US3662558A - In-ground storage arrangement for liquefied gases - Google Patents

In-ground storage arrangement for liquefied gases Download PDF

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Publication number
US3662558A
US3662558A US76045A US3662558DA US3662558A US 3662558 A US3662558 A US 3662558A US 76045 A US76045 A US 76045A US 3662558D A US3662558D A US 3662558DA US 3662558 A US3662558 A US 3662558A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cavity
roof
ring
invention according
support structure
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Expired - Lifetime
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US76045A
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English (en)
Inventor
Robert G Jackson
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Conch International Methane Ltd
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Conch International Methane Ltd
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    • 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
    • F17C3/00—Vessels not under pressure
    • F17C3/005—Underground or underwater containers or 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
    • F17C2203/06—Materials for walls or layers thereof; Properties or structures of walls or their materials
    • F17C2203/0634—Materials for walls or layers thereof
    • F17C2203/0678—Concrete

Definitions

  • PKTENTEDM 16 I972 SHEET 1 OF 3 Inventor Roberl' G. JflCKSOH W/lzw Attorney P'A'TENTEDMM 15 I972 SHEET 2- OF 3 Inomlor A r G. Jackson y -1- Mitorney IN-GROUND STORAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR LIQUEFIED GASES
  • This invention relates to in-ground storage arrangements for liquefied gas, i.e. a storage arrangement in which the liquefied gas is contained in a cavity in the surface of the earth which has been adapted for this purpose.
  • liquefied gas means liquid which boils at atmospheric pressure at a temperature below the ambient temperature, for example liquefied natural gas or methane and liquefied petroleum gases such as ethane, propane, butane, ethylene and propylene.
  • the present invention provides an alternative roof structure which overcomes this difficulty.
  • an in-ground storage arrangement for liquefied gas of the kind comprising an open cavity in the ground covered by a roof supported on a support structure extending around the mouth of the cavity, and means for sealing the roof to provide a pressure-tight space above the cavity
  • the roof is secured in a pressure-tight manner around its periphery to a ring beam
  • the ring beam is mounted on the support structure in such a way that it can move'horizontally relative to said support structure, and an impervious sheet is extended between the ring-beam to a part associated with the cavity, the roof, ring-beam and impervious sheet between them providing the pressure-tight space above the cavity.
  • a tank may be located in the cavity, in which case a layer of thermal insulation may be provided between said tank and the cavity.
  • the tank and the impervious sheet will be made of a material which is ductile at the operating temperature.
  • a suitable material will have a ratio of ultimate tensile strain to thermal strain over the temperature range to which it may be subjected greater than one.
  • ultimate tensile strain is meant the elongation which the material undergoes before it fails under the effect of a tensile load.
  • thermal strain is meant the elongation to which the material is subjected if it is restrained from contracting as it cools from ambient temperature to its operating temperature. Since the material cannot be allowed to fail, which could occur at stress concentrations if the ratio was one, it is preferable that the ratio should be greater than five.
  • suitable materials are stainless steels, 9 percent nickel steel, INVAR (Registered Trademark), aluminum and certain aluminum alloys.
  • an insulated ceiling structure may be suspended across the mouth of the tank.
  • the tank may be of the membrane type of self-supporting type and the impervious sheet may extend between the ring and the tank; where the tank is of the membrane type the impervious sheet may be in the form of an extension of its mouth.
  • the support structure may comprise a number of box sections supported above the earths surface on the upper ends of freeze pipes which extend from holes in the ground spaced around and from the mouth of the cavity.
  • Vertical beams may be provided within the cavity adjacent the side wall thereof for supporting and locating a membrane tank in the cavity; these beams may extend from a point below the bottom wall of the cavity and may be attached at their upper ends to the roof structure.
  • FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the first embodiment
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the second embodiment
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken'on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
  • a multiplicity-of substantially vertical holes are excavated in a circle around the area of the surface of the earth chosen for the cavity 1 and freeze pipes 4 are located in these holes.
  • the earth is then frozen by the pipes 4 and the cavity 1 excavated.
  • the holes 3 are so spaced around the mouth of the cavity 1 as to provide a number of pairs of freeze pipes 4, each pair comprising an outer and inner pipe lying on a common radial line extending from the center of the cavity 1.
  • the upper ends of each pair of freeze pipes 4 extend above ground level and support a box section 5, and the inner end of this box section is spaced radially from the mouth of the cavity 1.
  • the box sections 5 between them support a ring-beam in the form of a tubular casing 6 which provides an angled wall portion 7 constituting the periphery for the roof 8.
  • the roof 8 is in the form of a domed metal sheet 9 which is welded at its periphery to the wall 7 of the casing 6, the sheet 9 being supported on though preferably not connected to a framework 11.
  • the roof framework 11 is tensioned by tumbuckles 12 which extend between said framework and anchoring members l3 spaced around and secured to the tubular casing 6.
  • each box section 5 is strengthened by an I- section beam 14 which extends vertically into the ground and each of these beams is connected to an adjacent freeze pipe 4, via one or more bracing struts 15.
  • the surface of the earth around the mouth of the cavity 1 is provided with layers of insulation 16 and the cavity itself is lined with insulation 17.
  • a membrane type tank 18 is supported within the insulation lining 17 and the mouth of this tank is extended towards the roof.
  • the tank extension comprises a substantially horizontal annular portion 19 which is supported on the insulation layers 16, a substantially vertical cylindrical portion 21 which is supported against the inner faces of the beams 14 and the inner ends of the box sections 5, and a further substantially horizontal annular portion '22 which is attached to a flange 23 attached to the bottom of the tubular casing 6.
  • the tank extension portions 19, 21, 22 and the roof sheet 9 thus provide a pressure-tight roof space.
  • the flange 23 is provided with radial slots 23a through which bolts 23b pass for attachment to the box sections 5.
  • the slots permit the tubular casing 6 to slide radially with respect to the box sections 5 to cater for any dimensional changes of said tubular casing due to ambient temperature variations and/or should any abnormal pressures build up within the roof space.
  • Further beams 24 are provided which are spaced around the cavity 1 adjacent the side wall thereof and extend vertically from below the bottom of the cavity and are attached at their upper ends to the framework 11 of the roof structure; each of these beams 24 may be a single beam, or may be in two vertically aligned sections which are suitably secured to either side of the portion 19 of the membrane tank 18.
  • the spaces 25 left between the beams 24 and the cavity wall, due to irregularity of this wall, may be packed with, for example, wet sand, which is subsequently frozen.
  • the beams 24 act as strengthening members for the roof structure 8 and at the same time may conveniently be used to support the membrane tank 18 and its insulation 17, for example, as described in my co-pending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 76,138, filed Sept. 28, 1970.
  • a ceiling structure 26 is level that the upper surface of the insulation layers 27 is level with the horizontal annular portion 19 of the membrane tank extension.
  • the ceiling structure and suspension arrangement may, for example, be as described in my co-pending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 71,91 l, filed Sept. 14, 1970.
  • a gap 28 may be left between the mouth of the membrane tank 18 and the ceiling structure 26, the gap being covered by a porous material covering 29, for example cotton, which allows for boil-ofl gas accumulated in the membrane tank to pass through to the roof space above the ceiling structure.
  • a porous material covering 29 for example cotton, which allows for boil-ofl gas accumulated in the membrane tank to pass through to the roof space above the ceiling structure.
  • the space below the box sections 5 may be filled with a suitable insulating material.
  • the wall of the cavity 1 may be faced with a concrete layer, in which case the beams 24 can conveniently be set into this layer.
