Thermally insulated and sealed tanks built into load-bearing structures

Abstract

The tank wall includes a thermal insulation barrier attached to a support wall and a sealing membrane supported by the thermal insulation barrier. The support wall supports retaining members (21, 22) that cooperate with the edge of the isolation panel (3) of the row. The retaining members include a first retaining member (21) arranged at a first edge parallel to a first direction and aligned with the column plate (12) straddling the row and adjacent rows. The retaining members include a second retaining member (22) arranged at a second edge parallel to a second direction and spaced apart from the corner of the isolation panel of the row and aligned with the column plate (11) or each column plate that rests completely on the row.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thermally insulated and sealed tanks constructed into load-bearing structures to contain cold fluids, and particularly to the field of membrane tanks for containing liquefied gases, especially combustible gases.

[0002] Thermally insulated and sealed tanks are used in various industries to store refrigerated products. For example, in the energy sector, liquefied natural gas (LNG), a liquid with a high methane content, can be stored at atmospheric pressure and at approximately -163°C in land-based storage tanks or in tanks mounted on floating structures. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can be stored at temperatures between -50°C and 0°C.

[0003] In the case of a floating structure, the tank can be used to transport liquefied gas or to receive liquefied gas as fuel for propelling the floating structure. Background Technology

[0004] Thermally insulated and sealed membrane tanks constructed into the double hull of a ship are known in the art. For example, WO-A-2014096600 teaches such a tank in which the thermal barrier comprises an assembly of thermally insulated elements generally in the shape of a parallelepiped and retaining members juxtaposed on a load-bearing structure to form a generally uniform support surface for supporting the sealing membrane. The retaining members are attached to the load-bearing structure between the juxtaposed thermally insulated elements and cooperate with the thermally insulated elements to hold the thermally insulated elements abutting against the load-bearing structure. Each thermally insulated element is held by four mechanical couplings disposed at the corners of the thermally insulated element.

[0005] The aforementioned disclosure indicates that the thermal gradient in the thermal insulation element can cause differential expansion of the polymer foam in bonded components with other rigid materials, such as plywood. This phenomenon can easily induce stress, which in turn can cause the thermal insulation element to bend. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to design a tank wall structure and, in particular, an insulating barrier structure that provides advantageous properties in terms of thermal insulation, mechanical strength and support for a tight sealing film.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a thermally insulated and sealed tank constructed into a load-bearing structure, the tank including a tank wall fixed to a support wall of the load-bearing structure.

[0008] The tank wall includes a thermal insulation barrier fixed to a support wall, and a sealing membrane carried by the thermal insulation barrier.

[0009] The thermal insulation barrier includes multiple rows parallel to a first direction, each row comprising multiple parallelepiped insulation panels arranged in a repeating pattern along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0010] The sealing film comprises a plurality of metal plates parallel to a first direction. Each plate includes a flat central portion resting on the upper surface of the insulating panel and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the can relative to the central portion. The plates are arranged in a repeating pattern along a second direction and are welded together in a sealing manner at the height of the raised edges.

[0011] Wherein, the size of the repeating pattern of the row is an integer multiple of the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate in the second direction and is greater than or equal to twice the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate; the column plates resting on the row are arranged such that at least one column plate rests completely on the row and at least two column plates straddle the row and two adjacent rows located on both sides of the row; the raised edges of the column plates are offset relative to the edges of the row in the second direction; and wherein a support wall supports a first retaining member and a second retaining member, the first retaining member and the second retaining member cooperating with the first edge and the second edge of the isolation panel of the row to retain the isolation panel of the row on the support wall; the first retaining member is disposed at the height of the first edge, the first edge being parallel to the first direction, the first retaining member being aligned with the column plate straddling the row and adjacent rows; the second retaining member is disposed at the height of the second edge, the second edge being parallel to the second direction, and the second retaining member is spaced apart from the corners of the isolation panel of the row and is aligned with the column plate or each column plate resting completely on the row.

