WO2021074435A1

WO2021074435A1 - Sealed and thermally insulating tank

Info

Publication number: WO2021074435A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/079289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicolas LAURAIN; Antoine PHILIPPE; Sébastien DELANOE
Original assignee: Gaztransport Et Technigaz
Priority date: 2019-10-18
Filing date: 2020-10-16
Publication date: 2021-04-22
Also published as: CN114568030A; FR3102228B1; KR102437681B1; KR20210110884A; FR3102228A1; JP2023508622A; CN114568030B

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank wherein each of the tank walls comprises an insulating barrier arranged between the sealed membrane and the load-bearing wall, the tank wall comprising a metal corner beam (10, 30) arranged parallel to the edge (100) comprising planar wings having a receiving portion (12, 30) which extends away from the edge, wherein a first portion of the insulating barrier is located under a proximal portion of the receiving portions of the planar wings (12, 30) and comprises at least one row of first insulating panels (21), a second portion of the insulating barrier further from the edge comprising at least one row of second insulating panels (22), characterised in that an end portion of strakes (32) of the sealed membrane (4, 104) is welded to a distal portion of the receiving portions (30) extending over the second portion of the insulating barrier.

Description

Sealed and thermally insulating tank

The invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks, with membranes, for the storage and / or transport of fluid, such as a liquefied gas. Sealed and thermally insulating membrane tanks are used in particular for the storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored, at atmospheric pressure, at approximately -163 ° C. These tanks can be installed on land or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be intended for the transport of liquefied natural gas or to receive liquefied natural gas serving as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure

Technological background

Document WO-A-89/09909 discloses a sealed and thermally insulating tank for liquefied natural gas storage arranged in a supporting structure and whose walls have a multilayer structure, namely from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary thermally insulating barrier anchored against the supporting structure, a secondary waterproof membrane which is supported by the secondary thermally insulating barrier, a primary thermally insulating barrier which is supported by the secondary waterproof membrane and a primary waterproof membrane which is supported by the thermally barrier primary insulator and which is intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank. The primary insulating barrier comprises a set of rigid plates which are held by means of the weld supports of the secondary waterproof membrane.

In one embodiment, the primary waterproof membrane is formed by an assembly of rectangular sheets comprising corrugations in two perpendicular directions, said sheets being welded together to overlap and being welded by their edges to metal strips fixed in rebates along edges of the primary insulating barrier plates.

WO-A-2019077253 describes a sealed and thermally insulating tank wall comprising in a length direction: a first area in which the insulating modules have spacers developing between the cover panel and the bottom panel so that the bottom panel bottom and the cover panel of said insulating modules are kept at a distance from each other by said spacers and a second area in which a structural insulating foam is interposed between the cover panel and the bottom panel so that the panel cover of the insulating modules is kept away from the bottom panel by said structural insulating foam.

It was shown in WO-A-2019077253 that the behavior in contraction in the thickness is determined by at least one parameter chosen from the coefficient of thermal contraction and the elastic modulus in the thickness. Thus, the characteristics such as the coefficient of thermal contraction and the modulus of elasticity in the thickness are not the same for these different insulating moduli, which is likely to create differences in cold thickness, resulting in height differences between successive insulating modules, resulting in flatness defects in the support surfaces of the waterproof membranes. To limit these defects, WO-A-2019077253 provides a transition zone interposed between the first zone and the second zone, in which the insulating modules are formed so that the tank wall in said transition zone has at least one chosen parameter. among the coefficient of thermal contraction and the modulus of elasticity in the thickness direction of the vessel wall, the value of which is between the corresponding value of the first zone and the corresponding value of the second zone.

summary

An idea underlying certain aspects of the invention is to limit the vulnerability of the waterproofing membranes to height differences between successive insulating modules.

Another idea at the basis of certain aspects of the invention consists in providing a tank wall combining the advantages of a secondary membrane formed of parallel strakes, the robustness of which has been proven by experience, and of a primary membrane. corrugated, which can have very good mechanical resistance to stresses, resulting for example from thermal contraction, movements of the cargo and / or the deformation of the ship beam at sea.

Another idea underlying certain aspects of the invention is to provide a corner structure for such a vessel wall, which is relatively easy to manufacture.

According to one embodiment, the invention provides a sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated into a supporting structure, the tank comprising a first tank wall fixed to a first supporting wall and a second tank wall fixed to a second supporting wall joining the first load-bearing wall at the level of an edge of the load-bearing structure,

in which each of the first and second tank walls comprises at least one waterproof membrane and an insulating barrier arranged between the waterproof membrane and the load-bearing wall,

in which the waterproof membrane comprises a plurality of strakes made of a low coefficient of expansion alloy, a strakes comprising a flat central portion resting on an upper surface of the insulating barrier and two raised edges projecting towards the interior of the tank with respect to the central portion, the strakes being juxtaposed and welded together in a sealed manner at the level of the raised edges,

the vessel wall comprising a metal corner beam arranged parallel to the ridge and anchored to the first and second bearing walls, the corner beam comprising a first flat wing parallel to the first bearing wall and a second flat wing parallel to the second load-bearing wall, the two plane wings being rigidly linked to one another at the level of a sealed connection zone forming an angle of the sealed membrane, each of the first and second flat wings having a receiving portion which s' extends away from the edge from the connection zone,

wherein a first portion of the insulating barrier is located below a proximal portion of the receiving portions of the planar wings and has at least one row of first insulating panels, each of the first insulating panels including a cover plate, a bottom plate, and spacers developing in the direction of thickness of the tank wall between the base plate and the cover plate to keep the base plate and the cover plate at a distance from each other,

wherein a second portion of the insulating barrier farther from the ridge than the first portion of the insulating barrier has at least one row of second insulating panels, each of the second insulating panels including a cover plate, a bottom plate and a block of insulating foam interposed between the bottom plate and the cover plate so that the cover plate is kept away from the bottom plate by the block of insulating foam,

and wherein an end portion of the strakes of the waterproof membrane is welded to a distal portion of the receiving portions of the planar wings extending over the second portion of the insulating barrier.

Thanks to this arrangement, it is possible to use the second insulating panels based on structural insulating foam on large portions of the tank wall, to benefit from the better thermal insulation properties of these panels. The first insulating panels having spacers developing in the direction of thickness are however used near the edge, and possibly in any other area of the vessel wall where the compressive stresses are higher, to benefit from the best stress resistance of these insulating panels.

