Liquefied gas storage tank and vessel comprising the same

Abstract

A liquefied gas storage tank according to one embodiment of the present application can include a tank body in which a liquefied gas is stored, and an inner frame unit provided inside the tank body to replace a rolling bulkhead and disposed on at least a portion of the inside of the tank body in a circumferential direction and formed with a flow adjustment hole to adjust a flow of the liquefied gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a liquefied gas storage tank and a ship including the storage tank. Background Technology

[0002] Petroleum resources, including transportation fuels for automobiles and ships, as well as various fuels used domestically and internationally, are gradually being depleted. Due to rising oil prices and stricter environmental regulations, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as an alternative energy source is increasing.

[0003] Liquefied gases include liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied propane gas (LPG). These liquefied gases are much smaller in volume than in their gaseous state (for example, in the case of LNG, the volume is reduced to 1 / 600 when liquefied, and in the case of LPG, it can be reduced to 1 / 250). They are easy to store and transport in their liquefied state, but there is a difficulty in maintaining them below their boiling point (approximately -162°C for LNG and approximately -50°C for LPG).

[0004] To store these liquefied gases, a cryogenic liquefied gas storage tank is needed to keep the liquefied gas below its boiling point.

[0005] However, as a structure used by ships and other transportation vehicles to store liquefied fuel, the liquefied gas storage tank contains liquid. Therefore, as the floating structure, such as a ship or land transportation vehicle, moves, the liquefied gas storage tank cannot always remain horizontal with the water surface or land, thus inevitably resulting in the flow of liquid fuel.

[0006] Due to the flow of liquefied gas, the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank collides with the flowing liquefied gas, and this continuous collision can cause damage to the liquefied gas storage tank.

[0007] Therefore, traditionally, swash bulk head walls are installed inside liquefied gas storage tanks to prevent the sloshing of liquefied gas from damaging the storage tank.

[0008] This type of sway-damping bulkhead is designed as the bulkhead in the middle of a liquefied gas storage tank. Because it is a heavy component, it is difficult to construct inside the liquefied gas storage tank, which increases the manufacturing cost.

[0009] Therefore, in order to solve or improve the above problems, it is necessary to study liquefied gas storage tanks and ships that include such tanks. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Technical issues

[0011] The present invention aims to provide a liquefied gas storage tank and a ship including the storage tank to prevent the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank from colliding with the flowing liquefied gas due to the flow of liquefied gas.

[0012] On the other hand, the present invention aims to provide a liquefied gas storage tank and a ship including the storage tank, which can prevent the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank from colliding with the flowing liquefied gas without using conventional sway-damping bulkheads, and support the liquefied gas storage tank.

[0013] Technical solution

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a liquefied gas storage tank may include: a tank body for storing liquefied gas; and an inner frame unit disposed inside the tank body to replace the sway chamber wall and disposed circumferentially along at least a portion of the interior of the tank body, and having flow regulating holes formed thereon to regulate the flow of the liquefied gas.

[0015] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner frame unit of the liquefied gas storage tank may include: a single support member, which is configured as a donut-shaped plate with one end attached to the inside of the tank body, and has a plurality of flow regulating holes extending through the thickness direction to allow the liquefied gas to pass through.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the single support member of the liquefied gas storage tank can be configured as a corrugated plate shape with alternating protruding and concave shapes relative to the length direction of the tank body.

[0017] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the single support member of the liquefied gas storage tank can be configured such that its width decreases from the bottom to the top of the tank body.

[0018] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole of the liquefied gas storage tank can be formed such that its diameter decreases from the bottom to the top of the tank body.

[0019] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole of the liquefied gas storage tank can be formed such that its diameter increases from the bottom to the top of the tank body.

[0020] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole of the liquefied gas storage tank may be formed on a portion adjacent to the bottom of the tank body.

[0021] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the single support member of the liquefied gas storage tank may have a flange extending outward at the other end, forming a "T"-shaped cross-section.

[0022] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner frame unit of the liquefied gas storage tank may include: double support members, which are respectively disposed on the long side wall portions of both sides of the tank body and are formed in a "T" shape in cross section, and have a plurality of flow adjustment holes extending through the thickness direction.

