US3118194A - Method of insulating tanks for storing or transporting low-temperature liquids - Google Patents

Method of insulating tanks for storing or transporting low-temperature liquids Download PDF

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Publication number
US3118194A
US3118194A US140762A US14076261A US3118194A US 3118194 A US3118194 A US 3118194A US 140762 A US140762 A US 140762A US 14076261 A US14076261 A US 14076261A US 3118194 A US3118194 A US 3118194A
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United States
Prior art keywords
insulating
tank
envelope
pulverulent
insulating material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US140762A
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English (en)
Inventor
Biais Maurice
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Engie SA
Original Assignee
Gaz de France SA
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Publication date
Application filed by Gaz de France SA filed Critical Gaz de France SA
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Publication of US3118194A publication Critical patent/US3118194A/en
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C13/00—Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
    • F17C13/001—Thermal insulation specially adapted for cryogenic vessels
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
    • F17C2203/03—Thermal insulations
    • F17C2203/0304—Thermal insulations by solid means
    • F17C2203/0337—Granular
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
    • F17C2203/03—Thermal insulations
    • F17C2203/0304—Thermal insulations by solid means
    • F17C2203/0354—Wood
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
    • F17C2203/06—Materials for walls or layers thereof; Properties or structures of walls or their materials
    • F17C2203/0602—Wall structures; Special features thereof
    • F17C2203/0612—Wall structures
    • F17C2203/0626—Multiple walls
    • F17C2203/0629—Two walls
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
    • F17C2223/01—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the phase
    • F17C2223/0146—Two-phase
    • F17C2223/0153—Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
    • F17C2223/0161—Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/25—Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Definitions

