of two symmetrical parts and an insulating piece 38 . More precisely, each symmetrical part consists of a high-density polymer foam block 63 of high density, for example 150 to 300 kg/m ³ , in particular approximately 210 kg/m ³ , and two rigid plates 61 and 64 , for example Includes a sandwich structure made of plywood.

Threaded studs 46 are supported by thermal insulation panel 21 to secure primary corner pieces 37 . As can be seen in FIG. 4 , studs 46 may be screwed into inserts 47 mounted to insulating panel 21 under cover plate 40 . The insert 47 has an inverted U-shaped stirrup 48 with a flange secured to the web 42 and a threaded bush 49 secured to the center plate of the stirrup 48 and received in the hole 50 of the cover plate 40 . include

The threaded studs 46 are thus placed on the flat strip 30 and passed through the latter in a hermetic manner, which makes it possible to limit the number of holes in the strake with raised edges that are more fragile. Primary corner piece 37 may be secured by threaded studs 46 in a variety of ways, for example as described in WO-A-2018087466.

When it passes through the secondary membrane 4 , the threaded stud 46 may have a flange to which the perimeter is welded to the secondary membrane 4 to create a seal.

To limit thermal bridging caused by the primary retaining member, a threaded stud 46 is configured to secure the lower portion of the insulating piece 38 at a distance from the primary sealing membrane 6 . For example, as can be seen in FIG. 10 , the plate 60 secures the bottom plate 61 of the insulating piece 37 or a thin strip near its bottom panel.

In FIG. 3 , the threaded stud 52 passes through the edge strake 32 , while in FIG. 5 where the flat strip 30 is wider, it passes through the flat strip 30 . The configuration of FIG. 5 may further limit the number of holes in the strake with raised edges.

As can be seen in FIG. 8 , the primary insulating barrier 5 includes a plurality of primary insulating panels 54 having the general shape of a parallelepiped. The primary insulating panel 54 may have the same or different length and width as the lower insulating panel 22 .

The primary insulating panel 54 may be fabricated using a variety of structures known per se. The primary thermal insulation panel 54 may preferably have a multilayer structure similar to the thermal insulation panel 22 .

The primary thermal insulation panel 54 is thus held to the lower thermal insulation panel 22 with the aid of threaded studs 52 and 53, preferably located at the edge level of the primary thermal insulation panel 54, the lower thermal insulation panel ( 22) is arranged to coincide with the center of the

As can be better seen in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the length of the corner piece 37 is preferably different from the length of the insulating panel 21 in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100 . Thus in FIG. 10 , the corner piece 37 corresponding to the geometry of FIG. 8 is longer than the insulating panel 21 to span the first row of insulating panels 22 . Conversely, in FIG. 9 , the insulating panels 21 are longer than the corner pieces 37 such that the first row of primary insulating panels 54 spans the rows of insulating panels 21 .

Therefore, in both cases, the flatness of the primary insulating barrier 5 is better preserved even if a height difference occurs at a low temperature between the insulating panels 21 , 22 .

In order to improve the flatness of the upper surface of the primary thermal insulation barrier 5 which is to support the primary sealing membrane 6, a bridging element not shown, for example a first row of primary thermal insulation panels 54 and It can be added in the form of a flat plate positioned to span rows of corner pieces 37 . Details on how to manufacture a bridging element of this kind can be found in publication WO-A-2016046487.

8 also shows that the primary hermetic membrane 6 comprises a continuous layer of plates characterized by two mutually perpendicular series of corrugations. A first series of pleats 55 extends perpendicular to the edge 100 . A second series of pleats 56 extend parallel to edge 100 . The two series of pleats may be regularly spaced or periodically irregularly spaced.

In the illustrated embodiment the pleats 55 and 56 are continuous and form an intersection between two series of pleats. In another embodiment, the primary hermetic membrane 6 may also feature two mutually perpendicular series of pleats, with some pleats discontinuity at the level of intersection between the two series. For example, in this case the interference may be distributed alternately in the first series of pleats and the second series of pleats, in which the interference of one pleat is offset with respect to the interference of adjacent parallel pleats. . This offset may be equal to the spacing between two parallel pleats.

