TW202408878A - Tank wall comprising a through-conduit - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank having a tank wall, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 9, a secondary sealed membrane 8, a primary thermally insulating barrier 7, and a primary sealed membrane 6. The tank also has a through-conduit 5 arranged through the tank wall. About the through-conduit 5, the tank wall has secondary thermally insulating blocks 17 forming the secondary thermally insulating barrier 9, a first sealing layer 20 forming the secondary sealed membrane 8, primary thermally insulating blocks 35 forming the primary thermally insulating barrier 6, and a closing plate sealingly connected to the primary sealed membrane 6.

Description

including through-tube walls

The present invention relates to the manufacture of sealed thermal insulation tanks. In particular, the invention relates to tanks designed to contain hot or cold liquids, and more particularly to tanks for the storage and/or transport of liquefied gases in offshore carrying structures.

Sealed and insulated tanks are used in different industries to store cold or hot products. For example, in the energy industry, such a product could be liquefied natural gas (LNG). Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a liquid that can be stored at atmospheric pressure at approximately -163°C in onshore storage tanks or in tanks carried on slab floating structures. Such floating structures include inter alia barges, LNG vehicles used to transport products, and offshore facilities known as FPSOs and FSRUs used for the storage, liquefaction or regasification of products.

Such sealed thermally insulated tanks are made of one or several sealing films associated with an insulating layer. In particular, from document FR 2781557 A a sealed thermally insulated tank comprising a tank wall fastened to a supporting structure is known, wherein the tank wall has a multi-layer structure comprising in sequence a primary sealing film intended to be in contact with the product contained in the tank, a primary thermally insulating barrier, a secondary sealing film and a secondary thermally insulating barrier.

The sealing membrane is elastic enough to withstand stresses caused by, for example, hydrostatic pressure, dynamic pressure during cargo movement, and/or temperature changes. However, such sealing membranes and underlying insulation materials are relatively fragile and may not necessarily be able to withstand the weight of racks (such as LNG tank loading/unloading racks). Supporting feet can be provided for this purpose, as shown in document FR 2961580 A.

Furthermore, during the storage of such liquids, the thermodynamic conditions of the sealed, insulated tanks lead to a certain amount of evaporation, which causes the internal pressure of the tanks to vary. In order to control the pressure of these tanks, the evaporated gases are collected and conveyed to an evaporation manifold for reliquefaction or combustion, for example in the propulsion engines of a ship. For this purpose, a manifold duct may be provided, as shown in document FR 2984454 A.

Therefore, there are different functions that may require through-conduits to pass through multiple layers of the slot wall.

In such tanks, when the tank is filled with extremely cold liquids such as LNG, and conversely when the tank is emptied resulting in a return to ambient temperature, all elements undergo deformation due to the effect of temperature changes on the tank walls. In addition to these thermal contraction and expansion effects that occur repeatedly over the life of a sealed insulated tank, the tank in a ship is also subject to stresses caused by the deformation of the ship's hull at sea. This results in component fatigue, which must be monitored over time to prevent failure.

One idea of the invention is to increase the fatigue strength of the through-duct through the groove wall in the area surrounded by the multilayer structure.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed thermal insulation tank configured in a supporting structure to accommodate a fluid, the sealed thermal insulation tank comprising a tank wall, the tank wall being anchored on the supporting structure, the tank wall having a multi-layer structure, the multi-layer structure sequentially including a secondary thermal insulation barrier, a secondary sealing film carried by the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier carried by the secondary sealing film, and a primary sealing film carried by the primary thermal insulation barrier from the outside to the inside of the sealed thermal insulation tank in the thickness direction, the primary sealing film being intended to contact the fluid accommodated in the sealed thermal insulation tank, the multi-layer structure comprising a primary space configured between the primary sealing film and the secondary sealing film, the primary space accommodating the primary thermal insulation barrier, and a through conduit, the through conduit being configured through the tank wall, the primary sealing film being sealingly connected to the through conduit, The groove wall surrounds the through-duct and includes a secondary insulation block, the secondary insulation block is anchored on the supporting structure, the secondary insulation block surrounds the through-duct to form a secondary insulation barrier, each of the secondary insulation blocks has at least one transverse side extending along the thickness direction of the groove wall, and the secondary insulation blocks are arranged in relation to each other to form a channel (shaft) between the opposite transverse sides of two adjacent secondary insulation blocks, a sealing layer, the sealing layer covers the secondary insulation block, and the sealing layer forms a secondary sealing membrane, A sealing plate, the sealing plate is arranged parallel to the groove wall, the sealing plate has an inner surface facing the inside of the sealed insulation groove, the inner surface is located at the same level as the sealing layer, the sealing plate is arranged around the through-duct, and the secondary sealing membrane extends to the sealing plate, An outer duct, the outer duct surrounds the through-duct and extends parallel to the through-duct from the sealing plate toward the outside of the sealed insulation groove, the outer duct is connected to the primary space to allow the inert gas to flow between the primary space and the outer duct, A primary insulation block, the primary insulation block is arranged on the secondary sealing film, the primary insulation block surrounds the through-conduit to form a primary insulation barrier, the first primary insulation block and the second primary insulation block among the primary insulation blocks have a transverse side extending along the thickness direction of the groove wall, the transverse side has a cutout portion intended to receive a portion of the through-conduit and at least one interface portion adjacent to the cutout portion, the interface portion of the first primary insulation block is arranged to be opposite to the interface portion of the second primary insulation block, The secondary insulation blocks and the first and second primary insulation blocks are arranged relative to each other so that the interface portion of the first primary insulation block and the interface portion of the second primary insulation block do not overlap with the channel between two adjacent secondary insulation blocks in the thickness direction.

These features help increase the fatigue resistance of the secondary sealing membrane while maintaining a flexible sealing membrane layer deployed across the secondary insulation block. In fact, there is no overlap in the thickness direction between the interface portion of two adjacent primary insulation blocks and the channel of the adjacent secondary insulation block, which avoids the increase of the secondary sealing film due to thermal shrinkage or compression force. risk of stress.

According to an embodiment, such a sealed and insulated tank may have one or more of the following characteristics.

