Storage facilities for liquefied gas

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage facility, comprising a tank, the tank comprising at least one top wall (4), the sealing membrane of the top wall having a plurality of slats (15), the top wall being partially interrupted to form an opening, the tank having a cover (19) arranged in the opening, wherein the storage facility has a fastening support (26) welded to an upper load-bearing wall (8), the thermal insulation barrier having a stop beam (40) arranged on the fastening support, the fastening support comprising a stop device (33) preventing the stop beam from moving in a first direction, wherein a metal fastening plate (47) is fastened to the stop beam, the ends of the slats or each slat interrupted by the opening are welded to the metal fastening plate, wherein a metal connecting strip (24) connects the sealing wall of the cover to the metal fastening plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of storage facilities for liquefied gas, comprising sealed and insulated tanks with sealing membranes. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of sealed and insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting liquefied gas at low temperatures, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at temperatures between, for example, -50°C and 0°C, or tanks for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure at about -162°C. These tanks can be installed on land or on floating structures. In floating structures, the tanks can be used to transport liquefied gas or to receive liquefied gas for use as fuel to power the floating structure. Background Art

[0002] Document FR2549575 describes a sealed and insulated tank built in a ship load-bearing structure, the tank comprising a secondary thermal insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary thermal insulation barrier and a primary sealing membrane. The tank has a plurality of tank walls assembled together. Each sealing membrane has a plurality of parallel slats. Each slat has a flat central portion extending in a first direction and two raised edges arranged on two sides of the flat central portion and protruding toward the inside of the tank relative to the central portion. Therefore, the slats are juxtaposed in a repeated form and welded together at the raised edges.

[0003] The sealing membrane is fastened to the load-bearing structure at the corners of the tank using connecting rings. Thus, each connecting ring is first fastened to the load-bearing structure and secondly to the sealing membrane so that forces can be transmitted between the membrane and the hull of the ship.

[0004] The connecting ring is particularly capable of absorbing compressive and traction forces caused by thermal contractions, deformations of the hull, for example associated with bending of the beam, and the filling state of the tank. In fact, such sealing membranes, usually called stretch membranes, do not have areas capable of absorbing compressive and traction forces in the first direction, unlike corrugated membranes.

[0005] In this type of construction, the sealing membrane is interrupted by an opening, for example to enable the passage of a loading / unloading line.

[0006] In order to maintain the sealing of the can, in particular to maintain the sealing of the primary sealing membrane, a connecting area is provided at the opening. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention is based on the observation that, in response to phenomena that induce compression and traction forces on the sealing membrane, the connection areas, in particular at the welds, may be subject to significant compression and traction forces, which may destroy the seal in these areas.

[0008] One of the core ideas of the invention is to increase the resistance of the sealing membrane in the connection area.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a storage facility for liquefied gas, the storage facility comprising a metal load-bearing structure and a sealed and insulated tank arranged inside the load-bearing structure,

[0010] The tank has at least one metal sealing membrane forming an internal storage space and at least one thermal insulation barrier located between the sealing membrane and the load-bearing structure.

[0011] The load-bearing structure has an upper load-bearing wall,

[0012] at least one top wall of the tank is fastened to an upper load-bearing wall,

[0013] wherein the thermal insulation barrier of the top wall has juxtaposed insulating blocks,

[0014] wherein the sealing membrane of the top wall comprises a plurality of parallel strips extending in a first direction, each strip comprising a flat central portion resting on the upper surface of the insulating block and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion, the strips being juxtaposed in a repeated form in a second direction and welded together in a sealed manner at the raised edges, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction,

[0015] The top wall is partially interrupted to form a loading / unloading opening designed for the passage of a loading / unloading line, the loading / unloading opening interrupting at least one of the slats,

[0016] wherein the tank has a cover disposed inside the loading / unloading opening, the cover having a metal sealing wall and a heat insulating structure between the sealing wall and an upper load-bearing wall, the cover being fastened to the upper load-bearing wall,

[0017] The insulating block includes an end insulating block adjacent to the cover in the first direction.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the storage facility has a fastening support fastened to an upper load-bearing wall flush with the end insulating block, the fastening support having a seat length extending in a first direction and comprising a cap, the thermal insulation barrier having a stop beam arranged on the cap of the fastening support, the fastening support preventing the stop beam from moving in the first direction,

[0019] wherein the end of the or each strip interrupted by the loading / unloading opening is welded to a stop beam, and wherein a metal connecting strip connects the sealing wall of the cover to the stop beam to ensure the continuity of the top wall sealing membrane.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the storage facility has a fastening support, which is preferably fastened to an upper load-bearing wall flush with the end insulation block by welding, the fastening support having a seat length portion extending along a first direction, and the thermal insulation barrier having a stop beam arranged on the fastening support, and the fastening support includes a stop device to prevent the stop beam from moving along the first direction.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the stop beam comprises a metal fastening plate fastened in a recess formed on the upper surface of the stop beam, wherein the end portion of the or each strip interrupted by the loading / unloading opening is welded to the metal fastening plate and the metal connecting strip connects the sealing wall of the cover to the metal fastening plate.

[0022] These features enable traction and compression forces applied to the sealing membrane in a first direction upstream of the tie bar to be absorbed by the load-bearing structure using the fastening support and the stop beam. In practice, the fastening plate is fastened directly to the stop beam of the thermal insulation barrier. For example, the stop beam is prevented from moving in the first direction by the stop means of the fastening support, so that the forces applied to the stop beam are transmitted to the load-bearing structure using the fastening support. The seat length of the fastening support in the first direction provides a sufficiently high stiffness in this direction.

[0023] Depending on the implementation, such a storage facility may have one or more of the following features.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the stop beam is made of metal and the metal stop beam is welded to the cap of the fastening support.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the stop beam comprises a fastening orifice flush with the cap of the fastening support, the stop beam being welded to the cover around the entire fastening orifice.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the stop beam is made of a material having a thickness between 0.5×10 -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 An alloy with a thermal expansion coefficient between that of iron and nickel.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the storage facility has a plurality of fastening supports juxtaposed in the second direction along one edge of the loading / unloading opening.

[0028] According to one embodiment, two adjacent fastening supports are separated from each other by one or more end insulating pieces.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the stop beam extends lengthwise over at least two adjacent fastening supports in the second direction and extends widthwise in the first direction.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier comprises a plurality of stop beams juxtaposed in the second direction, each stop beam being arranged above two adjacent fastening supports.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane has a connecting angle iron extending in the second direction to separate the thermal insulation barrier from the thermal insulation structure of the cover in a sealed manner, the connecting angle iron having a first flange and a second flange connected to the first flange, the first flange being connected to the stop beam and the second flange being connected to the upper load-bearing wall. Preferably, the first flange is welded to the fastening plate or the stop beam.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the connecting strip has at least one corrugation extending in the second direction.

[0033] As a result, the bellows can absorb the residual traction and compression forces applied to the connecting strip that are not absorbed by the fastening support. In fact, the bellows elastically deforms by opening and closing without applying stress to the weld.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the bellows protrude towards the inner space of the tank.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the corrugated portion protrudes toward the upper load-bearing wall.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the connecting strip has at least two parallel corrugations extending in the second direction, preferably three parallel corrugations.

[0037] According to several embodiments, the tie strip is welded to the connecting angle, the stop beam and / or the fastening plate arranged on the stop beam.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the stop beam has: a first seat extending along the second direction, such as a first groove; and a second seat extending along the second direction, such as a second groove, the stop device includes a first stop member positioned in the first seat, such as the first groove, and in contact with the wall of the first seat, such as the first groove, the first stop member preventing the stop beam from moving in the first direction along a first orientation, and the stop device has a second stop member positioned in the second seat, such as the second groove, and in contact with the wall of the second seat, such as the second groove, the second stop member preventing the stop beam from moving in the first direction along a second orientation opposite to the first orientation.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the stop means are vertically aligned with the fastening plate.

