RU2816901C2 - Method of making wall for sealed and heat-insulating reservoir - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: packaging industry.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to the field of sealed and heat-insulating reservoirs with membranes for storage and/or transportation of fluid medium, in particular to wall (31) for sealed and heat-insulating tank for storage and/or transportation of liquefied gas and method of its manufacture, sealed and heat-insulating reservoir for storage of fluid medium, vessel (170) for transportation of fluid medium, system for transportation of fluid medium containing vessel (170), and to methods of loading and unloading of vessel (170). Method of manufacturing wall (31), which contains at least one heat-insulating barrier (12, 14) and sealing membrane (1, 13), adjacent to heat-insulating barrier, includes stages, at which: multiple wall elements (32) are made. At that, manufacturing of each wall element (32) includes stages, at which: sealed plate (33) is fed, expanding insulating foam solution (40) is placed on sealed plate (33) and expanded insulating foam solution (40) is expanded on said sealed plate (33) so as to obtain a layer of expanded insulating foam (34) adhering to sealed plate (33). Said properly manufactured wall elements (32) are secured to bearing structure (15). At that, layer of expanded insulating foam (34) of said wall elements (32) forms at least part of heat-insulating barrier (12, 14), and tightly assembling sealed plates (33) of said wall elements (32) so that said sealed plates (33) form at least part of sealing membrane (1, 13).

EFFECT: simple manufacture of walls of sealed and heat-insulating reservoirs with membranes, which demonstrate excellent mechanical properties.

22 cl, 14 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

[0001] The invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks with membranes for storing and/or transporting fluid. In particular, the invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for storing and/or transporting liquefied gas at low temperatures, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG) having, for example, a temperature of -50°C to 0° C, or for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at approximately -162°C at atmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on shore or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be designed to transport liquefied gas or be designed to receive liquefied gas to serve as fuel to propel the floating structure.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to a method for manufacturing the wall of such a sealed and thermally insulating container.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

[0003] Sealed and thermally insulating membrane tanks are known in the art. The walls of these tanks comprise a multi-layer structure having, from the inside to the outside of the tank, at least one main sealed membrane designed to be in contact with a fluid stored in the tank, and a main thermal insulating barrier, and optionally a secondary membrane and a secondary thermal insulating barrier.

[0004] Thermal barriers comprise a plurality of insulating panels that are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel rows. The main and secondary membranes are respectively supported by the main thermal barrier insulation panels and the secondary thermal barrier insulation panels.

[0005] Each of the insulation panels contains a layer of expanded insulation foam. The expanded insulation foam layer is produced by a continuous free-expansion foaming process. At the end of the foam manufacturing process, the insulating foam is cut to the desired dimensions of the panel to be produced. Moreover, the inner and outer surfaces of the insulating foam layer are sanded to ensure their flatness. Subsequently, sheets of plywood are generally adhered to one and/or the other of the inner and outer surfaces of the expanded insulation foam layer.

[0006] Sealing membranes are either metal membranes or composite membranes. Metal membranes are manufactured by means of metal sheets that are welded in place within the tank to each other and to welding supports attached to the internal surfaces of the insulation panels so as to secure the metal sheets to the insulation panels. Composite membranes contain rigid membrane elements that are bonded to the interior surfaces of insulation panels. Flexible membrane elements are glued around the rigid membrane elements of adjacent insulating panels so as to ensure the tightness of the composite membrane.

[0007] Thus, manufacturing the walls of sealed and thermally insulated membrane tanks is particularly complex and involves many steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] One idea on which the invention is based is to provide a method for making a sealed and thermally insulating membrane tank wall that is simpler and less expensive.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the invention provides a method for making a wall for a sealed and thermally insulating reservoir comprising at least one thermally insulating barrier and a sealing membrane adjacent the thermally insulating barrier, the method comprising the steps of:

- a plurality of wall elements are produced, wherein the production of each wall element comprises steps in which

- a sealed plate is supplied,

- place the expandable insulating foam solution on a sealed plate, and

- expanding the expandable insulating foam solution on said sealing plate so as to obtain a layer of expanded insulating foam adhering to the sealing plate,

- attaching said properly manufactured wall elements to the supporting structure; wherein the layer of expanded insulating foam of said wall elements forms at least a portion of the thermal insulation barrier, and

- assembling the sealed plates of said wall elements tightly so that said sealed plates form at least part of the sealing membrane.

[0010] Thus, in this method, the expanded insulation foam layer for forming a part of the thermal insulation barrier and the sealing plate for forming a part of the sealing membrane are attached to each other directly when the expanded insulation foam layer is manufactured. This greatly simplifies the manufacture of the wall.

[0011] In addition, the sealing plate forms a base surface when foaming, so that the surface of the wall element formed by the sealing plate does not need to be sanded to ensure its flatness, thereby further simplifying the production of the wall element.

[0012] In embodiments, such a method may comprise one or more of the following features.

[0013] In one embodiment, the expanded insulation foam layer is polyurethane foam (PUR) or polyisocyanurate foam (PIR).

