Hermetically sealed, thermally insulated tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealed and insulated tank. The primary insulation barrier (4) of the tank comprises a plurality of insulation blocks (10) positioned adjacent to each other, each insulation block comprising a bottom plate (11) and an insulation foam block (12) arranged on the bottom plate (11), the bottom plate (11) of each insulation block (10) extending beyond the insulation foam block (12) such that a space is created between the insulation foam block (12) and the insulation foam block of an adjacent insulation block each time. The primary insulation barrier (4) further comprises a plurality of bridging elements (20), wherein each bridging element (20) is arranged in one of the spaces between the insulation foam blocks (12) of two adjacent insulation blocks (10), is fixed to the inner surfaces of the bottom plates (11) of the two adjacent insulation blocks and covers a portion of the inner surfaces.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A sealed, insulated storage tank is known from the prior art, comprising a tank wall held on a support structure, wherein the tank wall includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary insulating barrier held on the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane held on the secondary insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier held on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane held on the primary insulating barrier.

[0003] It is worth noting that this type of sealed, insulated storage tank can be used to transport cold liquid products, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), especially in floating structures, such as ships.

[0004] The primary sealing membrane typically has corrugations in two directions: a first series of corrugations extending parallel to a first direction and a second series of corrugations extending parallel to a second direction. The first and second directions may be perpendicular to each other.

[0005] In this type of tank, the primary sealing membrane is in direct contact with the transported cold liquid product and is therefore subject to mechanical stresses related to deformation of the floating structure during use, thermal stresses related to temperature changes inside the tank (especially during cooling), and the temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the tank. Therefore, to optimize the lifespan of the primary sealing membrane, it is important to ensure that stresses are distributed as evenly as possible between the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A core idea of ​​this invention is to propose a sealed, insulated storage tank in which the stress applied to the primary sealing membrane is more evenly distributed between its corrugations.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed and insulated storage tank, comprising a tank wall held on a support structure, wherein the tank wall includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary insulation barrier held on the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane held on the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier held on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane held on the primary insulation barrier.

[0008] The primary insulation barrier comprises multiple juxtaposed insulation blocks, each having a base plate and an insulating foam block disposed on the base plate. The base plate of each insulation block protrudes beyond the insulating foam block, thereby creating a space between its own insulating foam block and the insulating foam blocks of adjacent insulation blocks.

[0009] The primary insulation barrier also includes multiple bridging elements, each of which is disposed in one of the multiple spaces between the insulating foam blocks of two adjacent insulation blocks and is fixed to the inner surface of the base plate of the two adjacent insulation blocks and covers a portion of the inner surface.

[0010] In this type of tank, the primary sealing membrane is corrugated. Once the tank is installed on a ship and filled with chilled liquid product, the deformation of the tank wall caused by the ship's voyage tends to stress the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane, while the pressure exerted on the tank wall by the chilled liquid product tends to couple the mechanical behavior of the primary sealing membrane with that of the primary insulation barrier. Designing the primary insulation barrier with foam blocks and bridging elements (arranged in the spaces between the foam blocks spanning the insulation blocks) ensures that the primary insulation barrier deforms as uniformly as possible, which in turn allows for a as uniform distribution of stress between the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane.

[0011] Furthermore, bridging elements tend to eliminate or at least limit relative movement between insulating blocks. Such relative movement can be caused, for example, by accelerations applied to the primary insulation barrier when the ship is sailing and / or by deformation of the hull when the ship is sailing. Eliminating or limiting these relative movements ensures a balance of static preload between the different corrugated areas of the primary sealing membrane.

[0012] According to the implementation method, such a storage tank may have one or more of the following features.

[0013] According to one embodiment, each insulating block has a cover plate, a foam block is arranged between a base plate and a cover plate, and a primary insulating film is held on the cover plate of the insulating block.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the cover plate and / or base plate are made of plywood.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing film has a first series of corrugations extending parallel to a first direction, and each corrugation of the first series of corrugations is arranged to be flush with a first groove formed in the insulating foam block of the insulating block, or flush with a gap formed between the bridging element and the insulating foam block of the insulating block.

[0016] Therefore, for corrugations arranged flush with the grooves provided in the foam block of the insulating block, the grooves allow the corrugations to open when they deform under stress. Similarly, for corrugations arranged flush with the gaps formed between the bridging element and the foam block of the insulating block, the gaps allow the corrugations to open when they deform under stress. Thus, the grooves and gaps prevent all the stress applied to a given corrugation from being transferred to adjacent corrugations. Combined with the fact that the primary insulating barrier deforms as uniformly as possible due to the presence of the bridging element, this ensures a more uniform distribution of stress among the corrugations of the first series of corrugations.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane has a second series of corrugations extending parallel to a second direction, and each corrugation of the second series of corrugations is arranged to be flush with a second groove formed in the insulating foam block of the insulating block, or flush with a gap formed between the bridging element and the insulating foam block of the insulating block.

[0018] Similar to the first series of corrugations, these features allow stress to be distributed more evenly between the corrugations of the second series of corrugations.

[0019] According to one implementation, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0020] According to one embodiment, each bridging element is glued to the inner surface of the base plate of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the inner surface of the base plate of each insulating block has at least two grooves, each groove extending along one edge of the base plate on a portion or all of the edge of the base plate.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the groove in the base plate is designed to collect any excess glue pushed into the gap between two adjacent base plates by bridging elements pressed against the inner surface of the base plate.

[0023] This eliminates or at least limits the risk of a portion of the secondary sealing membrane being used for adhesive bonding of bridging elements. The tank wall's ability to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses depends on the secondary sealing membrane's ability to slide relative to the primary insulation barrier.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the groove extends parallel to the corresponding edge of the base plate along which the groove extends.

[0025] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has two grooves that extend parallel to each other and are arranged on both sides of the gap between the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the groove in the bridging element is designed to collect any excess glue pushed by the bridging element pressed against the inner surface of the base plate into the gap between two adjacent base plates.

[0027] This eliminates or at least limits the risk of a portion of the secondary sealing membrane being used for adhesive bonding of bridging elements.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the groove extends parallel to the corresponding edge of the base plate defining the gap.

