KR102521377B1 - Insulated closed tank with curved support strips - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closed and insulated tank integrated in a support structure forming an edge together, the tank comprising two tank walls supported by a support structure connected in the edge region by corner structures, each tank wall being hermetically sealed. comprising an insulating barrier forming a support surface intended to receive the membrane, the corner structures of the tank comprising curved support strips (12) seated on the thermal insulation barriers of the tank walls, the corner structures being connected to the support strips (12); and a corner sealing membrane (18) which is seated and connects the sealing membranes of the two tank walls in a closed manner, the corner sealing membrane (18) at least in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure. at least one elastic bellows adapted to provide an elongation of

Description

Insulated closed tank with curved support strips

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

Closed and insulated tanks are employed especially for the transport and/or storage of various liquefied gases. In general, liquefied gas is stored at atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on land or offshore structures.

A tank for storing or transporting low-temperature liquefied gas consisting of a thin metal plate supported by an insulating barrier, the sealing membrane, in particular the primary sealing membrane in contact with the product stored in the tank, e.g. FR-A-2798358, FR-A -2709725 or FR-A-2549575. These thin metal plates are interconnected in an airtight manner to close the tank.

The insulating barrier supporting the sealing membrane in such a tank includes a plurality of anchor fins extending longitudinally or transversely to the tank. These fixing pins protrude from the top surface of the thermal insulation barrier. The sealing membrane is composed of a plurality of strakes with raised edges each disposed longitudinally between two adjacent fixing pins. Each raised edge of the strake is welded in an airtight manner to one of the fixing pins between which the strake is disposed. Thus, each raised edge of the strake together with its fixed retaining pin constitutes a telescoping bellows which can be deflected in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strake. These flexible bellows make it possible to absorb deformations of the sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strake, for example during contraction of the sealing membrane related to temperature changes during insertion of the cryogenic fluid into the tank.

However, the elastic bellows can absorb only the deformation of the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the elastic bellows. In order to withstand the stress exerted by the membrane in a direction parallel to the telescopic bellows, the edge of the sealing membrane perpendicular to the telescopic bellows is secured to the support structure by means of rigid corner structures. Rigid corner structures of this kind include rigid anchor flats that are directly anchored to the support structure and pass through the thermal insulation barrier. The edges of the sealing membrane are secured to these holding flats so that the rigid corner structures can withstand tension of the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic bellows.

However, a rigid corner structure of this kind is complicated to manufacture and integrate into a tank, especially in view of a tank comprising two overlapping sealing membranes and two insulating barriers. In practice, the secondary airtight barrier in the corner region of the tank is formed by rigid corner structures made of rigid plates. Furthermore, the thermal insulation barrier has to be fixed to the support structure, which requires a complicated mounting of the thermal insulation barrier to the support structure, including in the corner structure area.

Also known from document FR2780942 is a rigid corner structure arranged in an insulating barrier region seated directly on a support structure. However, in addition to complexity to manufacture, such a corner structure cannot be employed in a simple manner in terms of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the double membrane tank.

There are also closed and insulated tanks in which the sealing membrane is formed of a waffle-type plate, for example in the form of a corrugated metal plate. Document EP2306064 thus forms a waffle-type plate including the corner area of the tank. To this end, the device describes a corner structure which forms a bearing surface for the corner sealing membrane. However, such a corner structure must have high structural strength because it must be able to withstand the load present at the corner of the tank.

The idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to provide a closed and insulated tank that is simple to manufacture and integrate into the supporting structure, including the corner areas of the tank. In particular, the idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to provide a closed and insulated tank, which provides freedom in designing the goner structure, in the area of the hermetic membrane and/or the thermal insulation barrier. Furthermore, the idea on which the first object of the present invention is based is to propose a sealing membrane that is simple to manufacture and integrate into the support structure while allowing deformation of the sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

According to a first object, the present invention provides a closed and insulated tank integrated in a support structure, the support structure comprising a first planar support wall and a second planar support wall intersecting in an edge region of the support structure,

The tank comprises a first tank wall supported by the first planar support wall, a second tank wall supported by the second planar support wall, and a corner structure connecting the first and second tank walls at the edge region of the support structure. wherein each tank wall in turn includes an insulating barrier and a sealing membrane from the support structure toward the interior 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, forming 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 extending parallel to the edge of the support structure and facing towards the inside of the tank with its concave surface, said support strip being formed by the insulating barrier of the first tank wall. The first longitudinal edge seated on the thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall and the thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall to form a continuous support surface between the formed support surface and the support surface formed by the thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall. a second longitudinal edge, the corner structure further comprising a corner sealing membrane seated on the curved support strip connecting the sealing membrane of the first tank wall and the sealing membrane of the second tank wall in a sealed manner; The corner sealing membrane comprises at least one corner elastic bellows arranged in the support strip to provide stretching of the corner sealing membrane at least in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

A support strip of this kind forms a support surface which provides considerable freedom in designing the corner sealing membrane, said corner sealing membrane being seated directly on the support strip. Thus, it is possible to provide a corner closing membrane featuring at least one elastic bellows which allows it to absorb deformation of the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

Furthermore, these corner closing membranes do not require a rigid fixed connection to the support structure. In practice, the support strip is seated on the thermal insulation barrier of the flat wall of the tank, so that the hydrostatic and dynamic loads of the tank in the area of the corner structure are transmitted by the support strip and the thermal insulation barrier of the tank on which the support strip is seated. It is therefore not necessary to provide a complex corner structure as is known from the prior art to absorb the hydrostatic dynamic loads of the tank in the area of the corner structure. Furthermore, a support strip of this kind, which is not directly fixed to the support structure, does not generate a thermal bridge between the support structure and the sealing membrane seated on the support strip.

According to an embodiment, a closed 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 insulation blocks on which the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge of the support strip are respectively seated and slide in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure. do.

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

Thus, the sealing membrane and the corner sealing membrane are seated on a continuous bearing surface formed together by the supporting surfaces of the row of edge insulating blocks and the supporting strips.

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

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 comprises an edge insulation block comprising a recess in which said edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip is received. Further comprising a fixing plate coupled to the cover panel of the fixing plate is coupled to the cover panel in the recess area such that the edge of the support strip is interposed between the fixing plate and the bottom surface of the recess of the edge insulation block Cover the step of the edge of the support strip. The support strip is thus fixed in a direction perpendicular to the support structure, ensuring a good fixation of the support strip to the heat insulating barrier of the tank wall.

According to an embodiment, one of the edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip and the fixing plate comprises an elongated hole extending perpendicular to the edge, and the edge of the longitudinal edge of the support strip covered by the fixing plate and one of the fixing plate includes an elongated hole. The other includes lugs received in the elongated holes to secure movement of the support strip along the edge of the support structure while permitting motion of the support strip in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure. The support strip is thus secured in place along the edge of the support structure.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane is secured to the supporting strip. This enables anchoring of the corner sealing membrane to the support strip. This fixation is particularly important when high pressure is present on the thermal insulation barrier, for example during a sealing test of the sealing membrane which consists in applying high pressure to the thermal insulation barrier. In practice, the sealing membrane of each tank wall is secured to the thermal insulation barrier of said tank wall so that, in the absence of anchoring of the corner sealing membrane to the support strip, the corner sealing membrane can deform towards the inside of the tank despite such high pressure. there is.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane is fixed to the support strip continuously or at one or more points along a fixing line parallel to the edge of the support structure.

