RU2805353C2 - Sealed and heat-insulated reservoir - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: reservoirs.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to a sealed and heat-insulating reservoir for fluid storage. The reservoir contains a reservoir wall having a heat-insulating barrier and a sealing membrane. The thermal insulating barrier contains insulating panels (24) in the form of a parallelepiped, located adjacent to each other and having a supporting plate (25) and an insulating filler (26, 28). The support plate (25) forms a support surface (31), and a wedge (32) is located on the support surface (31). One of the anchor devices (45) contains a support element (33) configured to rest on the wedge (32) in the direction of the support surface (31). One or wedge (32) or support plate (25) has, in the direction of the reservoir wall thickness, a thermal compression coefficient greater than the thermal compression coefficient of the anchor device (45), and the other or wedge (32) or support plate (25) has a thermal compression coefficient less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the anchor device (45).

EFFECT: increased strength of the reservoir.

17 cl, 14 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

The present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks having membranes for storing and/or transporting a fluid, for example, liquefied gas.

Sealed and insulated membrane tanks are used, in particular, to store liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of approximately -163°C. Such tanks can be installed on land or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be designed to transport liquefied natural gas or to receive liquefied natural gas, which is used as fuel to propel the floating structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Application WO2014/170588 discloses a sealed and thermally insulated liquefied natural gas storage tank integrated into a double hull vessel. Each wall of the tank has a multilayer structure and contains, sequentially in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, an auxiliary heat-insulating barrier supported on the supporting structure, an auxiliary sealing membrane resting on the auxiliary heat-insulating barrier, a main heat-insulating barrier resting on the auxiliary sealing membrane, and a main a sealing membrane designed to contact the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank and supported by a primary thermal insulating barrier.

In the above document, the thermal insulation barrier includes a plurality of main insulation panels that are attached to the auxiliary insulation panels of the auxiliary thermal insulation barrier using anchor devices. All anchor devices are provided with a set of spring washers, which ensures elastic fastening of the main insulating panels to the auxiliary insulating panels. The resilient fastening allows the main insulation panels to be held on the auxiliary insulation panels while allowing small relative movements of the main insulation panels relative to the auxiliary insulation panels. This helps limit the stresses that can be applied to the main insulation panels and secondary insulation panels in the fastening areas. However, such a sealed tank is not entirely satisfactory. In particular, anchor devices require a large number of sets of disc washers, which increases the cost of the tank equipped with such anchor devices and complicates its manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The idea behind the invention is to provide a sealed and thermally insulating container in which the fastening of insulating panels is carried out in a simpler and more cost-effective manner.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention provides a sealed and thermally insulating fluid storage tank, comprising a tank wall having, in sequence in a tank wall thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a thermal insulating barrier for attachment to a supporting structure, and a sealing membrane supported by the thermal barrier,

wherein the thermal insulating barrier comprises parallelepiped-shaped insulating panels disposed adjacent to each other and designed for attachment to a supporting structure, the insulating panels having a supporting plate and an insulating core, wherein the supporting plate defines a support surface projecting laterally from the insulating core, wherein the supporting surface faces the inside of the tank, and a wedge is located on the supporting surface, wherein the wedge has an inner surface facing the inside of the tank,

wherein anchor devices designed for fastening to the supporting structure between the insulating panels cooperate with the insulating panels, and the anchor devices are designed to hold the insulating panels to the supporting structure,

wherein at least one of the anchor devices includes a support element having an outer surface facing the wedge, wherein the support element is configured such that the outer surface rests on the inner surface of the wedge in the direction of the support surface,

and wherein one or wedge or support plate has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of the tank wall greater than the thermal compression coefficient of the anchor device in the thickness direction, and the other or wedge or support plate has a thermal compression coefficient in the thickness direction less than the thermal compression coefficient anchor device in the thickness direction.

Thanks to these features, the assembly formed by the load-bearing plate and the wedge has thermal compression behavior close to that of the anchor device. In particular, the thermal contraction behavior of this assembly allows the interaction between the wedge and the support element to be maintained despite temperature changes. In other words, the assembly is prevented from compressing more than the compression of the anchor element to maintain support of the anchor device on the wedge. In this way, the interaction between the support member and the wedge is maintained to maintain the fastening of the insulation panels to the supporting structure in a simple and reliable manner. In particular, anchor devices do not require the use of multiple spring washers to maintain the fastening of insulation panels despite deformations associated with thermal contraction in the tank or deformations of the supporting structure.

The thermal compression coefficient of the anchor device must be understood as the behavior during thermal compression of all the constituent elements of the anchor device in the area of the load-bearing plate and wedge. In other words, the thermal contraction coefficient determines the thermal contraction behavior of the assembly formed by the constituent elements of the anchor device in a portion of the anchor device located at substantially the same portion of the tank wall thickness as the support plate and wedge. The thermal contraction coefficient of the anchor device can be measured experimentally or calculated based on information about the various constituent materials of all elements forming the anchor device.

According to other preferred embodiments, the reservoir may have one or more of the following features.

According to one embodiment, the thermal contraction coefficient of the wedge is less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the support plate.

According to one embodiment, the wedge and the support plate are suitably sized in the thickness direction so that the support element preferably bears continuously on the inner surface of the wedge in the direction of the support surface in the event of a decrease in temperature relative to the ambient temperature.

According to one embodiment, the change in size of the anchor device in the thickness direction of the tank wall is greater than the change in size in the thickness direction of the support plate-wedge assembly when the temperature changes from 20°C to -163°C. bearing In other words, if the temperature in the tank changes, the outer surface of the support element moves in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall more than the inner surface of the wedge. In this way, the support of the support element on the wedge is maintained despite changes in temperature in the tank.