The primary hermetic membrane 6 may be formed of rectangular metal plates welded together, forming small overlapping regions along their edges using known techniques. The primary membrane 6 is secured to the primary insulating barrier 5 by any suitable means. The metal fastening strip 58 may be fixed to the cover plate of the primary thermal insulation panel 54 at the contour position of the rectangular plate. The edge of the rectangular plate can thus be fixed by welding along the fastening strip 58 . The fastening strips are fixed in the grooves of the cover plate by suitable means, for example screws or rivets. The securing strip 58 may be disposed at various locations on the primary insulating panel 54 .

For example, in FIG. 8 the securing strip 58 of the primary insulating panel 54 follows two lines that intersect vertically near the central region of the primary insulating panel 54 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 , the fastening strips 58 are disposed along the edge of the primary insulating panel 54 , all around the latter. The fastening strips 58 along two adjacent primary insulating panels 54 are connected directly by a flat part 69 of the primary membrane 6 . The planar portion 69 opposes the mutual separation movement of two adjacent primary insulating panels 54 in a more rigid manner than the corrugated portion of the primary membrane 6 .

Examples of dimensions

In one embodiment, the corner beams 10 , 30 are made of a metal plate, for example Invar®, the thickness of which is between 1 mm and 2 mm, including for example 1.5 mm.

The strakes of the secondary hermetic membrane 4 may have a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example 0.7 mm. Edge strake 32 may have a greater thickness, but may be less than 1.5 mm, for example 1 mm.

In one embodiment, the primary hermetic membrane 6 has a greater thickness than the secondary hermetic membrane 4 , for example between 1 and 1.5 mm, in particular 1.2 mm.

The thickness of the fastening flaps 13 , 113 is for example 5 to 12 mm, in particular approximately 8 mm.

The edge of the primary sealing membrane 6 is hermetically welded to the metal angle iron 39 . There are multiple solutions for sealing the pleats 55 , 155 perpendicular to the edge 100 . In the embodiment of FIG. 8 a corrugated corner piece 57 welded to a metal angle iron 39 connects the corrugation 55 to the corrugation 155 each time. A corrugated corner piece 57 is known, for example, from FR-A-2739675.

In an embodiment not shown, a cap portion is welded to a metal angle iron 39 to close the ends of the corrugations 55 , 155 . A cap piece is known, for example, from WO-A-2014167228.

The same reference numerals in the embodiment of FIG. 10 indicate the same or similar elements as those of FIG. 8 . In this case, the retaining member 29 is replaced by a retaining member 62 holding the primary corner piece 37 directly to the support wall 3 . To this end, the retaining element 62 comprises a secondary coupler in one or more parts, the base of which is connected to the support wall 3 by a base forming for example a ball joint, which itself is an insulating piece 38 . Alternatively, two insulating pieces 38 are fixed to support the primary coupler clamping to the secondary membrane 4 . Other details of the retaining member 62 can be found, for example, in FR-A-2798358.

9 and 10 also illustrate the various possibilities for the first row of insulating panels 22 . 9 , into the upper half of the insulation panel 22 , in such a way that the threaded studs 52 are equidistant from the edge of the insulation panel 22 and the release slot 65 in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100 . are cut In FIG. 10 , the insulating panels 22 in the first row are much shorter so that the threaded studs 52 are equidistant from both edges of the insulating panel 22 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 100 .

This arrangement enables a symmetrical effect of the heat shrink effect on the position of the thread stud 52 , thus avoiding undesirable tension on the secondary membrane 4 .

