WO2019239071A1

WO2019239071A1 - Sealed and thermally insulating vessel having continuous corrugations in the liquid dome

Info

Publication number: WO2019239071A1
Application number: PCT/FR2019/051434
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mickaël HERRY
Original assignee: Gaztransport Et Technigaz
Priority date: 2018-06-15
Filing date: 2019-06-13
Publication date: 2019-12-19
Also published as: FR3082596A1; CN112513516A; CN112513516B; FR3082596B1; KR20210021022A

Abstract

A sealed and thermally insulating vessel integrated into a load-bearing structure, the walls of the vessel comprising an insulating block anchored to the load-bearing structure and a corrugated sealed membrane (16), the sealed membrane (16) comprising a series of corrugations (18) parallel to a wave direction, in which the corrugations (18) of the sealed membrane are continuous between a ceiling wall and a first liquid dome wall (23) anchored to a first wall of a chimney (8), and in which a second liquid dome wall (24) adjacent to the first liquid dome wall (23) further comprises an extra thickness layer (25) dimensioned such that a minimum distance separates a so-called continuous corrugation (18) of the sealed membrane (16) of the first liquid dome wall (23) and an edge (22) formed by the junction between the sealed membranes (16) of the first and second liquid dome walls.

Description

Watertight and thermally insulating tank with continuous ripples in the liquid dome

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks with membranes. In particular, the invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks for the storage and / or transport of liquefied gas at low temperature, such as tanks for the transport of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (also called LPG) exhibiting by example a temperature between -50 ° C and 0 ° C, or for the transport of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at around -162 ° C at atmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on the ground or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be intended for the transport of liquefied gas or to receive liquefied gas serving as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.

In one embodiment, the liquefied gas is LNG, namely a mixture with a high methane content stored at a temperature of about -162 ° C at atmospheric pressure. Other liquefied gases can also be considered, in particular ethane, propane, butane or ethylene.

Technological background

The document FR2991430 describes, in the field of liquefied natural gas transport, a sealed and thermally insulating tank structure, in which the tank comprises a support structure and tank walls fixed to the support structure. A tank wall includes a primary sealing barrier intended to be in contact with a product contained in the tank and extending parallel to a support wall of the support structure, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the sealing barrier primary and the carrier wall and extending parallel to the carrier wall, a primary insulation barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier, and a secondary insulation barrier disposed between the barrier secondary sealing and the load-bearing wall. The primary waterproofing membrane has corrugations to absorb the stresses in the tank. The support structure comprises an upper wall having an opening overhung by a liquid dome chimney connecting the interior and the exterior of said support structure. For example, such a supporting structure is a LNG tanker type whose upper wall is formed by the deck of the ship. The tank also has liquid dome walls in the chimney to insulate and seal the tank at the liquid dome.

summary

An idea at the base of the invention is to allow a continuity of the undulations developing on a ceiling wall of the sealed and thermally insulating tank at the level of a liquid dome. In particular, a basic idea of the invention is to provide a tank in which the undulations develop continuously between the ceiling wall of the tank and one or more walls of the liquid dome. A basic idea of the invention is to size the tank wall in the liquid dome so that the corrugations of the waterproof membrane of the liquid dome walls are located at a sufficient distance from the edges of the liquid dome. An idea underlying the invention is to size the walls of the liquid dome so that the junctions between the walls of the liquid dome have good mechanical strength while allowing good flexibility of the waterproof membrane.

For this, the invention provides a sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated into a support structure, the support structure comprising an upper wall having an opening and chimney walls developing towards the outside from the edges of said opening,

the tank comprising a ceiling wall anchored on the upper wall of the support structure, said ceiling wall comprising an opening arranged in line with the opening of the upper wall of the support structure, the tank further comprising liquid dome walls anchored on the chimney walls,

said tank walls comprising an insulating block anchored to the supporting structure and a corrugated waterproof membrane resting on said insulating block, the waterproof membrane comprising a series of undulations parallel to a direction of the waves,

in which corrugations of the waterproof membrane are continuous between the ceiling wall and a first liquid dome wall anchored on a first chimney wall, said first chimney wall interrupting the upper wall of the support structure in line with said continuous corrugations,

and in which a second liquid dome wall adjacent to the first liquid dome wall is anchored on a second chimney wall, the waterproof membrane forming between the first liquid dome wall and the second liquid dome wall a first edge, a third liquid dome wall adjacent to the first liquid dome wall being anchored on a third chimney wall, the waterproof membrane forming between the first liquid dome wall and said third liquid dome wall a second edge,

at least one of the second and third liquid dome walls further comprising an overthickness layer, said overthickness layer being dimensioned so that:

S1 1 + S12 = D1- (d1 + 2E1)> e1, and

S1 1 <E1 and S12 <E1

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall of the support structure, S1 1 is a dimension of a first layer of extra thickness belonging to the second liquid dome wall when said second liquid dome wall comprises a said layer of additional thickness, S12 is a dimension of a second layer of additional thickness belonging to the third liquid dome wall when said third wall of liquid dome comprises a said layer of additional thickness, D1 is a dimension of the first chimney wall , d1 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane of the first liquid dome wall, E1 is a thickness of the insulating block of the tank walls and e1 is the smallest among a distance between the first edge and a so-called continuous undulation of the waterproof membrane adjacent to the first edge and a distance between the second edge and a said continuous undulation of the membrane waterproof adjacent to the second edge. Thanks to these characteristics, in particular thanks to the layer or layers of additional thickness, it is possible to choose the position of the opening of the ceiling wall in the chimney so that i) the corrugations are sufficiently distant from the edges for allow a simple and reliable junction of the waterproof membrane of the liquid dome wall with the second and third liquid dome walls and that ii) the undulations are continuous between the ceiling wall and the first liquid dome wall. In other words, the additional layer makes it possible to position the opening of the ceiling wall so that the undulations of the waterproof membrane of the ceiling wall are sufficiently distant from the edges to be able to be continuous between the ceiling wall and the first wall. of liquid dome while making it possible to join in a simple and reliable way the walls of liquid dome.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is therefore possible to provide a tank having a waterproof membrane having good flexibility, including at the level of the liquid dome, making it possible to extend the undulations of the ceiling wall in the liquid dome, without generating a concentration point. constraints by interrupting the undulations and while maintaining a reliable junction between the liquid dome walls.

