Wall, tank, transmission system, ship and loading and unloading method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a wall (1) of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, the tank comprising at least one thermally insulating barrier (6) and a sealing membrane (8), the sealing membrane being anchored to the thermally insulating barrier (6) and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, the thermally insulating barrier (6) comprising insulating panels (7) juxtaposed to one another in mutually parallel rows and columns, each insulating panel (7) comprising an inner face supporting the sealing membrane (8), and each insulating panel being connected to an adjacent insulating panel (7) by a bridging element (26), each bridging element (26) being arranged across two of the adjacent insulating panels (7) and being fixed in a recess (25) formed in an edge of the inner face of one of the two adjacent insulating panels (7) and in a recess (25) formed in an edge of the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels (7).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting liquefied gases, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also known as LPG) having a temperature of, for example, between -50°C and 0°C, or tanks for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of approximately -163°C.

[0002] These tanks can be installed on land or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks can be used for transporting liquefied gas or for receiving liquefied gas used as fuel to propel the floating structure. Background Art

[0003] As is known from the prior art, a sealed and thermally insulated tank comprises a tank wall held on a support structure, the tank wall comprising, in the thickness direction of the tank, from the outside toward the inside of the tank: a secondary thermal insulation barrier held on the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane held on the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier held on the secondary sealing membrane, and a corrugated primary sealing membrane held on the primary thermal insulation barrier. Such a sealed and thermally insulated tank can be particularly useful for transporting liquefied gases, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), particularly on floating structures such as ships.

[0004] It is known in practice to produce the primary sealing membrane by assembling a plurality of corrugated sheets, the corrugations of which advantageously extend perpendicularly to one another. The corrugations impart a certain flexibility to the primary sealing membrane, which allows it to deform under the influence of thermal and mechanical stresses, particularly those caused by the liquefied gas stored in the tank and associated with deformations of the supporting structure. The primary sealing membrane is anchored to the insulating panel of the primary thermal insulation barrier.

[0005] The applicant company has observed that, in tanks of the aforementioned type, the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane are subjected to uneven stress. In particular, since the primary thermal insulation barrier is discontinuous, that is, it consists of insulation panels juxtaposed to one another, it behaves unevenly when the supporting structure deforms under the influence of the expansion generated by the liquefied gas stored in the tank and / or under the influence of thermal and mechanical stresses. Consequently, the applicant company has observed that the corrugations located in the region straddling the first anchoring element fixed to the first insulation panel and the second anchoring element fixed to the second insulation panel are subjected to greater stress than the other corrugations. It is now important to ensure that the stress is distributed as evenly as possible between the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane, in particular in order to optimize the service life of the primary sealing membrane. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One idea behind the present invention is to provide a sealed and thermally insulated tank in which the stresses experienced by the primary sealing membrane are more evenly distributed.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a wall of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, the tank comprising at least one thermal insulation barrier and a sealing membrane, the sealing membrane being anchored to the thermal insulation barrier and being used to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, the thermal insulation barrier comprising insulation panels, the insulation panels being juxtaposed to each other in mutually parallel rows and columns, each insulation panel comprising an inner face for supporting the sealing membrane, and each insulation panel being connected to an adjacent insulation panel by means of a bridging element, each bridging element being arranged to span two of the adjacent insulation panels, and each bridging element being fixed to the inner face of one of the two adjacent insulation panels and the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels, the insulation panels comprising relaxation grooves, the relaxation grooves being each formed in the thickness direction of the wall, each bridging element being fixed to one of the insulation panels, between an edge of the insulation panel and one of the relaxation grooves being adjacent to and parallel to the edge.

[0008] The bridging elements thus provide a mechanical connection between the insulation panels to limit or prevent separation of the panels from each other in a plane parallel to the surfaces of the insulation panels.

[0009] Advantageously, to prevent the insulation panels from separating, they must be deformable, and therefore have a lower stiffness than the deformation-causing element, namely the bridging element. However, due to the slack grooves, the stiffness of the insulation panels is lower than that of the bridging element. Consequently, the bridging element causes deformation of the insulation panels. This feature contributes to a more uniform distribution of deformation of the support structure across the primary thermal insulation barrier. Consequently, the corrugated portion of the sealing membrane is more evenly stressed.

[0010] Depending on the embodiment, such a tank wall may include one or more of the following features.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the bridging elements are metal plates. This makes it possible to provide a strong mechanical connection between the insulation panels, thereby allowing the panels to be deformed.

[0012] According to one embodiment, each bridging element is fixed in a recess formed in the inner face of one of the two adjacent insulation panels and in a recess formed in the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels.

[0013] According to one embodiment, at least one of the bridging elements comprises a central portion and two curved edges positioned at either end of the central portion, each of which is arranged to fit within a corresponding recess in one of the recesses, the recess having a length greater than the width of the curved edge, and at least one of the two recesses being inclined at an angle α1 relative to the adjacent edge of the insulation panel in which the recess is formed, in a plane perpendicular to the wall thickness. This arrangement has the advantage of allowing the curved edges to be positioned within the recesses of the interior surface of the insulation panel or metal mounting plate even when the spacing e1 between the primary panels does not conform to its nominal value, as long as the spacing remains within a defined tolerance band. This arrangement thus allows for simple, rapid, and precise positioning of the bridging element even when the spacing e1 between the insulation panels differs from its nominal value.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the other of the two grooves is inclined by an angle α2 in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall relative to an adjacent edge of the insulating panel forming a recess accommodating the groove, the angles α1 and α2 being oriented at angles having opposite directions relative to each other.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the angle α1 and the angle α2 have values ​​between 5° and 10°.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the angle α1 and the angle α2 have the same value.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the angles α1 and α2 and the length of the groove are configured such that a tolerance band between 1 mm and 10 mm, for example of about 3 mm, is covered over the spacing e1 between the insulation panels.

[0018] According to one embodiment, each groove is formed in a metal mounting plate secured in one of the recesses.

