System and method for depositing adhesive for assembling a liquefied gas tank wall

Abstract

System and method for applying adhesive to the assembly of a liquefied gas tank wall. The invention relates to an adhesive application system (50) for assembling a tank wall intended to contain liquefied gas, for bonding a panel to a portion of a secondary sealing membrane (24) covering two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23). The adhesive application system (50) comprises: - a first nozzle (51) for dispensing adhesive at a first flow rate onto the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the first nozzle (51) being adapted to be positioned above a first (21) of the two thermal insulation blocks, - a second nozzle (52) for dispensing adhesive at a second flow rate onto the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the second nozzle (52) being adapted to be positioned above a second (23) of the two thermal insulation blocks, and - independent control means for the first and second flow rates. flow rate. (Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: System and method for depositing adhesive for assembling a liquefied gas tank wall

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tanks for gases in the liquid state, for example liquefied natural gas (LNG), particularly for maritime or river transport or for an onshore reservoir. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and a method for depositing adhesive for assembling a wall of a tank intended to receive liquefied gas.

[0002] Liquefied gas transport tanks have a capacity of several thousand cubic meters of liquid gas each, or even several tens of thousands of cubic meters. Liquefied gas transport vessels have holds specifically designed to accommodate these tanks, their holds often being divided into several tanks. Such a tank can also be constructed outside a ship for onshore storage of liquefied natural gas.

[0003] The gas is kept in these transport or storage tanks in a liquid state, for example at -163°C (degrees Celsius) for LNG, at atmospheric pressure. It is therefore necessary that the tank be leak-proof and thermally insulated.

[0004] To achieve this, the walls of such a tank each comprise: - a primary metallic sealing membrane, intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas in the tank, - a primary insulation layer comprising insulating materials, placed under the primary waterproofing membrane, - a secondary metallic or composite waterproofing membrane, placed under the primary insulation layer, and - a secondary insulation layer, placed under the secondary waterproofing membrane and resting for example on an internal bulkhead of the ship's hull.

[0005] To facilitate the installation of these walls which together form the tank, the latter being for example of parallelepiped shape, each wall is assembled in pieces on its support, which is for example the internal bulkhead of the ship's hull.

[0006] Figure 1 thus shows a tank wall during assembly. The wall extends mainly along a longitudinal direction Y and a transverse direction X, orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Y, and in thickness along a vertical direction Z orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Y and to the transverse direction X. It is assumed here that the wall is a bottom wall arranged horizontally on the lower bulkhead of a ship's hull, but the other walls are assembled in the same way as this bottom wall.

[0007] In the remainder of the patent application, the term "transverse" means along the transverse direction and the term "longitudinal" means along the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the terms "upper" and "lower" relate to the vertical direction, the term "vertical" meaning along the vertical direction, that is, orthogonal to the tank wall in question and oriented towards the interior of the tank. The terms "on," "under," "above," "below," "upper," "lower," "down," and "up" refer to this vertical direction.

[0008] A secondary insulation layer 20 of the wall comprises a first thermal insulation block 21 bonded to the lower bulkhead 3 of the ship's hull, and a second thermal insulation block 23 also bonded to the lower bulkhead 3 and adjacent to the first thermal insulation block 21. Of course, the secondary insulation layer 20 comprises many more than two thermal insulation blocks and is only partially represented here. An insulating material 22, for example glass wool, is inserted between the two thermal insulation blocks 21, 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20 to fill the gaps present between the thermal insulation blocks 21, 23. The glass wool 22 thus forms a thermally insulating seal between the lower partition 3 and a secondary sealing membrane 24 of the wall, bonded to the thermal insulation blocks 21, 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20.

[0009] The secondary sealing membrane 24 is also made up of several pieces. Some pieces are rigid composite sheets 240, each pre-bonded to a thermal insulation block 21, 23 before the tank wall is assembled. Other pieces are flexible composite sheets 244 bonded across two adjacent thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer 20, such as thermal insulation blocks 21, 23, to seal the secondary sealing membrane 24 between these two adjacent thermal insulation blocks.

[0010] A primary insulation layer 10 of the wall comprises a first insulating block 11 is glued to the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, above the first thermal insulation block 21, and a second insulating block 13 is glued to the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, above the second thermal insulation block 23. These insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 are smaller in size than the thermal insulation blocks 21, 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20. A panel 12 is provided to fill each void formed between the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer 10 to complete it, the panel 12 overlapping the insulation 22.

[0011] To fix this panel 12, a layer of glue 14 of constant thickness is applied to the underside of the panel 12, and then the panel 12 is positioned with this layer of glue 14 against a portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24 located between the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10.

[0012] Given the dimensions of the tank and the manufacturing tolerances of the thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer 20, a tolerance of 1.5 mm (millimeter) of vertical difference, i.e., difference in level along the vertical direction, between the thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer 20 is acceptable during assembly. This vertical difference is measured between the upper faces of the thermal insulation blocks 21, 23, which must be in contact with the secondary sealing membrane 24.

[0013] Due to this difference in elevation, the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, which has flexible sections spanning the various thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer 20, creates a relief that hinders the proper attachment of the panels 12. In particular, in [Fig. 1], for the panel 12 to be properly bonded to the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, more adhesive would need to be applied under the panel 12 above the second thermal insulation block 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20 than under the panel 12 above the first thermal insulation block 21 of the secondary insulation layer 20. In other cases, manufacturing and positioning tolerances of the thermal insulation blocks result in deformation of the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, giving it a peak or valley relief under one of the panels 12, which also creates problems with adhesive seepage or uniformity of the panel 12's bonding.

[0014] The present invention aims to remedy at least in part the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a system and a method for depositing glue, which makes it possible to adapt the quantity of glue required to glue a panel of the primary insulation layer, so as to ensure good fixing of the panel while compensating for the mounting gaps of the thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer.

[0015] To this end, the invention proposes an adhesive deposition system for assembling a wall of a tank intended to contain liquefied gas, the tank wall being assembled comprising at least a portion of a secondary insulation layer comprising at least two thermal insulation blocks, at least a portion of a secondary sealing membrane covering the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, the portion of the secondary sealing membrane being intended to be covered by a primary insulation layer itself intended to be covered by a primary sealing membrane configured to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the adhesive deposition system being intended to allow the bonding of a panel in a recess of the primary insulation layer onto the portion of the secondary sealing membrane, the adhesive deposition system being characterized in that it comprises: - at least one first glue dispensing nozzle with an initial flow rate on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane, the first nozzle being suitable for being positioned opposite one of the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, - at least one second glue dispensing nozzle with a second flow rate on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane, the second nozzle being suitable for positioning opposite a second of the two thermal insulation blocks, the first and second nozzles being suitable for jointly forming a layer of glue on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane, and - means of regulating the first flow and the second flow, capable of regulating the first flow independently of the second flow.

[0016] The housing of the primary insulation layer refers to a space located between the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer. Indeed, during the installation of the primary insulation layer, these insulating blocks are positioned above the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane, so as to form a grid in which the insulating blocks are separated from each other by channels extending in two orthogonal directions. The primary insulation layer is then finished by applying adhesive according to the invention in these channels, and then by placing insulating panels on the adhesive layer so as to fill the spaces between the insulating blocks of the primary layer, these spaces forming different housings of the primary insulation layer during the tank wall assembly.

[0017] By "at the right of" it is meant that the nozzle or the point in question passes through a line perpendicular to the thermal insulation block in question, while being at a distance from the block, the line intersecting the block. In other words, the nozzle or the point in question is "above" the thermal insulation block in question.