Also, the first row of thermal insulation panels 22 of FIGS. 9 and 10 may be made of higher density foam than the next row to create transition zones as described in WO-A-2019077253. A similar embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 13 , which is a diagram similar to FIG. 9 , wherein like reference numerals designate the same or similar elements as those of FIG. 9 . wherein the first row 122 of secondary thermal insulation panels of the second type has a density greater than the density of the next row of thermal insulation panels 22 (eg 130 kg/m ³ ), for example 170 to 210 kg/m ³ . It is made of foam with

13 also shows another embodiment of the first row of primary insulating panels. Here, the primary insulating panel 154 of the first row comprises two foam blocks 66 , 67 successively in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the edge 100 between the cover plate and the bottom plate. The two foams 66 and 67 have different densities. The foam block 66 is made of a foam having a density of the foam block 67 , for example greater than 130 kg/m ³ , for example between 170 and 210 kg/m ³ . In particular, the foam block 66 may be made of the same density as the polymer foam 63 or the foam of the first row 122 of the secondary insulating panel. The interface 68 between the two foam blocks 66 , 67 is preferably free, ie not glued. The interface 68 is perpendicular along the first row 122 of secondary insulating panels. This favors a gradual transition between tank wall sections with differences in stiffness of compression and/or shrinkage differentials.

The bottom plate and cover plate of the primary insulation panel 154 may be adhered to the foam blocks 66 and 67 .

Here also the threaded studs 52 are supported by the first row 122 of the secondary thermal insulation panel, for example at an equal distance from the two edges of the secondary thermal insulation panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge 100 . Threaded studs 52 secure the primary insulating panel 154 at the level of the densest foam block 66 . Alternatively, threaded studs 52 may secure primary insulating panel 154 at the level of foam block 67 .

Another embodiment of the corner section of the tank is described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 . This embodiment differs mainly in the structure of the secondary heat insulation panel 121 of the first type. Elements similar or identical to those in FIGS. 1 to 3 have the same reference numbers as those in the corresponding figures.

The secondary thermal insulation panel 121 is designed such that a threaded stud 46 adapted to secure the primary corner piece 37 is secured between two secondary thermal insulation panels 121 . For this purpose, the secondary insulating panels 121 are arranged in the form of rows parallel to the edges, which are partly located below the planar lugs 12 as before. The secondary thermal insulation panel 121 is fixed to the supporting wall 3 by the retaining member 29 disposed between the secondary thermal insulation panels 121 as before.

As can be better seen in FIG. 14 , the secondary insulation panel 121 has a parallelepiped shape and includes two side support webs 87 and a central support web 88 extending perpendicular to the edge 100 . do. The side bearing webs 87 and the central bearing webs 88, the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 may be made of plywood or a composite material. They define a compartment filled with an insulating packing 92 , such as, for example, glass wool. The cover plate 40 features a recess 91 for receiving the planar lugs 12 .

The window 85 is formed on top of the side support web 87 , preferably on the fastening member 29 , the insertion of the edge of the metal support plate 83 extending between two adjacent secondary thermal insulation panels 121 . makes it possible A block of insulation, not shown, is preferably accommodated between two adjacent secondary insulation panels 121 , between the fixing member 29 and the support plate 83 , in a way that reduces the space available for convection. This block of insulation allows the support plate 83 to be supported during tank assembly.

Thanks to the window 85 , the support plate 83 holds all the thickness of the side support web 87 at the upper edge of the window 85 , which makes the fastening reliably resistant to tearing. In a manner similar to the insert 47 , the support plate 83 enables the fastening of the two threaded studs 46 .

A window 86 in this embodiment is formed at the bottom of the side bearing web 87 to enable the securing of the retaining member 29 to the full thickness of the side bearing web 87 at the lower edge of the window 86 . . The absence of the thin strips 45 thus allows for a relative reduction in the spacing between the secondary insulating panels 121 .

Alternatively, window 85 and/or window 86 may be formed in a portion of the thickness of side bearing web 87 . The outlines of window 85 and window 86 may be different or the same as indicated. For example, window 85 may have two similar windows 86 provided with a notch provided in the edge of support plate 83 to receive the area of side support web 87 positioned between the two windows. Windows can be replaced.