[0040] This minimizes the bending moments when compressive and traction forces are transmitted from the fastening plate to the fastening support.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane, the sealing wall of the cover and / or the connecting strip are made of a metal with a low expansion coefficient, for example a metal with a coefficient of expansion between 0.5×10 -6 K-1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 An alloy of iron and nickel with a thermal expansion coefficient between 7×10 -6 K -1 Typical expansion coefficients of iron and manganese alloys.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the fastening support is made of steel, such as carbon steel or stainless steel.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the stop beam is made of plywood.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the load-bearing structure has a rear cofferdam wall and a front cofferdam wall, which are positioned on two sides of the tank in a first direction, and the loading / unloading opening is formed close to one of the cofferdam walls, such as the rear cofferdam wall, and the fastening support is positioned between the cover and the other cofferdam wall, such as the front cofferdam wall.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the end insulating block is positioned between the cover and another cofferdam wall, for example a front cofferdam wall.

[0046] The fastening support and the stop beam are thus able to absorb the compressive and traction forces from a large part of the sealing membrane of the top wall, ie on the portion between the cover and the front cofferdam wall.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the edge of the loading / unloading opening along which the plurality of fastening supports are juxtaposed is a front longitudinal end edge of the loading / unloading opening between the cover and the front cofferdam wall in the first direction.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the sealing film is a primary sealing film designed to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the thermal insulation barrier is a primary thermal insulation barrier, and wherein the tank further includes, in the thickness direction from the outside of the tank toward the inside: a secondary thermal insulation barrier fastened to the load-bearing structure; and a metal secondary sealing film arranged between the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the primary thermal insulation barrier.

[0049] The secondary sealing membrane and / or the primary sealing membrane can be manufactured in different ways. According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane and / or the primary sealing membrane of the top wall has a plurality of parallel slats extending in a first direction, each slat having: a flat central portion respectively abutting against the secondary insulating block of the secondary insulating block thermal insulation barrier and / or the primary insulating block of the primary thermal insulation barrier; and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion, the slats being juxtaposed in a repeated form in a second direction and welded together in a sealed manner at the raised edges. Preferably, welding is performed using an anchoring flange, which is anchored to the secondary insulating block or the primary insulating block parallel to the first direction and is arranged between the juxtaposed slats to hold the secondary sealing membrane on the secondary thermal insulation barrier or to hold the primary sealing membrane on the primary thermal insulation barrier.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the connecting angle iron is a primary connecting angle iron, the secondary sealing membrane comprises a secondary connecting angle iron to separate the secondary thermal insulation barrier from the thermal insulation structure of the cover in a sealed manner, the secondary connecting angle iron comprises a first flange and a second flange connected to the first flange, the first flange of the secondary connecting angle iron is welded to the secondary sealing membrane or to a middle part fastened to the secondary sealing membrane, and the second flange of the secondary connecting angle iron is welded to the upper load-bearing wall.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the second flange of the primary connecting angle iron is welded to the second flange of the secondary connecting angle iron.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the fastening support comprises a secondary support part welded to the upper load-bearing wall and a primary support part welded to the secondary support part, the stop beam is arranged on the primary support part, and the secondary sealing membrane is welded to the secondary support part directly or through an intermediate part.

[0053] According to one embodiment, a dimension of the primary support portion in the first direction is smaller than a dimension of the stop beam in the first direction, for example a dimension of the primary support portion in the first direction is smaller than half a dimension of the stop beam in the first direction.

[0054] According to one embodiment, a dimension of the primary support portion in the first direction is smaller than a dimension of the secondary support portion in the first direction.

[0055] Since the primary support part is a metal element partially passing through the primary thermal insulation barrier in thickness direction, it is advantageous to limit the size of the primary support part to limit thermal bridges between the interior space and the exterior of the tank while keeping the support part large enough to absorb the forces.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the spacing between two adjacent fastening supports in the second direction is an integer multiple of the size of the slats in the second direction, for example, the spacing between two adjacent fastening supports in the second direction is equal to the size of the two slats in the second direction.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the dimension of the slats in the second direction is 500 mm.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the sealing wall of the cover has a plurality of flat metal plates welded to one another, the sealing wall having a plurality of orifices designed to allow the passage of loading / unloading lines.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the or each strip at the end that is welded to the metal fastening plate or the metal stop beam is greater than the thickness of the strip remote from the loading / unloading opening.

[0060] The thickness is a dimension measured in the thickness direction, ie, a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the end portion is equal to or greater than 1.5 mm.The thickness of the strip from the end may be less than 1 mm, for example between 0.7 mm and 1 mm.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the flat plate of the sealing wall of the cover is 1.5 mm.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the connecting strip is equal to or less than 1.5 mm, preferably, the thickness of the connecting strip is 1 mm.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the stop beam is equal to or greater than 50 mm.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the seat length of the secondary support portion in the first direction is equal to or greater than 300 mm.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the seat length of the primary support part in the first direction is between 100 mm and 200 mm, for example the seat length of the primary support part in the first direction is 165 mm.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the storage facility comprises a bellows cap welded to at least one end of the bellows to close the end, the end of the bellows being positioned at one end of the connecting bar, the ends of the bellows cap and the connecting bar being positioned away from the loading / unloading opening.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a storage facility for liquefied gas, the storage facility comprising a metal load-bearing structure and a sealed and insulated tank arranged inside the load-bearing structure,

[0069] The tank has at least one metal sealing membrane and at least one thermal insulation barrier, wherein the metal sealing membrane forms an internal storage space and the thermal insulation barrier is located between the sealing membrane and the load-bearing structure.

[0070] The load-bearing structure has an upper load-bearing wall,

[0071] The tank has at least one top wall fastened to an upper load-bearing wall,

[0072] wherein the thermal insulation barrier of the top wall has juxtaposed insulating blocks,

[0073] wherein the sealing membrane of the top wall comprises a plurality of parallel strips extending in a first direction, each strip comprising a flat central portion resting against the insulating block and two raised edges projecting towards the interior of the tank relative to the central portion, the strips being juxtaposed in a repeated form in a second direction and welded together in a sealed manner at the raised edges, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction,

[0074] The top wall is partially interrupted to form a loading / unloading opening designed for the passage of a loading / unloading line, the loading / unloading opening interrupting at least one of the slats,

[0075] wherein the tank has a cover disposed inside the loading / unloading opening, the cover having a metal sealing wall and a heat insulating structure between the sealing wall and an upper load-bearing wall, the cover being fastened to the upper load-bearing wall,

[0076] wherein a metal tie strip connects the sealing wall of the cover to the end portion of the or each strip interrupted by the loading / unloading opening to ensure the continuity of the sealing membrane of the top wall, the metal tie strip having at least one corrugated portion extending in the second direction,

[0077] And wherein the storage facility includes a bellows cap welded to at least one end of the bellows to close the end, the end of the bellows being positioned at one end of the connecting bar, the ends of the bellows cap and the connecting bar being positioned away from the loading / unloading opening.

[0078] Thus, the traction and compression forces applied to the sealing membrane in the first direction upstream of the tie bar are at least partially absorbed by the deformation of the at least one bellows. In fact, the bellows deform elastically by opening and closing without stressing the surrounding weld. Furthermore, the positioning of the ends of the bellows and the bellows cap away from the loading / unloading opening helps to limit the forces of the weld on the bellows cap.

[0079] The expression “arranged remote from the loading / unloading opening” means in this context that the mentioned element is positioned at a distance from the loading / unloading opening which is not zero in at least one direction, in this case preferably in the second direction.

[0080] According to one embodiment, each end of the bellows is closed by a bellows cap.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the bellows protrude towards the inner space of the tank.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the corrugated portion protrudes toward the upper load-bearing wall.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the connecting strip has at least two parallel corrugated portions extending along the second direction, and preferably has three parallel corrugated portions.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the bellows caps of a given end are joined together or separated from each other.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the or each bellows cap or the support of the or each bellows cap is welded to a strip that is partially interrupted by the loading / unloading opening, and the partially interrupted strip is positioned along a transverse end edge of the loading / unloading opening, which transverse end edge extends in a first direction.