[0019] According to another embodiment, each groove is formed in the region of the insulating panel defining the bottom of one of the recesses.In this way, it is possible to avoid the use of a metal mounting plate.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the central portion of the bridge element is fixed to the two insulation panels by fasteners. According to an alternative embodiment or in addition, the bridge element is welded to the metal mounting plate forming the groove. According to one embodiment, the welding between the bridge element and the metal mounting plate is performed along the edge of the central portion of the bridge element.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the grooves extending along one and the same edge of the primary panel are alternately inclined in one direction and then in the other direction relative to said edge of the primary panel.

[0022] According to one embodiment, each curved edge has an inclination relative to the edge of the adjacent insulation panel, which corresponds to the inclination of the groove in which said curved edge is provided.

[0023] According to one embodiment, each groove is arranged between an edge of one of the insulation panels and one of the relaxation grooves parallel to and adjacent to said edge.

[0024] According to one embodiment, each metal plate is welded to two metal mounting plates, which are respectively fixed in one of the recesses of each of the two adjacent insulating panels. The fixing of the bridge element is therefore simple, since the metal mounting plates can be fixed to the insulating elements in the workshop and, therefore, can be fixed during the assembly of the tank using welding equipment that is already required inside the tank, in particular for welding the sheets of sealing membrane to each other, and which is fully accessible to the operators responsible for manufacturing the tank.

[0025] According to another embodiment, each metal plate is riveted into one of the recesses of each of two adjacent insulation panels. This also provides for a simple fixing of the bridging element.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane is welded to at least some of the metal sheets.The bridging element thus has two functions, namely on the one hand providing a mechanical connection between the insulation panels and on the other hand anchoring the sealing membrane to the thermal insulation barrier.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane comprises metal sheets, each of which has edges that are arranged to be aligned with at least some of the metal plates and each form overlapping edges or overlapped edges, the overlapping edges or the overlapped edges being welded to the overlapped edges or overlapping edges of adjacent metal sheets, respectively, each overlapped edge being further welded to at least one of the metal plates that is positioned in line with the overlapped edge.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the insulating panel has a parallelepiped shape and has two first edges parallel to a first direction and two second edges parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the metal sheet has: two first edges parallel to the first direction, and the first edges of the metal sheet have a size equal to that of the first edges of the insulating panel, or a size that is an integer multiple of the size of the first edges of the insulating panel; and two second edges parallel to the second direction, and the second edges of the metal sheet have a size equal to that of the second edges of the insulating panel, or a size that is an integer multiple of the size of the second edges of the insulating panel, the first edge of the metal sheet extends along at least some of the two first edges of the insulating panel, thereby being positioned in a straight line with some of the metal plates, and the second edge of the metal sheet extends along at least some of the second edges of the insulating panel, thereby being positioned in a straight line with some of the metal plates.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the two first edges of the metal sheet have dimensions that are integer multiples of the first edges of the insulation panel, so that the metal sheet completely covers some of the metal sheets, the metal sheet being welded to the completely covered metal sheets by plug welding or by transmission welding.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the bridging element is positioned flush with the inner surface of the insulation panel to ensure continuity of support for the sealing membrane.

[0031] According to another embodiment, the bridging element protrudes beyond the inner surface of the insulation panel towards the sealing membrane, advantageously by a value less than 3 mm and for example between 1.2 mm and 3 mm.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane comprises two series of corrugations that are perpendicular to each other.

[0033] According to one embodiment, a relaxation groove of the insulation panel is formed in each of the two series of corrugations facing the sealing membrane. Such a relaxation groove can reduce the stiffness of the insulation panel so that the bridging element deforms the insulation panel and the thermal insulation barrier deforms more uniformly.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the insulation panels have relaxation grooves, the number and depth of the relaxation grooves being such that the insulation panels have a tensile stiffness in a first direction and a second direction: the tensile stiffness in the first direction and the tensile stiffness in the second direction being orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall and parallel to the rows and columns of the insulation panels, respectively, the tensile stiffness of the insulation panels in the first direction and the second direction being lower than the stiffness of the bridging elements in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, and advantageously by a factor of more than 3 times lower than the stiffness of the bridging elements in the first direction and the second direction.

[0035] According to an advantageous embodiment, the depth of the grooves is defined in such a way that the most uniform possible opening of the various grooves and thus the most uniform possible deformation of the bellows is obtained under the influence of the deformation of the support structure.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the relaxation groove has a depth in the thickness direction of the wall greater than 60 mm.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the insulation panels each have a first series of relaxation grooves, e.g. three grooves, formed in an inner face of the insulation panel parallel to two opposite first edges of the insulation panel; and a second series of relaxation grooves, e.g. three grooves, formed in an inner face of the insulation panel parallel to two opposite second edges of the insulation panel.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the relaxation groove has a depth in the thickness direction of the wall of between 80 mm and 150 mm, and preferably, the relaxation groove has a depth in the thickness direction of the wall of between 115 mm and 150 mm.

[0039] According to one embodiment, at least one of the two series of relaxation grooves has at least a central relaxation groove and two edge relaxation grooves extending on each side of the central relaxation groove, the central relaxation groove having a depth greater than the depth of each of the two edge relaxation grooves.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the relaxation grooves are formed in the interior face of the insulation panel, the insulation panel further comprising external relaxation grooves formed in the exterior face of the insulation panel and parallel to the relaxation grooves formed on the interior face, and the external relaxation grooves are positioned to alternate with the relaxation grooves formed on the interior face in a direction perpendicular to the external relaxation grooves. In other words, each external relaxation groove is arranged between two relaxation grooves formed on the interior face in a direction perpendicular to the external relaxation grooves.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the outer relaxation groove has a depth greater than 60 mm, for example between 115 mm and 150 mm.