[0014] In one embodiment, the expandable insulation foam solution contains at least a polyol, a polyisocyanate, and an expansion additive.

[0015] In one embodiment, the seal plate comprises a seal film.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of assembling the seal plates includes adhering an additional seal film spanning the rigid multilayer films.

[0017] In one embodiment, the sealed film is a rigid multilayer film.

[0018] In one embodiment, the rigid multilayer film comprises an aluminum sheet sandwiched between two layers of fibers.

[0019] It will be appreciated that other types of sealed films can be produced.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the seal plate comprises a metal plate.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the metal plate includes corrugations. According to one embodiment, the metal plate contains two rows of parallel corrugations, with the corrugations of one of the rows of corrugations being at right angles to the corrugations of the other row of corrugations.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the metal plate has a plurality of projections protruding in a thickness direction relative to a plane of the metal plate.

[0023] According to one embodiment, each protrusion includes a base forming a connection between the protrusion and the flat portion, and contains at least one vertex, the base having, in the plane defined by the flat portion, a first dimension equal to the diameter of the smallest circle circumscribed around the base, and a second dimension equal to the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the base, and the distance between the top and the base in the direction of thickness forms the height of the protrusion. The diameter of the smallest circle circumscribed around the base is understood as the diameter of the smallest circle located around and outside the base and having at least two points of intersection with the base, such that the circle surrounds the base without dividing it. For example, in the case of a triangular base, this circle has a center at the intersection point of the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of the base. The diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the base is understood as the diameter of the largest circle located inside the base and having at least two points of intersection with the base, so that the circle is located entirely in the base without dividing it. For example, in the case of a triangular base, this circle has its center at the point of intersection of the bisectors of the base.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the metal plate includes at least one protrusion in all plane directions.

[0025] In one embodiment, the height of the protrusion is less than 20 mm, preferably from 8 mm to 20 mm, preferably from 10 mm to 14 mm.

[0026] In one embodiment, each protrusion is separated from an adjacent protrusion in all plane directions by a distance less than or equal to two times the first dimension of the base.

[0027] In one embodiment, the ratio of the first base dimension to the protrusion height is less than or equal to 2.

[0028] In one embodiment, the ratio of the first base dimension to the protrusion height is less than or equal to 0.6.

[0029] In one embodiment, the projections are made by forging, preferably by drawing or by stamping, stamping, etc.

[0030] In one embodiment, the metal plate has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the metal plates are made from a metal material with a Young's modulus (longitudinal modulus of elasticity) from 130 GPa to 230 GPa.

[0032] In one embodiment, the metal plates are made of a metal material with a yield strength greater than 170 MPa.

[0033] In one embodiment, the metal plate is made of stainless steel or high manganese steel.

[0034] Thus, for stainless steel having a Young's modulus of 200 GPa, the minimum plate thickness is therefore approximately 0.58 mm. For high-manganese steel having a Young's modulus of 170 GPa, the minimum plate thickness is therefore approximately 0.68 mm.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the number of projections per linear meter of metal plate N _projections is within the following range:

,

where α is the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal plate in K ^-1 , ΔT is the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the fluid stored in the tank in K, and h is the height of the protrusion in mm.

[0036] In one embodiment, each protrusion has a pyramidal or semi-ellipsoidal shape, such as a hemisphere or a pyramid with a square base.

[0037] In one embodiment, the base has the shape of an ellipse, such as a circle, or the shape of a polygon.

[0038] In one embodiment, each protrusion is shaped to widen toward the base.

[0039] In one embodiment, during the sealed plate assembly step, the metal plates are welded tightly together.

[0040] In one embodiment, the metal plates are butt welded.

[0041] According to another embodiment, the metal plates are welded to each other by means of additional metal parts that are welded to cover the metal plates of adjacent wall elements.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the sealing plate includes a metal plate and one or more fasteners for securing the main insulation panel to the wall element.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the seal plate includes a metal plate and one or more fastening plates.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the sealing plate includes one or more thickened areas in which one or more cutouts are formed that are configured to receive a mounting pin.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the sealing plate comprises a metal plate and one or more heat shield strips along the edges of said metal plate.

[0046] In other embodiments, which are not illustrated or covered by the claims, the expandable insulation foam solution is not expanded on the metal plate. Thus, the metal plate is glued to the expanded insulation foam layer after it has been formed. Such other embodiments may be freely combined with various features of the embodiments described herein, and in particular the following features:

- one or more thermal protection strips are located along the edges of a metal plate glued to a layer of expanded insulating foam;

- the metal plate contains one or more fastening elements designed to secure the main insulating panel to said wall element; and/or

- the metal plate contains one or more thickened zones, in which one or more cutouts are formed, which are designed to receive a fastening pin.

[0047] In one embodiment, the expandable insulation foam solution is expanded in a laminator that limits the expansion of the insulation foam solution.

[0048] In one embodiment, the laminator is a two-belt laminator comprising a bottom belt, a top belt, and side walls that together form a rectangular cross-section tunnel.

