KR102513808B1 - insulated sealed tank - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed and insulated tank integrated in a support structure which together form an edge, the tank comprising two tank walls supported by a support structure connected at the edges by a corner structure, each tank wall comprising: A corner insulation comprising a secondary thermal insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary thermal insulation barrier, and a primary sealing membrane, wherein the primary thermal insulation barrier comprises a first lateral element and a second lateral element connected by a spacer element. comprising a block (30), each lateral element having a bottom face resting on the secondary sealing membrane of each tank wall, the corner insulating block (30) having a rear face of the corner insulating block (30) and 2 It further includes a rear face connecting the two bottom faces to form a space 43 between the primary sealing membranes.

Description

insulated sealed tank

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and insulated tanks for storing and/or transporting fluids such as cryogenic fluids.

Sealed and insulated tanks are particularly employed for the transport and/or storage of various liquefied gases. Liquefied gases are generally stored at atmospheric or pressurized pressure. These tanks can be installed on land or floating structures.

Tanks are known for storing or transporting liquefied gases at low temperatures, for example FR-A-2798358, FR-A-2709725 or FR-A-2549575, wherein each sealed membrane is in contact with the product contained in the tank and The primary sealing membrane is composed of thin metal plates supported by an insulating barrier. These thin metal plates are interconnected in a sealed way to seal the tank.

In such tanks, the insulating barrier supporting the sealing membrane includes a plurality of anchor fins extending longitudinally or transversely within the tank. These anchor pins protrude from the upper side of the thermal insulation barrier. The sealing membrane consists of a plurality of strakes each having raised edges disposed longitudinally between two adjacent anchor pins. Each raised edge of the strake is welded in a sealed manner with one of the anchor pins between which the straker lies. Each raised edge of the strake thus constitutes an expansion bellows deformable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strake together with the anchor pin to which it is fastened. These expansion bellows make it possible to absorb the deformation of the sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strake during shrinkage of the sealing membrane associated with temperature changes, for example during the insertion of the cryogenic liquid into the tank.

However, the expansion bellows makes it possible to absorb deformation of the membrane only in a direction perpendicular to the expansion bellows. In order to withstand the stresses exerted by the membrane in a direction parallel to the expansion bellows, the edges of the sealing membrane perpendicular to the expansion bellows are secured to the support structure by means of rigid corner structures. A rigid corner structure of this kind comprises rigid anchor flats which are fixed directly to the supporting structure and pass through the thermal insulation barrier. The edges of the sealing membrane are fixed to these anchor flats so that the rigid corner structure can withstand tension of the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the expansion bellows.

However, a rigid corner structure of this kind is complex to make and to integrate into a tank, especially in the context of a tank comprising two sealing membranes superimposed and two insulating barriers. In fact, the secondary sealing barrier at the level of the corner of the tank is formed by a rigid corner structure made with the help of rigid plates. In addition, the thermal insulation barrier must also be fixed to the supporting structure, including the level of the corner structure, which requires a complicated mounting of the thermal insulation barrier onto the supporting structure.

A rigid corner structure arranged at the level of an insulating barrier lying directly on the supporting structure is also known from document FR2780942. However, this corner structure, in addition to being complicated to make, cannot be adopted in a simple way in the context of the primary thermal insulation barrier of a double membrane tank.

There are also sealed and insulated tanks in which the sealing membrane is formed by waffle-type plates, for example in the form of corrugated metal plates. Document EP2306064 thus describes a sealed membrane tank formed of waffle-type plates including the level of the corners of the tank. However, this corner structure must be able to withstand the loads present at the corner of the tank and therefore have high structural rigidity.

One idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to provide a sealed and insulated tank which is simple to manufacture and easy to integrate into the supporting structure, including at the level of the corners of the tank. In particular, one idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to produce a sealed and insulated tank which provides freedom in designing the corner structure at the level of the thermal insulation barrier and/or sealing membrane. Furthermore, one idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to propose a sealing membrane which is simple to manufacture and simple to integrate into the supporting structure, while enabling deformation of the sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure. is to do

One idea on which the second object of the present invention is based is to provide a sealed and insulated tank in which two continuous sealing membranes at the corners of the tank can be made independently from each other.

According to a first object, the present invention provides a sealed and insulated tank integrated in a supporting structure, said supporting structure comprising a first planar supporting wall and a second planar supporting wall intersecting at the level of an edge of the supporting structure; ,

The tank comprises a first tank wall supported by a first planar support wall, a second tank wall supported by a second planar support wall, and connecting the first and second tank walls at the level of the edge of the supporting structure. A corner structure, wherein each tank wall includes an insulating barrier and a sealing membrane continuously from the supporting structure towards the inside of the tank;

the insulating barrier of each tank wall comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulating blocks fixed to a planar supporting wall supporting said tank wall to form a supporting surface intended to receive a sealing membrane;

The sealing membrane of each tank wall includes a plurality of metal plates fixed to a supporting surface.

According to one embodiment, the corner structure of the tank comprises a curved support strip, the concave side of which extends parallel to the edge of the support structure and faces towards the inside of the tank, said support strip having a first tank a first longitudinal edge placed on the insulating barrier of the first tank wall and the second tank so as to form a continuous bearing surface between the bearing surface formed by the insulating barrier of the wall and the bearing surface formed by the insulating barrier of the second tank wall; a corner seal comprising a second longitudinal edge lying on the thermal insulation barrier of the wall, the corner structure lying on the curved support strip and connecting the sealing membrane of the first tank wall and the sealing membrane of the second tank wall in a sealed manner; a membrane, the corner sealing membrane comprising at least one corner expansion bellows disposed on the support strip to ensure elongation of the corner sealing membrane in a direction at least perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

A support strip of this kind forms a support surface which provides great freedom in designing the corner sealing membrane, which lies directly on the support strip. It is thus possible to make a corner sealing membrane featuring at least one expansion bellows, which makes it possible to absorb the deformation of the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure.

Moreover, this corner sealing membrane does not require any rigid fixed connection to the supporting structure. In fact, the bearing strip rests on the insulating barriers of the flat walls of the tank, and the hydrostatic and dynamic loads in the tank at the level of the corner structure are carried out by the bearing strip and the insulating barriers of the tank on which it rests. It is passed on. It is therefore not necessary to construct a complex corner structure as is known from the prior art to absorb the hydrostatic and dynamic loads in the tank at the level of the corner structure. Moreover, a support strip of this kind which is not directly fixed to the support structure does not create a thermal bridge between the support structure and the sealing membrane placed on the support strip.

According to embodiments, a sealed and insulated tank of this kind may have one or more of the following features.

According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier of each tank wall comprises a row of edge blocks, on which the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge of the supporting strip respectively lie, in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure. slides into

According to one embodiment, one or more, or each of said edge insulation blocks of a row of edge insulation blocks comprises a cover panel comprising a recess in which a corresponding longitudinal edge of a support strip is received.

The sealing membrane and the corner sealing membrane thus lie on a continuous bearing surface jointly formed by the bearing surfaces of the row of edge insulating blocks and the bearing strip.

According to one embodiment, the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge of the support strip are secured to the thermal insulation barriers of the first tank wall and the second tank wall, respectively.

According to one embodiment, the end of the at least one longitudinal edge of the support strip comprises a step in the thickness direction of the support strip, and the tank comprising the recess further comprises a retaining plate fixed to the cover panel of the edge insulation block. In this recess, the edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip is received, and the retaining plate is fixed to the cover panel at the level of the recess and covers the step of the edge of the support strip so that the edge of the support strip is It is sandwiched between the bottom of the recess of the edge insulation block and the retaining plate. Thus, the support strip is fixed in a direction perpendicular to the support structure and ensures a good retention of the support strip on the insulating barrier of the tank wall.

