Storage facility for liquefied gas

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage facility (1) for liquefied gas, comprising a support structure (2, 3) and a container (71), the container (71) comprising a cover (12) arranged in a loading / unloading opening (10), a secondary sealing membrane attached at a break in the support structure by means of a secondary connecting ring (21), a bottom wall (23) of the cover sealingly connected to a primary sealing membrane and attached by means of a primary connecting ring (41), and the container comprising a thermal insulation ring comprising a plurality of thermal insulation structures and formed between the primary connecting ring (41) and the secondary connecting ring (21), a thermal insulation joint structure filling the space formed by the primary thermal barrier between the primary connecting ring (41) and the secondary connecting ring (21) and arranged to withstand the load applied by the primary sealing membrane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of storage facilities for liquefied gases, including sealed, insulated tanks with membranes. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of sealed, insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting cryogenic liquefied gases, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also known as LPG) at temperatures, for example, between -50°C and 0°C, or for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure at approximately -162°C. These tanks can be installed onshore or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks can be used for transporting liquefied gas or for receiving liquefied gas as fuel to propel the floating structure. Background Technology

[0002] FR2991430 describes a storage facility for liquefied gas, comprising a sealed, insulated tank integrated within a support structure formed by a double-hulled vessel. Each wall of the tank includes a secondary insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary insulation barrier, and a primary sealing membrane.

[0003] In the area at the top of the tank, the tank includes a chimney-like projection known as the liquid dome. In this area, the support structure is partially interrupted to define a loading / unloading opening through which fluid loading / unloading pipes pass. Also in this area, the support structure includes a vertical support wall (known as a hatch coaming) rising above the deck of the vessel and a horizontal wall at the top of the vertical support wall, forming a superstructure (known as the dome base) on the deck of the vessel. The horizontal wall of the dome base extends around the opening and supports the cover.

[0004] However, such facilities with dome bases mean that the extension height of the loading / unloading pipelines (through which liquefied gas contained in the tanks enters and exits) on the dome base must be higher than the deck. This results in cumbersome facilities that are difficult to access for maintenance / management of these pipelines, as well as expensive and bulky structures on the deck of the carrier. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The idea that forms the basis of this invention is to simplify the support structure of storage facilities in order to reduce the cost and size of the facilities.

[0006] Another idea that forms the basis of this invention is to adapt the lid and components of the tank near the opening to this simplification of the storage facility.

[0007] Furthermore, certain aspects of the invention are based on the observation that when a storage tank is subjected to significant temperature fluctuations, particularly at the loading / unloading pipes passing through the cover, for example, when the tank is loaded with liquefied gas, the proximity of the insulating element to the ring used to connect the sealing membrane to the support structure can create a thickness difference in the tank wall. Specifically, if the insulation barrier contracts more than the connecting ring supporting the sealing membrane, this causes the sealing membrane to move away from the insulation barrier. However, the insulation barrier also serves to support the sealing membrane. Therefore, this difference tends to weaken the sealing membrane and increase the risk of damage.

[0008] Therefore, the idea that forms the basis of this invention is to limit this difference.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a storage facility for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), comprising a support structure and a sealed, insulated storage tank disposed within the support structure.

[0010] The sealed, insulated storage tank includes a main structure formed by multiple tank walls interconnected and fixed to a supporting structure. The main structure defines an internal storage space. Along its wall thickness from the supporting structure to the internal storage space, the main structure includes a secondary insulation barrier fixed to the supporting structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane and including multiple rows of primary insulation panels, and a primary sealing membrane supported by the primary insulation barrier.

[0011] The support structure includes a substantially flat upper support wall.

[0012] The primary sealing membrane and the upper support wall are interrupted in a manner that defines a loading / unloading opening for passage of a fluid loading / unloading conduit.

[0013] The tank includes a lid disposed in the loading / unloading opening.

[0014] The secondary sealing membrane and the secondary thermal insulation barrier are interrupted at the interruption point around the cover.

[0015] The secondary sealing membrane is fixed to the support structure at the interruption by means of a secondary connecting ring extending in the wall thickness direction.

[0016] The cover includes an upper cover wall, a lower cover wall, and an insulating structure located between the lower cover wall and the upper cover wall. The upper cover wall is fixed to the upper support wall, and the lower cover wall is sealingly connected to the primary sealing membrane and fixed to the support structure around the primary sealing membrane by means of a primary connecting ring.

[0017] Furthermore, the storage tank includes an insulation ring comprising a plurality of insulation connection structures, which are fixed juxtaposed to the support structure and formed between the primary connecting ring and the secondary connecting ring.

[0018] The thermally insulating joint structure fills the space left by the primary thermal insulation barrier between the primary connecting ring and the secondary connecting ring, and is arranged to absorb the load exerted by the primary sealing membrane in the wall thickness direction.

[0019] With these features, the thermally insulating joint structure allows for limiting the shrinkage difference between the insulation and the connecting ring near the connecting ring, so as to maintain support for the primary sealing membrane and thus prevent any damage to the primary sealing membrane.