The invention also provides for the situation in which the thickness of the insulating blocks, arranged and fixed on the opposite walls of the chimney, are different from each other, or even different from the thickness of the insulating block of the walls of tanks arranged and fixed on the walls of the supporting structure.

According to embodiments, such a sealed and thermally insulating tank may include one or more of the following characteristics.

According to one embodiment, the second liquid dome wall and the third liquid dome wall develop parallel to the direction of the waves.

The chimney can be made with different shapes. According to one embodiment, the chimney has a shape of rectangular section. According to one embodiment, the chimney comprises a fourth chimney wall, said fourth chimney wall being parallel and facing the first chimney wall and carrying a fourth liquid dome wall.

According to one embodiment, a transverse wall of the support structure has a projecting portion above the upper wall, said projecting portion forming a said chimney wall. In other words, a chimney wall is arranged in the same plane as a transverse wall of the support structure, said chimney wall extending the transverse wall of the support structure above the upper wall. According to one embodiment, this projecting portion of the support structure forms the fourth chimney wall.

According to one embodiment, the liquid dome wall anchored on the projecting portion of the transverse wall of the support structure has a structure and a thickness identical to the structure and the thickness of the vessel wall anchored on said transverse wall of the load-bearing structure.

According to one embodiment, the undulations are juxtaposed according to a regular wave pitch p1, and in which e1 <p1.

Thanks to these characteristics, the additional layer is dimensioned so that the opening of the ceiling wall can be arranged with a corrugation of the ceiling wall externally adjacent to said opening of the ceiling wall, that is to say not leading to the opening of the ceiling wall and therefore not being extended on the first liquid dome wall, located at a distance from the edge. Thus, said externally adjacent corrugation of the ceiling wall can be continuous on said ceiling wall around the opening of the ceiling wall.

According to one embodiment, the waterproof membrane has flat portions interposed between two adjacent corrugations of the series of corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the wave pitch corresponds to the distance between the vertices of the undulations in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves. According to one embodiment, the distance e1 is 217mm and the wave pitch p1 is 340mm.

According to one embodiment, S1 1 + S12 <p1.

According to one embodiment, the dimension d1 of the waterproof membrane of the first liquid dome wall is defined according to the equation d1 = n1 * p1 + A1, in which n1 is a positive integer and e1 + p1> A1> 2e1.

According to one embodiment, the second liquid dome wall has a first thicker layer S11 and the third liquid dome wall has a second thicker layer S12.

According to one embodiment, the series of undulations of the waterproof membrane is a first series of undulations and the direction of the waves on the ceiling wall is a longitudinal direction of the chimney,

the waterproof membrane of the ceiling wall further comprising a second series of corrugations parallel to a transverse direction of the chimney, the longitudinal direction of the chimney and the transverse direction of the chimney being perpendicular,

in which corrugations of the second series of corrugations are continuous between the ceiling wall and the second liquid dome wall, the second chimney wall interrupting the upper wall of the support structure in line with said continuous corrugations of the second series of undulations

the tank comprising a fourth liquid dome wall anchored to a fourth chimney wall, the fourth liquid dome wall being adjacent to the second and third liquid dome walls, the waterproof membrane forming a third edge between the fourth liquid dome wall and the second liquid dome wall and a fourth edge between the fourth liquid dome wall and the third liquid dome wall, at least one of the first liquid dome wall and the fourth liquid dome wall having an oversized thickness layer of so that:

S21 + S22 = D2- (d2 + 2E2)> e2, and

S21 <E2 and S22 <E2 in which, in the longitudinal direction of the chimney, S21 is a dimension of a third layer of additional thickness belonging to the first liquid dome wall when said first liquid dome wall comprises a said layer of additional thickness, S22 is a dimension of a fourth layer of extra thickness belonging to the fourth liquid dome wall when said fourth wall of liquid dome comprises a said layer of extra thickness, D2 is a dimension of the second chimney wall, d2 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane of the second wall of liquid dome and e2 is the smallest among a distance between the first edge and a said continuous undulation of the second wall of liquid dome adjacent to the first edge and a distance between the fourth edge and a said continuous undulation of the second wall of liquid dome adjacent to the fourth ridge.

As in the case stated above, in connection with the first series of corrugations, the invention also provides for the situation in which the thickness of the insulating blocks, arranged and fixed on the opposite walls of the chimney, are different from each other in the case of the second series of undulations.

According to one embodiment, the first liquid dome wall and the fourth liquid dome wall develop parallel to the transverse direction of the chimney.

According to one embodiment, the wave pitch p1 separating two adjacent undulations of the first series of undulations is a first wave step, the undulations of the second series of undulations being juxtaposed and spaced by a second step d regular wave p2, and in which e2 <p2.

According to one embodiment, S21 + S22 <p2.

According to one embodiment, the dimension d2 of the waterproof membrane of the second liquid dome wall is defined according to the equation d2 = n2 * p2 + A2, in which n2 is a positive integer and e2 + p2> A2> 2e2.

According to one embodiment, the first liquid dome wall has a third thicker layer of thickness S21 and the fourth liquid dome wall has a fourth thicker layer of thickness S22. According to one embodiment, p1 = p2.

The insulating block can be produced in different ways. According to one embodiment, the insulating block comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulating panels.

According to one embodiment, the layer of extra thickness is interposed between the insulating block and the chimney wall on which said insulating block is anchored. According to one embodiment, the overthickness layer is formed by a plurality of additional elements interposed between the insulating block and the corresponding chimney wall. According to one embodiment, an additional element of the overthickness layer comprises an insulating lining interposed between two rigid plates. According to one embodiment, this insulating lining is a rigid foam.