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

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane comprises a plurality of parallel elastic bellows and the corner sealing membrane is secured along the edge between two elastic bellows of the corner sealing membrane to a fixing strip separating two successive support strips.

By these features, securing the corner closing membrane to the support strip does not interfere with the stretching of the elastic bellows of the corner closing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner closure membrane includes pleats extending perpendicular to the edge of the support structure, and these pleats intersect with the elastic bellows of the corner closure membrane.

According to an embodiment, the insulating barrier of each tank wall is a primary insulating barrier, the insulating block is a primary insulating block, the sealing membrane of each tank wall is a primary sealing membrane, and the supporting strip of the corner structure is a primary insulating block. a primary support strip, and the corner sealing membrane of the corner structure is a 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 block is 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 insulation blocks fixed to the support structure to form a secondary support surface intended to receive a 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 comprises a curved secondary support strip extending parallel to the edge of the support structure and with its concave surface facing towards the inside of the tank, said secondary support strip being attached to the secondary insulation barrier of the first tank wall. A first secondary length seated on the secondary 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 second tank wall a directional edge and a second secondary longitudinal edge seated on the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall, the corner structure comprising a secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall and a secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall; a secondary corner sealing membrane connected in a closed manner and seated on the curved secondary support strip and sliding in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure, the secondary corner sealing membrane arranged on the secondary support strip at least It includes one secondary elastic bellows to provide elongation of the secondary sealing membrane in a direction at least perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

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

a first lateral element comprising a first side resting against the primary edge insulating block of the first tank wall and a first bottom surface seated on a secondary sealing membrane; and

a second lateral element comprising a second side surface lying against the primary edge insulating block of the second tank wall and a second bottom surface seated on the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall;

The primary corner insulating block further includes a spacer connecting the first lateral element and the second lateral element, the spacer being adapted to provide a space between the primary corner insulating block and the secondary sealing membrane, wherein the A space receives said at least one second elastic bellows of a secondary corner membrane.

According to one embodiment, the spacer includes a lower plate connecting a first bottom surface and a 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 insulation block. The second bottom surface is spaced apart from the at least one secondary elastic bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane and seated on the secondary corner sealing membrane such that the lower plate is spaced apart from the at least one secondary elastic bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane.

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

A corner insulation block of this kind provides a space to accommodate the expansion bellows or bellows of the secondary corner sealing membrane. A corner insulation block of this kind thus provides considerable freedom in designing the secondary corner sealing membrane while ensuring thermal insulation of the tank in the area of the corner structure.

According to one embodiment, the spacer further comprises an upper plate connecting the first side and the second side inclined with respect to the first support wall and the second support wall, and the corner insulating block has a curved shape supporting the primary support strip. It further includes an insulating filling having a top surface and seated on the top plate, wherein the primary support strip is seated on the insulating filling. The corner structure thus further enables good thermal insulation. Moreover, if rigid, this insulating filling can participate in the transmission of the hydrostatic and dynamic loads exerted on the primary support strip.

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

According to a second object, the present invention provides a closed and insulated tank integrated in a support structure, the support structure comprising a first planar support wall and a second planar support wall which together form an edge of the support structure;

The tank has a secondary thermal insulation barrier fixed to the support structure towards the inside of the tank from 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 thermal insulation barrier. Includes a primary sealing membrane supported by

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 thermal insulation barrier of each tank wall includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped thermal insulation blocks, and the insulation blocks of the primary thermal insulation barrier have side surfaces extending in a plane intersecting 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 a spacer element, the corner insulating block comprising the first lateral element and the second lateral element. further comprising an insulating lining arranged between the directional elements;

The first lateral element includes a first bottom surface and a first side surface, the first bottom surface being parallel to the first supporting wall and seated on the secondary sealing membrane, the first side surface extending from the first bottom surface to the first tank. It extends in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to the insulation block of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the wall,

The second lateral element includes a second bottom surface and a second side surface, the first bottom surface being parallel to the second supporting wall and seated on the secondary sealing membrane, the second side surface extending from the second bottom surface to the second tank. It extends in the direction of the primary sealing membrane parallel to the side of the insulation block of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the wall,

The spacer element is arranged between the first lateral element and the second lateral element to fix the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface apart,

The corner insulating block includes 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 provide a space between the secondary sealing membrane and the rear surface of the corner insulating block. .

The corner insulation block thus provides freedom in fabricating the secondary sealing membrane flush with the edge of the supporting structure, without requiring the secondary sealing membrane to be formed as a rigid flat plate fixed to the supporting wall in the corner region of the tank. In particular, the space between the secondary sealing membrane and the rear face of the corner insulating block includes the secondary sealing membrane parallel to the edge of the supporting structure, enabling provision of a telescopic bellows thereto. Moreover, this kind of corner insulation block does not require a fixing member for fixing to the supporting structure, each of the first and second sides of the corner insulating block being a part of the tank wall for fixing the corner insulation block to the supporting structure. Cooperate with the individual sides of the edge insulation block. Furthermore, the spacer element enables transmission of forces between the thermal insulation barriers of the first tank wall and the second tag wall via the corner insulation block, and forces exerted by one of the tank walls on the corner insulation block are directed towards the other tank wall. Corner insulation blocks tend to be pushed.

According to an embodiment, a closed and insulated tank of the above kind may include one or more of the following features.

According to one embodiment, the side of the insulating element on which the side of the first or second lateral element of the corner insulating block lies is continuous or intermittent. According to one embodiment, said side surface of the insulating element is a support surface on which the lateral pillar, cover panel, floor panel and/or else the first or second lateral element of the corner insulating block can rest and/or be supported. is formed by the elements that form

According to one embodiment, an insulating filling is disposed in the space between the rear surface and the secondary sealing membrane parallel to the edge of the support structure.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element comprises at least one rigid rod or plate mounted to 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 to at least one of the first lateral element and the second lateral element by a ball joint connection. By these features, identical corner insulating blocks can be easily fitted to the edges of the supporting structure featuring distinct angles and facilitate assembly.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element comprises a bottom plate connecting the first bottom surface to the second bottom surface to form said rear surface of the corner insulating block.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element further comprises an upper plate connecting an upper edge of the first side and an upper edge of the second side, the upper plate being inclined with respect to the first and second supporting walls.

According to one embodiment, the tank further comprises a rigid insulating element seated 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 seated on the top plate and interposed 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 comprising an upper plate, a lower plate and a lateral element defining the inner volume of the corner insulating block. Connected to the lateral elements so as to confine them together, an insulating lining is received in said inner volume. Thus, the corner insulating block can form a box into which an insulating material can be inserted.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first element and the second lateral element comprises a cuboid-shaped plate, said cuboid-shaped plate forming a corresponding side surface and a corresponding bottom surface of the lateral element. A lateral element of this kind is simple and compact to manufacture.

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 forming a side surface of the lateral element and intersecting the supporting wall. Extending in a plane, a second plate forms the bottom surface of the lateral element and extends parallel to the supporting wall. Lateral elements of this kind are simple to manufacture and feature large faces that cooperate with neighboring elements.

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

According to one embodiment, the tank further comprises a curved support strip with a concave surface facing towards the inside of the tank, said support strip extending parallel to the edge of the support structure, said support strip of the first tank wall. a support surface formed by the primary insulating barrier of the first tank wall, including a first longitudinal edge seated on the primary insulating barrier and a second longitudinal edge seated on the primary insulating barrier of the second tank wall; A continuous support surface is formed between the support surfaces formed by the primary thermal insulation barrier of the tank wall, and the primary sealing membrane is seated on the support strip.

