Sealed insulated tank

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed, insulated tank. The tank's primary insulating barrier (4) comprises a plurality of adjacent insulating blocks (10), each of which comprises a bottom plate (11) and an insulating foam block (12) disposed on the bottom plate (11), the bottom plate (11) of each insulating block (10) extending beyond the insulating foam block (12) such that a space is formed between the insulating foam block (12) of each adjacent insulating block (10). The primary insulating barrier (4) further comprises a plurality of bridging elements (20), each of which is disposed within one of the spaces between the insulating foam blocks (12) of two adjacent insulating blocks (10) and is fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks, covering a portion of the inner surface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed insulated tanks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sealed insulated tank having a primary sealing membrane and a secondary sealing membrane, wherein the primary sealing membrane is corrugated. [Background technology]

[0002] In the prior art, a sealed insulated tank is known, which includes a tank wall supported by a load-bearing structure, wherein the tank wall comprises, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary insulated barrier supported on the load-bearing structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported on the secondary insulated barrier, a primary insulated barrier supported on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane supported on the primary insulated barrier.

[0003] Such sealed, insulated tanks can be used, in particular, for transporting cryogenic liquid products, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), especially on floating structures such as ships.

[0004] The primary sealing film is typically corrugated in two directions, namely, it has a first set of corrugations extending parallel to a first direction and a second set of corrugations extending parallel to a second direction. The first and second directions may be perpendicular to each other.

[0005] In such tanks, the primary sealing membrane is in direct contact with the cryogenic liquid product being transported and is therefore also subject to mechanical stresses associated with the deformation of the floating structure during use, as well as thermal stresses associated with temperature changes inside the tank, particularly during cooling, and temperature gradients between the inside and outside of the tank. Therefore, to optimize the lifespan of the primary sealing membrane, it is important to ensure that the stresses are distributed as uniformly as possible between the waveforms of the primary sealing membrane. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] One central idea of ​​this invention is to propose a sealed, insulated tank in which the stress applied to the primary sealing membrane is more uniformly distributed between its waveforms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a tank wall held on a load-bearing structure, The tank wall includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary thermal insulation barrier supported on a load-bearing structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported on the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier supported on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane supported on the primary thermal insulation barrier. The primary thermal barrier comprises a plurality of juxtaposed thermal blocks, each thermal block having a base plate and a block of thermal foam placed on the base plate, the base plate of each thermal block protruding beyond the block of thermal foam in each case to form a space between the block of thermal foam and the block of thermal foam of the adjacent thermal block, The primary thermal barrier also provides a sealed thermal tank including a tank wall, which includes multiple bridging elements, each bridging element positioned within one of the aforementioned spaces between two adjacent thermal foam blocks of thermal insulation blocks, fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate of the two adjacent thermal insulation blocks, and covering a portion of the inner surface.

[0008] In such tanks, the primary sealing membrane is corrugated. When the tank is installed on a ship and filled with cryogenic liquid products, the deformation caused to the tank walls while the ship is sailing tends to stress the corrugation of the primary sealing membrane, while the pressure exerted on the tank walls by the cryogenic liquid products tends to couple the mechanical behavior of the primary sealing membrane to the mechanical behavior of the primary adiabatic barrier. By designing a primary adiabatic barrier having foam blocks and bridging elements positioned in the space between the foam blocks that straddle the adiabatic blocks, it is ensured that the primary adiabatic barrier deforms as uniformly as possible, thereby allowing the stress to be distributed as uniformly as possible between the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane.

[0009] Furthermore, bridging elements tend to eliminate, or at least limit, relative motion between adiabatic blocks. Such relative motion can be caused, for example, by the acceleration applied to the primary adiabatic barrier when a vessel is in motion and / or by the deformation of the hull when the vessel is in motion. By eliminating or limiting these relative motions, equilibrium of static preload between different corrugated regions of the primary sealing membrane is ensured.

[0010] According to the embodiment, such a tank may have one or more of the following features:

[0011] According to one embodiment, each insulation block has a cover plate, the foam block is placed between the bottom plate and the cover plate, and the primary insulation film is held on the cover plate of the insulation block.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the cover plate and / or bottom plate are made of plywood.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane has a first series of waveforms extending parallel to a first direction, and each waveform of the first series of waveforms is positioned at the same height as a first slot formed within a block of thermal insulation foam of the thermal insulation block, or at the same height as a gap formed between a bridging element and a block of thermal insulation foam of the thermal insulation block.

[0014] Therefore, in the case of a corrugation positioned at the same height as a slot provided in the foam block of the insulating block, the slot allows the corrugation to open when it deforms under stress. Similarly, in the case of a corrugation positioned at the same height as a gap formed between the bridging element and the foam block of the insulating block, the gap allows the corrugation to open when it deforms under stress. Thus, the slots and gaps prevent all stress applied to a given corrugation from being transmitted to adjacent corrugations. Coupled with the aforementioned fact that the primary insulating barrier deforms as uniformly as possible due to the presence of the bridging element, this ensures that stress is distributed more uniformly among the corrugations of the first set of corrugations.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing film has a second series of waveforms extending parallel to the second direction, and each waveform of the second series of waveforms is arranged at the same height as a second slot formed in a block of the heat-insulating foam of the heat-insulating block, or at the same height as a gap formed between the cross-linking element and the block of the heat-insulating foam of the heat-insulating block.

[0016] Similar to the first series of waveforms, these features enable the stress to be more evenly distributed among the waveforms of the second series of waveforms.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0018] According to one embodiment, each cross-linking element is adhered to the inner surface of the bottom plate of the two adjacent heat-insulating blocks described above.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the inner surface of the bottom plate of each heat-insulating block has at least two grooves, and each groove extends along one edge of the bottom plate over a part or all of the edge of the bottom plate.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned grooves in the bottom plate are designed to collect the excess adhesive pushed towards the gap between two adjacent bottom plates when the cross-linking element presses against the inner surface of the bottom plate.

[0021] This eliminates or at least limits the risk that a part of the secondary sealing film is adhered by the adhesive used to adhere the cross-linking element. The ability of the tank wall to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses depends on the secondary sealing film that can slide relative to the primary thermal barrier.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned grooves extend parallel to each edge of the bottom plate along which the grooves extend.