  • This invention relates essentially to a method of insulating tanks for storing or transporting liquids or liquefied gases, notably at very low temperature. This insulation method is applicable to a tank comprising a double envelope or wall and having 'a suitable insulating material disposed between the walls of said envelope.
  • a conventional heat-insulating method consists in ensuring the thermal insulation of a tank containing a liquid at very low temperature by means of envelope consisting of suitable solid heat-insulating material such as cork sheets, polystyrene, klegecell, balsa wood, etc.
  • suitable solid heat-insulating material such as cork sheets, polystyrene, klegecell, balsa wood, etc.
  • the use of these solid insulating materials is attended by many inconveniences. They are extremely costly to lay because the elements are assembled through crossed joints and it is necessary to protect the site against weather conditions during the erection.
  • the formation of shrinkage cracks is generally observed during the cooling of the tank as the latter is filled with liquid.
  • some of these materials are combustible or disintegate under the influence of heat (polystyrene, balsa wood) this inconvenience being particularly serious when storing or transporting liquid h3- drocarbons.
  • Pulverulent insulating materials are characterized by certain advantages, compared with solid insulating materials, notably in that they can be laid easily and at low cost. With pulverulent insulating materials all risks of crack formation on shrinkage, when the tank is cooling down, are definitely avoided and moreover they are incombustible and heat resistant. However, pulverulent insulating materials are attended by certain drawbacks when they are used for insulating tanks of relatively great height. Iii this case, the powder is usually subjected to a certain amount of ramming inside the double-walled envelope containing it, and this ramming action is particularly important in the case of transport tanks due to the jolts and vibration applied thereto. Finally, insulating powders constitute a compressible but non-elastic material, and therefore, due to the alternate shrinkage and expansion of the tank, this powder will gradually descend and then exert a dangerous inward pressure on the tank walls.
  • fibrous materials are suitable for the purpose but they should only be used with much care for in the case or" tariks of relatively great height convection flows between the cold wall of the reservoir and the wall of the outer casing may attain considerable values and are very difficult to avoid with gas pervious materials such as fibrous materials.
  • the method of this invention consists in filling the space provided between the two envelopes of the tank to be insulated with a mixture consisting of predetermined proportions of solid insulating grains or lumps and insulating powder in order to form an insulating conglomerate in said space.
  • the solid insulating materials in grain or lump form are introduced preferably by discharging them from the top of the aforesaid tank into the space formed between the two Walls thereof, and, after the solid insulating material in grain or lump form has been introduced, by pneumatically injecting into said space the insulating powder previously fluidized in a gaseous stream.
  • This invention is also concerned, by way of novel industrial products, with insulating walls or tanks constructed or treated according to the method broadly set forth 'hereinabove.
  • FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary longitudinal section taken across the wall of a tank insulated according to the teachings of this invention.
  • FIGURE 2 is a similar View showing a modified embodiment of the tank wall.
  • a tank comprises an inner envelope 1 and an outer envelope 2, the liquid to be stored or transported being contained in the chamber surrounded by the inner envelope 1.
  • the space formed between the inner and outer envelopes 1, 2 is filled with a conglomerate of solid insulating material in the form of lumps and grains intimately embedded in a mass of insulating powder.
  • the reference numeral 4 designates a polystyrene lump of substantially cubical configuration
  • 5 is a grain of the same material
  • 6 is a lump of fibrous material such as mineral wool or the like. All these elements are embedded in insulatin powder 7. They have been introduced by discharging the sacks containing them loosely from the top of the tank into the space formed between the double envelope of the tank wall. Subsequently, the insulating powder, previously fluidized in an apparatus of known type, has been injected pneumatically at properly selected and spaced points of the tank.
  • the density of expanded polystyrene is 0.900 lb./ cu. ft. and the insulating powder has a density of the order of 6 to 12 lbs/cu. ft., it is obvious that due to the low density of this solid material the average density of the compound insulating mass can be reduced by one half or even more while reducing proportionally the risk of ramming according to the height of the tank.
  • the size of the grains or lumps of solid insulating material is extremely variable and depends notably on the thickness of the insulating layer to be formed between the two walls of the tank. To cite an order of magnitude, grains'or lumps of a volume ranging from 0.06 to 60 cu. in. may be used.
  • a conglomerate of the type illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 which consists of grains embedded in a powder mass is particularly compressible and elastic when the grain-forming material itself is elastically compressible as in the case of expanded polystyrene.
  • the relative volumetric proportions or weight proportions of the pulverulent insulating material and of the grain or lump material embedded therein are not set forth with precision, because they are extremely variable according to the type of insulation contemplated and notably to the specific characteristics of the two materials utilized, as one material is pulverulent and the other solid, and also to the cost of these materials.
  • sufliciently small lumps for example grains of a few tenths of a cubic inch or so at the most, these grains may be deposited in the tank wall space by pneumatic injection as in the case of the pulverulent material, so that the work is simplified and cost reduced accordingly.
  • FlGURE 2 illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein the insulating material consists almost exclusively of expanded polystyrene.
  • This insulating material is particularly interesting due to its low deusit but it is attended by the very serious drawback of vanishing when heated to about 175 F.
  • specialists will be tempted to use this material for constructing an insulating wall according to this invention, considering its very low specific weight, its high elasticity even at very low temperature, and its low coefficient of conductivity approximating that of pulverulent materials.
  • a grid 10 for example a wire-netting, is disposed coaxially inside the double envelope 1, 2, for example at one-fourth of the total gap from the external envelope.
  • This wire-netting has a mesh size smaller than the grain size and therefore the solid material is kept within an annular space 11 in contact with the inner wall of the tank to provide a space 12 between the wire netting and the outer wall, this space being filled only with insulating powder.
  • a heat flow from the outer wall of the tank cannot be attainedat least during a certain time periodthe polystyrene having a poor heat resistance, as the layer of insulating powder is interposed between the outer wall of the tank and the polystyrene layer.
  • This injection will easily fill in, if necessary, any cracks or gaps formed in a compact insulating layer as a consequence of the shrinkage of the material when the tank is filled with a very cold fluid, for example liquefied gas. This filling in will eliminate convection flows between the walls.
  • Method of insulating a tank for storing liquefied gases at very low temperature said tank comprising an inner envelope and an outer envelope forming therebetween an annular space, said method consisting in filling said space with a mixture in predetermined proportions or" lumps of expanded polystyrene and pulverulent insulating material in order to constitute and insulating conglomerate in said space, a partition means being provided in said annular space formed between the inner envelope and the outer envelope of the tan said partition means serving the purpose of maintaining the conglomerate of polystyrene lumps and pulverulent insulating material against the inner envelope of tank wall, the space formed between said partition means and the outer envelope being filled only with pulverulent insulating material introduced therein by pneumatic injection.
  • Method of insulating a tank for storing liquefied gases, at very low temperatures, said tank comprising an inner envelope and an outer envelope forming therebetween an annular space said method consisting in providing in said annular space partition means, in filling the space provided between said partition means and said inner envelope with lumps of a low density solid insulating material elastically compressible even at very low temperatures together with pulverulent insulating material and in filling the space provided between said partition means and said outer envelope with pulverulent insulating material.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
US140762A 1961-02-01 1961-09-26 Method of insulating tanks for storing or transporting low-temperature liquids Expired - Lifetime US3118194A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR851371A FR1287514A (fr) 1961-02-01 1961-02-01 Procédé d'isolation pour réservoir de stockage ou de transport de liquides à basse température

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3118194A true US3118194A (en) 1964-01-21

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US140762A Expired - Lifetime US3118194A (en) 1961-02-01 1961-09-26 Method of insulating tanks for storing or transporting low-temperature liquids