Thanks to the characteristics of the corner beam, the receiving portions of the plane flanges of the corner beam extend above the first portion of the insulating barrier, where the first insulating panels have a shrinking behavior in the 'thickness which is mainly determined by the shrinking behavior in the thickness of the load-bearing struts, cover plates and bottom plates and up to the second portion of the insulating barrier, where the second insulating panels have a shrinking behavior in the thickness which is mainly determined by the behavior in contraction in the thickness of the insulating foam. Thus, the receiving portions of the flat flanges of the angle beam span the interface between the first and second portions of the insulating barrier and any height differences which appear there in the cold. The strakes with raised edges can thus be kept away from this interface to rest on a support surface which is not affected by these possible differences in height.

Preferably, the distal portion of the flat wings extends over the second portion of the insulating barrier over a distance greater than 100mm, or even greater than 200mm, in a direction perpendicular to the ridge. Thus, any differences in height between the first and second portions of the insulating barrier can be taken up over a sufficient length of the flat wings, so as to avoid excessive shearing. According to other advantageous embodiments, such a tank may have one or more of the following characteristics.

The anchoring of the secondary beam to the supporting structure can be achieved in different ways. According to one embodiment, each of the first and second planar wings also has an anchoring portion which extends towards the supporting structure with respect to the connection zone, the anchoring portion of the first planar wing and respectively of the second planar wing being linked to the second bearing wall and respectively to the first bearing wall.

The connection between the anchoring portion of a flat wing and the load-bearing wall can be achieved in different ways, for example by bolting, welding or the like. According to one embodiment, the first bearing wall, and respectively the second bearing wall, carries an anchoring plate arranged at a distance from the edge substantially equal to the thickness of the secondary insulating barrier and the anchoring portion of the first flat wing and respectively of the second flat wing is welded to the anchor plate, preferably to the surface of the anchor plate which is remote from the ridge.

According to one embodiment, a stiffening element made of insulating material is fixed to the corner beam between the anchoring portions of the first and second flat flanges, the stiffening element comprising spacer plates arranged perpendicular to the edge for maintaining the angle between the anchoring portions of the first and second plane wings equal to an angle of the two bearing walls.

According to one embodiment, the stiffening element further comprises two support plates of insulating material fixed respectively against a surface facing the edge of the anchoring portions of the first and second plane wings parallel to them, the plates d 'spacing being arranged between the two support plates.

The angle beam can be made in different ways, using a greater or lesser number of mechanically welded metal parts. According to one embodiment, the corner beam comprises a base spider having a first flat lug parallel to the first bearing wall and a second flat lug parallel to the second bearing wall, said sealed connection zone being formed between the first lug flat and the second flat tab, the corner beam further comprising two flat metal strips welded in a sealed manner to the first and second flat tabs respectively and extending parallel to the first and second bearing walls respectively to form the receiving portion of the wings planes.

Such a structure can be used in a vessel wall having a single waterproof membrane and a single insulating barrier or in a vessel wall having several waterproof membranes and / or several insulating barriers throughout its thickness. According to a corresponding embodiment, the waterproof membrane is a secondary waterproof membrane and said insulating barrier is a secondary insulating barrier arranged between the secondary waterproof membrane and the load-bearing wall and each of the first and second tank walls may further include a waterproof membrane. primary intended to be in contact with a product contained in the tank and a primary insulating barrier arranged between the primary waterproof membrane and the secondary waterproof membrane.

The secondary insulating barrier can be made in different ways. According to one embodiment, the secondary insulating barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepipedal secondary insulating panels.

According to one embodiment, the primary waterproof membrane comprises metal plates having first parallel corrugations, second corrugations perpendicular to the first corrugations and flat portions located between the first corrugations and between the second corrugations and resting on an upper surface of the barrier. primary insulator,

the tank wall comprising a row of primary corner pieces arranged parallel to the ridge, each primary corner piece comprising a metal angle iron onto which is welded an end portion of the primary waterproof membrane of the first and second walls of tank and a rigid insulating part arranged between the metal angle iron and the corner beam,

the primary corner pieces resting on an inner surface of the first and second plane flanges of the corner beam,

and angle retainers retain said primary angle pieces to the secondary insulating barrier of the first and second vessel walls or to the first and second load-bearing walls, the angle retainers being configured to sealingly pass through the receiving portions of the flat wings of the corner beam.

Corner retainers can be configured to retain the primary corner piece to the secondary insulating barrier and / or to the load-bearing wall of each of the two vessel walls. Advantageously, the corner pieces can thus be retained on the corner beam without creating a metallic connection between the two waterproof membranes, which makes it possible to limit the heat flow and to make the two waterproof membranes independent, with the difference for example architectures using an all-metal double connecting ring, for example in invar®.

According to one embodiment, the corner retaining members comprise metal rods fixed on or between the first insulating panels of the secondary insulating barrier in line with the row of primary corner pieces and projecting through the receiving portions. flat wings of the corner beam to cooperate with the primary corner pieces.

According to one embodiment, one or each corner retaining member comprises a bracket fixed under the cover plate of a said first insulating panel, said bracket comprising a central plate parallel to the cover plate and two fixing lugs s 'extending perpendicularly to the central plate and fixed to two spacers of said first insulating panel, and a said metal rod fixed to said central plate, for example by screwing or welding, and passing through the cover plate of the first insulating panel.

According to one embodiment, a said corner retaining member comprises a base fixed to one or each supporting wall in line with the primary corner piece and a coupler retained by the base and extending through the thickness. of the secondary insulating barrier and the receiving portion of one or each planar wing to cooperate with the rigid insulating part.

Such a coupler may or may not cooperate with the secondary insulating panels. According to one embodiment, said coupler comprises a secondary coupler cooperating with a said first insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier to retain the first insulating panel on the bearing wall and a primary coupler carried by the secondary coupler and cooperating with the rigid insulating part. to retain the rigid insulating piece.

The primary insulating barrier can be made in different ways. According to one embodiment, the primary insulating barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepipedal primary insulating panels.

According to one embodiment, a said primary insulating panel adjacent to the primary corner piece comprises a cover plate, a base plate and a structural insulating foam interposed between the base plate and the cover plate so that the plate cover is kept away from the bottom plate by said structural insulating foam. It is also possible to use primary insulating panels based on structural insulating foam on large portions of the tank wall, to benefit from the better thermal insulation properties of these panels.

According to one embodiment, the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a first row of second insulating panels, said first row being adjacent to the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier,

the primary insulating barrier has a first row of primary insulating panels adjacent to the row of primary corner pieces, and

the first row of second insulation boards carries a row of primary retainers for retaining the first row of primary insulation boards to the secondary insulation barrier of the first and second vessel walls.

According to one embodiment, the receiving portions of the flat wings extend over the first row of the second insulating panels beyond said row of primary retaining members in a direction perpendicular to the ridge and are crossed in a sealed manner. by the primary retainers.