[0029] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has a tab that is designed to be received in the gap between the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

[0030] This type of tab prevents any excess glue from being pushed by the bridging element pressed against the base plate into the gap between two adjacent base plates.

[0031] This eliminates or at least limits the risk of a portion of the secondary sealing membrane being used for adhesive bonding of bridging elements.

[0032] According to one embodiment, a flexible strip, for example made of kraft paper, is arranged below each bridging element so as to be received in the gap between the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

[0033] This flexible strip can be inserted between the secondary sealing membrane and the adhesive used to bond the bridging element, which eliminates or at least limits the risk that a portion of the secondary sealing membrane will be bonded by the adhesive.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the insulating blocks of the primary insulating barrier are arranged in rows at regular intervals parallel to the first and second directions.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the primary insulation barrier also includes a plurality of corner elements, each corner element being arranged between the foam blocks of four adjacent insulation blocks and fastened to the inner surface of the base plate of the four adjacent insulation blocks and covering a portion of the inner surface.

[0036] Therefore, the corner elements can be staggered relative to the foam blocks of the insulating block. This staggered arrangement optimizes the distribution of mechanical stress across the several foam blocks and helps to locally restrict the movement of the insulating blocks relative to each other in the event of sloshing and / or hull deformation during navigation of the cold liquid product contained in the tank. In effect, the corner elements provide a mechanical connection between adjacent insulating blocks, which prevents the insulating blocks from separating from each other. Thus, the relative movement of the insulating blocks relative to each other is restricted, which helps to apply stress more evenly to the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane when cooling the tank.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the corner element is glued to the inner surface of the base plate of the four adjacent insulating blocks.

[0038] According to one embodiment, each space between the foam blocks of four adjacent insulating blocks is filled by the end portion of a bridging element.

[0039] Similar to corner elements, the fact that each space between the foam blocks of four adjacent insulating blocks is filled by the end portion of the bridging element limits the risk of these foam blocks moving in the event of sloshing of cold liquid products contained in the tank or deformation of the hull during navigation.

[0040] According to one embodiment, each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier is held on the secondary sealing membrane by a mechanical coupling that passes through the secondary sealing membrane at the center of the base plate of the insulating block.

[0041] According to one embodiment, each mechanical coupling is received in the shaft of the corresponding insulating block.

[0042] According to one embodiment, each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier is held on the secondary sealing membrane by a plurality of mechanical couplings, each mechanical coupling passing through the secondary sealing membrane at a corner of the base plate of the insulating block.

[0043] Therefore, during the assembly of the primary insulation barrier, each insulating block of the primary insulation barrier can be positioned using its base plate, which is beneficial for the assembly of the tank wall.

[0044] According to one embodiment, each mechanical coupling is received in the shaft of the corner element.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane is made by welding metal strips with raised edges, which are received in the lower grooves of each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier.

[0046] According to one embodiment, each bridging element aligned with the lower slot has an additional lower slot designed to receive the raised edge.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane is corrugated and made by welding metal sheets, each sheet having at least one corrugated portion, which is received in a seat in each insulating block of the primary insulating barrier.

[0048] According to one embodiment, each bridging element aligned with the seat has an additional seat designed to receive the corrugated portion.

[0049] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has an insulating foam layer that is fixed to the inner surface of the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

[0050] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has an insulating foam layer and a base plate, for example made of plywood, the insulating foam layer being bonded to the base plate, and the base plate preferably being fixed to the inner surface of the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks by adhesive bonding.

[0051] According to one embodiment, each bridging element has an insulating foam layer and a bottom composite material, the insulating foam layer being bonded to the bottom composite material, and the base plate preferably being bonded to the inner surface of the base plates of the two adjacent insulating blocks. For example, the composite material may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin board or fiber-reinforced polymer resin sheet with optional metal strips.

[0052] According to one embodiment, each bridging element also has a cover plate glued to the insulating foam layer.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a vessel for transporting cold liquid products, the vessel having a double hull and storage tanks as described above arranged in the double hull.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transport system for cold liquid products, the system comprising a ship as described above; insulated piping arranged to connect tanks installed in the hull of the ship to shore or floating storage facilities; and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid products from the shore or floating storage facility to the tanks on the ship or from the tanks to the storage facilities via the insulated piping.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides the use of a vessel as described above for loading or unloading cold liquid products, wherein the cold liquid products are transported from tanks on board to shore or floating storage facilities or from storage facilities to tanks via insulated pipelines. Attached Figure Description

[0056] The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly illustrated in the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given only as non-limiting examples.

[0057] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a partial perspective exploded view of the wall of the sealed insulated storage tank according to the first embodiment.

[0058] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 It is intercepted along plane II-II. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view.

[0059] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 It constitutes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic top view of the plan layout of the insulating blocks of the primary insulation barrier of the tank wall shown.

[0060] [ Figure 4A ] Figure 4A It is similar to Figure 3 A schematic top view showing the layout of the insulating block according to a variant.

[0061] [ Figure 4B ] Figure 4B It is similar to Figure 3 A schematic top view showing the layout of an insulating block according to another variation.

[0062] [ Figure 4C ] Figure 4C It is similar to Figure 3A schematic top view showing the layout of an insulating block according to yet another variation.

[0063] [ Figure 5A ] Figure 5A The side view is based on a variant, which shows the bridging element and partially shows... Figure 1 The bottom plate of the two insulating blocks of the intermediate storage tank.

[0064] [ Figure 5B ] Figure 5B It is based on the first example implementation method. Figure 5A A top view of one of the base plates in the diagram.

[0065] [ Figure 5C ] Figure 5C It is based on the second example implementation method. Figure 5A A top view of one of the base plates in the diagram.

[0066] [ Figure 5D ] Figure 5D This illustrates a third example implementation. Figure 5A A top view of one of the base plates in the diagram.

[0067] [ Figure 5E ] Figure 5E This illustrates a fourth example implementation. Figure 5A A top view of one of the base plates in the diagram.