[0086] Such a storage facility may be, for example, part of an onshore storage facility for storing LNG, or a coastal or deepwater floating structure, in particular a LNG carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, etc. Such a facility may also be used as a fuel tank for any type of vessel.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the storage facility is made in the form of a floating structure, wherein the load-bearing structure is formed by a double hull of the floating structure. According to one embodiment, the first direction is a longitudinal direction of the floating structure.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the floating structure is a ship for transporting cold liquid products, the ship having a double hull and the aforementioned tanks arranged in the double hull.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transportation system for cold liquid products, the system comprising: the above-mentioned ship; an insulating pipe, the insulating pipe being arranged to connect a tank installed in the hull of the ship to an onshore or floating storage facility; and a pump, the pump being used to transport the flow of cold liquid product from the onshore or floating storage facility to the tank on the ship through the insulating pipe, or to transport the flow of cold liquid product from the tank on the ship to the onshore or floating storage facility through the insulating pipe.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading onto or unloading from such a vessel, wherein the cold liquid product is guided from an onshore or floating storage facility via an insulated pipe to a tank on the vessel, or the cold liquid product is guided from a tank on the vessel via an insulated pipe to an onshore or floating storage facility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0091] The invention will be better understood and additional objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly explained in the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the invention given only as non-limiting examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0092] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the ship including storage facilities.

[0093] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a storage facility comprising a cover according to a first embodiment, the view corresponding to Figure 1 Details in II.

[0094] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a partial perspective view from the inside of the top wall according to the first embodiment in the area close to the cover, wherein only the fastening support and the secondary sealing membrane are shown.

[0095] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial stereoscopic view of the top wall in the assembled state.

[0096] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Exploded view of the stop beam, bridging plate and second stop member of the top wall of FIG.

[0097] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 An enlarged side view of detail VI showing in particular the stop device and the stop beam.

[0098] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An enlarged perspective view of detail VI showing the fastening of the stop beam to the fastening support.

[0099] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 is a stereogram showing the Figure 4 The connection between two adjacent stop beams and the bridge plate in the top wall.

[0100] [ Fig. 9 ] Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view from the inside of the top wall in the area close to the cover, showing in particular the connecting strip and the fastening support according to the second embodiment.

[0101] [ Fig.10 ] Fig.10 is a partial perspective view from the inside of the top wall in the area close to the cover, showing in particular the retaining beam fastened to the fastening support according to the third embodiment.

[0102] [ Fig.11 ] Fig.11 is a partial perspective view from the inside of the top wall in the area close to the cover, showing in particular the secondary sealing membrane and the fastening support according to the fourth embodiment before fastening of the primary cap.

[0103] [ Fig.12 ] Fig.12 is a partial perspective view from the inside of the top wall in the area close to the cover, showing in particular the secondary sealing membrane and the fastening support according to the fourth embodiment after fastening of the primary cap.

[0104] [ Fig.13 ] Fig.13 is a perspective view of a fastening support fastened to an upper load-bearing wall of a ship according to a fourth embodiment.

[0105] [ Fig.14 ] Fig.14 is a detailed view of a stop beam fastened to a fastening support according to a fourth embodiment.

[0106] [ Fig.15 ] Fig.15 is a side view of a primary support portion between two primary end insulating blocks according to a fourth embodiment.

[0107] [ Fig.16 ] Fig.16 is a perspective view of a fastening support according to another modification of the fourth embodiment.

[0108] [ Fig.17 ] Fig.17 yes Fig.15 A side view of the fastening support shown in FIG.

[0109] [ Fig.18 ] Fig.18 is a perspective view of a fastening support according to another variant of the fourth embodiment fastened to an upper load-bearing wall of a ship.

[0110] [ Fig.19 ] Fig.19 is a perspective view from the inside of the top wall in the area close to the cover, showing the end of the tie strip fastened to the primary sealing membrane.

[0111] [ Fig. 20 ] Fig. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tank in a liquefied natural gas carrier and a loading / unloading terminal for the tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0112] By convention, "above" or "above" or "upper" refers to the position closest to the interior of the tank, and "below" or "below" or "lower" refers to the position closest to the load-bearing structure of the vessel, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the earth's gravitational field. Thus, Figures 3 to 18 Shown in reverse orientation relative to its actual location in the storage facility.

[0113] Figure 1 A liquefied natural gas carrier 70 for storing and transporting liquefied gas is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of ship.

[0114] therefore, Figure 1 The ship 70 shown in the figure comprises a storage facility 1 with four tanks 71, which are arranged in a load-bearing structure 2 formed by the inner hull of the ship 70 and fastened to the inner hull. Each tank 71 is polyhedral and has a plurality of tank walls assembled together to form an inner space 3, and the tank walls are in particular a top wall 4, a rear cofferdam wall 5 and a front cofferdam wall 6. The front cofferdam wall 6 and the rear cofferdam wall 5 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction L of the ship 70, and the upper parts of the front cofferdam wall 6 and the rear cofferdam wall 5 are fastened to the top wall 4. In order to properly operate these tanks 71, a loading / unloading opening 7 is provided in the top wall 4 to enable the passage of loading / unloading pipelines. The top wall 4 is fastened to the upper load-bearing wall 8 of the load-bearing structure 2. The upper load-bearing wall 8 is also provided with an orifice 9 so that the loading / unloading pipeline can pass through the load-bearing structure 2.

[0115] The loading / unloading opening 7 is the entry point for various LNG handling equipment, such as filling lines, emergency pumping lines, unloading lines connected to unloading pumps, injection lines, feed lines connected to injection pumps, etc. The operation of such equipment is known.

[0116] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the dihedral angle formed by assembling the top wall 4 and the rear cofferdam wall 5. In fact, the loading / unloading opening 7 is arranged in the top wall 4 near the rear cofferdam wall 5.

[0117] The multi-layer structure of the top wall 4 is described in more detail below.

[0118] The multilayer structure of the top wall 4 of a sealed and insulated tank 71 for storing liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) has the following arranged continuously in the thickness direction from the outside of the tank to the inside: a secondary insulation barrier 10 fastened to the upper load-bearing wall 8; a secondary sealing membrane 11 supported against the secondary insulation barrier 10; a primary insulation barrier 12 supported against the secondary sealing membrane 11; and a primary sealing membrane 13 resting on the primary insulation barrier 12, the primary sealing membrane 13 being designed to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank 71.

[0119] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 has a plurality of secondary insulating blocks 14, which are anchored to the upper load-bearing wall 8 using anchoring means (not shown). The secondary insulating blocks 14 have a substantially parallelepiped shape and are arranged, for example, in a parallel arrangement in a longitudinal direction L and a transverse direction T perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L.

[0120] The secondary sealing membrane 11 of the top wall 4 has a layer of continuous metal strips 15 with raised edges. The strips 15 thus have a flat central portion 16 resting on the secondary insulating block 14 of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10, and the strips 15 also have two raised edges 17 arranged on both sides of the flat central portion 16 in the transverse direction T and projecting towards the interior of the tank relative to the central portion 16. The strips 15 are welded via the raised edges 17 of the strips 15 to parallel welding supports which are fastened in grooves formed in the surface of the secondary insulating block 14 in contact with the secondary sealing membrane 11. The strips 15 consist, for example, of That is, the expansion coefficient is usually between 1.2×10 -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 Made from an alloy between iron and nickel.

[0121] The primary thermal insulation barrier 12 of the top wall 4 has a plurality of primary insulating blocks 18, which are anchored to the upper load-bearing wall 8 using anchoring means (not shown). The primary insulating blocks 18 are generally parallelepipedal. Furthermore, the dimensions of the primary insulating blocks 18 are substantially the same as or different from the dimensions of the secondary insulating blocks 14. The primary insulating blocks 18 are aligned with the secondary insulating blocks 14, or the primary insulating blocks 18 are offset from the secondary insulating blocks 14 in one or both of the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T.