This arrangement is advantageous in that it makes it possible to locate the openings for the passage of the primary retaining members in the flat wings rather than in the strakes with raised edges. However, the flat wings are preferably made of a sheet having a greater thickness than the strakes with raised edges.

According to an alternative embodiment, said row of primary retaining members is arranged on the first row of second insulating panels beyond the receiving portions of the planar wings in a direction perpendicular to the ridge and the primary retaining members pass through tightly the strakes of the secondary waterproof membrane.

According to one embodiment, one or each second insulating panel has a relationship slot extending parallel to the ridge and extending through the thickness of the second insulating panel through the cover plate and an upper portion of the block. of insulating foam, the primary retaining members being carried by the second insulating panel between said relaxation slot and one end of the second insulating panel facing the edge, preferably at approximately mid-distance between the relaxation slot and the end of the second insulating panel.

In an alternative embodiment, the first row of second insulation panels carries the row of primary retainers to a position about half a dimension of the second insulation panel taken in a direction perpendicular to the ridge.

Thanks to these arrangements, either with a relaxation slit or without a relaxation slit but with a smaller width for the second insulating panel, it is ensured that the thermal contraction of the second insulating panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge can s 'perform in a relatively balanced manner on either side of the row of primary retaining members. This prevents the thermal contraction of the second insulating panel from being able to create a tensile force on the primary retaining members, which would then tend to shear the secondary waterproof membrane.

According to one embodiment, the first row of the second insulating panels comprises an insulating foam having a first density and the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a second row of the second insulating panels further from the edge than the first row of the second. insulating panels, and the second row of the second insulating panels has an insulating foam having a second density lower than the first density.

Thanks to these characteristics, as the coefficient of thermal contraction and the elastic modulus of the insulating foam change with its density, a height difference can also be created between the two rows of the second insulating panels under the effect of the thermal contraction. Thus, by using several rows of second insulation boards having different densities, it is possible to stagger the height deviations caused by thermal contraction and hydrostatic compression under load into a plurality of successive small deviations, instead of locating these deviations. at the interface between the first and second portions of the insulating barrier, where appropriate secondary insulating barrier.

According to one embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the dimension of the primary corner pieces is greater than the dimension of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier, so that the row of the primary corner pieces overlaps the first row of the second insulation panels.

According to an alternative embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the dimension of the primary corner pieces is smaller than the dimension of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier, so that the first row of the primary insulating panels overlaps the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier.

Thanks to these arrangements, the interface between the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier and the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier is overlapped by elements of the primary insulating barrier, namely either the row of primary corner pieces, or the first row of primary insulation boards. This overlap has the effect of distributing over the width of these elements of the primary insulating barrier a possible difference in height when cold between the two portions of the secondary insulating barrier. Thus, the flatness of the support surface of the primary membrane is improved at this point and in fact the shear forces on the membrane are reduced.

According to one embodiment, the rigid insulating part of the primary corner pieces comprises an insulating foam having a first density and a said or each primary insulating panel comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate and a block of insulating foam interposed between the bottom plate and the cover plate such that the cover plate is held away from the bottom plate by said block of insulating foam, said block of insulating foam having a second density lower than the first density.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to use the second density of insulating foam on large portions of the primary insulating barrier, to benefit from the best thermal insulation properties. The first density of insulating foam is however used near the edge, and possibly in any other area of the tank wall where the compressive stresses are higher, to benefit from the best resistance to stresses.

According to one embodiment, in a first row of primary insulating panels adjacent to the row of primary corner pieces, the primary insulating panel comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate and at least two blocks of insulating foam of different densities. interposed between the bottom plate and the cover plate so that the cover plate is kept away from the bottom plate by said blocks of insulating foam. The bottom plate and the cover plate can be glued to the insulating foam blocks.

Preferably, a first of the two blocks of foam insulation closer to the row of corner pieces has a higher density than the second block of foam insulation farther from the row of corner pieces. The first block of insulating foam, for example, has the same density as the rigid insulating piece of the primary corner pieces or as the first row of the second insulating panels.

According to one embodiment, said row of primary retaining members is arranged on the first row of second insulating panels to the right of the first block of insulating foam, namely the most dense.

The secondary waterproof membrane can be formed in different ways. According to one embodiment, in at least one said tank wall, a longitudinal direction of the strakes is perpendicular to the edge, the secondary waterproof membrane further comprising a row of end strakes having a flat edge forming the portion of end of the strakes of the secondary waterproof membrane welded to the corner beam, the end strakes having raised edges parallel to said longitudinal direction of the strakes and which gradually tapering towards the corner beam. Other details of such a membrane are for example described in WO-A-2012072906.

The primary waterproof membrane can be formed in different ways. According to embodiments, the first and second corrugations can be continuous or discontinuous at the level of the intersections between first and second corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the first corrugations of the primary waterproof membrane extend perpendicularly to the ridge, the primary waterproof membrane comprising cap pieces welded to the metal angle to close said first corrugations. The cap piece is known, for example, from WO-A-2014167228.

According to one embodiment, the first corrugations of the primary waterproof membrane extend perpendicularly to the ridge, the primary waterproof membrane comprising a corrugated corner piece welded to the metal angle iron to connect a said first corrugation of the first wall of tank to a said first corrugation of the second tank wall. The corrugated corner piece is known for example from FR-A-2739675.

In one embodiment, bridging elements are arranged straddling the first row of primary insulation panels and the row of primary corner pieces to improve the flatness of the top surface of the primary insulation barrier.

The secondary beam can be manufactured with a greater or lesser length. In one embodiment, the secondary beam has at least two beam segments juxtaposed along the ridge with a spacing and a connecting member disposed in the space to join the two beam segments together. Thus, it is possible to manufacture secondary beam in several successive pieces, for example having a length of 1 to 3 m each, which facilitates handling.

According to one embodiment, the product contained in the tank is a liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas.

Such a tank can be part of an onshore storage facility, for example to store LNG or be installed in a floating, coastal or deep water structure, in particular an LNG vessel, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU). , a floating production and remote storage unit (FPSO) and others.

According to one embodiment, a ship for transporting a cryogenic fluid comprises a double hull and an above-mentioned tank arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the double shell comprises an internal shell forming the supporting structure of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a fluid, the system comprising the aforementioned vessel, isolated pipes arranged so as to connect the tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land storage installation. and a pump for driving a fluid through the insulated pipelines from or towards the floating or terrestrial storage facility to or from the vessel of the vessel.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, in which a fluid is conveyed through isolated pipes from or to a floating or terrestrial storage installation to or from the tank of the vessel. ship.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will emerge more clearly during the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. , with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a corner zone of a sealed and thermally insulating tank according to one embodiment, in a first manufacturing step;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, in a second manufacturing step;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, in a third manufacturing step;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, enlarged and broken away, showing a detail of an insulation panel which can be used in the corner area;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing another embodiment of the corner zone;

FIG. 6 is a view of the corner zone in the third manufacturing step, in section in a plane perpendicular to the edge;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a stiffening element usable in the corner area;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the corner area at a final manufacturing step with parts broken away;

FIG. 9 is a view of the corner zone at the final manufacturing step, in section in a plane perpendicular to the edge, according to another embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, showing yet another embodiment of the corner zone.