[0023] According to one embodiment, each cross-linking element has two grooves, the grooves extend parallel to each other, and are arranged on both sides of the gap between the bottom plates of the two adjacent heat-insulating blocks described above.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned groove of the cross-linking element is designed to collect excess adhesive that is pushed towards the gap between two adjacent bottom plates by pressing the cross-linking element against the inner surface of the bottom plate.

[0025] This eliminates or at least limits the risk that part of the secondary sealing film is adhered by the adhesive used to adhere the cross-linking element.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the groove extends parallel to each edge of the bottom plate that defines the aforementioned gap.

[0027] According to one embodiment, each cross-linking element has tabs designed to be received in the gap between the bottom plates of the two adjacent heat insulation blocks.

[0028] Such tabs prevent excess adhesive from being pushed into the gap between two adjacent bottom plates when the cross-linking element presses against the bottom plate.

[0029] This eliminates or at least limits the risk that part of the secondary sealing film is adhered by the adhesive used to adhere the cross-linking element.

[0030] According to one embodiment, a flexible strip, for example made of kraft paper, is placed under each cross-linking element so as to be received within the gap between the bottom plates of the two adjacent heat insulation blocks.

[0031] Such a flexible strip can be interposed between the secondary sealing film and the adhesive used to adhere the cross-linking element, eliminating or at least limiting the risk that part of the secondary sealing film is adhered by the adhesive.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the heat insulation blocks of the primary heat insulation barrier are arranged at equal intervals in rows parallel to the first direction and the second direction.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the primary thermal barrier also includes a plurality of corner elements, each corner element positioned between four adjacent thermal insulation blocks and fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate of the four adjacent thermal insulation blocks, covering a portion of the inner surface.

[0034] Therefore, the corner elements can be staggered relative to the foam blocks of the insulating block. This staggered arrangement optimizes the distribution of mechanical stress across several foam blocks and helps locally limit the movement of the insulating blocks relative to each other after sloshing of the cryogenic liquid product contained in the tank and / or deformation of the ship's hull during departure. In effect, the corner elements provide a mechanical link between adjacent insulating blocks, preventing them from separating from one another. Thus, the relative motion of the insulating blocks relative to each other is limited, which helps to apply stress more uniformly to the corrugated primary sealing membrane when cooling the tank.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the corner element is bonded to the aforementioned inner surface of the bottom plate of the four adjacent insulation blocks.

[0036] According to one embodiment, each space between the foam blocks of four adjacent insulation blocks is filled by the ends of the bridging elements.

[0037] Similar to the corner elements, the fact that each space between the foam blocks of the four adjacent insulating blocks is filled by the ends of the bridging elements limits the risk of these foam blocks moving in the event of sloshing of the cryogenic liquid product contained in the tank or deformation of the hull during departure.

[0038] According to one embodiment, each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier is held on a secondary sealing membrane by a mechanical coupling, and the mechanical coupling passes through the secondary sealing membrane at the center of the bottom plate of the insulating block.

[0039] According to one embodiment, each mechanical joint is received by a shaft within the corresponding heat insulating block.

[0040] According to one embodiment, each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier is held on a secondary sealing membrane by a plurality of mechanical joints, and each mechanical joint passes through the secondary sealing membrane at the corner of the bottom plate of the insulating block.

[0041] Therefore, each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier can be positioned using its base plate during the assembly of the primary insulating barrier, facilitating the assembly of the tank wall.

[0042] According to one embodiment, each mechanical joint is received by a shaft within a square element.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane is fabricated by welding metal strakes having raised edges, which are received in the lower slots within each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier.

[0044] According to one embodiment, each bridging element aligned with the aforementioned lower slot has an additional lower slot designed to receive the aforementioned raised edge.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane is corrugated and is made by welding metal sheets, each metal sheet having at least one corrugated portion, which is received in a seat within each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier.

[0046] According to one embodiment, each bridging element aligned with the aforementioned seat portion has an additional seat portion designed to receive the aforementioned corrugated portion.

[0047] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has a layer of insulating foam fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate of the two adjacent insulating blocks mentioned above.

[0048] According to one embodiment, each crosslinking element has a layer of thermal insulation foam and a bottom panel made of, for example, plywood, the layer of thermal insulation foam being bonded to the bottom panel, and the bottom panel being fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plates of the two adjacent thermal insulation blocks, preferably by adhesive.

[0049] According to one embodiment, each crosslinking element has a layer of thermal insulation foam and a bottom composite, the layer of thermal insulation foam is bonded to the bottom composite, and the bottom panel is fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plates of the two adjacent thermal insulation blocks, preferably by adhesive. For example, the composite material may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin plate or a sheet of fiber-reinforced polymer resin with any metal straps.

[0050] According to one embodiment, each crosslinking element also has a cover panel bonded to a layer of thermal insulation foam.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a vessel used for transporting cryogenic liquid products, having a double hull and the aforementioned tanks located within the double hull.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transfer system for cryogenic liquid products, comprising the aforementioned vessel, an insulated pipe arranged to connect a tank installed in the vessel's hull to an onshore or floating storage facility, and a pump for driving a flow of the cryogenic liquid product through the insulated pipe between the onshore or floating storage facility and the tank on the vessel.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides the use of the above-mentioned vessel for loading or unloading cryogenic liquid products, wherein the cryogenic liquid products are transported via insulated pipes between onshore or floating storage facilities and tanks on the vessel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0054] The present invention can be better understood in the following detailed description of some specific embodiments of the invention, which are given only as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, and whose additional purposes, details, features and advantages are described more clearly.

[0055] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of the wall of a sealed, insulated tank according to the first embodiment.

[0056] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 in Plane II-II.

[0057] [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic top view of the plan layout of the insulating blocks that form the primary insulating barrier of the tank wall shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0058] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a schematic top view similar to Figure 3, showing the layout of the thermal insulation block in a modified form.

[0059] [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a schematic top view similar to Figure 3, showing a layout of the thermal insulation block in a different modified form.