[0042] According to one embodiment, each insulation panel has two slack slots passing through two median axes of said insulation panel, respectively.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the relaxation grooves are separated from each other by constant spacings.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the relaxation grooves are separated by spaces corresponding to the corrugations parallel to said relaxation grooves.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the inner sheet of the insulation panel has four edges, each edge comprising a plurality of grooves, said grooves being arranged on each side of each relaxation slot.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the sealing film is a primary sealing film, the thermal insulation barrier is a primary thermal insulation barrier, the wall further comprises a secondary thermal insulation barrier held against the support structure, and a secondary sealing film fixed to the secondary thermal insulation barrier and arranged between the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the primary thermal insulation barrier.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulated tank having the above-described wall.

[0048] A tank according to one of the above-described embodiments may form part of an onshore storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or may be installed in an onshore or offshore floating structure, in particular an ethane or methane tank, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, etc. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be used to receive liquefied natural gas as fuel for propelling the floating structure.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a ship for transporting fluids, the ship having a hull, such as a catamaran, and the above-mentioned tank arranged in the hull.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein fluid is transferred from a floating or onshore storage facility to a tank of the vessel or vice versa via an isolated pipeline.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transmission system for transmitting fluid, the system comprising: the above-mentioned ship; an isolation pipeline, the isolation pipeline being arranged to connect a tank installed in the hull of the ship to a floating or onshore storage facility; and a pump, the pump being used to drive the fluid from the floating or onshore storage facility to the tank of the ship, or from the tank of the ship to the floating or onshore storage facility through the isolation pipeline. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] The present invention will be better understood and further objects, details, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent during the following description of a number of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the multilayer structure of a tank wall.

[0054] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the tank wall.

[0055] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the corrugated metal sheet of the primary sealing membrane.

[0056] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Partial view of the primary thermal insulation barrier of the tank wall from above.

[0057] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional top view of a tank wall according to another embodiment.

[0058] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 is a partial view in cross section of a primary anchoring device according to one embodiment.

[0059] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a ship having tanks for storing liquefied natural gas and terminals for loading / unloading from the tanks.

[0060] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 is a view from above detailing the recess, the bridging element and the metal plate according to one embodiment.

[0061] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a bridging element according to one embodiment.

[0062] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 is a view from above detailing the recess, the bridge element and the metal plate according to another embodiment.

[0063] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 is a schematic depiction of a primary insulating element and a bridging element according to another embodiment.

[0064] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a primary thermal insulation barrier and a primary sealing film according to another embodiment.

[0065] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a primary thermal insulation barrier and a primary sealing film according to another embodiment.

[0066] [ Figure 14 ] Figure 14 is a schematic depiction of a primary insulating element and a bridging element according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] By convention, the terms "external" and "interior" are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another element with reference to the exterior and interior of the tank.

[0068] Figure 1 The multilayer structure of the walls 1 of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing liquefied gas is schematically shown. Each wall 1 comprises, from the outside of the tank towards the inside, a secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 comprising a secondary panel 3 anchored to a supporting structure 4; a secondary sealing membrane 5 resting against the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2; a primary thermal insulation barrier 6 comprising a primary panel 7 resting against the secondary sealing membrane 5 and anchored to the secondary panel 3; and a primary sealing membrane 8 resting against the primary thermal insulation barrier 6 and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank.

[0069] The support structure 4 may in particular be formed by the hull or catamaran of a ship.The support structure 4 comprises a plurality of walls defining the overall shape of the tank, generally a polyhedral shape.

[0070] Combine Figure 2 As can be seen, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 comprises a plurality of secondary panels 3. The secondary panels 3 are anchored to the support structure 4 by means of secondary anchoring means (not shown). The secondary panels 3 have an overall parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel secondary rows. For example, in the embodiment shown, the secondary panels 3 comprise an insulating polymer foam layer 9 sandwiched between an outer sheet 10 and an inner sheet 11. The outer sheet 10 and the inner sheet 11 are, for example, made of plywood and bonded to the insulating polymer foam layer 9. The insulating polymer foam can particularly be a polyurethane-based polymer foam, optionally reinforced with fiberglass. The structure of the secondary panels 3 has been described above by way of example. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the secondary panels 3 can have another overall structure, such as that described in WO 2012 / 127141. Furthermore, the secondary panels 3 can, for example, consist of a parallelepiped wooden box having internal partitions and filled with insulating filler. In another embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 comprises a secondary panel 3 having at least two different types of structures, such as the two structures described above, depending on where the secondary panel is installed in the tank.

[0071] Figure 2 The secondary sealing membrane 5 shown in the middle portion comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 12 having two parallel upturned edges. The strakes 12 are welded by their upturned edges to parallel welded supports which are received in grooves formed in the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3. The strakes 12 are made of, for example Made of: an alloy of iron and nickel, the expansion coefficient of the alloy is usually 1.2x10 -6 K -1 With 2x10 -6 K -1 An alloy of iron and manganese may also be used, which typically has a coefficient of expansion of about 7x10 -6 K -1 Up to 9x10 -6 K -1 In another embodiment, the metal membrane has corrugations and can be made of the same alloy as the strakes, for example.

[0072] Furthermore, the primary thermal insulation barrier 6 comprises a plurality of primary panels 7 which are anchored to the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 by means of primary anchoring means, as will be described later in conjunction with Figure 5 The primary panels 7 have the overall shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and are arranged in rows parallel to each other.

[0073] The primary panel 7 can have a multilayer structure similar to that of the secondary panel 3. Thus, according to the embodiment shown, the primary panel 7 comprises, in order, in the thickness direction of the wall 1, an outer sheet 13, for example, of plywood, an insulating polymer foam layer 14, and an inner sheet 15, for example, of plywood. The insulating polymer foam layer 14 is, for example, a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with glass fiber. The structure of the primary panel 7 has been described above by way of example.

[0074] In the embodiment shown, the outer sheet 13 and the inner sheet 15 are square in shape. In other words, the primary panel 7 has four sides of equal size.