[0049] In one embodiment, the laminator is configured such that limiting the expansion of an expandable insulation foam solution results in a layer of expanded insulation foam having a volume exiting the laminator that is between 92% and 99% of the expansion volume of that expandable insulation foam solution if free. extensions. This allows the expanded insulation foam layer to be given superior levels of mechanical performance.

[0050] In one embodiment, manufacturing each wall element comprises applying one or more reinforcing fibers to a seal plate and impregnating said reinforcing fibers when the expandable insulation foam solution is placed on the seal plate.

[0051] In one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers are fiber mats.

[0052] In one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers are applied parallel to each other and the sealing plate.

[0053] In one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers comprise glass fibers that are bonded together with a resin, such as a polyurethane resin.

[0054] In one embodiment, during the manufacture of each wall element, the support is made to be attached to the surface of the expanded insulation foam layer opposite the sealing plate.

[0055] In one embodiment, the support is a sheet of plywood.

[0056] In one embodiment, the support is adhered to a layer of expanded polymer foam.

[0057] In one embodiment, a seal plate is placed on a conveyor belt, an expandable insulation foam solution is applied to a seal plate lying on the conveyor belt, and the seal plate and insulation foam solution are directed to a laminator via said conveyor belt.

[0058] In one embodiment, at least one surface of the expanded insulation foam layer opposite the sealing plate is mechanically treated. Preferably, when a laminator is used to limit the expansion of the insulation foam solution, the surface of the expanded insulation foam layer opposite the sealing plate is mechanically treated upon exiting the laminator.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a wall for a sealed and thermally insulated reservoir obtained by the above method, said wall comprising a plurality of wall elements, each wall element comprising a sealing plate and a layer of expanded insulating foam adhering directly to the sealing plate, wherein said wall elements are attached to the supporting structure and are positioned adjacent to each other so that the layers of expanded insulating foam form a thermal insulating barrier, and the sealed plates of said wall elements are assembled adjacent to each other so as to form at least part of the sealing membrane.

[0060] Since the expanded insulation foam layer adheres directly to the sealing plate, there is therefore no intermediate layer of adhesive.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a sealed and thermally insulated fluid storage tank comprising the aforementioned wall.

[0062] Such a tank may form part of an onshore storage facility, such as LNG storage, or may be installed on a floating, offshore or deepwater structure, such as a methane tanker, floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO), etc.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the invention provides a vessel for transporting a fluid, the vessel comprising a double hull and the aforementioned reservoir located in the double hull.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel in which fluid is transported through insulated pipelines from a floating or onshore storage facility to a vessel tank or to a floating or onshore storage facility from a vessel tank.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a fluid transport system, the system comprising the above-mentioned vessel, insulated piping arranged to couple a reservoir mounted in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility, and a pump for driving fluid through insulated pipelines from a floating or onshore storage facility to a ship's tank or to a floating or onshore storage facility from a ship's tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0066] The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more apparent 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.

[0067] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a multilayer membrane reservoir wall structure.

[0068] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a wall element linking a sealing plate to form a portion of a sealing membrane and a layer of expanded insulation foam to form a portion of a thermal barrier.

[0069] Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a setup for manufacturing a wall element.

[0070] In FIG. 4 illustrates a wall element according to another embodiment.

[0071] In FIG. 5 illustrates in detail the sealed plate of the wall element in FIG. 4.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 5.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the projection according to another embodiment of the seal plate in FIG. 5.

[0074] FIG. 8 is a sectional view along plane IV-IV in FIG. 7.

[0075] FIG. 9 schematically shows a wall element according to another embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0076] FIG. 10 schematically shows a secondary wall element area for attaching a main insulation panel according to one embodiment.

[0077] FIG. 11 schematically shows a wall element according to another embodiment.

[0078] FIG. 12 schematically shows a wall element according to another embodiment.

[0079] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the corrugated metal plate of the wall element in FIG. 10.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-section of a methane tanker tank and a terminal for loading/unloading this tank.

DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS

[0081] FIG. 1 shows the structure of a membrane reservoir wall 31. The wall has a multilayer structure and contains, from the outside to the inside of the tank, an auxiliary heat-insulating barrier 14 containing auxiliary insulating panels 17 attached to the supporting structure 15, an auxiliary membrane 13 adjacent to the auxiliary heat-insulating barrier 14, a main heat-insulating barrier 12 containing main insulating panels 16 adjacent to an auxiliary membrane 13 and attached to the supporting structure 15 or to auxiliary insulating panels 17, and a main membrane 1, which is adjacent to the thermal insulating barrier 12 and which is designed to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank.

[0082] To make such a wall, several wall elements 32 are prefabricated, one of which is shown in FIG. 2. Each wall element 32 includes a sealing plate 33 designed to form part of one of the main 1 and auxiliary 13 membranes, and a layer of expanded insulating foam 34 intended to form part of a corresponding thermal insulating barrier.

