KR20210049848A - Insulated and sealed tank walls - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed and insulating tank wall, the wall
A sealing membrane 6 comprising a corrugated metal plate;
An insulating barrier 5 comprising a groove 27 extending in the longitudinal direction;
The lower part 28 supported by the insulating barrier 5 and fixed to the groove 27, the upper part 30 arranged in the insulating barrier, the middle part connecting the lower part 28 to the upper part 30 It comprises at least one welding support (26) comprising (29),
At least one welding support 26 is slidably mounted to the groove 27 in the longitudinal direction, and the corrugated metal plate is welded to the upper part 30 of the welding support 26,
The upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is received in a counter bore 32 adjacent to the groove 27, the counter bore 32 is formed in the insulating barrier 5, and the upper part of the welding support 26 The portion 30 is disposed in the extension of the support surface 31 between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier.

Description

Insulated and sealed tank walls

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and insulating tanks with membranes. In particular, the present invention is a low temperature, such as a tank for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) having a temperature of -50 ℃ to 0 ℃, or for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) of about -162 ℃ at atmospheric pressure. It relates to the field of sealed and insulated tanks for storing and/or transporting liquefied gases. These tanks can be installed on land or offshore structures. In the case of offshore structures, the tank may be intended to carry the liquefied gas, or to contain the liquefied gas used as fuel to propel the offshore structure.

WO 2014/167227 discloses a sealed and insulating tank for storing liquefied gas in a structure comprising a supporting wall. The tank includes a tank wall that is attached to the support wall and includes a sealing membrane consisting of a corrugated sheet sealably welded together and an insulating barrier consisting of juxtaposed insulating blocks.

To attach the sealing membrane to the insulating barrier, a fastening element in the form of a rail is inserted into a groove formed in the insulating block of the insulating barrier. The sheet forming the sealing membrane is subsequently welded through its edge to a rail whose edge is inserted into a groove. Thus, each sheet of the sealing membrane is attached to the insulating barrier to maintain translational mobility in the longitudinal direction of the rail. In fact, when the rail is slidably mounted in the groove, the sheet of the membrane maintains the same mobility as the rail. Thus, the displacement of the edge of the sheet of the membrane is freed to reduce the stress in the membrane.

However, the fixing element of the conventional literature has some drawbacks. In fact, they are particularly related to complex and expensive designs. Furthermore, the mechanical resistance of these elements needs to be improved in order to absorb the stress applied to the sealing membrane over a long period of time.

One idea in the present invention is to improve the sliding adhesion of the sealing membrane to the insulating barrier, while maintaining sufficient mechanical resistance to withstand the stress exerted by the sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed and insulating tank wall for forming a sealed and insulating tank for storing liquefied gas, the tank wall

A sealing membrane intended to contact the liquefied gas stored in the tank and comprising a corrugated metal plate;

An insulating barrier comprising a groove extending in a longitudinal direction and forming a support surface for the sealing membrane;

It includes a lower part supported by the insulating barrier and fixed to the groove of the insulating barrier in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, an upper part parallel to the support surface, and a middle part connecting the lower part to the upper part, wherein the middle part is insulated. At least one welding support disposed in the groove in the thickness direction of the barrier,

At least one welding support is slidably mounted to the groove in the longitudinal direction, and the corrugated metal plate is welded to the upper portion of the welding support,

The upper part of the welding support is received in a counterbore adjacent to the groove, the counterbore is formed in the insulating barrier, and the upper part of the welding support is disposed in the extension of the support surface between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier.

The longitudinal direction is defined as being a direction parallel to one of the edges of the corrugated metal plate.

With these configurations, the welding support allows the sealing membrane to be attached to the insulating barrier, while maintaining a degree of freedom in the longitudinal direction due to the sliding assembly of the welding support in the groove. This degree of freedom allows small movement of the edge of the metal plate relative to the insulating barrier to occur during temperature changes, which improves the distribution of forces and movements that occur in the corrugated plate to limit the fatigue of the sealing membrane and limits the concentration of stress. do.

Furthermore, the upper part of the welding support is seated in a counterbore formed in the insulating barrier, which allows the welding support to be placed continuously on the support surface of the insulating barrier, allowing for further processing of the corrugated metal plate to limit the manufacturing cost of the assembly. Eliminates the need for Furthermore, the counterbore allows the upper part of the welding support to be supported by the insulating barrier, which allows the mechanical forces of the upper part of the welding support, especially the pressure stress applied to the sealing membrane in the thickness direction of the tank wall, to be transmitted to the insulating barrier. do.

According to embodiments, such tank walls may include one or more of the following configurations.

According to one embodiment, the welding support is an elongated element extending in the same direction as the groove.

According to one embodiment, the tank wall comprises a plurality of welding supports fixed to the groove. The welding supports may be spaced apart from each other, or may be arranged continuously in the groove.

According to one embodiment, the edge of the corrugated metal plate extending in the longitudinal direction is welded to the upper part of the welding support.

According to one embodiment, the groove is a longitudinal groove, the edge is a first edge, the welding support is a first welding support, the insulating barrier comprises a transverse groove extending in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the wall The silver lower portion comprises a second welding support fixed to the transverse groove of the insulating barrier, and a second edge of the corrugated metal plate extending in the transverse direction is welded to the upper portion of the second welding support.

According to one embodiment, the groove comprises an inlet region extending in a thickness direction in the insulating barrier, the groove comprising a fixed region disposed below the inlet region and formed parallel to the support surface over a width greater than the inlet region. And, the lower part of the welding support is accommodated in the fixed area.