In the embodiment of FIG. 15 , the secondary thermal insulation panel 221 has a parallelepiped shape similar to the secondary thermal insulation panel 121 . The same reference numerals designate elements that are similar or identical to those of the secondary thermal insulation panel 121 . In lieu of window 85 , side bearing web 87 , for example, extends parallel to the upper edge of side bearing web 87 and attaches and/or staples upper thin strip 93 to side bearing web 87 . ) is supported. The lower surface of the upper thin strip 93 enables the fixing of the support plate 83 in a manner similar to the window 85 .

In lieu of window 86 , side support web 87 supports lower thin strip 45 , for example lower thin strip 45 attached and/or stapled to side support web 87 as described above. to cooperate with the holding member 29 .

The secondary thermal insulation panel 121 or 221 thus permits the fastening of the threaded studs 46 to secure the primary corner piece 37 along the interface between the two secondary thermal insulation panels 121 or 221 .

Referring to FIG. 11 , a cross-section of a methane tanker 70 shows a closed and insulated tank 71 in the form of a typical prism mounted on the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the tank 71 is a primary hermetic barrier intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary hermetic barrier and a primary hermetic barrier disposed between the primary hermetic barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel and the secondary and two insulating barriers respectively disposed between the hermetic barrier and the secondary hermetic barrier and the double hull (72).

Loading/unloading pipes 73 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel in a manner known per se can be connected by suitable connectors to sea or port terminals for transporting LNG cargo to or from tank 71 . have.

11 shows an example of an offshore terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75 , a submersible pipe 76 and an onshore facility 77 . The loading and unloading station 75 is a stationary offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the mobile arm 74 . The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible tubing 79 that can be connected to a loading/unloading pipe 73 . A directional mobile arm 74 applies to all methane tanker loading gauges. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends into the tower 78 . The loading and unloading station 75 enables the loading and unloading of the methane tanker 70 from or to the onshore facility 77 . The latter comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 via a submersible pipe 76 . The submersible pipe 76 allows the delivery of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over large distances, for example 5 km, so that the methane tanker 70 is transported offshore during loading and unloading operations. Allows you to keep a distance from

A pump onboard the vessel 70 and/or a pump equipped with an onshore facility 77 and/or a pump equipped with a loading and unloading station 75 are used to generate the pressure required to deliver the liquefied gas.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a plurality of specific embodiments, it is in no way limited thereto and it is evident that all technical equivalents and combinations of the described means include combinations of the described means, provided that they fall within the scope of the invention.

The verbs "comprise" or "consist of" and conjugations do not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those recited in a claim.

Reference signs between parentheses in the claims should not be construed as limitations on the claims.

1: first tank wall 2: insulating barrier
3: first supporting wall 4: sealing membrane
10: metal corner beam

Claims (22)