[0068] [ Figure 6A ] Figure 6A It is based on another variant similar to Figure 5A A side view showing the bridging element, and partially showing... Figure 1 The bottom plate of the two insulating blocks of the intermediate storage tank.

[0069] [ Figure 6B ] Figure 6B yes Figure 6A Bottom view of the bridging component.

[0070] [ Figure 7A ] Figure 7A It is based on yet another variant similar to Figure 5A A side view showing the bridging element, and partially showing... Figure 1 The bottom plate of the two insulating blocks of the intermediate storage tank.

[0071] [ Figure 7B ] Figure 7B It is shown Figure 7A Perspective view of the bottom of the bridging component.

[0072] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 It is based on another variant similar to Figure 5AA side view showing the bridging element, and partially showing... Figure 1 The bottom plate of the two insulating blocks of the intermediate storage tank.

[0073] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 This is a partial perspective exploded view of the sealed insulated storage tank according to the second embodiment.

[0074] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 It is intercepted along plane XX. Figure 9 A cross-sectional view.

[0075] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the storage tanks in a liquefied natural gas carrier and the loading / unloading dock for those tanks. Detailed Implementation

[0076] Figure 1 This is a partial perspective exploded view of the wall of a sealed, insulated storage tank according to the first embodiment. This structure can be used for large surfaces with various orientations, for example, to cover the side walls, top walls, and bottom walls of the storage tank. Therefore, Figure 1 The orientation shown is not restricted in this respect.

[0077] The tank wall is attached to the wall of the supporting structure 1. By convention, "above" refers to the position closest to the interior of the storage tank, and "below" refers to the position closest to the supporting structure 1, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the Earth's gravitational field. The supporting structure 1 can be the inner hull of a double-hulled ship or a structure built within the inner hull.

[0078] The tank wall comprises, in order of its thickness: a secondary insulating barrier 2, which is held on the wall of the supporting structure 1; a secondary sealing membrane 3, which is held on the secondary insulating barrier 2; a primary insulating barrier 4, which is held on the secondary sealing membrane 3; and a primary sealing membrane 5, which is held on the primary insulating barrier 4.

[0079] The secondary insulation barrier 2 includes a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped secondary insulation blocks 2a that substantially cover the inner surface of the load-bearing structure 1.

[0080] like Figure 1 As shown, each secondary insulation block 2a includes an insulating foam block 2b and a cover plate 2c. The cover plate 2c is arranged above the foam block 2b and extends parallel to the wall of the supporting structure 1.

[0081] The cover plate 2c has two grooves 2d, which are parallel to each other and extend in a direction parallel to a pair of sides of the secondary insulating block 2a. For example... Figure 10As shown, the groove 2d has a substantially inverted T-shaped shape to receive a square weld flange. The portion of the weld flange projecting upwards from the cover plate 2c allows for anchoring of the secondary sealing membrane 3. The secondary sealing membrane 3 includes a plurality of side strips, each with a raised edge. The raised edge of each side strip is welded to the weld flange using known techniques. The side strips are, for example, made of… It is made of iron and nickel, that is, an alloy with a coefficient of thermal expansion typically between 1.2 and 10. -6 K -1 With 2.10 -6 K -1 Between [a certain value]. In this case, the edge strip can have a thickness of approximately 0.7 mm. In variations, the edge strip can be made of materials with a high manganese content and a coefficient of thermal expansion typically between 7 and 10. -6 K -1 With 9 / 10 -6 K -1 It is made of an iron alloy. In the case of storage tanks in a ship, the strakes are preferably oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ship.

[0082] The primary insulation barrier 4 mainly includes multiple primary insulation blocks 10, multiple bridging elements 20, and multiple corner elements 150. The relative arrangement of the primary insulation blocks 10, bridging elements 20, and corner elements 150 is described below.

[0083] Figure 1 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 It is also shown that each of the primary insulating blocks 10 has a lower slot 8 for receiving the raised edge of the edge strip. In this case, two lower slots 8 are provided for each primary insulating block 10, but different numbers of lower slots 8 can be provided depending on the ratio of the number of edge strips to the size of the primary insulating block 10.

[0084] The primary sealing membrane 5 is corrugated. More specifically, in a known manner and as... Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the primary sealing membrane 5 has a first series of corrugations 61 and a second series of corrugations 62. The corrugations 61 are parallel to each other and extend along a first direction d1. The corrugations 62 are parallel to each other and extend along a second direction d2. In this case, the second direction d2 is perpendicular to the first direction d1. The corrugations 61 and 62 protrude toward the interior of the tank.

[0085] A primary sealing membrane 5 is obtained by assembling multiple corrugated metal sheets 60. Figure 1The diagram shows three of a plurality of corrugated metal sheets. Each corrugated metal sheet 60 has a portion of corrugations 61 and 62. The corrugated metal sheets 60 are made of, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. The corrugated metal sheets 60 are rectangular and preferably have width and length dimensions that are integer multiples of the spacing between corrugations 61 and 62, and also integer multiples of the dimensions of the primary insulating block 10. It should be noted that a small length margin exists in the sheets 60 to ensure that a given sheet overlaps with an adjacent sheet.

[0086] In the figure, corrugations 61 and 62 are continuous and intersect each other. In a variant embodiment not shown, the corrugated sheet 60 has a portion of corrugations 61 and 62 spaced apart from each other, such that corrugations 61 and 62 are discontinuous and do not intersect each other.

[0087] Furthermore, according to existing technology, the corrugated metal sheet 60 can be fixed to anchoring strips 69 on the primary insulating block 10 by, for example, spot welding. These anchoring strips 69 are located in countersunk holes (not shown) in the cover plate 13 of the insulating block 10 and the cover plate 23 of the bridging element 20. Figure 9 Anchor bar 69 is shown, but... Figure 1 The figures are not shown to avoid making the drawings too complex. Furthermore, some anchoring strips 69 can be replaced with heat-resistant ones to prevent any damage to the cover plates 13, 23 during sealing welding around the metal sheets.

[0088] According to a variant embodiment not shown, similar to the primary sealing membrane 5, the secondary sealing membrane 3 may also be corrugated and assembled from corrugated metal sheets. In this case, instead of the lower groove 8, a seat is provided to receive the corrugations of the corrugated metal sheets constituting the secondary sealing membrane 3.