[0083] A method for manufacturing such a wall element 32 and an installation 35 that allows this method to be carried out are described below with reference to FIG. 3.

[0084] The installation 35 includes a conveyor belt 36, a distributor 37 for distributing the expandable insulation foam solution, and a laminator 38. The conveyor belt 36 is configured to receive a sealing plate 33 designed to form part of one of the main 1 and auxiliary 13 membranes of the tank wall. According to one embodiment, before being placed on the transport belt 36, the sealing plate 33 is pre-cut to the dimensions of the wall element 32 to be manufactured. According to another embodiment, the sealing plate 33 is continuously positioned on the conveying belt 36 and cut to the size of the wall element 32 to be manufactured after the expanded insulation foam layer 34 has been formed and expanded.

[0085] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the transport belt 36 is also designed to receive reinforcing fibers 39, such as fiber mats. In an embodiment, the reinforcing fibers 39 are supplied in roll form. The reinforcing fibers 39 are unwound and fed parallel to each other onto a sealed plate 33. In one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers 39 are pre-cut to the dimensions of the wall element 32 to be manufactured. According to another embodiment, the reinforcing fibers 39 are placed continuously and cut after the expanded insulation foam layer 34 has formed and expanded. The reinforcing fibers 39 comprise, for example, glass fibers that are bonded together with a resin, such as a polyurethane resin.

[0086] A distributor 37 is located above the conveying belt 36. It is designed to deliver the expandable insulation foam solution 40 to the reinforcing fibers 39 and the sealing plate 33. The expandable insulation foam solution 40 contains a mixture of chemical components, blowing additives and other possible functional additives that provide the formation of expanded insulating foam. The components of the expandable foam solution are mixed in a mixer, which is not shown, before being directed to the distributor 37.

[0087] In one embodiment, the expanded insulation foam to be manufactured is polyurethane foam (PUR) or polyisocyanurate foam (PIR). Also, the expandable insulation foam solution contains at least a polyol, a polyisocyanate and an expansion additive, also called a blowing agent.

[0088] The polyol is, for example, selected from polyether polyols, polyester polyols, and mixtures thereof. The polyisocyanate, for example, is selected from aromatic, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and arylaliphatic polyisocyanates and mixtures thereof.

[0089] The pore-forming additive consists of a physical and/or chemical expansion additive, preferably a combination of both types. In one embodiment, the physical expansion agent is selected from alkanes and cycloalkanes that have at least 4 carbon atoms, dialkyl ethers, dialkyl esters, acetals, fluoroalkanes and fluoroolefins that have from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and trialkylsilanes that have from 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, in particular tetramethylsilane, or mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the physical expansion agent selected is 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane or HFC-245fa (marketed by Honeywell), 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, or 365mfc (e.g., solkane® 365mfc , marketed by Solvay), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene, 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane (also designated internationally as HFC-227ea, for example sold by Dupont), 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutene (eg, HFOFEA1100 sold by Dupont), trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (solsticeLBA - Honeywell), or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the chemical expansion agent consists of water.

[0090] In one embodiment, the expandable insulation foam solution 40 contains a reaction catalyst, which could, for example, be selected from tertiary amines such as N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine or N,N-dimethylbenzylamine, or from bismuth-based organometallic compounds , potassium or tin.

[0091] The distributor 37 is configured to deliver the expandable insulation foam solution 40 uniformly across the width of the sealing plate 33. To do this, according to one embodiment, the distributor 37 includes one or more nozzles that can move transversely, in other words, horizontally and at right angles to the direction advancing the conveying belt 36. According to another embodiment, the distributor 37 includes a plurality of nozzles uniformly distributed in the transverse horizontal direction at right angles to the direction of advance of the conveying belt 36.

[0092] The expandable insulation foam solution 40 and, in particular, its viscosity is determined such that the said solution impregnates the reinforcing fibers 39 and comes into contact with the sealing plate 33 during the onset of foam formation, corresponding to the period between the supply of the expandable insulation foam solution 40 and the onset of foam expansion. Thus, when the expanded insulating foam layer 34 expands in contact with the sealing plate 33, they stick to each other.

[0093] The advance speed of the conveying belt 36 and the characteristics of the expandable insulation foam solution 40 are determined so that the start time of foam formation has elapsed, but the expansion of the expandable insulation foam has not been completed when the assembly containing the sealing plate 33, the reinforcing fibers 39 and the insulation foam is introduced into the laminator 38. Note that the time elapsed between mixing the components and their supply by the distributor 37 can be neglected if the mixer is located close to the distributor 37.

[0094] In an embodiment not shown, the installation 35 includes, upstream of the laminator 38, a pressure application system comprising one or more rollers that are located above the conveyor belt 36 and abut the reinforcing fibers 39. The pressure application system, in particular, allows control the thickness of the foam as it enters the laminator 38 and give the top surface good flatness.