FIG. 11 is a cut-away schematic representation of an LNG vessel tank and of a loading / unloading terminal for this tank.

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of the primary membrane and of the primary insulating barrier according to one embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing yet another embodiment of the corner zone.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an insulating panel usable in the corner area according to one embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of a corner zone of the tank in which the insulating panel of FIG. 14 is used.

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 14 showing an insulating panel according to another embodiment.

Detailed description of embodiments

The vessel wall is attached to the wall of a supporting structure. By convention, we will call "on" or "above" a position located closer to the interior of the tank and "under" or "below" a position located closer to the supporting wall, whatever the orientation of the tank wall with respect to the earth's gravity field.

FIG. 8 shows the multilayer structure of two walls 1 and 101 of a sealed and thermally insulating tank for the storage of a liquefied fluid, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), in a corner zone . Each wall 1, 101 of the tank comprises successively, in the direction of the thickness, from the outside towards the inside of the tank, a secondary thermally insulating

barrier

2, 102 retained at a supporting

wall

3, 103, a membrane secondary waterproof 4, 104 resting against the secondary thermally insulating

barrier

2, 102, a primary thermally insulating

barrier

5, 105 resting against the secondary

waterproof membrane

4, 104 and a primary

waterproof membrane

6, 106 intended to be in contact with natural gas liquefied contained in the tank.

The supporting structure can in particular be formed by the hull or the double hull of a ship. The supporting structure comprises a plurality of supporting

walls

3, 103 defining the general shape of the tank, usually a polyhedral shape. The two

bearing walls

3 and 103 meet at an edge 100, forming a dihedral angle which could have different values. Here an angle of 90 ° is shown.

The structure of the corner zone will now be described more precisely with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. Since the structure of the two vessel walls 1 and 101 is essentially symmetrical with respect to the edge 100 in the embodiments. illustrated, the tank wall 1 will be essentially described. The elements of the tank wall 101 will bear the same reference numerals as the elements of the tank wall 1 increased by 100 and will not be described again.

Referring to Figure 1, a base spider 10, metallic, is placed parallel to the edge 100 in the thickness of the secondary

insulating barrier

2, 102. The base spider 10 comprises two flat parts which extend parallel. to the supporting

walls

3 and 103 respectively and intersect in a sealed manner. Each flat part consists of an anchoring

portion

11, 111 welded to an

anchoring plate

113, 13, preferably to the surface of the anchoring plate which is remote from the edge 100, and a

flat lug

12 , 112 which projects away from the supporting

wall

103, 3 to which the anchoring portion is fixed. These two flat parts are assembled at right angles by a welded connection. Each of the two flat pieces can be made as a single piece or in the form of several plates welded together.

An insulating lining 15 is housed along the ridge 100 in the space between the two anchoring

plates

13, 113, behind the base spider 10. In a first embodiment, this insulating lining 15 does not support d 'high stresses and can be made of glass wool or other material such as insulating foam. In a second embodiment, if greater mechanical strength is desired in this area, the insulating lining 15 comprises a plywood box filled with an insulating material such as glass or rock wool, perlite or insulating foam.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown the secondary insulating barrier 2. The secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprises a plurality of secondary insulating panels which are anchored to the bearing wall 3 by means of retaining devices which are not all shown. The secondary insulating panels have a general parallelepipedal shape and are arranged in rows parallel to the edge 100. Rods of mastic, not shown, are interposed between the secondary insulating panels and the supporting wall 3 to make up for the gaps in the supporting wall 3 by compared to a plane reference surface. A film not shown, for example made of kraft paper, can be inserted between the mastic strands and the

carrier wall

3, 103 to prevent adhesion of the mastic strands on the

carrier wall

3, 103.

Such a film is not essential. Conversely, the mastic rolls can be used to bond the secondary insulating panels to the load-bearing wall 3.

The secondary insulating panels are made according to different structures. In a first portion of the secondary insulating barrier 2, an insulating panel 21 of a first type is produced in the form of a box comprising a bottom plate 41, a cover plate 40 and supporting webs 42 extending, in the thickness direction of the vessel wall, between the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 and delimiting a plurality of compartments 43 filled with an insulating lining 44, for example a polymer foam, in particular made of polyurethane, of perlite, or glass or rock wool.

In a variant, the supporting webs 42 are replaced by pillars of small section relative to the overall section of the panel. Such a general structure is for example described in WO-A-2012/127141 or WO-A-2017/103500.

In an embodiment better visible in FIG. 4, an insulating panel 21 comprises load-bearing webs 42 developing parallel to the ridge 100. The load-bearing webs 42, the base plate 41 and the cover plate 40 can be produced in plywood or composite material. They define compartments 43, shown empty in FIG. 4 but which are in fact filled with an insulating lining 44. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, and applicable to all the figures, the supporting sails 42 are oriented. perpendicular to edge 100.

In a second portion of the secondary insulating barrier 2, an insulating panel 22 of a second type comprises a bottom plate 23, a cover plate 24, and possibly an intermediate plate, not shown, for example made of plywood. The insulating panel 22 also comprises one or more layer (s) of insulating polymer foam 25 sandwiched between the bottom plate 23 and the cover plate 24 (and the possible intermediate plate) and glued to these. The insulating polymer foam 25 can in particular be a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with fibers. Such a general structure is for example described in WO-A- 2017/006044.

The secondary insulating panels have different structures depending on their location in the vessel wall 1. Thus, the insulating panels 21 of the first type are used in an end region of the vessel wall 1 located near the ridge 100 and the insulating panels 21 of the first type. secondary insulating panels 22 of the second type are used further from the edge 100.

Thus, in FIG. 2, the secondary insulating barrier 2 comprises a row of insulating panels 21 of the first type arranged against the base spider 10. The insulating panels 21 form a first portion of the secondary insulating barrier 2, in which the behavior in contraction in thickness is controlled by spacers. The insulating panels 21 are disposed partially under the flat tab 12, which can be screwed into the cover plates 40 to stiffen it. The insulating panels 21 are fixed to the supporting wall 3 by retaining members 29 arranged between the insulating panels 21.