[0089] The following is for reference. Figure 1 The primary insulating block 10 is described, assuming that all primary insulating blocks 10 are identical.

[0090] like Figure 1 As shown, the primary insulating block 10 includes a base plate 11, an insulating foam block 12, and a cover plate 13.

[0091] Foam block 12 is made of insulating foam, which may be, for example, polymer foam, such as polyethylene, polyurethane, or other foams, and optionally fiber-reinforced, such as using glass fiber. The density of polymer foam is typically around 110 kg / m³. 3 Up to 170kg / m 3 More specifically, 130 kg / m 3 Foam block 12 is fastened to base plate 11, for example, by gluing.

[0092] The cover plate 13 is arranged on the foam block 12. The foam block 12 is fastened to the cover plate 13, for example, by adhesive bonding.

[0093] The cover plate 13 and / or the base plate 11 may be made of, for example, plywood.

[0094] like Figure 1 As shown, the assembly formed by the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12 has a generally parallelepiped shape.

[0095] The base plate 11 also has a generally parallelepiped shape. Its sides are parallel to the sides of the assembly including the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12. Its center is aligned with the center of the assembly formed by the cover plate 13 and the foam block 12. However, as Figure 1 As shown, the base plate 11 protrudes beyond the foam block 12, meaning that the geometric envelope defined by the side of the base plate 11 is larger than and completely includes the geometric envelope defined by the side of the foam block 12.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, the insulating blocks 10 are arranged in rows at regular intervals parallel to directions d1 and d2. Specifically, the centers of the insulating blocks 10 are arranged in rows at regular intervals parallel to directions d1 and d2. Furthermore, in this first embodiment, the insulating blocks 10 are held on the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the secondary insulating barrier 2 using mechanical couplings 29. Figure 1 Only one mechanical coupling is shown in the figure. Each mechanical coupling 29 passes through the center of the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the base plate 11 of the insulating block 10. The mechanical coupling 29 is described in more detail below with reference to the second embodiment. Reference numeral 180 is used to indicate a shaft formed in the insulating block 10, which allows access to the mechanical coupling 29. This shaft 180 can be closed by a heat-insulating plug (not shown) before the primary sealing membrane 5 is installed.

[0097] Since the base plate 11 of each insulating block 10 protrudes beyond the foam block 12 of that insulating block 10, a space is formed between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulating blocks 10. This space is filled by one or more bridging elements 20.

[0098] The following text is for reference only. Figure 1 The overall structure of bridging element 20 is described.

[0099] like Figure 1 As shown, the bridging element 20 has a base plate 21, an insulating foam block 22, and a cover plate 23.

[0100] Foam block 22 is made of insulating foam, which can be, for example, polymer foam, such as polyethylene, polyurethane, or other foams, and optionally fiber-reinforced, such as using glass fiber. The density of the polymer foam is typically around 110 kg / m³. 3 Up to 170kg / m 3 More specifically, 130 kg / m 3The foam of foam block 22 and foam block 12 can be the same to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and to prevent any irregularities in the insulation performance of the primary insulation barrier 4. Foam block 22 is fastened to the base plate 21, for example, by gluing.

[0101] The cover plate 23 is arranged on the foam block 22. The foam block 22 is fastened to the cover plate 23, for example, by gluing.

[0102] The cover plate 23 may be made of plywood, for example. The plywood of cover plate 23 may be the same as that of cover plate 13 to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and to prevent any irregularities in the insulation performance of the primary insulation barrier 4. Furthermore, the base plate 21 may be made of plywood, for example, and the plywood of base plate 21 may be the same as that of base plate 11. In variations, base plate 21 and / or cover plate 23 may not be made of plywood, but rather of composite materials. For example, cover plate 23 may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin sheet. For example, base plate 21 may be a fiber-reinforced polymer resin sheet or fiber-reinforced polymer resin sheet with optional metal strips.

[0103] like Figure 1 As shown, the bridging element 20 has a generally parallelepiped shape. The sides of the bridging element 20 are generally parallel to the sides of the two adjacent insulating blocks 10. Furthermore, it is preferred that the bridging element 20 fills the entire space between the foam blocks 12 of the two adjacent insulating blocks 10, except that small gaps may be formed between the foam blocks 12 and the bridging element 20, which provide a certain degree of clearance during assembly.

[0104] The bridging element 20 is fixed to the base plate 11 of two adjacent insulating blocks 10, thereby covering a portion of the base plate 11. This fastening is preferably accomplished by gluing, and more specifically, by using epoxy or polyurethane adhesive, which is relatively easy to perform. The bridging element 20 can, in any case, be fastened to the base plate 11 using any other suitable method, such as threaded connection, snap-fit, or a combination of the above.

[0105] Figure 1 It is also shown that two bridging elements 20 are disposed in each space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulating blocks 10. In any case, it is possible to provide a different number of bridging elements 20 in each space, as long as the size of the bridging elements 20 is adjusted accordingly.

[0106] In addition, such as Figure 10As shown, the bridging element 20, aligned with the lower slot 8, also has a lower slot 9, which is aligned with the lower slot 8 and designed to receive the raised edge of the strip of the secondary sealing membrane 3. In the case where the secondary sealing membrane 3 is corrugated as described above, instead of the lower slot 9, the bridging element 20 has an additional seat aligned with the seat of the insulating block 10, which receives the corrugations of the corrugated metal sheet forming the secondary sealing membrane 3.

[0107] The primary insulation barrier 4, designed with foam blocks 12 and bridging elements 20 arranged in the space between the foam blocks 12 spanning the insulation block 10, ensures that the primary insulation barrier 4 deforms as uniformly as possible, which in turn makes the stress distributed as uniformly as possible between the corrugations 61, 62 of the primary sealing membrane 5.

[0108] Furthermore, the bridging element 20 tends to eliminate or at least limit relative movement between the insulating blocks 10. Such relative movement can be caused, for example, by acceleration applied to the primary insulating barrier 4 when the ship is sailing and / or by deformation of the hull when the ship is sailing. Eliminating or limiting these relative movements ensures the balance of static preload between the different corrugated areas of the primary sealing membrane 5.