[0018] Since the tank wall can be arranged horizontally at the bottom of the tank, at the top of the tank, or vertically to form the side walls of the tank, the terms "above a block" should be understood as "opposite the block from inside the tank", an element such as the secondary sealing membrane can be interposed between the block and the element considered above the block.

[0019] It should be noted that the following application uses the same understanding of the terms "on", "under", "above", "below", "superior", "inferior", "below", "above" as previously explained in relation to the prior art, that is to say, with respect to a vertical direction perpendicular to the wall of the tank and oriented from the wall of the tank towards the interior of the tank.

[0020] Thanks to the invention, the adhesive can be deposited in a greater quantity on top of one of the thermal insulation blocks than on top of the other thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, which makes it possible to compensate by a The invention addresses the issue of a greater thickness of adhesive and the unevenness in the positioning of the thermal insulation blocks. More specifically, despite such an unevenness, the invention ensures sufficient adhesive on each thermal insulation block to guarantee that the panel is bonded across its entire surface. It also ensures continuity of the adhesive layer between the tank wall panels and limits excessive adhesive seepage above the insulating joint between the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer. The panel itself provides thermal insulation.

[0021] The invention also makes it possible, by limiting the quantity of glue to that which is necessary to properly fix the panel by absorbing the differences in elevation between the thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, to limit the assembly costs of the tank wall.

[0022] The adhesive application system according to the invention comprises, for example, several first nozzles above the first thermal insulation block, and several second nozzles above the second thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer. The first nozzles are capable of distributing the adhesive onto the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane at the first flow rate or at different flow rates. The second nozzles are capable of distributing the adhesive onto the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane at the second flow rate or at different flow rates. In this way, it is possible to precisely compensate for any unevenness, whether indentations or bumps, potentially formed by the secondary waterproofing membrane.

[0023] Of course the first flow rate can be equal to the second flow rate, in particular when the relief formed by the first and second thermal insulation block lends itself to this.

[0024] The first nozzle(s) and the second nozzle(s) of the glue deposition system are preferably arranged in transverse positions symmetrical to each other with respect to a longitudinal plane of symmetry arranged between the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, in order to thoroughly cover the entire portion of the secondary sealing membrane with glue.

[0025] The first nozzle(s) and the second nozzle(s) jointly form a layer of adhesive, the junction between the adhesive dispensed by the first nozzle and the adhesive dispensed by the second nozzle forming a bead of adhesive due to the difference in flow rate between the first and second nozzles. This bead makes it possible to supply a larger quantity of adhesive above an insulating joint, for example made of glass wool, located between the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, and to compensate for a foreseeable sagging of the secondary waterproofing membrane above this low-density insulating joint.

[0026] The glue deposition system according to the invention optionally includes a third nozzle disposed above this insulating joint, the third nozzle being able to distribute glue onto the secondary sealing membrane at a third flow rate. Thus, the sagging of the secondary sealing membrane above the insulating joint can be compensated with an amount of adhesive independent of the adhesive requirements above each of the thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, making this compensation more robust.

[0027] Furthermore, the control means for the glue application system are, for example, capable of modifying a first section of the glue flow intended to be projected by the first nozzle and a second section of the glue flow intended to be projected by the second nozzle. The control means include, for example, a first regulating valve on a first glue supply branch of the first nozzle, and a second regulating valve on a second glue supply branch of the second nozzle. This embodiment is simple to implement. The control means may also include means for partially opening and closing the outlet orifice of a nozzle.

[0028] The glue application system preferably includes glue supply means common to the first and second nozzles. For example, the first and second branches are supplied by the same glue circulation pump. This embodiment makes it possible to limit the costs of the glue system according to the invention. Alternatively, each nozzle is supplied independently, for example with a separate circulation pump. In this embodiment, it is possible to adjust the glue supply flow rate to each nozzle, either alternatively or in addition to the previously mentioned control of the nozzle passage cross-sections.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the glue deposition system according to the invention further comprises a distance measuring device capable of providing a first distance between, on the one hand, at least a first point located in the housing on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane and at the right of the first thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer and, on the other hand, a reference position, and a second distance between, on the one hand, at least a second point located in the housing on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane and at the right of the second thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer and, on the other hand, the reference position, the control means being capable of regulating the first flow rate and / or the second flow rate as a function of the first distance and / or the second distance.

[0030] The distance measuring device is, for example, fixed on a frame, above the insulating joint, at a predetermined distance from the wall, considering the latter to be flat in the transverse direction. The reference position is, for example, that of a sensor of the distance measuring device. Thus, the first distance can be compared to a target distance, and the second distance to the target distance, to determine the quantity of adhesive to be applied above each of the insulation blocks. thermal of the secondary insulation layer and therefore to determine the first flow rate and the second flow rate.

[0031] It should be noted that the glue deposition system may have an automatic adjustment device for the position of the chassis so that it is substantially parallel to the transverse and longitudinal directions, for example an automatic adjustment arm using a gyroscope, or a probe allowing the detection of differences in vertical level between the surfaces of the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer on which the chassis rests.

[0032] As the chassis moves while the adhesive is being applied, the distance measuring device naturally takes a measurement upstream of the adhesive layer as it forms, on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane that is not yet coated with adhesive. In this application, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the direction in which the adhesive layer is spreading on the secondary waterproofing membrane.

[0033] The distance measurement device is, for example, a probe or a laser profilometer that scans the secondary sealing membrane in the transverse direction. In the latter case, several first points and several second points are used, and as many first and second distances are provided. Such a laser profilometer makes it possible to scan, a few centimeters upstream of the adhesive deposition system, the surfaces of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane and to deduce variations in height or inclination on it, in a direction of travel of the adhesive deposition system. This allows the measured distances for determining the first and second flow rates to be corrected, without automatic adjustment of the chassis's vertical position.Indeed, since the positioning tolerance of the insulating blocks in the primary insulation layer is much smaller (0.5mm) than that of the thermal insulation blocks in the secondary insulation layer, the parallelism defects of the frame mainly follow those of the secondary sealing membrane.

[0034] The set of first distances can then be used to define a profile of the area to be glued along the transverse direction and to determine the first flow rate accordingly, and the set of second distances can similarly be used to determine the second flow rate. When several first nozzles with different flow rates are used, or when several second nozzles with different flow rates are used, subsets of the first distances or the second distances are, for example, used to determine each of the flow rates.

[0035] It should be noted that the first flow rate can be regulated according to not only the first distance but also the second distance, for example if a minimum glue height in the vertical direction must be achieved from a surface to Apply glue to the highest nozzle located within its operating radius. The same applies to the second flow rate.

[0036] The glue application system optionally includes an auxiliary distance measuring device capable of providing: - a third distance between, on the one hand, at least a third point on the adhesive layer, the third point being located directly above the first thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer, and on the other hand, a reference point, and - a fourth distance between, on the one hand, at least a fourth point on the adhesive layer, the fourth point being located at the right of the second thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer, and on the other hand the reference point, the adhesive deposition system also including a control device capable of signaling a defect according to the values ​​of the third distance and the fourth distance.

[0037] The auxiliary distance measuring device is, for example, fixed to the same frame as the main distance measuring device, but performs a measurement downstream of the frame, i.e., at the level of the newly applied adhesive layer. The auxiliary distance measuring device is preferably positioned above the insulating joint, at a predetermined distance from the wall, assuming the wall to be flat in the transverse direction. The reference point is, for example, located on a sensor of the auxiliary distance measuring device. Thus, the third distance can be compared to a reference distance, and the fourth distance to the reference distance, to verify the flatness of the adhesive layer and its parallelism with respect to the transverse direction.