According to one embodiment, the insulating block of the walls of the tank comprises a primary thermally insulating barrier and a secondary thermally insulating barrier, the waterproof membrane being a primary waterproof membrane resting on the primary thermally insulating barrier, the insulating block further comprising a secondary waterproof membrane interposed between the primary thermally insulating barrier and the secondary thermally insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for assembling the liquid dome of a sealed and thermally insulating tank in a support structure, the support structure comprising an upper wall having an opening of predefined dimensions and chimney walls. developing outwards from the edges of said opening,

the tank comprising a ceiling wall anchored on the upper wall of the support structure, said ceiling wall comprising an opening arranged in line with the opening of the upper wall of the support structure,

the ceiling wall comprising an insulating block anchored to the supporting structure and a corrugated waterproof membrane resting on the insulating block, the waterproof membrane comprising a series of undulations parallel to a direction of the waves, the method comprising the steps of isolating the liquid dome by anchoring portions of insulating block on the walls of the chimney, said portions of insulating block forming a support surface contiguous with a ceiling support surface formed by the insulating block of the ceiling wall,

sealing the liquid dome by mounting portions of corrugated waterproof membrane on the support surfaces formed by the portions of insulating block and by sealingly connecting said portions of waterproof membrane with the corrugated waterproof membrane of the ceiling wall,

wherein the step of isolating the liquid dome comprises, for at least one of a second liquid dome wall and a third liquid dome wall adjacent to a first liquid dome wall, anchoring a layer of extra thickness on a wall chimney corresponding to said at least one liquid dome wall, said additional layer being interposed between the insulating block and said chimney wall, said additional layer being dimensioned so that:

S11 + S12 = D1- (d1 + 2E1)> e1, and

S1 1 <E1 and S12 <E1

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall of the support structure, S11 is a dimension of a first layer of additional thickness belonging to the second liquid dome wall when said second liquid dome wall comprises an extra thickness layer, S12 is a dimension of a second extra thickness layer belonging to the third liquid dome wall when said third liquid dome wall has an extra thickness layer, D1 is a dimension of the first chimney wall on which is anchored the first liquid dome wall, d1 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane of said first liquid dome wall, E1 is a thickness of the insulating mass of the tank walls and e1 is a distance between a said undulation of the waterproof membrane of the first liquid dome wall and an adjacent edge formed by the first liquid dome and one of the second and third liquid dome walls. and wherein the step of sealing the liquid dome includes aligning undulations of the waterproof membrane of the first liquid dome wall so that undulations are continuous between the ceiling wall and said first liquid dome wall, said first chimney wall interrupting the upper wall of the supporting structure in line with said continuous undulations.

Such a tank can be part of a terrestrial storage installation, for example to store LNG or be installed in a floating structure, coastal or deep water, in particular an LNG tanker, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) , a floating production and remote storage unit (FPSO) and others. Such a tank can also serve as a fuel tank in any type of ship.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a vessel for the transport of a cold liquid product comprises a double hull and a said tank arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method of loading or unloading such a ship, in which a cold liquid product is conveyed through isolated pipes from or to a floating or land storage facility to or from the vessel of the ship.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising the aforementioned ship, isolated pipes arranged so as to connect the tank installed in the hull of the ship to a floating storage installation or terrestrial and a pump to drive a flow of cold liquid product through the isolated pipes from or to the floating or terrestrial storage facility to or from the vessel of the ship.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration and without limitation. , with reference to the accompanying drawings. • Figure 1 is a partial schematic view of a support structure for receiving the walls of a sealed and thermally insulating tank;

• Figure 2 is a partial sectional view in a horizontal plane II-II as illustrated in Figure 3 of a sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated in the supporting structure of Figure 1 at the liquid dome;

• Figure 3 is a partial sectional view in a vertical plane III-III as illustrated in Figure 2 of the sealed and thermally insulating tank of Figure 2 at the liquid dome;

• Figure 4 is a cutaway schematic representation of an LNG tank and a loading / unloading terminal of this tank.

Detailed description of embodiments

In connection with FIG. 1, we can see the rear part of a supporting structure 1 intended to receive the walls of a sealed and thermally insulating tank. This supporting structure 1 is for example formed by the double hull of a ship. The supporting structure 1 has a generally polyhedral shape. The supporting structure 1 has two front 2 and rear 3 walls, here in an octagonal shape. In FIG. 1, the front wall 2 is only partially represented in order to allow the visualization of the internal space of the carrying structure 1. The front walls 2 and rear 3 are cofferdam walls of the ship and extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ship. The supporting structure 1 also includes an upper wall 4, a lower wall 5 and side walls 6. The upper wall 4, the lower wall 5 and the side walls 6 extend in the longitudinal direction of the ship and connect the front walls 2 and back 3.

The upper wall 4 comprises, near the rear wall 3, an opening 7. The supporting structure 1 further comprises a chimney 8, of rectangular parallelepiped shape, projecting upwards, called liquid dome. This chimney 8 is defined by two transverse walls, front 9 and rear 10, and by two side walls 11, 12 which extend vertically and project from the upper wall 4 upwards. More particularly, each wall 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8 develops from a respective edge of the opening 7 formed in the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1. The liquid dome further comprises a horizontal cover, not represented in FIG. 1, which is intended to seal the opening formed between the walls 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8.

With reference to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the tank is a membrane tank having a multilayer structure. Also, each wall of the tank successively has, from outside to inside, in the thickness direction of the wall, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 anchored against the support structure 1, a secondary sealing membrane 14 anchored to the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13, a primary thermally insulating barrier 15 resting against the secondary sealing membrane 14 and a primary sealing membrane 16 anchored to the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 and intended to be in contact with the fluid contained in tank. The primary 13 and secondary 15 thermally insulating barriers are for example formed from insulating elements juxtaposed so as to form a support surface for the waterproof membranes 14, 16. This multilayer structure of the tank is arranged on each of the walls 4, 5, 6 of the supporting structure 1. This multilayer structure is also present on the walls 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8.

The primary sealing membrane 16 consists of a plurality of metal plates juxtaposed with each other with overlap. These metal plates are preferably rectangular in shape. The metal plates are welded together in order to ensure the tightness of the primary waterproofing membrane 16. The metal plates are for example made of stainless steel, an iron-based alloy with a high nickel or manganese content of 0.5 1.5 mm thick.