[0122] The secondary insulating blocks 14 and the primary insulating blocks 18 can be manufactured in different ways. For example, some or all of the insulating blocks are formed as boxes with a bottom plate, a cover plate and load-bearing partitions extending in the thickness direction, located between the bottom plate and the cover plate and delimiting a plurality of compartments filled with insulating fillers such as perlite, glass wool or rock wool.

[0123] In another embodiment, some or all of the secondary insulation blocks 14 and the primary insulation blocks 18 have a base plate, a cover plate, and one or more layers of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between and bonded to the base plate and the cover plate. The insulating polymer foam may be, in particular, a polyurethane-based foam, optionally a polyurethane-based foam reinforced with fibers.

[0124] In another embodiment, the secondary insulation barrier 10 and / or the primary insulation barrier 12 has a secondary insulation block 14 and / or a primary insulation block 18, and the secondary insulation block 14 and / or the primary insulation block 18 have at least two different types of structures, for example, the above two structures that work according to the installation area of ​​the secondary insulation block 14 and / or the primary insulation block 18 in the tank. An example of such a structure is provided in the publication WO-A-2019077253.

[0125] The primary sealing membrane 13 has a layer of continuous metal strips 15 with raised edges, for example of the same type as the strips 15 of the secondary sealing membrane 11. The strips 15 of the primary sealing membrane 13 are welded by means of the raised edges 17 of the strips 15 to parallel welding supports fastened in grooves formed in the surface of the primary insulating block 18 in contact with the primary sealing membrane 13.

[0126] The primary sealing membrane 13 and the secondary sealing membrane 11 are fastened in a known manner to the load-bearing structure 2 using a connecting ring 55, in particular at the angle formed between the top wall 4 and the rear cofferdam wall 5. The connecting ring 55 is thus fastened first to the load-bearing structure 2 and secondly to the sealing membranes 11, 13, so that forces can be transmitted between the sealing membranes 11, 13 and the load-bearing structure 2.

[0127] In order to delimit the loading / unloading opening 7, the top wall 4 is partially interrupted to allow the loading / unloading lines to pass through. Thus, the sealing membranes 11, 13 and the thermal insulation barriers 10, 12 are interrupted around the entire periphery of the loading / unloading opening 7, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0128] To ensure the continuity of sealing and insulation, the tank 71 has a cover 19 placed in the loading / unloading opening 7. The cover 19 has a metal sealing wall 20 and a thermal insulation structure 21 located between the metal sealing wall 20 and the upper load-bearing wall 8. The cover 19 is fastened to the upper load-bearing wall 8. The metal sealing wall 20 ensures the continuity of the seal with the primary sealing membrane 13 of the top wall 4, while the thermal insulation structure 21 ensures the continuity of insulation.

[0129] In particular Figure 4 As shown, the insulation structure 21 has an insulating cover block 22, which is in the form of a box, for example, having a bottom plate, a cover plate and a load-bearing partition plate, which extends in the thickness direction, is located between the bottom plate and the cover plate and defines a plurality of compartments filled with insulating fillers such as rigid foam insulation materials. The insulating cover block 22 has through holes (not shown) that allow loading / unloading pipelines to pass through.

[0130] The sealing wall 20 of the cover 19 has a plurality of flat metal plates 23 welded to each other. The sealing wall 20 also has a plurality of cover openings (not shown) designed to be passed through by the loading / unloading pipelines. Figure 4 As shown, the storage facility 1 also comprises a metal connecting strip 24 so that the sealing wall 20 of the lid is connected to the primary sealing membrane 13 of the top wall 4 in a sealed manner.

[0131] The primary sealing membrane 13 is capable of transmitting the traction and compression forces associated with the operation of the primary sealing membrane 13 to the metal connecting strip 24. These forces are particularly strong at the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the loading / unloading opening 7, which is the edge of the loading / unloading opening 7 located between the cover 19 and the front cofferdam wall 6 in the longitudinal direction L. In fact, due to the positioning of the cover 19 close to the rear cofferdam wall 5, the longitudinal direction portion of the primary sealing membrane 13 between the cover 19 and the front cofferdam wall 6 is significantly larger than the longitudinal direction portion of the primary sealing membrane 13 between the cover 19 and the rear cofferdam wall, which leads to the front longitudinal end edge 25 being subjected to greater forces after deformation or thermal contraction of the hull. In addition, these forces are particularly strong on the front longitudinal end edge 25 due to the orientation of the primary sealing membrane 13. In fact, the primary sealing membrane 13 is oriented so that the flat central portion 16 of the strip 15 extends in the longitudinal direction L of the ship 70. As a result, no area capable of absorbing compression and traction forces is provided in this direction.

[0132] In order to lighten the metal connecting strip 24 , a specific supporting structure extending in the transverse direction T is provided along the front longitudinal end edge 25 , as described below.

[0133] Figure 3 In particular the assembly of the secondary sealing membrane 11 at the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the loading / unloading opening 7 is shown.

[0134] The storage facility 1 has a plurality of metal fastening supports 26 juxtaposed in the transverse direction T along the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the loading / unloading opening 7 . The plurality of fastening supports 26 therefore extend parallel to the metal connecting strips 24 .

[0135] Each fastening support 26 has a secondary support portion 27 and a primary support portion 28 welded to the secondary support portion 27. The secondary support portion 27 has a secondary cap 29 extending in the longitudinal direction, to which the primary support portion 28 is welded. The secondary cap 29 is welded to a secondary foot 30, which is anchored to the upper load-bearing wall 8, for example by welding. Thus, the secondary support portion 27 has a seat length extending in the longitudinal direction L measured when the secondary foot 30 is fastened to the load-bearing structure and providing resistance to tilting and bending in this direction. The primary support portion 28 also has a primary cap 31 extending in the longitudinal direction and on which a stop device 33 as described below is welded. The primary cap 31 is welded to a primary foot 32, which is welded to the secondary cap 29. The primary support portion 28 also has a seat length, measured when the primary foot 32 is fastened to the secondary foot 30, extending in the longitudinal direction L and providing resistance to tilting and bending in this direction. Figure 3 The first embodiment shown and Fig.10 In the third embodiment shown, the secondary foot 30 and the primary foot 32 are H-shaped cross-section beams (cross-section along the thickness direction). Fig. 9 The second embodiment shown and in particular Fig.11 and Fig.12 In the fourth embodiment shown, the primary foot 32 is a beam of circular cross section. Other cross sections may also be used, provided that they provide a sufficient moment of inertia in the longitudinal direction L.

[0136] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 has secondary end insulating blocks 34. Each secondary end insulating block 34 is inserted between the secondary support portions 27 of two adjacent fastening supports 26 in the transverse direction T. Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 8 As particularly shown in FIG. 1 , a secondary metal fastening plate 35 is fastened to the upper surface of each secondary end insulating block 34 , for example, by a screw connection or a riveted connection.

[0137] The secondary sealing membrane 11 has a row of strips 15 in the transverse direction T which is interrupted by the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the opening 7. Figure 3 As shown, these strips 15 interrupted by the openings 7 are welded alternately, depending on the position of the strips 15 in the transverse direction T, to the secondary cap 29 and to the secondary metal fastening plates 35 of the secondary end insulating block 34 .

[0138] The secondary sealing membrane 11 further comprises a secondary metal connection angle 36 extending in the transverse direction T. The secondary connection angle 36 has a first secondary flange 37 and a second secondary flange 38, the second secondary flange 38 being joined to the first secondary flange 37 and forming an angle with the first secondary flange 37. The first secondary flange 37 is welded alternately to the secondary cap 29 and to the secondary metal fastening plate 35 of the secondary end insulating block 34. The second secondary flange 38 is welded to the upper load-bearing wall 8 via an anchoring plate 69 and is located between the cover 19 and the secondary support portion 27. The strip 15 interrupted by the opening 7 and the assembly of the secondary fastening plate 35, the secondary cap 29 and the secondary connection angle 36 ensure that the secondary sealing membrane 11 stops at the front longitudinal end edge 25 while maintaining the continuity of the seal, in particular with respect to the cover 19.