[0023] A vessel according to another embodiment of the present invention may include: the liquefied gas storage tank; and a hull wherein the liquefied gas storage tank is disposed, and includes an engine unit that provides driving force.

[0024] Invention Effects

[0025] The liquefied gas storage tank and the ship including the storage tank of the present invention have the advantage of preventing the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank from colliding with the flowing liquefied gas due to the flow of liquefied gas.

[0026] On the other hand, the liquefied gas storage tank and the ship including the storage tank of the present invention have the advantage that, without using conventional sway-damping bulkheads, the problem of collision between the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank and the flowing liquefied gas caused by the flow of liquefied gas can be prevented, and the liquefied gas storage tank can be supported.

[0027] This results in the following effects: liquefied gas storage tanks are easier to manufacture, manufacturing costs are reduced, and damage to liquefied gas storage tanks can be prevented.

[0028] However, the various beneficial advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to the above description, which will be more readily understood in the process of describing the specific embodiments of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a side view showing a liquefied gas storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that the single support member in the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention is configured such that its width decreases from the bottom of the tank body towards the top.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that in the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention, a flow regulating hole is formed on a portion of the single support adjacent to the bottom of the tank body.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention is provided with a single support member.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the single support member in the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention is configured in a wave shape.

[0034] Figure 6This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention is provided with double support members.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention is provided with a single support member and a double support member.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a side view showing the liquefied gas storage tank of the present invention and a ship including the storage tank. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the invention can be modified in various ways, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the embodiments of the invention are intended to describe the invention more completely to those skilled in the art. For clarity, the shape and size of the components may be enlarged in the drawings.

[0038] Furthermore, in this specification, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, singular expressions include plural expressions, and the same reference numerals or reference numerals used throughout the specification refer to the same components or corresponding components.

[0039] The present invention relates to a liquefied gas storage tank 1 and a ship including the liquefied gas storage tank 1. An inner frame unit 20 is provided inside the tank body 10 to replace the swash bulk head wall. This inner frame unit 20 guides the flow of liquefied gas, thereby preventing the problem of the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 colliding with the flowing liquefied gas.

[0040] On the other hand, the liquefied gas storage tank 1 and the ship including the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention, by providing the inner frame unit 20, can also prevent the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 from colliding with the flowing liquefied gas without using the conventional sway-damping bulkhead, and support the liquefied gas storage tank 1.

[0041] Therefore, the liquefied gas storage tank 1 is easier to manufacture, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and damage to the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be prevented.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a side view showing an LPG storage tank 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is provided with a single support member 22.

[0043] Referring to the accompanying drawings, a liquefied gas storage tank 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a tank body 10 and an inner frame unit 20.

[0044] The tank body 10 can store liquefied gas. The inner frame unit 20 is disposed inside the tank body 10 to replace the sway chamber wall, and is disposed on at least a portion of the tank body 10 in the circumferential direction, and has flow regulating holes 21 formed thereon to regulate the flow of the liquefied gas.

[0045] In other words, the inner frame unit 20 replaces the traditional sway control chamber wall and is installed inside the tank body 10, thereby guiding the flow of liquefied gas.

[0046] This can improve the problem of liquefied gas impacting one side of the tank body 10. Since it does not have a heavy sway-damping bulkhead, the liquefied gas storage tank 1 is easier to manufacture and can reduce manufacturing costs.

[0047] In other words, the inner frame unit 20 is disposed inside the tank component 10. When the liquefied gas inside the tank component 10 suddenly deviates from one side to the other, it partially blocks the flow of the liquefied gas, thereby improving the problem of the liquefied gas impacting the tank component 10.

[0048] Furthermore, since the inner frame unit 20 has the flow regulating hole 21, the degree to which the flow of the liquefied gas is blocked can be adjusted. That is, the liquefied gas can pass through the portion where the flow regulating hole 21 is formed, thereby alleviating the excessive resistance caused by the liquefied gas, while blocking part of the liquefied gas, thereby buffering the impact of the liquefied gas on the tank component 10.