According to one embodiment, at ambient temperature, the support element is supported by the wedge in the direction of the support zone.

According to one embodiment, the difference in dimensional change in the tank wall thickness direction during a temperature change from 20°C to

–163°C between the anchor element and the assembly formed by the bearing plate and the wedge is from 5.50E-05 mm to 9.69E-02 mm. Conventionally, in the present description, “E-N” means 10-N.

In other words, when the temperature in the tank changes from 20°C to 163°C, the movement of the outer surface of the support element is greater by a value in the range from 5.50E-05 mm to 9.69E-02 mm compared to the movement of the inner surface of the wedge.

According to one embodiment, the wedge is made of plywood. According to one embodiment, the plywood wedge is positioned such that the fibers are oriented in a plane parallel to the direction of the tank wall thickness.

According to one embodiment, the support plate is made of plywood. According to one embodiment, the plywood support plate is positioned such that the fibers are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the tank wall thickness.

According to one embodiment, the wedge has a thermal contraction coefficient in the tank wall thickness direction of 4E-06K-1 to 8E-06K-1, for example 5.50E-06K-1.

According to one embodiment, the support plate has a thermal contraction coefficient in the tank wall thickness direction of 3E05K-1 to 4E-05K-1, for example 3.65E-05K-1.

According to one embodiment, the anchor device has a thermal contraction coefficient in the direction of the tank wall thickness of 1.4E-05K-1 to 1.8E-05K-1, for example 1.6E-05K-1.

According to one embodiment, in the tank wall thickness direction, the support plate has a thickness of 9 mm and the wedge has a thickness of 17.6 mm to 68 mm.

According to one embodiment, the wedge has a constant cross-section in the thickness direction of the reservoir. In accordance with one embodiment, the wedge rests on at least 50% of the supporting surface of the insulation panel.

In accordance with one embodiment, the wedge is located on the support surface of two adjacent insulation panels such that the support element rests on the wedge in the direction of the support surfaces of the two adjacent insulation panels.

According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier is a main thermal barrier, the insulation panels are the main insulating panels, the sealing membrane is the main sealing membrane, and the support member is the main supporting member, wherein the tank wall further comprises a secondary thermal barrier and an auxiliary sealing member. membrane designed to be placed between the main heat-insulating barrier and the supporting structure.

According to another embodiment, at least one of the insulation panels includes a cover plate and support partitions extending in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall between the support plate and the cover plate and defining a plurality of compartments filled with an insulation filler, such as perlite.

In accordance with one embodiment, at least one of the insulation panels comprises a cover plate, the insulation core is disposed between the support plate and the cover plate, the insulation panel further comprising an intermediate plate located between the support plate and the cover plate, wherein the insulation core comprises a first layer an insulating foam resin material located between the support plate and the intermediate plate; and a second layer of insulating foam resin material located between the intermediate plate and the cover plate.

In one embodiment, the insulating foam polymer layers and the intermediate plate and the cover plate are recessed so that the support plate projects relative to the insulating foam polymer layers and the intermediate plate and the support plate, thereby providing a support surface on the support plate. plate.

In accordance with one embodiment, the secondary thermal barrier comprises a plurality of secondary insulation panels disposed adjacent to each other on a support structure, the reservoir further comprising a plurality of anchor members for attaching the secondary insulation panels to the support structure.

In accordance with one embodiment, the main insulation panels are supported by a secondary sealing membrane, with the anchor device protruding relative to the secondary sealing membrane. In accordance with one embodiment, the anchor device is attached to the anchor element in the area of the auxiliary seal membrane. In other words, the anchor device and the support plate protrude in the direction of the tank wall thickness relative to the auxiliary sealing membrane.

In accordance with one embodiment, the first layer of insulating foam polymer material has a cutout in each of the corner areas of the insulation panel that receives a post extending between the support plate and the intermediate plate. This helps limit flattening and foam creep.

In accordance with one embodiment, the fluid is a liquefied gas, for example, liquefied natural gas.

Such a tank may be part of an onshore storage facility, such as liquefied natural gas storage, or may be installed on a floating structure, onshore or offshore, such as a liquefied natural gas tanker, floating storage regasification unit (FSRU). , on a floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO), etc.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a tanker for transporting a cryogenic fluid comprising a double hull and the aforementioned tank located in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the double casing includes an inner casing that forms the supporting structure of the tank.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading a tanker, in which fluid is supplied through insulated pipelines from a floating or land-based storage tank to a tanker tank, or from a tanker tank to a floating or land-based storage tank.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention also provides a fluid transfer system, the system comprising the aforementioned tanker, insulated piping arranged to connect a tank mounted in the hull of the tanker to a floating or land-based storage facility, and a pump for delivering fluid through insulated piping from floating or land-based storage to a tanker tank or from a tanker tank to a floating or land-based storage facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of certain specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a tank wall;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of the auxiliary insulation panel;

fig. 3 is a separate perspective view of the main insulation panel;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of an anchor device for main insulation panels and auxiliary insulation panels;

fig. 5 is a separate exploded view of the anchor device shown in FIG. 4 built into the tank wall shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the area shown in FIG. 5 illustrating a first embodiment of a main panel anchor wedge;

fig. 7 is a top view of the area shown in FIG. 5;

Figures 8 and 9 are schematic perspective and top views of a second embodiment of the anchor wedge, respectively;

Figures 10 and 11 are schematic perspective and top views of the third embodiment of the anchor wedge, respectively;

fig. 12 is a schematic cut-out illustration of a tank of a liquefied natural gas tanker and a loading/unloading terminal for the tank;

fig. 13 is a cutaway perspective view of a tank wall according to another embodiment;

fig. 14 is an enlarged view of area XIII shown in FIG. 13 further illustrating a main anchor element in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS

Conventionally, the expressions "external" and "internal" are used to define the relative position of one element relative to another, with reference to the internal and external parts of the tank.