[0038] The auxiliary distance measuring device is, for example, a laser profilometer, which scans the adhesive layer in the transverse direction. In this case, several third and fourth points are used, which allows for a more precise quality control performed by the inspection device. For example, the latter can trigger an alert when it detects an absence of adhesive or an adhesive bead above the insulating joint.

[0039] The glue deposition system according to the invention further comprises, in an embodiment of the invention, a camera capable of providing an image of at least a part of the glue layer, the glue deposition system further comprising a control device capable of signaling a defect when an analysis of the image results in the detection of an anomaly.

[0040] This feature makes it possible to detect improper mixing of the adhesive components, irregularities or deformations in the adhesive layer, a lack of adhesive on certain portions of the secondary waterproofing membrane that are to be bonded, or the presence of an external element in the adhesive layer. It therefore allows, in particular to ensure that there is continuity of adhesive. The control device is, for example, identical to the control device mentioned above, and signals a defect when the adhesive layer is not thick enough or lacks an adhesive bead at the insulating joint.

[0041] It should be noted that the characteristics described here of the imaging device and the distance measuring devices are not exhaustive. Indeed, the imaging device is, for example, also capable of providing an image of a portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane located upstream of the adhesive application system, which allows the control device to detect whether this portion is already coated with adhesive. This is particularly the case at the intersection of two corridors formed by insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer, when the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane in one of the two corridors is being coated with adhesive by the application system according to the invention, while the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane in the other of the two corridors is already coated with adhesive. In this case, the distance measuring device is capable of providing, in a manner similar to the auxiliary distance measuring device: - a fifth distance between, on the one hand, at least a fifth point on a layer of adhesive located at the intersection, the fifth point being located directly above the first thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer, and on the other hand, the reference position, and - a sixth distance between, on the one hand, at least a sixth point on the adhesive layer located at the crossing, the sixth point being located at the right of the second thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer, and on the other hand, the reference position.

[0042] This fifth and sixth distance then replace the first and second distances in determining the first and second flow rates, which are strictly lower than those that would be determined if this determination of the first and second flow rates used the first and second distances, so as to take into account the layer of adhesive already deposited during the gluing of the other channel. This determination of the first and second flow rates, taking into account a fifth and sixth distance, is carried out by the control device. The first and second flow rates thus determined are approximately half those determined based on the first and second distances measured on an unglued portion of the secondary sealing membrane.

[0043] Optionally, the glue deposition system according to the invention comprises two imaging devices, one capable of providing the image of at least a portion of the glue layer formed jointly by the first nozzle and the second nozzle, in downstream of the glue deposition system, and the other capable of providing the image of a part of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane located upstream of the glue deposition system.

[0044] Furthermore, the glue application system according to the invention preferably comprises at least one scraper capable of smoothing at least a portion of the glue layer. The scraper makes it possible to apply pressure to the glue, this pressure being particularly useful when the tank wall is vertical or that of a tank ceiling. The scraper also makes it possible to flatten the glue to the same vertical level, regardless of the quantity projected by each of the nozzles.

[0045] The scraper is optionally equipped at its ends with deflectors and adjustable blades. These features prevent glue from seeping up the sides of the panel.

[0046] The scraper preferably has a notch that allows more adhesive to pass over a strip of the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane located above the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer than over other parts of the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane. The notch allows a bead of adhesive to remain above the insulating joint between the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer. The bead of adhesive has, for example, a width of between 25 and 35 mm.

[0047] According to another optional and advantageous feature of the glue deposition system according to the invention, it comprises a carriage adapted to move in support against walls of insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer extending on either side of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane, the first nozzle and the second nozzle being fixed to the carriage.

[0048] Since the trolley moves against the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer, it does not touch the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane to be bonded, thus allowing greater flexibility in the placement of the nozzles above the secondary waterproofing membrane. The trolley comprises, for example, a chassis and wheels. The trolley's wheels rest on the upper faces of the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer, and / or on the lateral faces of the insulating blocks, between which the panel is to be installed. The nozzles, the distance measuring device, the auxiliary distance measuring device, and the camera are preferably attached to the trolley's chassis. The chassis is preferably positioned parallel to the transverse direction, for example, taking into account any differences in elevation between the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer.This parallelism is ensured, for example, by an adjustment arm using a gyroscope.

[0049] The invention also relates to a method for depositing adhesive for assembling a wall of a tank intended to contain liquefied gas, the tank wall being assembled comprising at least a portion of a secondary insulation layer having at least two thermal insulation blocks, at least a portion of a secondary sealing membrane covering the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, the portion of the secondary sealing membrane being intended to be covered by a primary insulation layer itself intended to be covered by a primary sealing membrane configured to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the method for depositing adhesive using an adhesive deposition system according to the invention to bond a panel of the primary insulation layer to the portion of the secondary sealing membrane covering the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, and comprising the steps of: - positioning of the first nozzle directly above one of the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, and of the second nozzle directly above a second of the two thermal insulation blocks, and - distribution of glue by the first nozzle at the first flow rate and by the second nozzle at the second flow rate, on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane covering the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer, so as to form a layer of glue on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane, the first flow rate and the second flow rate being regulated independently by the regulating means during this glue distribution step.

[0050] When the glue deposition system includes a distance measuring device capable of providing a first distance between, on the one hand, at least a first point located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane and opposite the first thermal insulation block and, on the other hand, a reference position, and a second distance between, on the one hand, at least a second point located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane and opposite the second thermal insulation block and, on the other hand, the reference position, the distribution step is preceded by: - ​​a step of measuring the first distance and the second distance, and - a step of determining the first flow rate and the second flow rate as a function of the first distance and the second distance respectively.

[0051] When the glue application system includes an auxiliary distance measuring device capable of providing a third distance between, on the one hand, at least a third point on the glue layer, the third point being located at the right-hand side of the first thermal insulation block, and on the other hand, a reference point, and a fourth distance between, on the one hand, at least a fourth point on the glue layer, the fourth point being located at the right of the second thermal insulation block, and on the other hand the reference point, the glue application process includes a step of correcting the first flow rate or the second flow rate depending respectively on the third distance or the fourth distance.

[0052] When the glue deposition system includes a camera capable of providing an image of at least a part of the glue layer and / or an auxiliary distance measuring device as previously mentioned, a control device capable of signaling a defect when an analysis of the image results in the detection of an anomaly, and a carriage capable of moving in support against walls of insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer extending on either side of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane, the first nozzle and the second nozzle being fixed to the carriage, the glue deposition process includes a step of signaling a defect by the control device, followed by a step of stopping the carriage and closing the first and second nozzles.This stop allows, for example, the glue to be re-homogenized upstream of the nozzle feed before resuming the glue application process, when the defect is due to poor glue mixing. The glue application process according to the invention has advantages similar to those of the glue application system according to the invention.

[0053] When the glue layer is formed between two insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer, the glue distribution step is followed by a step of laying an insulating panel between the two insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer, the insulating panel being pressed against the glue layer during this laying step.