According to one embodiment, the sealing layer is a first sealing layer covering the secondary insulation block, wherein the groove wall includes a second sealing layer, which is sealingly fastened around the through-conduit across the first sealing layer and the inner surface of the sealing plate, and the second sealing layer extends the secondary sealing membrane to the sealing plate.

According to one embodiment, the second sealing layer includes at least two sealing strips, each sealing strip being arranged across two adjacent secondary insulation blocks.

According to one embodiment, the second sealing layer has two sealing strips which are aligned with each other on both sides of the through-duct so as to cover the channel.

According to one embodiment, the two sealing strips of the second sealing layer are positioned perpendicularly to the at least one interface portion of the first primary insulating block and the at least one interface portion of the second primary insulating block.

According to one embodiment, the groove wall includes two prefabricated panels arranged on either side of the through-duct, each of the prefabricated panels includes a lower insulation block, a first sealing layer and an upper insulation block, the lower insulation block forms a secondary insulation block, the first sealing layer covers the secondary insulation block, the upper insulation block is arranged on the central area of the first sealing layer and the lower insulation block but does not cover the peripheral area of the first sealing layer, the upper insulation block is part of the primary insulation barrier, and the primary insulation blocks are arranged between the upper insulation blocks of the two prefabricated panels on the peripheral area of the first sealing layer of the two prefabricated panels and on the channel.

According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane has a sealing plate, which is sealingly connected to each other at the edges of the sealing plate, and the upper insulation blocks of the two prefabricated panels have anchoring strips located at the edges of the sealing plate to anchor the sealing plate to the prefabricated panels, and the primary insulation blocks have heat protection strips located at the edges of the sealing plate so that the sealing plate is not anchored to the primary insulation blocks.

According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane includes at least a series of corrugations, the at least series of corrugations including corrugations extending along parallel lines, the corrugations protruding toward the interior of the sealing insulating groove, and wherein the window separates the series of corrugations. At least one alignment of the corrugation is interrupted, the corrugation preferably has an open end located at the window, and the sealing and heat-insulating groove has at least one end piece for closing the open end of the at least one corrugation.

According to one embodiment, the window interrupts at least two direct lines of the corrugations in the at least series of corrugations, and the through-duct is centered between two of the direct lines of the interrupted corrugations.

If necessary, the configurations and characteristics described above for a series of parallel corrugations may be applied to several series of parallel corrugations extending in different directions.

According to one embodiment, the primary sealing film has a first series of corrugations and a second series of corrugations intersecting the first series of corrugations, the window interrupts at least two directrixes of the corrugations in the first series of corrugations and at least two directrixes of the corrugations in the second series of corrugations, and the through conduit is centered at a position between the two interrupted directrixes of the corrugations in the first series of corrugations and the two interrupted directrixes of the corrugations in the second series of corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the directrix of the waves in the first series of waves is perpendicular to the directrix of the waves in the second series of waves.

The window may have different shapes, in particular depending on the shape of the through-duct and/or the shape of the components of the primary sealing membrane.

According to one embodiment, the window is a quadrilateral, wherein two sides are parallel to the directrix of the corrugations in the first series of corrugations and two sides are parallel to the directrix of the corrugations in the second series of corrugations. In detail, the window may be a square, a rectangle or a parallelogram.

According to one embodiment, the through-conduit has a circular cross-section and passes through the center of the window.

According to one embodiment, the outer conduit includes a first peripheral link plate and a second peripheral link plate, the second peripheral link plate is sealingly fastened to the first peripheral link plate around the entire first peripheral link plate, and the first peripheral link plate is parallel When the through-duct extends from the second peripheral link plate toward the outside of the sealed thermal insulation groove, the second peripheral link plate is sealingly fastened to the sealing plate and protrudes parallel to the through-duct toward the load-bearing structure.

According to one embodiment, the tank wall also has at least one closing plate, which is arranged on the primary insulation block around the through-conduit and is sealingly linked to the through-conduit.

According to one embodiment, the closure plate consists of an integral metal plate surrounding the through-duct.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the primary insulating blocks has at least one slot and the closing plate has at least one slot, the at least one slot of the closing plate being covered by an end piece and stacked on the primary insulation on the slot in the thermal block to allow inert gas to flow between the corrugations and the outer conduit.

According to one embodiment, the tank wall has a thermal protection sheet inserted between the primary insulating block and the closing plate.

Advantageously, the thermal protection foil is wrapped integrally around the through-duct.

Advantageously, the thermal protection sheet comprises at least one slot superimposed on a slot of the primary insulation block and below a slot of the closing plate.

According to one embodiment, a through conduit forms a passage between the interior of the sealed and insulated tank and a steam manifold disposed outside the sealed and insulated tank.

Such tanks may be part of onshore storage facilities, such as those used to store liquefied gases, or be installed on coastal or deepwater floating structures, in particular LNG carriers, LPG carriers, floating Floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), floating production, storage and unloading (FPSO) unit, etc.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a vessel for transporting cold liquid products, the vessel having a double hull and a sealed insulation tank disposed in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a use of a vessel for loading or unloading cold liquid products, wherein the cold liquid products are guided from a sealed insulated tank on the vessel to an onshore or floating storage facility, or from an onshore or floating storage facility to a sealed insulated tank on the vessel through an insulated pipe.

According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transfer system for cold liquid, which system includes a ship, an insulated pipe and a pump, wherein the insulated pipe is configured to connect a sealed insulated tank installed in the hull of the ship to an onshore or floating storage facility, and the pump is used to drive the cold liquid product flow from the sealed insulated tank on the ship to the onshore or floating storage facility, or from the onshore or floating storage facility to the sealed insulated tank on the ship through the insulated pipe.

1 , a sealed heat-insulated tank 1 has tank walls 2 which are fastened to the inner surfaces of corresponding walls of a supporting structure 3. The supporting structure 3 is, for example, the inner hull of a double-hull vessel or an onshore structure. FIG1 is a partial view of the sealed heat-insulated tank 1, which shows only the top wall.

By convention, the terms "upper", "above", "upper part" and "top" usually refer to positions toward the inside of the sealed and insulated tank 1, while the terms "lower", "below", "lower part" and "bottom" usually refer to positions toward the outside of the sealed and insulated tank 1, and have nothing to do with the orientation of the tank wall 2 relative to the earth's gravitational field.