A sealed and insulated tank integrated into a supporting structure, said tank connecting said first supporting wall at the level of a first tank wall ( 1 ) fixed to a first supporting wall ( 3 ) and an edge ( 100 ) of said supporting structure and a second tank wall 101 fixed to a second support wall 103,
each of the first tank wall and the second tank wall comprises at least one hermetic membrane (4, 104) and one insulating barrier (2, 102) disposed between the hermetic membrane and the support wall,
The hermetic membrane (4, 104) comprises a plurality of strakes made of an alloy having a low coefficient of expansion, the strakes projecting toward the interior of the tank with respect to a planar central portion lying on the upper surface of the insulating barrier and the central portion. two raised edges, wherein the strakes are juxtaposed and welded together in a hermetic manner at the level of the raised edges;
The tank wall comprises a metal corner beam (10, 30) arranged parallel to the edge (100) and fixed to the first and second support walls (3, 103), wherein the corner beam is the second support wall (3, 103). a first flat flange parallel to the first support wall and a second flat flange parallel to the second support wall, wherein the two flat flanges are rigidly connected to each other at the level of the hermetic connection zone forming a corner of the hermetic membrane. connected, each of said first and second flat flanges having a receiving portion (12, 30) extending a distance from said edge in said connecting region,
A first portion of the insulating barrier is located below the proximal portion of the receptacles 12 , 30 of the planar flanges and comprises at least one row of first insulating panels 21 , 121 , 221 , each of the The first heat insulation panels 21 , 121 , and 221 extend in the thickness direction of the tank wall between the cover plate 40 , the bottom plate 41 , and the bottom plate and the cover plate, and include the bottom plate and the cover. spacers (42, 87, 88) to keep the plates at a distance from each other;
A second portion of the thermal insulation barrier further away from the edge than the first portion of the thermal insulation barrier comprises at least one row of second thermal insulation panels (22, 122), each second thermal insulation panel comprising a cover plate ( 24), including a bottom plate 23 and an insulating foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, such that the cover plate is kept at a distance from the bottom plate by the insulating foam block,
and the end of the strake (32) of the hermetic membrane (4, 104) is welded to the distal portion of the receptacle (30) of the flat flange extending over the second portion of the insulating barrier. insulated tank. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second planar flanges comprises a fixing portion (11, 111) extending towards the support structure with respect to the connection region, the fixing portion of the first flat flange and Each of the fixing portions of the second flat flange is connected to the second supporting wall (103) and the first supporting wall (3), respectively. 3. A secondary hermetic barrier (2, 102) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hermetic membrane is a secondary hermetic membrane (4, 104), the insulating barrier being disposed between the secondary hermetic membrane and the supporting wall. ), wherein the first and second tank walls are each disposed between a primary sealing membrane (6, 106) adapted to come into contact with a product contained within the tank and between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane. A closed and insulated tank, further comprising a primary insulating barrier (5, 105). 4. The membrane according to claim 3, wherein the primary hermetic membrane (6, 106) comprises a first pleat (56, 156) parallel to the first pleat, a second pleat (55, 155) perpendicular to the first pleat and between the first pleats. and a metal plate positioned between the second corrugation and comprising a flat portion lying on the upper surface of the primary thermal insulation barrier,
The tank comprises a row of primary corner pieces (37) arranged parallel to the edge, each primary corner piece comprising said primary sealing membranes (6, 106) of said first and second tank walls. ) of a metal angle iron (39) welded to the edge portion and a rigid insulating piece (38) disposed between the metal angle iron (39) and the corner beams (10, 30);
the primary corner pieces rest on the inner surfaces of the first and second planar flanges of the corner beams;
Corner retaining members (46, 62) attach the primary corner piece (37) to the secondary insulating barriers (2, 102) of the first and second tank walls or the first and second support walls (3, 103). ), and the corner retaining members (46, 62) are configured to pass in a hermetic manner through the receptacle (30) of the flat flange of the corner beam. The corner retaining member (46) according to claim 4, wherein the corner retaining member (46) is fixed to or between the first thermal insulation panels (21, 121, 221) of the secondary thermal insulation barrier along the row of primary corner pieces (37). and a metal rod (46) projecting through the receptacle (30) of the flat flange of the corner beam and cooperating with the primary corner piece. 6. The corner retaining member according to claim 5, wherein the corner retaining member comprises stirrups (48) fixed below the cover plate of the first thermal insulation panel (21), the stirrups comprising a center plate parallel to the cover plate and perpendicular to the center plate. two fixing lugs extending to and secured to the two spacers 42 of the first insulation panel and metal rods 49, 46 fixed to the center plate and passing through the cover plate 40 of the first insulation panel ) containing, sealed and insulated tanks. 5. A corner retaining member (62) according to claim 4, wherein the corner retaining member (62) is held by a base fixed to a support wall along said primary corner piece and said base and is held by said secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) and said receiving portion of a flat flange. and a coupler extending through the thickness of (30) and cooperating with the rigid insulating piece (38). 8. The secondary coupler of claim 7, wherein the coupler (62) is supported by a secondary coupler and a secondary coupler that cooperates with the first insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier to hold the first insulating panel on the support wall; and a primary coupler for holding the rigid insulating piece (38) in cooperation with the rigid insulating piece (38). 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second portion of said secondary thermal insulation barrier comprises a first row of second thermal insulation panels (22, 122), said first row comprising said first portion of said secondary thermal insulation barrier and adjacent,