[0054] More generally, the adhesive distribution step is followed by a step of installing insulating panels between insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, on the one hand, and from several illustrative and non-limiting examples given with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, on the other hand, in which:

[0055] [Fig.1] already commented on in relation to the prior art, illustrates in cross-section along a vertical and transverse plane, the installation of a panel of a tank wall intended to contain liquefied gas, a secondary insulation layer and a secondary sealing membrane of the wall being already mounted, the panel being part of a primary insulation layer of the wall, this primary insulation layer being in the process of being mounted,

[0056] [Fig.2] illustrates in perspective a glue deposition system according to the invention, in a first embodiment of the invention, in which a cart moves on insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer of the wall illustrated in [Fig. 1], the primary insulation layer of this wall being, however, compared to [Fig. 1], mounted using the invention,

[0057] [Fig.3] illustrates in cross-section along a vertical and longitudinal plane, the deposition system of glue from [Fig.2],

[0058] [Fig.4] illustrates in cross-section along a vertical and transverse plane, the deposition system of glue from [Fig.2],

[0059] [Fig. 5] illustrates in perspective, a glue deposition system according to the invention, in a second embodiment of the invention, the glue deposition system moving between the insulating blocks of the primary insulation layer of the wall illustrated in [Fig.1],

[0060] [Fig.6] illustrates in exploded perspective, the structure of the wall during assembly according to [Fig.2], showing only a part of the elements of the glue deposition system of [Fig.2],

[0061] [Fig.7] illustrates, in non-exploded perspective, the structure of the wall during the construction of assembly according to [Fig.2], showing only a part of the elements of the glue deposition system of [Fig.2],

[0062] [Fig.8] illustrates in perspective a glue deposition system according to the invention in one embodiment of the invention, and

[0063] [Fig.9] represents steps of a glue deposition process according to the invention, in the embodiments illustrated in figures 2 to 7.

[0064] According to a first embodiment of the invention shown in [Fig.2], a glue deposition system 50 according to the invention comprises a trolley 59 having a chassis and wheels, advancing in the longitudinal direction Y. Two of the wheels move along the first insulating block 11 of the primary insulation layer 10 and two other wheels move along the second insulating block 13 of the primary insulation layer 10. The wheels bear on the upper surfaces of the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10. In an alternative embodiment, they bear on the lateral surfaces of the insulating blocks 11, 13 located opposite each other.

[0065] Nozzles 51, 52 suitable for dispensing glue are fixed to the chassis in a position such that, when the carriage is positioned relative to the insulating blocks 11 of the primary insulation layer 10, at least one first nozzle 51 is disposed above the secondary sealing membrane 24 and above the first thermal insulation block 21 of the secondary insulation layer 20, and at least one second nozzle 52 is disposed above the secondary sealing membrane 24 and above the second thermal insulation block 23 of the insulation layer Secondary 20. These nozzles will be more visible in figures 6 and 7, discussed later, which will allow for a better understanding of the regulation of their respective flow rates. The first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52 are fluidly connected to a pump 55 capable of supplying them with glue. Together they distribute glue onto the secondary sealing membrane 24 and these glue distributions jointly form a layer of glue 17, which forms progressively longitudinally as the carriage 59 advances.

[0066] The glue deposition system 50 includes, in addition to the first nozzle 51, the second nozzle 52 and the pump 55, a distance measuring device 54a fixed to the front of the carriage, as also shown [Fig.3] in the form of a laser profilometer.

[0067] On this [Fig.3], the trolley 59 advances longitudinally on the first insulating block 11 and on another insulating block 15 longitudinally adjacent to the first insulating block 11 of the primary insulation layer 10. A temporary bridge 115 is installed between these insulating blocks 11,15 to allow the wheels of the trolley 59 to pass between these insulating blocks 11, 15, without it tipping over.

[0068] In the illustrated example, the glue application system 50 also includes an auxiliary distance measuring device 54b, fixed to the rear of the carriage, and also shown [Fig. 3] as a laser profilometer. The distance measuring device 54a and the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b are distance sensors that can be laser profilometers but can also be of other types such as infrared or ultrasonic distance sensors, or probes.

[0069] Finally, the glue deposition system 50 also includes a camera 54c, for example a camera, for analyzing the newly formed glue layer 17, in particular for detecting traces, for example colored traces, on the glue layer 17. In this example, the glue layer 17 should be white when it has been properly mixed. Otherwise, the mixing of the components forming the glue must be repeated.

[0070] A control device 53 is connected to the distance measuring device 54a and the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b in order to retrieve their distance measurements. The control device 53 is also connected to the camera 54c to retrieve the images taken by this camera and analyze them, in particular to detect an anomaly in the color of the adhesive layer 17. These connections use, for example, a wired network, or wireless communication such as Wi-Fi according to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standard, or Bluetooth® communication.

[0071] The anomalies detected by the control device 53 by analyzing an image taken by the camera 54c include improper mixing of the glue, roughness or deformations on the glue layer 17, an absence of glue on certain portions of the secondary sealing membrane 24 which must be glued, or an external element present in the glue layer 17. The image analysis is based, for example, on a learning algorithm, the learning phase of which uses a database fed by tests, then by successive uses of the glue deposition process according to the invention.

[0072] Figure 4 shows more precisely how the distance measuring device 54a is used. The distance measuring device 54a is installed here in the middle of a crossbar of the chassis arranged parallel to the transverse direction X. To obtain this parallelism, the second insulating block 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 being slightly lower than the first insulating block 11 of the primary insulation layer 10 with respect to the vertical direction Z, the trolley 59 has, for example, a gyroscopic type adjustment arm adjusting the vertical position of the wheel bearing against the upper surface of the block 13.

[0073] A reference position is associated with the distance measuring device 54a and corresponds to the position of a point on a sensor of the distance measuring device 54a.

[0074] The distance measuring device 54a provides the control device 53 with:

[0075] - a first distance dl between on the one hand a first point located on the membrane secondary sealing 24, between the two insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 and above the first thermal insulation block 21 of the secondary insulation layer 20, and on the other hand the reference position; and

[0076] - a second distance d2 between on the one hand a second point located on the membrane secondary sealing 24 between the two insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10, above the second thermal insulation block 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20, and on the other hand the reference position.

[0077] The two points are chosen to be symmetrical to each other with respect to a vertical and longitudinal plane passing through the reference position, so that they are each located on a plane forming an angle α with this vertical plane. The difference in height in the vertical direction between the first point and the second point is therefore ldl*cos(α) -d2*cos(α)l. The control device 53 calculates this height difference and deduces a first quantity of adhesive to be distributed by the first nozzle 51 onto the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, and a second quantity of adhesive to be distributed by the second nozzle 52 onto the secondary waterproofing membrane 24, knowing the total quantity of adhesive to be spread on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane 24 located between the two thermal insulation blocks 21, 23. This quantity of adhesive The total weight is, for example, between 3800g / m2 and 4400g / m2 (grams per square meter).

[0078] Knowing the speed of movement of the carriage 59, the control device 53 determines, as a function of the first quantity of glue, a first flow rate of glue distribution to be carried out by the first nozzle 51, and as a function of the second quantity of glue, a second flow rate of glue distribution to be carried out by the second nozzle 52.

[0079] It should be noted that the first point and the second point can be chosen not to be symmetrical with respect to the vertical plane.

[0080] Alternatively, the control device 53 compares a first height dl*cos(a) from the first distance dl to a target height and deduces the first quantity of glue to be distributed by the first nozzle 51, and similarly compares a second height d2*cos(a) from the second distance d2 to the target height and deduces the second quantity of glue to be distributed by the second nozzle 52. This variant makes it possible to adapt the total quantity of glue to be distributed according to a target position of the panel 12 to be reached once it is placed, for example so that the upper surface of the panel 12 is in a vertical position which is equal to the average of the vertical positions of the upper surfaces of the insulating blocks 11 and 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 located on either side of the panel 12.