[0109] Figure 2 It is intercepted along plane II-II. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view showing the position of corrugation 62 relative to insulating block 10 and bridging element 20.

[0110] like Figure 2 As shown, a series of corrugations 62 extend along the d1 direction. The corrugations 62 include, in sequence, a corrugation 62-1 arranged flush with the center of the foam block 12 of the insulating block 10, followed by two corrugations 62-2 arranged flush with the gap formed between the bridging element 20 and the foam blocks 12 of the two insulating blocks 10, followed by another corrugation 62-1, and so on.

[0111] The insulating block 10 has a groove 172 flush with the corrugations 62-1. The groove 172 extends through the cover plate 13 and through a portion of the foam block 12.

[0112] These grooves 172 are designed to open slightly when the opposing corrugations 62-1 deform under stress. In other words, the grooves 172 allow the foam of the foam block 12 to allow the corrugations 62-1 to open. This prevents the stress applied to the corrugations 62-1 from being transferred to the adjacent corrugations 62-2. The gaps between the bridging element 20 and the foam blocks 12 of the two insulating blocks 10 function similarly to the function of the grooves 172 associated with the corrugations 62-2. The grooves 172 and the gaps between the bridging element 20 and the foam blocks 12 help to distribute stress more evenly between the corrugations 62-1 and 62-2, and thus more evenly within the primary sealing membrane 5.

[0113] Similarly, although not shown in the figures, a series of corrugations 61 extend along the d2 direction. Corrugations 61 successively include corrugations arranged flush with the center of the foam block 12 of the insulating block 10, followed by two corrugations arranged flush with the gap formed between the bridging element 20 and the foam blocks 12 of the two insulating blocks 10, and so on. This arrangement performs a function very similar to that of the aforementioned series of corrugations 62. Furthermore, the insulating block 10 has grooves 171 aligned with some of the corrugations of the series of corrugations 61. The grooves 171 and the corrugations perform functions very similar to those of the grooves 172 and corrugations 62-1.

[0114] As described above, the corrugated metal sheet 60 forming the primary sealing membrane 5 is fastened to the anchor strip 69. The anchor strip 69 is located in a countersunk hole (not shown) in the cover plate 13 of the insulating block 10 and the cover plate 23 of the bridging element 20. More specifically, this type of anchor strip 69 is provided between each corrugation of the series corrugations 61 and each corrugation of the series corrugations 62. Figure 9 Anchor bar 69 is shown, but... Figure 1 The figures are not shown to avoid making the accompanying drawings too complex.

[0115] As described above, the primary insulation barrier 4 includes corner elements 150. One of these corner elements 150 is in Figure 1 As shown in, and in Figure 10 The image is shown in cross-section. Similar to bridging element 20, corner element 150 includes a base plate ( Figure 1 (not shown in the image), insulation foam block ( Figure 1 (not shown in the image) and cover plate 153.

[0116] The foam of the foam block of corner element 150 and the foam of foam block 12 can be the same to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and to prevent any irregularities in the insulation performance of the primary insulation barrier 4. The foam block is fixed to the base plate of corner element 150, for example, by gluing and / or threaded connection.

[0117] The cover plate 153 is arranged on the foam block. The foam block is fastened to the cover plate 153, for example, by adhesive bonding.

[0118] The cover plate 153 may be made of plywood, for example. The plywood of the cover plate 153 and the cover plate 13 may be the same to facilitate the manufacture of the tank wall and to prevent any irregularities in the insulation performance of the primary insulation barrier 4. In addition, the bottom plate may be made of plywood, for example, and the plywood of the bottom plate and the bottom plate 11 may be the same.

[0119] like Figure 1As shown, each corner element 150 is arranged between the foam blocks 12 of four adjacent insulating blocks 10. In other words, each corner element 150 is staggered relative to the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulating blocks 10. This staggered arrangement optimizes the distribution of mechanical stress on the several foam blocks 12 and helps to locally limit the movement of the insulating blocks 10 relative to each other in the event of sloshing of cold liquid products contained in the tank and / or deformation of the hull during navigation.

[0120] Each corner element 150 is preferably fastened to the base plate 11 by gluing, and more specifically, by using epoxy or polyurethane glue, which is relatively easy to achieve.

[0121] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the possible dimensions of the insulating block 10, the bridging element 20, and the corner element 150. Figure 3 This is a top view, that is, a view from inside the tank towards the primary insulation barrier 4. First, determine the spacing or length. Figure 3 The spacing k is used to represent the distance. Once the spacing k is determined, the cover plate 13 of the insulating block 10 has equal sides of length 2k. The cover plate 153 of the corner element 150 has equal sides of length k. The cover plate 23 of the bridging element 20 has two parallel sides of length 2k and two parallel sides of length k. Figure 3 The arrangement of the insulating block 10, bridging element 20, and corner element 150 shown is repeated in a plane parallel to directions d1 and d2 to obtain an alternating arrangement of the corner element 150 relative to adjacent insulating blocks 10. Figure 3 As shown, a single bridging element 20 is therefore arranged between two adjacent insulating blocks 10. Alternatively, as Figure 1 As shown, two bridging elements 20 with two pairs of parallel sides of length k can be arranged between two adjacent insulating blocks 10.

[0122] In a variant, corner element 150 can be omitted, and the spaces between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulating blocks 10 are filled by the end portions of bridging element 20. Similar to corner element 150, the fact that each space between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulating blocks 10 is filled by the end portions of bridging elements limits the risk of these foam blocks 12 shifting in the event of sloshing of the cold liquid product contained in the tank or deformation of the hull during navigation. Figures 4A to 4C It is similar to Figure 3 A schematic top view showing the possible dimensions of the insulating block 10 and bridging element 20 used in this layout.

[0123] exist Figure 4AIn the layout shown, each space between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulating blocks 10 is filled by the end portion of a bridging element 20 with a length of 4k in direction d2 and a length of k in direction d1. As shown, each space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulating blocks 10 is filled by a bridging element 20 with dimensions of 2k and k in directions d1 and d2, respectively.