In order to allow the deformation of the primary sealing membrane 16 in response to the various stresses undergone by the tank, in particular in response to the thermal contraction resulting from the loading of liquefied gas into the tank, the metal plates have a plurality of corrugations 17 oriented towards the inside of the tank.

More particularly, as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, the primary sealing membrane 16 comprises a series of first parallel corrugations 18, and a series of second parallel corrugations 19. The first corrugations 18 develop perpendicular to the second corrugations 19. Thus, the first corrugations 18 and the second corrugations 19 form a regular rectangular pattern over substantially the entire surface of the primary sealing membrane 16. The first corrugations 18 develop parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ship. The second undulations 19 develop parallel to a transverse axis of the ship. Preferably, the portions of first corrugations 18 and second corrugations 19 formed by the same metal plate develop parallel to the respective edges of said metal plate. The corrugations 18, 19 of the same series of corrugations 18, 19 are spaced apart by a regular wave pitch. A distance between two successive undulations 18, 19 of the same series of undulations is for example of the order of 200mm to 800mm and ideally 340mm.

By way of example, each wall of the tank may in particular be of the type as described for example in FR2691520 or in the document WO14057221.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a ceiling wall 20 of the sealed and thermally insulating tank anchored on the upper wall 4 of the support structure has an opening 21. This opening 21 of the ceiling wall is arranged in line with the opening 7 of the chimney 8. This opening 21 is delimited by the primary sealing membrane 16 of the tank walls anchored on the walls 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8. Thus, the primary sealing membrane 16 has edges 22 at the junction between the primary sealing membrane portions 16 of the tank walls anchored on the walls 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8.

In order to ensure good flexibility of the primary sealing membrane 16 at the level of the liquid dome, the walls of tanks anchored on the walls 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8 are arranged so that the corrugations 18, 19 of the primary sealing membrane 16 of said tank walls extend the corrugations 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 of the tank. In other words, transverse liquid dome walls 23 of the tank anchored on the front 9 and rear 10 walls of the chimney 8 are arranged so that the first corrugations 18 of the ceiling wall 20 are aligned with first corrugations 18 corresponding to said transverse liquid dome walls 23. Likewise, longitudinal liquid dome walls 24 of the tank anchored on the side walls 11, 12 of the chimney 8 are arranged so that the second undulations 19 of the ceiling wall 20 are aligned with second corresponding corrugations 19 of said longitudinal liquid dome walls 24.

The alignment of the corrugations 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 with corresponding corrugations 18, 19 of the transverse liquid dome walls 23 and longitudinal 24 makes it possible to continuously extend the corrugations 18, 19 between the ceiling wall 20 and said liquid dome walls 23, 24. This extension is for example produced by means of a corner angle comprising a corrugation portion 18, 19 connecting the corrugations 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 and liquid dome walls 23, 24. Thus, the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the tank has good flexibility, including at the junction between the ceiling wall 20 and the liquid dome walls 23, 24, limiting the presence of a point of tension in the primary waterproofing membrane 16.

However, the position of the corrugations 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 is independent of the position of the opening 7 of the support structure 1. Indeed, the opening 7 of the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1 has a predetermined position and dimensions, that is to say defined before the anchoring of the ceiling wall 20 on said upper wall 4 of the supporting structure 1. Thus, when the ceiling wall 20 is anchored on the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1, the metal plates forming the primary sealing membrane 16 are mounted juxtaposed successively on the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 which determines the position of the corrugations 18, 19 at the opening 7.

Thus, when the liquid dome walls 23, 24 are mounted on the chimney 8, the distance between an undulation 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 and the edges 22 are not controlled. More specifically, the distance between a corrugation 18, 19 to be extended on a first liquid dome wall 23,

24 and an edge 22 of the primary waterproof membrane 16 formed by the junction of said first liquid dome wall 23, 24 and an adjacent second liquid dome wall 24, 23 is not controlled. However, if this distance is too small, this junction cannot be made in a reliable and solid manner so as to withstand the stresses in the liquid dome.

In other words, it is possible that the thermally insulating barriers 13, 15 and the secondary sealing membrane 14 have a thickness such that the support surface formed by the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 of the second liquid dome wall 24, 23 is located in a plane too close to the corrugation 18, 19 of the ceiling wall 20 so that said corrugation 18, 19 cannot be extended on the first liquid dome wall 23, 24 without prejudice to the mechanical strength of the junction between the first and second liquid dome walls 23, 24.

To avoid this, the walls of the liquid dome 23, 24 are dimensioned in order to guarantee an adequate positioning of the opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20 with respect to the corrugations 18, 19 of said ceiling wall 20. For this, the walls liquid dome 23, 24 have an additional layer 25 intended to adapt the thickness of said liquid dome 23, 24. This additional layer 25 is interposed between the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 and the corresponding wall 9, 10, 1 1, 12 from the chimney 8.

This additional layer 25 can be produced in many ways. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, this additional layer has a structure similar to the structure of the thermally insulating barriers 13, 15. For example, this additional layer

25 is formed by a plurality of parallelepipedal blocks comprising an insulating lining layer, for example of polyurethane foam, interposed between two rigid plates, for example of plywood. In this embodiment, the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 can be anchored on the chimney 8 either directly, for example via anchoring members interposed between two parallelepipedic blocks of the additional layer 25, or indirectly by being anchored or glued to the additional layer 25. In an embodiment not illustrated, the additional layer 25 forms a discontinuous support surface for the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13. For example, the parallelepipedal blocks of the additional layer 25 are spaced so as to form a discontinuous support surface sufficient for create a space between the wall 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8 and the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 while allowing the anchoring of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 on said wall 9, 10, 11, 12 of the chimney 8. Preferably, the spaces between two parallelepipedal blocks of the additional layer 25 are filled with an insulating lining, for example glass wool.