[0081] In another embodiment, the distance measuring device 54a receives several first points and several second points forming a cross-sectional profile of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24. In this case, the control device 53 determines, for example, several first heights from the first distances determined by the first points, averages them, compares them to the target height, and deduces the first quantity of adhesive to be distributed by the first nozzle 51. Similarly, the control device 53 determines several second heights from the second distances determined by the second points, averages them, compares them to the target height, and deduces the second quantity of adhesive to be distributed by the second nozzle 52.

[0082] In yet another variant, no correction is made to the position of the carriage 59, the control device 53 taking into account a lack of parallelism of the carriage 59 to correct the first and second distances dl and d2 between the reference position and points located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24, provided by the distance measuring device 54a, and to determine the first flow rate and the second flow rate as a function of the first and second corrected distances.

[0083] The auxiliary distance measuring device 54b operates similarly to the distance measuring device 54a, but measures distances relative to points located downstream of the carriage 59, on the layer of glue 17 which has just been formed by the nozzles 51, 52 mounted on this trolley 59. More specifically, the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b provides the control device 53 with:

[0084] - at least a third distance between, on the one hand, a third point on the layer of glue 17, the third point being located above the first thermal insulation block 21, and on the other hand a reference point located on a sensor of the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b, and - at least a fourth distance between on the one hand a fourth point on the glue layer 17, the fourth point being located above the second thermal insulation block 23, and on the other hand the reference point.

[0085] The control device 53 then checks, using this third distance and this fourth distance, that the surface of the glue layer 17 is at the correct height to receive the panel 12 over its entire surface.

[0086] A second embodiment of a glue deposition system 50c according to the invention is now shown [Fig.5]. On this [Fig.5], the glue deposition system 50c according to the invention has a frame 59b moving in a first corridor 16 delimited, in a first part of the first corridor 16, by the two insulating blocks 11 and 13 of the primary insulation layer 10, and in a second part of the first corridor 16, separated from the first part of the first corridor 16 by a second corridor 19 orthogonal to the first corridor 16, by the insulating block 15 and another insulating block 18 facing it.

[0087] In this second embodiment of the invention, the insulating blocks 11, 13, 15, 18 of the primary insulation layer 10 are all structurally identical and each comprise a polyurethane foam block, onto which is glued a top plate respectively 112, 132, 152 and 182 of plywood.

[0088] The frame 59b is formed of tubular metal elements welded together. The frame 59b extends lengthwise in a direction of travel parallel to the longitudinal direction Y in the first corridor 16, and is slightly narrower than the width of the first corridor 16, which is substantially the same as the width of the second corridor 19. The width of a corridor 16, 19 is measured as the shortest distance between two insulating blocks 11, 13 or 15, 18 of the primary insulation layer 10, facing each other and contributing to the delimitation of the corridor 16, 19. The difference in width between the width of the frame 59b and the width of the first or second corridor 16, 19 is, for example, less than 6 millimeters.

[0089] For purely indicative purposes, the length of chassis 59b is on the order of one meter, for example is approximately equal to 120 cm (centimeters).

[0090] A first part 590 of the chassis 59b supports first rolling elements 60, fixed on either side of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b in its width, as well as glue distribution nozzles 51, 52 identical to those of the first embodiment. Similarly, a second part 592 of the chassis 59b supports second running elements 64, fixed on either side of the second part 592 of the chassis 59b across its width. The first and second running elements 60, 64 each comprise two tracks whose treads are pressed against a lateral wall 114, 134, 154, 184 of a polyurethane foam block or an insulating block 11, 13, 15, 18 respectively of the primary insulation layer 10, by means of support such as springs or hydraulic cylinders. Thus, the glue application system 50c is able to move within the channels of the tank wall without damaging the glue layer 17 formed jointly by the nozzles 51, 52 of the glue application system 50c.

[0091] The tubes of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b form a handle raised vertically with respect to a first frame of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b, and the tubes of the second part 592 of the chassis 59b form a handle raised vertically with respect to a second frame of the second part 592 of the chassis 59b.

[0092] A distance measuring device 54a identical to that of the first embodiment, is fixed on the raised handle of the second part 592 of the chassis 59b and operates in the same way as the distance measuring device 54a of the first embodiment of the invention.

[0093] An auxiliary distance measuring device 54b, identical to that of the first embodiment, is fixed on the raised handle of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b and operates in the same way as the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b of the first embodiment of the invention.

[0094] Finally, a camera 54c identical to that of the first embodiment, is fixed on the first frame of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b and operates in the same way as the camera 54c of the first embodiment of the invention.

[0095] In this second embodiment of the invention, the first part 590 and the second part 592 of the chassis are connected by a pivot joint 58 with a pivot axis orthogonal to the direction of travel, i.e., parallel to the transverse direction X, when the glue application system 50c is in the operating position in the first channel 16. This pivot joint 58 allows one of the first part 590 or second part 592 of the chassis 59b to pivot. It includes, for example, hinges connecting the first frame and the second frame.

[0096] The nozzles 51, 52 are fixed to the first frame near the pivot joint 58, for example, less than 15 cm from the pivot joint 58. Thus, when the carriage 59b reaches one end of the tank wall, an operator can pivot the second part 592 of the frame 59b vertically so as to free up the space in front of the first part 590 of the chassis 59b and to allow the nozzles 51, 52 to more easily deposit glue at the end of the tank wall.

[0097] This second embodiment is particularly well-suited to the passage through the transverse channels in the direction of travel of the trolley 59b. Indeed, the tracks of the first and second rolling means 60, 64 are each longer than the width of the channels 16, 19. Thus, the glue application system 50c crosses the transverse channels in the channel 16 in which it moves without deviating from its trajectory. For illustrative purposes only, the length of each track is, for example, 38 cm, while the width of the first channel 16 and the width of the second channel 19 are 34 cm.

[0098] In other words, this second embodiment does not require the installation of bridges 115 on the one hand between the insulating blocks 11, 15, and on the other hand between the insulating blocks 13, 18.

[0099] Furthermore, in this second embodiment of the invention, the means for supporting the first rolling elements 60 against the side walls of the insulating blocks 11, 13 facing each other in the first part of the first corridor 16, operate independently of the means for supporting the second rolling elements 64 against the side walls of the insulating blocks 15, 18 facing each other in the second part of the first corridor 16.Thus, the means for supporting the first rolling elements 60 adapt a first gap between the tracks of these first rolling elements 60 to a first width of the first corridor 16 in the first part of the first corridor 16, while the means for supporting the second rolling elements 64 adapt a second gap between the tracks of these second rolling elements 64 to a second width of the first corridor 16 in the second part of the first corridor 16, the first and second widths being able to differ by a few millimeters.

[0100] This independence of the means of support of the first rolling elements 60 and the second rolling elements 64 also makes it possible to release the first or second part 590, 592 of the chassis 59b when it pivots, while leaving the second or respectively the first part 592, 590 of the chassis 59b in support against the side walls 154, 184 or respectively 114, 134, of the insulating blocks 15, 18 or respectively 11, 13, in the first corridor 16.