[0095] The laminator 38 allows the foam expansion to be limited and thus the expanded insulation foam layer 34 to be gradually cured into the desired format. In one embodiment, laminator 38 is a dual belt laminator 38, known by the abbreviation DBL. Such a two-belt laminator 38 includes a bottom belt 41, a top belt 42, and side walls not shown in FIG. 3, which together form a tunnel of rectangular or square cross-section.

[0096] Preferably, the tunnel walls of the laminator 38 are positioned such that the restriction on foam expansion results in a volume of foam exiting the laminator 38 that is between 92% and 99% of the expansion volume of that foam if it were free to expand, in other words, without being limited by the walls of the laminator 38. Thus, an expanded insulation foam layer 34 is obtained in which at least 60%, generally more than 80%, and even more than 90% of the low thermal conductivity gas storage cells extend longitudinally along an axis parallel to the thickness axis of the expanded insulation foam layer 34. Moreover, this also contributes to a more uniform distribution of the reinforcing fibers 39 in the foam block. This results in an expanded insulation foam layer 34 that exhibits excellent mechanical properties.

[0097] Upon exiting the laminator 38, the layer of insulating polymer foam is mechanically processed to, on the one hand, cut the wall element 32 to the desired dimensions, and, on the other hand, to ensure flatness of at least the surface of the layer of expanded insulation polymer foam, which is opposite to the sealing plate 33. By using the sealing plate 33 forming the base surface, the surface of the wall element 32 formed by the sealing plate 33 does not need to be sanded to ensure its flatness, which can further simplify the production of the wall element 32.

[0098] In another embodiment not shown, expansion of the expandable insulation foam is not performed in a laminator. In other words, expansion is performed on a device comprising a bottom strip and side walls, but without a top strip that tends to limit the expansion of the expandable insulating foam. This case is called free expansion.

[0099] In one embodiment not shown, the apparatus includes, upstream of the dispenser 37, an adhesive dispenser that can distribute the adhesive over the seal plate 33 and thereby promote adhesion between the seal plate 33 and the expanded insulation foam layer 34. The adhesive may, for example , be distributed in the form of drops or a continuous or discontinuous film.

[0100] According to the preferred embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 2, the wall member 32 further includes a support 43 that adheres to a layer of expanded insulation foam 34 on a surface opposite the sealing plate 33. In one embodiment, the support 43 is a sheet of plywood 43. The support 43 is adhered to the layer of expanded polymer foam as it exits the laminator. 38. This is advantageous in that it allows the surface of the expanded insulating foam layer 34 intended to receive the support 43 to be machined prior to its gluing and thus allows close tolerances on the thickness of the wall element 32 produced in this way.

[0101] Subsequently, one or more wall elements 32 produced by the method described above are attached to the supporting structure 15, either directly if the wall element 32 is a secondary wall element, or by attachment to a secondary membrane 13 or to a secondary thermal barrier 14, if the wall element 32 is a main wall element. The wall elements 32 are preferably parallelepiped-shaped and are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel rows. The gaps between the layers of expanded insulating foam 34 of the wall elements 32 are filled with insulating gasket so as to form one of the thermal insulating barriers 12, 14. In addition, the sealing plates 33 are tightly connected to each other to form one of the membranes 1, 13.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the seal plate 33 includes a film. According to one embodiment, the film is a multilayer film that contains a sheet of aluminum sandwiched between two layers of glass fibers and resin. Such multilayer film is, in particular, sold under the Triplex® brand. In such a case, the sealing plate 33 is designed to form part of the auxiliary membrane 13. Also, the wall element 32 is a auxiliary wall element, and is therefore attached directly to the supporting structure 15. The wall elements 32, for example, are attached to the supporting structure 15 by means of resin beads and/or studs welded to the supporting structure 15, as described, for example, in document FR2691520.

[0103] According to one embodiment, during the manufacture of wall element 32, the expandable insulation foam solution 40 is in direct contact with the composite film. In another embodiment, the surface of the multilayer film that is intended to be placed in contact with the expandable insulation foam solution 40 is pre-coated with an adhesive to further enhance the adhesion of the expanded insulation foam layer 34 to the multilayer film. According to yet another embodiment, the sealing plate 33 further includes a layer of plywood, which is adhered to the multi-layer film and to which the layer of expanded insulation foam 34 adheres.

[0104] When the wall elements 32 are attached to the supporting structure 15, the flexible laminate films are bonded enveloping the laminate films of adjacent wall elements 32 to provide an airtight connection and thereby produce an auxiliary membrane 13.

[0105] With reference to Figures 4-6, a wall element according to another embodiment is described. This embodiment differs from the embodiment described above in that the sealing plate 33 does not contain a multilayer composite film, but a metal plate 2 having projections 4.

[0106] The metal plate 2, shown in detail in FIG. 5 includes a flat portion 3 defining a plane of the plate and a plurality of projections 4 protruding from the flat portion 3 in the thickness direction at right angles to the plane of the plate.