Accordingly, the fixed zone allows the blocking of movement of the lower portion of the welding support and the entire welding support can be improved in the thickness direction of the insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, the fixing zone is formed parallel to the supporting surface on each side of the inlet zone, and the welding support comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being insulated in a direction perpendicular to the supporting surface. A lower part fixed to the fixed section of the barrier, an upper part received in a counterbore adjacent to the groove and parallel to the support surface such that the upper part of the first segment is disposed in the extension of the support surface between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier, a first A middle portion connecting the lower portion of the first segment to the upper portion of the segment, wherein the middle portion is disposed in the groove in the thickness direction of the insulating barrier, and the second segment is in a direction opposite to the direction of the lower portion of the first segment And a middle portion welded to the middle portion of the first segment and a lower portion fixed to the fixed region of the insulating barrier, wherein the upper portion of the first segment is welded to the corrugated metal plate.

By these configurations, the first segment is a sealing material. Allows to be slidably attached to the insulating barrier. Furthermore, the second segment allows the welding support to be reinforced, in particular in the middle part, and allows the movement of the welding support to be limited in the transverse direction, ie in the direction of the lower part of the welding support. The second segment also allows for an increase in the perpendicular load resistance of the welding support and the resistance of the welding support to tearing from the groove by distributing the force generated on the corrugated metal plate by more than twice the surface area of the insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, the counterbore is a first counterbore, the insulating barrier comprises a second counterbore, the first counterbore and the second counterbore are disposed on each side of the groove, and the second segment is a support surface And an upper portion parallel to and received in a second counterbore, the upper portion of the second segment being disposed in the extension of the support surface between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier, and the middle portion of the second segment is the upper portion of the second segment. Connect the lower part of the second segment to the part.

With these configurations, the upper part of the second segment is seated in a second counterbore formed in the insulating barrier, which allows the welding support to be placed continuously on the supporting surface of the insulating barrier, thereby being corrugated to limit the manufacturing cost of the assembly. Eliminates the need for further processing of the metal plate. Furthermore, the second counterbore allows the upper part of the second segment to be supported by the insulating barrier, which improves the resistance of the welding support, especially when pressure is applied to the sealing membrane in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

According to one embodiment, the groove has an inlet region extending in the thickness direction in the insulating barrier,

The inlet section includes a fastener attached to the wall of the groove, and the lower portion of the welding support is slidably received in the fastener.

Thus, the fastener allows the lower part of the welding support, and thus the blocking of movement of the welding support, to be improved as a whole in the thickness direction of the insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, the lower portion comprises a hook, the fastener comprises an opposite hook, and the hook is received in the opposite hook.

According to one embodiment, the fastener is a first fastener, the inlet section comprises a second fastener attached to the wall of the groove opposite the first fastener, the welding support comprises a first segment and a second segment, , The first segment is parallel to the support surface such that the lower portion fixed to the first fastener of the insulating barrier in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, the upper portion of the first segment disposed between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier extension of the support surface. And an upper portion received in a counterbore adjacent to the groove, the middle portion of the first segment connecting the lower portion to the upper portion, the middle portion being disposed in the inlet area in the thickness direction of the insulating barrier, and the second segment A lower portion secured to the second fastener of the insulating barrier and a middle portion of the second segment welded to the middle portion of the first segment.

With these configurations, the first segment allows the sealing membrane to be slidably attached to the insulating barrier. Furthermore, the second segment allows the welding support to be reinforced, in particular in the middle part, and also allows the movement of the welding support to be limited in the transverse direction, ie in the direction of the lower part of the welding support.

According to one embodiment, the counterbore is a first counterbore, the insulating barrier comprises a second counterbore, the first counterbore and the second counterbore are disposed on each side of the groove, and the second segment is a support surface And an upper portion parallel to and received in a second counterbore, the upper portion of the second segment being disposed in the extension of the support surface between the sealing membrane and the insulating barrier, and the middle portion of the second segment is the upper portion of the second segment. Connect the lower part of the second segment to the part.

According to one embodiment, the metal plate welded to the upper portion of the welding support is a first metal plate, and the sealing membrane comprises a second corrugated metal plate comprising an offset portion welded over the first metal plate, and two metal plates A sealing overlap is formed therebetween, and a weld portion between the first metal plate and the upper portion of the welding support is disposed below the offset portion of the second metal plate.

According to an embodiment, the insulating barrier includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels, the upper portion of the welding support is fixed to the insulating panel of the insulating barrier, and a counterbore is formed in the insulating panel.

According to one embodiment, the insulating barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels, the groove being disposed between two adjacent insulating panels of the insulating barrier, and the inlet area is a space between the panels.

With these configurations, the inlet area does not require processing of the insulating panel, only the two panels need to be placed at a certain distance.

According to one embodiment, the insulating barrier includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels, and the groove is disposed at the center of the insulating panel of the insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, the insulating barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels, and the grooves are disposed near an edge of the insulating panel.

The expression "near the edge of the insulating panel" means that the elements are arranged spaced apart from the edge by 0 to 10% of the transverse dimension of the insulating panel.

According to one embodiment, the groove is a first groove, the insulating barrier comprises a second groove spaced apart from the first groove and extending longitudinally, the counterbore extends between the two grooves, and the upper portion of the welding support It is accommodated in a counterbore extending between the two grooves, the lower part is the first lower part, the middle part is the first intermediate part, and the welding support connects the second lower part and the second lower part to the upper part of the welding support. And a second intermediate portion, wherein the first lower portion and the first intermediate portion are disposed in the first groove, and the second lower portion and the second intermediate portion are disposed in a second groove separate from the first groove.

According to an embodiment, at least one or each of the lower portions is formed as a plurality of lower portions spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, and at least one or each of the middle portions is formed as a plurality of intermediate portions spaced apart from each other in the length direction Each middle part connects one of the lower parts to the upper part.