[0060] [Figure 4C] Figure 4C is a schematic top view similar to Figure 3, showing a layout of the thermal insulation block in a different modified form.

[0061] [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a side view partially showing the bridging element and the bottom plates of the two insulation blocks of the tank in Figure 1 in a deformed configuration.

[0062] [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a top view showing one of the bottom plates of Figure 5A according to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0063] [Figure 5C] Figure 5C is a top view showing one of the base plates of Figure 5A according to a second exemplary embodiment.

[0064] [Figure 5D]Figure 5D is a top view showing one of the base plates of Figure 5A according to a third exemplary embodiment.

[0065] [Figure 5E] Figure 5E is a top view showing one of the bottom plates of Figure 5A according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0066] [Figure 6A] Figure 6A shows a bridging element in a different modified form, and is a side view similar to Figure 5A, partially showing the bottom plates of the two insulation blocks of the tank in Figure 1.

[0067] [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a bottom view of the bridge element shown in Figure 6A.

[0068] [Figure 7A] Figure 7A shows a bridging element in a different modified form, and is a side view similar to Figure 5A, partially showing the bottom plates of the two insulation blocks of the tank in Figure 1.

[0069] [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a perspective view showing the bottom of the bridging element in Figure 7A.

[0070] [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a bridging element in a different modified form, and is a side view similar to Figure 5A, partially showing the bottom plates of the two insulation blocks of the tank in Figure 1.

[0071] [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a sealed, insulated tank according to the second embodiment.

[0072] [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 9 in planar XX.

[0073] [Figure 11]Figure 11 is a schematic cross-section of a tank inside a liquefied natural gas carrier and the loading / unloading terminal for this tank. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0074] Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of the wall of a sealed, insulated tank according to a first embodiment. Such a structure can be used on large surfaces with various different orientations to cover, for example, the side walls, ceiling, and bottom walls of a reservoir. Therefore, the orientation shown in Figure 1 is not limiting in this respect.

[0075] The tank wall is attached to the wall of load-bearing structure 1. By convention, “upper” refers to the position closest to the inside of the reservoir, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the Earth’s gravitational field, and “lower” refers to the position closest to load-bearing structure 1. Load-bearing structure 1 may be the inner hull of a double-hulled vessel or a structure built inside the inner hull.

[0076] The tank wall comprises a secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 held on the wall of the load-bearing structure 1, a secondary sealing membrane 3 held on the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2, a primary thermal insulation barrier 4 held on the secondary sealing membrane 3, and a primary sealing membrane 5 held on the primary thermal insulation barrier 4, all of which extend continuously through its thickness.

[0077] The secondary insulation barrier 2 comprises a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped secondary insulation blocks 2a that substantially cover the inner surface of the load-bearing structure 1.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1, each secondary insulation block 2a comprises an insulating foam block 2b and a cover plate 2c. The cover plate 2c is positioned above the foam block 2b and extends parallel to the wall of the load-bearing structure 1.

[0079] The cover plate 2c has two grooves 2d that are parallel to each other and extend in a direction parallel to one of the paired sides of the secondary insulation block 2a. As shown in Figure 10, the grooves 2d have a substantially inverted T shape to receive a square welding flange. A portion of the welding flange protruding upward from the cover plate 2c allows for the fixing of the secondary sealing membrane 3. The secondary sealing membrane 3 comprises a plurality of strakes, each having a raised edge. The raised edge of each strake is welded to the welding flange using known techniques. The strakes are, for example, made of Invar®, i.e., typically 1.2·10 -6 ~2.10 -6 K -1 It is made from an iron-nickel alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion of . In this case, the strake can have a thickness of about 0.7 mm. In one variant, the strake has a high manganese content and is typically 7.10 -6 ~9·10 -6 K -1 They can be made of an iron alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion of . In the case of tanks in ships, the strakes are preferably oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ship.

[0080] The primary thermal barrier 4 essentially comprises a plurality of primary thermal blocks 10, a plurality of bridging elements 20, and a plurality of corner elements 150. The relative arrangement of the primary thermal blocks 10, bridging elements 20, and corner elements 150 is described below.

[0081] Figures 1, 9, and 10 also show that each of the primary insulation blocks 10 has a lower slot 8 for receiving the raised edges of the strakes. In this case, there are two lower slots 8 for each primary insulation block 10, but different numbers of lower slots 8 can be provided depending on the ratio of the number of strakes and the size of the primary insulation block 10.

[0082] The primary sealing membrane 5 is corrugated. More specifically, in a known manner, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the primary sealing membrane 5 has a first series of corrugations 61 and a second series of corrugations 62. The corrugations 61 are parallel to each other and extend in a first direction d1. The corrugations 62 are parallel to each other and extend in a second direction d2, which in this case is perpendicular to the first direction d1. The corrugations 61 and 62 protrude toward the inside of the tank.

[0083] The primary sealing membrane 5 is obtained by assembling a plurality of corrugated metal sheets 60, three of which are shown in Figure 1. Each corrugated metal sheet 60 has portions of corrugations 61 and 62. The corrugated metal sheets 60 are made of, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. The corrugated metal sheets 60 are rectangular and preferably have width and length dimensions that are integer multiples of the space between corrugations 61 and 62 and also integer multiples of the dimensions of the primary insulating block 10. It should be noted that there is a small length margin in the sheets 60 so that a given sheet overlaps with an adjacent sheet.

[0084] In the figure, the waveforms 61 and 62 are continuous and intersect each other. In a modified embodiment not shown, the corrugated metal sheet 60 has portions of the waveforms 61 and 62 that are discontinuous and spaced apart from each other so as not to intersect each other.

[0085] Furthermore, according to known techniques, the corrugated metal sheet 60 can be fixed to fixing strips 69 on the primary insulation block 10, for example, using spot welding. These fixing strips 69 seat in the counterbores (not shown) of the cover plate 13 of the insulation block 10 and the cover panel 23 of the bridging element 20. To avoid overcomplicating the drawings, the fixing strips 69 are shown in Figure 9 but not in Figure 1. In addition, some of the fixing strips 69 can be replaced with thermal protection to prevent damage to the cover panels 13, 23 when sealing welds are made around the metal sheet.