[0075] like Figure 2 As shown, the outer sheet 13 of the primary panel 7 has a groove that receives the upturned edge of the strake 12 of the secondary sealing membrane 5 .

[0076] Furthermore, the primary sealing membrane 8 is obtained by assembling a plurality of corrugated metal sheets 16, one of which is formed at the bottom of the primary sealing membrane 8. Figure 3 . The corrugated metal sheet 16 is made of, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. Each corrugated metal sheet 16 has two series of corrugations 17, 18 that are perpendicular to each other. The corrugations 17, 18 are separated from each other by a flat portion 19. In this embodiment, the corrugations 17, 18 are continuous and intersect with each other. In a variant embodiment not shown, each of the corrugations 17, 18 has corrugated portions interspersed with flat portions. Thus, the corrugations are discontinuous. Advantageously, the corrugated portions do not intersect with each other.

[0077] The corrugated metal sheet 16 is rectangular and thus has two opposite first edges 20, 21 that are parallel to each other, and two opposite second edges 22, 23 that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the two first edges 20, 21. The corrugated metal sheet 16 preferably has width and length dimensions that are integer multiples of the spacing between the corrugations and also integer multiples of the dimensions of the primary panel 7.

[0078] Therefore, in Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the two first edges 20 , 21 have a length substantially equal to three times the side length of the primary panel 7 , whereas the second edges 22 , 23 have a length substantially equal to the side length of the primary panel 7 .

[0079] The inner sheet of the primary panel 7 has relaxation slots 24, each extending towards a respective corrugation 17, 18 of the primary sealing membrane 8. The relaxation slots 24 delimit a plurality of edge regions along the edge of each primary panel 7. The relaxation slots 24 extend through the inner sheet 15 and through the insulating polymer foam layer 14 of the primary panel 7 in the direction of the thickness of the wall. Advantageously, the depth of the relaxation slots 24 and the number of relaxation slots are determined so that the tensile stiffness of the primary panel 7 in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall and parallel to the edge of the primary panel 7 is less than the tensile stiffness of the bridging elements 26 in the corresponding direction. Therefore, the relaxation slots 24 advantageously have a depth greater than 60 mm, preferably a depth between 115 mm and 150 mm. For example, the primary panel 7 has a thickness of 230 mm and the relaxation slots 24 have a depth of 115 mm. The above range of values ​​preferably corresponds to a primary panel 7 having a density of 110 kg / m 3 and 150kg / m 3 between, and more particularly 130 kg / m 3 The insulating polymer foam layer 14 is made of polyurethane-based foam. For denser foams, for example at 150 kg / m 3 and 210kg / m 3 The depth of the relaxation groove 24 will advantageously be greater than the range of values ​​corresponding to the above range of values, for example, between 210 kg / m 3 Foam case ratio 130kg / m 3 The foam is 40% larger.The relationship between the depth of the relaxation groove 24 and the density of the foam will advantageously be a linear relationship.

[0080] exist Figure 2 and Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, each primary panel 7 is oriented toward three corrugations 17 extending parallel to a first direction and three corrugations 18 extending parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, each primary panel 7 includes three relaxation slots 24 extending parallel to the first direction, each facing one of the corrugations 17; and three relaxation slots 24 extending parallel to the second direction, each facing one of the corrugations 17, 18. Thus, each primary panel 7 includes two relaxation slots, one passing through each of the two central axes of the insulating panel 7, that is, through axes parallel to the two edges of the insulating panel 7, and dividing the insulating panel into two equal parts.

[0081] Thus, the relaxation grooves 24 are separated by a spacing corresponding to the spacing between the corrugations 17, 18 parallel to said relaxation grooves 24. However, each relaxation groove 24 adjacent to one of the edges of the primary panel 7 is spaced from said edge by a distance that corresponds substantially to half the spacing between the corrugations parallel to said relaxation grooves.

[0082] The inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 defines a support surface for the primary sealing membrane 8. The primary panel 7 has a Figure 2 and Figure 4 A recess 25 is shown, which is intended to receive a bridging element 26 and is arranged on each side of each relaxation groove 24. In other words, each edge region along the edge of the primary panel 7 defined by a relaxation groove 24 has a recess 25.

[0083] Each bridging element 26 is arranged to span at least two adjacent primary panels 7, extending across the gap between the two adjacent primary panels 7. Each bridging element 26 includes an end portion secured to the recess 25 of one of the two adjacent primary panels 7, and another end portion secured to the recess 25 of the other of the two adjacent primary panels 7. Thus, the bridging elements 26 provide a mechanical connection between the primary panels 7, preventing them from separating from one another. Combined with the presence of the slack grooves 24, this helps to more evenly distribute deformation of the support structure 4 across the primary thermal insulation barrier 6, thereby allowing the primary sealing membrane 8 to be more evenly stressed.

[0084] To secure the bridge elements 26, each recess 25 is provided with a metal mounting plate 27 that is secured to the inner sheet within the recess 25. For example, the metal mounting plate 27 is secured to the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 by adhesion and / or using fasteners, such as rivets. Furthermore, the bridge elements 26 are metal plates that are welded to the metal mounting plate 27.

[0085] The bridge element 26 is positioned flush with the inner surface of the inner sheet 15 of the primary element 7. To achieve this, in the embodiment described, the depth of the recess 25 is equal to or substantially equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the metal mounting plate 27 and the bridge element 26. The bridge element 26 is thus able to ensure continuity in the support of the primary sealing membrane 8.

[0086] The corrugated metal sheet 16 of the primary sealing membrane 8 is lap welded along its edges 20, 21, 22, 23. Furthermore, the corrugated metal sheet 16 is anchored to the primary thermal insulation barrier 6.

[0087] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in , the corrugated metal sheet 16 is anchored to some of the metal sheets forming the bridging elements 26. To achieve this, the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 are respectively arranged along some of the edges of the primary panel 7 and are positioned in line with the bridging elements 26.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the edges 21, 23 of a first corrugated metal sheet 16 intended to be overlapped by the edge 20, 22 of an adjacent second corrugated metal sheet 16 are welded to the bridging element 26, for example using spot welding, and then the edges 20, 22 of the second corrugated metal sheet 16 overlapping the edges 21, 23 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16 are continuously welded to said edges 20, 22 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16, advantageously as fillet welds.