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

According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane includes a plurality of elastic bellows extending parallel to the edge of the support structure, and the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface are attached to the secondary sealing membrane between two adjacent elastic bellows. settle in

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

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

According to a 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 elastic bellows.

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

According to another embodiment, the elastic bellows of the sealing membrane of the first and second tanks are arranged perpendicular to the edge of the support 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 trays forming an elastic bellows of the sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane comprises a plurality of juxtaposed strakes having raised edges, the raised edges of the strakes extending parallel to the edge of the support structure.

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

According to one embodiment, said at least one elastic bellows of the corner sealing membrane extends parallel to or slightly oblique to the edge of the support structure. By slightly inclined it is meant that said at least one elastic bellows extends in a longitudinal direction at an angle to the edge of the support structure not exceeding 45°. An elastic bellows of this kind is inclined with respect to the edge of the support structure, allowing deformation of the corner sealing membrane parallel and perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane includes at least one corrugated metal plate. According to one embodiment, the corrugations of the corner sealing membrane form the elastic bellows of the corner sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the insulating block has a cuboid shape.

According to one embodiment, the insulating block is a box filled with a non-structural insulating material.

According to one embodiment, the insulating block is, for example, a block of high-density rigid insulating foam.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane is continuously or intermittently fixed to the support strip.

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

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane is secured to the support strip so that it can slide in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure, ie in the direction of operation of the telescopic bellows of the corner closing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the corner sealing membrane is secured to a metal insert separating two continuous support strips disposed along the edges of the support structure, the metal insert being parallel to the support structure separated by the metal insert. comprising a fixing strip extending perpendicular to the edge of the fixing strip, the metal insert forming a step with respect to the fixing strip and comprising two rims disposed on respective opposite sides of the fixing strip, the support strips separated by the metal insert comprising: Each is fixed to an individual rim of a metal insert.

According to one embodiment, the corner closing membrane is welded to the supporting strip, eg by fillet welding along a fixing line.

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

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 the at least one tank wall are supported by the insulating barrier of the tank wall and the support strip.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of metal. According to one embodiment, the support strip is made of a nickel steel alloy, for example 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 has resistance to friction to absorb hydrostatic forces and dynamic loads at the corners of the tank.

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

According to one embodiment, the support strip is fixed to the at least one thermal insulation barrier in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall to which the support strip is fixed. 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 fixing plates are arranged along the edge insulating block or blocks on which the support strip is seated.

According to one embodiment, each fixing plate extends over the whole of the edge of the edge insulation block on which the support strip is seated.

According to one embodiment, the support strip is supported by the end blocks of the thermal insulation barrier which are free to slide in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.

According to a preferred embodiment, the support strip has a coefficient of expansion less than or equal to the coefficient of expansion 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 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 cooperate directly with each other.

According to one embodiment, the tank described above is part of an onshore storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or an offshore or deep sea floating structure, in particular a methane tanker, a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) units, etc.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for the transport of liquid products comprises a double hull and the aforementioned tank arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or offloading a vessel of the above type in which the low-temperature liquid product is sent from a sea or land storage facility to the vessel's tank or vice versa via an insulated pipe.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a low-temperature liquid product delivery system, which system is provided via an insulated pipe and an insulated pipe adapted to connect a hull-mounted tank of a ship to the aforementioned ship, offshore or onshore storage facility. Includes pumps for forcing the flow of cryogenic liquid products from offshore or onshore storage facilities to the vessel's tanks and vice versa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages made clear by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description of specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of example and not limitation.
1 is a schematic perspective view of a closed and insulated tank in a corner region, showing a secondary insulating barrier and a support strip resting on top of it.
Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, with the addition of a secondary corner sealing membrane.
FIG. 3 shows a primary thermal insulation barrier seated on a secondary sealing membrane, similar to FIG. 2 .
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3, with the addition of a primary corner sealing membrane.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a tank wall in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure, showing a secondary or primary corner sealing membrane and a secondary or primary support strip.
6 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a tank wall in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure, the cooperation between the secondary or primary corner closure membrane and the secondary or primary support strip; and the cooperation between the secondary or primary insulating block.
FIG. 7 shows a first variant of the detail of FIG. 6 in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the supporting structure.
8 shows a second variant of the detail of FIG. 6 in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.
FIG. 9 shows a first variant of the detail of FIG. 5 in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.
Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a modified embodiment of Fig. 9;
FIG. 11 shows a second modified embodiment of the detail of FIG. 5 in a schematic perspective view;
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the detail of Figure 11 taken along line V-V.
13 shows a first variant of the method of fastening the support strip to the insulating block in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of the detail of Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in Fig. 14, showing a second modification of the method of fixing the support strip to the insulating block.
16 is a schematic perspective view of a corrugated secondary corner sealing membrane and a secondary thermal insulation barrier at a corner of a tank between two walls of the tank forming an angle of 135°.
Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of the tank corner of Fig. 16, partially showing the primary thermal insulation barrier and primary sealing membrane;
18 is a schematic perspective view of a first variant embodiment of a corner closing membrane;
19 is a cross-sectional view of a second alternative embodiment of a corner sealing membrane in a plane perpendicular to the edge.
20 is a schematic perspective view of a primary corner insulation block that can be used for a tank wall with an angle of 135°.
21 is a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to an edge of a supporting structure of a primary corner insulating block according to a second embodiment.
22 is a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to the edge of the support structure of a primary corner insulation block according to a third embodiment that can be used for a tank wall with an angle of 90°.
23 is a schematic cut-away view of a methane tanker tank and a terminal for loading and/or offloading the tank.

Reference is made in this description to a closed and insulated tank comprising an interior space intended to be filled with a flammable or non-flammable gas. Gases are especially liquefied natural gas (LNG), i.e. mainly contain methane with small amounts of nitrogen and one or more different hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, N-butane, I-butane, N-pentane, I-pentane and neopentane It may be a gas mixture that Likewise, the gas may be ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a mixture of hydrocarbons produced by refined petroleum which essentially includes propane and butane.

A sealed and insulated tank of this kind is integrated into a supporting structure, for example a double hull of a ship for carrying LNG. This support structure defines a plurality of support walls which abut in the region of the edge 1 of the support structure and which together define the inner space of the double hull intended to accommodate a closed and insulated tank. The closed and insulated tank includes a plurality of tank walls each supported by a respective supporting wall. The tank wall is abutted in the region of the edge 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 its supporting wall to the interior 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 supporting wall 2 and the second tank wall 5 is supported by the second supporting wall 3 .

Figure 1 shows the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the first and second tank walls 4, 5. These secondary thermal insulation barriers are formed from juxtaposed secondary insulation elements 6 . The second insulating element 6 is fastened to the support structure by suitable means, for example by adhesive and/or by mechanical fastening means. Each secondary insulating element 6 has a cuboid shape characterized by two larger faces (or main faces) and four smaller faces (or sides). Each secondary insulating element 6 has a top surface that forms a secondary support surface 8 and receives a secondary sealing membrane. A secondary insulating element of this kind is made in the form of a plywood box filled with an insulating material such as perlite, airgel, silica, glass wool or insulating foam, for example.

