KR102614986B1 - Sealed and insulated tank - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed and insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, said tank comprising:
- a thermal insulation barrier (5) comprising at least two thermal insulation panels (14) each with an upper sheet (14) forming a support surface (36) on which the sealing membrane (6) rests, comprising: The upper sheet 19 of 14 is each provided with a groove 21 on which the welding support is mounted, and the grooves 21 of the two insulation panels 14 are aligned and extend in the longitudinal direction to form an insulation barrier 5. ;
- a groove (21) of at least one of the two insulating panels (14) with one end facing the other insulating panel (14) extending by a notch (33), which notch (33) forms a welded support ( A groove 21 arranged so that 23) is not supported on the insulating panel 14 in the area of the notch 33.
Includes.

Description

Sealed and insulated tank

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and insulated tanks with membranes for storing and/or transporting fluids, such as liquefied gases.

Sealed and insulated tanks with membranes are used in particular to store liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at approximately -163°C and atmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on ground or floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks may be intended to transport liquefied natural gas or may be intended to contain liquefied natural gas used as fuel for propulsion of the floating structure.

Document WO2014096600 discloses a sealed and insulated tank for storing liquefied natural gas, which tank is placed on a support structure and its walls are of multi-layer structure, i.e. 2 fixed against the support structure from the outside of the tank towards the inside. a secondary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary insulating barrier supported by the primary insulating barrier and intended to be in contact with liquefied natural gas stored in the tank. It has a primary sealing membrane.

The primary and secondary thermal insulating barriers each comprise a set of primary and secondary insulating panels, generally parallelepiped shaped, which are juxtaposed and thus form a support surface for the respective sealing membrane. The primary and secondary sealing membranes each comprise a continuous layer of metal strakes with raised edges, which strakes are welded to parallel weld supports. The L-shaped welded supports are fixed in grooves formed in the insulating panels of the primary or secondary insulating barrier. Primary and secondary insulation panels are prone to deformation, which can create level differences between adjacent insulation panels along the thickness of the tank walls. Such deformations are particularly likely to occur as a result of the influence of the movement of liquid within the tank and as a result of the influence of thermal gradients, which tend to cause the insulating panels to shrink.

The Applicant Company notes that in tanks of the type mentioned above, a minimum gap needs to be observed between adjacent insulating panels, and more particularly between the transverse edges of the panels orthogonal to the direction of the welded supports. Found it. This means that reducing the distance between the transverse edges of two adjacent insulation panels increases the angular deformation of the weld support and of the membrane fastened to the insulation panels, due to the unevenness effect that tends to occur between adjacent insulation panels. This is because it leads to an increase in , which has the effect of increasing the fatigue stress of the membrane. Therefore, if the minimum gap is not observed, the membrane is prone to deterioration.

In particular, tests were carried out on the fatigue behavior of sealing membranes of tanks of the previously mentioned type when the size of the gap formed between adjacent transverse edges of two insulating panels was below the minimum value.

Each fatigue test includes approximately 2000 cycles. In each cycle, a level difference in the direction of the thickness of the tank's walls of the order of several millimeters is created between the adjacent transverse edges of the two insulating panels. These tests are representative of the life of the ship.

During these tests, in the area of the gap between adjacent transverse edges of the insulating panels, the following was observed, in particular:

- The flat middle parts of the strakes of the sealing membrane are prone to bending and cracking, thus leading to a lack of sealing.

- The raised edges of the strakes and the areas where the raised edges meet the flat middle part of the strakes are prone to deformation, creating wrinkles and cracks, thus resulting in a lack of sealing.

However, meeting the minimum gap between the transverse edges of the insulating panels compromises the thermal performance of the insulating barriers.

Additionally, the larger the value of the gap, the longer the distance over which the sealing membrane is not supported by the insulating panels, which tends to lead to greater deformation of the sealing membrane under the influence of the pressure of the liquid stored in the tank.

One idea underlying the invention is to enable a reduction in the width of the gaps between longitudinally adjacent primary and/or secondary insulation panels of the welded supports, without significant damage to the fatigue behavior of the membrane. It is done.