Fig. 1 illustrates a multi-layer structure of a wall 1 of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing a liquefied fluid, for example liquefied natural gas (LNG). Each wall 1 of the tank contains, sequentially in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, an auxiliary heat-insulating barrier 2 held on the supporting structure 3, an auxiliary sealing membrane 4 resting on the auxiliary heat-insulating barrier 2, a main heat-insulating barrier 5 resting on the auxiliary sealing membrane 4 , and the main sealing membrane 6, designed for contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank.

The supporting structure 3 can in particular be formed by the hull or double hull of the vessel. The supporting structure 3 contains a plurality of walls that define the overall shape of the tank, typically a polyhedral shape.

The auxiliary thermal insulation barrier 2 includes a plurality of auxiliary insulating panels 7 attached to the supporting structure 3 using anchor devices 8, which are described in detail below. The auxiliary insulating panels 7 have a generally parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel rows.

In fig. 2 shows a structure of the auxiliary insulation panel 7 according to the embodiment. Here, the auxiliary insulation panel 7 includes three plates, namely, a carrier plate 9, an intermediate plate 10, and a cover plate 11. The carrier plate 9, the intermediate plate 10, and the cover plate 11 are, for example, made of plywood. The auxiliary insulation panel 7 also includes a first layer 12 of insulating foam polymer material located between the support plate 9 and the intermediate plate 10, and a second layer 13 of insulating foam polymer material located between the intermediate plate 10 and the cover plate 11. The first and second layers 12, 13 insulating foam polymer material are glued to the support plate 9 and the intermediate plate 10, as well as to the intermediate plate 10 and the cover plate 11, respectively. The insulating foam polymer material may in particular be a polyurethane based foam material, optionally fiber reinforced.

The first layer 12 of insulating foam polymer material has cutouts in the corner areas for the passage of the corner posts 14. The corner posts 14 extend in the area of the four corner areas of the auxiliary insulation panel 7 between the support plate 9 and the intermediate plate 10. The corner posts 14 are attached, for example, using staples or screws or glued to the support plate 9 and the intermediate plate 10 and additionally, if necessary, to the insulating foamed polymer material 12. The corner posts 14 are, for example, made of plywood or plastic. Corner posts 14 provide absorption of part of the compressive load during operation and help limit flattening and creep of the foam. The corner posts 14 have a thermal contraction coefficient that is different from the thermal contraction coefficient of the first layer 12 of insulating foam polymer material. In this regard, when the tank is cooled, the deflection of the auxiliary insulating panel 7 in the area of the corner posts 14 is less than in other areas. This further enhances the phenomenon of level changes or the formation of steps in the area of the corner areas of the auxiliary insulating panels 7.

In addition, the auxiliary insulation panel 7 includes recesses 15, 16 in the area of the corner areas for receiving anchor devices 8, which are described in detail below. The auxiliary insulating panel 7, at a distance from the supporting plate 9 to the intermediate plate 10, contains a first recess 15 intended for the passage of the rod 17 of the anchor device 8. Above the intermediate plate 10, the auxiliary insulating panel 7 contains a second recess 16. The second recess 16 has larger dimensions than the first recess 15 so that the intermediate plate 10 projects beyond the second layer 13 of insulating foam polymer material and the cover plate 11. Thus, the intermediate plate 10 forms, in the area of the corner areas of the auxiliary insulation panel 7, a support area 18 designed to interact with the auxiliary support plate 19 anchor device 8.

In addition, the cover plate 11 has a recess 20 in the area of the four corner areas. Each recess 20 is designed to receive a force distribution plate 21 of the anchor device 8 described below. The recesses 20 have a thickness substantially similar to that of the force distribution plate 21 such that the force distribution plate 21 is flush with the top surface of the cover plate 11. The cover plate 11 also includes slots 22 for receiving welding supports.

The structure of the auxiliary insulation panel 7 is described above as an example. In another embodiment, the auxiliary insulation panels 7 may have a different general design, for example, the design described in document WO2012/127141. The auxiliary insulating panels 7 are made in the form of a box that contains a support plate, a cover plate and load-bearing partitions extending in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall 1 between the support plate and the cover plate and delimiting a plurality of compartments filled with insulating filler, for example, perlite, glass wool or stone wool .

In another embodiment, the auxiliary thermal insulation barrier includes auxiliary insulation panels 7 having different designs of at least two types, for example, the two designs described above, depending on the installation area in the tank. Thus, in some areas of the tank wall 1, adjacent auxiliary insulation panels 7 may exhibit different behavior when exposed to thermal gradients, which may enhance the phenomena of level differences between adjacent corners of the auxiliary insulation panels 7.

Referring to FIG. 1, in which it can be seen that the auxiliary sealing membrane 4 comprises a continuous sheet of metal reservoir belts 23 with raised edges. The tank chords 23 are welded at their raised edges to parallel supports for welding, which are secured in grooves 22 made in the cover plates 11 of the auxiliary insulating panels 7. The tank belts 23, for example, are made of Invar®: that is, an alloy of iron and nickel, coefficient the expansion of which is usually from 1.2×10-6 to 2×10-6 K-1.

The main thermal insulation barrier 5 includes a plurality of main insulating panels 24, which are secured to the supporting structure 3 using the above-mentioned anchor devices 8. The main insulating panels 24 are generally parallelepiped-shaped. Moreover, they have dimensions identical to those of the auxiliary insulation panels 7, except for the thickness in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1, which may differ and in particular may be smaller. Each of the main insulation panels 24 is located at the level of one of the auxiliary insulation panels 7, aligned with it in the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank.