[0107] The projections 4 are spaced apart and distributed throughout the metal plate 2 in such a way that it is impossible to draw a straight line in the plane of the plate without intersecting the projection 4. Moreover, in order to ensure that the metal plate 2 tapers when the tank filled, or its expansion when the tank is empty, the metal plate 2 has protrusions in all directions of the plane of the plate. Thus, a flat section 3 separates the projections 4 from each other. Each protrusion 4 includes a base 5 and at least one apex 6. The protrusions are produced by forging, preferably by drawing or stamping, stamping, etc. According to one embodiment, the height of the projections is less than 20 mm, for example on the order of 10 mm.

[0108] To produce the wall element 32, which is shown in FIG. 4, the metal plate 2 is placed on the transport belt 36 in such a way that the projections 4 protrude downwards. The expandable insulation foam solution 40 penetrates into the projections 4, which allows, in particular, to ensure good adhesion of the metal plate 2 to the layer of expanded insulation foam 34. According to one embodiment, in order to prevent the destruction of the projections 4 when the metal plate 2 passes into the laminator 38, the metal plate 2 is placed on the transport belt 36 by means of a support with cavities having shapes, each of which corresponds to one of the protrusions 4.

[0109] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the projections 4 have a circular base 5 and have one apex 6 so as to form hemispheres or semi-ellipsoids. The projections 4 are here uniformly distributed over the metal plate 2, but may, in another embodiment not shown, be distributed unevenly.

[0110] FIG. 6 is a cross-section of one of the projections in FIG. 5 so as to represent different dimensions of the protrusion 4. The base 5 contains, in the plane of the plate, a first dimension 7 and a second dimension 8, which in the case of the first embodiment are the same. The first dimension 7 is equal to the diameter of the smallest circle inscribed around the base 5, while the second dimension 8 is equal to the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the base 5. Moreover, the distance between the top 6 and the base 5 in the direction of the thickness of the metal plate 2 forms the height 9 of the protrusion 4.

[0111] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, each projection 4 is separated from an adjacent projection 4 by a distance less than or equal to the first dimension 7 of the base 5. The ratio of the second dimension 8 of the base 5 to the height 9 of the projection 4 is approximately 3.33. Thus, the ratio of the first dimension 7 of the base 5 to the height 9 of the protrusion 4 is approximately 0.3.

[0112] Such wall element 32 may form a secondary wall element or a main wall element. When the wall elements 32 are attached to the supporting structure 15, the metal plates 2 are butt welded against each other.

[0113] Figures 7 and 8 represent another embodiment of the projections 4 of the metal plate 2 in figures 4-6. In this other embodiment, the shape of the base 5 of the protrusions 4 is different from that in the first embodiment. In fact, the base 5 here is a quadrilateral having a larger dimension 7 formed by the diagonal of the quadrilateral and a smaller dimension 8 formed by the smallest side of the quadrilateral. The ratio between the first dimension 7 of the base 5 and the second dimension 8 of the base 5 is here approximately 1.4, while the ratio between the second dimension 8 of the base 5 and the height 9 of the protrusion 4 is approximately 2.5. Thus, the ratio of the first dimension 7 of the base 5 to the height 9 of the protrusion 4 is approximately 0.56.

[0114] In the first two embodiments, the metal plates 2 include projections whose shape and size are identical from one metal plate to the next. In other embodiments that are not illustrated, the protrusions 4 may have other shapes and sizes subject to the relationships described above, and the metal plate 2 may also include more than two other rows of protrusions.

[0115] In FIG. 9 illustrates a wall element 32 according to another embodiment in FIG. 4. Wall element 32 includes thermal barrier strips 52 below areas of metal plate 2 for welding to metal plate 2 of adjacent wall element 32. Thermal barrier strips 52 allow the expanded insulation foam layer 34 to be protected from temperatures that could damage it during metal plate welding operations. 2 with each other. To produce such a wall element 32, the sealing plate 33 to which the expandable insulation foam solution 40 is supplied contains a metal plate 2 and heat protection strips 52 that are adhered to the metal plate 2 on the surface of the metal plate 2 for receiving the expandable insulation foam solution 40. Thermal barrier strips 52 are, for example, multi-layer strips that comprise a sheet of aluminum sandwiched between two layers of glass fibers and resin.

[0116] In addition, the wall element 32 is an auxiliary wall element. Also, the metal plate 2 shown in FIG. 9 includes one or more fasteners 49 for securing the base insulation panel to said wall member 32. The fastener 49 is, for example, a threaded rod that is secured to a metal plate, or a threaded nut that is configured to receive a threaded rod. hairpins.

[0117] With reference to FIG. 10 illustrates in detail a wall element area 32 according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the wall element 32 includes, in an area designed to receive the main panel fastening device, a fastening plate 50. This fastening plate 50 is positioned between the metal plate 2 and the expanded insulating polymer foam layer 34, and allows the metal plate 2 to be locally reinforced. According to In one embodiment, one or more blind nuts 51 are secured to the reinforcement plate 50. To this end, in another embodiment shown, the nut 51 has a thread that engages with a hole formed in the attachment plate 50.