[0124] exist Figure 4B In the layout shown, each space between the foam blocks 12 of the four adjacent insulating blocks 10 is filled by the end portion of a bridging element 20 with a length of 3k in direction d2 and a length of k in direction d1. As shown, each space between the foam blocks 12 of two adjacent insulating blocks 10 is filled by a bridging element 20 with dimensions of 2k and k in directions d1 and d2, respectively.

[0125] at last, Figure 4C The same layout as in Figure 4b is shown, except that the roles of directions d1 and d2 are swapped.

[0126] In another variation (not shown in the figure), all bridging elements 20 have a length of 3k in direction d2 (which is the same as direction d1) and a length of k in direction d1 (which is the same as direction d2).

[0127] As described above, the bridging element 20 is preferably glued to the base plate 11 of the insulating block 10, for example, using polyurethane adhesive. To perform this bonding, adhesive is applied to the bridging element 20 and / or the base plate 11, and the bridging element 20 is pressed against the base plate 11, thereby compressing the adhesive, which completes the bonding operation. However, a small gap 111 remains between two adjacent base plates 11 (see...). Figure 1 , Figure 5A , Figure 6A , Figure 7A and Figure 8 This leaves a small portion of the secondary sealing membrane 3 uncovered. It is undesirable to use the same adhesive used for bonding the bridging element 20 to bond this portion of the secondary sealing membrane 3. In fact, the tank wall's ability to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses depends on the secondary sealing membrane 3's ability to slide relative to the primary insulation barrier 4.

[0128] Figures 5A to 8 A variation of the first embodiment is shown, which eliminates or at least limits the risk of adhesive bonding of the secondary sealing film 3 for bonding the bridging element 20. In each of these figures, the width of the gap 111 between the two base plates 11 is enlarged to facilitate understanding of the figures.

[0129] exist Figure 5AIn the first variant, shown very schematically as an exploded cross-sectional view, each base plate 11 has a groove 91 near each gap 111 between two adjacent base plates 11, the groove 91 extending along the edge defining the gap 111. Thus, as long as no adhesive is applied to the bridging element 20 and / or the base plate 11 between the gap 111 and the groove 91, the groove 91 can collect any excess adhesive pushed towards the gap 111 by the bridging element 20 pressing against the base plate 11. As a result, the collected excess adhesive does not reach the gap 111 or the secondary sealing membrane 3. Although the groove 91 is shown as having a rectangular cross-section in this case, the groove can typically have any suitable cross-section. Furthermore, each groove 91 is generally parallel to the corresponding edge of the base plate 11 along which the groove extends.

[0130] like Figure 5A As shown, the groove 91 may or may not lead to the edge opening of the base plate 11. Figure 5B An example implementation is shown, wherein the groove 91 leads to an edge opening of the base plate 11. In this example, each groove 91 extends along the entire corresponding edge of the base plate 11 and passes perpendicularly through two adjacent grooves 91.

[0131] Figures 5C to 5E An example implementation is shown, wherein the groove 91 does not lead to the edge opening of the base plate 11. Figure 5C In the example, each groove 91 extends perpendicularly to two adjacent grooves 91 and opens at a right angle therein. Figure 5D In the example shown, the grooves 91 are also perpendicular to each other, but are connected to each other by curved groove portions to form, for example, an arc. Figure 5E In the example, groove 91 is subdivided into two groove portions that are aligned with each other and parallel to the corresponding edges of the base plate 11. Groove 91 can naturally be subdivided into even more groove portions.

[0132] It should be noted that the number of grooves 91 in each base plate 11 may vary depending on the presence or absence of corner element 150 and / or the size of bridging element 20, as referenced above. Figure 3 and Figure 4C Therefore, each base plate 11 may have two, three, or four grooves 91.

[0133] exist Figure 6AIn the second variant, which is shown very schematically in the exploded cross-sectional view, the foam block 22 of the bridging element 20 has two grooves 92 near the gap 111. The grooves 92 are parallel to each other and extend parallel to the gap 111. The grooves 92 are also arranged on both sides of the gap 111. Therefore, as long as no glue is applied to the bridging element 20 and / or the base plate 11 between the gap 111 and the grooves 92, the grooves 92 can collect any excess glue pushed towards the gap 111 by the bridging element 20 pressing against the base plate 11. As a result, the collected excess glue will not reach the gap 111 or the secondary sealing membrane 3. Although the grooves 92 are shown as having a rectangular cross-section in this case, the grooves can generally have any suitable cross-section. Furthermore, each groove 92 is generally parallel to the corresponding edge of the base plate 11 along which the groove extends.

[0134] Figure 6B This is a bottom view of foam block 22, showing the groove 92. As shown in the accompanying drawing, the groove 92 may extend along the entire side of foam block 22 to open on two sides of foam block 22. However, in variations, the groove 92 does not need to open on the sides of foam block 22 and / or may be interrupted.

[0135] exist Figure 7A cross section and Figure 7B In the third embodiment, which is shown very schematically in the perspective view, the foam block 22 of the bridging element 20 has a tab 95. The tab 95 is designed to be received in the gap 111. As a result, when adhesive is applied to the bridging element 20 and / or the base plate 11 (with the tab 95 being an obvious exception), excess adhesive cannot reach the secondary sealing membrane 3 because the tab 95 fills the gap 111, thereby preventing adhesive from entering the gap 111.

[0136] In another variation (not shown), the base plate 11 may have a groove 91, while the bridging element 20 may have a groove 92. In yet another variation (not shown), the bridging element 20 may have a tab 95, while the base plate 11 may have a groove 91 and / or the bridging element 20 may have a groove 92.

[0137] exist Figure 8 In another variation shown, a flexible strip 99 may be provided on the base plate 11 to cover the gap 111 before the bridging element 20 is glued to the base plate 11. This flexible strip 99 then prevents excess glue from reaching the secondary sealing membrane 3. The flexible strip 99 may be made of, for example, kraft paper, and may be designed to be adhesive at the portion that contacts the base plate 11. The flexible strip 99 may coexist with tabs 95 and / or grooves 92 and / or grooves 91.