[0012] Therefore, the retaining members are arranged to align with each of the rows of plates resting on the row, i.e., the first retaining member is aligned with two rows of plates straddling the row and two adjacent rows, and the second retaining member is aligned with each row of plates fully resting on the row. This arrangement of the retaining members allows for a uniform distribution of the force applied to the insulating panel and enables the limitation of planar defects formed on the supporting surface of the insulating panel for the sealing membrane. These planar defects may have various causes, particularly hull deformation due to the loading of ballast. Furthermore, as described in WO-A-2014096600, if the tank wall is subjected to a temperature gradient in the thickness direction, differential thermal expansion or contraction can easily cause small deformations of the insulating panel upon bending. Arranging the second retaining member at least at the corners, rather than at the corners of the insulating panel, limits the length susceptible to bending, which limits concavity, i.e., limits displacement caused by such bending in the thickness direction of the tank wall. Therefore, this distribution of the retaining members allows for a reduction in the deformation of the insulating panel and the vertical stepped portions between adjacent insulating panels.

[0013] This arrangement of retaining components can be applied to a row, each row, or a subset of rows in a thermal insulation barrier, such as one row out of two rows.

[0014] This type of container can be implemented with one or more of the following features.

[0015] Preferably, the first retaining member is configured to be spaced apart from the corner of the isolation panel of the row.

[0016] Similarly, arranging the first retaining member spaced apart from the corner rather than at the corner of the insulating panel limits the length that is susceptible to bending, which limits the concavity, i.e., limits the displacement caused by such bending in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the raised edge of the column plate is offset relative to the edge of the row along a second direction by a distance equal to half the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate, and the second retaining member is spaced apart from the corner of the insulating panel by a distance equal to the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate, or the second retaining member is spaced apart from the corner of the insulating panel by a distance equal to an integer multiple of the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate.

[0018] Therefore, the retaining member, located at the height of the second edge of the insulating panel, is aligned with the centerline of the column plate that rests completely on the row, which makes the force applied to the insulating panel evenly distributed.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the size of the repeating pattern of the row is twice the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate in the second direction, and the second retaining member is arranged in the middle of the second edge.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the size of the repeating pattern of the row is greater than twice the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate in the second direction, and the second retaining structures, which are spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate, are arranged along the second edge.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the parallelepiped isolation panels of the row are juxtaposed along a first direction according to a repeating pattern, the size of the repeating pattern in the first direction being twice the size of the repeating pattern of the row in the second direction, and a first retaining member is arranged in the middle of the first edge.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the parallelepiped isolation panels of the row are juxtaposed in a repeating pattern along a first direction. The size of the repeating pattern in the first direction is two integer multiples larger than the size of the repeating pattern of the row in the second direction, and a plurality of first retaining members spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the size of the repeating pattern of the row are arranged along a first edge.

[0023] Because of these features, the retaining components can be distributed on the support wall in a regular array, such as a centrally oriented cubic array, which facilitates construction and ensures a uniform distribution of forces applied to the insulating panel and the sealing membrane supported by the insulating panel.

[0024] The parallelepiped insulating panel can have various structures. According to one embodiment, the parallelepiped insulating panel has a square shape. According to one embodiment, the insulating panel includes: a base plate resting against a support wall, the base plate being rested against the support wall, for example via polymerizable adhesive beads; a cover plate parallel to the base plate; and an insulating polymer foam layer sandwiched between the base plate and the cover plate. According to one embodiment, an intermediate plate parallel to the base plate is inserted into the thickness of the insulating polymer foam layer, dividing the insulating polymer foam layer into two layers. The advantage of this structure is that it can limit the bending forces caused by differential shrinkage of the insulating panel material.

[0025] The flatness of the parallelepiped barrier panel is improved due to the polymerizable adhesive beads, and the seating portion of the barrier panel is secured. According to one embodiment, a non-adhesive membrane is inserted between the support wall and the polymerizable adhesive beads to prevent the polymerizable adhesive beads from adhering to the support wall. Conversely, in another embodiment, the non-adhesive membrane is omitted, allowing the parallelepiped barrier panel to be bonded to the support wall via the polymerizable adhesive beads.

