KR20220044582A - sealed and insulated tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed tank (100), comprising a first wall (106) and a second wall (104) parallel to a first direction (101), and orthogonal to the first direction and a first wall and a second wall (104) a plurality of tank walls comprising two end walls (108) connecting the two walls;
each tank wall successively comprising, in thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, an insulating barrier held against a corresponding supporting wall and a sealing membrane supported by the insulating barrier,
the sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall comprises a row of corrugations 118 parallel to each other and perpendicular to a transverse corner 107 defined by the first wall or the second wall and the end wall, Parallel folds are spaced in a direction parallel to the transverse corner,
a plurality of equal regular intervals (120), each regular interval formed between two adjacent pleats, a plurality of equal regular intervals, and
at least one singular interval 122 different from the regular interval.

Description

sealed and insulated tanks

The present invention relates to sealed and insulated tanks with membranes for the transport and/or storage of fluids, such as cryogenic fluids, and liquefied fuels for supplying propulsion systems of ships or other floating structures, in particular ships propelled with liquefied natural gas. It relates to the field of tanks filled with gas and mounted on ships or other floating structures. Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, consists mainly of methane.

Sealed and insulated tanks are integrated in a supporting structure, such as the double hull of a ship for transporting liquefied natural gas, for example a methane tanker, and are known from document WO2019030448 for the transport and storage of liquefied natural gas there is. The tank comprises a multilayer structure having an insulating barrier supported by a supporting structure and a sealing membrane which lies on the insulating barrier and is intended for contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank, continuous in thickness from the outside to the inside of the tank.

The sealing membrane consists of a plurality of corrugated sheets of standard dimensions comprising rows of corrugations parallel to each other, whereby the sealing membrane can deform under the influence of thermal stresses generated by the fluid stored in the tank. The insulating barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulating panels of standard dimensions. In order to simplify tank production, the standard dimensions of the insulation panels are chosen as integer multiples of the wave pitch of the corrugations. Vessels intended to transport liquefied natural gas, such as methane tankers, are dimensioned to accommodate such tanks, but the dimensions of the supporting structures are subject to construction tolerances.

Vessels propelled by liquefied natural gas, or "LNG Fueled Ships" or LFSs are known. If the vessel is a methane tanker, the cargo tank has a very large capacity, for example on the order of 100,000 to 200,000 m ³ . If the vessel carries other cargoes and the tanks are used only for fuel, the capacity depends on the size of the vessel and the distance traveled and is much smaller, for example between 5,000 and 25,000 m ³ .

One idea underlying the present invention is to propose a sealed and insulated tank that can be integrated into a space of any dimension, for example a ship or a floating structure.

According to one embodiment, the present invention proposes a sealed and insulated tank integrated into a supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the support structure is polyhedral, wherein the tank comprises a plurality of tank walls comprising first and second walls parallel to a first direction of the tank and spaced apart in a second direction of the tank;

The tank wall further comprises two end walls, the two end walls being orthogonal to a first direction of the tank and possibly through a first intermediate wall arranged between the first wall and the two end walls. and/or connecting the first wall and the second wall via a second intermediate wall disposed between the second wall and the two end walls, each tank wall supported by a corresponding support wall of a support structure,

Each tank wall has a multi-layered structure continuously comprising, from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction, an insulating barrier held against a corresponding supporting wall and a sealing membrane supported by the insulating barrier,

The sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall is parallel to each other and perpendicular to a transverse corner parallel to the third direction of the tank and is disposed between the first wall or the second wall, the end wall and if necessary therebetween a series of corrugations formed at the intersection between the intermediate walls;

parallel pleats are spaced apart in a third direction to form

- a plurality of equal regular intervals, each regular interval being formed between two adjacent corrugations, and

- at least one singular interval different from the regular interval, and

At least two adjacent pleats spaced apart by a singular spacing continue uninterrupted at at least three of said transverse corners, preferably in a number greater than half of the total number of transverse corners.

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

According to one embodiment, the first wall is the bottom wall of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the second wall is a ceiling wall of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the first direction is the longitudinal direction of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the second direction is a vertical direction of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the third direction is a transverse direction of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the first intermediate wall is a lower chamfer wall arranged between the bottom wall and the two end walls.

According to one embodiment, the second intermediate wall is an upper chamfered wall arranged between the ceiling wall and the two end walls.

According to an embodiment, the total number of horizontal corners may be equal to 4, 6 or 8.

According to one embodiment, at least two adjacent pleats spaced apart by a specific spacing continue uninterrupted at all transverse corners except one to form an open ring around the entire tank.

According to one embodiment, at least two adjacent pleats spaced apart by a specific spacing continue uninterrupted at every transverse corner to form a closed ring around the entire tank.

Such tanks are advantageous in that they can simplify the production of tanks at regular intervals and that at specific intervals the dimensions of the tanks can be adapted to the dimensions of the supporting structures, for example the space of the hull of a ship. In particular, if the supporting structure does not have dimensions that are integer multiples of the regular spacing, the singular spacing may compensate for the dimensional difference between the supporting structure and the sealing membrane having standard dimensions. The tank is thus less complex, less expensive to produce and suitable for supporting structures of any dimension, in particular supporting structures of ships or floating structures.

Spaces between adjacent pleats may include one or more specific spacing. These specific intervals can be arranged in a variety of ways in the tank.