[0089] According to one embodiment not depicted, outside the recess 25, the edge of the primary panel 7 has a heat protection strip positioned facing the lines of the corrugated metal sheets 16 welded together and intended to protect the primary panel 7, in particular its insulating polymer foam layer 14, from temperatures that could easily damage the primary panel during the operation of welding the corrugated metal sheets to one another along their edges 20, 21, 22, 23.

[0090] When the corrugated metal sheet 16 has edges 20, 21 whose dimensions are substantially an integer multiple of the dimensions of the edges of the primary panel 7, as in the case of an embodiment in which the edges 20, 21 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 have a length substantially equal to three times the dimensions of the edges of the primary panel 7, the corrugated metal sheet 16 is welded to the completely covering bridge element 26 in an optional embodiment variant. To achieve this, Figure 2In the embodiment shown, a plug weld 28 is used to anchor the corrugated metal sheet 16 to the bridge element 26. To achieve this, the corrugated metal sheet 16 has at least one through-hole, in the embodiment shown, in the form of a slot, formed in a flat portion of the corrugated metal sheet 16 that is aligned with the bridge element 26. Each of these holes is filled with welding material to form a connection between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the bridge element 26. Alternatively, the method used to anchor the corrugated metal sheet 16 to the corrugated metal sheet-covered bridge element 26 is transmission welding, i.e. welding using a laser source without filler material.

[0091] according to Figure 5 In another embodiment shown in , each corrugated metal sheet 16 is positioned to span a plurality of primary panels 7 such that the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet are offset relative to the edges of the primary panels 7. Consequently, only the portion of the edge of the corrugated metal sheet 16 located at the junction between two adjacent primary panels 7 is welded to the bridging elements 26 and, therefore, is in line with one of the bridging elements 26.

[0092] Then, the other parts of the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 are aligned with the Figure 5 The thermal protection element 29 is formed in a straight line. The thermal protection element 29 is formed, for example, from an aluminum sheet or composite film containing at least one aluminum foil bonded to at least one glass fiber mat. The thermal protection element 29 is advantageously housed in a hole formed in the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 and is arranged in each gap between two relaxation slots 24 along the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16. The thermal protection element 29 is fixed to the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 by adhesion and / or stapling. The thermal protection element 29 protects the primary panel 7, and in particular the insulating polymer foam layer 14 of the primary panel, from temperatures that could easily damage the primary panel during the operation of welding the corrugated metal sheets 16 to each other along the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the primary panel.

[0093] According to another embodiment, Figure 5 The thermal protection element 29 shown is replaced by a metal mounting plate received in a hole formed in the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 17, and the edges of the corrugated metal sheets 16 overlapped by the edges of adjacent corrugated metal sheets 16 are welded to the thermal protection element 29, for example using spot welds or fillet welds.

[0094] Figure 8The recess 25, the bridge element 26 and the metal plate 27 according to one embodiment are described in detail. In this embodiment, the metal plate 27 is fixed in one of the recesses 25 by means of four rivets, two of which are rivet-fastened at Figure 8 As shown, the ends of the bridge element 26 are separated from the ends of the recess 25 by a sufficient space to expose the surface of the metal plate 27 , which allows the ends of the bridge element 26 to be welded to the metal plate 27 .

[0095] according to Figure 9 In another embodiment described in , each bridge element 26 is anchored to each of the two metal plates 27 using a plug weld. To achieve this, the bridge element 26 has two through-holes 38, e.g. Figure 9 The through-aperture is filled with welding material in the form of a groove in the bridge element 26 to form a connection between the bridge element 26 and each of the two metal plates 27.

[0096] Figure 10 The recesses 25, bridge elements 26, and metal plates 27 according to another variant embodiment are described in detail. According to this variant embodiment, the recesses 25 formed at the corners of the primary panels 7 and the metal plates 27 received in the recesses 25 are each oriented along a diagonal line relative to the inner face of the primary panels 7. Furthermore, the bridge elements 26 fixed to the four metal plates 27 belonging to four adjacent primary panels 7 are shaped into octagons.

[0097] In a non-depicted embodiment, the metal plate 27 is omitted and the bridge element 26 is fixed directly to the inside of the recess 25 by riveting.

[0098] Figure 11 Another embodiment is described. In this embodiment, the bridging element 26 is not positioned flush with the inner surface of the insulating panel and is not coplanar. The bridging element 26 comprises two ends welded to a metal plate 27, which is fixed in a recess 25 formed in the inner face of the primary panel 7. The two ends of the bridging element 26 protrude slightly above the inner face of the primary panel 7, for example by an amount between 1.2 mm and 3 mm. This makes it easier to weld the bridging element 26 to the metal plate 27 without having too much influence on the behavior of the primary sealing membrane 8. Moreover, in the embodiment shown, the bridging element 26 comprises a central portion that does not extend in the plane of the two ends of said bridging element 26 and protrudes into the gap formed between two adjacent primary panels 7.

[0099] like Figure 6As shown, the primary panel 7 has cutouts 30 at its corners, allowing the outer sheet 13 of the primary panel 7 to extend beyond the insulating polymer foam layer 14 and the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7. Thus, the outer sheet 13 forms support areas 31 at the corners of the primary panel 7, which are designed to cooperate directly or indirectly with the retaining plates 32 of the primary anchoring devices 33. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, blocks 34 are added to the outer sheet 13. These blocks 34 have a shape similar to that of the support areas 31 and cooperate with the retaining plates 32 to anchor the primary panel 7. Each primary anchoring device 33 cooperates with four support areas 31 belonging to the corners of four adjacent primary panels 7, respectively. Each primary anchoring device 33 comprises a stud 35, with the stud 29 protruding from one of the secondary panels 3; and a retaining plate 32 secured to the end of the stud 35 and bearing against the four support areas of the four adjacent primary panels 7, thereby retaining the adjacent primary panels against the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2. The retaining plate 32 has a screw thread that slides on the studs 35. Nuts 36 engage with the threaded ends of the studs 35 to secure the retaining plate 32. In addition, according to an advantageous embodiment, elastic Belleville washers slide on the studs 35 and between the nuts 36 and the retaining plate 32, thereby elastically anchoring the primary panel 7 to the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2.