[0020] Furthermore, the storage facility does not include a dome base and therefore an upper structure that protrudes from the upper support wall, thus enabling a simplification of the storage facility and a reduction in the volume on the upper support wall.

[0021] "Seamlessly" fixed, connected, or welded means that the connection between two components fixed together is impermeable to liquid and airtight, such as when welding is performed using a continuous weld.

[0022] The orientation of the wall thickness direction depends on the orientation of the wall in which the element in question is located. Specifically, for a vertical wall, the wall thickness direction will therefore be oriented horizontally, while for a horizontal wall, the wall thickness direction will therefore be oriented vertically.

[0023] According to the implementation plan, such storage facilities may include one or more of the following features.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structure has a thickness of between 4 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 38×10 - 6 K -1 The coefficient of thermal expansion between them.

[0025] When the thermal insulation joint structure is formed of multiple different materials, the material that extends in the thickness direction and shrinks the least will primarily determine the coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermal insulation joint structure. For example, if the thermal insulation joint structure includes a plywood sheet and a foam block extending in the thickness direction, the plywood will primarily determine the coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermal insulation joint structure. In other words, for this structure, only the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material that extends in the thickness direction and shrinks the least will be considered.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the primary connecting ring connects the lower cover wall to the upper cover wall, thereby securing it to the support structure by means of the upper cover wall.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the secondary connecting ring connects the secondary sealing membrane to the upper cover wall, thereby securing it to the support structure by means of the upper cover wall.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structures are juxtaposed on each other in a transverse wall direction perpendicular to the wall thickness direction.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the lower cover wall is sealed to the primary sealing membrane by means of a connecting portion, the connecting portion including a first wing fixed to the primary sealing membrane of the main structure and a second wing connected to the first wing and fixed to the lower cover wall.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the upper cover wall is positioned in the plane of the upper support wall.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the secondary connecting ring and the primary connecting ring extend in the wall thickness direction.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the primary insulation barrier includes end primary insulation panels forming rows adjacent to the insulation ring, the end primary insulation panels being aligned with the secondary connecting ring in the wall thickness direction, and the primary insulation panels of other rows being aligned with the secondary insulation panels of the secondary insulation barrier in the wall thickness direction, wherein the average value of the thermal expansion coefficients of the end primary insulation panels and the secondary connecting ring is lower than the average value of the thermal expansion coefficients of the primary insulation panels and the secondary insulation panels.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the average value of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the end primary insulating panel and the secondary connecting ring is higher than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermally insulating joint structure.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the end primary insulating panel has a thickness of between 60 × 10 mm in the wall thickness direction. -6 With 71×10 -6 K -1 The coefficient of thermal expansion is between 60 × 10⁻⁶ and the primary insulating panel has a thermal expansion coefficient between 60 × 10⁻⁶ in the wall thickness direction. -6 With 71×10 -6 K -1 The coefficient of thermal expansion between them.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structure supports the primary sealing membrane directly or via the end primary insulation panel.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the protruding portion of the end primary insulation panel protrudes between the primary connecting ring and the secondary connecting ring and is supported by the thermally insulating bonding structure at a distance from the primary connecting ring.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structure has a stepped shape including a step, the step being configured to accommodate the protrusion of the end primary insulation panel.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the primary connecting ring and the lower cover wall are made of materials with a thermal expansion coefficient between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the connecting portion has a coefficient of thermal expansion between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structure is made as a single unit.

[0041] The term “monolithic” is used in this article to refer to an element that is made as a single insulating block or unit, rather than a structure made of two parts that are not integral to each other.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating joint structure includes a first insulating joint panel and a second insulating joint panel disposed alongside the first insulating panel, the first insulating joint panel and the second insulating joint panel extending in the wall thickness direction.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the integral thermally insulating joint structure or the first and second thermally insulating joint panels are produced by assembling an insulating foam layer between two plywood sheets, the plywood sheets extending parallel to the wall thickness direction.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the insulating foam layer is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction. For example, the fibers are glass fibers.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the integral thermally insulated joint structure or the first and second thermally insulated joint panels are produced in the form of a plywood box filled with insulating filler.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the insulating filler is made of glass wool, perlite, aerogel, polymer foam, or a combination of two or more of these materials.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the upper support wall is an inner upper support wall, the support structure includes an inner support structure and an outer support structure, the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall, the outer support structure includes a substantially flat outer upper support wall disposed above the inner upper support wall, and the main structure of the tank is disposed in the inner support structure.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the upper support wall is an outer upper support wall, the support structure includes an inner support structure and an outer support structure, the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall, the outer support structure includes the substantially flat outer upper support wall disposed above the inner upper support wall, and the main structure of the tank is disposed in the inner support structure.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the cover includes a reinforcement disposed on the upper cover wall to increase the rigidity and strength of the cover, for example, when the support structure deforms.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the opening has a rectangular outline.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of the connecting portion is equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of the lower cover wall.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the storage facility includes a loading / unloading tower that includes a plurality of loading / unloading pipes that pass through the cover in a sealed manner via holes formed in the cover.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane comprises a plurality of corrugated metal sheets, which are juxtaposed and welded together in a repeating pattern.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the metal sheet is made of stainless steel.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the lower cover wall includes a plurality of flat metal plates assembled together.