One idea underlying the invention is a seal for storing liquefied gas, comprising a wall with a thermal insulating barrier continuously in the direction of the thickness of the wall from the outside to the inside of the tank and a sealing membrane placed against the insulating barrier. by proposing an insulated tank;

- the thermal insulation barrier comprises at least two thermal insulation panels each with an upper sheet forming a support surface against which the sealing membrane rests, the upper sheets of the thermal insulation panels each with a groove into which the welded support is mounted, The grooves of the two insulation panels are aligned and extend longitudinally; the weld support extends longitudinally and includes a weld flange and a fixed flange inclined in relation to the weld flange; Each groove is open to a support surface and has a return in which the fixing flange of the weld support is received, the return having a retaining portion in each insulating panel against which the fixing flange is held so as to support the weld support on the insulating panel. and is created between the support surface;

- the sealing membrane comprises at least two metal strakes extending longitudinally, on both sides of the welded support, said strakes extending parallel to the longitudinal direction and extending from the middle part and a middle part lying relative to the support surfaces. having two raised edges projecting toward the inside of the tank, one of the raised edges of each of the two strakes being welded to a weld flange of the weld support;

- the groove of at least one of the two insulating panels is extended by a notch and has one end facing the other insulating panel, the notch opening into the bearing surface and extending at least longitudinally of the groove and of the retaining part. is formed so that the weld support does not support the insulating panel in the area of the notch.

Therefore, the welded support is not supported by the insulation barrier in the notch, and the welded support and the insulation membrane show greater flexibility along the gap formed between the insulation panels, which creates a level difference between adjacent primary insulation panels. This makes it possible to limit the stresses on the welded supports and sealing membranes.

According to other advantageous embodiments, such a tank may exhibit one or more of the following characteristics.

According to one embodiment, the two insulating panels each have two longitudinally perpendicular transverse edges, and the adjacent transverse edges of the two insulating panels have a longitudinal width of less than 20 mm, preferably less than 10 mm. They are separated from each other by the gap.

According to one embodiment, the grooves of the insulating panels have a gap (i) whose size in the longitudinal direction is comprised between 20 mm and 70 mm, advantageously between 25 mm and 45 mm, more particularly between 30 mm and 40 mm. They are spaced apart as much as they are. In other words, the size of the welded support not supported by the insulation panels in the area of the gap between the transverse edges of the insulation panels is between 20 mm and 70 mm, advantageously between 25 mm and 45 nm, more particularly between 30 mm and 40 mm. Included. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to limit the stresses susceptible to the weld support and the sealing membrane to an acceptable range, and on the other hand to support the sealing membrane sufficiently rigidly to prevent it from being pulled out on the insulating panels. makes it possible

According to one embodiment, the groove of each of the two insulating panels has one end facing the other insulating panel extending by a notch opening into the bearing surface, each notch extending longitudinally into and retaining the groove. It is formed within at least the extension of the portion so that the weld support is not supported in the notch. Accordingly, the increase in flexibility of the weld support and sealing membrane is distributed across the gap.

According to one embodiment, the notch or each notch has a longitudinal dimension comprised between 5 mm and 30 mm.

According to one embodiment, the notch or each notch has a depth p equal to, preferably greater than, the depth of the grooves. This makes it possible to limit the stresses exerted on the weld support and the sealing membrane when the transverse edge of the notched insulation panel is raised relative to the adjacent transverse edge of another insulation panel.

According to one embodiment, the notch has a bottom and side walls connecting the bottom to a bearing surface.

According to one embodiment, the bottom of the notch has an inclined surface such that the depth p of the notch decreases in the direction of the groove.

According to one embodiment, the side walls of the notch meet the groove through a chamfer or fillet. This chamfer or fillet allows the weld support to be guided towards the groove and thus facilitates fitting of the weld support within the groove.

According to one embodiment, the side walls of the notch are made of a planar portion and meet a groove through a cylindrical portion.

According to one embodiment, the notch has an overall shape of a triangle or trapezoid narrowing in the direction of the groove.

According to one embodiment, at least the upper sheet of one of the two insulation panels includes a recess along a transverse edge of the insulation panel facing the other insulation panel, the recess being located in the upper wall of the insulation panel. Extending perpendicularly in the longitudinal direction from one end to the other, the metal strakes are not supported by a bearing surface along the transverse edge of the insulating panel. This makes it possible to avoid or limit the deformation of the strakes in the shear direction depending on the gaps between the transverse edges of the primary insulation panels when the width of the gap between the insulation panels is small.

According to one embodiment, the two insulating panels each have two transverse edges perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the upper sheet of each of the two insulating panels has a transverse edge of the insulating panel facing the other insulating panel. comprising a recess along, the recess extending perpendicularly longitudinally from one end of the insulation panel to the other such that the strakes are not supported by a bearing surface along the transverse edge of the insulation panel.

According to one embodiment, the recess is at least a plane intersecting the transverse edge of the insulation panel at a distance of 6 mm from the support surface in the direction of the thickness of the wall, with the upper sheet inclined at an angle of 55° in relation to the support surface. It is arranged in such a way that it is concave in the area formed at the top of .

According to one embodiment, the recess or each recess is formed by a cutout, bevel cut or rounding formed in the upper sheet along the transverse edge of the insulating panel.