[0139] Figure 4 The top wall 4 and the cover 19 are shown at the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the loading / unloading opening 7 after assembly of the primary sealing membrane 13 .

[0140] Similar to the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10, the primary thermal insulation barrier 12 has primary end insulating blocks 39. Each primary end insulating block 39 is interposed in the transverse direction T between the primary support portions 28 of two adjacent fastening supports 26.

[0141] The primary thermal insulation barrier 12 further comprises a plurality of stop beams 40 juxtaposed in the transverse direction T. Each stop beam 40 is arranged above the primary support portions 28 of two adjacent fastening supports 26 .

[0142] In the first and second embodiments, the stop beam 40 is made of plywood. Figure 7 The fastening device 41 shown in FIG. 4 jointly fastens two stop beams 40 adjacent in the transverse direction T to the primary cap 31 .

[0143] Also in the first and second embodiments, for assembly reasons, a bridge plate 42 is interposed between two adjacent stop beams 40, vertically aligned with the fastening means 41, so as to form a continuous support surface for the primary sealing membrane 13 after fastening, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 shown.

[0144] The stop beam 40 is also prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction relative to the fastening support 26 , so that stress in the longitudinal direction applied to the stop beam 40 is directly transferred to the load-bearing structure 2 .

[0145] Therefore, in Figure 4In the first embodiment shown, the primary support part 28 has a stop device 33. The stop device 33 comprises a first stop 43 welded to the primary cap 31 and a second stop 44 spaced apart from the first stop 43 in the longitudinal direction L, the first stop 43 and the second stop 44 both extending in the transverse direction T, in particular as Figure 6 . The stop beam 40 has a first matching groove 45 and a second matching groove 46, both of which extend in the transverse direction T. After assembly, the first stopper 43 is located in the first groove 45 and contacts the side wall of the first groove 45 to prevent the stop beam 40 from moving in the first orientation in the longitudinal direction L. Similarly, the second stopper 44 is located in the second groove 46 and contacts the side wall of the second groove 46 to prevent the stop beam 40 from moving in the second orientation opposite to the first orientation in the longitudinal direction L.

[0146] During assembly, the second stop 44 is assembled after the stop beam 40 has been positioned. Figure 3 As shown, only the first stop 43 is welded to the primary cap 31 before positioning the stop beam 40 . Figure 5 4 shows the second stop in more detail in an exploded view, also showing the stop beam 40 and the bridge plate 42.

[0147] Therefore, during the assembly of the primary thermal insulation barrier 12 onto the secondary sealing membrane 11, the stopper beam 40 and the second stopper 44 have a specific assembly sequence, such as Figure 6 As shown. First, the stop beam 40 is placed to position the first stop 43 in the first groove 45. The second stop 44 is simultaneously inserted into the second groove 46 without being fastened to the primary cap 31. The stop beam 40 is then pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow F1 so that the first stop 43 comes into contact with the first wall of the first groove 45. The stop beam 40 is then screwed to the primary cap 31 using the fastening device 41 to fasten the stop beam. The fastening device 41 is, for example, a nut / bolt system provided with a clamping plate. The clamping plate is capable of transmitting the fastening force of the nut / bolt system to two adjacent stop beams.

[0148] Then along Figure 6 The second stopper 44 is pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow F2 in FIG. 4 so that the second stopper 44 contacts the second wall of the second groove 46. The first wall and the second wall become separated from each other, and the first wall and the second wall belong to the first groove 45 and the second groove 46, respectively, and contact the stoppers 43 and 44. In other words, the first wall and the second wall, which belong to the first groove 45 and the second groove 46, respectively, are arranged opposite to each other. Therefore, the first stopper 43 and the second stopper 44 clamp a part of the stop beam 40 in the longitudinal direction L, thereby absorbing all manufacturing tolerances. It is at this position that the second stopper 44 is welded to the primary cap 31 by the weld 56, as shown in FIG. Figure 7The first stop 43 is positioned, for example, on the end of the primary cap 31 closest to the cover 19, and the second stop 44, once fastened, is spaced apart from the first stop 43 in the longitudinal direction L. In addition, as Figure 7 As shown, the second stop 44 can be offset in the transverse direction T relative to the first stop 43. Thus, each first stop 43 acts as a stop for two adjacent stop beams 40 positioned on a given primary cap 31, while each second stop 44 offset in the longitudinal and transverse directions relative to the first stop 43 acts as a stop for a single stop beam 40. Thus, the stop beam 40 is rigidly supported by the fastening support 26 without any residual play in the longitudinal direction L, which makes it possible to absorb any compressive or traction forces exerted by the primary membrane in operation without any substantial force being transmitted to the metal connecting strip 24. This reduces fatigue on the metal connecting strip 24, thereby increasing the service life of the metal connecting strip 24.

[0149] exist Figure 5 In the first embodiment shown, the second stop 44 is an L-section beam extending in the transverse direction T. In this case, the length of the second stop 44 is substantially equal to the distance between two fastening supports 26 in the transverse direction T, so that the second stop 44 extends between two adjacent fastening supports 26 and each end of the second stop 44 is welded to the primary seat 31 of one of these fastening supports 26 .

[0150] The primary metal fastening plate 47 is rigidly fastened to the upper surface of the stop beam 40, for example by a screw connection or a riveted connection, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6 In order to maintain the flatness of the primary sealing film 13, the stop beam 40 has a recess 48 on the upper surface of the stop beam 40 that can position the primary fastening plate 47, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown.

[0151] The primary sealing membrane 13 has a row of strips 15 in the transverse direction T which is interrupted by the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the opening 7. Figure 4 As shown, the end portions of these strips 15 interrupted by the openings 7 are welded in the transverse direction T to the primary fastening plate 47 .

[0152] The primary sealing membrane 13 further comprises a primary metal connection angle 49 extending in the transverse direction T. The primary connection angle 49 has a first primary flange 50 and a second primary flange 51 which is joined to the first primary flange 50 and forms an angle with the first primary flange 50. The first primary flange 50 is welded to the primary fastening plate 47. The second primary flange 51 is welded to the second secondary flange 38 of the secondary connection angle 36 and is located between the cover 19 and the primary support portion 28. The assembly of the strip 15 interrupted by the opening 7 of the primary sealing membrane 13, the primary fastening plate 47 and the primary connection angle 49 ensures the continuity of the seal on the stop beam 40, in particular with respect to the cover 19.

[0153] Finally, the metal connecting strip 24 is welded in the transverse direction T first to the flat plate 23 of the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19 and secondly to the primary connecting angle iron 49 and / or to the primary fastening plate 47, thereby ensuring the seal between the primary sealing membrane 13 of the top wall 4 and the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19.

[0154] like Figure 4 As shown, the metal connecting strip 24 may also have at least one corrugation 54 extending in the transverse direction T to elastically absorb any deformation caused by the residual compressive and traction forces in the longitudinal direction L, thereby limiting the stress on the weld. Fig. 9 A second embodiment is shown in which the connecting strip 24 has two parallel corrugations 54. The one or more corrugations are located in a central portion of the weld of the metal connecting strip 24 located away from the parallel edges in the transverse direction T.

[0155] like Figure 4 As shown, a support plate 52, for example made of plywood, is located on both sides of the second primary flange 51 and the second secondary flange 38 of the angle iron to provide rigidity. The support plate 52 is also located in the space between the cover 19 and the connecting angle irons 36, 49 to support the metal connecting strip 24. In addition, the rest of the space is filled with an insulating filler 53 extending between the support plate 52 and the upper load-bearing wall 8, and the insulating filler 53 is, for example, a glass wool block.