[0118] The nut 51 includes a flange that allows the metal plate 2 to be clamped between the flange and the mounting plate 50. The flange is welded peripherally to the metal plate 2 in order to provide a seal. Moreover, the nut 51 has a threaded blind hole for receiving the main insulation barrier insulation panel mounting stud.

[0119] To make such a wall element 32, the sealing plate 33 to which the expandable insulating foam solution 40 is supplied contains a metal plate 2, a reinforcing plate 50 and a cap nut 51 as described above.

[0120] According to another embodiment, which is not shown, the mounting plate 50 is installed in a recess formed in the plywood layer. In this case, the sealing plate 33 includes a metal plate 2, a reinforcing plate 50, a blind nut 51 and a layer of plywood onto which an expandable insulating foam solution 40 is supplied.

[0121] With reference to FIG. 11 illustrates in detail the area of the wall element 32 according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, the sealing plate 33 includes one or more thickened zones 53 in which one or more inserts 54 are formed for receiving a mounting stud of the main insulation panel.

[0122] According to another embodiment shown in Figures 12 and 13, the sealing plate 33 is a corrugated metal plate 44. Such a corrugated metal plate 44 is shown in perspective in FIG. eleven.

[0123] The corrugated metal plate 44 includes a first row of parallel corrugations 45, called low corrugations, extending in the y direction, and a second row of parallel corrugations 46, called high corrugations, extending in the x direction. The x and y directions of the rows of corrugations are at right angles. The corrugated metal plate 44 includes a plurality of flat surfaces 47 between the corrugations 45, 46. At each intersection between the low corrugation 45 and the high corrugation 46, the metal plate includes a nodal area 48.

[0124] The corrugated metal plate 44 may, in particular, be made of stainless steel, aluminum, Invar®: in other words, an alloy of iron and nickel, whose coefficient of expansion is typically from 1.2×10 ^-6 to 2×10 ^-6 K ^-1 , or an iron alloy with a high manganese content, whose expansion coefficient is typically on the order of 7×10 ^-6 K ^-1 . However, the use of other metals or alloys may also be contemplated.

[0125] Preferably, when the sealing plate 33 is such a corrugated metal plate 44, it is placed on the transport belt 36 by means of a support having cavities corresponding to the shape of the corrugations 45, 46 into which they are inserted. This prevents destruction of the corrugations 45, 46 when the corrugated metal plate 44 passes into the laminator 38.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 12, the layer of expanded insulation foam 34 penetrates into the corrugations 45, 46, which allows, in particular, to ensure good adhesion of the corrugated metal plate 44 to the layer of expanded insulation foam 34.

[0127] In one embodiment, the corrugated metal plate 44 is configured to form a portion of the primary membrane 1, and the expanded insulation foam layer 34 is configured to form a portion of the primary thermal barrier 12. In another embodiment, the corrugated metal plate 44 is configured to form a portion of the secondary membrane 13. and the layer of expanded insulating foam 34 is designed to form part of the secondary thermal insulating barrier 14.

[0128] Once the wall elements 32 are attached to the supporting structure 15, the corrugated metal sheets 44 of the wall elements 32 are tightly connected to each other either by butt welding to each other or by additional metal pieces that are welded to enclose the corrugated metal plates 44 of adjacent wall elements 32.

[0129] With reference to FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a methane tanker 170 showing a sealed and insulated tank 171 of a generally prismatic shape mounted in a double hull 172 of the vessel. The tank wall 171 includes a main membrane configured to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary membrane located between the main membrane and the double vessel hull 172, and two thermal insulating barriers respectively located between the main membrane and the secondary membrane and between the secondary membrane and double body 172.

[0130] As is known per se, loading and unloading lines 173 located on the upper deck of a vessel may be connected via suitable connectors to a marine or port terminal for transporting LNG cargo from or to tank 171.

[0131] FIG. 14 also provides an example of a marine terminal including a loading and unloading station 175, a subsea line 176, and an onshore installation 177. The loading and unloading station 175 is a fixed offshore installation containing a movable boom 174 and a tower 178 that supports the movable boom 174. The movable boom 174 holds a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 179 that can be connected to loading and unloading pipelines 173. The steerable movable boom 174 is adaptable to all models of methane tanker. A communication line, which is not shown, runs within the tower 178. The loading and unloading station 175 allows the methane tanker 170 to be loaded and unloaded from or to the shore installation 177. The latter contains liquefied gas storage tanks 180 and communication lines 181 connected subsea line 176 with loading and unloading station 175. Subsea line 176 allows the transport of liquefied gas between loading and unloading station 175 and onshore installation 177 over a long distance, for example 5 km, which allows methane tanker 170 to be kept at a large distance from the shore during loading - unloading operations.

[0132] To create the pressure necessary to transport the liquefied gas, pumps built into the vessel 170 and/or pumps equipped with the shore installation 177 and/or pumps equipped with the loading and unloading station 175 are used.

[0133] Although the invention has been described with reference to several particular 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 their combinations, provided that the latter are within the scope of the claimed inventions.