[0056] Such storage facilities can be, for example, onshore storage facilities for storing LNG, or they can be installed on coastal or deep-water floating structures (especially liquefied gas carriers), floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), remote floating production and storage units (FPSOs), etc. Such storage facilities can also be used as fuel tanks in any type of carrier.

[0057] According to one embodiment, a carrier for transporting cold liquid products includes a double-hulled vessel and storage facilities arranged in the double-hulled vessel as described above.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the carrier includes the storage facility and deck as described above, and the upper support wall of the support structure is formed by the deck.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the carrier includes a storage facility, an inner deck, and an outer deck as described above, wherein the inner upper support wall of the support structure is formed by the inner deck and the outer upper support wall is formed by the outer deck.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a system for transporting cold liquid products, the system comprising: a carrier as described above; an insulated conduit arranged to connect a tank mounted in the hull of the carrier to a floating or shore-based external storage facility; and a pump for pumping a flow of cold liquid products from the floating or shore-based external storage facility to the tank of the carrier or from the tank of the carrier to the floating or shore-based external storage facility via the insulated conduit.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a carrier, wherein cold liquid products are transported from a floating or onshore external storage facility to or from the tank of the carrier to the floating or onshore external storage facility via insulated pipelines. Attached Figure Description

[0062] The invention will be better understood from the following description of many specific embodiments of the invention, which are provided by way of non-limiting illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings, and other objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will become clearer.

[0063] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cross-section of the storage facility according to the first embodiment.

[0064] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the storage facility according to the first embodiment, showing more specifically the storage tank at the opening.

[0065] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the storage facility according to the second implementation plan.

[0066] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the storage facility according to the second embodiment, showing more specifically the storage tank at the opening.

[0067] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the first alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0068] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the second alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0069] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the third alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0070] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the fourth alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0071] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the fifth alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0072] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the sixth alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0073] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 This illustrates the thermally insulating joint structure according to the seventh alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0074] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 This illustrates the thermal bonding structure according to the eighth alternative. Figure 2 A detailed diagram of V.

[0075] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 The diagram schematically depicts the storage facility for the liquefied gas carrier and the dock for loading / unloading the tank, with parts of it cut off. Detailed Implementation Plan

[0076] Figure 1 A storage facility 1 comprising a double-support structure is schematically shown, the double-support structure consisting of an inner support structure 2 and an outer support structure 3 surrounding the inner support structure 2. Inside the inner support structure 2, the storage facility 1 includes a sealed, insulated storage tank 71, which will be described below.

[0077] The inner support structure 2 and the outer support structure 3 each include multiple interconnected walls, and specifically, the inner upper support wall 4 and the outer upper support wall 5, respectively. Figure 1 As can be seen, they are located at the top of storage facility 1.

[0078] When the storage facility 1 is positioned on a carrier such as a liquefied gas carrier, the support structures 2 and 3 are formed by the double hull of the carrier. Therefore, the inner upper support wall 4 is referred to as the inner deck 4 of the carrier, and the outer upper support wall 5 is referred to as the outer deck 5 of the carrier.

[0079] The storage tank 71 includes a main structure 6 formed by: a bottom wall (not shown), a ceiling wall 7, two cofferdam walls 8 connecting the bottom wall to the ceiling wall 7 and located at the front and rear when the storage facility 1 is on a carrier, two side walls (not shown), and optionally two to four chamfered walls (not shown) connecting the side walls to the bottom wall or ceiling wall 7. Thus, the walls of the storage tank 71 are connected to each other to form a polyhedral structure and define the internal storage space 9.

[0080] In order to load and unload the storage tank 71 with liquefied gas, the storage facility 1 includes a loading / unloading opening 10 that partially interrupts the outer upper support wall 5, the inner upper support wall 4, and the ceiling wall 7 of the storage tank 71 so as to allow the loading / unloading pipe 11 to reach the bottom of the storage tank 71 as it passes through the opening 10.

[0081] Storage facility 1 also includes a loading / unloading tower 13, which is positioned in conjunction with opening 10 and inside tank 71, thereby forming a support structure for loading / unloading pipe 11 and for pumps (not shown) over the entire height of tank 71.

[0082] Additionally, the storage facility 1 includes a cover 12 disposed in a loading / unloading opening 10 to close the internal storage space 9 at the opening 10. The cover 12 includes a hole 14 to allow the loading / unloading pipe 11 to pass through the cover 12.

[0083] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the first embodiment shown, the tank 71 also includes a chimney 15 located on the main structure 6 at the opening and allowing the tank wall to extend continuously from the inner deck 4 to the outer deck 5 at the point where these decks are interrupted by the loading / unloading openings 10. For liquefied gas storage tanks, such a chimney 15 with the cover 12 is referred to as a liquid dome.