[0049] Furthermore, since the flow regulating hole 21 is located at the bottom end of the inner frame unit 20, the liquefied gas is normally dispersed evenly on the left and right sides of the tank component 10. For this, please refer to the following... Figure 3 Detailed description.

[0050] Specifically, as one embodiment, the inner frame unit 20 may include a single support member 22.

[0051] That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner frame unit 20 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 may include: a single support member 22, which is configured as a donut-shaped plate with one end attached to the inside of the tank body 10, and has a plurality of flow regulating holes 21 extending through the thickness direction to allow the liquefied gas to pass through.

[0052] As described above, when the liquefied gas suddenly flows, the single support member 22 acts as an obstacle, thus guiding the liquefied gas around the single support member 22 back to its original position. In other words, the single support member 22 mitigates the problem of sudden changes in the flow of liquefied gas around the single support member 22.

[0053] The single support member 22 of the present invention can be configured to be continuous along the inner circumference of the tank body 10.

[0054] In other words, the single support member 22 serves to internally support the tank body 10. Therefore, even if the conventional turbulence-controlling bulkhead is removed and replaced with the inner frame unit 20 of this invention, the tank body 10 can still be supported. For this supporting function of the single support member 22, a more robust support can be achieved by configuring the single support member 22 as a donut-shaped sheet material that is continuous along the circumference of the inside of the tank body 10.

[0055] In other words, the single support member 22 can be configured as a donut-shaped sheet material with an opening in the middle of a disc-shaped component, and one end of it is attached to the interior of the can body 10 as the outer end. The single support member 22 can be attached in the width direction z of the can body 10, or it can be attached in the length direction x of the can body 10.

[0056] Furthermore, since the single support member 22 has the flow adjustment hole 21, the degree to which the flow of the liquefied gas is blocked can be adjusted.

[0057] As an example, the flow regulating hole 21 can be formed such that its diameter increases from the bottom 10a to the top 10d of the tank body 10, or conversely, it can be formed such that its diameter decreases from the bottom 10a to the top 10d of the tank body 10.

[0058] In other words, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole 21 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be formed such that its diameter increases from the bottom 10a of the tank body 10 towards the top 10d.

[0059] Accordingly, the impact of the liquefied gas on the tank 10 caused by the sudden flow of the liquefied gas is buffered, while the resistance of the liquefied gas on the single support 22 is dispersed, thereby extending the life of the single support.

[0060] In other words, even if shaking occurs inside the tank component 10, the liquefied gas is more concentrated in the lower part of the tank component 10. Therefore, by making the diameter of the flow regulating hole 21 formed in the lower part of the single support member 22 larger and the diameter of the flow regulating hole 21 formed in the upper part smaller, the lower part of the single support member 22, which is subject to greater resistance, will have a greater reduction in the resistance caused by the liquefied gas, while the upper part of the single support member 22, which is subject to less resistance, will have a smaller reduction in the resistance caused by the liquefied gas.

[0061] Therefore, the single support member 22 is subjected to uniform resistance as a whole, thereby improving the problem of one part failing faster than another and shortening its lifespan.

[0062] Alternatively, as an example, the flow regulating hole 21 can be formed such that its diameter decreases from the bottom 10a of the tank body 10 towards the top 10d. For this, see below. Figure 2 Detailed description.

[0063] Furthermore, the single support member 22 can be formed with a "T"-shaped cross-section. See below for details. Figure 3 Detailed description.

[0064] Furthermore, the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention may also include a pump unit 30. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pump unit 30 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 may be provided with a discharge pipe connecting the inside and outside of the tank body 10. Additionally, the pump unit 30 can draw in liquefied gas stored inside the tank body through the discharge pipe and then transport it to the outside.

[0065] Figure 2 This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that the single support member 22 in the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is configured such that its width w decreases from the bottom 10a of the tank body 10 towards the top 10d.

[0066] Referring to the accompanying drawings, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the single support member 22 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be configured such that its width w decreases from the bottom 10a of the tank body 10 toward the top 10d.

[0067] In other words, even if shaking occurs inside the tank component 10, the liquefied gas is mostly distributed in the lower part of the tank component 10. Therefore, by forming a larger lower width w and a smaller upper width w of the single support member 22, the lower part of the single support member 22, which is subject to greater resistance, can be configured to support the greater resistance caused by the liquefied gas, while the upper part of the single support member 22 can be configured to support the smaller resistance caused by the liquefied gas.