According to an embodiment, the corrugations of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the intermediate wall form two or more singular spacings separated by at least one regular spacing.

According to one embodiment, the corrugations of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the intermediate wall form at least two consecutive singular intervals. "Consecutive singular intervals" is understood to mean that two or more singular intervals are on either side of one and the same wrinkle, ie no regular intervals are formed between these singular intervals.

Having such a continuous singular spacing can optimize the tank design by tending to concentrate the singular spacing in the singular areas of each wall of the tank. In addition, the production cost of the tank is reduced because fewer parts of a specific design are needed to produce a specific gap.

According to one embodiment, in each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the intermediate wall, the singular spacing is arranged symmetrically on both sides of the centerline of said wall. This arrangement allows for less complex production of tanks, in particular an essentially symmetrical construction on either side of the centerline.

According to one embodiment, the tank comprises, for example, a third intermediate wall of the tank, a loading and unloading riser, a pump support foot, a gas collector, a sump and/or a liquid dome. at least one special zone comprising: said or each singular spacing being arranged at a distance from said special zone equal to or greater than the transverse dimension (ie in the third direction) of the regular spacing. This arrangement facilitates the creation of corrugations continuously over the entire length of the tank wall.

Conversely, the pleats of the membrane, and in particular the pleats spaced apart by a specific spacing, are close to a special area where such pleats contain obstructions such as, for example, loading and unloading risers, pump support feet, gas collectors, sumps and/or liquid domes. This can lead to localized discontinuities in certain tank walls when crossing or passing through.

According to one embodiment, the tank wall further comprises two side walls parallel to the first direction and connected respectively to the first wall or the second wall by means of two third intermediate walls, wherein the special zone comprises said third intermediate walls includes

The singular spacing may be dimensioned in a variety of ways. If there are several, the singular intervals may or may not be equal. According to an embodiment, the singular spacing has a different dimension in the third direction. According to an embodiment, at least one, in particular the transverse dimension (ie the dimension in the third direction) of each singular interval is the transverse dimension of the regular interval and the absolute value of which is smaller than the dimension of the regular interval, in particular the third of the regular interval. The sum of positive or negative predetermined constants less than half the dimension of the direction.

The predetermined constant may be determined as a function of the remainder of the integer division of the dimension of the supporting structure in the transverse direction by the predetermined integer. In particular, the predetermined constant is selected to be greater than a predetermined minimum threshold with respect to the construction requirements.

According to one embodiment, the regular spacing has a standard transverse dimension known per se.

According to one embodiment, at least one, several, some or each of the corrugations spaced at regular intervals continues uninterrupted at substantially all transverse corners to form an open or closed ring all around the tank outside of the special zone. .

Insulative barriers can be produced in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, the insulating barrier of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the first and the second intermediate wall:

a row of insulating panels oriented at right angles to the transverse corners and juxtaposed according to a repeating pattern in a third direction and juxtaposed with said or each singular spacing; have different widths.

According to one embodiment, the width of the repeating pattern is an integer multiple of the horizontal dimension of the regular spacing.

According to one embodiment, the width of the unique insulating panel is less than the width of the repeating pattern.

According to one embodiment, the width of the singular insulation panel is a function of the regular spacing and the singular spacing.

The specific gap can be formed in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the first and second intermediate walls is formed by a plurality of rectangular metal sheets having rows of corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the at least one sheet of metal comprises a corrugation arranged alongside a first edge of a row of thermal insulation panels or a row of unique thermal insulation panels and a corrugation arranged with a second edge opposite the first edge.

According to an embodiment, at least one specific gap is arranged between two corrugations of one and the same metal sheet.

According to another embodiment, the or each specific spacing comprises a first corrugation arranged in a first metal sheet adjacent to an edge of a first metal sheet of the metal sheet and a second metal adjacent to the first metal sheet of the metal sheet formed between second corrugations arranged in the sheet, the second corrugation abutting an edge of the second metal sheet facing the first metal sheet.

According to an embodiment, the dimension in the third direction of the second metal sheet is an integer multiple of the regular spacing. In particular, the dimension of the metal sheet may be the same as the dimension of the heat insulation panel row in the third direction.

According to one embodiment, the edge of the first sheet forms a portion having a level difference with respect to the central portion of the first sheet and lap welds the first metal sheet onto the second metal sheet. It is a configured jogged edge. In particular, the singular spacing is adjusted by adjusting the distance of the engaging edge relative to the first corrugation adjacent the engaging edge.

According to an embodiment, the welding of the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet is performed at a distance greater than 50 mm, in particular greater than 100 mm, from the corrugation adjacent the edge of the second sheet.

According to one embodiment, the edge of the first metal sheet and the edge of the second metal sheet are welded to each other side by side in one of said rows of special thermal insulation panels.

According to an embodiment, the at least one special insulating panel comprises a first metal sheet and a metal fixing strip arranged opposite the second metal sheet, the second metal sheet being welded to the metal fixing strip.

According to one embodiment, the first metal sheet includes a number of wrinkles less than or equal to the number of wrinkles of the second metal sheet.