[0156] Fig.10 A third embodiment is shown and Figures 11 to 17 A fourth embodiment is shown, in which in particular the stop beam 40 and the primary support portion 28 are modified relative to the first and second embodiments.

[0157] In fact, if Fig.10 and Fig.14 As shown, in this case, the stop beam 40 is made of metal, more specifically of That is, it has a value between 0.5×10 -6 K -1With 2×10 -6 K -1 . Therefore, in these embodiments, it is no longer necessary to provide a primary fastening plate 47 fastened to the upper surface of the stop beam 40, because the primary sealing membrane 13 can be directly welded to the stop beam 40. In addition, in these embodiments, no stop device 33 is used to prevent the stop beam 40 from moving. In fact, the stop beam 40 is directly welded to the primary cap 31 of the primary support part 28, in particular so as to prevent the stop beam 40 from moving in the longitudinal direction L. The stop beam 40 can be, for example, 8 mm thick.

[0158] like Fig.10 As shown, in the third embodiment, the stop beam 40 is welded to the primary cap 31 using a plurality of welds 56. In fact, each edge of the stop beam 40 is welded to the primary cap 31 over the entire transverse dimension of the primary cap 31 by a weld 56 flush with the primary cap 31, so that there are two welds on both sides of the stop beam 40. In addition, in order to strengthen the fastening, a third weld 56 flush with the primary cap 31 in the longitudinal direction is provided, the third weld 56 connecting the first two welds to fasten the stop beam 40 over the entire dimension in the longitudinal direction of the stop beam 40. The third weld 56 is thus formed at the junction between two adjacent stop beams 40, which is made flush with the primary cap 31, thereby firstly fastening the adjacent stop beams 40 to each other and secondly fastening the stop beam 40 to the primary cap 31.

[0159] exist Fig.14 In the fourth embodiment shown, the stop beam 40 has a fastening aperture 57 flush with each primary cap 31. This fastening aperture 57 enables the stop beam 40 to be welded to the primary cap 31 by a circular weld 56, so as to minimize stress concentrations associated with welding while uniformly fastening the stop beam 40 to the primary cap 31. Unlike the other embodiments, in the fourth embodiment, instead of the joint between two adjacent stop beams 40 being made flush with the primary cap 31, the stop beam 40 is continuously flush with the primary cap 31 and a single stop beam 40 is fastened to each primary cap 31.

[0160] As mentioned above, the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment also differ in the design of the primary support portion 28. In the third embodiment, the design of the primary support portion 28 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Fig.10 As shown, the essential difference between these embodiments is that in the third embodiment there is no stop device 33 fastened to the primary cap 31 .

[0161] In a fourth embodiment, in particular, Fig.12 and Fig.13As shown, the primary support part 28 has a primary foot 32 welded to the secondary cap 29 and a primary cap 31 fastened to the primary foot 32. The primary foot 32 is made of a cylindrical beam 58, which extends in the thickness direction and is provided with two foot reinforcement members 59, which are located along the cylindrical beam 58 in the thickness direction and on both sides of the cylindrical beam in the longitudinal direction L. The lower ends of the foot reinforcement members 59 are welded to the secondary cap 29. These foot reinforcement members 59 reinforce the primary foot 32, especially with respect to the forces directed in the longitudinal direction L. The foot reinforcement members 59 may be fish plates, such as Fig.13 As shown, and having a cross-section that decreases from the secondary cap 29 to the primary cap 31, and / or the foot reinforcement member 59 can be a reinforcement plate 60 welded to the base of the foot reinforcement member 59 flush with the secondary cap 29, and the reinforcement plate 60 is also welded to the secondary cap 29.

[0162] like Fig.13 As shown, the primary cap 31 comprises a cylindrical portion 61 and a support plate 62 welded to the cylindrical portion 61, the support plate 62 being flat and forming a support surface for the stop beam 40. After adjusting the orientation of the support plate 62 between the different primary support portions 28 to ensure a flat support surface for the stop beam 40, the cylindrical portion 61 is welded to the cylindrical beam 58. Thus, Fig.11 The primary support part 28 is shown before the primary cap 31 is fastened, and Fig.12 The primary support portion 28 is shown after the primary cap has been fastened.

[0163] Fig.11 A coupling 90 is also shown protruding from the secondary sealing membrane 11 in the transverse direction T close to the primary support parts 28 and between the primary support parts 28. It seems advantageous to provide a specific design for the primary end insulating block 39 in order to insert the primary end insulating block 39 between two primary support parts 28, wherein the two primary support parts 28 are first connected by the coupling 90 in the longitudinal direction L (of the front cofferdam wall 6 towards the loading / unloading opening 7), with reference to Fig.15 Described in more detail. In practice, when assembling the tank, these couplings 90 are put in place before positioning the primary end insulating block 39 .

[0164] Fig.16 and Fig.17 Another variation of the fourth embodiment is shown. Fig.13The variant shown differs in the number and arrangement of the reinforcing members on the fastening support 26. In fact, in this variant, there are four foot-shaped reinforcing members 59 positioned in pairs on both sides of the cylindrical beam 58 in the longitudinal direction L. Moreover, in this case, a reinforcing plate 60 extends between two adjacent foot-shaped reinforcing members 59 and is welded to the lower part of the foot-shaped reinforcing members 59. The reinforcing plate 60 is also welded to the secondary cap 29. Furthermore, the fastening support 26 comprises a cap reinforcing member 67 welded below the secondary cap 29 and extending in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L, in particular as Fig.17 Thus, these cap reinforcement members 67 extend between the outer face of the secondary cap 29 and the upper load-bearing wall 8. In the example shown, there are three such cap reinforcement members 67, however this number can vary depending on the strain applied to the fastening support 26, and the cap reinforcement members are regularly distributed under the secondary cap 29, so that one of the cap reinforcement members 67 is vertically aligned with the cylindrical beam 58, while the other two cap reinforcement members 67 are vertically aligned with the foot-shaped member reinforcement members 59.

[0165] Back to Fig.13 , a wall reinforcement member 63 is provided to reinforce the upper bearing wall 8 vertically aligned with the fastening support 26. Therefore, the upper bearing wall 8 has a first wall reinforcement member 63, the first wall reinforcement member 63 is flush with the anchor plate 69 and protrudes above the outer surface of the upper bearing wall, and a second wall reinforcement member 63 is parallel to the first wall reinforcement member 63, and the second wall reinforcement member 63 is positioned flush with the end of the secondary distal foot 30 of the anchor plate 69. The second wall reinforcement member 63 also protrudes above the outer surface of the upper bearing wall. Finally, the upper bearing wall 8 has a third reinforcement member 63 extending in the longitudinal direction L and flush with the fastening support 26.

[0166] The primary end isolation block 39 is also shown in Fig.14 and Fig.15 The primary end insulating block 39 is thus inserted between two adjacent primary support portions 28 and has support grooves 65 on both sides in the transverse direction T to serve as support points for the primary cap 31 formed by the cylindrical portion 61 and the support plate 62. In practice, as Fig.15 As shown, a nut / bolt system 66 fastened to the support plate 62 bears against the bottom of a bearing groove 65 which may be reinforced with metal, for example.

[0167] As mentioned above and Fig.14 and Fig.15As shown in , the primary end insulating block 39 may comprise a fitting that can be inserted between two primary support parts 28, which are first coupled by a coupling 90. In fact, in the embodiment shown, the bearing groove 65 of the primary end insulating block 39 is formed on an attachment rod 91. The attachment rod 91 extends in the longitudinal direction L and can be fastened to the primary end insulating block 39 after the primary end insulating block 39 is aligned in the longitudinal direction L between two adjacent primary support parts 28. This makes it possible to space the end insulating block 39 from the secondary sealing membrane 11 in the thickness direction by the dimension of the attachment rod 91 and the fastening system 66 in the thickness direction during insertion. This spacing makes it possible to pass over the coupling 90 during insertion.