  • a vapor seal in the event that the ground is frozen to the surface, may be made by extending the substantially vertical cylindrical portion 21 into a trench excavated into the ground surface which is subsequently filled with sand wetted with a fluid which will freeze at operating temperature.
  • the portion 21 will not form part of an extension to the tank 18, but will be a separate part.
  • the annular portion 19 may be dispensed with and in its place, the tank may extend above the level of the insulation layers 16 to guard against the tank' being overfilled and hence spilling liquefied gas over onto the ground surface around the mouth of the cavity 1.
  • lt is also possible that only one freeze pipe may be used or that the box section 5 may be attached to a concrete support or piles, especially in the case where the ground is not frozen to the surface.
  • the second embodiment is in many respects similar to the first embodiment and like parts have been given the same reference numerals with primes added.
  • the cavity 1' which may be excavated after pre-freezing the surrounding ground with freeze pipes is lined with a concrete layer 30 and this layer is widened around the mouth of the cavity for added strength.
  • box sections 5' are spaced around the mouth of the cavity 1' but instead of being supported by freeze pipes they are supported on pillars 31 which are rigidly attached to the top surface of the concrete layer 30 via a flange 32 and anchoring members 33 set into said concrete layer.
  • the ring beam is in the form of a tubular casing 6' which in this instance is of a modified form and provides an angle section wall portion 7 constituting the periphery for the roof 8'.
  • the anchoring members 13' for the roof framework 11' are carried on the inner face of the tubular casing 6' via angle brackets 34.
  • a membrane tank 18' is supported within the concrete faced cavity 1 by vertical members 24' spaced around the cavity and each member is anchored at spaced positions, e.g. as shown at 35 to the face of the concrete layer 30; in this embodiment the members 24' do not extend up to the roof structure but stop short just above the level of the upper surface of the concrete layer 30.
  • the space between the membrane tank 18' and the face of the concrete layer is filled with suitable thermal insulating material 180 (see FIG. 3) which will withstand the hydrostatic force of the liquefied gas.
  • the wall of the membrane tank 18 is provided with spaced vertical corrugations 36 as shown in FIG. 3, preferably at the position of each member 24 to cater for any circumferential dimensional changes in the wall of the tank as a result of it being subjected to significant temperature variations in use.
  • the membrane tank 18 is extended to the tubular casing 6 and in this instance the extension comprises a membrane sheet 37 provided with two horizontally extending corrugations 38 which cater for any dimensional changes occurring over the height of said membrane tank.
  • a cylindrical wall 39 is provided suspended across the mouth of the membrane tank at such a between the concrete layer 30 and the tubular casing 6' and fiberglass.
  • a ceiling structure 26' is suspended across the mouth of the membrane tank 18' and is provided with insulation layers 27; further insulations layers 16 are provided across the upper surface of the concrete layer 30 and the surrounding ground.
  • the partially open upper ends of the expansion joints 36 of tank 18' are sealed by suitable cover strips 38, since these are above the insulated roof and so are not required to expand significantly because of the thermal protection afforded by the ceiling structure;
  • a large-scale in-ground storage tank for liquefied gas of the kind comprising an open cavity in the ground covered by an impervious roof 8,
  • pressure-tight means 7 sealing said ring-beam to said roof
  • the support structure comprises a number of box sections 5 supported above the ground surface on the upper ends of pillars which are rigidly anchored to the upper surface of said layer of concrete.
  • said impervious sheet comprises a substantially horizontal annular portion 19 extending radially outward from the mouth of the cavity
  • the support structure comprises a box section 5 supported above the ground surface on the upper ends of freeze pipes which extend upwardly from the ground and are spaced around the mouth of the cavity.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
US76045A 1969-11-03 1970-09-28 In-ground storage arrangement for liquefied gases Expired - Lifetime US3662558A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB5375569 1969-11-03