According to an embodiment, the number of corrugations of the first metal sheet is a function of the difference between the singular spacing and the regular spacing. When the transverse dimension of the singular interval is greater than the transverse dimension of the regular interval, the number of corrugations of the first metal sheet may be smaller than the number of corrugations of the second sheet. When the transverse dimension of the singular interval is smaller than the transverse dimension of the regular interval, the number of corrugations of the first metal sheet may be equal to the number of corrugations of the second metal sheet.

According to an embodiment, the tank wall is parallel to the first direction and is respectively connected to the first wall or the second wall, possibly via two third intermediate walls, and possibly at an end via two fourth intermediate walls. It further includes two sidewalls connected to the wall.

According to one embodiment, the third intermediate wall is a longitudinal chamfer wall of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the fourth intermediate wall is a vertical chamfer wall of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the side wall is perpendicular to a longitudinal corner parallel to each other and parallel to the first direction of the tank and comprises a first wall or a second wall, a side wall and if necessary a second wall. 3 a first additional row of corrugations formed at the intersection between the intermediate walls;

the first additional pleats are spaced apart in a first direction to form

- a plurality of equal regular intervals, each regular interval being formed between two adjacent first additional corrugations, and

- at least one singular interval different from the regular interval, and

At least two adjacent first further corrugations spaced apart by a singular distance continue uninterrupted at at least three of said longitudinal corners, preferably a number greater than half the total number of longitudinal corners.

According to one embodiment, the total number of vertical corners is equal to four, six or eight.

According to an embodiment, the sealing membrane of each of the end wall and the side wall is parallel to each other and perpendicular to a vertical corner parallel to the second direction of the tank and a second addition formed at the intersection between the end wall, the side wall and, if necessary, the fourth intermediate wall. including wrinkle heat,

The second additional pleats are spaced apart in a second direction to form:

- a plurality of equal regular intervals, each regular interval being formed between two adjacent second additional pleats, and

- at least one singular interval different from the regular interval, and

At least two adjacent second further corrugations spaced apart by a singular spacing continue uninterrupted at at least three of said vertical corners, preferably a number greater than half the total number of vertical corners.

According to one embodiment, the total number of vertical corners is equal to four, six or eight.

Such tanks may form part of, for example, onshore storage installations for storing liquefied gas or floating, offshore or deep-sea structures, in particular methane tankers, LPG transport vessels, floating storage and regassification units, FSRU), floating production storage and offloading (FPSO), etc.

According to another aspect of the invention, a ship is proposed comprising a double hull and a tank integrated into the double hull as a supporting structure.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein the fluid is transferred via an insulated pipeline from a floating or onshore storage facility to a tank of the vessel, or from a tank of a vessel to floating or transported to an onshore storage facility.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a conveying system for a fluid, the system comprising the aforementioned vessel, an insulated pipeline and an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility. and pumps for driving the fluid from a floating or onshore storage facility to a tank on a ship, or from a tank on a ship to a floating or onshore storage facility through the

According to one embodiment, said tank is configured as a fuel tank for a propulsion system of a ship.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given in an illustrative and non-limiting manner only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein other objects, details, features and advantages become more apparent will be done

1 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a polyhedral tank integrated into a supporting structure;
2 is a schematic perspective view of a tank;
Fig. 3 is an exploded cutaway view of the end of the tank and of Fig. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 2 .
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 2 according to the first embodiment.
6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 2 according to the second embodiment.
7 is an enlarged view of zone V according to FIG. 5 or 6 .
8 is a schematic perspective view of an LNG propulsion system and a ship provided with a tank as a fuel tank for the propulsion system;
Fig. 9 is a schematic view similar to Fig. 8, showing a variant of the tank as a fuel tank for the propulsion system;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tank of FIGS. 8 and 9 according to another variant in which the tank is taken in the same orientation as in FIGS. 8 and 9 ;
11 is a schematic cutaway view of a methane tanker tank and its loading/unloading terminal;

1 and 2 show perspective views of a tank 100 for storing liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The tank 100 is arranged in the hull or double hull of a ship or floating structure or on a supporting structure which may in particular be formed by it. The support structure comprises a plurality of support walls 102 defining the general shape of the tank 100 , generally a polyhedral shape.

Tank 100 includes a plurality of tank walls supported by a support structure, the support structure comprising:

- a ceiling wall 104 and a floor wall 106 parallel to the longitudinal direction 101 of the tank;

- two end walls 108 connecting the floor wall 106 and the ceiling wall 104, and

- two side walls 110 connected on both sides to the ceiling wall 104 and the floor wall 106 via an upper longitudinal chamfer wall 114 and a lower longitudinal chamfer wall 112 respectively.

In FIG. 3 , the end wall 108 , the ceiling wall 104 and the floor wall 106 are shown according to a view developed in the plane of the end wall 108 .

The bottom wall 106, the ceiling wall 104, and the end wall 108 each have a sealing membrane arranged on an insulating barrier designed to be in contact with the product present in the tank 100 and not shown in FIGS. include The sealing membrane comprises rows of corrugations 118 perpendicular to and parallel to one another at a transverse corner 107 defined by a bottom wall 106 or ceiling wall 104 and an end wall 108 . The pleats 118 are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction 103 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 101 . The space between the corrugations consists of a plurality of regular spacings 120 and two singular spacings 122 symmetrically arranged on either side of the centerline 124 of the floor wall 106 , the ceiling wall 104 and the end wall 108 . includes The dimension of the singular spacing 122 in the transverse direction 103 is different from the dimension of the regular spacing 120 in the transverse direction 103 .