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

The secondary sealing membrane of the tank wall can be manufactured in various ways, preferably using metal plates. A secondary sealing membrane of this kind is characterized by an elastic bellows. These elastic bellows are produced in a suitable manner, for example by welding a metal plate in a corrugated form or by welding the raised edges of adjacent metal plates in pairs. These elastic bellows can absorb the deformation of the secondary sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the elastic bellows. For example, a secondary insulating element 6 of this kind of membrane tank and/or a secondary sealing membrane 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 in the region of the edge 1 . This corner structure comprises a curved and rigid secondary support strip 12 . The secondary support strip 12 features a concave surface extending parallel to the edge 1 and facing towards the inside of the tank. The secondary support strip 12 rests on the secondary insulating element 6 arranged at the edge of the first tank wall 4 and comprises a first longitudinal edge 13 extending parallel to the edge 1. . The secondary support strip 12 also comprises a second longitudinal edge 14 extending parallel to the edge 1 and seated on a secondary insulating element 6 arranged at the end of the second tank wall 5. do. The secondary support strip 12 serves to absorb the hydrodynamic and static loads that the secondary sealing membrane receives in the corner area of the tank. To this end, the secondary support strip 12 is made of a relatively rigid material.

The secondary support strip 12 can be manufactured in a variety of ways. According to a first embodiment, this support strip 12 is made of metal, eg nickel steel or manganese steel, and has a thickness greater than 2 mm, eg between 3 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 thermoset 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 can be woven or non-woven. For example, a composite material comprising woven carbon fibers may be selected to obtain good abrasion resistance and reasonable cost. The thickness of the composite material can be selected as a function of the thermal expansion stress and compressive force 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 is seated on the secondary corner support surface 17 . A secondary corner sealing membrane 18 of this kind is described in more detail below, for example with reference to FIG. 5 . In order to close the secondary sealing membrane, the secondary corner sealing membrane is first connected to the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank 4 in a closed manner, as described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 , It is then connected to the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank (5).

As the secondary support strips 12 are seated on the thermal insulating barrier of the tank walls 4, 5, the loads absorbed by the secondary support structures 12 form corner support structures that are complex to manufacture to absorb these loads. It is transferred to the insulating barrier without requiring a structure.

To finish the insulation barrier of the corner structure, a secondary insulation filling 16 is inserted between the secondary support strip 12 and the terminal secondary insulation block 6 on which the secondary support strip 12 is seated. The secondary insulating filling 16 of this kind is made of high-density polyurethane in various ways, for example, first supporting the upper surface of the secondary insulating block 6 and then supporting the curved shape of the lower surface of the secondary supporting strip 12. It can be made of rigid blocks of foam.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , in a manner similar to the secondary thermal insulation barrier, the primary thermal insulation barriers of the first and second tank walls 4 and 5 include a plurality of primary insulation elements 22 . These primary insulating elements 22 are similar to the secondary insulating elements 6 and consist, for example, of a rectangular parallelepiped plywood box filled with an insulating material. The primary insulating element 22 can be fixed to the support structure in various ways, for example directly via a fastening member passing through the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the secondary sealing membrane or indirectly by being secured to the secondary sealing membrane. Similarly, the primary insulating element 22 of each tank wall forms a bearing surface that supports the primary sealing membrane of said tank wall.

The corner structure also includes a primary support strip 23 similar to the secondary support strip 12 described above. The primary support strip 23 extends along the edge 1 parallel to said edge 1 . This primary support strip 23 is curved with a concave surface facing the tank inwardly, and is seated on a primary insulating element 22 disposed at the edge of the first tank wall 4 in the first longitudinal direction. edge 24 and a second longitudinal edge 25 seated on a primary insulating element 22 disposed on the second tank wall 5 . This primary support strip 23 forms a continuous primary corner support surface 26 on which the primary corner sealing membrane 27 is seated.

Unlike the secondary insulating barrier seated on the supporting structure, the primary insulating barrier is seated on the secondary sealing membrane. Accordingly, the secondary sealing membrane includes an elastic bellows protruding toward the inside of the tank.

Primary insulating elements (22) of the first and second tank walls (4, 5) to accommodate the elastic bellows of the secondary sealing membrane supported by the first and second tank walls (4, 5). ) includes a groove on the lower surface for accommodating the elastic bellows. This solution of having grooves in the first and second tank walls 4, 5 is based on the cuboid-shaped nature of the primary insulating element 22 and of the secondary sealing membrane (stretchable bellows) on which the primary insulating element 22 is seated. except) is simple to manufacture because of its substantially flat outline. However, this approach is complicated to implement for the primary corner insulating element 30 of the corner structure. In practice, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 seated on the secondary support strip 12 has a curved shape. Accordingly, a rectangular parallelepiped primary corner insulating block having a shape similar to that of the secondary corner insulating block 15 cannot be manufactured.

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 side surface 34 extending perpendicularly to the first supporting wall 2 . The first side wall 34 is connected to the side surface 35 of the primary insulating element 22 arranged at the edge of the first tank wall 4 on which the primary support strip 23 is seated.

The first lateral element 31 also comprises a first bottom surface 36 seated on the planar part of the secondary sealing membrane, preferably between two neighboring elastic bellows. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the secondary sealing membrane is made of raised edged strakes 9 , this first bottom surface 36 being the adjacent secondary corner strip of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . It rests on the planar part of the second strake 9 of the first tank wall 4 connected in a hermetically sealed manner to the rake 19 . In one embodiment not shown, this first bottom surface 36 is in the planar part of the secondary corner strake 19 of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18, ie on the raised edge of said secondary corner strake 19. It is seated on the edge (20).

The first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 are symmetric about the bisector of the angle formed by the first supporting wall 2 and the second supporting wall 3 . The second lateral element 32 therefore lies against the side surface 38 of the primary insulating element 22 arranged at the edge of the second tank wall 5 on which the primary support strip 23 rests. (37) and a second bottom surface (39) seated on the secondary sealing membrane between two adjacent elastic bellows.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the spacer 33 is formed of a bottom plate 40 and a cover plate 41 extending parallel to each other. These bottom plate 40 and cover plate 41 extend parallel to the edge 1 in respective planes inclined with respect to 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 cover plate 41 connects the first side surface 34 and the second side surface 37 . 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 includes a first side surface 34, a first bottom surface 36, a bottom plate 40, a second bottom surface 39, a second side surface 37 and a cover plate 41. Connect with each other. In other words, the primary corner insulating element 30 is a polyhedral box in which each face is formed of an individual plane, as shown in FIG. 20 . In FIGS. 3 , 4 and 19 this primary corner insulation element 30 has a hexagonal section formed by an end plate 42 extruded in a direction parallel to the edge 1 .