[0084] The invention is described herein with reference to the liquid dome region, but it may also be envisioned to apply the invention to another chimney of the storage tank 71, such as a conventional gas dome.

[0085] The loading / unloading opening 10 and the chimney 15 have a rectangular outline. Therefore, the chimney 15 includes four walls, one of which is an extension of the rear cofferdam wall 8, as can be... Figure 1 As can be seen, the other three are connected to the ceiling wall 7 and form a 90° angle with the latter.

[0086] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 Another specific feature of this first embodiment shown is that the cover 12 is located on the outer deck 5, in other words, it is used to enclose the chimney 15.

[0087] Figure 2 The area of ​​the opening in the storage facility 1 of the first embodiment is shown schematically and in more detail.

[0088] Tank 71 is a membrane tank 71 for storing liquefied gas. The main structure 6 of tank 71 includes a multi-layer structure, comprising, from the outside to the inside in the wall thickness direction: a secondary insulation barrier 16 resting against a support structure, which includes an insulating element; a secondary sealing membrane 17 resting against the secondary insulation barrier 16; a primary insulation barrier 18 resting against the secondary sealing membrane 17, which includes a primary insulation panel 39; and a primary sealing membrane 19 for contacting the liquefied gas contained in tank 71.

[0089] According to one implementation scheme, based specifically on Mark as described in FR-A-2691520 The technology is used to produce the main structure 6 of storage tank 71.

[0090] In this main structure 6, the secondary insulation barrier 16, the primary insulation barrier, and the secondary sealing membrane 17 are essentially composed of panels juxtaposed on a supporting structure, which can be an inner supporting structure 2 or a structure that connects an inner upper supporting wall 4 to an outer upper supporting wall 5 at the opening 10. The secondary sealing membrane 17 is formed of a composite material comprising an aluminum sheet sandwiched between two sheets of fiberglass fabric. The primary sealing membrane 19, in itself, is obtained by assembling multiple metal plates welded together along their edges and comprising corrugations extending in two perpendicular directions. The metal plates are made, for example, of stainless steel plates or aluminum sheets, shaped by bending or pressing. Particularly in… Figure 2 and Figure 4 The primary sealing membrane 19 is shown in the figure.

[0091] Further details of this corrugated metal film are described in FR-A-2861060.

[0092] In chimney 15, if it is possible Figure 2As can be seen, the secondary sealing membrane 17 is interrupted at the interruption 40 and is fixed to the support structure at the interruption 40 by means of a secondary connecting ring 21 protruding from the inner surface of the chimney support wall in the wall thickness direction, in this region, the chimney support wall being the wall connecting the inner deck 4 to the outer deck 5. The secondary connecting ring 21 is made of stainless steel.

[0093] The cover 12 also includes a multi-layered structure, comprising, from the outside to the inside, an upper cover wall 22, a lower cover wall 23, and an insulating structure 24 located between the lower cover wall 23 and the upper cover wall 22. The cover 12 also has a reinforcing member 25 located on the upper cover wall 22.

[0094] If possible Figure 2 As can be seen, the cover 12 is arranged in the loading / unloading opening 10 such that the upper cover wall 22 is positioned in the plane of the outer upper support wall 5 or the outer deck 5. Therefore, the storage facility 1 does not have a dome base and the cover 12 does not protrude above the outer deck 5.

[0095] The upper cover wall 22 is securely attached to the outer deck 5 around the opening 10, such that at the cover 12, the upper cover wall 22 acts as a secondary sealing membrane 17. The upper cover wall 22 is made of a metallic material (e.g., stainless steel).

[0096] The lower cover wall 23 is sealed to the primary sealing membrane 19 of the main structure 6, in this case, the chimney 15, via a connecting portion 26. The lower cover wall 23 is also sealed to the loading / unloading pipe 11. In another embodiment, not shown, the lower cover wall 23 is directly welded to the primary sealing membrane 19 without the connecting portion 26.

[0097] The thermal insulation structure 24 of the cover 12 comprises a plurality of insulating elements juxtaposed with each other, the plurality of insulating elements having similar or different compositions. In a preferred embodiment, the insulating elements positioned consistent with the lower cover wall 23 and the connecting portion 26 are structural insulating elements, while the insulating elements located on the periphery of the thermal insulation structure 24 are non-structural insulating elements; the insulating elements referred to as “structural” have substantially superior, in fact, much superior, mechanical strength properties or characteristics to those referred to as “non-structural” insulating elements. The structural insulating elements may optionally be high-density polymer foam blocks reinforced with fibers, or plywood or composite boxes filled with insulating fillers such as glass wool, polymer foam, or perlite. The non-structural insulating elements may be low-density polymer foam blocks or, alternatively, glass wool.

[0098] The connecting portion 26 includes a first wing 27 that is hermetically welded to the main structure 6 and a second wing 28 that is connected to the first wing 27 and hermetically welded to the lower cover wall 23 around the lower cover wall 23. The design of this connecting portion 26 varies depending on the design of the lower cover wall 23.