[0026] The retaining member can be manufactured in various ways. According to one embodiment, the second retaining member includes a stud and an elongated attachment portion. The stud is fixed perpendicularly to the support wall in the gap between two parallelepiped isolation panels located in the row. The attachment portion has a central portion mounted to pivot on the stud and two end portions extending transversely to the stud on both sides. The attachment portion is pivotable between a release position and a retaining position. In the release position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to a second direction; in the retaining position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to or inclined to a first direction. The two parallelepiped isolation panels have lateral receiving portions to receive the end portions of the attachment portion in the retaining position, such that the attachment portion in the retaining position fixes the two parallelepiped isolation panels in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the first retaining member includes a stud and an elongated attachment portion. The stud is fixed perpendicularly to the support wall in the gap between two rows. The attachment portion has a central portion mounted to pivot on the stud and two end portions extending transversely to the stud on both sides of the stud. The attachment portion is pivotable between a release position and a retaining position. In the release position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to a first direction. In the retaining position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to or inclined to a second direction. Two parallelepiped isolation panels located on both sides of the gap have lateral receiving portions to receive the end portions of the attachment portion in the retaining position, such that the attachment portion in the retaining position fixes the two parallelepiped isolation panels in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the end portion of the attachment portion in the holding position cooperates with the upper surface of the bottom plate of the parallelepiped isolation panel.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the stud also supports a nut and a spring washer, the nut being screwed onto the end portion of the stud opposite to the support wall, and the spring washer being disposed between the stud and the central portion of the attachment portion.

[0030] According to one embodiment, anchor flanges anchored to the insulating panel and parallel to a first direction are arranged between juxtaposed columns of panels to hold the sealing membrane on the insulating barrier.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the thermal barrier is a secondary barrier, and the sealing film is a secondary sealing film. The can wall also includes a primary sealing film for contacting the product contained in the can, and a primary barrier disposed between the primary sealing film and the secondary sealing film.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the first retaining member is a primary retaining member, and the second retaining member is a secondary retaining member. The can also include a primary retaining member placed on the insulating panel of the row and positioned along a first line and a second line. The first line is parallel to a first direction and positioned to align with one of the secondary retaining members, and the second line is parallel to a second direction and positioned to align with one of the primary retaining members. Preferably, the primary retaining member is placed at the intersection of the first line and the second line.

[0033] Such tanks can form part of a land-based storage facility or a storage facility placed on the seabed, for example, to store LNG, or such tanks can be installed in coastal or deep-water floating structures, particularly methane tankers, floating storage and reclassification units (FSRUs), floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units, or other structures.

[0034] According to one embodiment, a vessel for transporting chilled liquid products includes a twin hull and the aforementioned tank constructed into the twin hull. According to one embodiment, the twin hull includes an inner hull that forms a load-bearing structure for the tank.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading and unloading such a vessel, wherein chilled liquid products are transported from a floating or land-based storage device to the vessel's tanks via insulated pipes, or chilled liquid products are transported from the vessel's tanks to a floating or land-based storage device via insulated pipes.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a delivery system for cold liquid products, the system comprising: the aforementioned ship; an isolation conduit arranged to connect tanks mounted in the ship's twin hulls to a floating or land-based storage device; and a pump for driving cold liquid products through the isolation conduit from the floating or land-based storage device to the ship's tanks, or for driving cold liquid products through the isolation conduit from the ship's tanks to the floating or land-based storage device. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting illustration only, of specific embodiments of the invention.

[0038]

Figure 1

[0039]

Figure 2

[0040]

Figure 3

[0041]

Figure 4

[0042]

Figure 5

[0043]

Figure 6

[0044] Figure 1 The wall of the thermal insulation tank 1, viewed from above, is shown to illustrate its structure. This structure can be implemented on a large surface with different orientations to, for example, cover the bottom, top, and side walls of the polyhedral tank. Figure 1 The orientation in this regard is not restricted.

[0045] The tank 1 is attached to the supporting wall 2. Typically, "above" will be used to specify a position closer to the interior of the tank, while "below" will be used to specify a position closer to the supporting wall 2, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the gravitational field of the ground.