Corrugations 118 spaced apart by a specific spacing 122 on the end walls 108 each extend uninterrupted by corresponding corrugations of the floor wall 106 and corresponding corrugations of the ceiling wall 104 . Likewise, the corrugations 118 of the end walls 108 spaced apart by a regular spacing 120 extend without interruption from the corrugations 118 facing the longitudinal chamfer walls 112 and 114, respectively.

As a variant, discontinuities in the pleats 118 may exist in one or more of the transverse corners 107 . Preferably, the pleats 118 intersect at least three transverse corners 107 uninterrupted.

In the example shown in FIG. 3 , singular spacing 122 is formed on each side of centerline 124 of floor wall 106 . As a variant, two or more singular spacings 122 may be formed on each side of the centerline 124 . In particular, two or more singular spacings 122 may be formed on each side of the centerline 124 . "Consecutive singular intervals 122" means that two or more singular intervals 122 are on one side of one and the same wrinkle, ie no regular intervals 120 are formed between these singular intervals 122. is understood to be Still as a variant, one or more singular intervals 122 , continuous or not, may be formed on only one side of the centerline 124 of the floor wall 106 .

The tank 100 further includes a liquid dome 116 traversing the ceiling wall 104 of the tank 100 in a height direction 105 . The liquid dome 116 may include a riser 69 for loading and unloading the tank 100 . In particular, the liquid dome 116 is arranged at a distance from the end wall 108 , in the middle of the width of the ceiling wall 104 in the transverse direction 103 . In particular, each singular spacing 122 is arranged at the same distance as the regular spacing 120 or at a greater distance of the liquid dome 116 . Further, each singular spacing 122 is arranged at a greater distance than the regular spacing 120 of the respective longitudinal chamfer walls 114 , 112 .

In the figure, the dimension in the transverse direction 103 is referred to as the width.

The width L of the bottom wall 106 and the ceiling wall 108 is expressed as follows.

[Equation 1]

L = po _reg x N + X

po _reg is the width of the rule interval 120,

N is an integer, and

X is a relative number.

Preferably, the integer multiple N is chosen such that X is between -po _reg /2 and +po _reg /2.

The width po _reg is chosen according to the sealed tank construction standard and may have other values (eg 340 mm or 500 mm).

Preferably, the singular spacing 122 has the following dimensions.

[Equation 2]

po _sing = po _reg + X/2 (2)

po _sing is the width of the singular interval 122 .

According to Equation (2), X/2 lies between -po _reg /4 and +po _reg /4, thus ensuring a singular spacing 122 with a dimension greater than the minimum dimension allowing for trouble-free manufacturing. can

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponding to the section of tank 100 comprising only regular spacing 120 .

4 shows a floor wall 106 comprising an insulating barrier 202 arranged on the supporting wall 102 of the supporting structure and held against the supporting wall 102 by fastening means 204 . The fastening means 204 may be any suitable type of fastening means, such as a threaded stud projecting toward the interior of the tank 100 .

In particular, the insulating barrier 202 is formed by a plurality of rows of insulating panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ juxtaposed in the transverse direction 103 . Each row includes thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ juxtaposed in a longitudinal direction 101 with respect to a floor wall 106 and a ceiling wall 108 and a height direction 105 with respect to an end wall 108 . .

The bottom wall 106 further comprises a sealing membrane 206 supported by the side of the insulating barrier 202 opposite the supporting wall 102 ₁ . Preferably, the sealing membrane 206 comprises a plurality of metal sheets 207 ₁ and 207 ₂ each having a substantially rectangular shape. The metal sheet 207 may be made of, for example, Invar®, an alloy of iron and nickel having a coefficient of expansion typically between 1.2x10 ^-6 and 2x10 ^-6 K ^-1 , or generally on the order of 7x10 ^-6 K ^-1 . Made from an alloy of iron with a high manganese content with a coefficient of expansion. Alternatively, the metal sheet 207 may also be made of stainless steel or aluminum.

The metal sheets 207 ₁ and 207 ₂ attach the metal sheets 207 ₁ and 207 ₂ to the fixing strips 210 provided on the insulation panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ , for example the insulation panels 202 ₁ and 202 _{2 .} ) are connected to the insulating panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ by welding to a metal plate extending over a portion of it. Advantageously, the fastening strips 210 are arranged in recesses provided in the insulating panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ and are for example by means of screws, rivets or staples, the insulating panels 202 ₁ and 202 . ₂ ) is fixed to In particular, welding the metal sheets 207 ₁ and 207 ₂ to the fixing strip 210 is performed by spot welding.

The sealing membrane 206 includes pleats 118 spaced apart by a regular spacing 120 , a first pleat 118 aligning with the first edge 212 ₁ of the row of thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ and a second pleat 118 is arranged to be parallel to the second edge 212 ₂ opposite the first edge 212 ₁ . The width of the insulating panel 202 ₁ supporting the corrugations separated only by the regular spacing 120 is an integer multiple of the width po _reg . A gap may exist between the rows of thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ . Preferably, the spacing between the rows of thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ is negligible. In particular, the gap between the rows of insulating panels 202 ₁ and 202 ₂ may be filled with a heat-insulating lining, such as glass wool, rock wool, or the like.