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US (1) US3118194A (en)van)
BE (1) BE604465A (en)van)
DE (1) DE1180381B (en)van)
FR (1) FR1287514A (en)van)
GB (1) GB976198A (en)van)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3271924A (en) * 1963-09-03 1966-09-13 Great Lakes Carbon Corp Method of insulating cryogenic substances
US3688938A (en) * 1970-06-16 1972-09-05 Bridgestone Liquefied Gas Co Heat insulating wall structure for a low temperature liquefied gas tank of the membrane type
US3715265A (en) * 1969-09-03 1973-02-06 Mc Donnell Douglas Corp Composite thermal insulation
US3930375A (en) * 1972-11-27 1976-01-06 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Storage vessel for liquefied gas
US4134242A (en) * 1977-09-01 1979-01-16 Johns-Manville Corporation Method of providing thermal insulation and product therefor
US4136493A (en) * 1975-05-22 1979-01-30 Nrg Incorporated Supporting structure for containers used in storing liquefied gas
US4606196A (en) * 1984-12-19 1986-08-19 Union Carbide Corporation Vacuum insulation system
US4667390A (en) * 1984-12-19 1987-05-26 Union Carbide Corporation Vacuum insulation system method of manufacture
US5065582A (en) * 1989-06-05 1991-11-19 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Dewar vessel for a superconducting magnetometer device
US5386706A (en) * 1993-06-10 1995-02-07 Praxair Technology, Inc. Low heat-leak, coherent-aerogel, cryogenic system
US5419139A (en) * 1993-12-13 1995-05-30 Martin Marietta Corporation Composite cryogenic tank apparatus
US5542255A (en) * 1994-05-04 1996-08-06 Minnesota Valley Engineering, Inc. High temperature resistant thermal insulation for cryogenic tanks

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2168299A (en) * 1937-06-15 1939-08-01 Cook William Arthur Insulating partition
US2235542A (en) * 1937-08-24 1941-03-18 Wenzel Amanda Building insulation
US2520883A (en) * 1942-07-11 1950-08-29 Linde Air Prod Co Container for liquefied gases
US2552641A (en) * 1946-01-12 1951-05-15 Willard L Morrison Heat insulated container having foamed plastic insulation
FR1216160A (fr) * 1958-05-05 1960-04-22 Constock Int Methane Ltd Réservoir de stockage d'un liquide devant être maintenu à une température extrêment basse
US2963873A (en) * 1957-07-10 1960-12-13 Texas Gas Transmission Corp Method and apparatus for storing liquefied gases
US2967152A (en) * 1956-04-26 1961-01-03 Union Carbide Corp Thermal insulation
US3007596A (en) * 1956-07-16 1961-11-07 Union Carbide Corp Thermal insulation

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2168299A (en) * 1937-06-15 1939-08-01 Cook William Arthur Insulating partition
US2235542A (en) * 1937-08-24 1941-03-18 Wenzel Amanda Building insulation
US2520883A (en) * 1942-07-11 1950-08-29 Linde Air Prod Co Container for liquefied gases
US2552641A (en) * 1946-01-12 1951-05-15 Willard L Morrison Heat insulated container having foamed plastic insulation
US2967152A (en) * 1956-04-26 1961-01-03 Union Carbide Corp Thermal insulation
US3007596A (en) * 1956-07-16 1961-11-07 Union Carbide Corp Thermal insulation
US2963873A (en) * 1957-07-10 1960-12-13 Texas Gas Transmission Corp Method and apparatus for storing liquefied gases
FR1216160A (fr) * 1958-05-05 1960-04-22 Constock Int Methane Ltd Réservoir de stockage d'un liquide devant être maintenu à une température extrêment basse

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3271924A (en) * 1963-09-03 1966-09-13 Great Lakes Carbon Corp Method of insulating cryogenic substances
US3715265A (en) * 1969-09-03 1973-02-06 Mc Donnell Douglas Corp Composite thermal insulation
US3688938A (en) * 1970-06-16 1972-09-05 Bridgestone Liquefied Gas Co Heat insulating wall structure for a low temperature liquefied gas tank of the membrane type
US3930375A (en) * 1972-11-27 1976-01-06 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Storage vessel for liquefied gas
US4136493A (en) * 1975-05-22 1979-01-30 Nrg Incorporated Supporting structure for containers used in storing liquefied gas
US4134242A (en) * 1977-09-01 1979-01-16 Johns-Manville Corporation Method of providing thermal insulation and product therefor
US4606196A (en) * 1984-12-19 1986-08-19 Union Carbide Corporation Vacuum insulation system
US4667390A (en) * 1984-12-19 1987-05-26 Union Carbide Corporation Vacuum insulation system method of manufacture
US5065582A (en) * 1989-06-05 1991-11-19 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Dewar vessel for a superconducting magnetometer device
US5386706A (en) * 1993-06-10 1995-02-07 Praxair Technology, Inc. Low heat-leak, coherent-aerogel, cryogenic system
US5419139A (en) * 1993-12-13 1995-05-30 Martin Marietta Corporation Composite cryogenic tank apparatus
US5542255A (en) * 1994-05-04 1996-08-06 Minnesota Valley Engineering, Inc. High temperature resistant thermal insulation for cryogenic tanks

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1180381B (de) 1964-10-29
GB976198A (en) 1964-11-25
BE604465A (en)van)
FR1287514A (fr) 1962-03-16

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