According to one embodiment, the upper portion is a first upper portion, the thermal insulation barrier comprises a third groove extending in a transverse direction and a fourth groove adjacent to the third groove and extending in a transverse direction, and the welding support is a third And a second upper portion received in a transverse counterbore extending between the groove and the fourth groove, the third and fourth grooves intersecting the first and second grooves.

According to one embodiment, the third intermediate portion is arranged in the inlet region of the third groove and connected to the second upper portion, and the fourth intermediate portion is arranged in the inlet region of the fourth groove, and connected to the second upper portion do.

According to one embodiment, the insulating barrier is a primary insulating barrier, the sealing membrane is a primary sealing membrane, the tank wall is disposed under the secondary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane disposed under the primary insulating barrier, and And a secondary insulating barrier comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels forming a support surface for the sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane comprises a plurality of longitudinally parallel strakes, and the strakes are primary sealing against the flat central portion and the central portion seated on the upper surface of the insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier. Containing two protruding edges protruding toward the membrane, the strakes are juxtaposed in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction along a repetitive pattern and are welded sealably together at the protruding edges to secure the secondary sealing membrane to the secondary insulating barrier. In order to do this, fixed wings fixed to the insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier parallel to the longitudinal direction are arranged between the juxtaposed strakes.

According to an embodiment, the secondary insulating barrier includes a plurality of secondary rows parallel to the length direction, the secondary row includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular secondary insulating panels, and the secondary row has a repetitive pattern. It is juxtaposed along the transverse direction, and the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the secondary row is an integer multiple of the dimension of the strake in the transverse direction.

According to an embodiment, the primary insulating barrier includes a plurality of primary rows parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the primary row includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped primary insulating panels and is stacked on the secondary row, and the primary row Are juxtaposed in the transverse direction along the repetitive pattern, and the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the primary row is the same as the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the secondary row in the transverse direction.

According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane is disposed between the first corrugations and the first corrugations arranged in a repetitive pattern parallel to the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction, and has a flat portion seated on the upper surface of the primary insulating panel. And the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the first row is an integer multiple of the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the first pleat,

The primary sealing membrane includes a row of a plurality of metal sheets parallel in the longitudinal direction, the row of metal sheets includes a plurality of rectangular metal sheets welded to be sealable together through an edge, and the row of metal sheets is transverse. It is juxtaposed and welded together so as to be sealed together, and the dimension of the row of metal sheets in the transverse direction is the same as or an integer multiple of the dimension of the repetitive pattern of the primary row,

The rows of metal sheets are offset in the transverse direction with respect to the primary rows, and welded intersection points between the rows of metal sheets are arranged spaced apart from the boundary between the primary rows.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a sealing and insulating tank disposed on a support structure, the tank comprising a plurality of walls sealably attached together to form an interior space for receiving liquefied gas, the wall At least one of them is the aforementioned wall.

Such tanks may for example form part of an onshore storage facility for storing LNG, or in floating, offshore or deep sea structures, in particular LNG tanker vessels, Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU), Floating Production, Storage and It can be installed in off-loading) units. These tanks can also be used as fuel tanks in any type of vessel.

According to one embodiment, a vessel for conveying a low-temperature liquid product comprises a double hull and a tank as described above arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or offloading such a vessel, wherein the low-temperature liquid product moves through an insulated pipeline, from an offshore or onshore storage facility to the vessel's tank, or vice versa. .

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a conveying system for a low-temperature liquid product, the system comprising an insulating pipeline and an insulating pipe arranged to connect a tank installed at the hull of the vessel to the aforementioned vessel, offshore or onshore storage facility. And a pump for directing the flow of cold liquid product through the line, from the offshore or onshore storage facility to the vessel's tank, or vice versa.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the accompanying drawings, through the following description of a plurality of specific embodiments of the present invention, which are provided by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation, the present invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages will become more apparent .

1 is a perspective cut-away view of a tank wall according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of section II of FIG. 1.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1.
4 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support having a primary sealing membrane attached to the primary insulating barrier according to the first embodiment.
5 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support according to a second embodiment.
6 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support according to a third embodiment.
7 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support according to a fourth embodiment.
8 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support according to a fifth embodiment.
9 is an exploded view of a section IV of FIG. 3 showing a welding support according to a sixth embodiment.
10 is a perspective view of a welding support according to a seventh embodiment.
11 is a perspective view of a welding support according to an eighth embodiment.
12 is a schematic cutaway view of a tank of an LNG tanker vessel and a terminal for loading/offloading such a tank.

1 shows a multi-layered 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 in the thickness direction, from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary insulating barrier 3 fixed to the supporting structure 2, a secondary sealing membrane seated on the secondary insulating barrier 2 ( 4), a primary insulating barrier 5 seated on the secondary sealing membrane 4 and a primary sealing membrane 6 intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank.

The supporting structure may in particular be formed of a vessel hull or a double hull. The support structure comprises a plurality of support walls 2 defining the overall shape of the tank, often a prismatic shape.

The secondary insulating barrier 3 comprises a plurality of secondary insulating panels 7 which are fixed to the supporting wall 2 by means of a fixing device. The secondary insulating panels 7 have an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel rows. The three columns are labeled A, B, and C. In order to close the gap of the supporting wall 2 with respect to the flat reference surface, a sealing bead 99 is inserted between the secondary insulating panel 7 and the supporting wall 2. Kraft paper is inserted between the sealing bead 99 and the supporting wall 2 to prevent the sealing bead 99 from adhering to the supporting wall 2.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the secondary insulating panel 7 comprises, for example, three plates, namely a base plate 8, an intermediate plate 9 and a cover plate 10. The base 8, middle 9 and cover 10 plates are made of plywood, for example. The secondary insulating panel 7 also includes a first insulating polymer foam layer 11 interposed between the base plate 8 and the intermediate plate 9 and a first insulating polymer foam layer 11 interposed between the intermediate plate 9 and the cover plate 10. 2 insulating polymer foam layer 12. The secondary insulating panel 7 can have other general structures described in WO 2012/127141, for example. The secondary insulating panel 7 defines a plurality of compartments filled with insulating linings such as pearlite, glass wool or rock wool, and a support web extending between the base plate and the cover plate in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1, It is manufactured in the form of a casing including a cover plate and a base plate.