Dimension example:

The width of the insulation panel 202 ₁ is equal to 3060 mm,

The width of the metal sheet 207 ₁ is equal to 3060 mm,

po _reg is equal to 340 mm, and

The number M ₁ of the corrugations 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₁ is equal to nine.

5 corresponds to the section of the tank 100 comprising a singular interval 122 created according to the first embodiment.

In particular, in this embodiment, the width of the singular interval 122 calculated by Equation (2) is greater than the width of the regular interval 120 .

The sealing membrane 206 comprises a metal sheet 207 ₃ comprising a singular gap 122 and is disposed in a row of singular thermal insulation panels 202 ₃ . The width of the special thermal insulation panel 202 ₃ is different and in particular smaller than the width of the thermal insulation panel 202 ₁ . Preferably, the width of the special thermal insulation panel 202 ₃ is calculated as follows:

[Equation 3]

L _sing = po _reg x (M ₃ -1) + po _sing, where po _sing >po _reg

L _sing is the width of the special thermal insulation panel (202 ₃ ),

M ₃ is the number of corrugations 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₃ .

Preferably, the metal sheet 207 ₃ has a smaller number (M ₁ ) than the number (M 1 ) of the corrugations 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₁ when the width of the singular spacing 122 is greater than the width of the regular spacing 120 . and pleats 118 of M ₃ ). In this way, the width of the specific thermal insulation panel 202 ₃ is less than the width of the thermal insulation panel 202 ₁ to limit the effect of structural modifications of the tank 100 .

Dimension example:

When the number M ₁ of the pleats 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₁ is equal to nine, the number M3 of the pleats 118 is equal to eight.

6 corresponds to the section of the tank 100 comprising a singular interval 122 created according to the second embodiment.

In this second embodiment, the width of the singular interval 122 calculated by Equation (2) is smaller than the width of the regular interval 120 .

The sealing membrane 206 in this case comprises a metal sheet 207 ₄ comprising a specific gap 122 and arranged in a row of a specific insulating panel 20 ₄ . Preferably, the width of the specific thermal insulation panel 202 ₄ is calculated as follows:

[Equation 4]

L _sing = po _reg x (M ₄ -1) + po _sing, where po _sing <po _reg

M ₄ is the number of corrugations 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₃ .

In this second embodiment, the number M ₃ of the pleats 118 is equal to the number M ₁ of the pleats 118 of the metal sheet 207 ₁ . In fact, since the width of the singular spacing 122 is less than the width of the regular spacing 120 , the width of the singular insulating panel _{20 4} remains less than the width of the insulating panel 202 ₁ .

In particular, the rows of special thermal insulation panels 202 ₃ and 202 ₄ are arranged adjacent to the rows of thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ . Preferably, the rows of special thermal insulation panels 202 ₃ and 202 ₄ are separated from each other by at least one row of thermal insulation panels 202 ₁ .

Ceiling wall 104 and end wall 108 include the same elements as floor wall 106 shown in FIGS. 4-6, although not shown in the drawings.

In particular, a singular gap 122 is formed between two adjacent metal sheets 302 and 304 of the sealing membrane 206 as shown in FIG. 7 .

The singular spacing 122 is on the side of the first edge 308 of the second metal sheet 304 and the first corrugation 118 ₁ arranged on the side of the first edge 306 of the first metal sheet 302 . It is formed between the arranged second pleats 118 ₂ . The first edge 306 is an engaging edge having a fold of the first metal sheet 302 to form a step of the edge 306 relative to the first metal sheet 302 that is greater than the thickness of the second metal sheet 304 . am. This arrangement is such that the second metal sheet 304 is moved by the first metal sheet 302 at a distance 310 from the first corrugation 118 ₁ and at a distance 312 from the second corrugation 118 ₂ . Allow overlap. The singular interval 122 is the sum of the two distances 312 , 310 .

In particular, the metal sheets 302 and 308 are supplied in standard dimensions, for example the distance 312 is half the regular spacing 120 . Folding of the metal sheet 302 may modify its width to adjust the distance 310 , thereby modifying the width of the singular spacing 122 to a desired value without modifying the second metal sheet 304 . This arrangement can simplify the cost and production of marine tanks 100 of arbitrary dimensions.

Preferably, the first metal sheet 302 and the second metal sheet 304 are formed by welding the first edge 306 to the second edge 308 parallel to the row of the singular thermal insulation panel 202 ₃ or _{20 4} . is assembled Also, the second edge 308 may be welded to the fixing strip 210 of the row of special insulating panels 202 ₃ or 202 ₄ . Welding of the metal sheets 302 and 304 is preferentially performed by spot welding.

Advantageously, distance 310 and distance 312 are greater than predetermined thresholds to prevent damage to corrugations 118 ₁ or 118 ₂ by welding of metal sheets 302 and 304, for example The predetermined threshold is equal to 100 mm.

In the example described so far, the singular spacing 122 has the same dimension in the transverse direction 103 . However, as a variant, the singular spacing 122 may have different dimensions in the transverse direction 103 .