Such an additional layer 25 makes it possible to adapt the thickness of the liquid dome walls 23, 24. This additional layer 25 thus makes it possible to adapt the position of the primary sealing membrane 16 in the chimney 8 and therefore to adapt the position of the opening 21 in the ceiling wall 20 despite the fact that the position and the dimensions of the opening 7 in the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1 are predefined. Typically, the position of the primary sealing membrane 16 delimiting the opening 21 in the ceiling wall 20 is determined on the one hand by the position of the walls 9, 10, 1 1, 12 of the chimney 8 and, from on the other hand, by the thickness of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13, the thickness of the secondary sealing membrane 14, the thickness of the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 and the thickness of the additional layer 25.

Thus, the additional layer 25 and more particularly its dimensioning in thickness allows perfect control of the positioning and adaptation to the predefined dimensions of the opening 7, in particular for forming the opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20.

Preferably, a width d1 of the opening 21 has a dimension taken in a transverse direction of the ship defined by the equation:

d1 = n1 * p1 + 2 * A1

in which n1 is a positive integer, p1 is the wave pitch corresponding to the difference between two adjacent longitudinal undulations 18 of the ceiling wall, for example p1 = 340mm, and D1 is a distance from the dome wall transverse liquid 23 making it possible to connect the primary waterproof membrane 16 of said transverse liquid dome wall 23 in a stable and reliable manner with the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the adjacent longitudinal liquid dome walls 24. Thus, D1 meets the equation e1 + p1>A1> 2e1, in which e1 is a required gap between the edge 22 and an adjacent undulation to allow the reliable and simple connection between the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the liquid dome walls forming said edge 22, for example e1 = 217.5mm.

Furthermore, the opening 7 of the upper wall has a width D1 taken in a transverse direction of the ship defined by the equation

D1 = d1 + E1 + S1 1 + E1 + S12

In which E1 represents the thickness taken in the transverse direction of the vessel of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13, of the secondary waterproof membrane 14, of the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 and of the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the longitudinal liquid dome walls 24 , for example E1 = 270mm, and S11 and S12 represent the thickness in the transverse direction of the vessel of the additional layers 25 of said longitudinal liquid dome walls 24. S1 1 and S12 correspond to the excess thickness formed by the additional layers 25, just as S21 and 22 presented below, and this additional layer 25 is made up of all elements arranged between the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13, or the single thermally insulating barrier in such an embodiment, and the chimney wall 9, 10, 11 or 12 such as an insulating material, an insulating sandwich material (with one or two layers of (skin and a layer of heart) or multi-coating comprising a layer of mastic joined to a layer of plywood / polymer foam.

As explained above, by modifying the thickness of the overlayer 25, it is possible to modify the position of the opening 21 in the opening 7. In particular, it is possible to modify this position of the opening 21 of so as to obtain at least the distance e1 between a corrugation 18 of the ceiling wall 20 and the edge 22 of the primary waterproof membrane 16 formed by liquid dome walls 23, 24. Thus, it is possible to adapt this difference so that these corrugations 18 can be extended on the transverse walls 23 of liquid dome while retaining a portion of waterproof membrane sufficient to ensure good mechanical strength of the junction between the primary waterproof membranes 16 of the liquid dome walls 23, 24 Typically, the thickness of the overlayer 25 is then determined according to the equation:

S1 1 + S12 = D1 - (d1 + 2E1)> e1,

In which e1 is the minimum distance desired between the edge 22 formed by the primary waterproof membrane 16 of a transverse liquid dome wall 23 and a longitudinal undulation 18 of the ceiling wall 20 adjacent to said edge 22 and extended on said transverse liquid dome wall 23. e1 is less than the wave pitch p1 so that a longitudinal undulation 18 of the ceiling wall 20 adjacent to the edge 22 but situated outside the opening 21 is not too close to said edge 22 and can be continuous on the ceiling wall 20.

Preferably, S1 1 + S12 <p1, thus allowing greater freedom of positioning of the opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20 in the opening 7 of the upper wall 4 of the support structure.

Similarly, a length d2 of the opening 21 has a dimension taken in a longitudinal direction of the ship defined by the equation: d2 = h2 * r2 + D2

in which n2 is a positive integer, p2 is the wave pitch corresponding to the difference between two adjacent transverse undulations 19 of the ceiling wall, for example p2 = p1 = 340mm, and D2 a distance from the liquid dome wall longitudinal 24 for stable and reliable connection of the primary waterproof membrane 16 of said longitudinal liquid dome wall 24 with the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the transverse liquid dome walls 24 adjacent. Thus, D2 meets the equation e2 + p2>A2> 2e2, in which e2 is a required gap between the edge 22 and an adjacent undulation to allow the reliable and simple connection between the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the liquid dome walls forming said edge 22, for example e2 = e1 = 217.5mm. In a preferred embodiment, D1 is equal to D2. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear wall 10 of the chimney 8 is formed by the rear wall 3 of the support structure 1. Thus, for ease of assembly, the transverse liquid dome wall 23 carried by the rear wall 10 of the chimney 8 is produced in an identical manner to the tank wall anchored on the rear wall 3 of the support structure. In other words, the transverse liquid dome wall 23 anchored on the rear wall 10 does not have an additional layer 25.

Thus, the opening 7 of the upper wall also has a length D2 taken in the longitudinal direction of the ship defined by the equation

D2 = d2 + E2 + S21 + E2

In which E2 represents the thickness taken in the longitudinal direction of the vessel of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13, of the secondary waterproof membrane 14, of the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 and of the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the transverse liquid dome walls 23 , and S21 represents the thickness in the longitudinal direction of the vessel of the additional layer 25 of the transverse liquid dome wall 23 anchored on the front wall 9 of the chimney 8.