For example, as visible in Figure 6, the retaining member 29 comprises two studs 26 housed in bases 27 welded to the bearing wall 3 and a plate 28 bolted on the studs 26 to engage on two insulating panels 21 arranged on either side of the retaining member 29. In particular, the plate 28 engages the cleats 45 formed at the ends of the carrier webs 42. Alternatively, the cleats 45 are independent of the carrier webs 42, by example in the form of inserts on the base plate 41.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, a flat metal strip 30 is welded in a sealed manner to the flat tab 12 of the base spider 10 and extends in the extension of the flat tab 12 away from the edge, so as to cover the row of the insulating panels 21 and to overlap the first row of the insulating panels 22. The overlap on the first row of the insulating panels 22 can have a greater or lesser dimension, as visible in comparison in Figures 3 and 5. It is preferably greater than 100mm.

The base spider 10 and the

flat bands

30 and 130 together constitute a corner beam which completes the secondary waterproof membrane 4 in the corner of the tank. For the rest, the secondary waterproof membrane 44 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes, with raised edges, not shown because they are known elsewhere. The strakes are welded by their raised edges on parallel welding supports (not shown) which are fixed in grooves 31 formed on the cover plates 24 of the insulating panels 22. The strakes are, for example, made of Invar®: this is that is to say an alloy of iron and nickel, the coefficient of expansion of which is typically between 1.2.10 ^-6 and 2.10 ^-6 K ^-1 . It is also possible to use alloys of iron and manganese, the coefficient of expansion of which is typically of the order of 7.10 ^-6 K ^-1 . The corner beam can be made from the same materials. Other details of such a continuous web of metal strakes are described for example in WO-A-2012/072906.

Figure 3 shows only the end of the strakes of the secondary membrane 4, which is formed of a row of end strakes 32 having a flat edge 33 sealingly welded to the flat strip 30 and raised edges extending the edges. raised strakes and which gradually decrease in the direction of the flat edge 33. The end strakes 32 are arranged on the insulating panels 22 and do not overhang the insulating panels 21. Thus, a possible difference in height between the insulating panels of the two types is not reflected on the strakes with the raised edge, but only on the flat strip 30 which is flat and can more easily work in flexion.

To make the corner beam all along the ridge 100, it is preferable to use several successive segments, the length of which is adapted to the handling conditions, for example 1 to 3m per segment. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates two successive segments of the base 10 spider.

Figure 6 shows a stiffener 34 which is attached to the corner beam between the anchoring portions of the base spider 10, for example by screwing. The stiffener 34 has triangular spacer plates 35 which maintain the angle between the anchor portions.

As shown in Figure 7, the stiffener 34 can be made as an element further comprising two support plates 36 respectively fixed against the anchoring portions of the base spider 10, for example by screwing. The stiffener 34 is for example made of plywood or other insulating material.

Figure 3, 5 or 6 shows a tank wall which can be considered complete if only one waterproof membrane is used. We will now describe more precisely the primary element of the tank, which is therefore optional.

FIG. 3 shows primary retaining members mounted on the insulating

panels

21 and 22 for fixing the primary insulating barrier 5. More precisely, the junction between the primary insulating

barriers

5 and 105 is made by means of a row of pieces of primary angle 37 placed on the angle beam. The corner piece 37 comprises an insulating piece 38 in the form of an angle iron having two perpendicular wings, the thickness of which is substantially equal to the thickness of the primary insulating

barriers

5 and 105. A metal angle iron 39 is fixed to the upper surface of the piece. insulator 38 along the angle. The insulating part 38 can be made in different ways, for example in solid plywood; in one or more blocks of a sandwich structure made of one or more layers of polymer foam and one or more rigid plates, for example in plywood; or in the form of one or more boxes filled with insulating material.

The insulating part 38 can be made in a single part or in several parts. FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate an embodiment in which the primary corner piece 37 comprises the angle iron 39 and an insulating piece 38 in two symmetrical parts. More specifically, each symmetrical part comprises a sandwich structure made of a block of a polymer foam 63 of high density, for example between 150 and 300kg / m ^3, in particular approximately 210 kg / m ^3, and two

rigid plates

61 and 64 , for example in plywood.

Threaded studs 46 are carried by the insulating panels 21 to secure the primary corner pieces 37. As can be seen in Figure 4, the stud 46 can be screwed into an insert 47 mounted in the insulating panel 21 under the cover plate 40 The insert 47 comprises an inverted U-shaped yoke 48, the wings of which are fixed to the sails 42, and a threaded sleeve 49 fixed to the central shell of the yoke 48 and housed in a bore 50 of the cover plate. 40.

The threaded studs 46 are thus placed on the flat strip 30 and pass through the latter in a sealed manner, which makes it possible to limit the number of holes in the strakes with raised edges, which are more fragile. The fixing of the primary corner pieces 37 by the threaded studs 46 can be carried out in different ways, for example as described in WO-A-2018087466.

At the level of the crossing of the secondary membrane 4, the threaded stud 46 may carry a flange, the periphery of which is welded to the secondary membrane 4 to ensure tightness.

To limit the thermal bridge caused by the primary retaining members, the threaded studs 46 are configured to engage a lower part of the insulating part 38, at a distance from the primary waterproof membrane 6. For example as shown in FIG. 10, a plate 60 engages a bottom plate 61 of the insulating part 37 or a cleat close to this bottom panel.

Threaded studs 52 are also attached to the first row of insulation panels 22 and threaded studs 53 to the second row of insulation panels 22 to form retainers for primary insulation panels 54.

In FIG. 3, the threaded studs 52 pass through the end strakes 32, while in FIG. 5 where the flat strip 30 is wider, they pass through the flat strip 30. The configuration of FIG. 5 makes it possible to further limit the number of holes in the strakes with raised edges.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the primary thermally insulating barrier 5 comprises a plurality of primary insulating panels 54 having a general parallelepipedal shape. The primary insulating panels 54 may have lengths and widths identical to or different from those of the underlying insulating panels 22.

The primary insulating panels 54 can be made according to different structures known elsewhere. Preferably, the primary insulating panel 54 has a multilayer structure similar to the insulating panel 22.

Thus, the primary insulating panels 54 are retained to the underlying insulating panels 22 by means of the threaded

studs

52 and 53, preferably located at the level of the corners of the primary insulating panels 54 which are for example arranged to coincide with the centers of the insulating panels 22 underlying.

As best seen in Figures 9 and 10, the length of the corner piece 37 is preferably different from the length of the insulating panel 21 in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100. Thus, in Figure 10 which corresponds to the geometry of figure 8, the corner piece 37 is longer than the insulating panel 21, so that it overlaps the first row of the insulating panels 22. Conversely, in figure 9, the insulating panel 21 is longer than the corner piece 37, so that it is the first row of the primary insulating panels 54 which overlaps the row of the insulating panels 21.