[0138] Furthermore, even if the bridging element 20 is fixed to the base plate 11 in a manner different from gluing, the tab 95 may still be present.

[0139] In addition, it has been from Figures 5A to 8 In the variant shown, the base plate 21 of the bridging element 20 is intentionally omitted to indicate that the base plate 21 is an option. Then there is a foam block 22 glued to the base plate 11, which has applicable grooves 92 and / or tabs 95. In the variant, the base plate 21 is glued to the base plate 11, and it has grooves 92 and / or tabs 95 (if applicable).

[0140] Alternatively or alternatively, the base plate of corner element 150 may be omitted. Then, the corresponding foam block is glued onto the base plate 11.

[0141] Figure 9 This is a partial perspective exploded view of the wall of the sealed, insulated storage tank according to the second embodiment. Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this drawing, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements as in the first embodiment, and unless necessary, they will not be described in detail again. A single corrugated metal sheet 60 is shown instead of... Figure 1 The three in the diagram are omitted to avoid making the accompanying illustrations too complex.

[0142] like Figure 9 As shown, the main difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the position of the mechanical connector 29. More specifically, the mechanical connector 29 is not fixed to the center of the insulating blocks 10, but rather to the corners of the base plates 11 of these insulating blocks 10. Then, the corner element 150', instead of the insulating block 10, receives the mechanical connector 29.

[0143] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view taken along plane XX, showing the cross-section of one of the corner elements 150'.

[0144] The corner element 150' includes a cover plate 151', a foam block 152', and a cover plate 153', which are similar to cover plate 151, foam block 152, and cover plate 153, respectively, except that foam block 152' and cover plate 153' are passed through by a shaft 180', thereby enabling access to the mechanical coupling 29. Before the primary sealing membrane 5 is installed, the shaft 180 can be sealed by a heat-insulating plug (not shown).

[0145] In a variant of the second embodiment (not shown in the figure), the base plate 151' of the corner element 150 can be omitted. Then there is a foam block 152' glued to the base plate 11.

[0146] Figure 10A cross-section of one of the mechanical couplings 29 is also shown. This mechanical coupling 29 will be described below, and this description will also apply to the first embodiment. It should also be understood that other types of mechanical couplings besides the one described below can be used, as long as such mechanical couplings are able to hold the corner element 150' and / or the primary insulating block 10 in the proper position on the secondary sealing membrane 3 and the secondary insulating barrier 2.

[0147] In this configuration, each mechanical connector 29 mates with one of the four support areas belonging to the corner regions of the four adjacent base plates 11. Figure 10 Only two of them are shown as cross-sectional views taken along plane XX. Each mechanical coupling 29 has a pin 30 and a support plate 31. The pin protrudes from the secondary insulating barrier 2, and the support plate is fixed to the end of the pin 30. The support plate is supported on four support areas of four adjacent base plates 11 via spacers 58 and base plates 151', thereby holding it on the secondary insulating barrier 2 and the secondary sealing membrane 3. The support plate 31 has a hole (not shown) threaded into the pin 30. A nut 32 engages with the threaded end of the pin 30, thereby securing the support plate 31. Furthermore, according to an advantageous embodiment, a Bavarian washer is threaded onto the pin 30 between the nut 32 and the support plate 31, which helps to elastically anchor the base plate 11 to the secondary insulating barrier 2.

[0148] like Figure 10 As shown, pin 30 is fixed to anchor plate 33, which in turn is fixed to cover plate 2c of secondary insulation barrier 2. For this purpose, anchor plate 33 has, for example, threads that mate with the threaded end of pin 30. Furthermore, cover plate 2c has a recess in which anchor plate 33 is located. The recess includes an inner portion having a first diameter and an outer portion having a second diameter larger than the first diameter to form a shoulder. The shape of anchor plate 33 matches the shape of the recess. Therefore, the inner surface of anchor plate 33 is flush with the inner surface of cover plate 2c, thereby forming a flat support surface for secondary sealing membrane 3. In addition, anchor plate 33 has an outer portion with a diameter larger than its inner portion, such that the outer portion of anchor plate 33 abuts against the shoulder of the recess, which helps to secure anchor plate 33 to secondary insulation barrier 2.

[0149] Furthermore, the pin 30 passes sealingly through a hole formed in the secondary sealing membrane 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical coupling 29 has a sealing washer 34 designed to seal the secondary sealing membrane 3 at the hole through which the pin 30 passes. The sealing washer 34 has a flange extending radially relative to the axis of the pin 30 and a central hole, wherein the pin 30 engages in the central hole with sufficient clearance to allow relative movement between the sealing washer 34 and the pin 30. The flange is sealingly fastened to the secondary sealing membrane 3 around the hole in the secondary sealing membrane 3. This sealing fastening is achieved, for example, by welding.

[0150] Furthermore, pin 30 may have an anchoring shoulder 35 projecting radially outward from pin 30. A deformable seal 36 is then first welded sealingly to the sealing gasket 34, and then to the anchoring shoulder 35 of pin 30, to ensure that pin 30 passing through the secondary sealing membrane 3 is sealed. In the illustrated embodiment, the deformable seal 36 is, for example, a shield made of stainless steel. The sealing connection between the secondary sealing membrane 3 and pin 30 is flexible, allowing the primary insulating block 10 and / or corner element 150' to move relative to the secondary sealing membrane 3, thereby helping to limit the risk of damage to the seal of the secondary sealing membrane 3.

[0151] To protect the deformable seal 36, the mechanical coupling 29 is also equipped with a housing 37 having a hole into which the pin 30 is inserted, and the housing covers the deformable seal 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 37 has a generally cylindrical shape. It should be noted that the anchoring shoulder 35, the deformable seal 36, and the housing 37 may be omitted.

[0152] In the third embodiment (not shown in the figure), the mechanical connector 29 (such as the mechanical connector described above) can be fastened to the center of the insulating block 10 (as in the first embodiment) or to the corner of the base plate 11 of the insulating block 10 (as in the second embodiment).

[0153] The techniques described above for fabricating the walls of sealed, insulated storage tanks can be used for different types of storage tanks, for example, to form the walls of LNG storage tanks in onshore facilities or in floating structures such as, in particular, LNG carriers.