[0068] Therefore, the single support member 22 can be configured in an optimized shape to support uniform resistance overall, thereby reducing the weight of the single support member 22.

[0069] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole 21 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be formed such that its diameter decreases from the bottom 10a of the tank body 10 towards the top 10d.

[0070] Therefore, by reducing the resistance of the liquefied gas to the single support member 22, the problem of damage to the single support member 22 and shortened lifespan caused by the resistance of the liquefied gas can be improved.

[0071] Furthermore, since the width w of the single support member 22 is reduced, the diameter of the flow adjustment hole 21 is also reduced, thereby maintaining the supporting force of the single support member 22 on the tank body 10 evenly in each part of the single support member 22.

[0072] Figure 3 This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that the flow regulating hole 21 in the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is formed on a portion of the single support member 22 adjacent to the bottom 10a of the tank body 10.

[0073] Referring to the accompanying drawings, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulating hole 21 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 may be formed on a portion adjacent to the bottom 10a of the tank body 10.

[0074] In other words, by setting the single support member 22, the impact of the liquefied gas on the tank member 10 caused by the sudden flow of the liquefied gas can be buffered. At the same time, by setting the flow adjustment hole 21 at the lower part of the single support member 22, the liquefied gas can be evenly distributed to the left and right sides of the tank member 10 under normal conditions.

[0075] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the single support member 22 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 may have a flange portion 22a extending outward at the other end, and is formed in the shape of a "T".

[0076] Thus, by limiting the cross-sectional shape to a "T" shape, the single support member 22 can further improve the supporting force.

[0077] Figure 5 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the single support member 22 in the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is configured in a wave shape.

[0078] Referring to the accompanying drawings, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the single support member 22 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be configured as a corrugated plate shape with alternating protruding and recessed shapes relative to the length direction x of the tank body 10.

[0079] That is, the single support member 22 can be formed such that a portion protrudes toward one side short sidewall portion 10b, while another portion of the adjacent single support member 22 protrudes toward the other side short sidewall portion 10b.

[0080] The short side wall portion 10b refers to the shorter side wall portion of the tank component 10 in the top view of the tank component 10. Conversely, the long side wall portion 10c refers to the longer side wall portion of the tank component 10 in the top view of the tank component 10.

[0081] Thus, the single support member 22 is configured as a corrugated plate shape, which further mitigates the problem of the liquefied gas suddenly moving from one side of the tank member 10 to the other and impacting the tank member 10. In other words, the single support member 22 is formed with a corrugated curved surface, thereby guiding the liquefied gas to flow along the curved portion of the single support member 22. Therefore, the liquefied gas can be guided back to the flow direction in which it was delivered to the single support member 22.

[0082] Therefore, the problem of the liquefied gas suddenly veering from one side of the tank 10 to the other side is improved, and the problem of the liquefied gas exerting an impact on the tank 10 is also improved.

[0083] Furthermore, since the short sidewall portion 10b of the single support member 22 on one side alternately forms a protruding shape and a recessed shape, the single support member 22 can prevent the impact problem caused by liquefied gas suddenly transmitted to either side of the tank member 10.

[0084] As an example, a portion of the single support member 22 forms a short sidewall 10b with a curved surface facing one side, and another portion of the adjacent single support member 22 forms a short sidewall 10b with a curved surface facing the other side. Thus, a portion of the liquefied gas that suddenly passes through the short sidewall 10b on one side is guided back to the short sidewall 10b on the other side, and the other portion of the adjacent single support member 22 guides a portion of the liquefied gas that suddenly passes through the short sidewall 10b on the other side is guided back to the short sidewall 10b on the other side.

[0085] Figure 6 This is a side view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is provided with double support members 23. Figure 7 This is a front view of an embodiment, showing that the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention is provided with a single support member 22 and a double support member 23.

[0086] Referring to the accompanying drawings, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner frame unit 20 of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 may include: double support members 23, which are respectively disposed on the long side wall portions 10c on both sides of the tank body 10, and are formed in a "T" shape in cross section, and have a plurality of flow adjustment holes 21 extending through the thickness direction.