[0086] According to a modified embodiment not shown, the secondary seal 3 is also corrugated and, like the primary seal 5, can be fabricated by assembling corrugated metal sheets. In this case, instead of the lower slot 8, a sheet is provided to receive the corrugations of the corrugated metal sheets constituting the secondary seal 3.

[0087] The primary insulation block 10 is described below with reference to Figure 1, under the understanding that all primary insulation blocks 10 are identical.

[0088] As shown in Figure 1, the primary insulation block 10 comprises a bottom plate 11, an insulating foam block 12, and a cover plate 13.

[0089] The foam block 12 is made of an insulating foam, which may be, for example, a polymer foam, such as polyethylene, polyurethane, or other foam, and may optionally be fiber-reinforced using, for example, glass fibers. The polymer foam typically has a density of 110-170 kg / m³. 3 More specifically, 130 kg / m 3 It has a density of . The foam block 12 is fixed to the base plate 11, for example, by adhesive.

[0090] The cover plate 13 is placed on the foam block 12. The foam block 12 is fixed to the cover plate 13, for example, by adhesive.

[0091] The cover plate 13 and / or bottom plate 11 can be made of plywood, for example.

[0092] The assembly formed by the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12 has a roughly parallelepiped shape, as shown in Figure 1.

[0093] The base plate 11 also has a roughly parallelepiped shape. Its sides are parallel to the sides of the assembly comprising the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12. Its center aligns with the center of the assembly formed by the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12. However, as shown in Figure 1, the base plate 11 protrudes beyond the foam block 12; that is, the geometric envelope defined by the sides of the base plate 11 is larger than and completely encompasses the geometric envelope defined by the sides of the foam block 12.

[0094] As shown in Figure 1, the insulation blocks 10 are arranged at equal intervals in rows parallel to directions d1 and d2. In particular, the centers of the insulation blocks 10 are arranged at equal intervals in rows parallel to directions d1 and d2. Furthermore, in this first embodiment, the insulation blocks 10 are held on the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the secondary insulation barrier 2 using mechanical couplings 29, only one of which is shown in Figure 1. Each mechanical coupling 29 passes through the center of the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the bottom plate 11 of the insulation block 10. The mechanical couplings 29 are described in more detail below with reference to a second embodiment. Reference numeral 180 is used to indicate a shaft formed in the insulation block 10 that allows access to the mechanical coupling 29. This shaft 180 can be closed by an insulation plug (not shown) before the primary sealing membrane 5 is installed.

[0095] Since the bottom plate 11 of each insulation block 10 protrudes beyond the foam block 12 of that insulation block 10, a space is formed between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulation blocks 10. This space is filled by one or more bridging elements 20.

[0096] The general structure of the bridging element 20 is described below with reference to Figure 1.

[0097] As shown in Figure 1, the crosslinking element 20 has a bottom panel 21, a block of insulating foam 22, and a cover panel 23.

[0098] The foam block 22 is made of a heat-insulating foam, which may be, for example, a polymer foam such as polyethylene, polyurethane or other foams, and may optionally be fiber-reinforced using, for example, glass fibers. The polymer foam typically has a density of 110 - 170 kg / m 3 , more specifically 130 kg / m 3 . The foam of the foam block 22 and the foam of the foam block 12 may be the same in order to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and prevent irregularities in the heat-insulating properties of the primary heat-insulating barrier 4. The foam block 22 is fixed to the bottom panel 21, for example, by adhesion.

[0099] The cover panel 23 is disposed on the foam block 22. The foam block 22 is fixed to the cover panel 23, for example, by adhesion.

[0100] The cover panel 23 can be made of, for example, plywood. The plywood of the cover panel 23 and the plywood of the cover plate 13 may be the same in order to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and prevent irregularities in the heat-insulating properties of the primary heat-insulating barrier 4. Further, the bottom panel 21 may be made of, for example, plywood, and the plywood of the bottom panel 21 and the plywood of the bottom panel 11 may be the same. In a variation, instead of being made of plywood, the bottom panel 21 and / or the cover panel 23 may be made of a composite material. As an example, the cover panel 23 may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin plate. As an example, the bottom panel 21 may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin plate or a sheet of fiber-reinforced polymer resin having any metal strap.

[0101] The bridging element 20 has a substantially parallelepiped outer shape as shown in FIG. 1. The side surfaces of the bridging element 20 are typically parallel to the side surfaces of two adjacent heat-insulating blocks 10. Further, the bridging element 20 preferably fills the entire space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent heat-insulating blocks 10, except for a small gap formed between the foam block 12 and the bridging element 20, and the gap provides a certain amount of play during assembly.

[0102] The bridging element 20 is fixed to the bottom plate 11 of two adjacent insulation blocks 10 so as to cover a portion of the bottom plate 11. This fixing is preferably done by adhesive, more specifically by using epoxy adhesive or polyurethane adhesive, and such bonding is achieved relatively easily. In any case, the bridging element 20 can be fixed to the bottom plate 11 using any other suitable means, such as screwing, snap-fitting, or a combination of the means described above.

[0103] Figure 1 also shows that two bridging elements 20 are provided in each space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulation blocks 10. In any case, it is possible to provide a different number of bridging elements 20 in each of the aforementioned spaces, provided that the dimensions of the bridging elements 20 are adapted accordingly.

[0104] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the bridging element 20, which is aligned with the lower slot 8, also has a lower slot 9 that is aligned with the lower slot 8 and is designed to receive the raised edges of the strakes of the secondary sealing membrane 3. If the secondary sealing membrane 3 is corrugated as described above, instead of the lower slot 9, the bridging element 20 has an additional seat that is aligned with the seat of the insulating block 10, and this additional seat receives the corrugation of the corrugated metal sheet that forms the secondary sealing membrane 3.

[0105] By designing a primary thermal insulation barrier 4 having a foam block 12 and a bridging element 20 positioned in the space between the foam block 12 that spans the thermal insulation block 10, it is ensured that the primary thermal insulation barrier 4 deforms as uniformly as possible, thereby enabling the stress to be distributed as uniformly as possible between the corrugations 61 and 62 of the primary sealing membrane 5.