The secondary sealing membrane 4 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 13 with protruding edges. The strake 13 is welded through the protruding edge 14 to a parallel welding support, which is attached to the groove provided in the cover plate 10 of the secondary insulating panel 7. The strike 13 is made of, for example, Invar®, ie an iron and nickel alloy having a ^{coefficient of expansion of typically 1.2×10 −6} to 2×10 ⁻⁶ K ^−1. It is also possible to use iron and manganese alloys with a coefficient of expansion of typically about 7×10 ^-6 K ^-1.

The primary insulating barrier 5 comprises a plurality of primary insulating panels 15 which are fixed to the supporting wall 2 by means of a fixing device. The primary insulating panel 15 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, they have the same size as that of the secondary insulating panel 7 except for the thickness in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1, which may be different, especially smaller. Each of the primary insulating panels 15 is disposed perpendicular to one of the secondary insulating panels 7 and parallel to it in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the primary insulating panel 15 has a multilayer structure similar to that of the secondary insulating panel 7. Further, the primary insulating panel 15 includes a base plate 16, a first insulating polymer foam layer 17, an intermediate plate 18, a second insulating polymer foam layer 19, and a cover plate 20 in order. do. The insulating polymer foam may in particular be a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with fibers.

The base plate 16 comprises a groove intended to receive the protruding edge 14 of the strike 13 of the secondary sealing membrane 4. The structure of the primary insulating panel 15 has been described above as an example. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the primary insulating panel 15 may have other general structures described in WO 2012/127141, for example.

The tank wall 1 comprises a welding support 26 for fixing the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5. The welding support 26 is described below.

FIG. 1 also comprises a rectangular corrugated metal plate 21 of successive layers with two series of mutually orthogonal corrugations. The corrugations 22 of the first series extend in rows (A, B, C) of the insulating panel, ie at right angles to the protruding edge 14 of the strike 13, and have an even spacing 40. The second series of corrugations 23 extend parallel to the rows (A, B, C) of the insulating panel, i.e. parallel to the protruding edge 14 of the strike 13, and have an even spacing 41 . Preferably the first series of corrugations 22 is higher than the second series of corrugations 23.

The corrugated metal plates 21 are welded together by forming overlaps 24 along the visible edges shown in Figs. 4 to 9, according to known techniques. In fact, in the overlap between two adjacent corrugated metal plates 21, one of corrugated metal plates 21 comprises an offset portion 25 disposed over the other of corrugated metal plates 21.

The corrugated metal plate 21 preferably has a width and length dimension that is an equal integral multiple of the corrugation, and also an integral multiple of the dimension of the primary insulating panel 15. 1 shows that the corrugated metal plate 21 is 4 times the spacing 40 and 12 times the spacing 41. Preferably the spacings 40 and 41 are the same. Thus, the orientation of the corrugations 22, 23 in the tank can be easily adapted to the requirements of the application, without causing significant changes to the production of the insulating barrier.

For example, in an alternative embodiment, the primary sealing membrane 6 allows the second series of corrugations 23 to be parallel to the rows A, B, C of the insulating panel, i.e. the protrusion of the strake 13 It can be rotated 90° to extend parallel to the edge 14.

The primary insulating panel 15 and the secondary insulating panel 7 have the same dimensions in the width direction of the rows A, B, and C. This dimension is commonly referred to as the length of the insulation panel. These column widths are substantially equal to the spacing of the corrugations in the same direction, in this case the spacing 41, in order to enable the fabrication of the tank wall in a modular manner by forming a repetitive pattern with a special number of times throughout the support wall 2 It is an integer multiple and is an integer multiple of the width of the strake 13.

Preferably, the width of the strake 13 is an integer multiple, for example, twice the spacing of the corrugations in the same direction.

In the longitudinal direction of the rows A, B, and C, the primary insulating panel 15 may have the same dimensions as the secondary insulating panel 7 or an integer multiple of the dimensions. These dimensions are the spacing of the corrugations in the same direction, in this case an integer multiple of the spacing 40, in order to enable the fabrication of the tank wall in a modular manner by forming a repetitive pattern over the entire support wall 2 at a special number of times. to be.

Preferably, the primary insulating panel 15 and the secondary insulating panel 7 are square. Thus, it is easier to match the relative orientation of the corrugations and strakes in the tank without requiring significant changes to the design of the insulation panel.

Examples of desirable dimensions

Spacing of corrugations (40, 41): PO

Width of primary insulation panel (15) and secondary insulation panel (7): 4PO

Length of primary insulation panel (15) and secondary insulation panel (7): 4PO (square)

Width of strake (13): 2PO

Length of corrugated metal plate 21: 12PO (Fig. 1) or 8PO (not shown)

Width of corrugated metal plate: 4PO

PO = 300 mm

For these dimensions, a good compromise is made between the ease of handling the parts forming the tank wall and the number of parts to be assembled. This arrangement also simplifies the connection of the corrugations between the two walls of the tank.

Dimension example 2

Spacing of wrinkles 40: PO

Spacing of wrinkles (41): GO

Width of primary insulation panel (15) and secondary insulation panel (7): 3GO

Length of primary insulation panel (15) and secondary insulation panel (7): 4PO (rectangular)

The length of the strike (13): 2PO

Length of corrugated metal plate (21): 12PO

Width of corrugated metal plate (21): 3GO

PO = 300 mm

GO = 340 mm

Example 3

The folds are not equidistant, and are arranged in a repetitive pattern of the lower four folds, the continuous spacing of which is 340, 340, 340, 180 mm.