[0134] The use of the verb “comprise” or “include” and its conjugate forms does not preclude the presence of elements or steps other than those set forth in the claim.

[0135] In the claims, any reference position within parentheses should not be interpreted as limiting the claim.

Claims (28)

1. A method for manufacturing a wall (31) for a sealed and heat-insulating tank for storing and/or transporting liquefied gas, wherein the wall (31) contains at least one heat-insulating barrier (12, 14) and a sealing membrane (1, 13) adjacent to heat-insulating barrier, and the method includes the steps of a plurality of wall elements (32) are manufactured, wherein the production of each wall element (32) includes the steps of: a sealed plate (33) is fed, placing the expandable insulating foam solution (40) on the sealing plate (33), and expanding the expandable insulation foam solution (40) on said seal plate (33) so as to obtain a layer of expanded insulation foam (34) adhering to the seal plate (33); attaching said properly manufactured wall elements (32) to the supporting structure (15); wherein the layer of expanded insulating foam (34) of said wall elements (32) forms at least part of the thermal insulating barrier (12, 14), and sealing plates (33) of said wall elements (32) are assembled tightly so that said sealing plates (33) form at least part of a sealing membrane (1, 13). 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing plate (33) contains a sealing film. 3. The method according to claim 2, in which, at the stage of assembling the sealed plates, an additional film is glued covering the sealed films of the wall elements (32). 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the sealed film is a rigid multilayer film containing an aluminum sheet inserted between two layers of fibers. 5. The method according to claim 1, in which the sealed plate contains a metal plate (2, 44). 6. The method according to claim 5, in which the metal plate (44) contains corrugations (45, 46). 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the metal plate (2) has a plurality of projections (4) protruding in the thickness direction relative to the plane of the metal plate (2). 8. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 5-7, in which, at the stage of assembling the sealed plates, the metal plates (2, 44) are welded tightly to each other. 9. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, in which the expandable insulation foam solution (40) is expanded in a laminator (38), which limits the expansion of the expandable insulation foam solution (40). 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the laminator (38) is a double belt laminator comprising a bottom belt (41), a top belt (42) and side walls which together form a rectangular cross-section tunnel. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, in which the laminator (38) is configured such that the restriction on the expansion of the expandable insulation foam solution (40) results in a layer of expanded insulation foam (34) having, at the outlet of the laminator (38), a volume constituting from 92 to 99% of the expansion volume of this expandable insulating foam solution (40) in the case of free expansion. 12. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 10 and 11, in which the sealing plate (33) is placed on the conveying belt (36), the expandable insulation foam solution (40) is applied to the sealing plate (33) lying on the conveying belt (36), and the sealing plate (33) and the solution (40) of the expandable insulating foam is sent to the laminator (38) by means of said transport belt (36). 13. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, in which the manufacture of each wall element (32) comprises the step of applying one or more reinforcing fibers (39) to a sealed plate (33) and impregnating said reinforcing fibers (39) when the expandable insulating foam solution (40) placed on a sealed plate (33). 14. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-13, in which during the manufacture of each wall element (32), the support (43) is caused to adhere to the surface of the layer of expanded insulating foam (34) opposite the sealing plate (33). 15. The method according to claim 14, in which the support (43) is glued to the expanded polymer foam layer (34). 16. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-15, in which at least one surface of the expanded insulating foam layer (34) opposite the sealing plate (33) is mechanically processed. 17. Wall for a sealed and heat-insulating tank for storing and/or transporting liquefied gas, obtained by the method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-16, wherein said wall (31) comprises a plurality of wall elements (32), each wall element (32) comprising a sealing plate (33) and a layer of expanded insulating foam (34) adhering directly to the sealing plate (33) without intervening a layer of adhesive, wherein said wall elements (32) are attached to the supporting structure (15) and are located close to each other so that the layers of expanded insulating foam (34) form a thermal insulating barrier (12, 14), and sealed plates (33) of said wall elements (32) are tightly assembled together so as to form at least part of the sealing membrane (1, 13). 18. A sealed and thermally insulated fluid storage tank comprising at least one wall (31) according to claim 17. 19. Vessel (170) for transporting fluid, containing a double body (172) and a reservoir (171) according to claim 18, located in the double body. 20. A fluid transport system comprising a vessel (170) according to claim 19, insulated pipelines (173, 179, 176, 181) located so as to connect a reservoir (171) installed in the hull of the vessel with a floating or onshore installation ( 177) for storage, and a pump for driving the flow of fluid through insulated pipelines from a floating or onshore storage installation to a vessel tank or to a floating or onshore storage installation from a vessel tank. 21. The method of loading a vessel (170) according to claim 19, in which the fluid is transported through insulated pipelines (173, 179, 176, 181) from a floating or onshore storage installation (177) to a tank (171) of the vessel. 22. The method of unloading a vessel (170) according to claim 19, in which the fluid is transported through insulated pipelines (173, 179, 176, 181) to a floating or onshore storage installation (177) from the vessel's tank (171).