[0100] The stud 35 is secured to a base 37, which is itself secured to the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3. To achieve this, the base 37 includes, for example, threads that engage with the complementary threaded end of the stud 35. Furthermore, the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3 has a cutout for accommodating the base 37. This cutout has an inner section with a first diameter and an outer section with a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, thereby forming a stepped shoulder. The base 37 has a shape that complements the shape of the cutout. Thus, the inner face of the base 37 is positioned flush with the inner face of the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3, forming a planar support surface for the secondary sealing membrane 5. Furthermore, the base 37 has an outer section with a larger diameter than the inner section of the base, so that the outer section of the base 37 abuts against the shoulder of the cutout. The base 37 is also attached to the secondary panel 3.

[0101] Furthermore, the stud 35 passes through an aperture formed in the secondary sealing membrane 5 in a sealed manner.

[0102] exist Figure 12In the illustrated embodiment, the primary panel 7 differs from the primary panels described above in that it further comprises relaxation grooves 39 opening onto the outer face of the primary panel 7. Advantageously, the primary panel 7 further comprises two series of such relaxation grooves 39, one parallel to the two opposing first edges of the primary panel 7 and the other parallel to the two opposing second edges of the primary panel 7. As shown, the relaxation grooves 39 are not arranged facing the corrugations 17, 18, but rather are arranged intermediate the two parallel corrugations 17, 18. Thus, the relaxation grooves 39 are positioned so as to alternate with the relaxation grooves 24. The depth of the relaxation grooves is greater than 60 mm, preferably between 115 mm and 150 mm, and for example, is approximately 115 mm.

[0103] exist Figure 13 In the embodiment shown, the relaxation grooves 24 do not all have the same depth. In particular, the depth of the relaxation grooves 24 increases towards the centre of the primary panel 7 and decreases towards its edges. In other words, the depth of the central relaxation groove is greater than the depth of the two edge relaxation grooves extending on each side of the central relaxation groove. This has the effect of obtaining a better stress distribution within each primary insulating panel 7, so that the corrugated portions 17, 18 of the primary sealing membrane 8 can be stressed more evenly. For example, the depth of the central relaxation groove can be 115 mm, while the depth of the edge relaxation grooves can be 80 mm. According to another example, the depth of the central relaxation groove can be 150 mm, while the depth of the edge relaxation grooves can be 115 mm.

[0104] Figure 14 A bridge element 26 according to another embodiment is described. As in the previous embodiment, each recess 25 is equipped with a metal mounting plate 27 for fixing the bridge element 26. The metal mounting plate 27 is fixed to the primary panel 7, for example, by means of fasteners such as rivets or screws, not shown, which pass through holes 40 formed in the metal mounting plate 7.

[0105] The bridge element 26 comprises a central portion 41 and two bent edges 42, 43 which are respectively arranged into grooves 44, 45 formed in each of the two metal mounting plates 27. The bridge element 26 is for example made of bent metal plate of approximately 1 to 2 mm thickness.

[0106] According to one embodiment, each of the recesses 25 of the primary panel 7 has a groove (not shown) of the same shape as the groove 44, 45 of the corresponding metal mounting plate 27. Therefore, the bent edges 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 are also arranged into the groove formed in this recess 25.

[0107] At least one of the grooves 44, 45 of the two metal mounting plates 27 is angled, that is, not formed parallel to the adjacent edge 47, 48 of the primary panel 7 supporting the groove, but inclined at an angle α1, α2 relative to said edge 47, 48 in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction. Figure 14 In the advantageous embodiment shown, the grooves 44, 45 of the two metal mounting plates 27 are inclined at angles α1 and α2 relative to the adjacent edges 47, 48 of the corresponding primary panel 7. The angles α1 and α2 are oriented in opposite directions. Furthermore, the angles α1 and α2 preferably have the same value.

[0108] To enable insertion into the grooves 44, 45, each bent edge 42, 43 of the bridge element 26 extends in a plane perpendicular to the central portion 26, but inclined relative to the edge 47, 48 of the adjacent primary panel 7 by the same angles α1 and α2 as the inclined grooves 44, 45 are provided.

[0109] Furthermore, the length of the grooves 44 , 45 is greater than the width of the bent edges 42 , 43 to create some clearance for the positioning of the bent edges 42 , 43 within the grooves 44 , 45 .

[0110] Such an arrangement is advantageous in that it allows the bent edges 42, 43 to be arranged into the grooves 42, 43 of the metal mounting plate 27 even if the spacing e1 between the primary panels 7 does not correspond to its nominal value, as long as this spacing remains within a determined tolerance band. Figure 14 In FIG. 5 , if the interval e1 between two adjacent primary panels 7 is larger than its nominal value, the curved edges 42, 43 will be closer to the left-hand end of the grooves 44, 45 than to the right-hand end thereof. Figure 14 As shown, if the separation e1 is less than its nominal value, the curved edges 42 , 43 will be closer to the right-hand end of the slot 44 than to the left-hand end of the grooves 44 , 45 .

[0111] Advantageously, the angles α1 and α2 and the clearance for positioning the curved edges 42 , 43 in the grooves 44 , 45 are such that a tolerance zone of between 1 and 10 mm, for example of about 3 mm, can be covered. Advantageously, the tolerance zone is centered on the nominal value of the spacing e1 .