In both cases, the flatness of the primary insulating barrier 5 is thus better preserved even if a difference in height occurs when cold between the insulating

panels

21 and 22.

To improve the flatness of the upper surface of the primary insulating barrier 5, which must carry the primary waterproof membrane 6, it is also possible to add bridging elements not shown, for example in the form of flat plates, arranged astride on the first row of the primary insulating panels 54 and the row of corner pieces 37. More details on how to make such a bridging element can be found in publication WO-A-2016046487.

FIG. 8 also shows that the primary waterproof membrane 6 comprises a continuous sheet of sheet metal which has two series of mutually perpendicular corrugations. The first series of corrugations 55 extend perpendicular to the ridge 100. The second series of corrugations 56 extend parallel to the ridge 100. The two series of corrugations can have regular spacing or periodic irregular spacing. .

In the illustrated embodiment, the

corrugations

55 and 56 are continuous and form intersections between the two series of corrugations. In another embodiment, the primary waterproof membrane 6 can also have two series of mutually perpendicular corrugations with discontinuities of certain corrugations at the level of the intersections between the two series. For example, in this case, the interruptions can be distributed alternately in the first series of ripples and the second series of ripples and, within a series of ripples, the interruptions of one ripple are offset from the interruptions of an adjacent parallel ripple. This offset can be equal to the spacing between two parallel corrugations.

The primary waterproof membrane 6 may be formed of rectangular sheet metal plates welded together by forming small overlap areas along their edges, according to the known technique. The primary membrane 6 is fixed to the primary insulating barrier 5 by any suitable means. Metal anchor strips 58 may be attached to the cover plates of the primary insulation panels 54 at the locations of the contours of the rectangular plates. The edges of the rectangular plates can thus be fixed by welding along the anchor strips 58. The anchor strip is fixed in a countersink on the cover plate by any suitable means, for example screws or rivets. The anchor strips 58 can be arranged at different locations on the primary insulating panels 54.

For example, in Figure 8, the anchor strips 58 of a primary insulating panel 54 follow two lines which intersect perpendicularly near a central area of the primary insulating panel 54. In one embodiment illustrated in the figure 12, the anchor strips 58 are disposed along the edges of the primary insulating panel 54 all around it. Thus, the anchor strips 58 along two adjacent primary insulating panels 54 are directly connected by a flat portion 69 of the primary membrane 6. The flat portion 69 opposes a mutual spacing movement of the two adjacent primary insulating panels 54. stiffer than a corrugated portion of the primary membrane 6 would.

Sizing example

In one embodiment, the

corner beam

10, 30 is made of metal sheets, for example invar®, the thickness of which is between 1 and 2 mm, for example 1.5 mm.

The strakes of the secondary waterproof membrane 4 may have a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example 0.7 mm. The end strakes 32 may have a thickness greater than but less than 1.5mm, for example 1mm.

In one embodiment, the primary waterproof membrane 6 has a greater thickness than the secondary waterproof membrane 4, for example between 1 and 1.5mm and in particular 1.2mm.

The thickness of the anchoring

plates

13, 113 is for example between 5 and 12mm, in particular about 8 mm.

The end of the primary waterproof membrane 6 is welded to the metal angle bar 39 in a sealed manner. Several solutions exist to ensure the tightness of the

corrugations

55, 155 perpendicular to the edge 100. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, corrugated corner pieces 57 welded to the metal angle iron 39 each time connect a corrugation 55. with a corrugation 155. The corrugated corner piece 57 is known for example from FR-A-2739675.

In an embodiment not shown, cap pieces are welded to the metal angle bar 39 to close the end of the

corrugations

55, 155. The cap piece is known for example from WO-A-2014167228.

In the embodiment of Figure 10, identical reference numerals denote elements identical or similar to those of Figure 8. In this case, the retainers 29 are replaced by retainers 62 which also retain the part. primary angle 37 directly to the bearing wall 3. For this, a retaining member 62 comprises a secondary coupler, in one or more parts, the base of which is linked to the bearing wall 3, for example by means of a base making a ball joint, and which itself carries a primary coupler engaging the insulating part 38 or two insulating parts 38 to clamp it against the secondary membrane 4. Other details of the retaining members 62 can be found for example in FR- A-2798358.

Figures 9 and 10 also illustrate different possibilities for the first row of insulation boards 22. In Fig. 9 a relaxation slot 65 is cut in the upper half of insulation board 22 so that the threaded stud 52 is equidistant from the relaxation slot 65 and the end of the insulation boards 22, in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100. In figure 10 the insulation board 22 of the first row is much shorter, so that the threaded stud 52 is equidistant from the two ends of the insulating panels 22, in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100.

These arrangements make it possible to symmetrize the effect of thermal contraction on the position of the threaded stud 52 and thus prevent unwanted traction on the secondary membrane 4.

Furthermore, the first row of insulating panels 22 of Figs. 9 and 10 can be made with a foam of greater density than the following rows, to make a transition zone as described in WO-A-2019077253. A similar embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 13, which is a view similar to FIG. 9 in which the same reference numerals designate elements identical or similar to those of FIG. 9. Here the first row 122 of the secondary insulating panels of the second type is produced in a foam having a density, for example between 170 and 210 kg / m 3, greater than the following rows of the insulating panels 22, for example 130 kg / ^{m 3.} m ³ .

FIG. 13 also illustrates another embodiment of the first row of the primary insulating panels. Here, the primary insulating panel 154 of the first row comprises, between the cover plate and the bottom plate, two blocks of

foam

66 and 67 successively in the length direction perpendicular to the edge 100. The two blocks of

foam

66 and 67 have different densities. The foam block 66 is made from a foam having a density, for example between 170 and 210 kg / m ³ , greater than the foam block 67, for example 130 kg / m ³ . In particular, the foam block 66 can be made with the same density as the polymer foam 63 or the foam of the first row 122 of the secondary insulating panels. The interface 68 between the two blocks of

foam

66 and 67 is preferably free, that is to say not glued. The interface 68 is directly above the first row 122 of the secondary insulating panels. This promotes a gradual transition between the areas of the vessel wall having differences in stiffness in compression and / or differences in contraction.

The bottom plate and the cover plate of the primary insulation board 154 can be glued to the foam blocks 66 and 67.

Here too, the threaded stud 52 is carried by the first row 122 of the secondary insulation panels, for example equidistant from the two ends of the secondary insulation panel in the direction perpendicular to the edge 100. The threaded stud 52 engages the panel. primary insulation 154 at the level of the foam block 66, which is the most dense. Alternatively, the threaded stud 52 could engage the primary insulation board 154 at the foam block 67.