Publications (1)

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US3662558A true US3662558A (en) 1972-05-16

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US76045A Expired - Lifetime US3662558A (en) 1969-11-03 1970-09-28 In-ground storage arrangement for liquefied gases

Country Status (13)

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US (1) US3662558A (es)
JP (1) JPS5011616B1 (es)
AR (1) AR221808A1 (es)
BE (1) BE758377A (es)
CA (1) CA918435A (es)
DE (1) DE2050729A1 (es)
ES (1) ES384132A1 (es)
FR (1) FR2071676A5 (es)
GB (1) GB1295295A (es)
NL (1) NL7016028A (es)
NO (1) NO136805C (es)
OA (1) OA03482A (es)
SE (1) SE362053B (es)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3990248A (en) * 1974-02-27 1976-11-09 Wp-System Ab Installation for the storage of gas, especially natural gas
US6192691B1 (en) * 1999-09-20 2001-02-27 Taiyo Kogyo Corporation Method of collecting methane hydrate gas and apparatus therefor

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS63197832U (es) * 1987-06-10 1988-12-20
CN109207221A (zh) * 2018-11-27 2019-01-15 河南美丽乡村环保科技有限公司 一种家用沼气管过滤机构

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3159006A (en) * 1960-04-20 1964-12-01 Conch Int Methane Ltd Ground reservoir for the storage of liquefied gases
US3175370A (en) * 1961-02-07 1965-03-30 Conch Int Methane Ltd Roofs for reservoirs
US3241274A (en) * 1963-05-24 1966-03-22 Conch Int Methane Ltd Roof structure for ground reservoir
US3287914A (en) * 1963-08-19 1966-11-29 Phillips Petroleum Co Earthen storage for volatile liquids and method of constructing same
US3292377A (en) * 1964-04-09 1966-12-20 Conch Int Methane Ltd In-ground storage facility with footing sections and method of installing the same
US3344607A (en) * 1964-11-30 1967-10-03 Phillips Petroleum Co Insulated frozen earth storage pit and method of constructing same
US3355892A (en) * 1963-10-24 1967-12-05 Conch Int Methane Ltd Sealing means for a reservoir for a liquefied gas
US3360941A (en) * 1964-12-15 1968-01-02 Conch Int Methane Ltd Reservoir with seal for liquefied gas storage
US3379012A (en) * 1961-02-07 1968-04-23 Conch Int Methane Ltd Sealing means for ground reservoirs

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3159006A (en) * 1960-04-20 1964-12-01 Conch Int Methane Ltd Ground reservoir for the storage of liquefied gases
US3175370A (en) * 1961-02-07 1965-03-30 Conch Int Methane Ltd Roofs for reservoirs
US3379012A (en) * 1961-02-07 1968-04-23 Conch Int Methane Ltd Sealing means for ground reservoirs
US3241274A (en) * 1963-05-24 1966-03-22 Conch Int Methane Ltd Roof structure for ground reservoir
US3287914A (en) * 1963-08-19 1966-11-29 Phillips Petroleum Co Earthen storage for volatile liquids and method of constructing same
US3355892A (en) * 1963-10-24 1967-12-05 Conch Int Methane Ltd Sealing means for a reservoir for a liquefied gas
US3292377A (en) * 1964-04-09 1966-12-20 Conch Int Methane Ltd In-ground storage facility with footing sections and method of installing the same
US3344607A (en) * 1964-11-30 1967-10-03 Phillips Petroleum Co Insulated frozen earth storage pit and method of constructing same
US3360941A (en) * 1964-12-15 1968-01-02 Conch Int Methane Ltd Reservoir with seal for liquefied gas storage

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3990248A (en) * 1974-02-27 1976-11-09 Wp-System Ab Installation for the storage of gas, especially natural gas
US6192691B1 (en) * 1999-09-20 2001-02-27 Taiyo Kogyo Corporation Method of collecting methane hydrate gas and apparatus therefor

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA918435A (en) 1973-01-09
DE2050729A1 (de) 1971-06-03
NL7016028A (es) 1971-05-05
SE362053B (es) 1973-11-26
NO136805B (no) 1977-08-01
BE758377A (fr) 1971-04-16
AR221808A1 (es) 1981-03-31
GB1295295A (es) 1972-11-08
FR2071676A5 (es) 1971-09-17
NO136805C (no) 1977-11-09
ES384132A1 (es) 1972-12-16
OA03482A (fr) 1971-03-30
JPS5011616B1 (es) 1975-05-02

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