In a manner known per se, each of the tank walls may comprise a second insulating barrier arranged between the insulating barrier 202 and the supporting structure and a second sealing membrane comprised between the insulating barrier 202 and the second insulating barrier. there is. The sealing membrane 206 may further include a second row of pleats perpendicular to the first row of pleats 118 . In addition, the longitudinal chamfer walls 112 and 114 and the side walls 110 in the thickness direction from the supporting structure toward the inside of the tank 100, a secondary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary insulating barrier and a primary sealing membrane It may include a multi-layer structure comprising a.

Referring to Fig. 8, various possible modifications in connection with the above-described embodiment will be described below.

In the embodiment described above, the longitudinal direction 101 of the tank may correspond to the longitudinal direction of the vessel on which the tank 100 is installed, in particular a methane tanker, but this is not essential. Accordingly, FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which the longitudinal direction of the tank 100 corresponds to the width direction of the vessel 170 in which the tank is installed. Thus, the transverse corner 107 of the tank extends parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A of the vessel 170 and the singular spacing or spacings 122 are corrugations extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the vessel 170 . It is formed between the 118.

Also, the tank geometry includes an upper chamfer wall 114 and a lower chamfer wall 112 as in FIGS. 1-3, or only an upper chamfer wall 114 or only a lower chamfer wall 112, or It may not include a chamfer wall as shown in FIG. 8 .

The tank geometry may also include longitudinal chamfer walls oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction 101 of the tank as shown in FIGS. 1-3 , or conversely, end walls 108 and ceiling walls 104 . ) and/or a chamber wall disposed between the bottom wall 106 and oriented at an angle to the longitudinal direction 101 of the tank and transverse to the corrugation 118 . The chamfer wall transverse to the corrugation 118 is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but can be easily designed from FIG. 2 if the direction of the corrugation 118 and arrow 101 is rotated 90° about the vertical axis.

For example, the tank 100 of FIG. 8 may include an upper chamfer wall and/or a lower chamfer wall parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A of the vessel 170 , and thus a chamfer wall transverse to the corrugation 118 . Thus, the total number of transverse corners 107 may be greater than four, for example six or eight.

In all cases, the corrugations 118 spaced apart by one or each singular spacing 122 do not interrupt the transverse corners 107 except for at least half, preferably all, possibly one, of the transverse corners 107 . traverse without In other words, the discontinuity of the pleats 118 may be present in one or more transverse corners 107 , but preferably only one transverse corner 107 or none of them.

In fact, given that the corrugations 118 spaced apart by one or each specific interval 122 uninterruptedly cross all transverse corners 107 except for one, these corrugations nevertheless 100) to form a ring (ring) surrounding the whole. In this case the ring is open. The ring is closed when all transverse corners 107 are crossed uninterrupted by the pleats 118 .

8 finally shows the case where the tank 100 may be a fuel tank for the propulsion system 65 , to which fuel gas is supplied from the tank 100 by means of a supply device 66 , otherwise known. The vessel 170 may have various uses, such as transportation of passengers and transportation of goods, particularly in containers or bulk (bulk).

9 is a schematic diagram similar to FIG. 8 showing a deformation of the tank 100 .

As noted above, the sealing membrane 206 may further include a second pleat perpendicular to the pleats 118 . In FIG. 9 , two of these second pleats 138 are shown. Numeral 127 represents the longitudinal corner formed by floor wall 106 or ceiling wall 104 and side wall 110 , and thus traverses second corrugation 138 .

The second pleats 138 extend perpendicular to the pleats 118 and are thus parallel to the transverse direction 103 . The second pleats 138 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction 101 . In a manner similar to the pleats 118 , the spacing between the second pleats 138 includes a plurality of regular intervals (not shown) and one or more singular intervals 142 , only one of which is shown in FIG. 9 . The dimension of the singular spacing or spacings 142 in the longitudinal direction 101 is different from the dimension of the regular spacing in the longitudinal direction 101 .

Second corrugations 138 spaced apart on the sidewall 110 by a singular spacing 122 each extend uninterrupted by corresponding second corrugations of the floor wall 106 and corresponding second corrugations of the ceiling wall 104 , respectively. do.

In all cases, the second pleats 138 spaced apart by one or each singular spacing 142 define at least half of the longitudinal corners 127, preferably all, and possibly except one, the longitudinal corners 127. traverse without interruption. In other words, the discontinuities of the second pleats 138 may be present in one or more longitudinal corners 127 , but preferably only one longitudinal corner 127 or none of them.

The singular interval or intervals 142 may or may not be created in a manner similar to the singular interval 122 previously described. In particular, the singular spacing 142 may or may not have a dimension transverse to the second corrugation 138 , ie, parallel to the longitudinal direction 101 and equal to the transverse dimension of the singular spacing 122 . The singular spacing 142 may have a dimension transverse to the second pleats 138 that are equal to or different from each other.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the tank 100 taken in the same orientation as in FIG. 9 . In this embodiment, sidewall 110 and end wall 108 have horizontal corrugations 158 that are parallel to each other and spaced apart in vertical direction 105 . Only two of these horizontal pleats 158 are shown in FIG. 9 . Numeral 147 represents the vertical corner formed by side wall 110 and end wall 108 .

Horizontal pleats 158 are spaced apart in a vertical direction 105 . In a manner similar to pleats 118 , the spacing between horizontal pleats 158 includes a plurality of regular intervals (not shown) and one or more singular intervals 162 , only one of which is depicted in FIG. 10 . The dimension of the singular spacing or spacings 162 in the vertical direction 105 is different from the dimension of the regular spacing in the vertical direction 105 .