According to one embodiment, the notch or each notch opens into one of the recesses.

According to another embodiment, the notch or respective cutout extends as far as the transverse edge of each insulating panel.

According to one embodiment, adjacent transverse edges of two insulating panels are spaced from each other by a gap with a longitudinal width of less than 5 mm, for example on the order of 1 mm.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the sum of the longitudinal size of the recess of each of the two insulation panels and the width of the gap formed between said insulation panels is comprised between 7 mm and 25 mm.

According to one embodiment, the groove has an inverted T-section shape.

According to one embodiment, the weld support has an L-shape.

According to one embodiment, the top sheet is made of plywood.

According to one embodiment, the top sheet has a thickness comprised between 9 mm and 15 mm.

According to one embodiment, the thermal insulating barrier is a primary thermal insulating barrier, the sealing membrane is a primary sealing membrane, and the wall is a secondary thermal insulating barrier continuously fixed to the support structure from the outside of the tank toward the inside, the secondary It includes a secondary sealing membrane placed against the insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier and a primary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane is made of stainless steel, an alloy of iron and nickel with an expansion coefficient between 1.2 Х 10 ^-6 and 2 Х 10 ^-6 K ^-1 , and an expansion coefficient of 15 Х 10 ^-6 K ^{- 1} It is made of materials selected from the alloys of iron and manganese listed below.

According to one embodiment, the welded support is made of stainless steel, an alloy of iron and nickel with an expansion coefficient between 1.2 Х 10 ^-6 and 2 Х 10 ^-6 K ^-1 , and an expansion coefficient of 15 Х 10 ^-6 K ^{- 1} It is made of materials selected from the alloys of iron and manganese listed below.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the insulating panels includes a bottom sheet, a middle sheet positioned between the bottom sheet and the top sheet, a first layer of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between the bottom sheet and the top sheet, and a first layer of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between the middle sheet and the top sheet. and a second layer of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between the sheets. This structure is advantageous in that it makes it possible to limit the bending loads generated by the different shrinkage of the materials of the insulating panel.

According to another embodiment, at least one of the insulating panels has a bottom sheet, a support flange extending between the bottom sheet and the top sheet in the direction of the thickness of the wall of the tank and defining a plurality of compartments filled with insulating packing, such as perlite. Includes more.

According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier comprises a plurality of thermal insulation panels each having a top sheet forming a support surface against which the sealing membrane rests, the top sheets each having one or more grooves into which welded supports are mounted. and each of the ends of each groove is open to the support surface and has a notch formed longitudinally at least within the extension of the groove and the retaining portion, so that the weld support is not supported on the panel in the area of the notch.

Such tanks may form part of an onshore storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or may be used in floating coastal or offshore structures, especially methane carriers, floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) and floating manufacturing storage and offloading (FPSO). It can be installed in a unit, etc.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for transporting cryogenic fluids includes a double hull and the aforementioned tanks placed on the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the double hull includes an inner hull that forms a support structure for the tank.

According to one embodiment, the invention therefore provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein fluid is transferred via insulated pipes from an offshore or onshore storage facility to or from a vessel's tank to an offshore or onshore storage facility. transported to the facility.

According to one embodiment, the invention also includes a fluid transfer system, comprising insulated pipes arranged in such a way as to connect the aforementioned vessel, a tank installed on the hull of the vessel, to an offshore or onshore storage facility. , and a pump for driving fluid from an offshore or onshore storage facility to a vessel's tank or from a vessel's tank to an offshore or onshore storage facility through insulated pipes.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tank wall with cut lines.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a groove formed in the primary panel, a weld support portion received in the groove, and strakes welded to the weld support portion.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the primary panel according to the first embodiment.
Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view illustrating the primary insulation barrier at a joint between two adjacent primary insulation panels according to the first embodiment.
Figure 5 is a detailed view of the notch in the transverse edge of the primary insulation panel according to the first embodiment.
Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of grooves and notches.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the primary insulation panel according to the second embodiment.
Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the primary thermal insulation barrier at a joint between two adjacent primary insulation panels according to the second embodiment.
Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the primary insulation barrier at a joint between two adjacent primary insulation panels according to a modification of the second embodiment.
Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a primary insulation barrier at a joint between two adjacent primary insulation panels according to another modification according to the second embodiment.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the primary insulation panel according to the third embodiment.
Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the primary thermal insulation barrier at a joint between two adjacent primary insulation panels according to the third embodiment.
Figure 13 is a schematic diagram with cutaway lines of a tank of a methane transport vessel and a terminal for loading/unloading the tank.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become clearer from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting description only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

By convention, in the description of the invention, a reference two-dimensional right-angled frame defined by two axes (x, y) is used to describe the elements of the wall 1 of the sealed and insulated tank. The x-axis corresponds to the longitudinal direction and the y-axis corresponds to the transverse direction. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the direction in which the scrapes and welding supports are extended. According to one advantageous embodiment, when the tank is intended to be integrated into the double hull of a ship, the x-axis also corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the ship.