said primary insulating barrier (5) comprises a first row of primary insulating panels (54, 154) adjacent rows of primary corner pieces (37);
The first row of second thermal insulation panels (22, 122) is the first row of primary thermal insulation panels (54, 154) on the secondary thermal insulation barriers (2, 102) of the first and second tank walls. A closed and insulated tank that supports a row of primary retaining members (52) to retain the first row. 10. The receptacle (30) of claim 9, wherein the receiving portion (30) of the flat flange extends beyond the row of first retaining members (52) in a direction perpendicular to the edge and above the first row of the second thermal insulation panel (22). and allowing the primary holding member (52) to pass through the receptacle in a hermetic manner. 10. The first heat insulating panel (22, 122) according to claim 9, wherein said row of said primary retaining member (52) extends beyond said receiving portion (30) of said flat flange in a direction perpendicular to said edge. and wherein the primary retaining member passes through the streaks of the secondary hermetic membrane in a hermetic manner. 10. A foam according to claim 9, characterized in that the second insulating panel (22) extends parallel to the edge (100) and extends through the cover plate (24) and within the thickness of the second insulating panel (65) and the insulating foam. Characterized by the top of a block (25), the primary retaining member (52) is held by the second insulating panel between the release slot (65) and the end of the second insulating panel facing the edge (100). Supported, sealed and insulated tanks. 10. The primary retaining member (10) according to claim 9, wherein said first row of said second heat insulating panels (22, 122) is positioned at half the dimension of said second heat insulating panel in a direction perpendicular to said edge (100). 52), an airtight and insulated tank supporting the above rows. 10. The panel according to claim 9, wherein said first row of said second insulating panels (122) comprises insulating foam (25) having a first density, and said second portion of said secondary insulating barrier is said second insulating panel. a second row of second thermal insulation panels (22) further away from the edge (100) than the first row of A closed and insulated tank comprising an insulating foam (25) having a density. 10. The primary corner piece (37) according to claim 9, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the row of primary corner pieces (37) spans the first row of the second thermal insulation panel (22, 122). a dimension of the sealed and insulated tank being greater than a dimension of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier. 10. The first corner piece (37) of claim 9, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the first row of primary thermal insulation panels (54) spans the first portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier. A sealed and insulated tank, the dimensions of which are smaller than the dimensions of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier. 10. The heat insulating foam (63) of claim 9, wherein the rigid insulating portion (38) of the primary corner piece (37) comprises an insulating foam (63) having a first density, and the primary insulating panel (54) comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate and including an insulating foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, such that the cover plate maintains a certain distance from the bottom plate by the insulating foam block, wherein the insulating foam block is less than the first density A closed and insulated tank having a low second density. 4. The secondary seal according to claim 3, wherein in at least one tank wall, the longitudinal direction of the strake is perpendicular to the edge (100) and the secondary sealing membrane is welded to the corner beam (10, 30). a row of edge strakes (32) having flat edges (33) defining the ends of the strakes of the membrane; A closed and insulated tank, gradually decreasing in size in the direction of (10, 30). 3. The corner beam according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the corner beam comprises a first planar lug (12) parallel to the first support wall and a second planar lug (112) parallel to the second support wall, the A hermetically sealed connection zone is formed between the first and second planar lugs, and the corner beams are hermetically welded to the first and second planar lugs 12 and 112, respectively, and the first support and two planar metal strips (30,130) respectively extending parallel to the wall and the second support wall to form the receptacle of the planar flange. A vessel (70) for transporting fluids, comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to claim 1 or 2 arranged in said double hull (72). A fluid transport system, comprising: a vessel (70) according to claim 20, insulated pipes (73, 79) arranged in such a way as to connect the tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility (77); 76, 81) and a pump for routing fluid through the insulated pipe to or from the tank of the vessel or from the floating or onshore storage facility or to the floating or onshore storage facility. . A method of loading or unloading a vessel (70) according to claim 20, wherein to or from said tank (71) of said vessel or from a floating or onshore storage facility (70) or a floating or onshore storage facility ( A method of loading or unloading a vessel, wherein the fluid is routed through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) to 70).

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