In fig. 3 shows the structure of the main insulation panel 24 in accordance with one embodiment. The main insulation panel 24 has a sandwich structure similar to that of the auxiliary insulation panel 7 shown in FIG. 2. In this regard, the main insulating panel 24 sequentially includes a support plate 25, a first insulating foam resin material layer 26, an intermediate plate 27, a second insulating foam resin material layer 28, and a cover plate 29. The insulating foam resin material, in particular, can be a foamed material based on polyurethane, additionally, if necessary, reinforced with fibers.

The main insulation panel 24 includes recesses 30 in the region of the corner areas so that the support plate 25 projects beyond the first layer of insulating foam polymer material 26, the intermediate plate 27, the second layer of insulating foam polymer material 28 and the cover plate 29. Thus, the support plate 25 forms a support zone 31 in the region of the corner areas of the main insulation panel 24. The support zone 31 receives a wedge 32, which is described in more detail below. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the wedge 32 has a shape similar to the support area 31. The wedge 32 is designed to interact with the main support plate 33 of the anchor device 8.

The support plate 25 includes slots 34 for receiving the raised edges of the tank 23 of the auxiliary sealing membrane 4. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3, the facing plate 29 also includes slots 35 for receiving supports for welding connection (not illustrated).

The structure of the main insulating panel 24 is described above as an example. In another embodiment, the main insulation panels 24 may have a different general design, for example, the design described in WO2012/127141.

In another embodiment, the main thermal barrier 5 comprises main insulation panels 24 having at least two types of different designs, such as the two designs described above, depending on the installation area in the tank.

Referring to FIG. 1, in which it can be seen that the main sealing membrane 6 comprises a continuous sheet of metal reservoir belts 36 with raised edges. The tank straps 33 are welded at their raised edges to parallel weld attachment supports which are secured in grooves made in the cover plates 29 of the main insulating panels 24. Although the description is given in the context of the main sealing membrane 6, which is manufactured using metal tank straps 36, the main seal the membrane can be manufactured using other technologies. For example, the main seal membrane can be made using corrugated metal plates, as described, for example, in document FR2691520.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the anchor devices 8 are located at the four corners of the main insulation panels 24 and the auxiliary insulation panels 7. Each set of the auxiliary insulation panel 7 and the main insulation panel 24 is attached to the supporting structure 3 using four anchor devices 8. In addition, each anchor device 8 interacts with the corners of four adjacent auxiliary insulating panels 7 and the corners of four adjacent main insulating panels 24.

Figures 4 and 5 show the design of the anchor device 8.

The anchor device 8 contains a socket 37, the base of which is welded to the supporting structure 3 in a position corresponding to a cutout in the area of the corner zones of four adjacent auxiliary insulating panels 7. The socket 37 accommodates a nut (not illustrated) into which the lower end of the rod 17 is screwed. The rod 17 is extended. between adjacent auxiliary insulating panels 7.

The rod 17 passes through a hole made in the insulating plug 38, designed to ensure continuity of the auxiliary thermal insulation in the area of the anchor device 8. The insulating plug 38 has a cross-section formed by four branches in a plane orthogonal to the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank. Each of the four branches is inserted into the gap provided between two of the four adjacent auxiliary insulating panels 7.

The anchor device 8 further includes an auxiliary support plate 19 resting in the direction of the support structure 3 on a support area 18 provided in each of the four adjacent auxiliary insulation panels 7 to support them on the support structure 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the auxiliary support plate 19 is located in the second a recess 16 made in the second layer 13 of insulating foam polymer material of each of the auxiliary insulating panels 7 and rests on the area of the intermediate plate 10, which forms the support area 18.

The nut 39 cooperates with a thread formed in the area of the upper end of the rod 17 to ensure that the auxiliary support plate 19 is held on the rod 17.

In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor device 8 further includes one or more Belleville-type spring washers 40. Spring washers 40 are mounted on the rod 17 between the nut 39 and the auxiliary support plate 19, which provides elastic fastening of the auxiliary insulating panels 7 to the supporting structure 3. In addition, a locking element 41 is preferably locally welded to the upper end of the rod 17 to fix the nut 39 in the required position on rod 17.

The anchor device 8 further includes a force distribution plate 21, a top plate 42 and a spacer 43 attached to the auxiliary support plate 19.

The force distribution plate 21 is located in each of the recesses 20 made in the plates 11 of the four adjacent auxiliary insulation panels 7. Therefore, the force distribution plate 21 is located between the cover plates 11 of each of the four auxiliary insulation panels 7 and the auxiliary sealing membrane 4. The force distribution plate 21 is designed to prevent the phenomenon of level differences between the corners of adjacent auxiliary insulation panels 7. In this regard, the force distribution plate 21 allows the distribution of stresses that may act on the auxiliary sealing membrane 4 and the main insulation panels 24 at the level of the corner areas of the auxiliary insulation panels 7. Therefore, The force distribution plate 21 makes it possible to limit the phenomenon of piercing the load-bearing plates 25 of the main insulating panels 24, as well as piercing and creasing of the layers 26, 28 of the insulating foam polymer material of the main insulating panels 24 at the level of the corner zones of the auxiliary insulating panels 7.

The force distribution plate 21 is preferably made of a metal selected from stainless steel, iron and nickel alloys such as Invar, the expansion coefficient of which is generally from 1.2×10-6 to 2×10-6 K-1, and iron and nickel alloys. manganese, the expansion coefficient of which is less than 2×10-5 K-1, usually on the order of 7×10-6 K-1. The force distribution plate 21 has a thickness of 1 to 7 mm, preferably 2 to 4 mm, for example about 3 mm. The force distribution plate 21 preferably has a square shape, the side of which has a dimension of from 100 to 250 mm, for example about 150 mm.