Preferably the gap of 180 mm is divided into two 90 mm portions arranged on two opposite edges of the corrugated metal plate 21.

Thus, the dimension of the repetitive pattern is 1,200 mm. The rest are the same as the dimensions of the first example.

Example 4

The folds are not equidistant, and are arranged in a repetitive pattern of the lower four folds, the continuous intervals of which are 300, 400, 300, 200 mm.

Preferably the gap of 200 mm is divided into two 100 mm portions arranged on two opposite edges of the corrugated metal plate.

Thus, the dimension of the repetitive pattern is 1,200 mm. The rest are the same as the dimensions of the first example.

2 is a detailed view of the attachment of the metal plate 21 of the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier using a welding support 26.

Each primary insulating panel 15 includes a groove 27 in the cover plate 20. The grooves 27 can be formed continuously by creating an intersection point between the grooves 27, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At the point of intersection between two grooves 27, one groove may comprise one fixed support 26 continuously traversing the point of intersection, while the other groove is two fixed supports disposed on each side of the point of intersection ( 26) may be included.

In order for the primary sealing membrane 6 to attach the metal plate 21 to the primary insulating barrier 5, at least one edge of the metal plate 21 extending in the longitudinal direction is a groove 27 oriented in the longitudinal direction. ), and at least one edge of the metal plate 21 extending in the transverse direction is welded to the welding support 26 disposed in the groove 27 oriented in the transverse direction.

For example, the metal welding support 26 is slidably accommodated in the concave groove 27 from the cover plate 20 of the primary heat insulating barrier 5. This degree of freedom allows a small movement of the edge of the metal plate 21 relative to the primary insulating panel 15 that will occur during temperature changes, which limits the concentration of stress and fatigue of the primary sealing membrane 6.

As can be seen in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the welding support 26 is spaced apart from the groove 27. These spaces formed between the two welding supports 26 can vary from a few millimeters to a spacing slightly larger than the corrugation of the corrugated metal plate 21. The space formed between the two welding supports 26 in the groove 27 may be filled with an insulating material.

3 shows the tank wall 1 as a cross-sectional view from which the various layers forming the tank wall can be distinguished. 4 to 9 are detailed views of a region for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5 in a number of embodiments.

A first embodiment for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5 is shown in FIG. 4.

In this embodiment, the welding support 26 is parallel to the support surface 31, the lower part 28 fixed to the groove 27 of the primary insulating barrier 5 in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 31 It comprises an upper part 30 arranged on the insulating barrier 5, an intermediate part 29 connecting the lower part 28 to the upper part 30, the middle part 29 being a primary insulating barrier 5 It is disposed in the groove 27 in the thickness direction of.

The upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is accommodated in a counter bore 32 adjacent to the groove 27, the counter bore 32 being attached to the primary insulating panel 15 of the primary insulating barrier 5 Is formed so that the upper portion 30 of the welding support 26 is disposed at the extension of the support surface 31 and between the primary insulating barrier 5 and the primary sealing membrane 6.

The groove 27 is disposed below the inlet region 33 and the inlet region 33 extending in the thickness direction and is formed parallel to the support surface 33 over a larger width than the inlet region 33. Has. The lower portion 28 of the welding support 26 is received in the fixing zone 34 so that the welding support is fixed to the groove 27. The fixing zone 34 is formed in one or more cover plates 20 of the primary insulating barrier 5.

The primary sealing membrane 6 is attached to the primary insulating barrier 5 by overlapping attachment of two adjacent metal plates 21 of the primary sealing membrane 6. In practice, a first metal plate 21 that does not include an offset portion 25 at this edge is welded to the upper portion 30 of the welding support 26, and a first metal plate 21 comprising the offset portion 25 at the edge to be welded. 2 The metal plate 21 covers the edges of the welding support 26 and the first metal plate 21. The offset portion 25 is welded to the first metal plate to form a sealing overlap, i.e. to have a continuous weld bead over the entire length of the edge of the metal plate 21, so as to completely cover the welding support.

5 shows a second embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

In this embodiment, the welding support 26 is inserted into two adjacent grooves 27 extending in the same direction. In this case, the counter bore 32 is formed in a portion of the cover plate 20 disposed between the two grooves 27. The upper portion 30 of the welding support 26 is received in a counterbore 32 extending between the two grooves. The welding support 26 comprises a first lower part 28 inserted into the fixing region 34 of the first groove 27 and a second lower part 28 inserted into the fixing region 34 of the second groove 27. ). The welding support 26 is also arranged in the inlet region 33 of the first groove 27 and connects the first lower part 28 to one end of the upper part 30 and the first intermediate part 29 and the second It is disposed in the inlet region 33 of the groove 27 and comprises a second intermediate portion connecting the second lower portion 28 to the other end of the upper portion 30 of the welding support 26. The lower part 28 and the middle part 29 are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction.

The cover plate 30 may be made of plywood or a synthetic material, and may have a thickness of 9 to 24 mm.

6 shows a third embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

In this embodiment, the fixing zone 34 is formed parallel to the support surface 31 on each side of the inlet zone 33. The welding support 26 comprises a first segment 35 and a second segment 36. The first segment 35 comprises a lower portion 28 received in the fixing region 34 of the groove 27, an upper portion 30 received in a counterbore parallel to the support surface and adjacent to the groove 27, As in the first embodiment, the upper part 30 of the first segment 35 is placed in the extension of the support surface 31 and between the primary insulating barrier 5 and the primary sealing membrane 6 Make it possible. The first segment 35 also comprises an intermediate portion 29 connecting the lower portion 28 of the first segment 35 to the upper portion 30 of the first segment 35, the intermediate portion 29 Is disposed in the inlet section 33 of the groove 27. The second segment 36 comprises a lower portion 28 and a first segment 35 received in the fixing region 34 of the groove 27 in a direction opposite to the direction of the lower portion 28 of the first segment 35 It comprises a middle portion 29 welded by a weld 98 to the middle portion 29 of the.