Figure 1 shows the multi-layer structure of the wall 1 of a sealed and insulated tank for storing liquefied fluids such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Each wall (1) of the tank is continuously in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, with a secondary insulation barrier (2) supported on the support structure (3) and a secondary seal placed against the secondary insulation barrier (2). It comprises a membrane (4), a primary insulating barrier (5) placed against a secondary sealing membrane (4), and a primary sealing membrane intended to contact the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank.

The support structure 3 can in particular be formed by a ship hull or a double hull. The support structure 3 comprises a plurality of walls defining the overall shape of the tank, which is typically polyhedral in shape.

The secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 comprises a plurality of secondary thermal insulation panels 7 fixed to the support structure 3 by fastening devices such as those described for example in document WO2014096600. These secondary insulation panels 7 have an overall shape of a parallelepiped and are arranged in parallel rows.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, each secondary insulation panel 7 consists of three sheets forming the support surface for the secondary sealing membrane 4, namely a bottom sheet 8, a middle sheet (9) and the top sheet (10). The bottom sheet 8, the middle sheet 9 and the top sheet 10 are made of plywood, for example. Each secondary insulation panel (7) also has a first layer (11) of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between the bottom sheet (8) and the middle sheet (9), between the middle sheet (9) and the top sheet (10). It also includes a second layer 12 of sandwiched insulating polymer foam. The first and second layers 11 and 12 of the insulating polymer foam are respectively glued to the bottom sheet 8 and the middle sheet 9, and to the middle sheet 9 and the top sheet 10, respectively. The insulating polymer foam can in particular be a foam based on polyurethane, optionally fiber-reinforced polyurethane.

In other embodiments, the secondary insulation panels 7 are susceptible to other overall structures, such as those described in document WO2012/127141. The secondary insulation panels 7 then comprise a bottom sheet, a top sheet, and support flanges extending between the bottom sheet and the top sheet in the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank and are made of perlite, glass wool or rockwool. ) is made in the form of a box structure defining a plurality of compartments filled with insulating packaging materials such as ).

In another embodiment the secondary insulating barrier 2 consists of at least two different types of structures depending on the position in which they are installed in the tank, for example secondary insulating panels 7 with the two previously mentioned structures. ) includes.

As an example, the secondary insulation panels 7 have a size on the order of 1130mm Х1000mm. The secondary insulation panels 7 are spaced from each other in the transverse direction y by a functional mounting gap, for example of the order of 1 mm. In addition, the secondary insulation panels 7 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (x) by a gap having a width of, for example, 60 mm. Additionally, insulating packing, not shown, such as rock wool or glass wool, is placed in the gap formed between the transverse edges of the secondary insulating panels 7.

The secondary sealing membrane 4 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 13 with raised edges, which are fixed to the secondary insulating panels 7 as explained below.

The primary thermal insulation barrier 5 comprises a plurality of primary thermal insulation panels 14 fixed to the support structure 3 by means of the previously mentioned fastening devices. The primary insulation panels 14 have an overall parallelepiped shape. Each of the primary insulation panels 14 is arranged in alignment with one of the secondary insulation panels 7. The primary panels 14 have a length in the longitudinal direction (x) greater than the secondary insulating panels 7 so that the size of the gap formed between the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulating panels 4 makes it possible to reduce . The gap between the transverse edges of the primary insulation panels 14 has a width in the longitudinal direction (x) of less than 20 mm, advantageously less than 10 mm, for example on the order of 8 mm. The gap between the primary insulation panels 14 in the transverse direction (y) is the same as that formed between the secondary insulation panels 7 and corresponds to a functional mounting gap of the level of 1 mm.

The structure of the primary insulating panel 14 according to the first embodiment is discussed with reference to FIG. 3 . The primary insulation panel 14 has a far layer structure similar to that of the secondary insulation panel 7 described above. Therefore, the primary insulation panel 14 is sequentially formed by the bottom sheet 15, the first sheet 16 of the insulating polymer foam, the middle sheet 17, the second sheet 18 of the insulating polymer foam and the top sheet 19. Includes. The top sheet 19 forms a support surface 36 for the primary sealing membrane 6. The insulating polymer foam can in particular be a foam based on polyurethane, optionally fiber-reinforced polyurethane. According to one embodiment, the top sheet has a thickness comprised between 9 mm and 15 mm.