According to one embodiment, one of the edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip and the retaining plate comprises an oblong hole extending perpendicular to the edge, the edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip covered by the retaining plate and the retaining plate The other includes a lug received in the oblong hole, immobilizing the support strip relative to movement along the edge of the support structure while allowing movement of the support strip in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure. The support strip is thus held in position along the edge of the support structure.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is secured to the support strip. This enables retention of the corner sealing membrane on the support strip. This maintenance is particularly important in the presence of elevated pressure within the thermal insulation barrier, for example in the course of sealing tests of sealing membranes which consist of subjecting the thermal insulation barrier to a pressure rise. In fact, in the face of this elevated pressure, the corner sealing membrane moves towards the inside of the tank, while the sealing membrane of each tank wall remains fixed to the thermal insulation barrier of said tank wall, and there is nothing anchoring the corner sealing membrane to the support strip. can be transformed

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is continuously fastened to the supporting strip at one or more points or along a fastening line parallel to the edge of the supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the support strip comprises a plurality of metal fixing members disposed along the fixing line, and the corner sealing membrane is spot-welded to the fixing members along the fixing line.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane comprises a plurality of parallel expansion bellows, the corner sealing membrane comprising a stationary separating two continuous support strips along an edge between the two expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane. fixed to the strip

Thanks to these features, the anchoring of the corner sealing membrane to the support strip does not interfere with the stretching of the expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane comprises corrugations extending perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure, which corrugations and the expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane intersect.

According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier of each tank wall is a primary thermal insulation barrier, the thermal insulation blocks are primary thermal insulation blocks, the sealing membrane of each tank wall is a primary sealing membrane, and the support strip of the corner structure is a primary support. strip, the corner sealing membrane of the corner structure is the primary corner sealing membrane,

The tank further includes a secondary thermal insulation barrier fixed to the supporting structure and a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier, wherein the primary thermal insulation blocks are supported by the secondary sealing membrane and directly or indirectly to the supporting structure. It is fixed.

According to one embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier of each tank wall comprises a plurality of juxtaposed secondary thermal insulation blocks fixed to the support structure and forming a secondary support surface adapted to receive the secondary sealing membrane;

The secondary sealing membrane of each tank wall includes a plurality of metal plates fixed to the secondary support surface,

The corner structure of the tank includes a curved secondary support strip running parallel to the edge of the support structure with its concave side facing the inside of the tank, the secondary support strip being attached to the secondary insulation barrier of the first tank wall. A secondary first longitudinal direction placed on the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall to form a continuous secondary support surface between the secondary support surface formed by the secondary support surface formed by the thermal insulation barrier of the secondary tank wall. an edge and a secondary second longitudinal edge lying on the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall, the corner structure being placed on a curved secondary support strip and sliding in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure; and a secondary corner sealing membrane connecting the secondary sealing membrane of the tank wall and the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall in a sealed manner, wherein the secondary corner sealing membrane is directed at least perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure. and at least one secondary expansion bellows disposed on the secondary support strip to ensure elongation of the secondary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner structure further comprises a row of primary corner insulating blocks, one or more primary corner insulating blocks or each primary corner insulating block comprising:

a first lateral face lying against the primary edge insulating block of the first tank wall and a first bottom face lying on the secondary sealing membrane;

the second lateral element comprises a second lateral face lying against the primary edge insulating block of the second tank wall and a second bottom face lying on the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall;

The primary corner insulating block comprises a spacer connecting the first lateral element and the second lateral element, the spacer being adapted to create a space between the primary corner insulating block and the secondary sealing membrane; , the space accommodates the at least one secondary expansion bellows of the secondary corner membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer includes a lower plate in contact with the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface inclined with respect to the first supporting wall and the second supporting wall, and the first bottom surface and the first corner insulating block of the primary corner insulating block. 2 the bottom face is spaced from the at least one secondary expansion bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane and lies on the secondary sealing membrane, such that the bottom face is spaced from the at least one secondary expansion bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane. has been

According to one embodiment, the corner structure further comprises an insulating packing disposed between the lower plate of the spacer and the secondary corner sealing membrane.

Corner insulation blocks of the above type provide a space to accommodate the expansion bellows or bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane. Corner insulation blocks of this kind thus ensure the insulation of the tank at the level of the corner structure, while providing wide freedom in designing the secondary corner sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer further comprises an upper plate abutting the first lateral face and the second lateral face inclined relative to the first support wall and the second support wall, and the corner insulating block is disposed on the upper plate. and further comprising an insulating packing part having a curved upper surface supporting the primary supporting strip, wherein the primary supporting strip is placed on the insulating packing part. The corner structure thus also enables good thermal insulation. In addition, if it is rigid, this insulating packing can participate in the transmission of the hydrostatic and dynamic loads to which the primary support strip is subjected.

According to a second object, the present invention also provides a sealed and insulated tank integrated in a supporting structure, said structure comprising a first planar supporting wall and a second planar supporting wall jointly forming an edge of the supporting structure; ,

The tank has a secondary thermal insulation barrier fixed to the supporting structure towards the inside of the tank from the supporting structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary thermal insulation barrier. a primary sealing membrane supported by a barrier;

The tank includes a first tank wall supported by a first planar support wall and a second tank wall supported by a second planar support wall;

The primary insulating barrier of each tank wall comprises a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped insulating blocks, the insulating blocks of the primary insulating barrier having lateral faces extending in a plane transverse to the corresponding supporting wall,

The primary insulating barrier comprises a corner insulating block, the corner insulating block comprising a first lateral element and a second lateral element connected by spacer elements, the corner insulating block comprising a first lateral element and a second lateral element. Further comprising an insulating lining disposed between the directional elements,

The first lateral element includes a first bottom face and a first lateral face, the first bottom face being parallel to the first supporting wall and lying on the secondary sealing membrane, the first lateral face being the first tank lying against and extending from the first bottom face in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to and parallel to the lateral face of the insulating block of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the wall;

The second lateral element includes a second bottom face and a second lateral face, the second bottom face being parallel to the second supporting wall and lying on the secondary sealing membrane, the second lateral face being a second tank. lying against and extending from the second bottom face in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to and parallel to the lateral face of the insulating block of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the wall;

The spacer element is disposed between the first lateral element and the second lateral element to support the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface spaced apart;

The corner insulation block further has a rear surface connecting the first bottom surface to the first supporting wall and the second bottom surface inclined with respect to the second supporting wall to create a space between the rear surface of the corner insulation block and the secondary sealing membrane. include

The corner insulation block thus provides freedom in building the secondary sealing membrane along the edge of the supporting structure without the need for the secondary sealing membrane to be formed from rigid flat plates fixed to the supporting wall at the level of the corner of the tank. In particular, the space between the rear face of the corner insulation block and the secondary sealing membrane enables the production of an expansion bellows along the edge of the supporting structure on the secondary sealing membrane. In addition, this kind of corner insulating block does not require a fixing member to hold it on the supporting structure, and each of the first and second lateral faces of the corner insulating block prevents movement of the corner insulating block on the supporting structure. The edge of the tank walls cooperates with the respective lateral face of the insulating block for this purpose. In addition, the spacer element enables transmission of forces between the insulating barriers of the first tank wall and the second tank wall via the corner insulating block, the force applied to the corner insulating block by one of the tank walls being the corner insulating block. It tends to press the block into other tank walls.

According to embodiments, a sealed and insulated tank of the above type may include one or more of the following features.

According to one embodiment, the lateral face of the insulating element against which the lateral face of the first or second lateral element of the corner insulating block lies is continuous or discontinuous. According to one embodiment, said lateral face of the insulating element is the plane on which the first or second lateral elements of the lateral posts, cover panels, floor panels and/or corner insulating blocks lie and/or are supported. It is formed by any other element forming the phosphorus face.

According to one embodiment, an insulating packing is arranged along the edge of the supporting structure in the space between the rear face and the secondary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element comprises at least one rigid rod or plate mounted on the first lateral element and the second lateral element in an inclined manner relative to the first and second support walls.