7 shows a fourth embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

This embodiment is very similar to the second embodiment. Indeed, the main difference between these two embodiments is in the second segment 36. As can be seen in FIG. 7, in this case the insulating barrier 5 includes two counter bores 32 on each side of the groove 27, one of the middle bores being the upper part of the first segment 35 Accept (30). The second segment 36 comprises, in addition to the lower portion 28 and the middle portion 29, an upper portion 30 parallel to the support surface 31 and received in the other of the counterbores 32, the first It is oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of the upper portion 30 of the segment 35. The upper part 30 of the second segment 36 is thus also arranged between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the primary insulating barrier 5. The middle part 29 of the second segment 36 connects the lower part 28 of the second segment 36 to the upper part 30 of the second segment 36, like that of the first segment 35 do.

The groove 27 of each of the above-described embodiments may be disposed in the center of the primary insulating panel 15 or near the edge of the primary insulating panel 15 as shown in FIG. 1.

8 shows a fifth embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

The fifth embodiment of Fig. 8 is very similar to the first embodiment of Fig. 4. In this embodiment of Fig. 8, the position of the groove 27 is different. In fact, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the inlet section 33 of the groove 27 corresponds to the space between the panels in this embodiment, and the groove 27 is the two neighboring ones of the primary insulating barrier 5. It is disposed between the primary insulating panels 15. Accordingly, the fixing zone 34 is formed in the first direction in the primary insulating panel 15 and in the opposite direction in the secondary insulating panel 15.

9 shows a sixth embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

The sixth embodiment of Fig. 9 is very similar to the embodiment of Fig. 8. In fact, the inlet area 33 of the groove 27 also corresponds to the space between the panels. However, in this embodiment, the fixing section 34 has been replaced with a fastener 37. The fastener 37 is attached to the wall of the inlet area 33 corresponding to one side of the primary insulating panel 15. The lower part 28 of the welding support 26 is slidable on the fastener 36 in order to be fixed laterally to the groove 27 extending in the longitudinal direction and in particular in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1. Is accepted. To this end, the lower part 28 comprises, at its end, a hook 38, the shape of which is fitted to the opposite hook 39 arranged on the fastener 37. Thus, the hook 38 of the lower part 28 is received in the opposite hook 39 of the fastener 37 to implement a sliding attachment. This embodiment can also be used in the center of the primary insulating panel 15 or near the edge of the primary insulating panel 15.

10 shows a seventh embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

The seventh embodiment of Fig. 10 is very similar to the embodiment of Fig. 5. However, in this embodiment, the lower portion 28 and the middle portion 29 of the welding support are formed in a lengthwise direction in a discontinuous manner, connected to the upper portion 30 and forming a lug spaced apart from each other in the length direction. do.

11 shows an eighth embodiment of a welding support 26 for attaching the primary sealing membrane 6 to the primary insulating barrier 5.

In this embodiment, the welding support 26 extends in two adjacent grooves 97 (indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 11) extending transversely across the two longitudinal grooves 27, and in the longitudinal direction. It is inserted in the center of the primary insulating panel 15 in two adjacent grooves 27 that are formed. In fact, the welding support 26 of this embodiment is formed by a portion 26A formed in the longitudinal direction and a portion 26B formed in the transverse direction, the portions 26A and 26B intersecting to form a cross. Accordingly, the upper portion 30 extends to a first counterbore 32 formed between the two longitudinal grooves 27 and also a second counterbore 32 formed between the two transverse grooves 97.

Thus, the portion 26A comprises a portion of the upper portion 30 extending in the longitudinal direction, and also a first lower portion 28 and a second length inserted into the fixing region 34 of the first groove 27. And a second lower portion 285 inserted into the fixing region 34 of the directional groove 27. The portion 26A is also arranged in the inlet section 33 of the first longitudinal groove 27 and connects the first lower portion 28 to the upper portion 30 and a second transverse portion 29. It comprises a second intermediate portion 29 arranged in the inlet region 33 of the directional groove 27 and connecting the second lower portion 28 to the upper portion 30.

Unlike portion 26A, portion 26B does not include a lower portion 28. The portion 26B is formed as a portion of the upper portion 30 extending in the transverse direction, and is also disposed in the first transverse groove 97 and connected to the upper portion 30 and a first intermediate portion 29 and a second It comprises a second intermediate portion 29 arranged in the inlet region 33 of the transverse groove 97 and connected to the upper portion 30. The transverse groove 97 has an important opening to provide sufficient spacing for the welding support 26 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the welding support 26 maintains a sufficient degree of freedom in the longitudinal direction. In the same way, the longitudinal groove 27 can also have an important opening in this embodiment to allow for the spacing to be provided in the transverse direction.

Further, the welding support 26 is grooved in the longitudinal direction 27 and the transverse direction 97 so as to be able to accommodate the middle portion 29 and the lower portion 28 in the longitudinal (27) and transverse direction (97) grooves. Is forcibly inserted at the intersection of

In other embodiments not shown, the embodiments described in Figs. 4 to 11 can be combined when the configurations of these embodiments are mutually compatible.

For example, the embodiment described in FIG. 5 may include fasteners 36 in each of the grooves 27 instead of the fixing zone 34. The two lower portions 28 of the welding support 26 are provided with hooks 38, which are received on the opposite hooks 39 of the fastener 36.