Referring to Figures 14 and 15, a further embodiment of the corner zone of the vessel will now be described. This embodiment differs mainly by the structure of the secondary insulating panels 121 of the first type. Elements similar or identical to those of Figures 1 to 3 bear the same reference numeral as in these figures.

The secondary insulating panels 121 are designed so that the threaded studs 46 intended to fix the primary corner pieces 37 are fixed between two secondary insulating panels 121. For this, the secondary insulating panels 121 are arranged in the form of a parallel row. at the edge located partially under the flat tab 12 as above. The secondary insulating panels 121 are fixed to the supporting wall 3 by retaining members 29 arranged between the secondary insulating panels 121 as before.

As best seen in FIG. 14, a secondary insulating panel 121 has the shape of a parallelepiped and comprises two lateral carrying webs 87 and a central carrying web 88 developing perpendicular to the ridge 100. The lateral carrying webs 87 and the central carrying web 88, the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 can be made of plywood or a composite material. They define compartments filled with an insulating lining 92, for example glass wool. The cover plate 40 has a countersink 91 to receive the flat tab 12.

Windows 85 are provided at the top of the lateral carrying sails 87 to allow insertion of the ends of a support plate 83, preferably metallic, which extends between two adjacent secondary insulating panels 121, above the elements of Anchoring 29. A block of insulating material, not shown, is preferably housed between the two adjacent secondary insulating panels 121, between the anchoring members 29 and the support plate 83, so as to reduce the spaces available for convection. This block of insulating material makes it possible to support the support plate 83 during the assembly of the tank.

Through the windows 85, the support plate 83 engages the full thickness of the side support walls 87 on the upper edge of the windows 85, providing a strong anchoring against tearing. Similar to the insert 47, the support plate 83 makes it possible to fix two threaded studs 46.

In this embodiment, windows 86 are provided at the bottom of the side bearing sails 87 to enable the retaining members 29 to engage the entire thickness of the side bearing sails 87 on the lower edge of the windows 86. Thus, the The absence of the cleats 45 allows the spacings between the secondary insulating panels 121 to be relatively reduced.

As a variant, the windows 85 and / or the windows 86 may be formed in a part of the thickness of the lateral load-bearing webs 87. The contours of the windows 85 and of the windows 86 may be different, as shown, or identical. For example, the window 85 can be replaced by two windows similar to the windows 86, on condition that a notch is provided in the edge of the support plate 83 to accommodate the area of the lateral carrier web 87 located between the two windows.

In the embodiment of Fig. 15, the secondary insulating panel 221 has a parallelepiped shape similar to the secondary insulating panel 121. The same reference numerals denote elements similar or identical to those of the secondary insulating panel 121. Instead of windows 85, the lateral carrying sails 87 carry upper cleats 93, for example glued and / or stapled to the lateral carrying sails 87, extending parallel to the upper edge of the lateral carrying sails 87. The lower surface of the upper cleats 93 makes it possible to put engages support plate 83 similarly to windows 85.

Instead of the windows 86, the lateral carrying sails 87 carry lower cleats 45, for example glued and / or stapled to the lateral carrying sails 87, to cooperate with the retaining members 29, as described above.

The secondary

insulating panels

121 or 221 thus make it possible to fix the threaded studs 46 intended to fix the primary corner pieces 37 to the right of the interface between two secondary insulating

panels

121 or 221.

Referring to Figure 11, a cutaway view of an LNG carrier 70 shows a tank 71, sealed and insulated, of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the vessel 71 comprises a primary watertight barrier intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the vessel, a secondary watertight barrier arranged between the primary watertight barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel, and two insulating barriers arranged respectively between the vessel. primary watertight barrier and the secondary watertight barrier and between the secondary watertight barrier and the double shell 72.

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

FIG. 11 represents an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipe 76 and an onshore installation 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed off-shore 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 mobile swivel arm 74 adapts to all LNG tanker templates . A connecting 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. The latter comprises liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connecting pipes 81 connected by the underwater pipe 76 to the loading or unloading station 75. The underwater pipe 76 allows the transfer of the liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the shore installation 77 over a great distance, for example 5 km, which makes it possible to keep the LNG carrier 70 at a great distance from the coast 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 comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these come within the scope of the invention.

The use of the verb "to comprise", "to understand" or "to include" and its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or other steps than those set out in a claim.