[0101] They can therefore be activated or deactivated independently of each other, which facilitates passage through the second lane 19 when the second width is smaller than the first width. Indeed, in this case, it is necessary, in particular, to pass the first part 590 of the frame 59b into the second part of the first lane 16, to retract the first rolling elements 60 while leaving the second rolling elements 64 bearing against the side walls 154, 184 of the insulating blocks 15, 18 of the primary insulation layer 10 in the second part of the first corridor 16, then to support the first rolling elements 64 also against the side walls 154, 184 of the insulating blocks 15, 18 in the second part of the first corridor 16.

[0102] Of course the first and second rolling elements 60, 64 are preferably motorized.

[0103] Finally, the glue deposition system 50c includes first grooved wheels 62 mounted movably in rotation on the first part 590 of the chassis 59b and arranged on either side of this first part 590 of the chassis 59b so as to allow the first grooved wheels 62 to roll on the edges of the upper plates 112, 132 of the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 in the first part of the first corridor 16. These first grooved wheels 62 are coupled to the means for supporting the first rolling members 60 so as to take the edges of the upper plates 112, 132 of the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 in their grooves as soon as the first rolling members 60 are pressed against the lateral walls of these insulating blocks 11, 13.

[0104] Similarly, the glue deposition system 50c includes second grooved wheels 66 mounted movably for rotation on the second part 592 of the frame 59b and arranged on either side of this second part 592 of the frame 59b so as to allow the second grooved wheels 66 to roll on the edges of the upper plates 152, 182 of the insulating blocks 15, 18 in the second part of the first corridor 16. These second grooved wheels 66 are coupled to the means for supporting the second rolling members 64 so as to take the edges of the upper plates 152, 182 of the insulating blocks 15, 18 in their grooves as soon as the second rolling members 64 are pressed against the lateral walls of these insulating blocks 15, 18.

[0105] The grooved wheels 62, 66 allow the carriage 59b to be positioned substantially parallel to the transverse and longitudinal directions X, Y. An adjustment arm using a gyroscope can correct this position to ensure better parallelism. Alternatively, no correction is made to the position of the carriage; the control device 53 takes into account any parallelism of the carriage 59b to correct the first and second distances d1 and d2 between the reference position of the device and points located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24, when determining the first and second flow rates.

[0106] Optionally, the carriage 59b further comprises rollers suitable for rolling in grooves located on the side walls 114, 134, 154, 184 of the insulating blocks 11, 13, 15, 18 of the primary insulation layer 10, these rollers also being coupled to the means for supporting the first and second rolling members 60, 64. Returning to the first embodiment of the invention, we now describe, in relation to figures 6 and 7, how the control device 53 regulates the first nozzle 51 at the first flow rate calculated according to the first quantity of glue determined, and the second nozzle 52 at the second flow rate calculated according to the second quantity of glue determined.

[0107] In the embodiment example, a pump 55 allows the circulation of glue towards each of the nozzles, but it could be provided that a pump is specifically dedicated to supplying glue to each nozzle.

[0108] The glue deposition system 50 includes a glue supply circuit connected to the pump 55, and comprising a first branch 510 connected on one side to the pump 55 and on the other side to the first nozzle 51, and a second branch 520 connected on one side to the pump 55 and on the other side to the second nozzle 52. Each branch 510, 520 is interrupted by a flow control valve 56, 57 capable of modifying the cross-section of the glue passage in the branch 510, 520, towards the first nozzle 51 or the second nozzle 52.

[0109] Alternatively, the modification of the glue passage section could be carried out directly within each nozzle 51, 52, by a more or less pronounced opening and / or closing of the glue outlet orifice of each nozzle 51, 52.

[0110] Thus the supply circuit includes independent flow control means for the first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52. The flow control means 56, 57, here in the form of flow control valves, are electronically controlled by the control device 53.

[0111] In addition to what will be described in more detail below, with reference to the description of the glue application process, the flow control means 56, 57 can be configured with an initial command instruction that defines a quantity of glue deposited for each nozzle 51, 52 on a given surface, under predetermined conditions. As the carriage 59 moves, the control device 53 receives data illustrating a potential change in the shape of the area to be glued, and it adapts accordingly the command instructions sent to the flow control means 56, 57 associated with each nozzle 51, 52.

[0112] Figures 6 and 7 also show the structure of the secondary sealing membrane 24 and the thermal insulation blocks 21, 23.

[0113] The first thermal insulation block 21 comprises a plywood panel 210 and a polyurethane foam block 212. Similarly, the second thermal insulation block 23 comprises a plywood panel 230 and a polyurethane foam block 232.

[0114] We note the insulating joint 22 made of glass wool, as described in relation to [Fig.1], compressed between the first thermal insulation block 21 and the second thermal insulation block 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20.

[0115] The first thermal insulation block 21 and the second thermal insulation block 23 are each covered with a rigid sheet 240 of a resin-bonded fiberglass and aluminum composite material. Each rigid sheet 240 has the same longitudinal and transverse dimensions as the thermal insulation block 21, 23 to which it is bonded. The rigid sheets 240 are pieces of the secondary sealing membrane 24.

[0116] In order to form the secondary sealing membrane 24, these pieces are connected to each other in a watertight manner using flexible sheets 244. Thus in figures 6 and 7, glue 242 is applied to a portion of the rigid sheet 240 fixed to the first thermal insulation block 21, glue 242 is also applied to a portion of the rigid sheet 240 fixed to the second thermal insulation block 23, and a flexible sheet 244, also made of composite material, is applied over these portions of glue, covering them completely.

[0117] The flexible sheet 244 allows the joints between the rigid sheets 240 to be sealed and covers in particular the insulating joint 22.

[0118] As mentioned previously, the adhesive 17 is disposed via the nozzles 51, 52 on the secondary sealing membrane 24 and more particularly as illustrated on the flexible sheet 244, in order to then deposit and make adherent the panel 12 not visible here.

[0119] The secondary sealing membrane 24 is therefore formed of rigid sheets 240 of composite material, adhesive 242, and flexible sheets 244 of composite material. It is understood that in the first and second embodiments of the invention, the tank wall is supplied in pieces, each comprising a thermal insulation block onto which a rigid sheet 240 is bonded, and an insulating block of the primary insulation layer, this insulating block being bonded to the rigid sheet 240 on the side opposite the thermal insulation block of the secondary insulation layer.

[0120] Alternatively, the thermal insulation blocks are delivered separately from pieces of the secondary sealing membrane.

[0121] An alternative embodiment of the invention is now described in relation to [Fig. 8], wherein a glue deposition system 50b according to the invention comprises a plurality of first nozzles, here two first nozzles 51, and a plurality of second nozzles, here two second nozzles 52, and wherein the glue deposition system 50b further comprises a scraper 58. Elements identical to the main embodiment of the invention bear the same reference numerals. In particular, the structure of the wall on which the glue deposition system 50b is used is identical to that presented in relation to figures 6 and 7, although not all the elements of this structure are represented, and in particular the plywood 210 plates and the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10. Of course, a variant according to the invention could implement only two nozzles 51, 52 and the scraper 58, or the plurality of first nozzles 51 and second nozzles 52 without the scraper 58.

[0122] The glue deposition system 50b also includes a glue supply pump, to which are connected a first branch 510b serving two first nozzles 51, arranged above the sealing membrane 24 and above the first thermal insulation block 21, and a second branch 520b serving two second nozzles 52, arranged above the sealing membrane 24 and above the second thermal insulation block 23.