The insulating filling is advantageously arranged between the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32 . The box-shaped primary corner insulating element 30 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 a number of advantages. In practice, the spacer 33 connecting the bottom surfaces 36 and 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 designed to design the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 since the primary corner insulation element 30 is seated on the secondary sealing membrane via the first and second bottom surfaces 36, 39 spaced apart from each other. provides freedom to Moreover, each of the first and second sides 34, 37 rests against the edge primary insulation element 22, and the transmission of the load is via the primary corner insulation element 30 to the first tank wall 4. It is possible between the primary thermal insulation barrier of and the primary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5). Finally, the first and second side surfaces 34 and 37 extend perpendicularly to the first supporting wall 2 and the second supporting wall 3, respectively, and when the primary corner insulating element 30 is seated, The position is fixed between the edges of the tank walls 4 and 5 and the sides 35 and 38 of the primary insulating element 22 . The edge primary insulating element 22 is fixed directly or indirectly to the supporting structure, so that the primary corner insulating element 30 is fixed indirectly to the supporting structure without requiring additional fastening. In an embodiment not shown, a fixing element may nevertheless be provided to block the edge-parallel movement of the primary corner insulation element 30 along the edge 1 . These elements for fixing the primary corner insulation element 30 can be manufactured in various ways, for example the brackets to block the movement along the edge 1 so as to block the individual opposing elements of the primary corner insulation element 30 . From the side, it is possible to fix the primary insulating element 22 protruding in the direction of the edge 1 from the edge primary insulating element 22 . This motion blocking member can equally be used in a similar way to block the movement of the secondary corner insulation element 15, where the bracket is used to block the movement of the secondary corner insulation element 15 along the edge 1. It is possible to fix the protruding terminal secondary insulating element 6 extending in the direction of the edge 1 .

A lower insulating filling 44 is disposed between the bottom plate 40 and the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . This lower insulating filling 44 is formed in various ways, for example between expanded bellows 21, on a soft insulating material such as glass wool or low-density polyurethane foam and over the expanded bellows 21, over a rigid insulating material, for example high-density polyurethane insulating foam. can be manufactured with Similarly, an upper insulating filling 45 is placed between the cover plate 41 and the primary support strip 23 . An upper filling 45 of this kind is made, for example, of high-density polyurethane foam which supports the curved shape of the primary support strip 23 so that the load on the primary support strip 23 can be absorbed.

5 to 15 show details of the implementation of a sealed and insulated tank. These details are described in terms of secondary thermal insulation barriers and/or secondary sealing membranes. However, this description can be applied by analogy to the primary sealing membrane.

5 to 10 the secondary sealing membranes of the tank walls 4, 5 are alternately formed by secondary sheet metal strips 9 (referred to as secondary strakes 9) which are firstly disposed on the secondary bearing surface 8. and an elongated welded support 10 connected to the secondary support surface 8 and extending parallel to the secondary strake 9 over at least part of the length of the secondary strake 9 has an iterative structure that The sheet metal strip 9 has raised lateral edges 11 which are placed and welded to adjacent weld supports 10 . Metal strakes are, for example, Invar®, i.e., an alloy of iron and nickel with an expansion coefficient typically between 1.2×10 ^-6 and 2×10 ^-6 K ^-1 or an expansion coefficient typically between about 7 and 9×10 ^-6 It may consist of an iron alloy having a high manganese content of K ^-1 .

Moreover, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 comprises a plurality of sheet metal strips in the form of corner strakes 19 with raised edges 20 extending parallel to the edge 1 . The raised edge 20 projects substantially at right angles to the secondary support strip 12 . Adjacent raised edges (20) of two adjacent secondary corner strakes (19) are welded to each other by welding lines (46) parallel to the edges (1). These weld lines 46 are preferably provided in the end region of the raised edge 20 opposite the secondary support 12 . Thus, the raised edge 20 welded by two forms a plurality of secondary corner elastic bellows 21 extending parallel to the edge 1 . These corner secondary expansion bellows 21 are two of the first and second tank walls 4, 5 in that they are formed by direct welding of the raised edge 20, without requiring a welding flange 10. It is different from the elastic bellows formed by the secondary sealing membrane. These corner secondary elastic bellows 21 make it possible to absorb deformation of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 .

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

In FIG. 5 , the 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 is thus secured to the secondary support strip 12 even in the presence of high pressures in the secondary thermal insulation barrier, high pressures of this kind possibly by e.g. increasing the pressure in the secondary thermal insulation barrier. This occurs during the sealing test of the secondary sealing membrane.

Figure 6 shows the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall (4) and the secondary corner sealing in terms of the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall (4) characterized by an elastic bellows extending parallel to the edge (1). The point of intersection between the membranes 18 is indicated.

The cover panel 7 of the edge secondary insulating 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 extends over the entire length of the cover panel 7 parallel to the edge 1 . The first longitudinal edge 13 of the secondary support strip 12 rests on the edge secondary insulating element 6 in the recess 48 . The corner bearing surface 17 formed by the secondary support strip 12 is thus parallel to the bearing surface 8 formed by the cover panel 7 so as to form a substantially continuous bearing surface for the secondary sealing membrane.

The edge secondary strakes 9 of the first tank wall 4 are fixed to the secondary corner support surface 17 by means of welds 49 in a closed manner. The raised edge (11) of this edge secondary strake (9) is adjacent to the secondary corner strake (19) to form an elastic bellows adapted to absorb the deformation of the secondary sealing membrane in a direction perpendicular to the edge (1). It is welded in a closed manner by a welding line 50 to the raised edge 20 of the.

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 the primary elastic bellows 29 of the corner.

7 shows an alternative embodiment of the sealing connection between the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 and the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 .

In this variant, the cover panel 7 of the edge secondary insulation element 6 of the first tank wall 4 is placed between the recess 48 and the secondary insulation element 6 of the adjacent first tank wall 4. It includes a welding support 10 disposed on. The edge secondary strake 9 of the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 has a raised edge 11 welded to the weld support 10. Moreover, the edge corner strake 19 of the corner secondary membrane 18 is formed by the secondary corner support surface 17 formed by the secondary support strake 12 and the edge on which the secondary support strip 12 is seated. They are seated together on the secondary support surface 8 formed by the secondary insulating element 6 . 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 elastic bellows while directly fixing the secondary corner strake 19 to the secondary support surface 8.

8 shows a second corner sealing membrane 18 and a second corner sealing membrane 18 of the first tank wall 4 when the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall 4 features an elastic bellows extending perpendicularly to the edge 1. Another variant of the hermetic connection between the primary hermetic membranes is shown.

In this modified embodiment, the raised edge 11 of the secondary strake 9 rests on the support surface 8 formed by the end of the secondary insulating element 6, so that the end of the secondary strake 9 is flat. is interrupted before the edge secondary insulating element 6 so as to

The edge secondary insulating element 6 features a housing 51 extending parallel to the edge 1 . A metal fastening strip 52 extending parallel to the edge 1 is received in this housing 51 . The housing 51 and the fixing strip each have an inverted "T" shape in a plane perpendicular to the edge 1. This inverted "T" shape fixes the fixing strips 52 to the housing 51 in the direction of the thickness of the secondary thermal insulation barrier while the fixing strips 52 extend away from the housing 51 in a direction parallel to the edge 1. make it possible to slide. The spacing between the fixing strip 52 and the housing 51 may further allow sliding of the fixing strip 52 on the housing 51 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 and parallel to the first support wall 2. there is.

The fixing strip 52 has a planar upper surface 53 parallel to the support surface 8 formed by the edge secondary insulating element 6 . The flat end of the edge secondary strake 9 is fixed in a closed manner to the top face 53 by means of a weld 54 . The edge corner strake 19 rests together on the secondary support strip 12 and the support surface 8 formed by the edge secondary insulating element 6 . However, unlike the embodiment 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) overlaps the flat end of the secondary strake (9) and is welded to the weld (56) in a closed manner, so that the secondary corner sealing membrane (18) and the first tank wall (4) are welded together. A sealing connection is provided between the secondary sealing membranes. In the first way of providing a closed weld, the flat end of the edge secondary strake 9 is fillet welded and the weld 57 is not required. In a second way of providing a sealing weld, a flat longitudinal edge (55) welds (57) at the upper surface (53) of the fixing strip (52) for fixing the secondary corner sealing membrane (18) to the fixing strip (52). ) is welded to

9 and 10 show an alternative embodiment of the method of fixing the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 to the secondary support strip 12 . 5 in that the secondary support strip 12 is not made of metal and does not allow direct fixation by welding the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 to the secondary support strip 12. It's different.