[0099] Therefore, in one embodiment, the lower cover wall 23 is formed by an assembly of flat metal plates welded together on top of each other. In this case, these flat metal plates have a thickness between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶ in the present case. -6 With 2×10 -6 K -1 A flat metal plate with a low coefficient of thermal expansion is used to minimize contraction as liquefied gas passes through the loading / unloading pipe 11. The flat metal plate is, for example, made of an alloy of iron and nickel known as Invar alloy.

[0100] Furthermore, the secondary sealing membrane 17 of the main structure 6 can also be produced in the same manner as the lower cover wall 23, i.e., using flat metal plates welded together by stacking. In this case, the secondary sealing membrane 17 also includes an end flat metal plate welded to the secondary connecting ring 21 at the interruption 40.

[0101] The connecting portion 26 is made of the same material as the lower cover wall 23, so that it contracts and expands at the same rate as the lower cover wall 23. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 26 is also made of a material with a thermal expansion coefficient between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel. Therefore, the connecting portion 26 is formed by a continuous strip around the lower cover wall 23. This strip is produced using one or more connecting elements that form the first wing 27 and the second wing 28.

[0102] The connecting portion 26 is secured to the primary connecting ring 41 around the lower cover wall 23 and at the junction between the first wing 27 and the second wing 28. The primary connecting ring 41 protrudes from the inner surface of the chimney support wall in the wall thickness direction. The primary connecting ring 41 is made of stainless steel. Therefore, the primary connecting ring 41 enables the lower cover wall 23 to be connected to the support structure. In another embodiment, the primary connecting ring 41 may also be made of a material with a coefficient of thermal expansion between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel.

[0103] In an embodiment not shown, the connecting portion 26 includes a third wing located in the same plane as the first wing 27 and connected to the first wing 27 and the second wing 28 to form a connecting portion 26 with a T-shaped cross-section. The third wing is fixed to the primary connecting ring 41, thereby forming an anchor at the connecting portion 26 for the primary sealing membrane 19 and the lower cover wall 23. The first wing 27 and the third wing can be formed as a single piece. Alternatively, the first wing 27 and the second wing 28 can be formed from the same bent plate.

[0104] existFigure 2 As can be seen, the storage tank 71 includes an insulating ring 42 comprising a plurality of insulating joint structures 43, which are juxtaposed and fixed to a support structure and formed between the primary connecting ring 41 and the secondary connecting ring 21. The insulating ring 42 makes it possible to position and support the primary connecting ring 41 and the connecting portion 26. It also enables the formation of a primary insulating barrier in this region and ultimately allows for limiting differences in thermal shrinkage between the primary connecting ring 41 and the insulation, ensuring that the primary sealing membrane remains supported in this region. Figures 5 to 12 The primary connecting rings associated with several alternative implementations are described in more detail.

[0105] Therefore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion in the wall thickness direction than the other primary thermally insulating panels 39, so as to be closer to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the primary connecting ring 41 and thus limit this shrinkage difference. Therefore, the coefficient of thermal expansion in the wall thickness direction of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is between 4 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With 38×10 -6 K -1 Between. The primary insulation barrier 18 includes end primary insulation panels 44 forming a row adjacent to the insulation ring 42. The end primary insulation panels 44 may have a different composition from the primary insulation panels 39 of the rest of the primary insulation barrier 18.

[0106] The end primary insulation panel 44 is aligned with the secondary connecting ring 21 in the wall thickness direction, while the other rows of primary insulation panels 39 are aligned with the secondary insulation panels of the secondary insulation barrier 16 in the thickness direction. Therefore, the average coefficient of thermal expansion of the end primary insulation panel 44 and the secondary connecting ring 21 is higher than that of the insulation joint structure 43. Furthermore, the average coefficient of thermal expansion of the end primary insulation panel 44 and the secondary connecting ring 21 is lower than that of the primary insulation panel 39 and the secondary insulation panels. This allows any step phenomenon of the primary sealing film 19 to be avoided during thermal contraction of the primary insulation barrier 18 and the secondary insulation barrier 16 by gradually increasing the coefficient of thermal expansion of the tank wall in the wall thickness direction away from the primary connecting ring 41.

[0107] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A second embodiment of the storage facility 1 is shown. Unlike the first embodiment, in this case, the upper cover wall 22 is positioned in the plane of the inner upper support wall 4 or inner deck 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the main structure 6 of the tank 71 does not include the chimney 15 and terminates in its upper portion at the ceiling wall 7. Thus, the cover 12 is an extension of the ceiling wall 7, thereby allowing the loading / unloading pipes 11 and loading / unloading towers 13 to pass through without protruding from the inner deck 4, let alone from the outer deck 5, as can be seen.Figure 5 As can be seen from the diagram. Cover 12 allows the ceiling wall 7 to be connected to the rear cofferdam wall 8 in alignment with the opening. The outer deck 5 may be provided with a closure element that is positioned in alignment with the opening to close the outer deck 5 after the loading / unloading pipe 11 and cover 12 are inserted.