[0123] The first two nozzles 51 and the second two nozzles 52, the first branch 510b and the second branch 520b are fixed to the carriage 59, not shown in this [Fig.8],

[0124] The first two nozzles 51 and the second two nozzles 52 are regularly spaced along a transverse support in which are inserted, on the one hand, a fluidic connection between the first branch 510b and each of the first two nozzles 51, and on the other hand, a fluidic connection between the second branch 520b and each of the second two nozzles 52. The first two nozzles 51 and the second two nozzles 52 are fixed to this transverse support. The first branch 510b and the second branch 520b are arranged substantially orthogonally to the transverse support. It is understood that the transverse support is intended to be positioned along the transverse direction X when the glue deposition system 50b is in operation.

[0125] The scraper 58 is fixed to the transverse support downstream of the first and second nozzles 51, 52, positioned parallel to it. The scraper 58 comprises a blade arranged orthogonally to the layer of glue 17 being formed. The blade also has a notch 580 in its middle opposite the layer of glue 17.

[0126] The scraper 58 flattens the glue layer 17 by applying pressure to it, thus maintaining its shape even when the tank wall is not the bottom wall of the tank. It also makes the free surface of the glue layer 17 parallel to the transverse direction, with the exception of a glue bead 174 formed longitudinally between the first nozzles 51 and the second nozzles 52 by means of the notch 580.

[0127] In [Fig. 8], the second thermal insulation block 23 being positioned slightly higher than the first thermal insulation block 21, the first nozzles 51 at the right The nozzles of the first thermal insulation block 21 deliver more glue than the second nozzles 52 at the right of the second thermal insulation block 23. As a result, the portion 172 of the glue layer 17, located above the first thermal insulation block 21, is thicker than the portion 176 of the glue layer 17, located above the second thermal insulation block 23.

[0128] The scraper blade 58 is extended at each end by a blade 582 that collects the adhesive distributed by the nozzles and extends transversely beyond the subsequent positioning of the panel 12 on the adhesive layer 17, and by a deflector 584 that prevents the adhesive collected by the scraper blade 58 from also extending transversely beyond this subsequent positioning. The blades 582 and the deflectors 584 are inclined from the main portion of the scraper 58 towards the transverse support to which the first and second nozzles 51, 52 are attached. The angle formed by any one of the blades 582 and the deflector 584 extending from the blade 582, with the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane, is, for example, capable of being modified so that the blade 582 is always in contact with the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane.

[0129] A method for depositing glue 100 is now presented in relation to [Fig.9]. This method is implemented at least in part by the glue deposition system 50 of the first embodiment of the invention, but is transposable to implementation by the glue deposition system 50c of the second embodiment of the invention.

[0130] A first step 110 of the glue deposition process 100 is the positioning by an operator of the carriage 59 on the upper surfaces of the insulating blocks 11, 13 of the primary insulation layer 10 (or, when it is the glue deposition system 50c according to the second embodiment of the invention, of the carriage 59b between the insulating blocks 11, 13, with the first and second rolling members 60, 64 resting against the lateral walls of these insulating blocks 11, 13), so as to position the first nozzle 51 above the first thermal insulation block 21 of the secondary insulation layer 20, and the second nozzle 52 above the second thermal insulation block 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20, the first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52 being positioned substantially at the same distance from the insulating joint 22, in the transverse direction X.When the first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52 are movable relative to the chassis, they can optionally be moved relative to the chassis to obtain this positioning. The crossbar of the chassis of the carriage 59 is also arranged parallel to the transverse direction X.

[0131] A second step 120 of the glue deposition process 100 is the measurement, by the distance measuring device 54a, of the first distance dl and the second distance d2 as defined above in relation to [Fig.4].

[0132] A third step 130 of the glue deposition process 100 is the determination, by the control device 53, of a first glue flow rate associated with the first nozzle 51 and a second glue flow rate associated with the second nozzle 52, as a function of the first distance dl and the second distance d2 respectively. This determination uses, as explained above in relation to [Fig.4], a calculation of a first quantity of glue and a second quantity of glue to be distributed respectively by the first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52, as a function of a total quantity of glue to be used per unit area, or as a function of a target position to be reached by the panel 12 once it has been assembled in the primary insulation layer 10.During this third step 130, the control device 53 also sends a regulation command to the first flow rate by means of regulation, here the regulating valve 56, associated with the first nozzle 51, and a regulation command to the second flow rate by means of regulation, here the regulating valve 57, associated with the second nozzle 52. .

[0133] A fourth step 140 of the glue deposition process 100 is the distribution of glue by the first nozzle 51 at the first flow rate determined previously and by the second nozzle 52 at the second flow rate determined previously, on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24 covering the two thermal insulation blocks 21, 23 and the insulating joint 22. During this fourth step 140, a layer of glue 17 is formed on a portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24 covering a portion of the first thermal insulation block 21, the insulating joint 22 and a portion of the second thermal insulation block 23, this portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24 having a transverse dimension equal to a transverse dimension of the panel 12.

[0134] Additionally, the glue deposition process 100 may include a fifth measurement step 150, by means of the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b:

[0135] - of a third distance between on the one hand a third point on the glue layer 17, the third point being located above the first thermal insulation block 21, and on the other hand the reference point associated with the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b, and - of a fourth distance between on the one hand a fourth point on the glue layer 17, the fourth point being located above the second thermal insulation block 23, and on the other hand the reference point.

[0136] In this fifth step 150, it is assumed that the third and fourth points are chosen to be symmetrical to each other with respect to a vertical and longitudinal plane located midway between the first thermal insulation block 21 and the second thermal insulation block 23 of the secondary insulation layer 20. Thus, a difference between the third distance and the fourth distance is equivalent to to a difference in vertical position between the third point and the fourth point on the glue layer 17, therefore to a glue layer 17 not parallel to the transverse direction X.

[0137] During this fifth step 150, the third distance and the fourth distance are communicated to the control device 53 which compares their difference in absolute value to a predetermined high threshold.

[0138] Furthermore, in this fifth step 150, the control device 53 analyzes the images it receives from the camera 54c. In particular, it compares the color of the adhesive layer 17 in the images with a predetermined color range to detect an improper adhesive mixture. In this fifth step, it also detects, through this analysis, the presence of other anomalies such as roughness or deformations on the adhesive layer 17, the absence of adhesive on certain portions of the secondary sealing membrane 24 that are to be bonded, or the presence of an external element in the adhesive layer 17.

[0139] If the absolute difference between the third and fourth distances is strictly greater than the predetermined upper threshold, or if an anomaly is detected in the received images (branch N), then the control device 53 signals a fault and possibly the nature of this fault (difference strictly greater than the predetermined upper threshold or type of anomaly detected in the images) via a human-machine interface, and the next step 170 is the stopping of the carriage 59, as well as the closing of the first nozzle 51 and the second nozzle 52. This last step 170 is implemented by the control device 53.

[0140] If, on the contrary, the absolute difference between the third and fourth distances is less than the predetermined upper threshold, or if no anomaly is detected in the received images (branch Y), then the glue deposition process 100 continues, i.e., the distribution step 140 continues. However, if the absolute difference between the third and fourth distances is less than the predetermined upper threshold but greater than a predetermined lower threshold (branch C), then the control device 53 corrects, in a correction step 180, the first and second flow rates so as to reduce this difference, using, for example, a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller.