[0046] The tank wall includes at least one insulating barrier and a sealing membrane 10 held on top of the insulating barrier (for illustrative purposes, the sealing membrane is...). Figure 1 (Indicated as partially transparent). The barrier comprises multiple parallelepiped barrier panels 3, which are arranged side-by-side in multiple parallel rows A, B to substantially cover the inner surface of the support wall 2. To allow the sealing member 10 to be flat, adhesive beads 29 (in) Figure 4 (As shown in the diagram) These adhesive beads 29 are placed between the support wall 2 and the lower surface of the insulating panel 3. These adhesive beads 29 are, for example, adhered to the lower surface of the insulating panel 3. According to one embodiment, the adhesive beads may be corrugated beads as described in FR-A-2931535. Gaskets, not shown, may also be provided on the support wall 2 to support the corners of the insulating panel 3.

[0047] The insulating panel 3 comprises, for example, a high-density polymer, particularly polyurethane, foam block 42, which may or may not have glass fiber and is sandwiched between two planar panels made of, for example, plywood, namely a base plate 41 and a cover plate 44. For example, the foam block has a density of approximately 130 kg / m³. 3 The density. Other structures are also possible.

[0048] Rows A and B of the insulating panel 3 extend along a first direction and are separated by a gap 4 that also extends along the first direction. In row B, the insulating panel 3 is separated in a generally regular manner by a gap 5 extending along a second direction. The insulating panel 3 has two edges parallel to the first direction and provided with a first retaining member 21. The insulating panel 3 has two edges parallel to the second direction and provided with a second retaining member 22.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the adhesive beads 29 do not adhere to the support wall 2. For this purpose, a film (not shown), such as a kraft paper film or a plastic film, is provided between the beads 29 and the support wall 2. Here, four retaining members 21 and 22 are arranged in a manner that four are present for each insulating panel 3, and are used to hold the insulating panels 3 to the support wall 2. The retaining members can be manufactured in various ways.

[0050] According to another embodiment, adhesive beads 29 are also adhered to the support wall 2 to hold the barrier panel 3 by adhesive force. In this case, retaining members 21 and 22 are used to hold the barrier panel 3 on the support wall 2 in a manner alternative to the adhesion described above, but mainly during the polymerization of the adhesive during the manufacture of the can.

[0051] The sealing membrane 10 comprises a continuous layer of metal plates 11, 12, each plate having raised edges. The length of the plates 11, 12 extends along a first direction, and the width of the plates 11, 12 extends along a second direction. The raised edges of the plates 11, 12 are welded to a welding support (not shown), which is fixed to a groove 13 formed in a cover plate 44 of the insulating panel 3. For example, the plate 21 is made of… It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of this alloy is typically between 1.2 x 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 With 2x10 -6 K -1 Between. Iron and manganese alloys can also be used, with a coefficient of thermal expansion typically around 7 x 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 Up to 9x10 -6 K -1 .

[0052] The isolation barrier can be constructed on a surface of any size by periodically repeating rows A and B of the isolation panels and columns 11 and 12 of the metal along a second direction. In the first direction, rows A and B of the isolation panels and columns 11 and 12 of the metal can extend to any desired length. Since the size of the periodic pattern of rows A and B is equal to twice the width of columns 11 and 12, and the longitudinal edges of columns 11 and 12 are offset by half the width relative to the edges of rows A and B along the second direction, row A is thus covered by columns 11 completely resting on row A and two columns 12 straddling row A and two adjacent rows. Here, only the adjacent row B is shown.

[0053] Alternatively, the offset of the plates 11 and 12 may be different from half the width, but the offset cannot be zero in order to create the groove 13.

[0054] By placing retaining members 21 and 22 in the middle of the four edges of the insulating panel 3 having a square cross-section, the following advantage is achieved: a substantially equal number of retaining members are aligned with each of the columns 11 and 12.

[0055] Furthermore, anchoring by retaining members 21 and 22 arranged in the middle of the edge of the insulating panel 3 has the advantage of limiting the length of the panel, which is prone to bending due to the load ballast and / or thermal gradient, compared to anchoring members located at the four corners of the insulating panel 3. Here, this length is limited to the distance between the retaining member 21 or 22 and the corner, i.e., half the length of the side portion. Conversely, if the retaining members are arranged at the corners of the insulating panel 3, the distance between the two retaining members is the entire length of the side portion.