[0108] Figure 4 The area of ​​the opening of the storage facility 1 in the second embodiment is shown schematically and in more detail. In this embodiment, the design of the cover 12 is very similar to that of the first embodiment. However, in this case, the lower cover wall 23 is in the same plane as the primary sealing membrane 19 of the ceiling wall 7 and is sealed to it at three edges, as in the first embodiment, where the fourth edge is connected to the primary sealing membrane 19 of the rear dike wall 8 by means of an element of the connecting portion 26 having an L-shaped or T-shaped cross-section. Thus, the connecting portion 26 includes connecting elements at the three edges of the primary sealing membrane 19 connected to the ceiling, wherein the first wing 27 and the second wing 28 are formed in the same plane.

[0109] Figures 5 to 12 More specifically, an insulating ring 42 according to several alternative embodiments and, in particular, one of the insulating joint structures 43 are shown.

[0110] therefore, Figure 5 A first alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. In this alternative, the protrusion 45 of the end primary insulation panel 44 protrudes between the primary connecting ring 41 and the secondary connecting ring 21, and at a certain distance from the primary connecting ring 41. Furthermore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has a stepped shape with a step 46 to accommodate the protrusion 45 of the end primary insulation panel 44 at the step 46. Therefore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has an L-shaped cross-section. The protrusion 45 of the end primary insulation panel 44 is thus supported by the thermally insulating joint structure 43. Therefore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has a portion between the primary connecting ring 41 and the protrusion 45 that directly supports the primary sealing membrane 19 and the connecting portion 26. Furthermore, in this alternative, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is formed as a single unit. Each single-unit thermally insulating joint structure 43 is produced in the form of a plywood box 51 filled with insulating filler (e.g., such as glass wool or perlite).

[0111] Figure 6A second alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the first alternative, and the difference lies only in the materials used for the thermally insulating joint structure 43. Specifically, in this alternative, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is created by assembling an insulating foam layer 50 between two plywood sheets 49. The plywood sheets extend parallel to the wall thickness direction. Furthermore, the insulating foam layer 50 is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction.

[0112] Figure 7 A third alternative embodiment of the thermal bonding structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the first alternative, except that its structure is not monolithic but consists of two parts. Specifically, in this third alternative, the thermal bonding structure 43 includes a first insulating bonding panel 47 and a second insulating bonding panel 48 juxtaposed with the first insulating panel 47, the first insulating bonding panel 47 and the second insulating bonding panel 48 extending parallel to the wall thickness direction. Therefore, a step 46 is formed due to the dimensional difference between the first insulating bonding panel 47 and the second insulating bonding panel 48 in the wall thickness direction. Specifically, in this case, the second insulating bonding panel 48 supports the protruding portion 45 of the end primary insulating panel 44, while the first insulating bonding panel 47 directly supports the primary sealing film 19 and / or the connecting portion 26.

[0113] Figure 8 A fourth alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating bonding structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the third alternative, and the difference lies only in the materials used for the insulating bonding panels 47, 48. Specifically, in this alternative, the insulating bonding panels 47, 48 are produced by assembling an insulating foam layer 50 between two plywood sheets 49. The plywood sheets extend parallel to the wall thickness direction. Furthermore, the insulating foam layer 50 is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction.

[0114] Figure 9 A fifth alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the first alternative, and the only differences are a more pronounced protrusion 45 and the absence of the step 46 for the thermally insulating joint structure 43. Specifically, unlike the first alternative and as... Figure 9 As shown, the protruding portion 45 of the end primary insulating panel 44 protrudes between the primary connecting ring 41 and the secondary connecting ring 21 until it is directly adjacent to the primary connecting ring 41. Therefore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has a cuboid shape and supports the protruding portion 45, thereby indirectly supporting the primary sealing film 19.

[0115] Figure 10A sixth alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the fifth alternative, and the difference lies only in the materials used for the insulating joint panels 47, 48. Specifically, in the fifth alternative, a plywood box 51 is used to produce each insulating joint panel 47, 48, while in the sixth alternative, the insulating joint panels 47, 48 are produced by assembling an insulating foam layer 50 between two plywood sheets 49. The plywood sheets extend parallel to the wall thickness direction. Furthermore, the insulating foam layer 50 is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction.

[0116] Figure 11 A seventh alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the first alternative, and the only difference is the absence of the protrusion 45 and the absence of the step 46 for the thermally insulating joint structure 43. Specifically, unlike the first alternative and as... Figure 11 As shown, the end primary insulating panel 44 is located at a distance from the primary connecting ring 41 and includes a wall aligned with the secondary connecting ring 21, so as not to protrude between the primary connecting ring 41 and the secondary connecting ring 21. Therefore, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 has a cuboid shape and directly supports the primary sealing membrane 19 and the connecting portion 26.

[0117] Figure 12 An eighth alternative embodiment of the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is shown. This alternative is similar to the seventh alternative, and the difference lies only in the materials used for the thermally insulating joint structure 43. Specifically, in the seventh alternative, a plywood box 51 is used to produce the thermally insulating joint structure 43, while in the eighth alternative, the thermally insulating joint structure 43 is produced by assembling an insulating foam layer 50 between two plywood sheets 49. The plywood sheets extend parallel to the wall thickness direction. Furthermore, the insulating foam layer 50 is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction.