[0087] In other words, the dual support members 23 serve to support the tank body 10. Therefore, even if the traditional sway control bulkhead is removed and replaced with the inner frame unit 20 of the present invention, the tank body 10 can still be supported.

[0088] By limiting the cross-sectional shape to a "T" shape, the dual support member 23 can further improve the support force.

[0089] In addition, the dual support members 23 of the present invention are provided on the long side wall portions 10c on both sides of the tank member 10, but not on the bottom 10a of the tank member 10. Therefore, the liquefied gas located at the bottom 10a of the tank member 10 can be evenly dispersed.

[0090] Furthermore, when the liquefied gas suddenly flows, the double support member 23 acts as an obstacle, thus guiding the liquefied gas around the long sidewall portion 10c back to its original position. In other words, the double support member 23 mitigates the problem of sudden changes in the flow of liquefied gas around the long sidewall portion 10c.

[0091] Furthermore, the flow regulating hole 21 is formed on the dual support member 23, which can regulate the flow of the liquefied gas.

[0092] Figure 8 This is a side view showing the liquefied gas storage tank 1 of the present invention and the ship including the liquefied gas storage tank 1.

[0093] Referring to the accompanying drawings, a vessel according to another embodiment of the present invention may include: the liquefied gas storage tank 1; and a hull 2, wherein the liquefied gas storage tank 1 is disposed, and includes an engine unit 2a that provides driving force.

[0094] The description of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 is replaced by the aforementioned description of the liquefied gas storage tank 1.

[0095] In addition, the hull 2 ​​may be equipped with the liquefied gas storage tank 1 and include an engine unit 2a that provides driving force.

[0096] In other words, since the ship of the present invention includes the above-mentioned liquefied gas storage tank 1, it is possible to prevent the problem of the inner wall of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 from colliding with the flowing liquefied gas due to the sudden flow of liquefied gas without using conventional swaying bulkheads.

[0097] As described above, the ships of the present invention do not need to use traditional sway-damping bulkheads, so the manufacture of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 is easier, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and damage to the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can be prevented.

[0098] In addition, the reduced weight of the liquefied gas storage tank 1 can improve the ship's operating efficiency.

[0099] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention as described in the claims, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0100] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0101] 1: Liquefied gas storage tank 2: Ship hull

[0102] 10: Tank body component; 20: Inner frame unit

[0103] 21: Flow regulating hole; 22: Single support component

[0104] 23: Double support component; 30: Pump unit

Claims

1. A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage tank, comprising: Tank components for storing liquefied gas; An inner frame unit, disposed inside the tank body to replace the sway control chamber wall, and circumferentially disposed on at least a portion of the interior of the tank body to regulate the flow of the liquefied gas. The inner frame unit includes: A single support member is configured as a donut-shaped plate with one end joined to the interior of the tank body, and has multiple flow regulating holes extending along the thickness direction to allow the liquefied gas to pass through. The double support members are respectively disposed on the long side walls of both sides of the tank body, and are formed with a "T" shaped cross-section, and have multiple flow adjustment holes that penetrate along the thickness direction. The single support member is configured as a wavy plate shape with alternating protruding and concave shapes relative to the length direction of the tank body.

2. The liquefied gas storage tank according to claim 1, wherein, The single support member is configured such that its width decreases from the bottom to the top of the tank body.

3. The liquefied gas storage tank according to claim 2, wherein, The flow regulating hole of the single support is formed such that its diameter decreases from the bottom to the top of the tank.

4. The liquefied gas storage tank according to claim 1, wherein, The flow regulating hole of the single support is formed such that its diameter increases from the bottom to the top of the tank.

5. The liquefied gas storage tank according to claim 1, wherein, The flow regulating hole of the single support is formed on a portion adjacent to the bottom of the tank component.

6. The liquefied gas storage tank according to claim 1, wherein, The single support member has a flange extending outward at the other end, forming a "T" shaped cross-section.

7. A vessel comprising: The liquefied gas storage tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6; as well as The hull contains the liquefied gas storage tank and includes an engine unit that provides propulsion.

Images