As explained above, by modifying the thickness of the overlayer 25 by modifying the thickness S21 of the overlayer 25, the opening 20 can be arranged so as to ensure a gap e2 between the corrugations 19 and the edges 22. Typically, the thickness of the overlay 25 is then determined according to the equation:

S21 = D2- (d2 + 2E2)> e2

in which e2 is the minimum distance desired between the edge 22 formed by the primary waterproof membrane 16 of a longitudinal liquid dome wall 24 and a transverse corrugation 19 of the ceiling wall 20 adjacent to said edge 22 and extended on said longitudinal liquid dome wall 24. Preferably, e2 is less than the wave pitch p2 so that a transverse undulation 19 of the ceiling wall 20 adjacent to the edge 22 but situated outside the opening 21 is not too close to said edge 22 and can be continuous on the ceiling wall 20. In an embodiment not illustrated, the rear wall 10 of the chimney 8 is distinct from the rear wall 3 of the support structure 1. Consequently, the transverse liquid dome wall 23 anchored on said rear wall 10 has a structure similar to the transverse liquid dome wall 23 anchored on the front wall 9 and comprises the additional layer 25, the length d2 then responding to the equation d2 = h2 * r2 + D2 in which e2 + p2>A2> 2e2. The length of the opening 7 when the rear wall 10 of the chimney 8 is distinct from the rear wall of the support structure 3 then respond to the equation D2 = d2 + E2 + S21 + E2 + S22, S22 being the thickness taken in the longitudinal direction of the vessel of the additional layer 25 of the transverse liquid dome wall 23 anchored on said rear wall 10 of the chimney 8.

The additional layers 25 of the transverse liquid dome walls 23 then correspond to the equation S21 + S22 = D2- (d2 + 2E2)> e2.

Preferably, S21 + S22 <p2, thus allowing greater freedom of positioning of the opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20 in the opening 7 of the upper wall 4 of the supporting structure.

In FIG. 2, the gaps between the edges 22 and the adjacent corrugations 18, 19 of the liquid dome walls 23, 24 are illustrated identical with a value e1, e2 on either side of the liquid dome walls 23, 24. However, modifying the thicknesses S1 1, S12, S21, S22 of the overlays 25, these distances between the edges 22 and the adjacent undulations of the walls of liquid dome 23, 24 can vary and be distinct on one side and on the other d 'the same liquid dome wall 23, 24.

Numerical example:

In an exemplary embodiment, the wavelengths p1 between the adjacent corrugations 18 is 340mm.

In addition, e1 has a value of 217.5 mm corresponding to an assembly requirement for correctly welding the metal plates of the primary waterproof membrane 16 of the liquid dome walls together and ensuring good mechanical behavior of the primary waterproof membrane 16. The insulating blocks have a thickness E1 = 270mm + 12.5mm, 270mm representing the thickness of the primary thermally insulating barrier 15, the secondary sealing membrane 14 and the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 and 12.5mm representing a thickness of mastic (not shown) inserted between the secondary thermally insulating barrier 13 and the supporting structure 3 or the overthickness layer and the supporting structure 3.

The opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20 has in this numerical example a width of d1 = n1 x 340 + 2 x 217.5mm, values of n1 are, for example, n1 = 13, or n1 = 14 or even n1 = 15. For example, with n1 = 13, the opening 21 of the ceiling wall has a width d1 = 13 x 340 + 2 x 217.5 = 4420 + 435 = 4855mm.

The opening 7 of the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1 has for example a width D1 = d1 + 2 * E1 + 260mm.

Thus, it is possible to modify the value of the additional thickness layers S11 and S12 in order to adjust the position of the opening 21 of the ceiling wall 20 in the opening 7 of the upper wall 4 of the supporting structure without requiring modifications to the design of the insulating blocks and by simply modifying the dimensions of the additional thicknesses S1 1, S12.

Typically, in this example, S11 + S12 = 260mm so that it is possible to vary the dimensions S11 and S12 in order to modify the position of the opening 21 in the opening 7 of the upper wall 4. For example, in starting from a central position of the opening 21 in the opening 7 for which initial values of S1 1 and S12 are such that S11 = S12 = 130mm, it is possible to modify the respective values of S11 and S12 to move 0 to 130mm the opening 21 towards one of the side walls 1 1, 12 of the chimney 8 or the other of said side chimney walls 12, 11 of the chimney from said central position. Ideally, S11 + S12 = 340mm, thus covering all the construction requirements of a tank. This digital example is described in the context of the width dimensions of the tank, but could be applied in a similar manner in the context of longitudinal dimensions of the tank. In one embodiment, the invention also provides for the situation in which the thickness of the insulating blocks, arranged and fixed on the opposite walls of the chimney, are different from each other, or even different from the thickness of the insulating block of the walls of tanks arranged and fixed on the walls of the supporting structure.

Thus, if we first consider the two opposite walls of the chimney, more precisely the walls 1 1 and 12 shown in Figures 1 and 2 attached. The thickness of the insulating block anchored to the wall 11 may be different from the thickness of the insulating block anchored to the wall 12 so that the first thickness E1 ′ is arbitrarily designated respectively (that of the insulating block of the liquid dome wall anchored on the chimney wall 11) and the second thickness E1 (that of the insulating block of the liquid dome wall anchored on the chimney wall 12).

In this case, the invention also provides a sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated into a support structure, the support structure comprising an upper wall having an opening and chimney walls developing towards the outside from the edges of said opening,

said tank walls comprising an insulating block anchored to the support structure and a corrugated waterproof membrane resting on said insulating block, the waterproof membrane comprising a series of undulations parallel to a direction of the waves,

and in which a second liquid dome wall adjacent to the first liquid dome wall is anchored on a second chimney wall, the waterproof membrane forming between the first liquid dome wall and the second liquid wall liquid dome a first edge, a third liquid dome wall adjacent to the first liquid dome wall being anchored on a third chimney wall, the waterproof membrane forming between the first liquid dome wall and said third liquid dome wall a second edge ,

l (E1 ’+ S1 1) - (E1 + S12) I <p1

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall of the supporting structure, E1 ′ is the thickness of the insulating block of the second liquid dome wall while E1 is the thickness of the insulating block of the third liquid dome wall, S11 is a dimension of a first layer of additional thickness belonging to the second liquid dome wall when said second liquid dome wall comprises a said layer of additional thickness, S12 is a dimension of a second layer of extra thickness belonging to the third liquid dome wall when said third liquid dome wall includes a said extra thickness layer, p1 is the wave pitch corresponding to the difference between two adjacent longitudinal undulations of the ceiling wall.