According to one embodiment, the rod of the spacer element is mounted on at least one of the first lateral element and the second lateral element by means of a ball joint connection. Thanks to these features, the same corner insulating block can be easily adapted to the edges of the supporting structure featuring distinct angles and can facilitate assembly.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element comprises a lower plate connecting the first bottom face to the second bottom face and forming said rear face of the corner insulating block.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element further comprises an upper plate connecting an upper edge of the first lateral face and an upper edge of the second lateral face, the upper plate being coupled to the first and second support walls. tilted towards

According to one embodiment, the tank further comprises a rigid insulating element placed on the top plate to form a corner bearing surface for the primary sealing membrane. According to one embodiment, the tank further comprises a non-rigid insulating element placed on the top plate and sandwiched between the top plate and the primary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element further comprises two end plates each extending in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure, said end plates being jointly corner insulating with upper plate, lower plate and lateral elements. Connecting the lateral elements to define an internal volume of the block, the insulating lining being received within said internal volume. The corner insulation block can thus form a box into which an insulation material can be inserted.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the first element and the second lateral element comprises a parallelepiped-shaped plate, the parallelepiped-shaped plate having a corresponding lateral face and a corresponding bottom face of the lateral element. form Lateral elements of this kind are simple and compact to make.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the first lateral element and the second lateral element comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate extending in a plane transverse to the supporting wall and said lateral element forming the lateral face of the second plate extending parallel to the supporting wall and forming the bottom face of the lateral element. Lateral elements of this kind are simple to make and feature wide faces that cooperate with adjacent elements.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the secondary sealing membrane and the primary sealing membrane is formed along the edge by corner angle steel.

According to one embodiment, the tank further comprises a curved support strip, the concave side of which faces towards the interior of the tank, said support strip extending parallel to the edge of the support structure, said support strip comprising the first tank A first layer placed on the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall to form a continuous support surface between the support surface formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the wall and the support surface formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall. A longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge overlying the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall, wherein the primary sealing membrane overlies the supporting strip.

According to one embodiment, the upper face of the rigid insulating element opposite the upper plate of the spacer element is curved, and the support strip is placed on said upper face of the rigid insulating element.

According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane comprises a plurality of expansion bellows extending parallel to the edge of the supporting structure, the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface being secondary between two adjacent expansion bellows. placed on the sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element is arranged spaced apart from at least one of the expansion bellows of the secondary sealing membrane between which the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface lie.

According to embodiments, the sealed and insulated tank according to the first embodiment and/or the second embodiment may include one or more of the following features.

According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane comprises at least one inflatable bellows disposed between the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface flush with the edge.

According to one embodiment, the first support wall and the second support wall form an angle between 45° and 135°.

According to one preferred embodiment, the first support wall and the second support wall form an angle of 90° or 135°.

According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane of each tank wall comprises a plurality of parallel expansion bellows.

According to one embodiment, the expansion bellows of the sealing membrane of the first and second tank walls are arranged parallel to the edge of the supporting structure.

According to another embodiment, the expansion bellows of the sealing membrane of the first and second tank walls are arranged perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane of each tank wall comprises a plurality of juxtaposed strakes with raised edges, the raised edges of two adjacent strakes forming an expansion bellows of the sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane comprises a plurality of juxtaposed strakes with raised edges, the raised edges of the strakes extending parallel to the edge of the supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the raised edges of the two juxtaposed strakes of the corner sealing membrane are welded together to form an expansion bellows of the corner membrane.

According to one embodiment, said at least one expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane extends parallel to the edge of the supporting structure or at a slight angle to the edge of the supporting structure. An expansion bellows of this kind inclined with respect to the edge of the supporting structure thus enables deformation of the corner sealing membrane parallel to and perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane comprises at least one corrugated metal plate. According to one embodiment, the corrugations of the corner sealing membrane form an expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the insulating blocks are parallelepiped shaped ones.

According to one embodiment, the insulating blocks are boxes filled with non-structural insulating material.

According to one embodiment, the insulating blocks are, for example, blocks of high-density rigid insulating foam.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is continuously or discontinuously fixed to the supporting strip.

According to one embodiment, only some of the strakes of the corner sealing membrane are fixed to the support strip.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is fixed to the supporting strip so that it can slide in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure, ie in the direction of operation of the expansion bellows of the corner sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is secured to a metal insert separating two successive support strips disposed along the edge of the support structure, the metal insert extending perpendicular to the edge of the support structure and a fixing strip flush with the support strips separated by a metal insert comprising two rims arranged on opposite sides of the fixing strip and forming a step with respect to the fixing strip; The support strips separated by metal inserts are each secured to a respective rim of the metal insert.

In one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is welded to the support strip, eg by means of a fillet welded along a fastening line.

According to one embodiment, the filling of insulating material is arranged between the edge of the supporting structure and the supporting strip.

According to one embodiment, the insulating filling comprises glass wool and/or high-density insulating foam.

According to one embodiment, the strakes of the sealing membrane of at least one tank wall are supported by both the insulating barrier and the support strip of said tank wall.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of metal. According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of a nickel-iron alloy, such as invar or an alloy with a high manganese content.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of a composite material.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is resistant to traction forces to absorb hydrostatic and dynamic loads at the corners of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is fastened to the thermal insulation barriers by suitable means, for example gluing, screwing, riveting or the like.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is fastened to the at least one thermal insulation barrier in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall to which the support strip is fastened. According to one embodiment, the support strip is fastened to the at least one thermal insulation barrier in a direction parallel to the edge of the support structure.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of retaining plates are arranged along the edge insulating block or blocks on which the support strip rests.

According to one embodiment, each retaining plate extends over the entire edge of the edge insulation block on which the support strip rests.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is supported by the end blocks of the thermal insulation barriers so as to slide freely in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

According to a preferred embodiment, the support strip has a coefficient of expansion equal to or less than that of the sealing membrane. According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of stainless steel and the sealing membrane is made of an alloy with a high manganese content.

According to one embodiment, the support strip has a thickness greater than 2 mm, for example between 3 mm and 4 mm, such that it has sufficient strength to absorb hydrostatic and dynamic loads at the corners of the tank without deformation.

According to one embodiment, the rigid insulating element is a block of high-density foam, such as high-density polyurethane foam.

According to one embodiment, the corner insulation element and the support strip are independent of each other and do not directly cooperate with each other.

According to one embodiment, a tank as described above is part of an onshore storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or an offshore or offshore floating structure, in particular a methane transport vessel, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), It can be installed in floating manufacturing, storage and offloading (FPSO) units and the like.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for the transport of cooling liquid products, the vessel comprising a double hull and a tank as mentioned above arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading a vessel of the above type, wherein the refrigerated liquid product is transported from a floating or land storage facility to or from a vessel's tank to either floating or land storage. It is transported through insulated pipes to the facility.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a cooling liquid product conveying system, which system is adapted for connecting a vessel as mentioned above, a tank mounted on the hull of the vessel, to a floating or land storage facility. Insulated pipes and a pump for driving the flow of the refrigerated liquid product through the insulated pipes from the floating or land storage facility to the vessel's tank or from the vessel's tank to the floating or land storage facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood and other its objects, details, features and advantages will become clearer in light of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting explanation only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a sealed and insulated tank at the level of a corner showing a secondary thermal insulation barrier and a supporting strip overlying it;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with a secondary corner sealing membrane added.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a primary thermal insulation barrier overlaid on a secondary sealing membrane.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the primary corner sealing membrane added.
5 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure of a detail of a tank wall showing a secondary or primary corner sealing membrane and a secondary or primary support strip;
Figure 6 is a supporting detail of a tank wall showing cooperation between a secondary or primary corner sealing membrane and a secondary or primary corner sealing membrane and a cooperation between a secondary or primary support strip and a secondary or primary insulation block. Sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the structure.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure showing a first variant of the detail from FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure showing a second variant of the detail from FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure showing a first variant of the detail from FIG. 5 ;
Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a modified example from Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a second variant of the detail from Fig. 5;
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the detail from Fig. 11 taken along line VV;
13 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure showing a first variant of the method of fastening the supporting strip to the insulating block.
Fig. 14 is a view from above of details from Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line XV-XV in Fig. 14 showing a second variant of the fastening method of the support strip to the insulating block;
16 is a schematic perspective view of a secondary corner sealing membrane and a secondary insulating barrier corrugated at a corner of the tank between the two walls of the tank forming an angle of 135°.
Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a tank corner from Fig. 16 partially showing the primary insulating barrier and the primary insulating membrane;
18 is a schematic perspective view of a first variant of the corner sealing membrane.
19 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the second variant of the corner sealing membrane.
20 is a schematic perspective view of a primary corner insulating block usable in a tank wall with an angle of 135°.
21 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure of a primary corner insulating block according to a second embodiment.
22 is a cross-sectional view on a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure of a primary corner insulating block according to a third embodiment usable in a tank wall with an angle of 90°.
23 is a schematic cutaway view of a methane transport ship tank and a terminal for loading/unloading the tank.