The sealed and insulated tank 1 can have different geometric shapes, such as a prismatic geometry in a ship's hull or a cylindrical geometry on land, or other shapes.

The following examples are described with respect to a sealed and insulated tank 1 intended for offshore storage and/or transport of liquefied natural gas. In a variant not described, such a sealed and insulated tank 1 can be a tank for storing other cold or hot products on land.

Figures 1 and 2 show the fluid collection device 4. Such means include through-ducts 5 passing through the tank wall 2 (eg the top wall of the sealed and insulated tank 1).

1 , the tank wall 2 has a primary sealing film 6 in contact with the liquefied gas, a primary thermal insulation barrier 7, a secondary sealing film 8, and a secondary thermal insulation barrier 9 in sequence along the thickness direction from the inside of the sealed thermal insulation tank 1 toward the supporting structure 3. The primary thermal insulation barrier 7, the secondary sealing film 8, and the secondary thermal insulation barrier 9 are essentially a set of prefabricated panels, which are placed on the adhesive droplets 11 and fastened to the supporting structure 3.

The fluid collecting device 4 includes a cylinder 12 extending outside the bearing structure 3 and a through-tube 5 anchored inside the cylinder 12 . The cylinder 12 and the through-duct 5 are cylinders with circular cross-sections. However, other shapes are also possible. The load-bearing structure 3 has a circular opening 13 . The cylinder 12 is welded around the circular opening 13 . The through-duct 5 passes through the groove wall 2 at the center of the circular opening 13 . Therefore, the through-duct 5 passes through the primary sealing film 6 , the secondary sealing film 8 , the primary heat insulation barrier 7 and the secondary heat insulation barrier 9 , and enters the sealing heat insulation groove 1 . In detail, the through-duct 5 is connected to a steam manifold outside the sealed thermal insulation tank, which extracts the steam and delivers the steam to the ship's propulsion system to provide power to the ship, or delivers the steam to the liquefaction tank. The system then returns the liquefied gas to the tank.

The primary sealing membrane 6 is sealingly connected to the through-conduit 5. The secondary sealing membrane 8 is also sealingly connected to the through-conduit 5, except in a passage that allows the gas phase between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the secondary sealing membrane 8 to flow to the two secondary conduits 14, 15. The gas phase is usually dinitrogen or other inert gas. Therefore, the space between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the secondary sealing membrane 8 forms a primary sealing space connected to the two secondary conduits 14, 15.

Furthermore, the cylinder 12 is sealingly connected to the support structure 3. The insulating layer 16 is evenly distributed on the outside of the through-conduit 5, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the circular opening 13. In this way, the gap between the insulating layer 16 and the circular opening 13 allows the gas phase to flow between the secondary thermal insulation barrier 9 and the intermediate space between the cylinder 12 and the insulating layer 16. The gas phase is usually dinitrogen or other inert gases. The intermediate space and the space between the support structure 3 and the secondary thermal insulation barrier 9 thus form a secondary sealed space.

In the isolation layer 16, two secondary conduits 14 and 15 extend parallel to the through-conduit 5 from the outside of the cylinder 12 to the primary sealed space. The first secondary conduit 14 provides a passage between the primary sealed space and a vent member (not shown) that controls the gas phase in the primary space. The second secondary conduit 15 provides access between the primary space and the pressure measuring device (not shown). In detail, these two secondary conduits 14, 15 enable flushing of the primary sealing space with an inert gas, such as nitrogen.

Two other conduits (not shown) are welded to the cylinder 12 and lead to the secondary sealed space inside the cylinder 12, which also enable the gas phase to be managed and the pressure in the secondary sealed space to be measured. The conduits linked to the secondary sealed space also enable the secondary sealed space to be flushed with an inert gas (e.g. nitrogen).

The region II of the groove wall 2 through which the through-conduit 5 passes is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10 .

Two prefabricated panels 10a, 10b are placed near the through-duct 5. Referring to Fig. 4, the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b have a secondary insulation block 17 anchored on the supporting structure 3. The secondary insulation block 17 has a rigid bottom panel 18 supported by adhesive beads 11 and an insulation layer 19 made of polyurethane foam.

A first sealing layer 20 composed of a composite material (including, for example, a metal foil and a fiberglass layer impregnated in resin) is adhered to the entire surface of the insulation layer 19 of the secondary insulation block 17 . The first sealing layer 20 is a component of the secondary sealing film 8 .

The prefabricated panels 10a, 10b also comprise upper insulation blocks 21a, 21b. The upper insulation blocks 21a, 21b have an insulation layer 22 made of polyurethane foam, which partially covers and is adhered to the first sealing layer 20. A rigid top panel 23 covers the insulation layer 22 and forms an element of the primary insulation barrier 7 together with the insulation layer.

As explained above with reference to FIG. 1 , the through-duct 5 passes through the circular opening 13 , the secondary insulating barrier 9 , the secondary sealing membrane 8 , the primary insulating barrier 7 and the primary sealing membrane 6 . The circular closing plate 24 extends around the through-duct 5 in the area beyond the support structure 3 . The closing plate 24 has an upper surface parallel to the tank wall 2 to which the insulating layer 16 surrounding the through-duct 5 is joined. This closing plate 24 also has two holes 25, 26 to which two secondary ducts 14, 15 are welded.

The sealing between the secondary insulation barrier 9 and the through-duct 5 is achieved by means of a closing plate 24, a first peripheral linking plate 27, a second peripheral linking plate 28 and a sealing plate 29. The first peripheral linking plate 27, which is tubular, is sealingly fastened to the closing plate 24 around the entire periphery thereof and extends parallel to the through-duct 5 into the sealed insulation tank 1 to form an outer duct. The peripheral linking plate is linked to a circular sealing plate 29 at its end opposite to the closing plate 24 and via a second peripheral linking plate 28, which is also tubular. Thus, the closing plate 24, the sealing plate 29 and the peripheral linking plates 27, 28 form an inner space 30 in the outer duct, which is adjacent to the outer wall of the through-duct 5. The second sealing layer 31 is sealingly fastened across the first sealing layer 20 and the sealing plate 29 to seal the secondary sealing membrane 8 .