In another embodiment not shown, the embodiment described in FIG. 7 may include a fastener 36 instead of a fastening zone 34, wherein the first fastener 36 is a groove 27 close to the first segment 35. ), and a second fastener 36 is attached to the wall of the groove 27 close to the second segment 36. The lower portion 28 of the first segment 35 and the lower portion 28 of the second segment 36 are provided with hooks 38 received in opposite hooks 38 of each of the fasteners 36.

The techniques described above for producing sealed tank walls can be used in various types of tanks to form tank walls of tanks for LNG in offshore structures, such as LNG tanker vessels, for example, or in onshore structures.

Referring to FIG. 12, a cut-away view of the LNG tanker vessel 70 shows an overall prismatic sealing and insulating tank 71 mounted on the double hull 72 of the vessel. The walls of the tank 71 consist of a primary sealing barrier intended to contact the LNG stored in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the double hull 72 of the vessel and the primary sealing barrier, and a double hull 72 and a secondary. And two insulating barriers arranged respectively between the sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the primary sealing barrier.

In a known manner, the loading/offloading pipeline 73 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel can be connected to a marine or port terminal for sending LNG cargo from or to the tank 71 by means of a suitable connector. .

12 shows an example of a marine terminal comprising a loading and offloading station 75, an underwater pipe 76, and an onshore facility 77. The loading and offloading station 75 is a stationary offshore installation comprising a movable arm 74 and a turret 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 supports a bundle of insulated flexible hoses 79 that can be connected to the loading/offloading pipeline 73. The directional movable arm 74 fits all types of LNG tankers. The connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the turret 78. The loading and offloading station 75 is an onshore facility including a connecting pipe 81 connected by an underwater pipe 76 to the LNG tanker 70 and the liquefied gas storage tank 80 and the loading or offloading station 75. Allows loading and offloading from or to the onshore facility 77. The underwater pipe 76 allows the liquefied gas to be sent between the loading or offloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over a significant distance, such as 5 km, which allows the LNG tanker 70 to perform loading and offloading operations. It should be kept at a considerable distance during the time.

In order to create the pressure required to deliver the liquefied gas, a pump provided in the vessel 70 onboard pump and/or in the onshore facility 77 and/or a pump provided in the loading and offloading station 75 is used.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to a plurality of specific embodiments, it is obvious that it is not limited thereto, and it is clear that all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof are included if they fall within the scope of the present invention.

The use of the verbs "comprise" or "consist of" and their conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other steps or elements other than those recited in the claims.

In the claims, reference signs between parentheses cannot be construed as a limitation of the claim.

Claims (22)