The bottom sheet 15 comprises grooves 20 intended to receive the raised edges of the strakes of the secondary sealing membrane 4 . The top sheet 19 also includes grooves 21 to receive welding supports intended for welding of the primary sealing membrane 6.

The structure of the primary insulation panel 14 is exemplarily described above. Accordingly, in other embodiments, the primary insulation panels 14 may exhibit a different overall structure, for example as described in document WO2012/127141. In another embodiment, the primary insulating barrier 5 comprises primary insulating panels 14 having at least two different types of structures depending on the installed position in the tank, for example the two structures mentioned above.

Returning to Figure 1, the primary sealing membrane 6 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 22 with raised edges extending in the longitudinal direction (x). The strakes 22 are welded via their raised edges to the welding supports 23, which run parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction (x) and are connected to the top sheets of the primary insulation panels 14. It is fixed to grooves 21 formed on (19).

The fastening of the welded support 23 to the top sheet 19 of the primary insulation panel 14 and the fastening of the strakes 22 of the primary sealing membrane 6 to the welded support 23 are shown. 2 is explained below. It should be noted that the fastening of the secondary sealing membrane 4 to the secondary insulation panels 7 is carried out in a similar way.

In the illustrated embodiment, the weld support 23 has an L cross-sectional shape and is supported in the groove 21. Here, the groove 21 has an inverted T cross-sectional shape, but may also have an L cross-sectional shape. However, the T cross-sectional shape is advantageous in that it can be manufactured more simply using milling operations. As an example, the groove has a depth of the order of 6 mm.

The welding support 23 has a welding flange 24 and a fixing flange 25, which are inclined with respect to each other. In this case, the welding flange 24 and the fixing flange 25 are perpendicular to each other to form an L shape.

The groove 21 extends substantially in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall 1 and has a portion 26 open to the support surface 36 of the upper sheet 19 and the thickness direction of the tank wall 1. It has at least one return 27 extending in an orthogonal plane. The return 27 thus forms a retaining portion 28 within the top sheet 19 between the support surface 36 and the return 27 . The fixing flange 25 of the welding support is inserted into the return 27 of the groove 21, while the welding flange 24 passes through the portion 26 extending in the thickness direction of the wall 1 of the tank and passes through the top sheet. It passes through (19) and protrudes toward the inside of the tank. The fixing flange 25 is thus supported against the retaining part 28 , making it possible to fasten the welded support 3 on the primary insulation panel 14 .

The grooves 21 of the primary insulation panels 14 are sequentially aligned in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the weld support 23 extends substantially in the longitudinal direction (x) from one end of the tank wall 1 to the opposite end, and includes grooves ( Pass along 21).

The strakes 22 have a middle part 29 lying against the support surface 36 of the upper sheets 19 and two ridges extending longitudinally and protruding from the middle part 29 towards the inside of the tank. It is provided with edges 30. The raised edges 30 of the two strakes 22 extending on both sides of the welding support 23 are welded to the welding flange 24 of the welding support 23 . Fluid-tight weld lines between the raised edges 30 and the welding flanges 23 are made using a welding device, for example as described in applications FR2172837 or FR2140716.

The strakes 22 and welded supports 23 are made of Invar®, i.e. an alloy of iron and nickel whose coefficient of expansion is typically between 1.2 Х 10 ^-6 and 2 Х 10 ^-6 K ^-1. , made of high manganese content iron alloy, whose expansion coefficient is typically in the order of 7 Х 10 ^-6 K ^-1 , or stainless steel.

As depicted in Figure 4, the primary insulation panels 14 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (x) by a small width gap 31. The width of the gap 31 is less than 20 mm, preferably less than 10 mm, for example, about 8 mm.

Additionally, when a level difference is created on the weld supports 23, on the raised edges 30 and between two adjacent primary insulating panels 14, the weld supports 23 and the raised edge In order to limit the mechanical stresses susceptible to acting on the weld lines between the layers 30, the grooves 21 are formed as notches 33 in the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulation panels 14. extended, one of which is depicted in detail in Figures 5 and 6.

The notch 33 is open onto the support surface 36 and extends in the longitudinal direction (x) within the extension of the groove 21 and the extension of the retaining portion 28, so as to form a fixing flange 25 of the weld support 3. is not supported by the primary insulation panel 14 in the area of the notch 33. This reduces the stress on the raised edges 30 of the weld supports 23 and strakes 2 when a change in level is made between adjacent primary insulation panels 14 . As a result, in terms of the fatigue behavior of the welded supports 3 in the area of the gaps 31 formed between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulation panels 14 at the level The impact of these differences is reduced.