The sealing plate 29 has a circular passage 32 through which the through-conduit 5 passes. The diameter of the circular passage 32 is larger than that of the through-conduit 5 so as to leave a gap between the sealing plate 29 and the through-conduit 5. This gap enables the gas phase to flow from the primary sealing space between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the secondary sealing membrane 8 toward the inner space 30.

To discharge steam from the inner space 30, two secondary ducts 14, 15 are sealingly connected to the closing plate 24. This structure enables flushing with inert gas. To provide isolation, the inner space 30 is filled with an isolation material that is permeable to steam and gas.

The second peripheral linking plate 28 is tubular and welded to the lower surface of the sealing plate 29. The diameter of the inner portion of the second peripheral linking plate 28 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the first peripheral linking plate 27. Therefore, the peripheral linking plates 27, 28 can be assembled together and slidably fit without being welded. Therefore, when the second peripheral linking plate 28 is welded to the first peripheral linking plate 27, the gap between the sealing plate 29 and the supporting structure 3 can be adjusted so that the sealing plate 29 is accurately aligned with the secondary sealing membrane 8. In addition, assembling the first peripheral linking plate 27 and the second peripheral linking plate 28 together enables the through-duct 5 to be centered in the opening 13 and enables the sealing plate 29 to be oriented. The welding between the closing plate 24 and the first peripheral linking plate 27, between the first peripheral linking plate 27 and the second peripheral linking plate 28, and between the second peripheral linking plate 28 and the sealing plate 29 is performed so that a seal is formed between these elements.

The closing plate 24, the sealing plate 29, the first peripheral linking plate 27 and the second peripheral linking plate 28 are metal components, for example, made of stainless steel.

Referring to Figure 1, in order to reduce the stresses exerted on the joint formed around the through-duct 5, the through-duct is anchored at a portion 33 of the through-duct which is spaced away from the load-bearing structure 3 in a direction away from the interior of the sealed insulated channel 1. This reduces the stress on the joint of the groove walls 2 . This anchoring includes a frustoconical metal element 34 extending into the barrel 12 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the fins 40 are regularly arranged in the internal space 30 between the through-duct 5 and the first peripheral link plate 27 to position and fix the first peripheral link plate 27 relative to the through-duct 5 .

2 to 5, two primary insulation blocks 35 are arranged across the secondary insulation blocks 17 and the sealing plate 29 of the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b to form a primary insulation barrier 7 between the through-duct 5 and the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b. Like the upper insulation blocks 21a, 21b, the primary insulation blocks 35 have an insulating layer 36 resting on the secondary insulation barrier 9. The top panel 37 is arranged on top of the insulating layer 36.

The upper insulating blocks 21a, 21b of the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b and the primary insulating blocks 35 support the primary sealing membrane 6, which is made of a metal plate with corrugations 38a, 38b. These corrugations 38a, 38b form elastic areas designed to absorb thermal contractions and static and dynamic compressive forces. Such corrugated or reticular sheet metal sealing barriers are described in particular in FR 1379651 A, FR 1376525 A, FR 2781557 A and FR 2861060 A.

The primary sealing membrane 6 is sealingly connected to the through-duct 5 by means of a flange 39 with an L-shaped cross-section. The flange 39 is welded to the primary sealing membrane 6 and the through-tube 5 .

Figure 3 shows in more detail the structure of the elements forming the groove wall 2 around the through-duct 5.

The through-duct 5 and the first peripheral link plate 27 pass through the load-bearing structure 3 at the center of the opening 13 . The first perimeter link plate 27 is centered on the opening.

A glass wool packing is inserted into the inner space 30. As previously mentioned, this packing is porous so that the gas phase can flow freely in the inner space 30 between the primary sealed space and the secondary conduits 14, 15 (not shown in FIG. 3).

By welding the second peripheral linking plate 28 to the first peripheral linking plate 27, the sealing plate 29 is positioned in precise alignment with the secondary sealing membrane 8. In order to avoid the risk of burning of the glass wool filler, a heat protector (not shown) is placed between the filler and the peripheral linking plates 27, 28.

Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 9, the secondary sealing film 8 and the primary thermal insulation barrier 7 are made of two prefabricated panels 10a, 10b. Each of the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b surrounding the through-duct 5 is in a stepped shape, in which the secondary insulation block 17 constitutes an element of the secondary insulation barrier 9, and the first sealing layer 20 completely covers the secondary insulation block 17 on the upper surface, and the smaller upper insulation blocks 21a, 21b constitute the components of the primary insulation barrier 7. The upper insulating blocks 21a, 21b of the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b have a U-shaped cross-section when viewed from above and are positioned relative to the secondary insulating block 17 such that the peripheral area of the first sealing layer 20 is exposed.

Specifically, each secondary insulation block 17 has a side 41 with a semicircular cutout to accommodate the first peripheral linking plate 27 and the second peripheral linking plate 28. As shown in FIG. 2 , the diameter of the semicircle is larger than the diameter of the first peripheral linking plate 27 and the second peripheral linking plate 28, thereby leaving a space between the first and second peripheral linking plates 27, 28 and the secondary insulation block 17 for inserting the glass wool filler 73.

The two secondary insulating blocks 17 are designed to form a space between the blocks in the form of two radial inter-panel shafts 42a, 42b. In order to ensure the continuity of the secondary insulating barrier 9, each of the two radial inter-panel channels 42a, 42b is filled with a glass wool filler (not shown) which allows the gas phase to flow through the secondary insulating barrier. 9. Especially used to inert the tank walls with inert gases (such as nitrogen).

The prefabricated panels 10a, 10b can be prefabricated by joining polyurethane foam and plywood for the primary insulation barrier 7 and the secondary insulation barrier 9. Therefore, the secondary insulating block 17 includes a bottom panel 18 and an insulating foam layer 19 , and the upper insulating blocks 21 a , 21 b include an insulating layer 22 and a top panel 23 . The top panels 23 of the upper insulating blocks 21a, 21b have transverse and longitudinal spotfaces designed to receive anchoring strips 43 to which the primary sealing membrane 6 is welded, as follows described.