In the following description reference is made to a sealed and insulated tank comprising an interior space intended to be filled with a combustible or non-combustible gas. This gas is in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG), in other words one or more other hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, n-butane, i-butane, n-pentane, i-pentane, neopentane and a small fraction of nitrogen. It may be a gas mixture comprising mainly methane. The gas can equally be ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), in other words a mixture of hydrocarbons produced by petroleum refining, which essentially includes propane and butane.

A sealed and insulated tank of this kind is integrated into a supporting structure, eg a double hull of a ship for transporting LNG. This supporting structure forms a plurality of supporting walls which abut at the level of the edges of the supporting structure and which together limit the interior space of the double hull intended to accommodate a sealed and insulated tank. This sealed and insulated tank includes a plurality of tank walls each supported by a respective support wall. The tank walls abut at the level of the edges 1 of the supporting structure. Each tank includes a secondary thermal insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary thermal insulation barrier, and a primary sealing membrane from a corresponding supporting wall toward the inside of the tank.

1 to 4 show an edge 1 between the first support wall 2 and the second support wall 3 which together form an angle of 90°. 1 to 4 , the first tank wall 4 is supported by the first support wall 2 and the second tank wall 5 is supported by the second tank wall 3 .

1 shows the secondary thermal insulation barriers of the first and second tank walls 4 , 5 . These secondary thermal insulation barriers are formed from juxtaposed secondary thermal insulation elements 6 . The second insulating elements 6 are secured to the supporting structure by suitable means, for example adhesive and/or mechanical retaining members. Each of the secondary insulating elements 6 has a rectangular planohexahedral shape and shows two larger faces, namely the main faces, and four smaller faces, namely the lateral faces. Each of the secondary thermal insulation elements 6 includes an upper surface forming a second support surface 8 to receive a secondary sealing membrane. Secondary insulating elements of this kind are made in the form of plywood boxes filled with an insulating material such as perlite, aerogel, silica, glass wool or insulating foam, for example.

The insulating barrier further comprises a secondary corner insulating element 15 similar to the insulating elements 6 and/or adapted to be integrated into one of them. This secondary corner insulation element (15) is in the shape of a parallelepiped and extends to both the secondary insulation barrier of the first tank wall (4) and the secondary insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5). In other words, the secondary thermal insulation element 15 has a thickness equal to the thickness of the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 in a direction perpendicular to the first supporting wall 2, and the second supporting wall 3 has the same thickness as the thickness of the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5 in a direction perpendicular to These thicknesses may be the same or different.

The secondary sealing membrane of the tank walls can be made in various ways, preferably made of metal plates. A secondary sealing membrane of this kind features an expansion bellows. These expansion bellows are made in any suitable way, for example in the form of corrugations in metal plates or by welding the raised edges of two adjacent metal plates. These expansion bellows make it possible to absorb the deformation of the secondary sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the expansion bellows. For example, in membrane tanks secondary insulating elements 6 of this kind and/or secondary sealing membranes of this kind may be similar to the corresponding elements described in documents WO14057221, FR2691520 and FR2877638.

A corner structure connects the first tank wall 4 and the second tank wall 5 at the level of the edge 1 . This corner structure comprises a curved and rigid secondary support strip 12 . The secondary support strip 12 extends parallel to the edge 1 and features a concave surface facing the inside of the tank. The secondary support strip 12 extends parallel to the edge 1 and comprises a first longitudinal edge 13 lying on a secondary insulating element 6 lying at the edge of the first tank wall 4 . This secondary support strip 12 serves to absorb the hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads subjected to the secondary sealing membrane at the level of the corner of the tank. For this purpose, the secondary support strip 12 is made of a strong and relatively rigid material.

The secondary support strip 12 can be made in a variety of ways. According to a first embodiment, the support strip 12 is made of metal, eg nickel-steel or manganese-steel, and has a thickness greater than 2 mm, eg between 3 mm and 4 mm. According to a second embodiment, the support strip 12 is made of a composite material, ie a mixture of a polymer resin and a fibrous material. The polymer resin may be a thermosetting or thermoplastic resin. The fibrous material may be composed of carbon fibers, metal fibers, synthetic fibers, glass fibers, or other mineral fibers and mixtures thereof. Fibers may or may not be woven. For example, a composite material comprising woven carbon fibers may be selected to obtain good tensile resistance and reasonable cost. The thickness of the composite material can be selected from the correlation between the compressive force and thermal expansion stress to be supported.

The secondary support structure 12 forms a continuous secondary corner support surface 17 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 rests on the secondary corner supporting surface 17 . A secondary corner sealing membrane 18 of this kind is described in more detail below with reference to eg FIG. 5 . As will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 , in order to seal the secondary sealing membrane, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is first applied to the first tank 4 and then to the second tank wall ( 5) is connected in a sealed manner to the secondary sealing membrane.

Since the secondary support strip 12 rests on the thermal insulation barriers of the tank walls 4, 5, the loads absorbed by the secondary support structure 12 have to be made to absorb them in the corner structure. It is delivered to the thermal insulation barriers without the need for complex structural support.

To complete the thermal insulation barrier of the corner structure, a secondary thermal insulation filling part 16 is inserted between the secondary support strip 12 and the end secondary insulation blocks 6 on which the secondary support strip 12 rests. This kind of secondary insulation packing part 16 is formed in various ways, for example, high-density polypropylene that first supports the upper side of the secondary insulation blocks 6 and then supports the curved shape of the lower side of the secondary support strip 12. It can be built with the aid of rigid blocks of urethane foam.

3 and 4, in a manner similar to the secondary thermal insulation barrier, the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first and second tank walls 4, 5 includes a plurality of primary thermal insulation elements 22. do. These primary insulating elements 22 are similar to the secondary insulating elements 6 and consist, for example, of parallelepiped plywood boxes filled with insulating material. The primary thermal insulation elements 22 can be fixed to the supporting structure in various ways, for example directly via fixing members penetrating the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the secondary sealing membrane, or by being secured to the secondary sealing membrane. can be fixed indirectly. In this way, the primary insulating elements 22 of each tank wall form a bearing surface that supports the primary sealing membrane of the tank wall.

The corner structure also includes a primary support strip 23 similar to the secondary support strip 12 described above. A primary support strip 23 extends parallel to the edge 1 along the edge 1 . This primary support strip 23 is curved with a concave side facing towards the inside of the tank and has a first length lying on the primary insulating element 22 located at the edge of the first tank wall 4 It comprises a directional edge 24 and a second longitudinal edge 25 lying on the primary thermal insulation element 22 located at the edge of the second tank wall 5 . This primary support strip 23 forms a continuous primary corner support surface 26 upon which the primary corner sealing membrane 27 rests.

Unlike the secondary thermal insulation barrier which lies on the supporting structure, the primary thermal insulation barrier lies on the secondary sealing membrane. The secondary sealing membrane now comprises an expansion bellows protruding towards the interior of the tank.