As a sealed and insulated tank wall (1) for forming a sealed and insulated tank for storing liquefied gas,
A sealing membrane 6 comprising a corrugated metal plate 21 intended for contact with the liquefied gas stored in the tank;
An insulating barrier 5 comprising a groove 27 extending in the longitudinal direction and forming a support surface 31 for the sealing membrane 6;
The lower part 28 supported by the insulating barrier 5 and fixed in the groove 27 of the insulating barrier 5 in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 31, the upper part parallel to the support surface 31 ( 30), including an intermediate portion 29 connecting the lower portion 28 to the upper portion 30, wherein the intermediate portion 29 is at least one disposed in the groove 27 in the thickness direction of the insulating barrier (5) Including the welding support (26) of,
At least one welding support 26 is slidably mounted to the groove 27 in the longitudinal direction, the corrugated metal plate 21 is welded to the upper portion 30 of the welding support 26,
The upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is received in a counter bore 32 adjacent to the groove 27, the counter bore 32 is formed in the insulating barrier 5, and the upper part of the welding support 26 The tank wall 1 is arranged in the extension of the supporting surface 31 between the sealing membrane 6 and the insulating barrier 5. The method of claim 1,
Groove is a longitudinal groove,
Edge is the first edge,
The welding support is the first welding support,
The insulating barrier comprises a transverse groove extending in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,
The wall includes a second welding support, wherein the lower portion is fixed to the transverse groove of the insulating barrier,
A tank wall (1) wherein the second edge of the corrugated metal plate extending in the transverse direction is welded to the upper part of the second welding support. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The groove 27 comprises an inlet region 33 extending in the thickness direction in the insulating barrier 5,
The groove 27 comprises a fixing region 34 disposed below the inlet region 33 and formed parallel to the support surface 31 over a larger width than the inlet region 33,
The lower part 28 of the welding support 26 is a tank wall 1 which is received in the fixing zone 34. The method of claim 3,
The fixing zone 34 is formed parallel to the support surface 31 on each side of the inlet zone 33,
The welding support 26 comprises a first segment 35 and a second segment 36,
The first segment 35 has a lower part 28 fixed to the fixing zone 34 of the insulating barrier 5 in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 31, and the upper part 30 of the first segment 35. The upper part 30 accommodated in a counterbore 32 adjacent to the groove 27 and parallel to the support surface 31 so as to be disposed between the sealing membrane 6 and the insulating barrier 5 in the extension of the support surface 31 ), comprising an intermediate portion 29 connecting the lower portion 28 of the first segment 35 to the upper portion 30 of the first segment 35, wherein the intermediate portion 29 is an insulating barrier (5) Is disposed in the groove 27 in the thickness direction of,
The second segment 36 comprises a lower part 28 and a first segment fixed to the fixing zone 34 of the insulating barrier 5 in a direction opposite to the direction of the lower part 28 of the first segment 35. It comprises a middle part 29 welded to the middle part 29 of 35),
The upper part 30 of the first segment 35 is a tank wall 1 welded to a corrugated metal plate 21. The method of claim 4,
The counter bore 32 is the first counter bore 32,
The insulating barrier 5 comprises a second counterbore 32,
The first counter bore 32 and the second counter bore 32 are disposed on each side of the groove 27,
The second segment 36 is parallel to the support surface 31 and comprises an upper portion 30 received in a second counterbore 32, the upper portion 30 of the second segment 36 being a sealing membrane 6 ) And the heat insulating barrier 5 disposed in the elongated portion of the support surface 31,
The middle part 29 of the second segment 36 connects the lower part 28 of the second segment 36 to the upper part 30 of the second segment 36. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The groove 27 has an inlet region 33 extending in the thickness direction in the insulating barrier 5,
The inlet section 33 comprises fasteners 37 attached to the wall of the groove 27,
The lower part 28 of the welding support 26 is a tank wall 1 slidably received in a fastener 37. The method of claim 6,
The lower part 28 comprises a hook 38,
The fastener 37 includes an opposite hook 39,
The hook 38 is a tank wall 1 accommodated in the opposite hook 39. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The metal plate 21 welded to the upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is a first metal plate 21,
The sealing membrane 6 comprises a second corrugated metal plate 21 comprising an offset portion 25 welded over the first metal plate 21, thereby forming a sealing overlap 24 between the two metal plates 21. To form,
The weld 98 between the first metal plate 21 and the upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is arranged under the offset part 25 of the second metal plate 21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The insulating barrier 5 includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels 15,
The lower part 28 of the welding support 26 is fixed to the insulating panel 15 of the insulating barrier 5,
The counterbore (32) is a tank wall (1) formed in the insulating panel (15). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The insulating barrier 5 includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels 15,
The groove (27) is arranged between two adjacent insulating panels (15) of the insulating barrier (5), the inlet area (33) being the space between the panels, the tank wall (1). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The insulating barrier 5 includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels 15,
The groove (27) is a tank wall (1) arranged in the center of the insulating panel (15) of the insulating barrier (5). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The insulating barrier 5 includes a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels 15,
The groove (27) is a tank wall (1) arranged near the edge of the insulating panel (15). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Groove 27 is the first groove 27,
The insulating barrier 5 includes a second groove 27 spaced apart from the first groove 27 and extending in the longitudinal direction,
The counter bore 32 extends between the two grooves 27,
The upper part 30 of the welding support 26 is received in a counterbore 23 extending between the two grooves 27,
The lower part 28 is the first lower part 28,
The middle part 29 is the first middle part 29,
The welding support 26 comprises a second lower part 28 and a second intermediate part 29 connecting the second lower part 28 to the upper part 30 of the welding support 26, the first lower part The portion 28 and the first intermediate portion 29 are arranged in the first groove 27 and the second lower portion 28 and the second intermediate portion 29 are separated from the first groove 27. The tank wall (1) arranged in the groove (27). The method of claim 13,
Each lower portion 28 is formed of a plurality of lower portions spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction,
Each intermediate portion 29 is formed of a plurality of intermediate portions spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction, each intermediate portion is a tank wall (1) connecting one of the lower portions to the upper portion (30). The method of claim 13 or 14,
The upper part 30 is the first upper part 30,
The thermal insulation barrier 5 includes a third groove 27 extending in the transverse direction and a fourth groove 27 adjacent to the third groove 27 and extending in the transverse direction,
The welding support 26 comprises a second upper portion 30 received in a transverse counterbore 32 extending between the third groove 27 and the fourth groove 27,
The third and fourth grooves 27 intersect the first and second grooves 27 on the tank wall 1. The method of claim 15,
The third intermediate portion 29 is disposed in the inlet region 33 of the third groove 27 and is connected to the second upper portion 30,
The fourth intermediate portion 29 is arranged in the inlet section 33 of the fourth groove 27 and is connected to the second upper portion 30 of the tank wall 1. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
The thermal insulation barrier 5 is the primary thermal insulation barrier 5,
The sealing membrane 6 is the primary sealing membrane 6,
The tank wall (1) is arranged under the secondary sealing membrane (4) and the secondary sealing membrane (4) arranged under the primary insulating barrier (5) and a supporting surface (31) for the secondary sealing membrane (4) A tank wall (1) comprising a secondary insulating barrier (3) comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rectangular parallelepiped insulating panels (7) forming a. The method of claim 17,
The secondary sealing membrane 4 comprises a plurality of strakes 13 parallel in the longitudinal direction,
The strake 13 has a flat central part seated on the upper surface of the insulating panel 7 of the secondary insulating barrier 3 and two protruding edges 14 protruding toward the primary sealing membrane 6 against the central part. Including,
The strakes 13 are juxtaposed in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction along a repetitive pattern and are welded sealably together at the protruding edge 14 to attach a secondary sealing membrane 4 to the secondary insulating barrier 3. A tank wall (1) arranged between the juxtaposed strakes (13) with fixing wings fixed to the insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier (3) parallel to the longitudinal direction for fixing. As a sealing and insulating tank 71 disposed on the supporting structure,
A plurality of walls sealably attached together to form an interior space for receiving liquefied gas,
At least one of the tank walls (1) is a tank wall according to one of claims 1 to 18. As a vessel (70) for transporting low temperature liquid products,
Double hull (72) and
A vessel (70) comprising a tank (71) according to claim 19 disposed on a double hull. As a transfer system for low temperature liquid products,
Vessel (70) according to claim 20,
Insulated pipelines 73, 79, 76, 81 arranged to connect the tank 71 installed at the hull of the vessel to the offshore or onshore storage facility 77, and
A system comprising a pump for directing a flow of a low-temperature liquid product through an insulated pipeline, from a marine or onshore storage facility to a tank on a vessel, and vice versa. As a method for loading or offloading the vessel (70) according to claim 20,
A method by which cold liquid product is moved through an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81), from a marine or onshore storage facility (77) to the vessel's tank (71), and vice versa.

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