Two prefabricated panels 10a, 10b are juxtaposed to surround the through-duct 5. Each prefabricated panel 10a, 10b also has channels 44 which enable access to pins 71 previously welded to the load-bearing structure during assembly to anchor the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b.

The second sealing layer 31 is bonded across the first sealing layer 20 and to the sealing plate 29 . The second sealing layer 31 also includes two radial sealing strips 31a, 31b arranged across the two secondary insulating blocks 17 above the channels 42a and 42b.

Two primary insulation blocks 35 and two intermediate blocks 45 are located above the second sealing layer 31 and the first sealing layer 20 to complete the primary insulation barrier 7. The intermediate blocks 45 are mounted on the radial sealing strips 31a, 31b of the second sealing layer 31.

6, each primary insulation block 35 has a transverse side 46 having a semicircular cutout 76 to accommodate the through-conduit 5, and the transverse side has a straight interface portion 47 adjacent to the cutout 76. When the primary insulation block 35 is assembled, the diameter defined by the cutout 76 is larger than the diameter of the through-conduit 5, as shown in FIG.

5, the two primary insulation blocks 35 are designed to meet without contact at two interface portions 47. The two primary insulation blocks 35 are located above the second sealing layer 31 so that the interface portions 47 and the radial inter-panel channels 42a, 42b do not overlap in the thickness direction. In FIG3, the direction _D1 of the interface portion 47 of the primary insulation block 35 is perpendicular to the direction _D2 of the radial inter-panel channels 42a, 42b.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 , the primary sealing membrane 6 is formed by a plurality of corrugated sealing plates 48 , the inner surfaces of which are intended to be in contact with the fluid contained in the sealing heat insulation groove 1 . The sealing plate 48 is a thin metal element, such as a stainless steel sheet. These corrugated sealing plates 48 are cut to form square windows 49 around the through-duct 5 to allow the through-duct 5 to pass through. In this case, the window 49 is square, which facilitates cutting the sealing plate 48 into the desired shape. However, the window 49 can have different shapes, depending in particular on the geometry of the through-duct 5 .

The sealing plate 48 of the primary sealing film 6 has a plurality of corrugations 38a, 38b protruding toward the inside of the sealed heat-insulating tank 1. More specifically, the primary sealing film 6 has a first series of corrugations 38a, referred to as transverse corrugations, and a second series of corrugations 38b, referred to as longitudinal corrugations, the first series of corrugations and the second series of corrugations being arranged perpendicular to each other. The first series of corrugations 38a is higher than the second series of corrugations 38b.

In Fig. 9, the edges of the sealing plates 48 are shown using continuous lines. The sealing plates 48 are welded together in the edge overlap region 77 to seal the primary sealing membrane 6. The welding is a lap weld and the relevant method is described in detail in, for example, patent FR 1387955 A. The sealing plates 48 can be made in various shapes and sizes and therefore the welding area can be positioned differently.

Unlike the upper insulating blocks 21a, 21b of the prefabricated panels 10a, 10b, the primary insulating blocks 35 do not have anchoring strips 43. In fact, in order to make the primary sealing film 6 surround the through-duct 5, as shown in Figure 3 and Figures 8 to 10, the delimitation size of the closing plate 51 placed on the thermal protection sheet 72 is slightly larger than that provided in the sealing plate 48. Window 49 square. An opening is cut in the center of the closing plate 51 to allow the through-duct 5 to pass through. The closing plate 51 is sealingly welded to the through-duct 5 via the flange 39 .

7 to 9, the sealing plate 48 of the primary sealing membrane 6 is welded to the anchoring strips 43 and the intermediate block 45 of the upper insulation blocks 21a, 21b. Welding the sealing plate 48 to the anchoring strips 43 enables the primary sealing membrane 6 to be held on the primary insulation barrier 7. In order to prevent damage to the primary insulation block 35, in particular, when the sealing plate 48 is welded together, a heat protection strip 50 is arranged on the primary insulation block 35 at the edge of the sealing plate 48. The heat protection sheet 72 and the heat protection strip 50 are made of a heat-resistant material such as a composite glass fiber material. An opening is cut in the center of the heat protection sheet 72 to allow the through-duct 5 to pass through.

The primary sealing membrane 6 surrounding the through-duct 5 is completed first by welding the edges of the sealing plate 48 delimiting the window 49 to the closing plate 51 and secondly by sealingly closing the ends of the interrupted corrugations 38a, 38b with end pieces 52. Indeed, since the diameter of the through-duct 5 is larger than the gaps between the corrugations in the first series of corrugations 38a, some of the transverse corrugations where the alignment intersects the through-duct are interrupted by windows 49. Similarly, since the diameter of the through-duct 5 is larger than the gaps between the corrugations in the second series of corrugations 38b, some of the longitudinal corrugations where the alignment intersects the through-duct 5 are interrupted by windows 49 surrounding the through-duct 5.

Referring to Fig. 11, the end piece 52 has a two-part bottom plate 53, 54, which is designed to be sealed and welded to the closing plate 51 and the sealing plate 48, respectively, and a shell 55, which is designed to be sealed and welded to the end of the corrugation. The width of the recess 56 between the parts 53 and 54 of the bottom plate is substantially equal to the thickness of the sealing plate 48.

Referring to Figures 3, 5 and 6, the top panel 37 of the primary insulating block 35 has four slots 57 extending through the top panel 37, and the closing plate 51 has slots 57 overlaid on the primary insulating block 35. slot 69 in the groove 57 and the thermal protection sheet 72 has a slot 70 overlying the slot 57 of the primary insulating block 35 and below the slot 69 of the closure plate 51 . During the installation of the primary sealing membrane 6 , the end pieces 52 are superimposed on the slots 57 , 69 , 70 to enable the gas phase in the corrugations 38 a , 38 b to flow towards the insulating layer 36 of the primary insulating block 35 . The insulation layer 36 also has connecting slots 74 located below the slot 57 of the top panel 37 from which three parallel slots 75 extend towards a semi-circular cutout 76 in the primary insulating block 35 respectively. Therefore, the gas phase that has passed through the top panel 37 can flow outside the primary insulating block 35 into the space between the primary insulating block 35 and the through-duct 5 .