Horizontal pleats 158 spaced apart by a singular spacing 162 uninterruptedly intersect vertical corners 147 at least half, preferably all, and possibly except one, of vertical corners 147 . In other words, discontinuities in horizontal pleats 158 may exist at one or more vertical corners 147 , but preferably only at one vertical corner 147 or none of them.

The singular interval or intervals 162 may or may not be created in a manner similar to the singular intervals 142 and 122 previously described. In particular, singular spacing 162 may or may not have a dimension transverse to horizontal corrugation 158 , ie, parallel to vertical direction 105 and equal to the transverse dimension of singular spacing 142 and/or 122 . there is. The singular spacing 162 may have a dimension transverse to the second pleats 158 that are equal to or different from each other.

In a manner not shown in FIG. 10 , the tank geometry may have vertical chamfer walls oriented parallel to the vertical direction 105 of the tank and disposed between the sidewalls 110 and the end walls 108 . The vertical corner 147 is then defined by the vertical chamfer wall, the side wall 110 and the end wall 108 . Horizontal corrugations 158 uninterruptedly intersect at least half of these vertical corners 147 , preferably all but possibly only one of them.

The specific spacing of all of the embodiments shown above may be combined in a variety of ways to facilitate dimensional adjustment of the tank in one or more dimensions of the space.

The above-described techniques for making sealed and insulated tanks for storing fluids may also be used in other types of tanks, such as methane tankers or similar floating structures, such as any vessel propelled using, for example, LNG, or It can be used to construct tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) on land installations.

Referring to FIG. 11 , a cutaway view of a methane tanker 70 shows a generally prismatic sealed and insulated tank 71 mounted on the double hull 72 of the vessel.

As is known per se, a loading/unloading pipeline 73 arranged on the upper deck of a vessel may be connected by suitable connectors to a sea or port terminal for transporting LNG cargo to or from tank 71 .

11 shows an example of an offshore terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75 , a submersible pipe 76 and an onshore facility 77 . The loading and unloading station 75 is a stationary offshore installation comprising a movable arm 74 and a riser 78 supporting the movable arm 74 . A movable arm 74 supports a bundle of flexible insulated pipes 79 that can be connected to a loading/unloading pipeline 73 . The steerable movable arm 74 is adaptable to any methane tanker 70 template. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends into the riser 78 . A loading and unloading station 75 allows the methane tanker 70 to load or unload from or to an onshore facility 77 . The installation comprises a connecting pipe 81 and a liquefied gas storage tank 80 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 by means of a submersible pipe 76 . The submersible pipe 76 enables the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over long distances, such as 5 km, which transports the methane tanker 70 from shore during loading and unloading operations. to be at a distance.

A pump installed on the vessel 70 and/or a pump installed on the shore installation 77 and/or a pump installed on the loading and unloading station 75 is provided to create the pressure required for the transport of the liquefied gas do.

Quite similar installations could be used to fuel ships propelled by LNG.

While the present invention has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it is evident that the present invention is not limited thereto and includes all technically equivalent means and combinations thereof which fall within the scope of the present invention.

The use of the verb "comprise" and its associated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps other than those disclosed in a claim.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limitations on the claim.

100: sealed tank
101: first direction
105: second direction
103: third direction
106: first wall
104: second wall
108: end wall
102: support wall
202: insulating barrier
206: sealing membrane
120: rule interval
122: singular interval

Claims (23)