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

The coupling rivet 58 includes an upper rivet head 60 forming a flat metal plate. The central secondary corner strake 19 is fixed to the head 60 of the coupling rivet 58 by closed spot welding along the fixing line 59.

11 and 12 show an alternative embodiment of the secondary corner closing membrane 18 . In this variant embodiment the secondary corner closing membrane is formed from a corrugated metal plate. A corrugated metal plate of this kind is manufactured in a manner similar to the corrugated plate described, for example, in document FR2691520 and used in the Applicant's view of the so-called Mark III type sealing membrane. The secondary corner sealing membrane 18 therefore comprises an elastic bellows 21 in the form of corrugations 61 extending parallel to the edge 1 .

This embodiment also differs from the previously described embodiment in that the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is secured to the corner fixing strip 62 . This corner fastening strip 62 extends perpendicularly to the edge 1 and separates two continuous secondary support strips 12 disposed along the edge 1 . As shown in Fig. 12, the corner fixing strips 62 extend in a curved fashion with concave faces facing towards the inside of the tank. The radius of curvature of the corner fixing strip 62 is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the secondary support strip 12 . This corner fixing strip 62 includes a fixing surface 63 parallel to the support surface 17 of the separated secondary support strip 12 . Moreover, the corner fastening strip 62 comprises two steps 64 arranged on respective opposite sides of the fastening face 63 . The two secondary support strips 12 separated by corner fastening strips 62 are each welded to the respective one of the steps 64 . The depth of these steps 64 is such that the bearing surface 17 formed by the secondary support strip 12 is parallel to the fixing surface 63 and together forms a continuous bearing surface for the secondary corner sealing membrane 18. It is the same as the thickness of the secondary support strip 12. The 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 fixing the secondary support strip 12 to the edge secondary insulating element 6 of the first tank wall 4 .

In this first variant, the recess 48 includes a step 65 . This step 65 is the support surface 8 formed by the edge secondary insulating element 6 and the bottom of the recess 48 in which the first longitudinal edge 13 of the secondary support strip 12 rests. It is disposed between the faces 66. 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 parallel to step 65 .

The fixing plate 68 is secured to the recess 48 at a step 65 by screwing, gluing, riveting, or the like. This fixing plate 68 extends parallel to the first supporting wall 2 and covers the steps 65 and 67 . Thus, the fixing plate 68 fixes the secondary support strip 12 to the cover panel 7 . Moreover, this fixing plate 68 is parallel to the support surface 8 , forming a substantially continuous plane between the support surface 8 and the support surface 17 of the secondary support strip 12 .

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14 , the step 67 of the first longitudinal edge 13 includes a plurality of elongated holes 69 . These elongated holes 69 extend perpendicular to the edge 1 . The fixing 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 elongated hole 69. Therefore, the secondary support strip 12 is fixed in a direction parallel to the edge 1 by an abutment type cooperation between the wall of the elongated hole 69 and the lug 70 . However, the support strip 12 is held free to slide in the recess 48 in a direction parallel to the edge 1 by the lug 70 sliding in the elongated hole 69 .

The fixing plate 68 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 14 spans the entire length of the recess 48 in a direction parallel to the edge 1, i.e. the edge secondary insulating element 6 supporting said recess 48. extends over the entire length of However, in an embodiment not shown, a plurality of fixing plates 68 of smaller size in a direction parallel to the edge 1 are fixed along the recess 48 . These plurality of fixing plates 68 thus form point anchorages of the secondary support strips 12 in the recesses 48 . Likewise, in an embodiment not shown, the lugs 70 and the elongated holes 69 are interchangeable, i.e. the lugs 70 protrude from the first longitudinal edge 13 and the corresponding elongated holes formed in the fixing plate 68. It is accommodated in the hole 69.

15 shows a second variant of the method of fixing the secondary support strip 12 to the cover panel 7 . In this variant the recess 48 does not contain any steps 65 and the secondary support strip 12 does not contain any steps 67 in its first longitudinal edge 13 . However, the first longitudinal edge 13 includes an elongated hole 69 extending perpendicularly to the edge 1 . These elongated holes 69 differ from the previously described elongated holes in that each of them comprises two inner rims 71 extending parallel to the edge 1 over the entire length of the elongated hole 69 . The secondary strips 12 are riveted into recesses 48 and secured by rivets 72 each passing through respective elongated holes 69 . Each rivet 72 includes a rivet head 91 supported on the inner rim 71 of the corresponding elongated hole. The secondary support strip 12 is thus secured in the recess 48 in a direction perpendicular to the first support wall 2 by means of the inner rim 71 adjacent to the rivet head 91 . Also, the secondary support 12 is fixed in a direction parallel to the edge 1 by a rivet 72 adjacent to the inner rim 71 of the elongated hole 69 . However, in this fixing method, by the freedom of the rivet 72 moving along the elongated hole 69, the secondary support strip 12 is perpendicular to the edge 1 and the first support wall 2 to slide in a direction parallel to

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

This configuration differs from that described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 in that the edge secondary insulating element 6 has a size smaller than the size of the rest of the secondary insulation elements 6 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 . .

Furthermore, the corner insulating elements 15 are two bottom surfaces each seated on one of the supporting walls formed on the edge 1, two side walls perpendicular to one of the supporting walls lying against the respective edge secondary insulating element 6. and an upper surface parallel to the edge 1 and extending symmetrically about the bisector of the angle formed by the supporting walls 2, 3.

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

18 shows a tank corner with a secondary corner sealing membrane 18 according to a variant embodiment. Moreover, also this FIG. 18 shows a secondary sealing membrane of a tank wall featuring an elastic bellows extending at an angle to the edge 1 . In this variant embodiment, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 comprises an elastic 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 corrugation 73 protrudes from the respective longitudinal edge 13, 14 and is hermetically welded to the secondary sealing membrane of the corresponding tank wall to seal the secondary sealing membrane. Moreover, in order to prevent interference with the elastic bellows of the secondary sealing membrane to the tank wall 4, 5, the corrugation 73 is formed by two neighboring elastic bellows of the secondary sealing membrane of the tank wall 4, 5. are arranged along the edge 1 between them. 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 an embodiment not shown, the elastic bellows 21 of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 is slightly inclined relative to the edge 1 . This kind of inclined elastic bellows 21 can be deformed to absorb the deformation of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 from a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 to a direction parallel to the edge 1 .

19 shows a detail of a 90° tank corner including an alternate embodiment of a primary corner sealing membrane 27 . In this variant the primary sealing membrane 27 is made of hard corner angle iron.

The rigid corner angle iron comprises two flat rigid metal plates which together form an angle of 90°, each flat plate 88 being welded in a hermetic manner to the primary sealing membrane of the respective tank wall 4, 5. It is welded to (89). This kind of rigid corner angle iron does not need to be seated on the primary support strip 23 . Each flat plate 88 is thus directly fixed to the respective edge insulating element 22 . This fastening can be provided in different ways, for example by screwing, riveting, gluing and the like.