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

Claims

Sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated into a supporting structure, the tank comprising a first tank wall (1) fixed to a first supporting wall (3) and a second tank wall (101) fixed to a second supporting wall (103) joining the first supporting wall at an edge (100) of the supporting structure,
in which each of the first and second tank walls comprises at least one waterproof membrane (4, 104) and an insulating barrier (2, 102) arranged between the waterproof membrane and the load-bearing wall,
wherein the waterproof membrane (4, 104) comprises a plurality of low expansion coefficient alloy strakes, a strakes having a flat central portion resting on an upper surface of the insulating barrier and two raised edges projecting inwardly from the tank relative to the central portion, the strakes being juxtaposed and welded together in a sealed manner at the level of the raised edges,
the vessel wall comprising a metal corner beam (10, 30) arranged parallel to the ridge (100) and anchored to the first and second bearing walls (3, 103), the corner beam comprising a first parallel planar wing to the first supporting wall and a second flat wing parallel to the second supporting wall, the two flat wings being rigidly linked to one another at the level of a sealed connection zone forming an angle of the sealed membrane, each of the first and second flat wings having a receiving portion (12, 30) which extends away from the edge from the connection zone,
wherein a first portion of the insulating barrier is located under a proximal portion of the receiving portions of the planar wings (12, 30) and comprises at least one row of first insulating panels (21, 121, 221), each of the first insulating panels (21, 121, 221) comprising a cover plate (40), a bottom plate (41) and spacers (42, 87, 88) extending in the direction of thickness of the vessel wall between the plate. base and the cover plate to keep the base plate and the cover plate away from each other,
wherein a second portion of the insulating barrier farther from the ridge than the first portion of the insulating barrier has at least one row of second insulating panels (22, 122), each of the second insulating panels having a cover plate (24 ), a bottom plate (23) and a block of insulating foam (25) interposed between the bottom plate and the cover plate so that the cover plate is kept away from the bottom plate by the foam block insulating,
characterized in that an end portion of the strakes (32) of the waterproof membrane (4, 104) is welded to a distal portion of the receiving portions (30) of the flat wings extending over the second portion of the insulating barrier.
Tank according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second planar wings further has an anchoring portion (11, 111) which extends towards the supporting structure with respect to the connection zone, the anchoring portion of the first flat wing and respectively of the second flat wing being linked to the second carrying wall (103) and respectively to the first carrying wall (3).
.Cuvette according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein said waterproof membrane is a secondary waterproof membrane (4, 104) and said insulating barrier is a secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) arranged between the secondary waterproof membrane and the load-bearing wall and in which each of the first and second vessel walls further comprises a primary waterproof membrane (6, 106) intended to be in contact with a product contained in the vessel and a primary insulating barrier (5, 105) arranged between the primary waterproof membrane and secondary waterproof membrane.
Tank according to claim 3, wherein the primary waterproof membrane (6, 106) comprises metal plates having first parallel corrugations (56, 156), second corrugations (55, 155) perpendicular to the first corrugations and flat portions located between the first corrugations and between the second corrugations and resting on an upper surface of the primary insulating barrier,
the tank wall comprising a row of primary corner pieces (37) arranged parallel to the ridge, each primary corner piece comprising a metal angle iron (39) to which is welded an end portion of the primary waterproof membrane (6, 106) of the first and second tank walls and a rigid insulating part (38) arranged between the metal angle iron (39) and the corner beam (10, 30),
the primary corner pieces resting on an inner surface of the first and second plane flanges of the corner beam,
and wherein corner retainers (46, 62) retain said primary corner pieces (37) to the secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) of the first and second vessel walls or to the first and second load-bearing walls ( 3, 103), the angle retaining members (46, 62) being configured to pass in a sealed manner the receiving portions (30) of the plane wings of the angle beam.
Tank according to Claim 4, in which the corner retaining members (46) comprise metal rods (46) fixed on or between the first insulating panels (21, 121, 221) of the secondary insulating barrier to the right of the row primary corner pieces (37) and protruding through the receiving portions (30) of the plane flanges of the corner beam to cooperate with the primary corner pieces.
The vessel of claim 5, wherein a said corner retainer comprises a stirrup (48) secured under the cover plate of a said first insulating panel (21), said stirrup including a central plate parallel to the stirrup plate. cover and two fixing tabs extending perpendicular to the central plate and fixed to two spacers (42) of said first insulating panel, and a said metal rod (49, 46) fixed to said central plate and passing through the cover plate (40 ) of the first insulating panel.
Tank according to claim 4 wherein a said corner retainer (62) comprises a base fixed to a said load-bearing wall in line with the primary corner piece and a coupler retained by the base and extending through the thickness of the secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) and the receiving portion (30) of a said planar wing to cooperate with the rigid insulating part (38).
Tank according to claim 7, wherein said coupler (62) comprises a secondary coupler cooperating with a said first insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier to retain the first insulating panel on the supporting wall and a primary coupler carried by the secondary coupler and cooperating with the rigid insulating part (38) to retain the rigid insulating part (38).
Tank according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a first row of the second insulating panels (22, 122), said first row being adjacent to the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier ,
wherein the primary insulating barrier (5) has a first row of primary insulating panels (54, 154) adjacent to the row of primary corner pieces (37), and
wherein the first row of second insulation boards (22, 122) carries a row of primary retainers (52) for retaining the first row of primary insulation boards (54,154) to the secondary insulation barrier (2, 102) of the first and second tank walls.
The vessel of claim 9, wherein the receiving portions (30) of the planar wings extend over the first row of the second insulation panels (22) beyond said row of primary retainers (52) in a direction. perpendicular to the ridge and are crossed in a sealed manner by the primary retaining members (52).
The vessel of claim 9, wherein said row of primary retainers (52) is disposed on the first row of second insulation panels (22, 122) beyond the receiving portions (30) of the planar wings in a direction. perpendicular to the ridge and in which the primary retaining members sealingly pass through the strakes (32) of the secondary waterproof membrane.
A vessel according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a said second insulating panel (22) has a relationship slot (65) extending parallel to the ridge (100) and extending through the thickness of the. second insulation board through the cover plate (24) and an upper portion of the insulating foam block (25), the primary retainers (52) being carried by the second insulation board between said relaxation slot (65) and a end of the second insulating panel facing the edge (100).
The vessel of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first row of second insulation panels (22, 122) carries the row of primary retainers (52) to a position about half a dimension. of the second insulating panel taken in a direction perpendicular to the edge (100).
Tank according to any one of claims 9 to 13, in which the first row of the second insulating panels (122) comprises an insulating foam (25) having a first density and in which the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a second row second insulation panels (22) farther from the edge (100) than the first row of second insulation panels, and in which the second row of second insulation panels comprises an insulation foam (25) having a second density lower than the first density.
Tank according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the ridge, the dimension of the primary corner pieces (37) is greater than the dimension of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier , so that the row of primary corner pieces (37) overlaps the first row of second insulation panels (22, 122).
A vessel according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein, in a direction perpendicular to the ridge, the dimension of the primary corner pieces (37) is smaller than the dimension of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier , so that the first row of the primary insulating panels (54) overlaps the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier.
Tank according to any one of claims 9 to 16, in which the rigid insulating piece (38) of the primary corner pieces (37) comprises an insulating foam (63) having a first density and in which a said primary insulating panel ( 54) has a cover plate, a bottom plate and a block of insulating foam interposed between the bottom plate and the cover plate so that the cover plate is kept away from the bottom plate by said foam block insulating, said block of insulating foam having a second density lower than the first density.
Tank according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which, in at least one said tank wall, a longitudinal direction of the strakes is perpendicular to the ridge (100), the secondary waterproof membrane further comprising a row of strakes end (32) having a flat edge (33) forming the end portion of the strakes of the secondary waterproof membrane welded to the corner beam (10, 30), the end strakes having raised edges parallel to said longitudinal direction of the strakes and which gradually decrease in the direction of the corner beam (10, 30).
Tank according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the corner beam comprises a base spider (10) having a first planar leg (12) parallel to the first supporting wall and a second planar leg (112) parallel to the second load-bearing wall, said sealed connection zone being formed between the first flat leg and the second flat leg, the corner beam further comprising two flat metal strips (30, 130) welded in a sealed manner to the first and second legs planes (12, 112) respectively and extending parallel to the first and second bearing walls respectively to form the receiving portion of the planar wings.
A vessel (70) for transporting a fluid, the vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a vessel (71) according to any one of claims 1 to 19 arranged in the double hull (72).
A transfer system for a fluid, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 20, insulated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the vessel (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a a floating or terrestrial storage facility (77) and a pump for driving a fluid through insulated pipelines from or to the floating or terrestrial storage facility to or from the vessel of the vessel.
A method of loading or unloading a ship (70) according to claim 20, wherein a fluid is conveyed through insulated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81) from or to a floating or onshore storage facility (77) to or from the vessel (71)