The notch 33 has a bottom 34 and two side walls 35 connecting the bottom 34 to the bearing surface 36 . Advantageously, the notch 33 has a depth p (shown in FIG. 6 ) in the thickness direction of the wall 1 of the tank, which is deeper than the depth of the groove 21 . More specifically, as depicted in FIG. 5 , the bottom 34 has a depth p of the notch 33 that decreases from the transverse edge 32 of the primary insulation panel 14 toward the groove 21 . It has a slope inclined in the following way. This means that the welded support 23 on that side of the primary insulation panel 14 is raised compared to the adjacent primary insulation panel 14 when a difference in level is created between two adjacent primary insulation panels 14. ) and makes it possible to limit the stress applied to the raised edges 30 of the strakes 22.

Furthermore, advantageously, the size m of the notch 33 in the transverse direction y depicted in FIG. 6 is equal to or larger than the size of the groove 1 in the transverse direction y. Additionally, each of the side walls 35 of the notch 33 is connected to the edges of the groove 21 through a chamfer or fillet 37. The chamfer or fillet 37 is designed to guide the weld flange 24 of the weld support 23 into the vertical portion 26 of the groove 21 when the weld support 23 is mounted inside the groove 21 by sliding. It is designed. Therefore, this arrangement also has the advantage of making it easier to insert the weld support 23 into the groove 21.

More specifically, in the depicted embodiment, the side walls have a planar portion and meet grooves 21 through cylindrical portions 37 .

In other embodiments, not shown, the notch 33 has an overall shape of a trapezoid or triangle oriented in such a way that the notch expands with a distance that widens as it moves away from the groove 21 .

The size n of the notch 33 in the longitudinal direction shown in FIG. 5 advantageously depends on the size of the gap 31 formed between the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulating panels 14. . In fact, the area in which the welded support 23 is not supported by two adjacent primary insulating panels 14, i.e. the length corresponding to the size of the gap i depicted in Figure 4, is advantageously between 20 mm and 70 mm; It has been observed that it advantageously needs to be comprised between 25 mm and 45 mm, more particularly between 30 mm and 40 mm. On the one hand, this makes it possible to limit the stresses liable to be applied to the weld support 23 and the primary sealing membrane 6 within an acceptable range, and on the other hand to prevent the primary sealing membrane 6 from being pulled out. This makes it possible to sufficiently maintain the primary insulation panels 14.

Additionally, as an example, the size of the notches 14 in the longitudinal direction is comprised between 5 mm and 30 mm. This size (n) is, for example, 13 mm when the gap 31 has a width of 8 mm.

A primary insulation panel 14 according to another embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 . This embodiment is advantageous in that it makes it possible to further reduce the gap 31 formed between the primary insulation panels 14 in the longitudinal direction (x). The gap 31 depicted in FIG. 8 advantageously has a width of less than 5 mm, for example on the order of 1 mm. As a result, for a gap 31 of size 1 mm, there is no insulating packing located between the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulating panels 14 . This makes it possible to improve the thermal insulation performance of the primary thermal insulation barrier 5, while at the same time simplifying its installation.

In order to avoid shear deformation of the strakes 22 along the gaps 31 between the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulation panels 14 when the width of the gap 31 is small, the primary insulation panels 14 The upper sheet 19 of (14) is provided with recesses 38 in addition to the notches 33 mentioned above. A recess 38 is formed along each of the transverse edges 32 and extends transversely from one end of the primary insulation panel 15 to the opposite end. The recesses 38 interrupt the bearing surface 36 in such a way that the primary sealing membrane 6 is not supported in the area of the recess 38 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the longitudinal length l of the area where the primary sealing membrane 6 is no longer supported is equal to the recess 38 of each of the primary insulation panels 14. ) is equal to the sum of the size in the longitudinal direction and the width of the gap 31.

Accordingly, recesses 38 are formed along the gap 31 between the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulating panels 14 when a difference in level is created between adjacent primary insulating panels 14. It has the effect of limiting the angular deformation of the primary sealing membrane (6). Accordingly, the deformation of the primary sealing membrane remains in the elastic region for the pressures normally encountered in tanks and does not lead to irreversible deformations of the primary sealing membrane 6 along the gaps 31 .

Advantageously, the length l, i.e. the sum of the longitudinal size of the recess 38 and the width of the gap 31 of each adjacent primary insulation panel, is between 7 mm and 25 mm, preferably between 8 mm and 12 mm. Included. Additionally, as an example, for a width of the gap 31 on the order of 1 mm, the lengthwise size of the recess 38 is included between 3 mm and 12 mm.