The primary insulating element of the first tank wall 4 and the second tank wall 5 for accommodating the expansion bellows of the secondary sealing membrane supported by the first and second tank walls 4 , 5 . Segments 22 include grooves on the lower side to accommodate the expansion bellows. This solution with grooves on the first and second tank walls 4, 5 allows the primary insulating elements 22 to be placed thereon, except for the parallelepiped nature of the primary insulating elements and the expansion bellows. It is simple to manufacture due to the appearance of the underlying substantially flat secondary sealing membrane. However, this solution is complex to implement for the primary corner insulation element 30 of the corner structure. In fact, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 placed on the secondary support strip 12 has a curved surface shape. Then, it is impossible to manufacture a parallelepiped primary corner insulating block similar in shape to the secondary corner insulating block 15 .

In order to preserve freedom in designing the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 while having primary insulation in the corner structure, the primary corner insulation elements 30 are connected by spacers 33 to the first lateral elements 31 . ) and a second lateral element 32.

The first lateral element 31 has a first lateral face 34 extending perpendicularly to the first supporting wall 2 . This first lateral wall 34 is connected to the lateral face 35 of the primary insulating element 22 which lies at the edge of the first tank wall 4 on which the primary support strip 23 rests. .

The first lateral element 31 also comprises a first bottom face 36 which lies on the planar part of the secondary sealing membrane, preferably between two adjacent expansion bellows. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the secondary sealing membrane is made from strakes 9 with raised edges, this first bottom face 36 being the adjacent corner of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . It lies on the planar part of the secondary strake 9 of the first tank wall 4 connected in a sealed manner to the secondary corner strake 19 . In an embodiment not shown, this first bottom surface 36 is placed on the planar part of the secondary corner strake 19 of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18, in other words, on the secondary corner strake 19 It lies between the raised edges 20 of

The first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 are symmetrical in relation to the angular bisecting line formed by the first supporting wall 2 and the second supporting wall 3 . The second lateral element 32 thus lies against the lateral face 38 of the primary insulating element 22 which lies at the edge of the second tank wall 5 on which the primary support strip 23 rests. It has a second lateral face 37 and a second bottom face 39 lying on the secondary sealing membrane between two adjacent expansion bellows.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the spacer 33 is formed with the aid of a bottom plate 40 and a cover plate 41 extending parallel to each other. These bottom plates 40 and cover plates 41 extend parallel to the edge 1 in respective planes inclined with respect to both the first supporting wall 2 and the second supporting wall 3 . The bottom plate 40 connects the first bottom surface 36 and the second bottom surface 39 . The spacer 33 further includes two end plates 42, only one of which can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 . Each of these end plates 42 extends in a plane perpendicular to the respective edge 1 . Each end plate 42 has a first lateral face 34, a first bottom face 36, a bottom plate 40, a second bottom face 39, a second lateral face 37 and a cover plate. (41) are connected to each other. In other words, the primary corner insulation element 30 is a polyhedral box as shown in Fig. 20, each face of which is formed by a respective plate. 3 , 4 and 19 , this primary corner insulating element 30 is extruded and has a hexagonal cross section formed by end plates 42 in a direction parallel to the edge 1 .

The insulating packing is advantageously arranged between the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 . The primary corner insulating element 3 in the form of a box as described above and shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 19 is typically filled with an insulating material such as perlite, glass wool or the like.

A primary corner insulation element 30 of this kind has numerous advantages. In fact, the spacer 33 connecting the bottom faces 36 , 39 allows a space 43 to be formed between the primary corner insulating block 30 and the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . This space 43 is the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 because the primary corner insulation element 30 lies on the secondary sealing membrane via the first and second bottom faces 36, 39 spaced apart from each other. provides freedom in designing In addition, each of the first and second lateral faces 34, 37 lies against the edge primary insulating elements 22, and the transfer of the load is via the primary corner insulating element 30 to the first tank wall It is possible between the primary thermal insulation barrier of (4) and the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5). Finally, the first and second lateral faces 34, 37 extend perpendicularly to the first supporting wall 2 and to the second supporting wall 3, respectively, once installed, the primary corner insulation element. 30 becomes immovable in a position between the lateral faces 35, 38 of the primary insulating elements 22 at the edge of the tank walls 4, 5. The edge primary insulating elements 22 are fixed directly or indirectly to the supporting structure, and the primary corner insulating elements 30 are fixed indirectly to the supporting structure without requiring additional fastening. In one embodiment not shown, anti-movement members may nevertheless be provided to block the edge-parallel movement of the primary corner insulation element 30 along the edge 1 . These elements for immobilizing the primary corner insulation element 30 can be made in various ways, for example in the direction of the edge 1 to block its movement along the edge 1 . The edges protruding from the sills 22 can be made by means of brackets enabling fixation on the opposite respective sides of the primary corner insulating elements 30 of the primary insulating elements 22 . These motion-blocking members can equally be used in a similar way to block the movement of the secondary corner insulation elements 15, brackets enabling fixation of the secondary end insulation elements 6 to the edge 1 It protrudes and extends in the direction of the edge 1 to block the movement of the secondary corner insulation elements 15 along ).

The lower insulating packing 44 is located between the bottom plate 40 and the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . This lower insulating filling part 44 can be made in various ways between the expansion bellows 21 and a rigid insulating material above the expansion bellows 21, for example high-density polyurethane insulating foam, for example glass wool or low-density polyurethane. It can be made with the aid of a flexible insulating material such as foam. Similarly, the upper insulating filling part 45 is located between the cover plate 41 and the primary support strip 23 . This type of upper packing part 45 is made of, for example, high-density polyurethane foam that supports the curved shape of the primary support strip 23 and enables the load to be subjected to the primary support strip 23 to be absorbed.

5-15 show details of an example of a sealed and insulated tank. These details are explained below in the context of a secondary thermal insulation barrier and/or secondary sealing membrane. However, this description applies similarly to the primary sealing membrane.

5 to 10 , the secondary sealing membrane of the tank walls 4 , 5 is firstly a secondary metal sheet strip laid on a secondary bearing surface 8 hereinafter referred to as secondary strakes 9 . s 9, and then an elongated welded support connected to the secondary support surface 8 and extending parallel to the secondary strakes 9 over at least part of the length of the secondary strakes 9 ( 10) has a repeated structure comprising alternately. The thin metal strips 9 have raised lateral edges 11 which are positioned and welded to adjacent welding supports 10 . Metal strakes are, for example, Invar ^® , in other words an alloy of iron and nickel whose expansion coefficient is typically between 1.2 × 10 ^-6 and 2 × 10 ^-6 K ^-1 , or whose expansion coefficient is typically between 7 and 9. It is made of an iron alloy with a high manganese content, on the order of × 10 ^-6 K ^-1 .

Further, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 is a plurality of metal in the form of corner strakes 19 having raised edges 20 extending parallel to the edge 1 . Including thin strips. The raised edges 20 protrude substantially perpendicular to the secondary support strip 12 . Adjacent raised edges 20 of two adjacent secondary corner strakes 19 are welded together by welding lines 46 parallel to the edge 1 . These weld lines 46 are preferably made at the level of the ends of the raised edges 20 opposite the secondary support 12 . Thus, the raised edges 20 welded two by one form a plurality of secondary corner expansion bellows 21 extending parallel to the edge 1 . The first and second tank walls (4, 5) in that this secondary corner expansion bellows (21) is formed by direct welding of the raised edges (20) without requiring a welding flange (10). Unlike the expansion bellows formed by the secondary sealing membranes of This secondary corner expansion bellows 21 makes it possible to absorb the deformation of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 in the direction perpendicular to the edge 1 .

5 and 6, the secondary support strip 12 is made of metal.

In FIG. 5 , a central secondary corner strake 19 is fixed to the secondary support strip 12 along a welding line 47 parallel to the edge 1 . The secondary corner sealing membrane 18 thus remains on the secondary support strip 12 even in the presence of elevated pressure within the secondary thermal insulation barrier, which elevated pressure of this kind e.g. reduces the pressure on the secondary thermal insulation barrier. Elevation can occur during the sealing test of the secondary sealing membrane.