[0056] If the size of the insulating panel 3 in the second direction (the width direction of the columns 11, 12) is larger, for example, by increasing the width of the columns, then the second column 11 will rest completely on the row. In this case, a plurality of retaining members 22 can be provided along the edge of the insulating panel 3 in a spaced-apart manner, so that the retaining members 22 are always positioned aligned with each of the columns 11 that are completely resting on the row.

[0057] The following reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Embodiments of retaining members 21 and 22, which are in the form of mechanical couplings, are described.

[0058] The mechanical coupling includes a stud 31 extending perpendicularly to the support wall 2, with its lower end housed in a bushing 30, which can be formed as a spherical joint and welded to the support wall 2. Alternatively, the stud 31 can be directly welded to the support wall 2.

[0059] A pivotable retaining portion 32, a spring washer 34, and a nut 33 in the form of a split nut are sequentially engaged on the stud 31 to prevent the stud 31 from loosening due to vibration. Figure 3 In the middle, the retaining portion 32 is oriented parallel to the gap 4 or 5, and the connecting member is disposed in the gap 4 or 5 and therefore does not cooperate with the insulating panel 3. Figure 2 In the holding position shown, the holding portion 32 has been pivoted approximately 90° about the stud 31, which forms an axis that engages through the central portion 36, such that the end lug 35 of the holding portion 32 enters the receiving portion 43 in the insulating panel 3, thereby fixing the insulating panel 3 in the thickness direction. If the holding portion 32 is symmetrical as shown here, the second end lug 35 of the holding portion 32 can produce the same effect on the second insulating panel 3 (not shown) located on the other side of the gap.

[0060] Here, the receiving portion 43 is a groove machined into the foam block 42, which exposes the upper surface of the bottom panel 41. Therefore, the end lug 35 has a flat shape parallel to the bottom panel 41 and can engage with the bottom panel 41 over a sufficient area to prevent the bottom panel from being weakened by penetration.

[0061] Already referred to Figure 4 A second embodiment of the isolation barrier is shown. Here, the receiving portion that receives the end lug 35 of the retaining portion 32 is made in the form of a hole 143 that passes through the entire thickness of the foam block 42 and the cover plate 44. Therefore, the locking of the isolation panel 3 is not affected by pivoting of the retaining portion 32, but rather by placing the retaining portion 32 from above onto the stud 31. Then, the hole 143 allows the nut 33 to be placed and screwed onto the stud 31.

[0062] Figure 4 A series of adhesive beads 29 are also shown disposed on the support wall 2 and at the location of the insulating panel 3. This illustration is illustrative and does not necessarily correspond to the manner in which the adhesive beads 29 are placed in the container.

[0063] The techniques described above for manufacturing tank walls with a single sealing membrane can also be used for different types of storage vessels, such as dual-membrane tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the construction of land-based or floating facilities, such as methane tankers or other structures. In this case, the sealing membrane 10 shown in the figure above can be considered a secondary sealing membrane, to which the primary sealing barrier and primary sealing membrane (not shown) must be added. In this way, the technique can also be applied to tanks with multiple stacked thermal insulation barriers and sealing membranes.

[0064] to this end, Figure 4 and Figure 1 A primary retaining member 46 is also shown, which may optionally be disposed on the cover panel 44 to secure the primary isolation barrier. More precisely, Figure 4 A first line I and a second line II are shown. The first line I is parallel to a first direction and positioned aligned with the retaining member 22, and the second line II is parallel to a second direction and positioned aligned with the retaining member 21. As shown here, the primary retaining member 46 is preferably located on the upper panel 44 at the intersection of lines I and II. It is evident that a series of parallel lines I can be drawn in the same manner on multiple consecutive rows. It is evident that a series of parallel lines II can be drawn in the same manner on multiple consecutive thermal insulation panels of a row.

[0065] Alternatively, the primary retaining member can be positioned at other locations on the insulating panel 3, such as on line I or line II.

[0066] Now refer to Figure 5 A third embodiment, which is particularly suitable for a planar tank wall of a double-membrane tank, is described.

[0067] exist Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the multi-layered structure of the thermally insulated and sealed tank wall 101 has already been shown. Elements similar to or the same as those in the foregoing embodiments have the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0068] A primary barrier 53, including a primary barrier panel 54, has been added to the secondary membrane formed by the columns 11, 12 and the welded support 55. A primary sealing membrane 51 has been added to the primary barrier 53. Further details of the primary barrier 53 and / or the primary sealing membrane 51 can be found, for example, in publication WO-A-2019234360.