A sealed tank (100) integrated into a polyhedral support structure, comprising:
the tank comprises a plurality of tank walls comprising a first wall (106) and a second wall (104) parallel to a first direction (101) of the tank and spaced apart in a second direction (105) of the tank; ,
The tank wall further comprises two end walls 108 , the two end walls being orthogonal to a first direction of the tank and possibly a first intermediate wall arranged between the first wall and the two end walls 108 . connecting the first wall and the second wall via and/or via a second intermediate wall disposed between the second wall and the two end walls (108);
Each tank wall is supported by a corresponding support wall 102 of the support structure,
Each tank wall has a multi-layered structure comprising successively, from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction, an insulating barrier 202 held against a corresponding supporting wall and a sealing membrane 206 supported by the insulating barrier,
The sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall is perpendicular to the transverse corner 107 parallel to each other and parallel to the third direction 103 of the tank and the first wall or the second wall, the end wall and if necessary a series of corrugations 118 formed at the intersections between intermediate walls arranged therebetween;
The parallel folds are spaced apart in the third direction.
- a plurality of equal regular intervals 120, each regular interval formed between two adjacent folds, a plurality of equal regular intervals, and
- form at least one singular interval (122) different from the regular interval,
at least two adjacent corrugations spaced apart by a singular spacing (122) continue uninterrupted at at least three of said transverse corners (107), preferably a number greater than half of the total number of transverse corners. According to claim 1,
The total number of transverse corners 107 is such as 4, 6 or 8, sealed tanks. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
A sealed tank, wherein at least two adjacent pleats spaced apart by a singular distance continue uninterrupted at all transverse corners except one to form an open ring around the entirety of the tank. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
wherein at least two adjacent pleats spaced apart by a singular spacing continue uninterrupted at every transverse corner to form a closed ring around the entirety of the tank. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein the corrugations of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall, and, if necessary, the intermediate wall, form two or more singular intervals separated by at least one regular interval, or form two or more consecutive singular intervals. Tank. 7. The method according to claim 5 or 6,
In each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall and, if necessary, the intermediate wall, the singular spacing is arranged symmetrically on either side of the centerline of the wall. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Sealed tanks, wherein the singular spacing has different transverse dimensions. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
at least one, in particular the transverse dimension of each singular interval is the sum of the transverse dimension of the regular interval and a positive or negative predetermined constant whose absolute value is less than the dimension of the regular interval, in particular less than half the dimension of the regular interval. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
at least one special zone;
wherein the or each singular spacing is arranged at a distance from the special zone that is greater than or equal to the transverse dimension of the regular spacing. 10. The method of claim 9,
The tank wall further comprises two side walls 110 parallel to the first direction 101 and connected respectively to the first wall or the second wall by two third intermediate walls 112 , 114 , and the third intermediate wall. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The first wall, the second wall and the end wall, and, if necessary, the insulating barriers of each of the first and second intermediate walls are oriented perpendicular to the transverse corners and juxtaposed according to a repeating pattern in the third direction, the above or each singular spacing and a row of thermal insulation panels side by side with the column, wherein the at least one column of unique thermal insulation panels has a width different from the width of the repeating pattern. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
the sealing membrane of each of the first wall, the second wall and the end wall, and if necessary, the first and second intermediate walls are formed by a plurality of rectangular metal sheets having a row of corrugations;
The or each specific spacing comprises a first corrugation arranged in a first metal sheet adjacent to an edge of a first metal sheet of the metal sheet and a second corrugation arranged in a second metal sheet adjacent to the first metal sheet of the metal sheet formed between the corrugations, wherein the second corrugation is adjacent an edge of the second metal sheet facing the first metal sheet. 13. The method of claim 12,
The edges of the first sheet are jogged to form a portion having a level difference with respect to the central portion of the first sheet and to lap weld the first metal sheet onto the second metal sheet. ) edge-in, sealed tanks. 14. The method of any one of claims 12 and 13 in combination with claim 11,
and an edge of the first metal sheet and an edge of the second metal sheet are welded to each other side-by-side in one of said rows of unique thermal insulation panels. 15. The method of claim 14,
The at least one special insulating panel comprises a first metal sheet and a metal fixing strip arranged opposite the second metal sheet, the second metal sheet being welded to the metal fixing strip. 16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15,
wherein the first metal sheet includes a number of pleats less than or equal to the number of pleats of the second metal sheet. 17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
The tank wall is parallel to the first direction 101 and is connected to the first wall 106 or the second wall 104 respectively via possibly two third intermediate walls, possibly two fourth intermediate walls. The sealed tank further comprising two side walls (110) connected to the end walls (108) through the walls. 18. The method of claim 17,
The sealing membrane of each of the first wall 106 , the second wall 104 and the side wall 110 is parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal corner 127 parallel to the first direction 101 of the tank and the first wall 106 ) or a first additional row of corrugations (138) formed at the intersection between the second wall (104), the sidewall (110) and, if desired, the third intermediate wall,
The first additional pleats 138 are spaced apart in the first direction 101 to
- a plurality of equal regular intervals, each regular interval being formed between two adjacent first additional pleats (138), and
- forming at least one singular interval 142 different from the regular interval,
At least two adjacent first additional pleats 138 spaced apart by a singular spacing 142 do not stop at at least three of said longitudinal corners 127, preferably in a number greater than half the total number of longitudinal corners. Without continuing, sealed tanks. 19. The method of claim 17 or 18,
The sealing membrane of each of the end wall 108 and the side wall 110 is perpendicular to the vertical corner 147 parallel to each other and parallel to the second direction 105 of the tank and the end wall 108, the side wall 110 and the necessary a second additional row of corrugations (158) formed at the intersection between the case fourth intermediate walls;
The second additional pleats 158 are spaced apart in the second direction 105 to
- a plurality of equal regular intervals, each regular interval being formed between two adjacent second additional pleats, and
- forming at least one singular interval 162 different from the regular interval;
At least two adjacent second additional pleats 158 spaced apart by a singular spacing 162 do not cease at least three of said vertical corners 147, preferably a number greater than half the total number of vertical corners. Without continuous, sealed tank. A vessel (70, 170) comprising a double hull and a tank (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 19 incorporated in said double hull as a supporting structure. 21. The method of claim 20,
The tank (100) serves as a fuel tank for a ship propulsion system (65). A system for transporting a fluid, the system being arranged to connect a vessel (70, 170) according to claim 20 or 21, a tank (100) installed in the hull of the vessel (70, 170) to a floating or onshore storage facility. an insulated pipeline, and a pump for driving a fluid from the floating or onshore storage facility to the tank 100 of the vessel 70, 170 through the insulated pipeline, or from the vessel's tank to the floating or onshore storage facility. which is a fluid conveying system. 22. A method of loading or unloading a vessel (70, 170) according to claim 20 or 21, comprising:
A method, wherein the fluid is conveyed via an insulated pipeline from the floating or onshore storage facility to the tank ( 100 ) of the vessel ( 70 , 170 ) or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or onshore storage facility.

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