6 shows a secondary corner sealing membrane 18 and a first tank wall 4 in the context of a secondary sealing membrane of a first tank wall 4 characterized by an expansion bellows extending parallel to the edge 1 . The junction between the secondary sealing membranes is shown.

The cover panel 7 of the edge secondary insulation element 6 includes a recess 48 . This recess 48 has a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the secondary support strip 12 . This recess 48 runs parallel to the edge 1 over the entire length of the cover panel 7 . The first longitudinal edge 13 of the secondary support strip 12 rests in the recess 48 on the edge secondary insulating element 6 . The corner support surface 17 formed by the secondary support strip 12 is thus flush with the support surface 8 formed by the cover panel 7, forming a substantially continuous support surface for the secondary sealing membrane. do.

The secondary strake 9 of the edge of the first tank wall 4 is fixed in a sealed manner by means of a weld 49 on the secondary corner bearing surface 17 . The raised edge 11 of the secondary strake 9 of this edge is welded in a sealed manner by means of a welding line 50 to the raised edge 20 of the adjacent secondary corner strake 19, so that the edge An expansion bellows adapted to absorb deformation of the secondary sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to (1) is formed.

In a similar manner, the primary corner sealing membrane 27 may be formed of a plurality of primary corner strakes 28 having raised edges extending parallel to the edge 2 . These primary corner strakes 28 have raised edges connected in pairs to form primary corner expansion bellows 29 .

7 shows a variant of the sealed connection between the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 and the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 .

In this variant, the cover panel 7 of the secondary corner insulation element 6 of the first tank wall 4 connects to the adjacent secondary insulation element 6 of the first tank wall 4 and the recess 48 ) Includes a welding support 10 disposed between. The secondary strake 9 of the edge of the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 has a raised edge 11 welded to said weld support 10 . In addition, the edge corner strake 19 of the secondary corner membrane 18 is formed by the secondary corner support surface 17 formed by the secondary support strake 12, and the secondary support strip 12 It lies jointly on the secondary bearing surface 8 formed by the secondary insulating elements 6 of the overlying edge. This edge corner strake 19 also has a raised edge 20 welded to the weld support 10 . This embodiment has the advantage of forming an expansion bellows while directly fixing the secondary corner strake 19 to the secondary support surface 8.

8 shows the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 and the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 in the case of a secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 characterized by expansion bellows extending perpendicular to the edge 1. Another variant of the sealed connection between the corner sealing membranes 18 is shown.

In this variant embodiment, the raised edges 11 of the secondary strakes 9 lie on the bearing surface 8 formed by the ends of the secondary insulating element 6 . It is interrupted before reaching the secondary thermal insulation element 6 of the edge, so that the ends of (9) are flat.

The edge secondary insulation element 6 features a housing 51 extending parallel to the edge 1 . A metal fixing strip 52 extending parallel to the edge 1 is housed in this housing 51 . The housing 51 and the fixing strip each have a 'T' shape inverted in a plane perpendicular to the edge 1. This inverted 'T' shape is such that the fixing strip 52 slides within the housing 51 in a direction parallel to the edge 1, while the fixing strip ( 52. The gap between the fixing strip 52 and the housing 51 is fixed within the housing 51 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 and parallel to the first supporting wall 2. Sliding of the strip 52 may be made possible.

The fixing strip 52 has a planar upper side 53 flush with the support surface 8 formed by the edge secondary insulating element 6 . The planar end of the secondary strake 9 of the edge is fixed to the upper face 53 in a sealed manner by means of a weld 54 . The edge corner strakes 19 commonly lie on the secondary support strip 12 and on the bearing surface 8 formed by the edge secondary insulating elements 6 . However, in contrast to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the longitudinal edge 55 opposite the secondary support strip 12 of this edge corner strake 19 is flat. This flat longitudinal edge 55 has an overlap to the planar end of the secondary strake 9 and is welded 56 in a sealed manner, thus making contact with the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 and 2 A sealed connection between the car corner sealing membrane 18 is provided. In the first method of making a sealed weld, the flat end of the secondary strake 9 of the edge is fillet welded, and the weld 57 is not required. In a second method of producing a sealed weld, the flat longitudinal edge 55 is coupled to the top face 53 of the fixing strip 52 to secure the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 on the fixing strip 52. It is welded in Edo 57.

9 and 10 show one variant of the method of fixing the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 on the secondary support strip 12 . This modified embodiment is also advantageous in that the secondary support strip 12 is not made of metal and therefore it is not possible to directly fix the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 to the secondary support strip 12 by welding. different from that of 5.

In this variant, a plurality of metal fixing rivets 58 are installed on the secondary support strip 12 . These fixing rivets 58 are arranged along the fixing line 59 parallel to the edge 1 . In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the fastening line 59 is substantially centrally located on the secondary support strip 12 between the first longitudinal edge 13 and the second longitudinal edge 14 . do.

The set rivets 58 include an upper rivet head 60 forming a planar metal plate. A central secondary corner strake 19 is secured to the heads 60 of the fixing rivets 58 by sealed spot welding along the fixing line 59 .

11 and 12 show a variant embodiment of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . In this variant embodiment, the secondary corner sealing membrane is formed by corrugated metal plates. Corrugated metal plates of this kind are made in a similar way to the corrugated plates described for example in document FR2691520 and are used in the context of Applicant's so-called Mark III type sealing membranes. The secondary corner sealing membrane 18 thus comprises an expansion bellows 21 in the form of corrugations 61 extending parallel to the edge 1 .

This embodiment also differs from the embodiments described above in that the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is secured to the corner fixing strip 62 . This corner fastening strip 62 extends perpendicular to the edge 1 and separates two successive secondary support strips 12 arranged along the edge 1 . As shown in Fig. 12, the corner fixing strip 62 extends in a curved fashion with a concave surface facing towards the inside of the tank. The radius of curvature of the corner fixing strip 62 is substantially the same as that of the secondary support strip 12 . This corner fastening strip 62 has a fastening surface 63 flush with the supporting surfaces 17 of the secondary supporting strips 12 it separates. Further, the corner fixing strip 62 includes two steps 64 disposed on respective opposite sides of the fixing surface 63 . Two secondary support strips 12 separated by a corner fixing strip 62 are welded to each one of the steps 64 respectively. The depth of these steps 64 is such that the support surfaces 17 formed by the secondary support strips 12 are flush with the fixing surface 63 and continuous for the secondary corner sealing membrane 18. It is equal to the thickness of the secondary support strips 12 so as to jointly form the support surface. This secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is fixed to the fixing surface 63 between two adjacent corrugations 61 .

13 and 14 show a first variant of the method of fastening the secondary support strip 12 to the secondary insulation element 6 at the edge of the first tank wall 4 .

In this first variant, the recess 48 comprises a step 65 . This step 65 comprises the support surface 66 of the recess 48 on which the first longitudinal edge 13 of the secondary support strip 12 rests, and the secondary insulating element 6 of said edge. It is located between the support surfaces 8 formed by The first longitudinal edge 13 further comprises a step 67 within the thickness of the secondary support strip 12 . This step 67 forms a plane that is flush with the step 65.

The retaining plate 68 is fixed to the recess 48 on the step 65 by screws, gluing, riveting or the like. This retaining plate 68 extends parallel to the first supporting wall 2 and covers both steps 65 and 67 . The retaining plate 68 thus retains the secondary support strip 12 on the cover panel 7 . Furthermore, this retaining plate 68 is flush with the support surface 8 and thus forms a substantially continuous plane between the support surface 17 and the support surface 8 of the secondary support strip 12 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 14 , the step 67 of the first longitudinal edge 13 includes a plurality of oblong holes 69 . These oblong holes 69 extend perpendicular to the edge 1 . The retaining plate 68 includes a plurality of lugs 70 protruding in the direction of the secondary support strip 12 . Each lug 70 is received in a respective oblong hole 69. The secondary support strip 12 is thus immobilized in a direction parallel to the edge 1 by close cooperation between the lugs 70 and the walls of the corresponding oblong holes 69 . However, the support strip 12 remains free to slide in the recess 48 in a direction parallel to the edge 10 thanks to the lugs 70 sliding in the oblong holes 69 .