[0069] Reference Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a methane tanker 70 shows a generally prismatic, sealed and isolated tank 71 installed within the twin hulls 72 of the vessel. The walls of tank 71 include: a primary sealing barrier for contact with the liquefied gas contained within the tank; a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the twin hulls 72 of the vessel; and two insulating barriers, respectively disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the twin hulls 72. In a simplified variant, the vessel has a single hull.

[0070] In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading pipe 73 located on the top deck of the ship can be connected to a seaport or port terminal by means of appropriate connectors to transfer liquefied gas cargo from tank 71 or to tank 71.

[0071] Figure 6An example of a marine terminal is shown, comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76, and a land-based facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility comprising a movable arm 74 and a tower-like member 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible tubular members 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipeline 73. The directional movable arm 74 is adapted for loading instruments for all methane tankers. Connecting pipes, not shown, extend within the tower-like member 78. The loading and unloading station 75 is capable of loading methane tankers 70 from the land-based facility 77 or unloading methane tankers 70 to the land-based facility 77. The land-based facility 77 includes a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 via the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 enables the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the land-based unit 77 over a considerable distance, such as 5 km, which allows the methane tanker 70 to remain at a distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

[0072] Pumps located on the ship 70 and / or pumps equipped in the land-based device 77 and / or pumps equipped in the loading and unloading station 75 are used to generate the pressure required for the transfer of liquefied gas.

[0073] 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 the invention covers all technical equivalents and combinations of the described apparatus if they fall within the scope of the invention.

[0074] The use of the verbs “comprising,” “including,” and variations thereof does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those described in the claims. Unless otherwise stated, the indefinite articles “a” or “an” used for elements or steps do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements or steps.

[0075] In the claims, any reference numerals between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. A thermally insulated and sealed tank, the tank being constructed into a load-bearing structure, the tank including tank walls (1, 101) fixed to a support wall (2) of the load-bearing structure, in, The tank wall includes a thermal insulation barrier fixed to the supporting wall and a sealing membrane carried by the thermal insulation barrier. The thermal insulation barrier comprises multiple rows parallel to a first direction, each row comprising multiple parallelepiped insulation panels (3) arranged side-by-side, the rows being arranged in a repeating pattern along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The sealing film comprises a plurality of metal plates parallel to the first direction. Each plate includes a central planar portion resting on the upper surface of the insulating panel and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the can relative to the central planar portion. The plates are arranged in a repeating pattern along the second direction and are welded together in a sealing manner at the height of the raised edges. Wherein, the size of the repeating pattern of the row is an integer multiple of the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate in the second direction and is greater than or equal to twice the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate; the column plates resting on the row are arranged such that at least one column plate rests completely on the row and at least two column plates straddle the row and two adjacent rows located on both sides of the row; the raised edges of the column plates are offset in the second direction relative to the edges of the row. And wherein the support wall supports a first retaining member (21) and a second retaining member (22), the first retaining member (21) and the second retaining member (22) cooperating with a first edge and a second edge of the isolation panel (3) of the row to retain the isolation panel of the row on the support wall, the first retaining member (21) being disposed at the height of the first edge, the first edge being parallel to the first direction, the first retaining member (21) being configured to align with the column plate straddling the row and the adjacent row, the second retaining member (22) being disposed at the height of the second edge, the second edge being parallel to the second direction, and the second retaining member (22) being configured to be spaced apart from the corner of the isolation panel of the row and configured to align with each column plate completely resting on the row.

2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein, The first retaining member (21) is configured to be spaced apart from the corner of the isolation panel (3) of the row.

3. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The raised edge of the column plate is offset relative to the edge of the row along the second direction by a distance equal to half the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate, and the second retaining member (22) is spaced apart from the corner of the insulating panel by a distance equal to the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate, or the second retaining member (22) is spaced apart from the corner of the insulating panel by a distance equal to an integer multiple of the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate.

4. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The size of the repeating pattern of the row is twice the size of the repeating pattern of the column plate in the second direction, and the second retaining member (22) is arranged in the middle of the second edge.

5. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The size of the repeating pattern in the row is greater than twice the size of the repeating pattern in the column in the second direction, and the second retaining members, which are spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the size of the repeating pattern in the column, are arranged along the second edge.

6. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The parallelepiped isolation panels (3) of the row are juxtaposed along the first direction according to a repeating pattern, wherein the dimension of the repeating pattern in the first direction is twice the dimension of the repeating pattern of the column in the second direction, and wherein the first retaining member (21) is arranged in the middle of the first edge.

7. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The parallelepiped isolation panel (3) has a square shape.

8. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The second retaining member (22) includes studs (30, 31) and elongated attachment portions (32), the studs (30, 31) being fixed perpendicularly to the support wall (2) in the gap between two parallelepiped isolation panels (3) of the row, the attachment portion (32) having a central portion (36) mounted to pivot on the stud and two end portions (35) extending transversely to the stud on both sides of the stud, the attachment portion (32) being pivotable between a release position and a retaining position, in which the attachment portion is oriented parallel to the second direction, and in the retaining position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to or inclined to the first direction, the two parallelepiped isolation panels (3) having lateral receiving portions (43, 143) to receive the end portions (35) of the attachment portion in the retaining position, such that the attachment portion (32) in the retaining position fixes the two parallelepiped isolation panels in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

9. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first retaining member (21) includes studs (30, 31) and an elongated attachment portion (32), the studs (30, 31) being fixed perpendicularly to the support wall (2) in the gap between two rows, the attachment portion (32) having a central portion (36) mounted to pivot on the stud and two end portions (35) extending transversely to the stud on both sides of the stud, the attachment portion being pivotable between a release position and a retaining position, in which the attachment portion (32) is oriented parallel to the first direction, and in the retaining position, the attachment portion is oriented parallel to or inclined to the second direction, two parallelepiped isolation panels (3) located on both sides of the gap between the two rows having lateral receiving portions (43, 143) to receive the end portions (35) of the attachment portion in the retaining position, such that the attachment portion (32) in the retaining position fixes the two parallelepiped isolation panels in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

10. The tank according to claim 8, wherein, The end portion (35) of the attachment portion in the holding position cooperates with the upper surface of the bottom plate (41) of the parallelepiped isolation panel (3).

11. The tank according to claim 8, wherein, The studs (30, 31) also support the nut (33) and the spring washer (34), the nut (33) being screwed onto the end portion of the stud opposite to the support wall, and the spring washer (34) being disposed between the nut (33) and the central portion (36) of the attachment portion.

12. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Anchor flanges, anchored to the insulating panel and parallel to the first direction, are arranged between the juxtaposed columns to hold the sealing film on the thermal insulation barrier.

13. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The thermal barrier is a secondary barrier, and the sealing film is a secondary sealing film. The can wall also includes a primary sealing film (51) for contacting the product contained in the can and a primary barrier (53) disposed between the primary sealing film and the secondary sealing film (10).

14. The tank according to claim 13, wherein, The first retaining member (21) is a first-level retaining member, and the second retaining member (22) is a second-level retaining member. The can also include a primary retaining member placed on the isolation panel (3) of the row and positioned on a first line and a second line, the first line being parallel to the first direction and positioned to align with one of the second-level retaining members, and the second line being parallel to the second direction and positioned to align with one of the first-level retaining members.

15. A vessel (70) for transporting fluids, the vessel comprising a twin hull (72) and a tank (71) according to any one of claims 1 to 14 constructed into the twin hull (72).

16. A fluid transport system, the transport system comprising: The vessel (70) according to claim 15; isolation conduits (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the vessel's tank (71) to a floating or land-based storage device (77); and a pump for driving fluid through the isolation conduits from the floating or land-based storage device to the vessel's tank, or for driving fluid through the isolation conduits from the vessel's tank to the floating or land-based storage device.

17. A method for loading and unloading the vessel (70) according to claim 15, wherein, Fluid is transported from a floating or land-based storage device (77) to the tank (71) of the vessel via insulated conduits (73, 79, 76, 81), or from the tank (71) of the vessel to a floating or land-based storage device (77) via insulated conduits (73, 79, 76, 81).

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