In this inequality, the signs "I ... I" mean that we consider the absolute value of the difference between these signs.

Thus, in this situation, the invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank, in which the series of undulations of the waterproof membrane is a first series of undulations and the direction of the waves on the ceiling wall is a longitudinal direction of the fireplace,

the waterproof membrane of the ceiling wall further comprising a second series of undulations parallel to a transverse direction of the chimney, the longitudinal direction of the chimney and the transverse direction of the chimney being perpendicular,

l (E2 ’+ S21) - (E2 + S22) l <p2

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall of the support structure, E2 ′ is the thickness of the insulating mass located near the fourth wall (10) of liquid dome while E2 is l thickness of the insulating block located near the first wall (9) of liquid dome, S21 is a dimension of a first layer of additional thickness belonging to the fourth wall of liquid dome when said fourth wall of liquid dome comprises a said layer of overthickness, S22 is a dimension of a second overthickness layer belonging to the first liquid dome wall when said first liquid dome wall includes a said overthickness layer, p2 is the wave pitch corresponding to the difference between two undulations longitudinal adjacent to the ceiling wall.

The technique described above for producing a sealed and thermally insulating tank can be used in different types of tanks, for example to constitute an LNG tank in a land installation or in a floating structure such as an LNG tanker or other. In particular, Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a sealed and thermally insulating tank with double membrane. However, this technique can also be implemented in the case of a sealed and thermally insulating tank having only a single waterproof membrane and a single thermally insulating barrier.

Referring to Figure 4, a cutaway view of an LNG tanker 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary waterproof barrier intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary waterproof barrier arranged between the primary waterproof barrier and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary waterproof barrier and the secondary waterproof barrier and between the secondary waterproof barrier and the double shell 72.

In a manner known per se, loading / unloading lines 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship can be connected, by means of appropriate connectors, to a maritime or port terminal for transferring a cargo of LNG from or to the tank 71.

FIG. 4 represents an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipe 76 and a shore installation 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore installation comprising an arm mobile 74 and a tower 78 which supports the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the loading / unloading pipes 73. The movable arm 74 can be adjusted to suit all LNG carrier sizes . A connection pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading and unloading of the LNG carrier 70 from or to the onshore installation 77. This comprises liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connection pipes 81 connected by the submarine pipe 76 to the loading or unloading station 75. The submarine pipe 76 allows the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the shore installation 77 over a long distance, for example 5 km, which allows keep the LNG carrier 70 away from shore during loading and unloading operations.

To generate the pressure necessary for the transfer of the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 70 and / or pumps fitted to the shore installation 77 and / or pumps fitted to the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

The use of the verb "to include", "to understand" or "to include" and its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those stated in a claim. The use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" for an element or a stage does not exclude, unless otherwise stated, the presence of a plurality of such elements or stages.

In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims

1. Watertight and thermally insulating tank integrated in a support structure (1), the support structure (1) comprising an upper wall (4) having an opening (7) and chimney walls (9, 10, 11, 12) ( 8) developing outwards from the edges of said opening (7),

the tank comprising a ceiling wall (20) anchored on the upper wall (4) of the support structure, said ceiling wall (20) comprising an opening (21) arranged in line with the opening (7) of the upper wall (4) of the supporting structure (1), the tank further comprising liquid dome walls (23, 24) anchored on the walls (9, 10, 1 1, 12) of the chimney (8),

said tank walls comprising an insulating block anchored on the supporting structure (1) and a corrugated waterproof membrane (16) resting on said insulating block, the waterproof membrane (16) comprising a series of undulations (18) parallel to a direction of waves,

in which corrugations (18) of the waterproof membrane (16) are continuous between the ceiling wall (20) and a first liquid dome wall (23) anchored on a first chimney wall (9) (8), said first wall (9) of chimney (8) interrupting the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1) in line with said continuous corrugations (18),

and in which a second liquid dome wall (24) adjacent to the first liquid dome wall (23) is anchored on a second chimney wall (1 1), the waterproof membrane (16) forming between the first liquid dome wall (23) and the second liquid dome wall (24) a first edge (22), a third liquid dome wall (24) adjacent to the first liquid dome wall (23) being anchored on a third chimney wall (12 ), the waterproof membrane (16) forming between the first liquid dome wall (23) and said third liquid dome wall (24) a second edge (22),

at least one of the second and third liquid dome walls further comprising an overthickness layer (25), said overthickness layer (25) being dimensioned so that: S11 + S12 = D1- (d1 + 2E1)> e1, and

S1 K E1 and S12 <E1

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1), S11 is a dimension of a first layer of additional thickness (25) belonging to the second dome wall liquid (24) when said second liquid dome wall (24) comprises a said extra thickness layer, S12 is a dimension of a second extra thickness layer (25) belonging to the third liquid dome wall (24) when said third wall of liquid dome (24) comprises a said layer of additional thickness, D1 is a dimension of the first wall (9) of chimney (8), d1 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane (16) of the first wall of liquid dome (23 ), E1 is a thickness of the insulating block of the walls of the tank and e1 is the smallest among a distance between the first edge (22) and a continuous said undulation (18) of the waterproof membrane (16) adjacent to the first edge ( 22) and a di stance between the second edge (22) and a continuous said undulation (18) of the waterproof membrane (16) adjacent to the second edge (22).

2. A sealed and thermally insulating tank according to claim 1, in which the second liquid dome wall and the third liquid dome wall develop parallel to the direction of the waves.

3. Watertight and thermally insulating tank according to claim 1 or

2, in which the undulations (18) are juxtaposed according to a regular wave pitch p1, and in which e1 <p1.