This particular structure of coupling the primary insulation block 35 with the gap between the circular passage 32 and the through-duct 5 and with the internal space 30 comprising a porous filler forms a circuit that promotes the flow of the gas phase in the primary sealed space, in particular from the corrugations 38a, 38b to the secondary ducts 14, 15 and vice versa. Similarly, as described above, the space between the opening 13 and the first peripheral linking plate 27 and between the support structure 3 and the secondary insulation block 17 forms a circuit that promotes the flow of this gas phase between the secondary sealed space and the cylinder 12. These circuits in particular enable the tank wall 2 to be inertized with an inert gas (such as dinitrogen).

Figures 9 and 10 show that the size of the window 49 is actually larger than the diameter of the through-conduit 5. Therefore, the window 49 formed in the primary sealing film 6 is also easy to interrupt the ripples whose directrix is very close to the through-conduit 5 but does not actually intersect the through-conduit 5.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the center of the through-conduit 5 is located between the directrixes of the interrupted transverse corrugations 38a and between the directrixes of the interrupted longitudinal corrugations 38b, and more precisely, in the middle of these directrixes. Due to this positioning, the directrixes intersect the through-conduit 5 along a chord shorter than the diameter of the through-conduit 5 in each case. Therefore, and taking into account the space between the edge of the window 49 and the through-conduit 5, this positioning of the through-conduit 5 makes it possible to interrupt the transverse corrugations 38a or the longitudinal corrugations 38b over a shorter distance than if the directrix intersects the through-conduit 5 along its maximum transverse or longitudinal dimension, i.e. its diameter, since the through-conduit 5 in this case is a cylinder with a circular cross section. It is beneficial to interrupt the corrugations 38a, 38b of the primary sealing membrane 6 over as short a distance as possible, taking into account that such interruptions tend to locally reduce the flexibility of the primary sealing membrane 6, thereby increasing the possibility of local fatigue and wear.

Centering the through-conduit 5 midway between the interrupted transverse corrugations 38a and the interrupted longitudinal corrugations 38b provides the best results. However, other shapes and different centerings of the through-conduit 5 are contemplated. In each case, one principle that can be used to adapt the positioning of the through-conduit 5 between the corrugations 38a, 38b is to select a position that minimizes or at least reduces the size of the through-conduit 5 that intersects the directrix of the interrupted corrugations 38a, 38b. In case the specific geometry of the primary sealing membrane 6 means that a number of corrugations 38a, 38b are interrupted at different lengths, the relevant parameter for optimizing the positioning of the through-conduit 5 may be the length of the longest interruption or the cumulative length of the interruptions obtained.

The through-duct 5 requires a window 49 approximately twice the size of the gap between the two corrugations 38a, 38b, which in this case are equidistant. For this purpose, two corrugations 38a, 38b of each series are interrupted. However, this arrangement of the through-duct 5 and adjacent groove wall 2 can be adapted to other dimensions of the through-duct 5 . For example, for larger through-ducts, the corresponding window 49 may interrupt a larger number of corrugations 38a, 38b in one or a series, such as three or four or more corrugations.

Although in the above-described embodiment, the through-duct 5 passes through the top wall of the sealed heat-insulating groove 1, in another embodiment, the through-duct 5 may be at the top of the side wall of the sealed heat-insulating groove 1 or at the top of the sealed heat-insulating groove 1. 1 through the tank wall 2 at any other location.

The sealed heat-insulated tank 1 can be used in different types of facilities (such as onshore facilities) or in floating structures (such as liquefied natural gas vehicles, etc.).

Referring to FIG. 12 , a cross-sectional view of the LNG carrier 58 shows the sealed thermal insulation tank 1 having an overall prismatic shape installed in the double hull 59 of the LNG carrier 58 .

The tank wall 2 includes a primary sealing film 6, a secondary sealing film 8 and two heat insulation barriers 7, 9. The primary sealing film is intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the sealed heat insulation tank 1. The secondary sealing film is arranged in the primary Between the sealing membrane 6 and the double hull 59 of the LNG carrier, the two thermal insulation barriers are respectively arranged between the primary sealing membrane 6 and the secondary sealing membrane 8 and between the secondary sealing membrane 8 and the LNG carrier 58 Between the double hull 59.

In a known manner, the loading/unloading pipe 60 provided on the upper deck of the LNG carrier 58 can be connected to the sea or port terminal area using suitable connectors to transfer the liquefied gas cargo, such as LNG, to the sealed insulation. Tank 1, or self-sealing insulated tank 1 to transfer the liquefied gas cargo.

Figure 12 also shows the marine terminal area including loading/unloading points 61, subsea pipelines 62 and onshore facilities 63.

The loading/unloading point 61 is a static offshore facility, which includes a movable arm 64 and a column 65 holding the movable arm 64. The movable arm 64 carries a bundle of insulated hoses 66 which can be connected to the load/unload tube 60 . The orientable movable arm 64 can accommodate all sizes of LNG carriers 58 . Connecting lines (not shown) extend inside column 65 . The loading/unloading point 61 enables unloading from the LNG carrier 58 to the onshore facility 63 or loading of the LNG carrier from the onshore facility. This facility has a liquefied gas storage tank 67 and a connection pipeline 68 via a subsea pipeline 62 to a loading/unloading point 61 .

The underwater pipeline 62 enables the transfer of liquefied gas over a large distance (e.g., 5 km) between the loading/unloading point 61 and the onshore facility 63, which enables the liquefied natural gas vehicle 58 to remain far from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

In order to generate the pressure required to transfer the liquefied gas, a pump on the LNG carrier 58 and/or a pump installed at the onshore facility 63 and/or a pump installed at the loading/unloading point 61 is used.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is obviously not limited thereto and it includes all technical equivalents of the means described and combinations thereof, wherein such equivalents and combinations thereof fall within the scope of the present invention.

The use of the verb "comprise" or "include", when including conjugation, does not exclude the existence of other elements or steps other than those mentioned in the scope of the patent application.

In the scope of the patent application, reference signs between parentheses shall not be construed as constituting a limitation on the scope of the patent application.