[0106] Furthermore, the bridging elements 20 tend to eliminate, or at least limit, relative motion between the adiabatic blocks 10. Such relative motion can be caused, for example, by the acceleration applied to the primary adiabatic barrier 4 when the vessel is underway and / or by the deformation of the hull when the vessel is underway. By eliminating or limiting these relative motions, equilibrium of static preload between different corrugated regions of the primary sealing membrane 5 is ensured.

[0107] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 in Plan II-II, showing the position of the corrugation 62 relative to the thermal insulation block 10 and the bridging element 20.

[0108] As shown in Figure 2, a series of corrugations 62 extend across the direction d1, and the corrugations 62 consist of a corrugation 62-1 positioned at the same height as the center of the foam block 12 of the thermal insulation block 10, then two corrugations 62-2 positioned at the same height as the gap formed between the bridging element 20 and the foam block 12 of the two thermal insulation blocks 10, then another corrugation 62-1, and so on.

[0109] The insulation block 10 has a slot 172 that is the same height as the corrugated 62-1. The slot 172 extends across the cover plate 13 and across a portion of the foam block 12.

[0110] These slots 172 are designed to open slightly when the opposing corrugation 62-1 deforms under stress. In other words, the slots 172 allow the foam of the foam block 12 to open the corrugation 62-1. This prevents the stress applied to corrugation 62-1 from being transmitted to the adjacent corrugation 62-2. The gap between the bridging element 20 and the foam block 12 of the two insulation blocks 10 has a similar function to the slots 172 with respect to corrugation 62-2. The slots 172 and the gap between the bridging element 20 and the foam block 12 help to distribute the stress more uniformly between corrugation 62-1 and corrugation 62-2, and therefore more uniformly within the primary sealing membrane 5.

[0111] Similarly, although not shown in the figure, extending across a series of waveforms 61 in direction d2, the waveforms 61 include a waveform positioned at the same height as the center of the foam block 12 of the insulation block 10, followed by two more waveforms positioned at the same height as the gap formed between the bridging element 20 and the foam block 12 of the two insulation blocks 10, and so on. This arrangement performs a function very similar to that of the arrangement described above for the series of waveforms 62. Furthermore, the insulation block 10 has slots 171 aligned with some of the waveforms of the series of waveforms 61, and the slots 171 and the waveforms perform a function very similar to that of the slots 172 and the waveforms 62-1.

[0112] As described above, the corrugated metal sheet 60 forming the primary sealing film 5 is fixed to a fixing strip 69. The fixing strip 69 sits in the counterbore (not shown) within the cover plate 13 of the insulating block 10 and the cover panel 23 of the bridging element 20. More specifically, this type of fixing strip 69 is provided between each corrugation of a series of corrugations 61 and each corrugation of a series of corrugations 62. To avoid overcomplicating the drawings, the fixing strip 69 is shown in Figure 9 but not in Figure 1.

[0113] As described above, the primary thermal barrier 4 includes corner elements 150. One of these corner elements 150 is shown in Figure 1 and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 10. Similar to the bridging elements 20, the corner elements 150 include a bottom panel (not shown in Figure 1), a block of thermal foam (not shown in Figure 1), and a cover panel 153.

[0114] The foam in the foam block of the corner element 150 and the foam in the foam block 12 may be identical to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and prevent irregularities in the thermal insulation properties of the primary thermal barrier 4. This foam block is fixed to the bottom panel of the corner element 150, for example, by adhesive and / or screwing.

[0115] The cover panel 153 is placed on the foam block. The foam block is fixed to the cover panel 153, for example, by adhesive.

[0116] The cover panel 153 can be made of plywood, for example. The plywood of the cover panel 153 and the plywood of the cover plate 13 may be the same to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and prevent irregularities in the thermal insulation properties of the primary thermal barrier 4. Furthermore, the bottom panel may be made of plywood, for example, and the plywood of the bottom panel and the plywood of the bottom panel 11 may be the same.

[0117] As shown in Figure 1, each corner element 150 is positioned between the foam blocks 12 of four adjacent insulated blocks 10. In other words, each corner element 150 is staggered relative to the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulated blocks 10. This staggered arrangement optimizes the distribution of mechanical stress across several foam blocks 12 and helps to locally limit the movement of the insulated blocks 10 relative to each other after sloshing of the cryogenic liquid product contained in the tank and / or deformation of the ship's hull during departure.

[0118] Each corner element 150 is preferably fastened to the bottom panel 11 by adhesive, more specifically by using an epoxy adhesive or polyurethane adhesive, and such bonding is relatively easy to achieve.

[0119] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing possible dimensions of the insulation block 10, bridging element 20, and corner element 150. Figure 3 is a top view, i.e., a view from inside the tank toward the primary insulation barrier 4. The pitch or length is first determined and shown using k in Figure 3. Once this pitch k is determined, the cover plate 13 of the insulation block 10 has equal sides of length 2k. The cover plate 153 of the corner element 150 has equal sides of length k. The cover plate 23 of the bridging element 20 has two parallel sides of length 2k and two parallel sides of length k. The arrangement of the insulation block 10, bridging element 20, and corner element 150 shown in Figure 3 is repeated in a plane parallel to directions d1 and d2 to obtain an alternating arrangement of corner elements 150 relative to adjacent insulation blocks 10. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, a single bridging element 20 is placed between two adjacent insulation blocks 10. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, two bridging elements 20 having two pairs of parallel sides of length k can be placed between two adjacent thermal insulation blocks 10.

[0120] In the modified configuration, the corner elements 150 may be omitted, and the spaces between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulation blocks 10 are filled by the ends of the bridging elements 20. Similar to the corner elements 150, the fact that each space between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulation blocks 10 is filled by the ends of the bridging elements limits the risk of these foam blocks 12 moving in the event of sloshing of the cryogenic liquid product contained in the tank or deformation of the hull during navigation. Figures 4A to 4C are schematic top views similar to Figure 3, showing possible dimensions of the insulation blocks 10 and bridging elements 20 used in this type of layout.

[0121] In the layout shown in Figure 4A, each space between the foam blocks 12 of four adjacent insulation blocks 10 is filled by the ends of bridging elements 20 having a length of 4k in the direction d2 and a length of k in the direction d1. Each space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulation blocks 10 is filled by bridging elements 20 having dimensions of 2k and k in the directions d1 and d2, respectively, as shown in the figure.