4. Sealed and thermally insulating tank according to claim 3, in which S11 + S12 <p1.

5. Watertight and thermally insulating tank according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the series of undulations of the waterproof membrane is a first series of undulations and the direction of the waves on the ceiling wall is a longitudinal direction of the fireplace,

the waterproof membrane of the ceiling wall (20) further comprising a second series of undulations (19) parallel to a transverse direction of the chimney (8), the longitudinal direction of the chimney (8) and the transverse direction of the chimney (8) being perpendicular,

in which corrugations (19) of the second series of corrugations (19) are continuous between the ceiling wall (20) and the second liquid dome wall (24), the second chimney wall (11) interrupting the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1) in line with said continuous corrugations (19) of the second series of corrugations (19),

the tank comprising a fourth liquid dome wall (23) anchored to a fourth chimney wall (10), the fourth liquid dome wall being adjacent to the second and third liquid dome walls, the waterproof membrane (16) forming a third edge (22) between the fourth liquid dome wall (23) and the second liquid dome wall (24) and a fourth edge (22) between the fourth liquid dome wall (23) and the third liquid dome wall (24) , at least one of the first liquid dome wall and the fourth liquid dome wall comprising an overthick layer (25) dimensioned so that:

S21 + S22 = D2- (d2 + 2E2)> e2, and

S21 <E2 and S22 <E2

in which, in the longitudinal direction of the chimney (8), S21 is a dimension of a third layer of extra thickness (25) belonging to the first liquid dome wall (23) when said first liquid dome wall comprises a said layer of extra thickness (25), S22 is a dimension of a fourth layer of extra thickness (25) belonging to the fourth liquid dome wall (23) when said fourth wall of liquid dome (23) comprises a said layer of extra thickness (25) , D2 is a dimension of the second chimney wall (11) (8), d2 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane (16) of the second liquid dome wall (24) and e2 is the smallest among a distance between the first edge and said continuous ripple (19) of the second liquid dome wall (24) adjacent to the first edge (22) and a distance between the fourth edge (22) and said continuous ripple (19) of the second wall adjuvant liquid dome (24) nte at the fourth edge (22).

6. A sealed and thermally insulating tank according to claim 5, in which the first liquid dome wall and the fourth liquid dome wall develop parallel to the transverse direction of the chimney.

7. A sealed and thermally insulating tank according to claim 3 or 4 taken in combination with claim 5 or 6, in which the wave pitch p1 separating two adjacent undulations of the first series of undulations is a first wave step, the undulations of the second series of undulations (19) being juxtaposed and spaced by a second regular wave pitch p2, and in which e2 <p2.

8. A sealed and thermally insulating tank according to claim 7, in which S21 + S22 <p2.

9. Watertight and thermally insulating tank according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the insulating block of the walls of the tank comprises a primary thermally insulating barrier (15) and a secondary thermally insulating barrier (13), the waterproof membrane being a primary waterproof membrane (16) resting on the primary thermally insulating barrier (15), the insulating block further comprising a secondary waterproof membrane (14) interposed between the primary thermally insulating barrier (13) and the secondary thermally insulating barrier (15) .

10. Method for assembling the liquid dome of a sealed and thermally insulating tank in a support structure (1), the support structure (1) comprising an upper wall (4) having an opening (7) of predefined dimensions and walls (9, 10, 11, 12) of chimney (8) developing towards the outside from the edges of said opening (7),

the tank comprising a ceiling wall (20) anchored on the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1), said ceiling wall (20) comprising an opening (21) arranged in line with the opening (7) of the upper wall (4) of the support structure (4),

the ceiling wall (20) comprising an insulating block anchored to the support structure (1) and a corrugated waterproof membrane (16) resting on the insulating block, the waterproof membrane (16) comprising a series of corrugations (18) parallel to a direction of the waves, the method comprising the steps of

insulating the liquid dome by anchoring portions of insulating block on the walls (9, 10, 11, 12) of the chimney (8), said portions of insulating block forming a support surface contiguous with a support surface of the ceiling formed by the insulating block of the ceiling wall (20), sealing the liquid dome by mounting portions of waterproof membrane (16) corrugated on the support surfaces formed by the portions of insulating block and sealingly connecting said portions of membrane watertight (16) with the corrugated waterproof membrane (16) of the ceiling wall (20),

wherein the step of isolating the liquid dome comprises, for at least one of a second liquid dome wall (24) and a third liquid dome wall (24) adjacent to a first liquid dome wall (23) , anchoring an overthick layer (25) on a chimney wall corresponding to said at least one liquid dome wall, said overthick layer being interposed between the insulating block and said chimney wall (8), said overthick layer being dimensioned so that :

S1 1 + S12 = D1- (d1 + 2E1)> e1, and

S1 1 <E1 and S12 <E1

in which, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves and parallel to the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1), S11 is a dimension of a first layer of additional thickness (25) belonging to the second dome wall liquid (24) when said second liquid dome wall (24) has an extra thickness layer, S12 is a dimension of a second extra thickness layer (25) belonging to the third liquid dome wall (24) when said third thickness wall liquid dome (24) has a layer of extra thickness, D1 is a dimension of the first wall (9) of the chimney (8) on which the first liquid dome wall is anchored, d1 is a dimension of the waterproof membrane (16) of said first liquid dome wall (23), E1 is a thickness of the insulating block of the tank walls and e1 is a distance between a said corrugation (18) of the waterproof membrane (16) of the first liquid dome wall (23) and an adjacent edge (22) formed by the first liquid dome and one of the second and third liquid dome walls.

and in which the step of sealing the liquid dome comprises aligning corrugations (18) of the waterproof membrane (16) of the first liquid dome wall (23) so that corrugations (18) are continuous between the ceiling wall (20) and said first liquid dome wall (23), said first chimney wall (9) interrupting the upper wall (4) of the support structure (1) in line with said continuous corrugations (18).

11. Ship (70) for transporting a cold liquid product, the ship comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to one of claims 1 to 9 disposed in the double hull.

12. A method of loading or unloading a ship (70) according to claim 11, in which a cold liquid product is conveyed through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) from or to a floating storage installation or terrestrial (77) to or from the vessel (71).

13. Transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 11, insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged so as to connect the tank (71) installed in the hull from the ship to a floating or terrestrial storage facility (77) and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the isolated pipes from or to the floating or terrestrial storage facility to or from the vessel of the ship.