[0141] Once the portion of the secondary sealing membrane 24 is covered with glue, between the insulating blocks 11, 13, the installation of the panel 12 of the primary insulation layer 10 on the glue layer 17 is carried out. The measurement 120, determination 130, and distribution 140 steps are repeated so that the glue distribution 140 is continuous as the carriage 59 advances. These steps are therefore performed continuously. As mentioned previously, the measurement 150 step performed by the auxiliary distance measuring device 54b is optional and can be carried out less frequently than the measurement step 120 carried out by the distance measuring device 54a.

[0142] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described, and many modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the features of different embodiments of the invention can be combined to carry out the invention, provided that these embodiments are not incompatible with each other.

Claims

Demands

1. Adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) for assembling a wall of a tank intended to contain liquefied gas, the tank wall being assembled comprising at least a portion of a secondary insulation layer (20) comprising at least two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23), at least a portion of a secondary sealing membrane (24) covering the two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23) of the secondary insulation layer (20), the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) being intended to be covered by a primary insulation layer (10) itself intended to be covered by a primary sealing membrane configured to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) being intended to allow the bonding of a panel (12) in a recess of the primary insulation layer (10) onto the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the adhesive deposition system (50, 50b,50c) being characterized in that it comprises: - at least one first nozzle (51) for distributing glue at a first flow rate onto the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane (24), the first nozzle (51) being suitable for being positioned opposite a first (21) of the two thermal insulation blocks of the secondary insulation layer (20), - at least one second nozzle (52) for distributing glue at a second flow rate onto the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane (24), the second nozzle (52) being suitable for being positioned opposite a second (23) of the two thermal insulation blocks, the first nozzle (51) and the second nozzle (52) being suitable for jointly forming a layer of glue (17) on the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane (24), and - means for regulating the first flow rate and the second flow rate, suitable for regulating the first flow rate independently of the second flow rate.

2. Glue deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) according to claim 1, wherein the control means (56, 57) are capable of modifying a first glue passage section intended to be projected by the first nozzle (51) and a second glue passage section intended to be projected by the second nozzle (52).

3. Glue deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising glue supply means common to the first nozzle (51) and the second nozzle (52).

4. Adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a distance measuring device (54a) capable of providing a first distance (dl) between, on the one hand, at least a first point located in the housing on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) and opposite the first thermal insulation block (21), and on the other hand, a reference position, and a second distance (d2) between, on the one hand, at least a second point located in the housing on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) and opposite the second thermal insulation block (23) and on the other hand, the reference position, the control means (56, 57) being capable of regulating the first flow rate as a function of the first distance (dl) and the second flow rate as a function of the second distance (d2).

5. Adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising an auxiliary distance measuring device (54b) capable of providing: - a third distance between, on the one hand, at least a third point on the adhesive layer (17), the third point being located at the right of the first thermal insulation block (21), and on the other hand a reference point, and - a fourth distance between, on the one hand, at least a fourth point on the adhesive layer (17), the fourth point being located at the right of the second thermal insulation block (23), and on the other hand the reference point, the adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) further comprising a control device (53) capable of signaling a defect as a function of the values ​​of the third distance and the fourth distance.

6. Glue deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a camera (54c) capable of providing an image of at least a portion of the glue layer (17), the glue deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) further comprising a control device (53) capable of signaling a defect when an analysis of the image results in the detection of an anomaly.

7. Glue deposition system (50b) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least one scraper (58) capable of smoothing at least a portion of the glue layer (17)

8. Glue deposition system (50b) according to claim 7, wherein the scraper (58) is equipped at its ends with deflectors (584) and adjustable blades (582).

9. Adhesive deposition system (50b) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the scraper (58) has a notch (580) capable of allowing more adhesive to pass over a strip of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) located over the two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23) of the secondary insulation layer (20), than over other parts of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24).

10. Glue deposition system (50, 50c) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a carriage (59, 59b) capable of moving against walls of insulating blocks (11, 13, 15) of the primary insulation layer (10) extending on either side of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the first nozzle (51) and the second nozzle (52) being fixed to the carriage (59, 59b).

11. A method for depositing adhesive (100) for assembling a wall of a tank intended to contain liquefied gas, the tank wall being assembled comprising at least a portion of a secondary insulation layer (20) comprising at least two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23), at least a portion of a secondary sealing membrane (24) covering the two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23) of the secondary insulation layer (20), the portion of a secondary sealing membrane (24) being intended to be covered by a primary insulation layer (10) itself intended to be covered by a primary sealing membrane (10) configured to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the method for depositing adhesive (100) using an adhesive deposition system (50, 50b,50c) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for bonding a panel (12) of the primary insulation layer (10) onto the portion of the secondary waterproofing membrane (24) covering the two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23) of the secondary insulation layer (20), and comprising the steps of: - positioning (110) of the first nozzle (51) at the right of a first (21) of the two thermal insulation blocks of the layer, secondary insulation (20), and the second nozzle (52) at the right of a second (23) of the two thermal insulation blocks, and - distribution (140) of glue by the first nozzle (51) at the first flow rate and by the second nozzle (52) at the second flow rate, on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) covering the two thermal insulation blocks (21, 23) of the secondary insulation layer (20), so as to form the glue layer (17) on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the first flow rate and the second flow rate being regulated independently by the regulating means (56, 57) during this glue distribution (140) step.

12. A method for depositing adhesive (100) according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive deposition system (50, 50b, 50c) comprises a distance measuring device (54a) capable of providing a first distance (d1) between, on the one hand, at least a first point located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) and opposite the first thermal insulation block (21) and, on the other hand, a reference position, and a second distance (d2) between, on the one hand, at least a second point located on the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24) and opposite the second thermal insulation block (23) and, on the other hand, the reference position, and wherein the dispensing step (140) is preceded by: - ​​a measurement step (120) of the first distance (d1) and the second distance (d2), and - a determination step (130) of the first flow rate and the second flow rate as a function of, respectively, the first distance (dl) and the second distance (d2).

13. A method for depositing glue (100) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the glue depositing system (50, 50b, 50c) comprises an auxiliary distance measuring device (54b) capable of providing a third distance between, on the one hand, at least a third point on the glue layer (17), the third point being located at the right-hand side of the first thermal insulation block (21), and on the other hand, a reference point, and a fourth distance between, on the one hand, at least a fourth point on the glue layer (17), the fourth point being located at the right-hand side of the second thermal insulation block (23), and on the other hand, the reference point, the glue deposition process (100) comprising a correction step (180) of the first flow rate or the second flow rate as a function of the third distance or the fourth distance respectively.

14. A method for depositing adhesive (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the adhesive depositing system (50, 50b, 50c) comprises a camera (54c) capable of providing an image of at least a portion of the adhesive layer (17), a control device (53) capable of signaling a defect when an analysis of the image results in the detection of an anomaly, and a carriage (59, 59b) capable of moving against the walls of insulating blocks (11, 13, 15) of the primary insulation layer (10) extending on either side of the portion of the secondary sealing membrane (24), the first nozzle (51) and the second nozzle (52) being fixed to the carriage (59, 59b), the adhesive depositing method (100) comprising a signaling step (170) of a fault by the control device (53), followed by a stop step of the carriage (59, 59b) and closure of the first and second nozzles (51, 52).

15. A method for depositing glue (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the glue layer (17) is formed between two insulating blocks (11, 13, 15, 18) of the primary insulation layer (10), and wherein the glue distribution step (140) is followed by a step of laying an insulating panel (12) between the two insulating blocks (11, 13, 15, 18) of the primary insulation layer (10), the insulating panel (12) being pressed against the glue layer (17) during this laying step.

Images