[0112] Advantageously, the depth of the groove 25 is substantially equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the metal mounting plate 27 and the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 , thereby allowing the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be positioned flush with the inner surface of the primary panel 7 to ensure continuity of support for the primary sealing membrane 8 .

[0113] The bridge element 26 is fixed to the primary panel 7 so that the relative positions of the bent edges 42, 43 are fixed in the grooves 44, 45 and the bent edges 42, 43 are prevented from disengaging from the grooves 44, 45. To achieve this, in the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 41 of the bridge element 26 includes an aperture 49 for receiving a fastener, such as a screw or rivet (not shown), to secure the bridge element 26 to the primary panel 7. Alternatively or additionally, the bridge element 26 is welded to the metal mounting plate 27. In this case, the bridge element 26 is preferably welded to the metal mounting plate 27 along the edge of the central portion 41.

[0114] Advantageously, the surface finish of the grooves 44 , 45 and the curved edges 42 , 43 is rough, thereby limiting the shear forces exerted on the fasteners fastening the bridging element 26 to the primary panel 7 .

[0115] In one embodiment, not shown, the grooves 44 of the metal mounting plates 27 extending along one and the same edge 47 of the primary panel 7 are alternately inclined in one direction and the other direction relative to the edge 47 of the primary panel 7. In other words, the grooves 44 of two adjacent metal mounting plates 27 have opposite inclinations along the edge 47, so that when the interval e1 between the primary panels 7 is greater than a nominal value, one of the bridging elements 26 provided in the groove 44 of one of the metal mounting plates 27 is closer to the right-hand end of the groove 44, and the other bridging element 26 provided in the groove 44 of the other metal mounting plate 27 is closer to the left-hand end of the groove 44.

[0116] Another embodiment not described is combined with the above Figure 14 The depicted embodiment differs in that the primary panel 7 lacks a metal mounting plate 27, thereby further simplifying the installation of the bridging element 26. Consequently, the curved edges 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 are disposed directly within angled grooves formed in the recess 25 of the primary panel 7. The angled grooves formed in the recess 325 have similar characteristics to the grooves 44, 45 described above, particularly with respect to their inclination relative to the adjacent edges 47, 48 of the primary panel 7. Furthermore, the depth of the recess 25 is substantially equal to the thickness of the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26, thereby allowing the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be positioned flush with the inner surface of the primary panel 7.

[0117] Reference Figure 7, a cross-sectional view of a methane carrier 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71 having a generally prismatic shape, which is assembled in a double hull 72 of a ship. The wall of the tank 71 has a primary sealing membrane 8 intended to come into contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing membrane 5 arranged between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two thermal insulation barriers arranged between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the secondary sealing membrane and between the secondary sealing membrane and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0118] In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading lines 73 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel can be connected to an offshore or port terminal by means of appropriate connections in order to transfer cargoes of liquefied natural gas from or to the tanks 71 .

[0119] Figure 7 Also shown is an example of an offshore terminal having a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76, and an onshore facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility having a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading line 73. The orientable mobile arm 74 can accommodate methane carriers of all sizes. Connecting pipes, not depicted, extend upward within the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows methane carriers 70 to be loaded from or unloaded to an onshore facility 77. The onshore facility 77 has a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 by the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 can transport liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over a long distance, for example, 5 km, allowing the methane tank 70 to remain a considerable distance offshore during loading or unloading operations.

[0120] In order to generate the pressure required for transporting the liquefied gas, pumps carried on board the ship 70 and / or pumps provided with the onshore installation 77 and / or pumps provided with the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

[0121] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto in any way and that the invention comprises all technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations, if they are within the scope of the invention.

[0122] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

[0123] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto in any way and that the invention comprises all technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations, if they are within the scope of the invention.

[0124] In particular, although the above description describes a can comprising two thermal insulation barriers and two sealing films, the present invention is not limited to such a multi-layer structure and may, for example, comprise only one thermal insulation barrier and one sealing film.

[0125] Use of the verb "have", "comprise" or "include" and its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

[0126] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A wall (1) of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, the tank comprising at least one thermally insulating barrier (6) and at least one sealing membrane (8), the sealing membrane (8) being anchored to the thermally insulating barrier (6) and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, the thermally insulating barrier (6) comprising insulating panels (7) juxtaposed to one another in mutually parallel rows and columns, wherein The insulating panel (7) has a parallelepiped shape and has two first edges parallel to a first direction and two second edges parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each insulating panel (7) includes an inner surface supporting the sealing film (8), and each insulating panel (7) is connected to an adjacent insulating panel (7) by means of a bridging element (26), wherein the bridging element (26) is made of a metal plate, and each bridging element (26) made of a metal plate is arranged to span two insulating panels (7) in the adjacent insulating panels (7). panels, and each bridging element (26) is fixed to the inner face of one of the two adjacent insulating panels (7) and the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels (7), the insulating panels (7) comprising relaxation grooves (24) each formed in the thickness direction of the wall, each bridging element (26) made of a metal plate being fixed to one of the insulating panels (7) between an edge of the insulating panel (7) and one of the relaxation grooves (24) adjacent to and parallel to the edge of the insulating panel (7), wherein the sealing membrane (8) is welded to at least some of the bridge elements made of sheet metal, The sealing film (8) comprises metal sheets (16), each metal sheet (16) having two first edges (20, 21) parallel to the first direction and two second edges (22, 23) parallel to the second direction, The size of the first edge of the metal sheet (16) is equal to the size of the first edge of the insulation panel (7), or the size of the first edge of the metal sheet (16) is an integer multiple of the size of the first edge of the insulation panel (7) and is larger than the size of the first edge of the insulation panel (7), The size of the second edge of the metal sheet (16) is equal to the size of the second edge of the insulation panel (7), or the size of the second edge of the metal sheet (16) is an integer multiple of the size of the second edge of the insulation panel (7) and is larger than the size of the second edge of the insulation panel (7), and The first edge (20, 21) and the second edge (22, 23) of the metal sheet (16) each form a superimposed edge or a superimposed edge, and the superimposed edges or the superimposed edges are respectively welded to the superimposed edge or the superimposed edge of an adjacent metal sheet (16), each superimposed edge of the metal sheet being further welded to at least one of the bridging elements made of metal plates, wherein the first edge (20, 21) of the metal sheet (16) extends along at least some of the two first edges of the insulating panel (7) so as to be positioned in line with some of the bridging elements made of metal plates, and wherein the second edge (22, 23) of the metal sheet (16) extends along at least some of the second edges of the insulating panel (7) so as to be positioned in line with some of the bridging elements made of metal plates.