1: Sealed insulation tank 2: Tank wall 3: Support structure 4: Fluid collection device 5: Through pipe 6: Primary sealing film 7: Primary insulation barrier 8: Secondary sealing film 9: Secondary insulation barrier 10a: Prefabricated panel 10b: Prefabricated panel 11: Adhesive droplets 12: Cylinder 13: Circular opening 14: Secondary pipe 15: Secondary pipe 16: Insulation layer 17: Secondary insulation block 18: Rigid bottom panel 19: Insulation layer 20: First sealing layer 21a: Upper Insulation block 21b: Upper insulation block 22: Insulation layer 23: Rigid top panel 24: Circular closing plate 25: Hole 26: Hole 27: First peripheral linking plate 28: Second peripheral linking plate 29: Sealing plate 30: Internal space 31: Second sealing layer 31a: Radial sealing strip 31b: Radial sealing strip 32: Circular passage 33: Part of the through-duct 34: Truncated conical metal element 35: Primary insulation block 36: Insulation layer 37: Top Panel 38a: Corrugation 38b: Corrugation 39: Flange 40: Fin 41: Side 42a: Radial channel between panels 42b: Radial channel between panels 43: Anchor strip 44: Channel 45: Intermediate block 46: Transverse side 47: Straight interface part 48: Corrugated sealing plate 49: Square window 50: Thermal protection strip 51: Closing plate 52: End piece 53: Two-part bottom plate/part of bottom plate 54: Two-part bottom plate/part of bottom plate 55: External Shell 56: Notch 57: Slot 58: LNG carrier 59: Double hull 60: Loading/unloading pipe 61: Loading/unloading point 62: Subsea pipeline 63: Onshore facility 64: Movable arm 65: Column 66: Insulated hose 67: LNG storage tank 68: Connecting pipeline 69: Slot 70: Slot 71: Pin 72: Thermal protection sheet 73: Glass wool packing 74: Connecting slot 75: Slot 76: Semicircular cutout 77: Edge overlap area D ₁ : Direction D ₂ : Direction II: Area

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention can be better understood and additional objects, details, features and advantages of the present invention are more clearly explained through the detailed description of several specific embodiments of the present invention given below as non-limiting examples only.

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tank wall including a fluid collecting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area II in Fig. 1. [Fig.

[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the tank wall region shown in Fig. 2.

[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a plan view along the axis of the through-duct in the groove wall region shown in Fig. 2, showing the secondary insulating barrier surrounding the through-duct, with the primary insulating barrier omitted.

[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the primary insulation barrier.

[Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a primary insulation block that can be used in a primary insulation barrier.

[FIG. 7] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the positioning of the thermal protection sheet and thermal protection strip on the primary insulation barrier. [FIG. 7] FIG.

[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 in an intermediate assembly stage of the primary sealing film.

[Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 in a more advanced assembly stage of the primary sealing film.

[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the primary sealing film.

[Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an end piece that can be used in the manufacture of the primary sealing film shown in Fig. 10.

[Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a tank in a liquefied natural gas carrier and the loading/unloading dock area used for the tank.

3: Load-bearing structure

5:Through-through duct

6: Primary sealing film

10b: Prefabricated panels

12:Cylinder

13: Round opening

17: Secondary insulation block

18: Rigid bottom panel

19: Insulation layer

20: First sealing layer

21b: Upper insulation block

22: Insulation layer

23: Rigid top panel

27:First peripheral link board

28: Second peripheral link plate

29: Sealing plate

30:Inner space

31: Second sealing layer

31a: Radial sealing strip

31b: Radial sealing strip

35: Primary insulation block

36: Isolation layer

37:Top panel

38a: Ripple

38b: Ripple

39:Flange

41: Side

43: Anchor strips

44:Channel

45: Middle block

46: Lateral

48:Corrugated sealing plate

50: Heat protection strip

51: Closing plate

57:Slot

69: Slot

70:Slot

71:pin

72:Thermal protection sheet

D ₁ : Direction

D ₂ : Direction

Claims (16)