[0168] In an embodiment not shown, the primary end insulating block 39 may have a slot (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction L in a lower region 92 aligned with the coupler 90, instead of or together with the attachment rod 91 for inserting the primary end insulating block 39. The size of the slot extending in the thickness direction makes it possible to insert the end insulating block 39 between the two primary support parts 28. The size is based on the size of the coupler 90 protruding from the secondary sealing membrane 11 in the thickness direction, and the presence or absence of the attachment rod 91.

[0169] Fig.18 Another variation of the fourth embodiment is shown. Fig.13 The variant shown in FIG. 1 differs in several features. In fact, in this variant, the tubular beam 58 has neither the foot-shaped member reinforcement member 59 nor the reinforcing plate 60. However, unlike Fig.13 Compared to the variant in FIG. , the diameter of the cylindrical beam 58 is advantageously increased. Fig.17 Similar to the variant in , the fastening support 26 in this variant has two cap reinforcement members 67 welded below the secondary cap 29 and located in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L. Fig.18 In the example shown, the cap reinforcement member 67 is vertically aligned with two diametrically opposed portions of the cylindrical beam 58 .

[0170] In addition and with Fig.13 and Fig.16 In the variant, the cylindrical beam 58 is assembled into the cylindrical portion 61, Fig.18 In the variants, the cylindrical portion 61 is fitted into the cylindrical beam 58. In each variant, the fastening between the cylindrical portion 61 and the cylindrical beam 58 can be provided by welding, by force fit or by any other fastening means capable of achieving a sufficiently rigid fastening.

[0171] like Fig.13 , Fig.16 and Fig.18As shown, the secondary foot 30 has a first branch 87 formed by a plate and a second branch 88 formed by a plate separated from the first branch 87 by a connecting plate 99 in the longitudinal direction L. The gap between the first branch 87 and the second branch 88 flush with the upper bearing wall 8 in the longitudinal direction L is the seat length. The connecting plate 99 can be welded to the upper bearing wall 8.

[0172] The reinforcing portion 89 is welded to the upper load-bearing wall 8 and extends in the longitudinal direction L to be welded at a first end to the edge of the first branch 87 and at a second end to the edge of the second branch 88. In this case, the secondary foot 30 is preferably provided with two reinforcing portions 89, which are positioned on both sides of the web 99, which is advantageously fastened to the first branch 87 and the second branch 88 in the middle of the web 99 in the transverse direction T, as shown in FIG. Fig.18 shown.

[0173] In other embodiments not shown, the reinforcement part 89 or the web 99 do not need to be welded to the upper bearing wall 8, in order to facilitate the welding operation. Therefore, the element not fastened to the upper bearing wall 8, whether it is the reinforcement part 89 or the web 99, can be located away from the bearing wall 8.

[0174] exist Fig.18 In the variant shown, Fig.13 and Fig.16 Unlike the other variants in , the web 99 has a central orifice 100 which is preferably oval and extends in the longitudinal direction L in order to increase the flexibility of the fastening support 26 .

[0175] like Figures 16 to 18 As shown, the web 99 may have fillets 101 formed in the corners of the web 99 to limit stress concentrations. Fig.18 As shown, the reinforcement portion 89 may also have a rounded corner 101 formed in a corner of the reinforcement portion 89 located at a junction between one of the branches 87 , 88 and the upper load-bearing wall 8 .

[0176] Fig.19 A connection strip 24 according to a modification is shown, the connection strip 24 is firstly connected to the primary sealing film 13 and secondarily connected to the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19, and in particular the end 64 of the connection strip 24 is firstly connected to the primary sealing film 13 and secondarily connected to the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19. More specifically, Fig.19As shown, the connecting strip 24 is welded to the first primary flange 50 of the primary connecting angle 49 along a first edge, except for the end 64 of the connecting strip 24. The connecting strip 24 is welded to the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19 along a second edge, except for the end 64 of the connecting strip 24. In fact, at the end 64 of the connecting strip 24, the connecting strip 24 is welded along the first edge and along the second edge to the first longitudinal first flange 85 of a longitudinal primary connecting angle extending along the transverse end edge of the loading / unloading opening 7 in the longitudinal direction L. This longitudinal primary connecting angle is connected to the primary connecting angle 49 at the corner of the loading / unloading opening 7 and performs the same function as the primary connecting angle 49. Once again, the primary connecting angle 49 extends in the transverse direction T along the front longitudinal end edge 25 of the loading / unloading opening 7. Therefore, the end 64 of the connecting strip 24 is located away from the loading / unloading opening 7.

[0177] In this variant, the connecting strip 24 has three parallel corrugations 54 extending in the transverse direction T. In order to close these corrugations 54, the storage device has a corrugation cap 83 welded to the end 64 of the connecting strip and more specifically to each end 82 of the corrugations 54, as shown in FIG. Fig.19 In the exemplary embodiment shown, three bellows caps 83 are arranged on a single closing plate 86 which in turn is welded to a specific strip 84 of a set of strips 15 of the primary sealing membrane 13. In practice, the strip 84 is only partially interrupted by the loading / unloading opening 7 and is located along the transverse end edge of the loading / unloading opening 7 extending in the longitudinal direction L. The fastening of the bellows caps 83 to the closing plate 86 helps to limit the mechanical stresses applied to the bellows caps 83.

[0178] refer to Fig. 20 , a cross-sectional view of a liquefied natural gas carrier 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71 having an overall prismatic shape installed in a double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the tank 71 has a primary sealing barrier designed to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the first sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two insulating barriers disposed between the first sealing barrier and the second sealing barrier and between the second sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0179] In a known manner, a loading / unloading pipe 73 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel can be connected to a marine or port terminal using appropriate connectors to transfer the LNG cargo to or from the tank 71 .

[0180] Fig. 20An example of an offshore terminal including a loading / unloading point 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and an onshore facility 77 is shown. The loading / unloading point 75 is a fixed offshore facility, and the loading / unloading point 75 includes a movable arm 74 and a column 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of flexible conduits 79 that can be connected to the loading / unloading pipe 73. The orientable movable arm 74 can be adapted to LNG carriers of various sizes. A connecting pipeline (not shown) extends inside the column 78. The loading / unloading point 75 allows a LNG carrier 70 to be loaded onto or unloaded from the onshore facility 77. The facility has a natural gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipeline 81 connected to the loading / unloading point 75 via an underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 makes it possible to transport liquefied gas over a long distance, for example 5 km, between the loading / unloading point 75 and the onshore facility 77, which makes it possible to keep the LNG carrier 70 far from shore during loading and unloading operations.

[0181] In order to generate the pressure required for conveying the liquefied gas, a pump carried on board the ship 70 and / or a pump installed in the onshore facility 77 and / or a pump installed in the loading / unloading point 75 is used.