Retaining plate 68 , indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 14 , over the entire length of the recess 48 , in other words over the entire length of the secondary thermal insulation element 6 of the edge supporting said recess 48 , has an edge ( 1) extends in a parallel direction. However, in one embodiment not shown, a plurality of retaining plates 68 of smaller size in a direction parallel to the edge 1 are fixed along the recess 48 . This plurality of retaining plates 68 thus form point anchorages of the secondary support strip 12 in the recess 48 . Similarly, in one embodiment not shown, lugs 70 and oblong holes 69 are reversed. In other words, the lugs 70 protrude from the first longitudinal edge 13 and are received in corresponding oblong holes 69 formed in the retaining plate 68 .

15 shows a second variant of the method of fastening the secondary support strip 120 to the cover panel 7. In this variant, the recess 48 does not contain any steps 65 and 2 The first longitudinal edge 13 of the secondary support strip 12 also does not include any steps 67. However, the first longitudinal edge 13 has oblong holes extending perpendicular to the edge 1 ( 69. These oblong holes 69 each include two inner rims 71 extending parallel to the edge 1 over the entire length of the oblong hole 69. , different from the oblong holes described above, the secondary strip 12 is riveted to the recess 48 and secured by rivets 72, each passing through the oblong hole 69. Each rivet ( 72) includes a rivet head 91 supported on the inner rims 71 of the corresponding oblong hole, so that the secondary support strip 12 is attached to the inner rims 71 abutting the rivet heads 91. is fixed in the recess 48 in a direction perpendicular to the first supporting wall 2. The secondary support 12 also has rivets abutting on the inner rims 71 of the oblong holes 69 ( 72) in a direction parallel to the edge 1. However, this fastening method, thanks to the freedom of movement of the rivets 72 along the oblong holes 69, the secondary support strip 12 It allows sliding in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 and parallel to the first supporting wall 2 .

16 and 17 show the tank corner at the level of the edge 1 formed by the two supporting walls at an angle of 135°.

1 to 4 in that the secondary insulating elements 6 of the edge have a smaller size than the size of the other secondary insulating elements 6 in the direction perpendicular to the edge 1. different from that described in the reference.

In addition, the corner insulation element 15 has two bottom surfaces each lying on one of the supporting walls formed at the edge 1, on one of the supporting walls lying against the secondary insulation element 6 of each edge. It has two perpendicular lateral walls, an upper side parallel to edge 1 and extending symmetrically in relation to the bisect line of the angle formed by supporting walls 2, 3.

Also, the secondary and primary corner membranes 18, 27 are as described above with reference to FIG. 11 and their corrugations 61 are formed from corrugated metal plates extending parallel to the edge 1 .

18 shows a tank corner comprising a secondary corner sealing membrane 18 according to a variant embodiment. 18 also shows the secondary sealing membrane of the tank wall, characterized by an expansion bellows extending perpendicular to the edge 1 . In this variant embodiment, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 comprises an expansion bellows 21 in the form of corrugations 61 extending parallel to the edge 1 . This secondary corner sealing membrane 18 further comprises corrugations 73 extending perpendicularly to the edge 1 . These corrugations 73 extend continuously over the entire length of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . Each end of the corrugations 73 projects from a respective longitudinal edge 13, 14 and is welded in a sealed manner to the secondary sealing membrane of the corresponding tank wall to seal the secondary sealing membrane. Also, to prevent interference with the expansion bellows of the secondary sealing membranes on the tank walls 4, 5, corrugations 73 are applied to the two adjacent sealing membranes of the secondary sealing membranes on the tank walls 4, 5. It is arranged along the edge 1 between the expansion bellows. Corrugations 73 of this kind make it possible to absorb the deformation of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 in a direction parallel to the edge 1 .

In one embodiment not shown, the expansion bellows 21 of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is slightly inclined relative to the edge 1 . An inclined expansion bellows 21 of this kind can be deformed to absorb the deformation of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 in a direction parallel to the edge 1 as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 .

19 shows a detail of a 90° tank corner with variant embodiments of a primary corner sealing membrane 27 . In this variant, the primary sealing membrane 27 is made with the help of rigid corner angle steel.

The rigid corner angle steel comprises two flat rigid metal plates (88) jointly forming an angle of 90°, each flat plate (88) being the primary sealing membrane of each tank wall (4, 5). It is welded at 89 in a sealed way. This kind of rigid corner angle steel does not need to be placed on the primary support strip 23 . Each flat plate 88 is therefore directly fixed on the respective edge insulation element 22 . This fastening can be made in various ways, for example by screwing, riveting, gluing and the like.

The corner structure includes a primary corner insulation element 30 as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 , 4 and 20 . However, the upper insulating filling part 45 is composed of two rigid insulating blocks 90 . Each insulation block has a triangular cross-section, the first side of which lies on the cover plate 41, the second side of which lies against the lateral side of each edge insulation element 22, the third lower side is placed on each flat plate 88. These two rigid insulating blocks 90 thus form a flat bearing surface for the flat plates 88 .

19 also shows a space 43 freed under the lower plate 40 to accommodate the curved secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . Also in this embodiment the bottom faces 36, 39 are expansion bellows protruding from the planar parts of the secondary sealing membrane, in a similar way to the lower faces of the primary insulating elements of the tank walls 4, 5. makes it possible to accept

21 and 22 show variant embodiments of the primary corner insulation element 30 . These variant embodiments are described with reference to FIGS. 3 , 4 and 19 in that the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 are each formed by a planar parallelepiped plate 74 . It is different from the primary insulation element. The first lateral face 34 and the second lateral face 37 are thus each formed by one of the larger faces of the corresponding plate 74 . Also, the first bottom face 36 and the second bottom face 39 are formed by faces extending within the thickness of the corresponding plate 74 .

In the first variant shown in FIG. 21 the spacer 33 is formed by two rods 75 each extending perpendicular to the edge 1 and inclined with respect to the supporting walls forming the edge 1 . These rods 75 are secured to the plates 74 in any suitable manner. For example, each of the plates 74 includes a through orifice through which the rods 75 pass. Each of these orifices has an inner rim supported by a nut mounted on the end of a rod 75 passing through the orifice.

In the second variant shown in FIG. 22 , the spacer 33 is formed by a single rod 75 extending perpendicular to the edge 1 and inclined with respect to the supporting walls forming the edge 1 . However, this single rod 75 is fixed to each plate 74 by a ball joint connection 92. This second variant has the advantage that it can be utilized for edges 1 having different angles.

The techniques for manufacturing sealed and insulated tanks described above can be utilized in various types of storage facilities, for example to build LNG storage facilities on land or in floating structures such as methane carriers or other vessels.

Referring to FIG. 23 , a cut-away view of a methane transport vessel 76 shows a sealed and insulated tank 77 of generally polyhedral shape mounted to the double hull 78 of the vessel. The wall of the tank 77 has a primary sealing barrier brought into contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 78 of the ship, and a primary sealing barrier and a secondary sealing. It includes two thermal insulation barriers respectively disposed between the barriers and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 78.

In a manner known per se, loading/unloading pipes 79 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel for the transfer of LNG cargo to or from the tank 77 can be connected by suitable connectors to the sea or port terminal. there is.