The corner structures include primary corner insulating elements 30 as previously described with reference to FIGS. 3 , 4 and 20 . However, the upper insulating filling 45 is composed of two rigid insulating blocks 90. Each insulating block has a triangular section with a first side resting on the cover plate 41 , a second side lying against the side of the individual element 22 and a third underside of the individual flat plate 88 . These two rigid insulating blocks 90 thus form a flat bearing surface for the flat plate 88 .

19 also shows a free space 43 under the bottom plate 40 to accommodate the curved secondary corner sealing membrane 18 . Moreover, in this embodiment, the bottom surfaces 36, 39 are adapted to receive the elastic bellows protruding from the planar part of the secondary sealing membrane in a similar manner to the lower surfaces of the primary insulating elements of the tank walls 4, 5. do.

21 and 22 show a variant embodiment of the primary corner insulation element 30 . These variant embodiments are the primary corners 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 from a planar cuboid plate 74. different from the insulating element. Thus, the first side 34 and the second side 37 are each formed by one of the larger sides of the corresponding plate 74 . Moreover, the first bottom surface 36 and the second bottom surface 39 are formed by surfaces extending within the thickness of the corresponding plate 74 .

In a first variant, shown in FIG. 21 , the spacer 33 is formed by two rods 75 inclined with respect to the supporting wall forming the edge 1 and each extending at right angles to the edge 1 . These rods 75 are fastened to the plate 74 in a suitable thin manner. For example, each plate 74 includes a through orifice through which a rod 75 passes. 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 a second variant, shown in FIG. 22 , the spacer 33 is inclined with respect to the supporting wall forming the edge 1 and extends at right angles to the edge 1 and is formed by a single rod 75 . However, this single rod 75 is coupled to each plate 74 by a ball joint connecting portion 92. This second variation has the advantage that it can be used for edges 1 with different angles.

The techniques described above for providing sealed and insulated tanks can be used with different types of storage facilities, eg constructing LNG storage facilities onshore or offshore facilities such as methane tankers or other vessels.

Referring to Fig. 23, a cut-away view of a methane tanker 76 shows a generally prismatic closed and insulated tank 77 mounted on the double hull 78 of the vessel. The wall of the tank 77 is a primary sealing barrier intended to be in contact with the LNG stored in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged 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 insulating barriers arranged respectively between the barriers and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull (78).

In a known manner, the loading/offloading pipe 79 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel can be connected by suitable connectors to a shore or port terminal for the transfer of cargo or LNG to or from the tank 77.

23 shows an example of a coastal terminal comprising a loading and offloading station 81 , an underwater pipe 82 and an onshore installation 83 . The loading and offloading station 81 is a stationary offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 80 and a tower 84 supporting the mobile arm 80. The mobile arm 80 has a bundle of insulated flexible tubes 85 which can be connected to a loading/offloading pipe 79. The orientable mobile arm 80 fits all methane tanker loading gauges. A connecting pipe not shown extends inside the tower 84 . Loading and offloading station 81 enables loading and offloading of methane tanker 76 to or from shore installation 83 . The latter includes a connecting pipe 87 connected by a submersible pipe 82 to a gas storage tank 86 and a loading or offloading station 81 . The submersible pipe 82 enables the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or offloading station 81 and the shore installation 83 over long distances, for example 5 km, which allows the methane tanker 76 to perform loading and offloading operations. allowed to be kept at a great distance from the shore during

Pumps aboard ships 76 and/or pumps aboard installations 83 and/or pumps aboard loading and offloading stations 81 are used to generate the pressure required to transport the liquefied gas. .

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

Thus, although individualized elements are mentioned in the above description, the features described above can be applied to a plurality of identical elements that repeat according to a regular pattern to the tank. Thus, if a connection between two elements has been described, the connection can apply analogously to the two said elements in a row extending in a repetitive manner to the tank, for example along the edge 1 .

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

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

Claims (20)