A sealed heat-insulating tank (1) configured in a supporting structure (3) to accommodate a fluid, the sealed heat-insulating tank (1) comprising: A groove wall (2) is anchored on the supporting structure (3), and the groove wall (2) has a multi-layer structure. The multi-layer structure includes a secondary thermal insulation barrier (9), a secondary sealing film (8) supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier (9), a primary thermal insulation barrier (7) supported by the secondary sealing film (8), and a primary sealing film (6) supported by the primary thermal insulation barrier (7), wherein the primary sealing film is intended to contact the fluid contained in the sealed thermal insulation groove (1). The multi-layer structure includes a primary space disposed between the primary sealing film (6) and the secondary sealing film (8), wherein the primary space contains the primary thermal insulation barrier (7), and A through conduit (5) is disposed through the groove wall (2), the primary sealing membrane (6) is sealingly connected to the through conduit (5), and the groove wall (2) surrounds the through conduit (5) and includes: Secondary insulation blocks (17), which are anchored on the supporting structure (3), and which surround the through-conduit (5) to form the secondary insulation barrier (9). Each of the secondary insulation blocks (17) has at least one transverse side extending along the thickness direction of the groove wall (2). The secondary insulation blocks (17) are arranged relative to each other to form a channel (42a, 42b) between the opposite transverse sides of two adjacent secondary insulation blocks (17). A sealing layer (20) covers the secondary insulation blocks (17), and the sealing layer (20) forms the secondary sealing membrane (8). A sealing plate (29) is arranged parallel to the groove wall (2), the sealing plate (29) has an inner surface facing the inside of the sealed heat-insulating groove (1), the inner surface is located at the same level as the sealing layer (20), the sealing plate is arranged around the through-conduit (5), the secondary sealing membrane (8) extends to the sealing plate (29), an outer conduit (27, 28) is arranged around the through-conduit (5) and extends parallel to the through-conduit (5), the outer conduit (27, 28) is connected to the primary space to allow the inert gas to flow between the primary space and the outer conduit (27, 28), Primary insulation blocks (35), which are arranged on the secondary sealing film (8), and which surround the through-conduit (5) to form the primary insulation barrier (7). A first primary insulation block and a second primary insulation block among the primary insulation blocks (35) each have a transverse side extending along the thickness direction of the groove wall (2), and the transverse side (46) has a cutout portion (76) intended to receive a portion of the through-conduit (5) and at least one interface portion (47) adjacent to the cutout portion (76). The interface portion (47) of the first primary insulation block (35) is arranged to be opposite to the interface portion (47) of the second primary insulation block (35). The secondary insulation blocks (17) and the first and second primary insulation blocks (35) are arranged relative to each other so that the interface portion (47) of the first primary insulation block (35) and the interface portion (47) of the second primary insulation block (35) and the channel (42a, 42b) between two adjacent secondary insulation blocks (17) do not overlap in the thickness direction. A sealed insulation tank (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing layer (20) is a first sealing layer covering one of the secondary insulation blocks (17), and wherein the tank wall includes a second sealing layer (31), the second sealing layer surrounds the through conduit (5) and spans the first sealing layer (20) and the inner surface of the sealing plate (29) to be sealingly fastened, and the second sealing layer (31) extends the secondary sealing membrane (8) to the sealing plate (29). A sealed insulation tank (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second sealing layer (31) includes at least two sealing strips (31a, 31b), and each sealing strip (31a, 31b) is arranged across two adjacent secondary insulation blocks (17). A sealed insulation tank (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two sealing strips (31a, 31b) of the second sealing layer (31) are aligned with each other on both sides of the through-conduit (5) to cover the channel (42a, 42b). A sealed insulation groove (1) as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the two sealing strips (31a, 31b) of the second sealing layer (31) are positioned perpendicular to the at least one interface portion (47) of the first primary insulation block (35) and the at least one interface portion (47) of the second primary insulation block (35). A sealed insulation tank (1) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the tank wall (2) comprises two prefabricated panels (10a, 10b) arranged on either side of the through-conduit (5), each of the prefabricated panels comprising a lower insulation block, the first sealing layer (20) and an upper insulation block (21a, 21b), the lower insulation block forming a secondary insulation block (17), the first sealing layer covering the secondary insulation block (17), the upper insulation block arranged on the first sealing layer ( 20) and a central area of the lower insulation block without covering a peripheral area of the first sealing layer (20), the upper insulation block (21a, 21b) is part of the primary insulation barrier (6), and the primary insulation blocks (35) are arranged between the upper insulation blocks (21a, 21b) of the two prefabricated panels (10a, 10b) on the peripheral area of the first sealing layer (20) of the two prefabricated panels (10a, 10b) and on the channel (42a, 42b). The sealed thermal insulation tank (1) of claim 6, wherein the primary sealing film (6) has sealing plates (48), and the sealing plates are sealingly connected to each other at the edges (100) of the sealing plates (48). , and wherein the upper insulating blocks (21a, 21b) of the two prefabricated panels (10a, 10b) have anchoring strips (43) located at the edges (100) of the sealing panels (48) ) to anchor the sealing panels (48) to the prefabricated panels (10a, 10b), the primary insulating blocks (35) having the edges (100) at the sealing panels (48) Thermal protection strips (50) at such that the sealing plates (48) are not anchored to the primary insulating blocks (35). A sealed thermal insulation groove (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the primary sealing membrane (6) includes at least one series of corrugations, the at least one series of corrugations including corrugations (38a, 38b) extending along lines parallel to each other, the corrugations (38a, 38b) protruding toward the interior of the sealed thermal insulation groove (1), and a window (49) interrupting at least one line of one of the corrugations (38a, 38b) in the series of corrugations, the corrugation (38a, 38b) preferably having an open end located at the window (49), and the sealed thermal insulation groove (1) having at least one end piece (52) for closing the open end of the at least one corrugation (38a, 38b). A sealed insulation tank (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outer conduit (27, 28) includes a first peripheral link plate (27) and a second peripheral link plate (28), the second peripheral link plate (28) surrounds the entire first peripheral link plate (27) and is sealingly fastened to the first peripheral link plate (27), the first peripheral link plate (27) extends from the second peripheral link plate toward the outside of the sealed insulation tank (1) parallel to the through conduit (5), and the second peripheral link plate (28) is sealingly fastened to the sealing plate (29) and protrudes toward the supporting structure (3) parallel to the through conduit (5). The sealed thermal insulation tank (1) of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tank wall (2) also has at least one closing plate (51), and the at least one closing plate is arranged around the through-duct (5). on the primary insulating blocks (35) and sealingly connected to the through-duct (5). The sealed thermal insulation tank (1) of the combination of claim 8 and claim 10, wherein at least one of the primary thermal insulation blocks (35) has at least one slot (57), and wherein the closing plate ( 51) having at least one slot (69) of the closure plate covered by an end piece (52) and superimposed on the slot (57) of the primary insulating block (35), To allow an inert gas to flow between the corrugations (38a, 38b) and the outer conduit. The sealed thermal insulation tank (1) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the tank wall (2) has a thermal protection sheet (2) inserted between the primary insulation blocks (35) and the closing plate (51) 72). The sealed heat-insulating tank (1) of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the through-duct (5) forms the inside of the sealed heat-insulating tank (1) and the outside of the sealed heat-insulating tank (1). A passage between a steam manifold. A ship (58) for transporting a cold liquid product, the ship (58) having a double hull (59) and a sealed heat insulation tank (1) as in any one of claims 1 to 13, the ship (58) Sealed heat insulation grooves are placed inside the double hull (59). A use of a vessel (58) as claimed in claim 14 for loading or unloading a cold liquid product, wherein the cold liquid product is guided from the sealed insulated tank (1) on the vessel (58) to an onshore or floating storage facility (63) or from the onshore or floating storage facility to the sealed insulated tank on the vessel via an insulated pipe (66). A system for transferring a cold liquid, the system comprising a vessel (58) as claimed in claim 14, insulated pipes (66) and a pump, the insulated pipes being configured to connect the sealed insulated tank (1) installed in the hull of the vessel (58) to an onshore or floating storage facility (63), the pump being used to drive a cold liquid product flow from the sealed insulated tank (1) on the vessel (58) to the onshore or floating storage facility (63), or from the onshore or floating storage facility to the sealed insulated tank on the vessel through the insulated pipes (66).