[0154] refer to Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the liquefied natural gas carrier 70 shows a sealed and insulated storage tank 71 with an integral prismatic shape installed in the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the storage tank 71 has a primary sealing barrier designed to contact the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two insulating barriers arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0155] In a known manner, the loading / unloading pipeline 73, arranged on the upper deck of the ship, can be connected to a sea or port terminal using appropriate fittings to transport cargo LNG to and from the storage tank 71.

[0156] Figure 11An exemplary offshore terminal is shown, comprising a loading / unloading point 75, a subsea pipeline 76, and a shore facility 77. The loading / unloading point 75 is a static offshore installation including a movable arm 74 and a column 78 holding the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated hoses 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipe 73. The oriented movable arm 74 can be adapted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers of various sizes. A connecting pipeline (not shown) extends within the column 78. The loading / unloading point 75 enables the loading and unloading of LNG carriers 70 to and from the shore facility 77. The facility has LNG storage tanks 80 and a connecting pipeline 81 connected to the loading / unloading point 75 via the subsea pipeline 76. The subsea pipeline 76 enables the transport of LNG between the loading / unloading point 75 and the shore facility 77 over a considerable distance (e.g., 5 km), allowing the LNG carrier 70 to remain well offshore during loading and unloading operations.

[0157] To generate the pressure required for transporting liquefied gas, pumps mounted on the ship 70 and / or installed at the shore facility 77 and / or at the loading / unloading point 75 were used.

[0158] Although the invention has been described with respect to several specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is by no means limited thereto, and the invention includes all technical equivalents of the described apparatus and combinations thereof, all of which fall within the scope of the invention.

[0159] The use of the verbs “including” or “comprise” (including inflections) does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps besides those mentioned in the claims.

[0160] In the claims, the reference numerals enclosed in parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. A sealed, insulated storage tank, the sealed, insulated storage tank comprising a tank wall held on a supporting structure (1), wherein the tank wall comprises, in a thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the storage tank: A secondary insulating barrier (2) held on the supporting structure (1); a secondary sealing film (3) held on the secondary insulating barrier (2); a primary insulating barrier (4) held on the secondary sealing film; and a corrugated primary sealing film (5) held on the primary insulating barrier (4). The primary insulation barrier (4) comprises a plurality of juxtaposed insulation blocks (10). Each insulating block (10) has a base plate (11) and an insulating foam block (12) fastened to the base plate (11), wherein the base plate (11) of each insulating block (10) protrudes beyond the insulating foam block (12), thereby forming a space between the insulating foam block (12) and the insulating foam blocks of adjacent insulating blocks. Each insulating block (10) is held on the secondary sealing membrane (3) by at least one mechanical coupling (29), the mechanical coupling (29) engaging with a support area of ​​the base plate (11), the mechanical coupling (29) passing through the secondary sealing membrane (3), and The primary insulation barrier (4) further includes a plurality of bridging elements (20), each bridging element (20) being arranged in one of the spaces between the insulating foam blocks (12) of two adjacent insulation blocks (10) and being fastened to and covering a portion of the inner surface of the base plate (11) of the two adjacent insulation blocks.

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

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

4. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each bridging element (20) is glued to the inner surface of the base plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

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

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

7. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each bridging element (20) has a tab (95) designed to be received in the gap (111) between the bottom plates (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

8. The storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, A flexible strip (99) is arranged below each bridging element (20) to be received in the gap (111) between the base plates (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

9. The storage tank according to claim 3, wherein the insulating blocks (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4) are arranged in rows at regular intervals parallel to the first direction (d1) and the second direction (d2).

10. The tank according to claim 9, wherein the primary insulation barrier (4) further comprises a plurality of corner elements (150), each corner element (150) being arranged between foam blocks (12) of four adjacent insulation blocks (10) and being fastened to and covering a portion of the inner surface of the base plate (11) of the four adjacent insulation blocks (10).

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

12. The storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each insulating block (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4) is held on the secondary sealing membrane (3) by at least one mechanical coupling (29) passing through the secondary sealing membrane (3) at the center of the base plate (11) of the insulating block (10).

13. The storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each insulating block (10) of the primary insulating barrier is held on the secondary sealing membrane (3) by a plurality of mechanical couplings (29), each mechanical coupling passing through the secondary sealing membrane (3) at a corner of the base plate (11) of the insulating block (10).

14. The storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the secondary sealing membrane (3) is made by welding a metal strip with raised edges, the raised edges being received in the lower groove (8) of each insulating block (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4).

15. The tank according to claim 14, wherein each bridging element (20) aligned with the lower groove (8) has an additional lower groove (9) designed to receive the raised edge.

16. The storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the secondary sealing membrane (3) is corrugated and made by welding metal sheets, each metal sheet having at least one corrugated portion, the corrugated portion being received in the seat of each insulating block (10) of the primary insulating barrier (4).

17. The tank of claim 16, wherein each bridging element (20) aligned with the seat has an additional seat designed to receive the corrugated portion.

18. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each bridging element (20) has an insulating foam layer (22) which is fastened to the inner surface of the base plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks.

19. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each bridging element (20) has an insulating foam layer (22) and a base plate (21), the insulating foam layer (22) being bonded to the base plate (21), and the base plate (21) being fastened to the inner surface of the base plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

20. The tank according to claim 19, wherein the bottom plate (21) is glued to the inner surface of the bottom plate (11) of the two adjacent insulating blocks (10).

21. A vessel (70) for transporting cold liquid products, the vessel having a double hull (72) and a storage tank (71) according to claim 1 or 2, the storage tank being placed inside the double hull.

22. A transport system for cold liquid products, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 21; insulated piping (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect a tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a shore or floating storage facility (77); and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid products from the shore or floating storage facility to or from the tank on the vessel to the shore or floating storage facility via the insulated piping.

23. The use of a vessel (70) according to claim 21 for loading or unloading cold liquid products, wherein the cold liquid products are transported from the tank (71) on the vessel to an onshore or floating storage facility (77) or from the onshore or floating storage facility to the tank via insulated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81).

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