[0122] In the layout shown in Figure 4B, each of the spaces between the foam blocks 12 of four adjacent insulation blocks 10 is filled by the ends of bridging elements 20 with lengths of 3k in direction d2 and k in direction d1. Each of the spaces between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulation blocks 10 is filled by bridging elements 20 with dimensions of 2k and k in directions d1 and d2, as shown in the figure.

[0123] Finally, Figure 4C shows the same layout as Figure 4b, but with the roles of directions d1 and d2 swapped.

[0124] In another variant (not shown), all bridging elements 20 have a length of 3k in direction d2 (each in direction d1) and a length of k in direction d1 (each in direction d2).

[0125] As described above, the crosslinking element 20 is preferably bonded to the bottom plate 11 of the insulation block 10 using, for example, a polyurethane adhesive. To initiate this bonding, the adhesive is applied to the crosslinking element 20 and / or the bottom plate 11, and the crosslinking element 20 is pressed against the bottom plate 11 to compress the adhesive, completing the bonding process. However, a small gap 111 remains between two adjacent bottom plates 11 (see Figures 1, 5A, 6A, 7A, and 8), leaving a small portion of the secondary sealing membrane 3 uncovered. It is undesirable for this portion of the secondary sealing membrane 3 to be bonded using the adhesive used to bond the crosslinking element 20. In fact, the tank wall's ability to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses depends on the secondary sealing membrane 3 being able to slide against the primary insulation barrier 4.

[0126] Figures 5A to 8 show a variation of the first embodiment that makes it possible to eliminate or at least limit the risk of the secondary sealing film 3 being bonded by the adhesive used to bond the crosslinking element 20. In each of these figures, the width of the gap 111 between the two bottom plates 11 is exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the drawings.

[0127] In the first variation, which is very schematically shown as an exploded cross-sectional view in Figure 5A, each of the base plates 11 has a groove 91 near each gap 111 between two adjacent base plates 11, extending along its edge that defines the gap 111. Thus, unless adhesive is applied to the base plate 11 between the crosslinking element 20 and / or the gap 111 and the groove 91, the groove 91 can collect any excess adhesive that is pushed toward the gap 111 by the crosslinking element 20 pressing against the base plate 11. As a result, the collected excess adhesive does not reach the gap 111 or the secondary sealing film 3. In this case, the groove 91 is shown to have a rectangular cross-section, but the groove may generally have any suitable cross-section. Furthermore, each groove 91 is typically parallel to the respective edge of the base plate 11 through which the groove passes.

[0128] The grooves 91 may or may not open to the edge of the base plate 11, as shown in Figure 5A. Figure 5B shows an exemplary embodiment in which the grooves 91 open to the edge of the base plate 11. In this example, each groove 91 extends along the entire edge of the base plate 11 and intersects perpendicularly with two adjacent grooves 91.

[0129] Figures 5C to 5E show exemplary embodiments in which the grooves 91 do not open to the edges of the base plate 11. In the example of Figure 5C, each groove 91 extends perpendicularly to two adjacent grooves 91 and opens perpendicularly within them. In the example shown in Figure 5D, the grooves 91 are also perpendicular to each other but connected by curved groove portions, forming, for example, an arc. In the example of Figure 5E, the grooves 91 are aligned with each other and subdivided into two groove portions parallel to the respective edges of the base plate 11. The grooves 91 may, of course, be subdivided into a greater number of groove portions.

[0130] It should be noted that the number of grooves 91 per base plate 11 may vary depending on the presence of the corner elements 150 or other factors, and / or variations in the dimensions of the bridging elements 20, as described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4C. Thus, each base plate 11 may have two, three, or four grooves 91.

[0131] In the second variant, very schematically shown in the exploded cross-sectional view of Figure 6A, the foam block 22 of the crosslinking element 20 has two grooves 92 near the gap 111. The grooves 92 extend parallel to each other and parallel to the gap 111. The grooves 92 are also located on both sides of the gap 111. Thus, unless adhesive is applied to the bottom plate 11 between the crosslinking element 20 and / or the gap 111 and the grooves 92, the grooves 92 can collect any excess adhesive that is pushed toward the gap 111 by the crosslinking element 20 pressing against the bottom plate 11. As a result, the collected excess adhesive does not reach the gap 111 or the secondary sealing film 3. In this case, the grooves 92 are shown to have a rectangular cross-section, but the grooves may generally have any suitable cross-section. Furthermore, each groove 92 is typically parallel to the respective edge of the bottom plate 11 through which the groove passes.

[0132] Figure 6B is a bottom view of the foam block 22 showing the groove 92. As shown in the figure, the groove 92 can extend along the entire side surface of the foam block 22 so as to open to both sides of the foam block 22. However, in one variant, the groove 92 does not need to open to the side surface of the foam block 22 and / or may be interrupted.

[0133] In a third embodiment, which is shown very schematically as a cross section in Figure 7A and as a perspective view in Figure 7B, the foam block 22 of the crosslinking element 20 has a tab 95. The tab 95 is designed to be received in a gap 111. As a result, when adhesive is applied to the crosslinking element 20 and / or the base plate 11 (except obviously the tab 95), the tab 95 fills the gap 111, thereby preventing the adhesive from entering the gap 111, so that excess adhesive cannot reach the secondary sealing film 3.

[0134] In another variant (not shown), the base plate 11 may have a groove 91, and the bridging element 20 may have a groove 92. In yet another variant (not shown), the bridging element 20 may have a tab 95, and at the same time, the base plate 11 may have a groove 91, and / or the bridging element 20 may have a groove 92.

[0135] In yet another modification shown in Figure 8, a flexible strip 99 can be placed on the base plate 11 to cover the gap 111 before the crosslinking element 20 is bonded to the base plate 11. This flexible strip 99 prevents excess adhesive from reaching the secondary sealing film 3. The flexible strip 99 may be adhesive on a portion designed to contact the base plate 11 and can be made of, for example, kraft paper. The flexible strip 99 can be present simultaneously with the tab 95 and / or groove 92 and / or groove 91.