The top plate 42 is located below the force distribution plate 21 and has smaller dimensions than the force distribution plate 21, so that the force distribution plate 21 completely covers the top plate 42. The top plate 42 is located in recesses 16 provided in the corner areas of the auxiliary insulation panels 7 at the level support zones 17, that is, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, in recesses 16 provided in the second layer 13 of the insulating foam polymer material of the auxiliary insulating panels 7.

The top plate 42 has a threaded hole 44 which receives a threaded base of a pin 45 for attaching the main insulation panels 24. To enable the pin 45 to be secured to the top plate 42, the force distribution plate 21 also includes a hole provided opposite the threaded hole in the top plate 42 and thus allowing the pin 45 to pass through the force distribution plate 21.

The top plate 42 has the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, which contains two large opposing surfaces parallel to the load-bearing structure 3 of the wall 1, and four surfaces connecting the two large surfaces and extending parallel to the thickness direction of the tank wall 1. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, four surfaces extending parallel to the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank are connected by roundings 46. This eliminates an acute angle and further limits the phenomenon of piercing the load-bearing plates 25 of the main insulating panels 25, and also limits the stress concentration.

In one embodiment, the top plate 42 and the force distribution plate 21 are formed as one piece.

The spacer 43 is located between the auxiliary support plate 19 and the top plate 42 and thus serves to maintain a distance between the auxiliary support plate 19 and the top plate 42. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the spacer 43 has chamfers 47 for mounting in the space of the top plate 42 as viewed in the thickness direction of the tank wall 1. In other words, the top plate 42 completely covers the spacer 43.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the anchor device 8 is different from the anchor device 8 illustrated in FIG. 4, in that the separator 43 has a cross-section without chamfers in a plane orthogonal to the direction of the thickness of the wall 1 of the tank, which simplifies its manufacture. Likewise (not illustrated) the top plate 2 may not have fillets.

The spacer 43 is preferably made of wood, which allows the thermal bridge to be limited towards the supporting structure 3 in the area of the anchor device 8. The spacer 43 is shaped like an inverted U, forming a central space 48 between the two branches of the U. The central space 48 receives the upper end of the rod 17, fixing element 41, nut 39 and spring washers 40. Separator 43 is also placed in recess 16, made at the level of the supporting surface 18.

The locking element 41 has a square or rectangular shape, the diagonal of which is larger than the size of the central space 48 between the two branches of the U, which prevents the rotation of the rod 17 relative to the spacer 43 and thus prevents the release of the rod 17 from the nut 39.

To fix the force distribution plate 21, the top plate 42, the spacer 43 and the auxiliary support plate 19 relative to each other, two holes are made in each of the above-mentioned members, through each of which a screw 49, 50 passes. Each of the holes made in the auxiliary support plate 19 has a thread that cooperates with one of the screws 49, 50 to secure the aforementioned elements relative to each other.

In addition, the pin 45 passes through a drilled hole made in the reservoir belt 23 of the auxiliary sealing membrane 4. The pin 45 has a flange 51 welded at its periphery around the drilled hole to provide a seal to the auxiliary sealing membrane 4. Therefore, the auxiliary sealing membrane is located between the flange 51 pin 45 and force distribution plate 21.

The anchor device 8 also includes a main support plate 33 which is supported in the direction of the supporting structure 3 by a wedge 32. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, the corners of each main insulation panel 24 include a corresponding wedge 32, the wedge 32 covering the support area 31 formed by the support plate 25. Thus, the main support plate 33 is supported by the wedges 32 of the four adjacent main panels 24, the wedges 32 being supported by the support zones 31 provided at the respective corners of the four adjacent main insulation panels 24 to hold the main insulation panels 24 on support structure 3. In the illustrated embodiment, each support zone 31 is formed by a projecting portion of the support plate 25 of one of the main insulation panels 24. The main support plate 33 is located in recesses 30 made in the corner areas of the main insulation panels 24 at the level of the support zones 31.

The nut 52 cooperates with threads made in the area of the upper end of the pin 45 to secure the main support plate 33 to the pin 45. In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor device 8 further includes one Belleville-type spring washer 53 placed on the pin 45 between the nut 52 and the main base plate 33.

Moreover, the insulation plug 54 illustrated in FIG. 5 is inserted above the anchor device 8 into recesses 30 made in the corner areas of four adjacent main insulation panels 24 to provide continuity of the main thermal insulating barrier 5 in the area of the anchor device 8. In addition, a cover plate (not illustrated) made of wood allows for flatness. supporting surface of the main sealing membrane 6. The closing plate is placed in recesses made in the area of the corner areas of the main insulating panels 24.

To maintain the anchorage of the main insulating panels 24 on the supporting structure 3, it is necessary to maintain the support of the main support plate 33 on the wedges 32, despite the differences in the behavior of the anchor device 8 and the main insulating panels 24. In particular, it is necessary to maintain the support, despite the differences in the thermal behavior compression of the anchor device 8 and the main insulating panels 24.

To support the support of the main support plate 33 on the wedges 32, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, involves the use of a wedge 32 and a support plate 25, the coefficient of thermal compression in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall of which is selected so that the assembly formed by the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 has an overall thermal compression coefficient less than the thermal compression coefficient of the anchor device 8. In the remainder of the description, reference to the thermal contraction coefficient refers to the thermal contraction coefficient in the direction of the tank wall thickness.