A closed and insulated tank integrated in a support structure, the support structure comprising a first planar support wall (2) and a second planar support wall (3) intersecting in the region of the edge (1) of the support structure,
The tank comprises a first tank wall (4) supported by a first planar support wall (2), a second tank wall (5) supported by a second planar support wall (3) and an area of the edge (1) of the supporting structure. a corner structure connecting the first and second tank walls at , each tank wall in turn including an insulating barrier and a sealing membrane from the support structure towards the inside of the tank;
The thermal insulation barrier of each tank wall comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulating blocks (6, 22) fixed to a planar supporting wall supporting said tank wall, forming a supporting surface (8) capable of receiving a sealing membrane;
The sealing membrane of each tank wall comprises a plurality of metal plates (9) fixed to the supporting surface (8),
The corner structure of the tank comprises curved support strips 12, 23 extending parallel to the edge 1 of the support structure and facing towards the inside of the tank with their concave surfaces, said support strips 12, 23 having a first The first tank wall (1) to form a continuous support surface between the support surface (8) formed by the heat insulation barrier of the tank wall (4) and the support surface (8) formed by the heat insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5). a first longitudinal edge 13, 24 seated on the thermal insulation barrier of 4) and a second longitudinal edge 14, 24 seated on the thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5; 1 further comprising corner sealing membranes (18, 27) seated on curved support strips (12, 23) connecting the sealing membrane of the first tank wall (4) and the sealing membrane of the second tank wall (5) in a closed manner. wherein the corner sealing membrane (18, 27) comprises at least one corner elastic bellows (21, 29, 61), the at least one corner elastic bellows (21, 29, 61) having a longitudinal axis and the length deformable in a direction perpendicular to the direction axis, said at least one corner elastic bellows (21, 29, 61) arranged on the support strip (12, 23) at least in a direction perpendicular to the edge (1) of the support structure. Provides elongation of the corner sealing membrane (18, 27), wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one elastic bellows (21, 29, 61) of the corner sealing membrane (18, 27) is parallel to the edge (1) of the support structure. Closed and insulated tanks that extend slightly or slightly inclined. According to claim 1,
The heat insulating barrier of each tank wall is formed such that at least one of the first longitudinal edges 13, 24 and the second longitudinal edges 14, 25 of the support strips 12, 23 are respectively seated on the edge 1 of the support structure. A closed and insulated tank comprising a row of edge insulating blocks (6, 22) sliding in a direction perpendicular to ). According to claim 2,
One of the edge insulation blocks of the row of edge insulation blocks (6, 22) has a seal characterized by a cover panel (7) comprising a recess (48) in which the corresponding longitudinal edge of the support strip (12, 23) is received. and an insulated tank. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first longitudinal edges 13, 24 and the second longitudinal edges 14, 25 of the support strips 12, 23 are attached to the thermal insulation barriers of the first tank wall 4 and the second tank wall 5, respectively. Fixed sealed and insulated tanks. According to claim 3,
The end of at least one longitudinal edge 13, 14, 24, 25 of the support strip 12, 23 comprises a step 67 in the direction of the thickness of the support strip 12, 23, the tank comprising a support strip A fixing plate coupled to the cover panel 7 of the edge insulating block 6, 22 comprising a recess 48 in which said edge of the longitudinal edge 13, 14, 24, 25 of (12, 23) is received. 68, wherein the fixing plate 68 is formed so that the edge of the support strip 12, 23 is fixed to the bottom surface of the fixing plate 68 and the recess 48 of the edge insulating block 6, 22 ( 66) closed and insulated tank, which is coupled to the cover panel (7) in the region of the recess (48) and covers the step (67) of the edge of the support strips (12, 23) so as to be interposed therebetween. According to claim 5,
The edges of the longitudinal edges 13, 14, 24, 25 of the support strips 12, 23 and one of the fixing plates 68 are elongated, extending perpendicularly to the edges 1, by means of said fixing plates 68. The edges of the longitudinal edges 13, 14, 24, 25 of the support strips 12, 23 comprising holes 69 and covered by the fixing plate 68 and the other one of the fixing plates 68 are supported. Slotted holes 69 to fix the movement of the support strips 12, 23 along the edge 1 of the support structure while permitting the movement of the support strips 12, 23 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 of the structure. Closed and insulated tank with received lugs (70). According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Closed and insulated tank in which the corner sealing membranes (18, 27) are fixed to the support strips (12, 23). According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The corner sealing membranes (18, 27) are fixed to the support strips (12, 23) continuously or at one or more points along fastening lines (47, 59) parallel to the edge (1) of the support structure. According to claim 8,
The support strips (12, 23) comprise a plurality of metal fixing members (58) arranged along a fixing line (59), and the corner sealing membranes (18, 27) are arranged along the fixing line (59) to said fixing members (58). ), sealed and insulated tanks that are spot welded to. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The support strips 12 and 23 are first support strips, and the tank further comprises a second support strip 12 and 23, which extends parallel to the edge 1 of the support structure and extends parallel to the edge 1 of the tank. Curved with a concave surface facing inward, the second support strip (12, 23) has a support surface (8) formed by the thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall (4) and the second tank wall (5). The first longitudinal edges 13, 24 resting on the thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 and the second tank wall 5 so as to form a continuous support surface between the support surface 8 formed by the thermal insulation barrier of the ), wherein the first support strip 12, 23 and the second support strip 12, 23 rest along the edge 1 of the support structure. Arranged continuously, a metal insert separates the first support strip and the second support strip, the metal insert being parallel to the support strips 12 and 23 separated by the metal insert, the edge of the support structure 1 a fixing strip (62) extending perpendicularly to (1), the metal insert forming a step to the fixing strip (62) and further comprising two rims disposed on respective opposite sides of the fixing strip (62). The support strips 12 and 23 separated by the metal inserts are respectively fixed to the individual rims of the metal inserts, the corner sealing membranes 18 and 27 include a plurality of parallel elastic bellows 61, and the corner The sealing membranes 18 and 27 are formed between the two elastic bellows 61 of the corner sealing membranes 18 and 27 on the fixing strip 62 separating the first and second support strips 12 and 23. Closed and insulated tank fixed along the edge (1). According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The corner sealing membranes 18 and 27 include corrugations 73 extending perpendicularly to the edge 1 of the support structure, and the elastic bellows 21, 29 and 61 of the corner sealing membranes 18 and 27 and these The corrugations 73 are closed and insulated tanks that cross each other. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The insulating barrier of each tank wall is the primary insulating barrier, the insulating block is the primary insulating block 22, the sealing membrane of each tank wall is the primary sealing membrane, and the supporting strip of the corner structure is the primary supporting strip. (23), the corner sealing membrane of the corner structure is the primary corner sealing membrane (27);
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, and the primary thermal insulation block 22 is supported by the secondary sealing membrane and directly to the supporting structure. or indirectly fixed sealed and insulated tanks. According to claim 12,
The secondary insulation barrier of each tank wall includes a plurality of juxtaposed secondary insulation blocks 6 fixed to the support structure to form a secondary support surface 8 capable of receiving a secondary sealing membrane,
The secondary sealing membrane of each tank wall includes a plurality of metal plates (9) fixed to the secondary support surface (8),
The corner structure of the tank comprises a curved secondary support strip 12 extending parallel to the edge 1 of the support structure and facing towards the inside of the tank with its concave surface, said secondary support strip 12 having a A continuous secondary support surface between the secondary support surface 8 formed by the secondary insulation barrier of the first tank wall 4 and the secondary support surface 8 formed by the insulation barrier of the second tank wall 5 A first secondary longitudinal edge (13) seated on the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the first tank wall (4) and a second vehicle seated on the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the second tank wall (5) to form (17). a secondary longitudinal edge (14) of the corner structure connecting the secondary sealing membrane of the first tank wall (4) and the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall (5) in a closed manner and having a curved shape. and a secondary corner sealing membrane 18 seated on the secondary support strip 12 and sliding in a direction perpendicular to the edge 1 of the support structure, the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 comprising the secondary support strip A closed and insulated tank comprising at least one secondary elastic bellows (21) arranged at (12) to provide stretching of the secondary sealing membrane at least in a direction perpendicular to the edge (1) of the support structure. According to claim 13,
The corner structure further includes a row of primary corner insulating blocks 30, the primary corner insulating blocks 30 comprising
A first lateral element 31 comprising a first side surface 34 lying against the primary edge insulating block 22 of the first tank wall 4 and a first bottom surface 36 seated on the secondary sealing membrane. ) and
comprising a second side surface (37) lying against the primary edge insulating block (22) of the second tank wall (5) and a second bottom surface (39) seated on the secondary sealing membrane of the second tank wall (5). It includes a second lateral element 32 that
The primary corner insulating block 30 further includes a spacer 33 connecting the first lateral element 31 and the second lateral element 32, and the spacer 33 is a primary corner insulating block ( 30) and the secondary sealing membrane to provide a space (43) for sealing and insulating the at least one second elastic bellows (21) of the secondary corner membrane (18). Tank. According to claim 14,
The spacer 33 includes a lower plate 40 connecting a first bottom surface 36 and a second bottom surface 39 inclined with respect to the first support wall 2 and the second support wall 3, The first bottom surface 36 and the second bottom surface 39 of the primary corner insulation block 30 are the lower plate 40 is at least one secondary elastic bellows 21 of the secondary corner sealing membrane 18 Closed and insulated tank seated on the secondary corner sealing membrane (18) spaced apart from said at least one secondary elastic bellows (21) of the secondary corner sealing membrane (18). According to claim 15,
The corner structure further comprises an insulating filling (44) disposed between the secondary corner sealing membrane (18) and the lower plate (40) of the spacer (33). According to claim 14,
The spacer 33 further includes an upper plate 41 connecting the first side surface 34 and the second side surface 37 inclined with respect to the first support wall 2 and the second support wall 3, and a corner The insulating block 30 has a curved upper surface supporting the primary supporting strip 23 and further includes an insulating filling 45 seated on the upper plate 41, and the primary supporting strip 23 is attached to the insulating filling. Closed and insulated tank seated in (45). A vessel (76) for the transport of cold liquid products comprising a double hull (78) and a tank (77) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 arranged in the double hull. Marine and onshore storage facilities via insulation pipes (79, 85, 81, 87) and insulation pipes adapted to connect the vessel (76) according to claim 18, the tank (77) installed on the hull of the ship to the offshore or onshore storage facility. A low-temperature fluid product delivery system comprising a pump for forcing the flow of the low-temperature fluid product from the tank to the vessel's tank and vice versa. Loading or offloading a vessel (76) according to claim 18 in which the cryogenic liquid product is sent from the sea or land storage facility (83) to the tank of the vessel (76) via an insulating pipe (79, 81, 87) or vice versa. How to.

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