[0136] Furthermore, the tab 95 can be present even if the bridging element 20 is fixed to the base plate 11 by means other than adhesive.

[0137] Furthermore, the bottom panel 21 of the bridging element 20 is intentionally omitted from the modified forms shown in Figures 5A to 8 to illustrate how the bottom panel 21 is optional. Next, the foam block 22 is bonded to the bottom plate 11 and has grooves 92 and / or tabs 95 where applicable. In one modified form, the bottom panel 21 is bonded to the bottom plate 11 and has grooves 92 and / or tabs 95 where applicable.

[0138] Additionally or alternatively, the bottom panel of the corner element 150 can be omitted. The respective foam blocks are then glued to the base plate 11.

[0139] Figure 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the wall of a sealed, insulated tank according to the second embodiment. In Figures 9 and 10, elements identical to those in the first embodiment are indicated using the same reference numerals and are not described in detail again unless necessary. To avoid overcomplicating the drawings, a single corrugated metal sheet 60 is shown instead of three as in Figure 1.

[0140] As shown in Figure 9, this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the position of the mechanical coupling 29. More specifically, instead of being fixed to the center of the heat insulating block 10, the mechanical coupling 29 is fixed to the corners of the bottom plate 11 of these heat insulating blocks 10. Therefore, it is the corner element 150' that receives the mechanical coupling 29, and not the heat insulating block 10.

[0141] Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 9 in plan XX, showing a cross-section of one of the corner elements 150'.

[0142] The corner element 150' comprises a cover panel 151', a foam block 152', and a cover panel 153', respectively, except that the foam block 152' and the cover panel 153' are traversed by a shaft 180' that allows access to the mechanical joint 29. This shaft 180 can be closed by an insulating plug (not shown) before the primary sealing membrane 5 is installed.

[0143] In a modified form of the second embodiment (not shown), the bottom panel 151' of the corner element 150 can be omitted. Next, the respective foam blocks 152' are bonded to the bottom plate 11.

[0144] Figure 10 also shows a cross-section of one of the mechanical joints 29. This mechanical joint 29 will be described later, and this description also applies to the first embodiment. Other types of mechanical joints other than those described later may also be used, but it is understood that such mechanical joints are limited to those that can hold the corner element 150' and / or primary insulating block 10 in place on the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the secondary insulating barrier 2.

[0145] Each mechanical joint 29 cooperates with four support zones, each belonging to a corner area of ​​one of the four adjacent base plates 11, of which only two are shown in Figure 10 as a result of a cross-sectional view along plane XX. Each mechanical joint 29 has a pin 30 protruding from the secondary thermal barrier 2 and a support plate 31 fixed to the end of the pin 30, which also supports the four support areas of the four adjacent base plates 11 so as to embrace the secondary thermal barrier 2 and the secondary thermal membrane 30 via a spacer 58 and a base panel 151'. The support plate 31 has a hole (not referenced) into which the pin 30 is screwed. A nut 32 cooperates with the threaded end of the pin 30 to secure the support plate 31. Furthermore, according to an advantageous embodiment, a disc spring is screwed into the pin 30 between the nut 32 and the support plate 31, which helps to elastically secure the base plate 11 to the secondary thermal barrier 2.

[0146] As shown in Figure 10, the pin 30 is fixed to a fixing plate 33 which is fixed to the cover plate 2c of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2. For this purpose, the fixing plate 33 has threads that cooperate with, for example, the matching threaded end of the pin 30. Furthermore, the cover plate 2c has a recess on which the fixing plate 33 is seated. The recess has an internal section having a first diameter and an external section having a second diameter larger than the first diameter to form a shoulder. The shape of the fixing plate 33 matches the shape of the recess. Thus, the inner surface of the fixing plate 33 is coplanar with the inner surface of the cover plate 2c to form a flat support surface for the secondary sealing membrane 3. Furthermore, the fixing plate 33 has an external section having a larger diameter than its internal section so that the external section of the fixing plate 33 abuts against the shoulder of the recess which helps to fix the fixing plate 33 to the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2.

[0147] Furthermore, the pin 30 seals and traverses the hole formed in the secondary sealing membrane 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical coupling 29 has a sealing washer 34 designed to seal the secondary sealing membrane 3 at the hole through which the pin 30 traverses. The sealing washer 34 has a flange extending radially with respect to the axis of the pin 30, and at the central hole, the pin 30 is engaged with sufficient play to allow relative movement between the sealing washer 34 and the pin 30. The flange is sealed and fixed to the secondary sealing membrane 3 around the aforementioned hole in the secondary sealing membrane 3. This sealed fixation is achieved, for example, by welding.

[0148] Furthermore, the pin 30 may have a fixed shoulder portion 35 projecting radially outward from the pin 30. Next, a deformable seal 36 is sealed and welded, first to a sealing washer 34 and second to the fixed shoulder portion 35 of the pin 30, to ensure the seal of the pin 30 passing through the secondary sealing membrane 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the deformable seal 36 is, for example, a stainless steel boot. The sealing link between the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the pin 30 is flexible, allowing relative movement between the primary insulating block 10 and / or corner element 150' relative to the secondary sealing membrane 3, thereby helping to limit the risk of damage to the seal of the secondary sealing membrane 3.

[0149] To protect the deformable seal 36, the mechanical coupling 29 also has a hole into which a pin 30 is inserted and comprises a shell 37 that covers the deformable seal 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the shell 37 has a general cylindrical shape. Note that the fixed shoulder 35, the deformable seal 36, and the shell 37 may be omitted.

[0150] In a third embodiment (not shown), similar to the first embodiment, the mechanical coupling portion 29 described above may be fixed to both the center of the heat insulating block 10 and, similar to the second embodiment, to the corners of the bottom plate 11 of the heat insulating block 10.

[0151] The above-described techniques for fabricating the walls of a sealed, insulated tank may be used in various types of reservoirs, for example, to form the walls of an LNG reservoir in a floating structure such as an onshore facility or a liquefied natural gas carrier.