[0182] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, it is obvious that the present invention is by no means limited to these embodiments and that the present invention includes all technical equivalents of the described means and their combinations if they fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0183] Use of the verb "comprise" or "comprising" in its inclusive conjugation does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

[0184] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A storage facility (1) for liquefied gas, the storage facility (1) comprising a metal load-bearing structure (2) and a sealed and heat-insulated tank (71) arranged inside the load-bearing structure, The tank has at least one metallic sealing membrane (11, 13) forming an inner storage space (3) and at least one thermal insulation barrier (10, 12), the sealing membrane (11, 13) forming an inner storage space (3), the thermal insulation barrier being located between the sealing membrane and the load-bearing structure, The load-bearing structure has an upper load-bearing wall (8), At least one top wall (4) of the tank (71) is fastened to the upper load-bearing wall (8), wherein: The thermal insulation barrier (10, 12) of the top wall has juxtaposed insulating blocks (14, 18), wherein the sealing membrane (11, 13) of the top wall (4) comprises a plurality of parallel strips (15) extending in a first direction (L), each strip (15) comprising a flat central portion (16) resting on the upper surface of the insulating block (14, 18) and two raised edges (17) protruding towards the interior of the tank relative to the central portion (16), the strips (15) being juxtaposed in a repeated manner in a second direction (T) and welded together in a sealed manner at the raised edges, the second direction (T) being perpendicular to the first direction (L), The top wall (4) is partially interrupted to form a loading / unloading opening (7) designed for the passage of a loading / unloading line, the loading / unloading opening (7) interrupting at least one of the slats (15), The tank has a cover (19) disposed inside the loading / unloading opening (7), the cover (19) having a metal sealing wall (20) and a heat insulating structure (21) located between the sealing wall (20) and the upper load-bearing wall (8), the cover (19) being fastened to the upper load-bearing wall (8), The insulating block includes end insulating blocks (34, 39) adjacent to the cover (19) in the first direction, wherein the storage facility has a fastening support (26) fastened to the upper load-bearing wall (8) flush with the end insulating blocks (34, 39), the fastening support (26) having a seat length extending in the first direction and comprising a cap (31), the thermal insulation barrier having a stop beam (40) arranged on the cap (31) of the fastening support (26), the fastening support (26) preventing the stop beam (40) from moving in the first direction, wherein the end portion of the or each slat (15) interrupted by the loading / unloading opening (7) is welded to the stop beam (40), And wherein a metal connecting strip (24) connects the sealing wall (20) of the cover (19) to the stop beam (40) to ensure the continuity of the sealing membrane of the top wall (4).

2. The storage facility (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The fastening support (26) comprises a stop means (33) preventing the stop beam (40) from moving in the first direction.

3. The storage facility (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The stop beam (40) has a first groove (45) extending along the second direction and a second groove (46) extending along the second direction, the stop device (33) includes a first stop member (43), the first stop member (43) is located in the first groove (45) and contacts the wall of the first groove (45), the first stop member (43) prevents the stop beam (40) from moving along a first orientation in the first direction, and the stop device (33) has a second stop member (44), the second stop member (44) is located in the second groove (46) and contacts the wall of the second groove (46), the second stop member (44) prevents the stop beam (40) from moving along a second orientation opposite to the first orientation in the first direction.

4. A storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The stop beam (40) comprises a metal fastening plate (47) arranged on the upper surface of the stop beam (40), and wherein the end portion of the strip (15) or each strip (15) interrupted by the loading / unloading opening (7) is welded to the metal fastening plate (47), and the metal connecting strip (24) connects the sealing wall (20) of the cover (19) to the metal fastening plate (47).

5. The storage facility (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The stop beam (40) is made of metal, and the metal stop beam (40) is welded to the cap (31) of the fastening support (26).

6. The storage facility (1) according to claim 5, wherein: The stop beam (40) comprises a fastening aperture (57) flush with the cover (31) of the fastening support (26), and the stop beam (40) is welded to the cover (31) around the entire fastening aperture (57).

7. A storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The storage facility (1) comprises a plurality of fastening supports (26) juxtaposed in the second direction along the edge of the loading / unloading opening (7), two adjacent fastening supports (26) being separated from each other by at least one end insulating block (34, 39).

8. The storage facility (1) according to claim 7, wherein: The stop beam (40) extends lengthwise over at least two adjacent fastening supports in the second direction and extends widthwise in the first direction.

9. The storage facility (1) according to claim 8, wherein: The thermal insulation barrier comprises a plurality of stop beams (40) juxtaposed in the second direction, each stop beam (40) being disposed above two adjacent fastening supports (26).

10. The storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The sealing membrane has a connecting angle iron (49) extending in the second direction to separate the thermal insulation barrier (10, 12) from the thermal insulation structure (21) of the cover in a sealed manner, the connecting angle iron (49) having a first flange (50) and a second flange (51) connected to the first flange, the first flange (50) being connected to the stop beam (40), and the second flange (51) being connected to the upper load-bearing wall (8).

11. The storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The metal connecting strip (24) has at least one corrugated portion (54) extending along the second direction.

12. The storage facility (1) according to claim 11, wherein The storage facility (1) includes a bellows cap (83), which is welded to at least one end (82) of the bellows (54) to close the end (82), the end (82) of the bellows (54) being positioned at one end (64) of the metal connecting bar (24), and the bellows cap (83) and the end (64) of the metal connecting bar (24) being positioned away from the loading / unloading opening (7).

13. The storage facility (1) according to claim 12, wherein: The bellows cap is welded to a strip (84) which is partially interrupted by the loading / unloading opening (7), the partially interrupted strip (84) being positioned along a transverse end edge of the loading / unloading opening (7), the transverse end edge extending along the first direction (L).

14. The storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The sealing film, the sealing wall (20) of the cover and the metal connecting strip (24) are made of a material having a thickness between 0.5×10 -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 The alloy has a thermal expansion coefficient between that of iron and nickel, and wherein the fastening support member (26) is made of steel.

15. The storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The load-bearing structure has a rear cofferdam wall (5) and a front cofferdam wall (6) positioned on both sides of the tank in the first direction, the loading / unloading opening is formed close to the rear cofferdam wall (5), and the fastening support (26) is positioned between the cover (19) and the front cofferdam wall (6).

16. Storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The sealing film is a primary sealing film designed to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the thermal insulation barrier is a primary thermal insulation barrier, and wherein the tank further comprises, in the thickness direction from the outside toward the inside of the tank: a secondary thermal insulation barrier fastened to the load-bearing structure (2); and a metal secondary sealing film arranged between the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the primary thermal insulation barrier.

17. The storage facility (1) according to claim 16, wherein The sealing membrane has a connection angle iron (49) extending in the second direction to separate the thermal insulation barrier (10, 12) from the thermal insulation structure (21) of the cover in a sealed manner, the connection angle iron (49) having a first flange (50) and a second flange (51) connected to the first flange, the first flange (50) being connected to the stop beam (40), and the second flange (51) being connected to the upper load-bearing wall (8), and wherein the connection angle iron ( 49) is a primary connecting angle iron, the metal secondary sealing membrane includes a secondary connecting angle iron (36) to separate the secondary insulation barrier from the insulation structure of the cover in a sealed manner, the secondary connecting angle iron includes a first flange (37) and a second flange (38) connected to the first flange, the first flange (37) of the secondary connecting angle iron is welded to the metal secondary sealing membrane, and the second flange (38) of the secondary connecting angle iron is welded to the upper load-bearing wall (8).

18. Storage facility (1) according to claim 17, wherein The second flange (51) of the primary connecting angle iron is welded to the second flange (38) of the secondary connecting angle iron.

19. The storage facility (1) according to claim 16, wherein The fastening support (26) comprises a secondary support portion (27) welded to the upper load-bearing wall (8) and a primary support portion (28) welded to the secondary support portion (27), the stop beam (40) is arranged on the primary support portion (28), and the secondary sealing membrane is welded to the secondary support portion (27).

20. The storage facility (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, being in the form of a floating structure, wherein: The load-bearing structure comprises a double hull (72) of the floating structure, and wherein the first direction is a longitudinal direction (L) of the floating structure.

21. A delivery system for a cold liquid product, the delivery system comprising: The storage facility according to claim 20; an isolation pipe (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (71) mounted in the double hull of the floating structure to an external onshore or floating storage facility (77); and a pump for conveying a flow of cold liquid product from the external onshore or floating storage facility through the isolation pipe to the tank on the floating structure, or for conveying a flow of cold liquid product from the tank on the floating structure through the isolation pipe to the external onshore or floating storage facility.

22. A method for loading or unloading a storage facility according to claim 20, wherein: The cold liquid product is guided from an external onshore or floating storage facility (77) through an insulated pipe (73, 79, 76, 81) to the tank (71) on the floating structure, or the cold liquid product is guided from the tank (71) on the floating structure to an external onshore or floating storage facility (77) through an insulated pipe (73, 79, 76, 81).

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