[0118] Specifically, the liquefied gas used for storage in tank 71 can be liquefied natural gas (LNG), that is, a gaseous mixture mainly consisting of methane and one or more other hydrocarbons. The liquefied gas can also be ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), that is, a mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, mainly consisting of propane and butane.

[0119] refer to Figure 13The view of the liquefied gas carrier 70 (partially cut off) shows a generally prismatic, sealed, and insulated storage tank 71 installed within the double-hulled structure 72 of the carrier. The walls of the storage tank 71 include a primary sealing barrier for contact with the LNG contained within the tank, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the double-hulled structure 72 of the carrier, and two insulating barriers disposed between the primary and secondary sealing barriers and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double-hulled structure 72, respectively.

[0120] In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading pipeline 73, arranged on the upper deck of the vessel, can be connected to a marine or port terminal by means of appropriate connectors to transport cargo LNG to and from the storage tank 71.

[0121] Figure 13 An example of a marine terminal is shown, comprising a loading and unloading station 75, underwater pipelines 76, and onshore facilities 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility including a movable boom 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable boom 74. The movable boom 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible tubing 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipeline 73. The directional movable boom 74 is adjustable to accommodate liquefied gas carriers of all sizes. Connecting pipes (not shown) extend inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading of liquefied gas carriers 70 from or the unloading of said liquefied gas carriers to the onshore facility 77. The facility includes storage tanks 80 for storing liquefied gas and connecting pipes 81 that connect to the loading and unloading station 75 via the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 allows for the transport of liquefied gas over a longer distance (e.g., 5 km) between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77, which enables the liquefied gas carrier 70 to be kept at a longer distance from the shore during loading and unloading operations.

[0122] In order to generate the pressure necessary for transporting liquefied gas, pumps on carrier 70 and / or pumps mounted to shore facility 77 and / or pumps mounted to loading and unloading station 75 are used.

[0123] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto, and that if the described apparatus falls within the scope of the invention, the invention includes all technical equivalents of the described apparatus and combinations thereof.

[0124] The use of the verbs “comprising” or “including” and their variant forms does not preclude the presence of other elements or steps besides those stated in the claims.

[0125] Any reference numerals in parentheses in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. A storage facility (1) for liquefied gas, comprising a support structure (2, 3) and a sealed, insulated storage tank (71) disposed within the support structure (2, 3), The sealed, insulated storage tank (71) includes a main structure (6) formed by a plurality of tank walls connected to and fixed to the supporting structures (2, 3), the main structure (6) defining an internal storage space (9), and the main structure (6) extending from the supporting structures to the internal storage space in the wall thickness direction comprising: A secondary thermal insulation barrier (16) fixed to the support structures (2, 3), a secondary sealing membrane (17) supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier (16), a primary thermal insulation barrier (18) supported by the secondary sealing membrane (17) and including multiple rows of primary insulation panels (39), and a primary sealing membrane (19) supported by the primary thermal insulation barrier (18). The supporting structures (2, 3) include a substantially flat upper supporting wall (4, 5). The primary sealing membrane (19) and the upper support walls (4, 5) are interrupted in a manner that defines a loading / unloading opening (10) for passage of a fluid loading / unloading conduit (11). The storage tank (71) includes a cover (12) disposed in the loading / unloading opening (10). The secondary sealing membrane (17) and the secondary thermal insulation barrier (16) are interrupted at the interruption (40) around the cover. The secondary sealing membrane (17) is fixed to the support structure at the interruption by means of a secondary connecting ring (21) extending in the wall thickness direction. The cover (12) includes an upper cover wall (22), a lower cover wall (23), and an insulating structure (24) located between the lower cover wall (23) and the upper cover wall (22). The upper cover wall (22) is fixed to the upper support wall (4, 5), and the lower cover wall (23) is sealed to the primary sealing membrane (19) and fixed to the support structure around the primary sealing membrane by means of a primary connecting ring (41). Furthermore, the storage tank includes an insulating ring (42), which includes a plurality of insulating joint structures (43) fixed to the support structure side-by-side and formed between the primary connecting ring (41) and the secondary connecting ring (21). The thermally insulating joint structure (43) fills the space left by the primary thermal insulation barrier (18) between the primary connecting ring (41) and the secondary connecting ring (21), and is arranged to absorb the load exerted by the primary sealing membrane (19) in the wall thickness direction.

2. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower cover wall (23) is sealed to the primary sealing membrane (19) by means of a connecting portion (26), the connecting portion comprising a first wing (27) fixed to the primary sealing membrane (19) of the main structure (6) and a second wing (28) connected to the first wing (27) and fixed to the lower cover wall (23).

3. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper cover wall (22) is positioned in the plane of the upper support wall (4, 5).

4. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the secondary connecting ring (21) and the primary connecting ring (41) extend in the wall thickness direction.

5. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the primary insulation barrier (18) includes end primary insulation panels (44) forming a row adjacent to the insulation ring (42), the end primary insulation panels (44) being aligned with the secondary connecting ring (21) in the wall thickness direction, and the primary insulation panels (39) of other rows being aligned with the secondary insulation panels of the secondary insulation barrier (16) in the wall thickness direction, wherein the average value of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the end primary insulation panels (44) and the secondary connecting ring (21) is lower than the average value of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the primary insulation panels (39) and the secondary insulation panels.

6. The storage facility as claimed in claim 5, wherein the end primary insulating panel (44) has a thickness of at least 60 × 10 mm in the wall thickness direction. -6 K -1 With 71×10 -6 K -1 The coefficient of thermal expansion between 60 × 10⁻⁶ and 10⁻⁶, and the primary insulating panel (39) has a thermal expansion coefficient between 60 × 10⁻⁶ in the wall thickness direction. -6 K -1 With 71×10 -6 K -1 The coefficient of thermal expansion between them.

7. The storage facility of claim 5, wherein the thermally insulating bonding structure (43) supports the primary sealing film (19) directly or via the end primary insulating panel (44).

8. The storage facility of claim 5, wherein the protruding portion (45) of the end primary insulating panel (44) protrudes between the primary connecting ring (41) and the secondary connecting ring (21) and at a distance from the primary connecting ring (41), the protruding portion (45) of the end primary insulating panel is supported by the thermally insulating bonding structure (43).

9. The storage facility of claim 8, wherein the thermal bonding structure (43) has a stepped shape including a step (46) configured to receive the protrusion (45) of the end primary insulation panel.

10. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the primary connecting ring (41) and the lower cover wall (23) are made of materials with a thermal expansion coefficient between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel.

11. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the thermally insulating joint structure (43) is made as a single unit.

12. The storage facility as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the thermally insulating joint structure (43) comprises a first insulating joint panel (47) and a second insulating joint panel (48) disposed alongside the first insulating joint panel, the first insulating joint panel and the second insulating joint panel extending in the wall thickness direction.

13. The storage facility of claim 12, wherein an integral thermally insulating joint structure (43) or a first thermally insulating joint panel (47) and a second thermally insulating joint panel (48) are created by assembling an insulating foam layer (50) between two plywood sheets (49), the plywood sheets extending parallel to the wall thickness direction.

14. The storage facility of claim 13, wherein the insulating foam layer (50) is reinforced with fibers oriented in the wall thickness direction.

15. The storage facility of claim 12, wherein the integral thermally insulated joint structure (43) or the first thermally insulated joint panel (47) and the second thermally insulated joint panel (48) are produced in the form of a plywood box (51) filled with insulating filler.

16. The storage facility (1) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper support wall is an inner upper support wall (4), the support structure includes an inner support structure (2) and an outer support structure (3), the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall (4), the outer support structure includes a substantially flat outer upper support wall (5) disposed above the inner upper support wall (4), and the main structure (6) of the tank (71) is disposed in the inner support structure (2).

17. The storage facility (1) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper support wall is an outer upper support wall (5), the support structure includes an inner support structure (2) and an outer support structure (3), the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall (4), the outer support structure includes the substantially flat outer upper support wall (5) disposed above the inner upper support wall (4), and the main structure (6) of the tank (71) is disposed in the inner support structure (2).

18. A carrier (70) for transporting cold liquid products, the carrier comprising a double hull (72) and a storage facility (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, the storage facility being arranged in the double hull.

19. The carrier (70) of claim 18, wherein the upper support wall is an inner upper support wall (4), the support structure includes an inner support structure (2) and an outer support structure (3), the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall (4), the outer support structure includes a substantially flat outer upper support wall (5) disposed above the inner upper support wall (4), the main structure (6) of the tank (71) is disposed in the inner support structure (2), the carrier includes an inner deck and an outer deck, the inner upper support wall (4) of the support structure is formed by the inner deck and the outer upper support wall (5) is formed by the outer deck.

20. The carrier (70) of claim 18, wherein the upper support wall is an outer upper support wall (5), the support structure includes an inner support structure (2) and an outer support structure (3), the inner support structure includes a substantially flat inner upper support wall (4), the outer support structure includes the substantially flat outer upper support wall (5) disposed above the inner upper support wall (4), the main structure (6) of the tank (71) is disposed in the inner support structure (2), the carrier includes an inner deck and an outer deck, the inner upper support wall (4) of the support structure is formed by the inner deck and the outer upper support wall (5) is formed by the outer deck.

21. A system for transporting cold liquid products, the system comprising: The carrier (70) as described in claim 18 or claim 19; Insulated piping (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect a tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or shore-based external storage facility (77); and a pump for pumping a stream of cold liquid products from the floating or shore-based external storage facility to the tank of the vessel or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or shore-based external storage facility via the insulated piping.

22. A method for loading or unloading a carrier (70) as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein cold liquid products are transported from a floating or onshore external storage facility (77) to or from the tank of the carrier (70) to the floating or onshore external storage facility via insulated conduits (73, 79, 76, 81).

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