The recesses 38 shown in Figure 8 are cutouts. The bottom 39 of the cutout has a surface parallel to the support surface 36 and is connected to the support surface 36 by a wall extending substantially in the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank. The cutout has a width comprised between 3 mm and 12 mm, for example. The depth of the recess 38 in the thickness direction of the tank wall is equal to or greater than the depth of the groove 21, that is, about 6 mm. The depth of the recess 38 is preferably comprised between 8 mm and 10 mm.

As will be explained below in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10 , in this embodiment notches 33 are formed in the top sheet 19 as previously described so that grooves 21 are formed in the notches ( It is noted that it opens into recesses 38 through 33).

Figures 9 and 10 show modified embodiments of the second embodiment of Figures 7 and 8. These variant embodiments differ from the variant described in FIG. 8 in terms of the shape of the recess 38 .

In the variant shown in FIG. 9 , recesses 38 are cut as chamfers in the top sheet 19 along the transverse edges 32 of the primary insulating panels 14 .

In the variant shown in FIG. 10 , the recesses 38 are each formed by rounding in the top sheet 19 along the transverse edges of the primary insulating panels 14 .

In these two variant embodiments, the length l, i.e. the sum of the longitudinal size of the recess 28 of each of the adjacent primary insulation panels 14 and the width of the gap 31, is as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As in the example it is comprised between 7mm and 25mm.

Advantageously, whatever its shape, the recess 38 is inclined at least by an angle of 55° in relation to the support surface 36 and extends a distance in the direction of the thickness of the tank in relation to the support surface 36. It is disposed in such a way that the top sheet 19 is recessed in the area defined above the plane intersecting the transverse edge 32 of the primary insulation panel 14.

Figures 11 and 12 depict a third embodiment. This embodiment is different from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 in that the notches 33 formed on the extension lines of the grooves 21 are formed on the top sheets 19 of the primary insulation panels 14. It is different in that it is no longer equipped. Thus in this embodiment the grooves 21 open directly into recesses 38 formed in the top sheet 19 along the transverse edges 32 . Furthermore, the size of the longitudinal recesses 38 is such that the size of the longitudinal spacing i of the two successive grooves 21 is advantageously between 20 mm and 70 mm, advantageously between 25 mm and It is selected to fall between 45 mm and, more specifically, between 30 mm and 40 mm.

Additionally, as an example, in the embodiment depicted in Figure 1, the width of the gap 31 formed between two adjacent primary insulation panels 14 is on the order of 1 mm, while the recess in the longitudinal direction (x) The size of the fields 38 is between 14.5 mm and 29.5 mm, for example at the level of 24.5 mm.

In the embodiments described above, the primary insulation panels 14 are prone to differential phenomena at a much more severe level than the secondary insulation panels 7, so that the fatigue behavior of the primary sealing membrane 6 Devices that make it possible to limit damage (notches 33 and/or recesses 38) are equipped only with the primary insulation panels 14. However, alternatively or additionally, the secondary insulation panels The fields 7 may also be equipped with these devices, i.e. grooves formed in the top sheet and extending by notches and/or recesses formed along the transverse edges of the secondary insulating panels 7 in the top sheet.

13, a cutaway view of a methane transport vessel 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71, generally polyhedral in shape, mounted on the double hull 72 of the vessel. The walls of the tank 71 are comprised of a primary seal barrier intended to contact the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary seal barrier disposed between the primary seal barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel, and a secondary seal barrier disposed between the primary seal barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel. It includes two insulating barriers disposed respectively between the seal barrier and between the secondary seal barrier and the double hull 72.

As is well known per se, loading/unloading pipes 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship for transferring LNG cargo to or from tanks 71 may be connected via appropriate connectors to a sea or port terminal. You can.

13 shows an example of a marine terminal including loading and unloading stations 75, underwater pipes 76 and offshore facilities 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility comprising a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 supports a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the loading/unloading pipes 73 . The reversible movable arm (74) is suitable for installation on methane carriers of all sizes. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the methane carrier 70 to be loaded from or unloaded into an onshore facility 77. The latter comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and connecting pipes 81 connected by submersible pipes 76 to the loading or unloading station. Submersible pipes 76 enable liquefied gas to be transported over long distances, for example 5 km, between loading or unloading stations 75 and land facilities 77, thereby allowing methane transport vessels 70 to carry out loading and unloading operations. The process makes it possible to stay a long distance from the coast.

To generate the pressure required for transport of the liquefied gas, a pump equipped on the ship 70, a pump equipped on the land installation 77 and/or a pump equipped on the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a number of specific embodiments, it is clear that it is not limited thereto in any way but includes all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof so long as they fall within the scope of the invention.

The verbs 'have', 'include' or 'consist' and their conjugations do not exclude the presence of other configurations or steps other than those listed in the claims.