In the context of a support plate 25 made of a material having a thermal contraction coefficient greater than the thermal contraction coefficient of the pin 45 and the main support plate 33, the wedge 32 is selected such that its thermal contraction coefficient is less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the pin 45 and the main support plate 33. In addition, the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 are sized such that the assembly formed by the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 has an overall thermal compression ratio less than, preferably slightly less than, and ideally equal to, the overall thermal compression ratio of the pin 45 and main support plate 33. Thus, the outer surface of the main support plate 33 rests on the inner surface of the wedge 32 in the event of a temperature change in the tank.

This is because, under the influence of temperature changes, the movement of the outer surface of the main support plate 33 is slightly greater and, ideally, substantially identical to the movement of the outer surface of the wedge 32 due to the fact that the assembly formed by the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 has a common thermal contraction coefficient less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the pin 45 and the main support plate 33.

Therefore, the thermal contraction behavior allows the main support plate 33 to be supported on the wedge 32 in a reliable and stable manner despite the absence or limited number of Belleville washers 50 on the pin 45.

In one example, the support plate 25 of the main insulation panels 24 is made of plywood, the fibers of which are oriented in a plane parallel to the support structure 3, 9 mm thick. Thus, the support plate 25 has a thermal contraction coefficient of about 3.65E-05. In the case of the pin 45 having a thermal contraction coefficient of about 1.60E-05, the wedge 32 can be manufactured to have a thermal contraction coefficient of about 5.50E-06.

The wedge 32, for example, is made of plywood, but unlike the support plate 25 has the orientation of the plywood fibers perpendicular to the porous structure, that is, in a plane parallel to the direction of the thickness of the tank wall.

Thus, in this case, the wedge 32 has a thickness of more than 17.6 mm, and the pin 45 and the main support plate 33 are sized such that the outer surface of the main support plate 33 is located at a distance of 26.6 mm from the outer surface of the support plate. This is because in such an example, when the temperature changes by 90°C, the difference in movement between the outer surface of the main support plate 33 and the inner surface of the wedge 32 is on the order of 2.70E-05, with the outer surface of the main support plate 33 moving slightly more, than the inner surface of the wedge 32, so that the support of the main support plate 33 on the wedge 32 is maintained despite the temperature change. Likewise, for a temperature change of 183°C, the difference in movement between the outer surface of the main support plate 33 and the inner surface of the wedge 32 is on the order of 5.49E-05, with the outer surface of the main support plate 33 moving slightly more than the inner surface of the wedge 32 , so that the support of the main support plate 33 on the wedge 32 is maintained despite the temperature change.

A wedge 32 of 18, 19 or 20 mm thickness, as well as a pin 45 and a main support plate 33 sized such that the outer surface of the main support plate is spaced 27, 28 or 29 mm respectively, also allow the main support plate 33 to be held in place by wedge 32.

However, in order to avoid damaging the wedge 32 and/or the support plate 25, the assembly formed by the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 must have an overall thermal contraction coefficient not too different from the thermal contraction coefficient of the assembly formed by the pin 45 and the main support plate 33 This is because too large a difference in thermal contraction coefficients may cause the main support plate 33 to be displaced and therefore too strongly supported by the wedge 32.

Thus, in the above example of a 9 mm thick plywood carrier plate 25 with a thermal contraction coefficient of 3.65E-05 and a pin 45 with a thermal contraction coefficient of 1.60E-05, a wedge 32 with a thermal contraction coefficient of 5.50E-05 would have a thickness no more than 68 mm due to the risk that the main support plate 33 will exert too much pressure. In other words, in this embodiment, the wedge 32 must have a thickness of from 17.6 mm to 68 mm in order to support the main support plate 33 without damaging the support plate 25.

Thus, the wedge 32 is made of a material selected to provide a wedge 32 that has a thermal contraction coefficient in the tank wall thickness direction less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the support plate 25 on which it rests. In addition, the wedge 32 is sized in the tank wall thickness direction such that the assembly formed by the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 has a thermal contraction behavior similar to that of the anchor device 8. In particular, the thermal contraction behavior of this assembly allows the interaction between the wedge 32 and the main support plate 33 to be maintained despite changes in temperature, that is, it prevents this unit from being compressed more strongly than the anchor device 8.

Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the wedge 32, in which the wedge 32 is sized to jointly cover two support areas 31 of two adjacent main insulation panels 24. Such wedge 32 allows assembly operations within the tank to be limited and therefore simplifies fabrication of the tank. Wedge 32 has a central recess 55 that allows passage of pin 45.

Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the wedge 32 is sized to maintain space between the first layer of insulating foam polymer material 26 and the wedge 32, allowing gas to circulate through the main thermal barrier. In other words, the wedge 32 is sized such that it does not completely cover the support areas 31 of the adjacent main insulation panels 24 in order to maintain space for circulating gas, such as inert gas, in the main thermal barrier, while at the same time providing sufficient interaction with main support plate 33 and with support zones 31 for fastening the main insulating panels 24.

According to another embodiment, the wedge 32 has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction greater than the thermal contraction coefficient of the anchor device 45, i.e. pin 45 in the thickness direction, and the support plate 25 has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction smaller than that of the anchor device 45 in the thickness direction.

Figures 8-11 illustrate other embodiments of wedge 32 that also circulate gas within the main insulating barrier by providing a space between wedge 32 and the first layer 26 of insulating foam polymer material.

Fig. 13 illustrates a tank wall 101 according to the second embodiment. Elements identical or similar to those shown in Figures 1-11 are indicated by the same reference numerals increased by 100 and will be described only if they are different.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 differs from the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-5 in that the main insulation panels 124 are applied offset relative to the secondary insulation panels 107. Thus, the corner areas of the main insulation panels 124 are not located on at the level of the corner zones of the auxiliary insulating panels 107, and at the level of the central section of the covering plate 111 of the corresponding auxiliary insulating panels 107.