23 shows an example of a marine terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 81 , an underwater pipe 82 and a ground installation 83 . The loading and unloading station 81 is a fixed offshore installation comprising a movable arm 80 and a tower 84 supporting the movable arm 80 . The movable arm 80 has a bundle of insulated flexible tubes 85 which can be connected to the loading/unloading pipes 79. The reversible movable arm 80 is suitable for loading gauges of all methane carriers. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 84. Loading and unloading station 81 allows loading and unloading of methane carrier 76 to or from ground facility 83 . The ground installation includes liquefied gas storage tanks 86 and connecting pipes 87 connected by means of submersible pipes 82 to a loading or unloading station 81 . The submersible pipe 82 enables the transfer of liquefied gas over long distances, for example 5 km, between the loading or unloading station 81 and the ground installation 83, which allows the methane transport vessel 76 to operate during loading and unloading operations. makes it possible to stay at great distances from the coast.

Pumps aboard the ship 76 and/or pumps aboard the ground installation 83 and/or pumps aboard the loading and unloading station 81 are used to create the pressure required to transfer the liquefied gas. is used for

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto and covers all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof as long as they fall within the scope of the present invention.

Thus, while reference is made to individualized elements in the above description, the features described above also apply to a plurality of identical elements repeated according to a regular pattern within a tank. Thus, if a connection between two elements has been described, this connection also applies by analogy to a series of two said elements extending in a repetitive manner in the tank, for example along the edge 1 .

The verbs 'to include', 'to accomplish' and their conjugations do not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those recited in the claims.

In the claims, reference numbers in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims (18)

A sealed and insulated tank integrated into a supporting structure, said structure comprising a first planar supporting wall (2) and a second planar supporting wall (3) jointly forming an edge (1) of the supporting structure,
The tank comprises, from the support structure towards the inside of the tank, a secondary thermal insulation barrier fixed to the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane supported by a primary thermal insulation barrier;
The tank comprises a first tank wall (4) supported by a first planar supporting wall (2) and a second tank wall (5) supported by a second planar supporting wall (3),
The primary thermal insulation barrier of each tank comprises a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped thermal insulation blocks 22, wherein the thermal insulation blocks 22 of the primary thermal insulation barrier are in a plane transverse to the corresponding supporting walls 2, 3 It has lateral faces extending from,
The primary insulating barrier comprises a corner insulating block (30), which corner insulating block (30) comprises a first lateral element (31) and a second lateral element (32) connected by spacer elements (33). And, the corner insulating block 30 further comprises an insulating lining disposed between the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32,
The first lateral element 31 comprises a first bottom surface 36 and a first lateral surface 34, the first bottom surface 36 being parallel to the first supporting wall 2 and providing a secondary seal. It lies on the membrane, and the first lateral face 34 lies against the lateral face 35 of the insulating block 22 of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 and its lateral face 35 ) and extends from the first bottom surface 36 in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to
The second lateral element 32 comprises a second bottom surface 39 and a second lateral surface 37, the second bottom surface 39 being parallel to the second supporting wall 3 and providing a secondary seal. It lies on the membrane and the second lateral face 37 lies against the lateral face 38 of the insulating block 22 of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5 and its lateral face 38 ) and extends from the second bottom surface 39 in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to
The spacer element 33 is disposed between the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 to support the first bottom surface 36 and the second bottom surface 39 spaced apart,
The corner insulation block 30 connects the first bottom surface 36 to the second bottom surface 39 and further includes a rear surface inclined with respect to the first support wall 2 and the second support wall 3, Create a space (43) between the rear face of the corner insulation block (30) and the secondary sealing membrane,
The secondary sealing membrane comprises a plurality of expansion bellows, said plurality of expansion bellows having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the edge (1) of the supporting structure and deformable in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. and each of the first bottom surface 36 and the second bottom surface 39 is placed on a secondary sealing membrane between two expansion bellows adjacent to the bottom surface,
At least one of said expansion bellows is disposed between a first bottom surface (36) and a second bottom surface (39) flush with the edge (1) of the supporting structure. 2. The sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1, wherein an insulating packing (44) is arranged in the space (43) between the rear face and the secondary sealing membrane along the edge (1) of the supporting structure. 3. The spacer element (33) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first support wall (2) and the second support wall (3) are formed on the first lateral element (31) and the second lateral element (33). A sealed and insulated tank comprising at least one rigid rod or plate (75) mounted in an inclined manner with respect to the tank. 4. The rod (75) of the spacer element (33) is sealed, mounted to at least one of the first lateral element (31) and the second lateral element (32) by a ball joint connection (92). insulated tank. 3. The lower plate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacer element (33) connects the first bottom surface (36) to the second bottom surface (39) and forms said rear surface of the corner insulating block (30). 40) sealed and insulated tank. 6. The spacer element (33) further comprises an upper plate (41) connecting the upper edge of the first lateral face (34) and the upper edge of the second lateral face (37), A sealed and insulated tank in which the plate (41) is inclined relative to the first (2) and second (3) supporting walls. 7. The sealed and insulated tank according to claim 6, further comprising rigid insulating elements (45) resting on the upper plate (41) to form a corner bearing surface for the primary sealing membrane. 7. The spacer element (33) according to claim 6, further comprising two end plates (42) each extending in a plane perpendicular to the edge (1) of the supporting structure, said end plates (42) comprising: connecting the lateral elements (31, 32) to jointly define the inner volume of the corner insulation block (31) with the upper plate (41), the lower plate (40) and the lateral elements (31, 32); A sealed and insulated tank having an insulating lining contained in the interior volume. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first lateral element (31) and the second lateral element (32) comprises a parallelepiped-shaped plate (74), said parallelepiped-shaped plate ( 74) is a sealed and insulated tank forming the corresponding lateral faces 34, 37 and bottom faces 36, 39 of the lateral elements 31, 32. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first lateral element (31) and the second lateral element (32) comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate transverse to the supporting wall. A sealed and insulated tank extending in the plane of the girder and forming a lateral face of the lateral element, and a second plate extending parallel to the supporting wall and forming a bottom face of the lateral element. 3. The sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the secondary sealing membrane and the primary sealing membrane is formed along the edge (1) by corner angle steel. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a curved support strip (23) whose concave side faces the inside of the tank, said support strip (23) extending parallel to the edge (1) of the support structure , The support strip 23 has a support surface 8 formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 1 and a support surface 8 formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5. ) on the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5 and the first longitudinal edge 24 lying on the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 to form a continuous bearing surface 17 between A sealed and insulated tank comprising a second longitudinal edge (25) lying on said support strip (23), wherein a primary sealing membrane is placed on said support strip (23). According to claim 7,
It further comprises a curved support strip (23) whose concave side faces the inside of the tank, said support strip (23) extending parallel to the edge (1) of the support structure, said support strip (23) having a first A continuous support surface (17) between the support surface (8) formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the tank wall (1) and the support surface (8) formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5) a first longitudinal edge 24 lying on the primary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 and a second longitudinal edge 25 lying on the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5 to form A primary sealing membrane is placed on the support strip 23,
The upper side of the rigid insulating element 45 opposite the upper plate 41 of the spacer element 33 is curved, and the support strip 23 is sealed and thermally insulating placed on said upper side of the rigid insulating element 45. old tank. 14. The seal according to claim 13, wherein the spacer element (33) is arranged spaced apart from at least one of the expansion bellows of the secondary sealing membrane between which the first bottom surface (36) and the second bottom surface (39) lie. and insulated tank. A vessel (76) for transporting a cooling liquid product, comprising a double hull (78) and a tank (77) according to claim 1 or 2 arranged in the double hull. A conveying system for cooling liquid products, comprising insulated pipelines (79, 85, 81) arranged to connect a ship (76) of claim 15, a tank (77) mounted on the ship's hull to an offshore or onshore storage facility (83) , 87), and a pump for driving the flow of refrigerated liquid product through insulated pipelines from an onshore or onshore storage facility to a vessel's tank or from a vessel's tank to an onshore or onshore storage facility. A method for loading or unloading a vessel (76) of claim 15, wherein the cooling liquid product is transported from an offshore or onshore storage facility (83) through insulated pipelines (79, 85, 81, 87) to a tank of the vessel (76). or from a tank on a vessel (76) to an offshore or onshore storage facility (83). delete

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