[0152] Referring to Figure 11, a cutaway of the liquefied natural gas carrier 70 shows a sealed, insulated tank 71 having an overall prismatic shape, installed within the ship's double hull 72. The walls of the tank 71 have a primary sealed barrier designed to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealed barrier positioned between the first sealed barrier and the ship's double hull 72, and two insulated barriers positioned between the first sealed barrier and the second sealed barrier, and between the second sealed barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0153] In known ways, loading / unloading pipes 73 located on the upper deck of the vessel are connected to the sea or a port terminal using appropriate connectors, allowing LNG cargo to be transferred to or from tanks 71.

[0154] Figure 11 shows an exemplary offshore terminal comprising a loading / unloading point 75, an underwater line 76, and a land-based facility 77. The loading / unloading point 75 is a static offshore facility comprising a movable arm 74 and a support column 78 that holds the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated hoses 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipe 73. The directional movable arm 74 can be adapted to liquefied natural gas carriers of any size. A connecting line (not shown) extends inside the support column 78. The loading / unloading point 75 enables the loading and unloading of liquefied natural gas carriers 70 to and from the land-based facility 77. The facility comprises a liquefied natural gas storage tank 80 and a connecting line 81 connected to the loading / unloading point 75 by the underwater line 76. The underwater line 76 enables the transport of liquefied gas between the loading / unloading point 75 and the land-based facility 77 over long distances, for example, 5 km, which allows the liquefied gas carrier 70 to be kept far from the shore during cargo handling operations.

[0155] Pumps mounted on the ship 70 and / or installed at the shore facility 77 and / or installed at the loading / unloading point 75 are used to generate the pressure necessary for transferring the liquefied gas.

[0156] Although the present invention has been described in relation to several specific embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is by no means limited thereto and includes all technical equivalents of the means described, as well as combinations thereof where they fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0157] The use of the verbs "comprise" or "include," including when conjugated, does not preclude the existence of other elements or other steps in addition to those mentioned in the claim.

[0158] In the claims, reference numerals in parentheses should not be understood to constitute limitations on the claims.

Claims

1. A tank wall supported on a load-bearing structure (1), wherein the tank wall includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary thermal insulation barrier (2) supported on the load-bearing structure (1), a secondary sealing membrane (3) supported on the secondary thermal insulation barrier (2), a primary thermal insulation barrier (4) supported on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane (5) supported on the primary thermal insulation barrier (4), The primary thermal barrier (4) includes a plurality of juxtaposed thermal insulation blocks (10), each thermal insulation block having a base plate (11) and a thermal insulation foam block (12) placed on the base plate (11), and in each case the base plate (11) of each thermal insulation block (10) protrudes beyond the thermal insulation foam block (12) to form a space between the thermal insulation foam block (12) and the thermal insulation foam block of the adjacent thermal insulation block. A sealed insulated tank including a tank wall, wherein the primary insulated barrier (4) also includes a plurality of bridging elements (20), each bridging element (20) is positioned in one of the spaces between the insulated foam blocks (12) of two adjacent insulated blocks (10) and is fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent insulated blocks, covering a portion of the inner surface.

2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the primary sealing membrane (5) has a first series of waveforms (61) extending parallel to a first direction (d1), and each waveform of the first series of waveforms is arranged along a first slot (171) formed in a block (12) of the insulating foam of the insulating block (10), or along a gap formed between the bridging element (20) and the block (12) of the insulating foam of the insulating block (10).

3. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the primary sealing membrane (5) has a second series of corrugations (62, 62-1, 62-2) extending parallel to a second direction (d2), and each of the second series of corrugations is arranged along a second slot (172) formed in the insulating foam block (12) of the insulating block (10), or along a gap formed between the bridging element (20) and the insulating foam block (12) of the insulating block (10).

4. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each bridging element (20) is bonded to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent heat insulating blocks (10).

5. The tank according to claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of each insulating block (10) has at least two grooves (91), and each groove (91) extends along one edge of the bottom plate (11) over part or all of the edge of the bottom plate (11).

6. The tank according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each bridging element (20) has two grooves (92) which extend parallel to each other and are positioned on both sides of the gap (111) between the bottom plates (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

7. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each bridging element (20) has a tab (95) that protrudes from the bottom of the bridging element and is designed to be received in a gap (111) between the bottom plates (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

8. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a flexible strip (99) is positioned beneath each bridging element (20) so as to be received in the gap (111) between the bottom plates (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

9. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the insulating blocks (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4) are arranged at equal intervals in rows parallel to the first direction (d1) and the second direction (d2).

10. The tank according to claim 9, wherein the primary thermal barrier (4) also includes a plurality of corner elements (150), each corner element (150) positioned between the foam blocks (12) of four adjacent thermal blocks (10), fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the four adjacent thermal blocks (10), and covering a portion of the inner surface.

11. The tank according to claim 9, wherein each space between the foam blocks (12) of four adjacent insulating blocks (10) is filled by the ends of the bridging elements (20).

12. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each of the insulating blocks (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4) is held on the secondary sealing membrane (3) by a mechanical coupling (29), and the mechanical coupling passes through the secondary sealing membrane (3) at the center of the bottom plate (11) of the insulating block (10).

13. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each insulating block (10) of the primary insulating barrier is held on the secondary sealing membrane (3) by a plurality of mechanical couplings (29), and each mechanical coupling passes through the secondary sealing membrane (3) at the corner of the bottom plate (11) of the insulating block (10).

14. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each bridging element (20) has a layer of insulating foam (22) fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

15. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each crosslinking element (20) has a layer of insulating foam (22) and a bottom panel (21), the layer of insulating foam (22) is bonded to the bottom panel (21), and the bottom panel (21) is fixed to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

16. A vessel (70) used for transporting cryogenic liquid products, wherein the vessel has a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 disposed inside the double hull.

17. A system for transferring cryogenic liquid products, comprising: a vessel (70) as described in claim 16; insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect a tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a land-based or floating storage facility (77); and a pump for driving a flow of cryogenic liquid products through the insulated pipes between the land-based or floating storage facility and the tank on the vessel.

18. Use of the vessel (70) according to claim 16 for loading or unloading cryogenic liquid products, wherein the cryogenic liquid products are transported between an onshore or floating storage facility (77) and the tank (71) on the vessel via insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81).

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