In the illustrated embodiment, the main insulation panels 124 are offset from the auxiliary insulation panels 107 in two plane directions by half the length of the auxiliary insulation panel 107. The amount of offset may be different, and the corner areas of the main insulation panels 124 may be located in a different location on the auxiliary insulation cover plate 111 panels 107, but preferably at a distance from the raised edges of the belts of the reservoir 123, so as not to interfere with them. The amount of displacement in two directions of the plane may differ.

Moreover, in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, the auxiliary insulation panels 107 and the main insulation panels 124 differ from the auxiliary insulation panels 7 and the main insulation panels 24 described above in that they do not include an intermediate plate 10, 27 Thus, the auxiliary insulation panel 107 includes a support plate 109, an auxiliary insulation foam layer 156, and a cover plate 111. Likewise, the main insulation panel 124 includes a support plate 125, a base insulation foam layer 157, and a cover plate 129. In addition, the support plate 109 extends beyond the auxiliary foam insulation layer 156 and the cover plate 111 on the sides of the auxiliary insulation panels 107.

In the second embodiment, the anchor devices 8 are divided into two separate sections, with the first section forming a secondary holding element 158 cooperating with the secondary insulation panels 107, and the second section forming a main holding element 159 cooperating with the main insulating panels 124. Due to the displacement of the corner zones of the main insulating panels 124 relative to the corner zones of the auxiliary insulating panels 107, the auxiliary retaining elements 158 are separated and offset from the main retaining elements 159.

The auxiliary retention element 158 can be manufactured in various ways. For example, the auxiliary retaining element 158 may include a threaded pin secured to a support structure on which is mounted an auxiliary support plate held on the pin by a nut. Thus, the auxiliary support plate rests on the support plate 109 of the auxiliary insulation panel 107 directly or through a wedge resting on the protruding portion of the support plate 109. An insulation plug may be inserted into the hole formed by the recesses of the adjacent auxiliary insulation panels 107 to ensure continuity of thermal insulation. In the same way, a cover plate, such as plywood, can be placed in a recess of the cover plate 111 of adjacent sub-insulation panels 107 to provide continuity of the supporting surface formed by the cover plates 111.

In a manufacturing embodiment that is not illustrated, the auxiliary insulation panels 107 are identical to the auxiliary insulation panels 7 described above. In this embodiment, the auxiliary retaining element 158 may have a structure similar to that described above with respect to the anchor device 8, from which all elements located above the force distribution plate 21 have been removed. In this case, the force distribution plate 21 and the recess 20 designed to receive it are also may be excluded.

A varying number of auxiliary retaining members 158 may be provided, ranging from, for example, 2 to 5 per auxiliary insulation panel 107, and they may be located, for example, at the corners of the auxiliary insulation panels 107 and/or in the gap between two auxiliary insulating panels 107 in either the first direction or the second direction. Other embodiments of the auxiliary holding element are described in WO-A-2013093262.

In fig. 14, the main retaining element 159 includes an anchor plate 160, for example, having a square or circular outline, which is secured in a recess made in the surface of the cover plate 111 facing the auxiliary insulating foam layer 156, for example, glued. The anchor plate 160 has a threaded hole extending on the top surface of the cover plate 111, that is, on the surface of the cover plate 11 facing the inside of the tank. Screwed into the threaded hole of plate 160 is a pin 145 identical to pin 45 described above.

In addition, the main retaining element 159 has features similar to those described above with reference to figures 1-5 with respect to the portions of the anchor device 8 interacting with the pin 45. Thus, the main retaining element 159 includes a main support plate supported by the pin 145 using a nut and additionally, if necessary, a spring washer. The main retaining element 159 interacts with the support plate 125 and the wedge in a similar manner as described above, between the anchor device 8 on the one hand and the support plate 25 and the wedge 32 on the other hand. In other words, the main retaining element 159 on the one hand, and the support plate 125 and wedge on the other hand, have selected thermal contraction coefficients and are sized to support the support of the main support plate of the main retaining element 159 on the wedge under the influence of temperature changes in the tank. .

With reference to FIG. 12 is a cutaway view of a liquefied natural gas tanker 70 illustrating a sealed and insulated tank 71 having a generally prismatic shape that is mounted in a double tanker body 72. The tank wall 71 includes a main seal barrier for contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank, a secondary seal barrier located between the main seal barrier and the tanker double hull 72, and two isolation barriers located between the main seal barrier and the secondary seal barrier and between the auxiliary sealed barrier and the double housing 72, respectively.

As is known, loading/unloading lines 73 located on the upper deck of a tanker may be connected using suitable connectors to a marine or port terminal to transfer LNG cargo to or from the tank 71.

Fig. 12 shows an example of a marine terminal including a loading and unloading station 75, a subsea pipeline 76, and an onshore structure 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is an offshore fixed structure containing a movable boom 74 and a tower 78 that supports the movable boom 74. The movable boom 74 includes a bunch of insulated flexible pipelines 79, which can be connected to the loading and unloading pipelines 73. The 74 adjustable movable boom adapts to tankers of all sizes. The tower 78 carries connecting piping, which is not illustrated. The loading and unloading station 75 allows loading and unloading of the tanker 70 for transporting liquefied natural gas from or to the onshore facility 77. This structure contains tanks 80 for storing liquefied gas and connecting pipelines 81 connected by an underwater pipeline 76 to a loading or unloading station 75. The subsea pipeline 76 allows the liquefied gas to be transferred between the loading or unloading station 75 and the land-based facility 77 over a long distance, such as 5 km, allowing the natural gas tanker 70 to be stopped long distances from shore during loading and unloading operations.