2. A wall (1) according to claim 1, wherein Each bridging element (26) made of sheet metal is fixed in a recess (25) formed in the inner face of one of two adjacent insulation panels (7) and in a recess (25) formed in the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels (7).

3. A wall (1) according to claim 2, wherein At least one of the bridge elements (26) made of sheet metal comprises a central portion (41) and two curved edges (42, 43) positioned at the two ends of the central portion (41), each curved edge (42, 43) being arranged to fit into a corresponding groove housed in one of the recesses (25), the groove having a length greater than the width of the curved edge (42, 43), at least one of the two grooves being inclined at an angle α1 relative to an adjacent edge of the insulating panel (7) in which the recess (25) is formed, in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall.

4. A wall (1) according to claim 3, wherein The other of the two grooves is inclined at an angle α2 relative to an adjacent edge of the insulating panel (7) in which the recess (25) for accommodating the groove is formed, in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall, and the angle α1 and the angle α2 are oriented at angles having opposite directions relative to each other.

5. Wall (1) according to claim 4, wherein The angle α1 and the angle α2 have values ​​between 5° and 10°.

6. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein Each bridging element (26) made of sheet metal is welded to two metal mounting plates (27) which are respectively fixed in one of the recesses (25) of each of two adjacent insulation panels (7).

7. The wall according to claim 2, wherein Each bridging element (26) made of sheet metal is riveted into one of said recesses (25) of each of two adjacent said insulation panels (7).

8. The wall (1) according to claim 1, wherein The two first edges (20, 21) of the metal sheet (16) have a size that is an integer multiple of and larger than the first edge of the insulation panel (7), so that the metal sheet (16) completely covers some of the bridging elements (26) made of the metal plate, the metal sheet (16) being welded to the completely covered bridging elements (26) made of the metal plate by plug welding (28) or by transmission welding.

9. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The bridge element (26) made of sheet metal is positioned flush with the inner face of the insulation panel (7) to ensure continuity of support for the sealing membrane (8).

10. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The bridging element (26) made of sheet metal protrudes beyond the inner face of the insulating panel (7) towards the sealing membrane (8).

11. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The sealing membrane (8) comprises two series of corrugated portions which are perpendicular to each other.

12. Wall (1) according to claim 11, wherein The relaxation groove (24) of the insulation panel (7) is formed facing each of the two series of corrugations (17, 18) of the sealing membrane (8).

13. The wall (1) according to claim 11, wherein The inner sheet of the insulation panel (7) has four edges, each edge comprising a plurality of recesses (25) arranged on each side of each relaxation slot (24).

14. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The insulation panel (7) has relaxation grooves, the number and depth of which are such that the insulation panel has a tensile stiffness in a first direction and a second direction: the tensile stiffness in the first direction and the tensile stiffness in the second direction are orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall and are parallel to the rows and the columns of the insulation panel (7), respectively, the tensile stiffness of the insulation panel in the first direction and the second direction being lower than the stiffness of the bridging element made of metal sheet in the first direction and the second direction, respectively.

15. Wall (1) according to claim 14, wherein The relaxation groove (24) has a depth greater than 60 mm in the thickness direction of the wall.

16. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claim 7, wherein The insulation panels each have: a first series of relaxation grooves formed in the inner face of the insulation panel (7) and parallel to the two opposite first edges (20, 21) of the insulation panel (7); and a second series of relaxation grooves formed in the inner face of the insulation panel (7) and parallel to the two opposite second edges (20, 21) of the insulation panel (7), the relaxation grooves (24) having a depth between 80 mm and 150 mm in the thickness direction of the wall.

17. Wall (1) according to claim 16, wherein At least one of the two series of relaxation grooves has at least a central relaxation groove and two edge relaxation grooves extending on each side of the central relaxation groove, the central relaxation groove having a depth greater than the depth of each of the two edge relaxation grooves.

18. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The relaxation grooves (24) are formed in the inner face of the insulation panel (7), and the insulation panel (7) further comprises outer relaxation grooves (39) formed in the outer face of the insulation panel (7) and parallel to the relaxation grooves (24) formed on the inner face, and the outer relaxation grooves (39) are positioned to alternate with the relaxation grooves formed on the inner face in a direction perpendicular to the outer relaxation grooves (39).

19. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8, wherein The sealing film (8) is a primary sealing film, the thermal insulation barrier (6) is a primary thermal insulation barrier, and the wall (1) further comprises a secondary thermal insulation barrier (2) held against a support structure (4), and a secondary sealing film (5) fixed to the secondary thermal insulation barrier (2) and arranged between the secondary thermal insulation barrier (2) and the primary thermal insulation barrier.

20. A sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising a wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 7 to 8.

21. A ship (70) for transporting fluids, the ship comprising a hull (72) and a tank (71) according to claim 20 arranged in the hull.

22. A transmission system for transmitting a fluid, the transmission system comprising: A vessel (70) according to claim 21; an isolated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (71) mounted in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility (77); and a pump for driving fluid from the floating or onshore storage facility to the vessel's tank or from the vessel's tank to the floating or onshore storage facility via the isolated pipeline.

23. A method for loading and unloading a vessel (70) according to claim 21, wherein: Fluid is transferred from a floating or onshore storage facility (77) to the vessel's tanks (71), or vice versa, via isolated pipelines (73, 79, 76, 81).

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