In the claims, reference signs in parentheses should not be construed as limitations to the scope of the claims.

Claims (16)

A wall (10) for storing liquefied gas, comprising a wall (10) running in the thickness direction of the wall (1) from the outside of the tank to the inside, and having an insulating barrier (5) and a sealing membrane placed against the insulating barrier (5). In a sealed and insulated tank,
- the thermal insulation barrier (5) comprises at least two thermal insulation panels (14) each with an upper sheet (19) forming a support surface (36) on which the sealing membrane (6) rests, The upper sheets 19 each have grooves 21 on which the welded supports 23 are mounted, and the grooves 21 of the two insulating panels 14 are aligned and extended in the longitudinal direction; The welding support (23) extends longitudinally and includes a welding flange (24) and a fixing flange (25) inclined in relation to the welding flange (24); Each groove 21 opens to the support surface 36 and has a return 27 in which the fixing flange 25 of the welded support 23 is received, the return 27 being located in each insulating panel 14. Between 27 and the support surface 36 a retaining part 28 is created, against which the fixing flange 25 is held to support the welded support 23 on the insulating panel 14;
- The sealing membrane (6) comprises at least two metal strakes (22) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction on both sides of the weld support (23), which strakes (22) are connected to the support surfaces (36). It has a middle part 29 lying against and two raised edges 30 projecting from the middle part 29 towards the inside of the tank and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction, and two strakes 22. One of each raised edge 30 is welded to the weld flange 24 of the weld support 23;
The sealed and insulated tank has at least two insulating panels (14) with one end facing the other insulating panel (14) from which a groove (21) extends by a notch (33), The notch 33 has a bottom 34 and side walls 35 connecting the bottom 34 to the support surface 36, and a welded support 23 is formed in the area of the notch 33 by the insulating panel ( Sealed and insulated tank, characterized in that the notch (33) opens to the support surface (36) and is formed at least in the longitudinal extension of the groove (21) and of the retaining part (28) so as not to be supported on the 14). . 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two insulating panels (14) each have two transverse edges (32) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the adjacent transverse edges (32) of the two insulating panels (14) is a sealed and insulated tank spaced apart by a gap 31 having a longitudinal width of less than 20 mm. 3. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the grooves (21) of the insulating panels (14) are spaced apart by a distance (i) whose longitudinal dimension is comprised between 20 mm and 70 mm. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a groove (21) in each of the two insulating panels (14) faces the other insulating panel (14) extending by a notch (33) opening into the support surface (36). The beam has one end and each notch 33 is a seal formed at least longitudinally in the groove 21 and within the extension of the retaining portion 28 so that the weld support 23 is not supported in the notch 33. and insulated tank. 3. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notch (33) or each notch (33) has a longitudinal dimension (n) comprised between 5 mm and 30 mm. 3. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notch (33) or each notch (33) has a depth (p) equal to or greater than the depth of the grooves (21). 3. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom (34) of the notch (33) has an inclined surface so that the depth (p) of the notch (33) decreases in the direction of the groove (21). 3. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side walls (35) of the notches (33) meet grooves via chamfers or fillets (37). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two insulating panels (14) each have two transverse edges (32) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and each of the two insulating panels (14) has an upper sheet ( 19) includes a recess 38 along the transverse edge 32 of the insulating panel 14 facing the other insulating panel 14, the recess 38 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A sealed and insulated tank in which strakes (22) extend from one end of the insulating panel (14) to the other and are not supported by a support surface (36) along the transverse edge (32) of the insulating panel (14). . 10. A sealed and insulated tank according to claim 9, wherein the notch (33) or each notch (33) opens into one of the recesses (38). 11. Sealed and insulated tank according to claim 10, wherein the adjacent transverse edges (32) of the two insulating panels (14) are spaced from each other by a gap (31) having a longitudinal width of less than 5 mm. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sum of the longitudinal size of the recess (38) of each of the two insulating panels (14) and the width of the gap (31) formed between the insulating panels (14) is comprised between 7 mm and 25 mm. A sealed and insulated tank. A vessel (70) for transporting a fluid, comprising a double hull (72) and the tank (71) of claim 1 or 2 placed inside the double hull (72). A fluid transfer system comprising insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81), and a system comprising a pump for driving fluid through insulated pipes from an offshore or onshore storage facility to a ship's tank or from a ship's tank to an offshore or onshore storage facility. A method for loading or unloading a vessel (70) of claim 13, wherein fluid is transferred from an offshore or onshore storage facility (77) to a tank (71) of the vessel via insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) or How to transfer from a ship's tank (71) to an offshore or onshore storage facility. delete