To create the pressure necessary to transfer the liquefied gas, pumps installed on board the tanker 70 and/or pumps installed in the land-based structure 77 and/or pumps installed at the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

Although the invention has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it is clear that it is in no way limited to them, and that it contains all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof, if they fall within the scope of the invention.

The use of the verb "to have", "comprise" or "include" and derivative forms does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those specified in the claims.

In the claims, any reference position in parentheses should not be interpreted as limiting the claims.

Claims (23)

1. A sealed and thermally insulating tank for storing a fluid medium, containing a tank wall (1, 101) having, sequentially in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall from the outside to the inside of the tank, a heat-insulating barrier (5, 105) designed for attachment to the supporting structure (3 , 103), and a sealing membrane (6, 106) resting on a heat-insulating barrier (5, 105), in which the thermal insulating barrier (5, 105) contains insulating panels (24, 124) in the form of a parallelepiped, located adjacent to each other and intended for fastening to the supporting structure (3, 103), and the insulating panels (24, 124) have a supporting plate (25 , 125) and insulating filler (26, 28, 157), the support plate (25, 125) forms a support surface (31) protruding laterally from the insulating filler (26, 28, 157), with the support surface (31) facing the inside of the tank, and a wedge (32) is located on the supporting surface (31), and the wedge (32) has an inner surface facing the inside of the tank, anchor devices designed for fastening to the supporting structure (3, 103) between the insulating panels (24, 124) interact with the insulating panels (24, 104), and the anchor devices are designed to hold the insulating panels (24, 124) to the supporting structure ( 3, 103), at least one of the anchor devices (45, 145, 159) contains a support element (33) having an outer surface facing the wedge (32), and the support element (33) is designed such that the outer surface rests on the inner surface of the wedge (32) in the direction of the supporting surface (31), and wherein one or the wedge (32) or support plate (25) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of the tank wall greater than the thermal contraction coefficient of the anchor device (45, 145, 159) in the thickness direction, and the other or wedge (32) and the support plate (25) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction less than a thermal contraction coefficient of the anchor device (45, 145, 159) in the thickness direction. 2. The reservoir according to claim 1, in which the thermal compression coefficient of the wedge (32) is less than the thermal compression coefficient of the supporting plate (25, 125). 3. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-2, in which the wedge (32) and the support plate (25, 125) have a corresponding dimension in the thickness direction, designed so that the support element (33) rests on the inner surface of the wedge (32) in the direction of the support surface (31) in when the temperature decreases relative to the ambient temperature. 4. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which the change in size of the anchor device (45, 145, 159) in the direction of the tank wall thickness is greater than the change in size in the thickness direction of the assembly formed by the support plate (25, 125) and the wedge (32), in case of temperature changes from 20°C to -163°C. 5. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, in which the difference in size change in the direction of the tank wall thickness during a temperature change from 20°C to -163°C between the anchor element (45, 145, 159) and the assembly formed by the support plate (25, 125) and wedge (32), ranges from 5.50E-05 mm to 9.69E-02 mm. 6. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, in which the wedge (32) is made of plywood and is positioned so that the fibers are oriented in a plane parallel to the direction of the tank wall thickness, and wherein the support plate (25, 125) is made of plywood and is positioned so that the fibers are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the tank wall thickness. 7. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, in which the wedge (32) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the direction of the tank wall thickness from 4E-06K ^-1 to 8E-06K ^-1 . 8. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, in which the support plate (25, 125) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the tank wall thickness direction from 3E-05K ^-1 to 4E-05K ^-1 . 9. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, in which the anchor device (45, 145, 145) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the direction of the tank wall thickness from 1.4E-05K ^-1 to 1.8E-05K ^-1 . 10. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-9, in which, in the tank wall thickness direction, the support plate (25, 125) has a thickness of 9 mm, and the wedge has a thickness of 17.6 mm to 68 mm. 11. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, in which the wedge (32) rests on at least 50% of the supporting surface (31) of the insulating panel (24, 124). 12. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, in which the wedge (32) is located on the support surface (31) of two adjacent insulation panels (24, 124), so that the support element (33) rests on the wedge (32) in the direction of the support surfaces (31) of two adjacent insulation panels panels (24, 124). 13. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, in which the thermal insulating barrier is a main thermal insulation barrier, the insulating panels are the main insulating panels, the sealing membrane is the main sealing membrane, and the support member (33) is the main supporting member, wherein the tank wall further includes a secondary thermal insulating barrier and an auxiliary sealing membrane designed to be placed between the main thermal insulating barrier and the supporting structure. 14. Reservoir according to any one of paragraphs. 1-13, wherein at least one of the insulation panels comprises a cover plate, the insulation core is disposed between the support plate and the cover plate, the insulation panel further comprising an intermediate plate located between the support plate and the cover plate, wherein the insulation core comprises a first layer an insulating foamed polymer material located between the support plate and the intermediate plate, and a second layer of insulating foamed polymer material located between the intermediate plate and the cover plate, and wherein the layers of insulating foam polymer material and the intermediate plate and the cover plate are recessed so that the support plate projects relative to the layers of insulating foam polymer material and the intermediate plate and the support plate to provide a support surface on the support plate. 15. Tanker (70) for transporting fluid, comprising a double body (72) and a reservoir (71) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-14, located in a double housing (72). 16. The method of loading or unloading a tanker (70) according to claim 15, in which the fluid is supplied through insulated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81) from a floating or land-based storage (77) to or from a tanker tank (71) to floating or land storage. 17. A fluid transfer system comprising a tanker (70) according to claim 15, insulated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81) located so as to connect a tank (71) installed in the tanker hull with a floating or land-based storage facility (77), and a pump for supplying fluid through insulated pipelines from a floating or land-based storage facility to a tanker tank or from a tanker tank to a floating or land-based storage facility.